What 2 Canadian Gringo's learned in Mexico

View out our window on the way home

Ok there was no kidnapping, raping, shooting, bribing or beheading….as a matter of fact is was very civilized….That's the media for you, got the facts wrong again!

One of the things I was personally concerned about before heading down to Mexico was safety….I hear the news so I went onto the Canadian immigration and travel site to see what they  said about the dangers.... they were cautious but nothing like the media and their anti Mexico frenzy…..I have to thank one co-worker who actually took the time out of their busy day to let me know how safe it actually is in Mexico, and how much his friends (Canadians) enjoy working and living in Guadalaraja…after so many people telling us how bad it's going to be and how dangerous they heard it was. 

Just for the record…there was not a single second on this trip that I felt afraid for my personal safety…not while riding a motorcycle through a busy City centre, not while walking around the many Towns....Not while being swarmed by children and the locals at the top of a plateau parking area for the hike up to see the butterflies….and not after having a fantastic dinner and a great bottle of wine and walking in the dark back to our hotel!  I'm not saying there is no issue down here…and if you're looking for trouble then you will probably find it….but for the rest of us normal folks…..Mexico is a wonderful place for a vacation....End of storey…No more safety talk.

My next concern was: Will I hold up the group with my riding ability?
That an easy answer.....No I did not hold up the group, and neither did anyone else…we were all very compatible, even with the definite difference in rider ability.  

Ray, our guide, gave us a "this is what you can expect from today" talk every morning at breakfast, and with a few of those meetings involving a group decision as to what type of road to take…do we want to spend a bit more time in Town x or do we want to ride a 2 hour detour of tight twists? We all got the ride we came here for!

Next was the question of if we would all get along together for the 8 days of riding ahead of us……Can you imagine spending 8 days with someone you hate....Hell I can do that at work.....again there was no problem with group dynamics, This was a great group (Tim, Ron and Aron...man you guys are the best).  I think as riders we have a great guarantee going into this adventure..... we are all motorcyclists with a common interest in bikes.  Aron, Tim, Ron and Mike and I got along so well that we have traded e-mails and are planning our next trip together back in Mexico!


We learned a lot about the Mexican people as well....they are very friendly, willing to help you out, vibrant and full of life.  
The sounds, smells, and sights were wonderful.  the Mexicans are a loud people where music is concerned…it was blaring out of every house window and car, and in areas without power the people played guitar or sang...wow loved it! 

The car horn is used for everything from beep beep I'm passing, beep beep I'm behind you to Hi there I love your bike….Thankfully it was always quiet at dark and never loud too early in the morning.

Most of the smells in Mexico that we experienced were wonderful, like the smell of chicken and beef cooking over a wood bbq, or home made enchiladas being formed and pressed in front of us then heated up on a grill, or the amazing smell of vegetation and flowering plants.  Occasionally our noses were assaulted with the smell of renderings being cooked down at meat markets….this was a weird smell because at first it smelt amazing like bacon cooking until your nose detects the secondary bad smell. 

Lastly the sights….we saw everything from dry desert (with cactus and other prickly items) to palm trees and lush vegetation.  Mexico is a country of colour, left behind in North America is walnut coloured wood, builders beige paint and people wearing black.  Colour was everywhere in Mexico, from the tablecloths and napkins at restaurants and hotels, in women's and children's clothes and in the buildings themselves where a building would be painted half orange and half blue with a decorative stripe separating the two.  Colour was in the sidewalks as each house is responsible for the sidewalk in front of their place, decorative stone work including tiles would be worked into the sidewalk.


We learned to carry toilet paper and Peso’s in a pocket of our riding gear as toilet paper was lacking in a few washrooms and some required a fee to use.  We did stop in a lot of Pemex gas stations….the only station in the Country for gas once or twice a day and washrooms were clean, usually free and they even carried knock off Hagen Das ice cream bars.

We were never hungry on this trip….the food was cheap, delicious and plentiful.  We ate Cactus, drank rice milk (very sweet) and found out that the salsa can be really mild to killer hot…as can the peppers…..Oh yeah….the jalapeño is about a 2 on and scale of 5 peppers so only try a small sample until you determine the peppers strength… or wait for someone else to try it first…

And finally we learned about the roads, driving on those roads, and the drivers themselves.

We learned a lot about driving…like if you don't want to take the full driving test or are not able to perform a certain task such as parallel parking…you can simply pay the tester an additional fee and get your license…..or if you are approaching a stop sign 'Alto'… the people around you are not necessarily going to stop….this applies to red lights on occasion as well.

Signals do not mean what the do back in Canada….a left signal usually means it's ok for you to pass me, the road ahead is clear, and not I'm turning left.  Four way flashers could signal a slow moving vehicle or a problem up ahead.  Cars flashed their lights at us on the motorcycles all the time (they do not have daytime running lights on any vehicles)…..  I guess they were telling us our lights wee on, or they were just excited to see 7 beautiful BMW’s in a row.

Now even with that disregard for traffic signs, the Mexican drivers were much more cautious than any driver back home…they all look out for each other and actually let each other in when someone is trying to move over.  Wow nice!  We did not hear and shouting or horns sounding in anger…can you imagine…

As for the roads themselves, yes there are potholes and Topes (which are randomly placed speed bumps, usually heading into a reduced speed area such as a Town) the size of both varies enormously, but in general the roads a great, well marked and smooth.

Considering in general most Mexicans have a lot less than North Americans they are a lot happier with the little hay do have.  Maybe we can do a bit of learning from them….Less is more??

Here I am on the plane blogging!

Our Last Day In Mexico

February 8, 2011
Awake with the sun, as it seems everyone does here everyday….early to bed - early to rise…  Tea and donut muffins for breakfast, greetings from Jack, Willy, and Gina...then a leisurely day hanging out watching some of Mikes amazing videos, until it's our turn to be driven to the airport.

A bit of anxiety at the airport but that's normal….where do we go, what do they need to see, where is my passport? No big deal!  As usual we find a smiling face more that happy to help us out!

Now I'm typing the last few day's activities in the plane, eating my sandwich and periodically peering out of the window at the amazing sights of crop circles and mountain ranges…I'm not sure why exactly but this trip has me not wanting to leave…..way more than any other trip…somehow in such a short time Mexico gets under your skin, I know this place...it feels like home. 

Mexico we'll be back

Day One of Trip Number 2

The birth place of Carlos Santana

Gettin' wired up

Yes that is the volcano....

February 6, 2011
We'll we all made it for the 8:00 start…and were quite a spectacle pulling out of the garage onto the local roadway, 7 beautiful BMW’s all shiny and new! 

We have 3 couples on the bigger bikes this time, 2 on GS1200's and Mike and I on the GS800 (Aron's bike from last week), and 4 guys on the GS650's.  I figure this is a cool way to experience the life of a passenger in Mexico….

It's hard to believe that after an 8 day riding trip, last week that there is still terrain in Mexico that we have never seen before….today we passed by two volcanoes but approached them on a straight as an arrow highway through desert.  As this is Mexico's "winter" season down here everything is dry as a bone….this desert is actually a dried up lake bed! 

At our lunch stop today, where we chowed down a kilo of meat and fixings for emphadas as quick as a pack of wild dogs. We had a beautiful view of the bikes, parked outside the restaurant and the volcano as a back drop…what a site.  We were actually lucky to see the active volcano sputter a burst of steam just as we were leaving.

All this is caught on video by the crew driving around with us, so it should make for some spectacular footage. 

We did stage a few ride by shots for the camera, running both past the camera and back again at a few key spots…..wow what a rough time, being a rider in a video…Yeah for snow in Texas!

That night we stayed in a beautiful Town on the ocean….it's a long weekend here (I'm told that are many long weekends here) so the coast is a huge destination for the locals, and who can blame them, this place is beautiful with ocean front 2 to 3 story walk ups, beautiful practically empty beaches, and of course tons of fantastic restaurants.  As a bonus we watched the Superbowl from one such place, drinking beer, eating hamburgers and nacho's and cheering on Green Bay.  It will be a long time before I forget this game!

The best part about our day was the hotel, we got to park the bikes inside the tiny lobby, and that was after we made the family who lived in the hotel move to a new room so that one of the couples could have that room. 

Of all the hotels we stayed that one was probably the least glamorous, and still it was great, lots of hot water and good beds.  We were lacking a working air conditioner and a fan but that was ok….I plugged in the bar fridge, opened the door and set it to max….background noise and coolness!

Day 2 Trip 2

February 7, 2011

Mike and I were up early for a great sunrise walk on the beach with David and Gloria, then breakfast at the coffee shop across for the Hotel.  I had a fantastic coffee and a bagel with Lox and cream cheese…I would say the best I have ever had anywhere!  Mike had waffles and tea and we ate while listening to "Garden in the Rain by Dianna Krall…one of my favorite songs by one of our favorite artists!

After breakfast it was some of the best riding to date through the mountains, full of tight twists and lots of elevation changes…I'm not sure if it's being on the back that was so much fun or not (for a rider the back is terrifying)…..but now I know how it feels to really crank through the corners!

Once out of the mountains and close to "home" the traffic became a nightmare…stopped traffic for miles….but hey this is Mexico, and we're on bikes……so we did what any Mexican on a bike would do….we drove up the opposite side of the road, pulling into the proper lane when a car came along…..what fun.  The car drivers were all looking out for us and even moved over to let us pass them.

We were back by about 5 had the bikes all parked and unloaded and were enjoying a cold beer at John and Lynne's.

Tomorrow we fly home…waaaaahh

Getting Ready for Trip Number 2

February 5, 2011
Wow this is a beautiful house….pool, beautiful gardens, guest rooms to die for and 3 cool dogs!

Up with the barking at 6:00, tea at the pool then a power walk to the lake through Town.  We had a great breakfast at a restaurant we saw loaded with tourists earlier this week, then it was back to the house where Mike replaced a broken top box bolt and then we did a once over on all the bikes, cleaned out the top boxes and checked the fluids.

We met a few of the guys we are going riding with for the next few days, and generally took it easy. 

We're up for riding tomorrow at 8:00, packed and on the bikes!

Our Flight Home Has Been Cancelled!! YEAH!!

February 4, 2011

Up early and pack to go home….packing usually task a bit of time as i split the suitcases evenly between us…that way if we lose one we can still manage with only one bag. Breakfast with Aaron as the other guys left at 6:00 this morning…aaron leaves at 5:00 tonight and we leave at noon.

During breakfast we decided to check on the flight status to see if our plane was on time….not only was it late…IT WAS CANCELLED!  were here until we can get another flight out…the airport is saying that should be a few days from now.  Stupid Superbowl!! those flights are taking the first available spaces while the Gringos in Mexico have to wait…well it could be a lot worse…we could be trapped in Houston instead of this beautiful Town.

John picked us up from the hotel to leave our bags with them while we take Aaron on a tour and lunch….this became a late tour just before he had to go to the airport because we discovered a broken bolt on the bike Mike was riding and spent a lot of the day trying to buy both tools and parts.

John and Lynne are letting us stay at their place for the next little while, but better than that, we are going to go with them to the coast to film some video for their web site and promotional video!! 2 more days of riding!

Army Road Blocks

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip!

February 3, 2011
Wow our first cloudy day down here.  The storms are hitting all of the Americas it seems. 

Today we packed up and headed back to Aijjic, where we started this trip 8 days ago.  The riding was all about getting back "home" but we still passed spectacular scenery and amazing small Towns.

We passed through a military check point as we did on day one, but today we were asked to pull over, remove our helmets and open our top boxes for a search…..the military is looking for drugs and guns only, which of course we do not have, but it's a bit un-nerving to be standing at the side of the road while they look through your stuff….and of course we don’t speak the language if they have any questions…Oh and did I mention that they are about 18 years old and holding rifles…. 

One guy was interested in me quite a bit.…I guess there are not many women on motorcycles down here....scooters yes but not motorcycles…..this one older army guy was pocking John and saying ooohhh (check her out)…..then he came and stood beside me for a while and kept smiling….oh yeah, he knew my name which freaked me out as well.

With that over with we drove on to Aijjic, but came up to another check point….again we were told to pull over, but our guide Ray told them that we were already searched. 

So this time they decide to use a drug honing rod instead of a physical search on us…..to do this….one guy walked up past the row of bikes with a device in his hands…..it was some sort of plastic handle with a long metal arm on it…..which would point to the guilty party……so what happens...it points at me!! 

Just to prove how guilty I am….they do this 3 times and it points at me 3 times….Holy crap there are no women army guys around for the strip search either!! 

Ok so I open my top box and they start going through my stuff again while the other 15 army guys watch…..sure enough they find Aspirin, Pepto Bismol, and my asthma puffer….all of which I’ve been using to help me through this flu. 

So being the great actress that I am… I take off my helmet….I imagine the breeze blowing through my hair as I do this….and proceed to cough up a lung or two….see I am sick… 

Ok no problem with the pills or the search….but a half bottle of mango juice spill all over everything in the box….what a mess…The army guy was great and offered me his toilet paper and helped clean up…..did I say earlier that most of the washrooms you need to pay a few cents to use and get toilet paper….?

It was an uneventful ride back (after that it’s all uneventful), sad to think we have to leave soon.

Sun and Sand

February 1 and 2, 2011

We are in Zihuatanejo! Hot sun, beautiful sand beaches and towering white hotels.  We are close enough to Ixtapa that we could be there as well…i didn't realize that they were so close together.

It's 7:00 and we slept these last 2 nights with the window wide open listening to the sound of the surf crashing….puts you to sleep right away.  We spent 2 days here lounging at the pool and taking short walks to the tourist areas….strange but all of us want to get back to the real Mexico and leave this tourism behind.

Tourism is way down this year and most of the restaurants are empty…sad to see and i'm sure it's due to the bad press Mexico is getting.  We have had nothing but wonderful people, excellent food and a lot of fun.  Almost everyone we talk to can speak english and is friendly and willing to show us their homes.

Once back to Toronto we have thousands of pictures and video to post…we still can't upload from any of the hotel log ons...

Hot Weather Riding

January 30, 2011

Today was a pure riding day, we did about 500km but took all day to do it.  The roads we were on in the morning were really tight twisty roads with banked corners….lots of fun but exhausting.  i also have some kind of the flu so i was tired before i started.  no problem though as we were soon on flatter ground and the temperature went way up….most of our trip has been in temperatures around 20 or less….lost of times less, as we are up in the mountains.  

From around noon on we were in 35 to 40 degree weather….nice for a change but wow hot!

We pulled into our hotel around 6:00 and all of us were quite happy to get here.