Ed's Gone South

¡Feliz Navidad!

It being Christmas Eve Eve, we wanted to send holiday greetings to one and all from the home of Christmas on the Costa Alegre, la Barra de Navidad. We would have sent a general PC "Happy Holidays!" message, but being that neither of us has ever celebrated anything but Christmas, y'all will have to hold your noses and accept a warm Merry Christmas!!

The holidays in Mexico are an interesting time, indeed. Many of the shops in big cities like Durango are buzzing with well-intentioned people buying presents that their loved lones will never really use just like in the US (don't worry, Mom, I've ALWAYS loved your presents!!) Also just like in the US, the roads are FILLED with holiday travelers. so we've ducked off the main highways for a spell to head down the coast and enjoy a little down time.

In Mexico, there seem to be only two designations on all roads and thoroughfares, passing lanes and pass if you really want to lanes. No matter what the speed, slope, road condition, or severity of the turn, Mexican drivers seem in enough of a hurry to pass. We've only encountered the "Holy Shit, what's that car doing in our lane coming around a blind turn" scenario once, but once is enough for a while. We were going slow enough that we slowed to a near crawl while he pulled back into his lane.

After that we had a bye day in the cute surfer town of San Blas, which is not so cute anymore after a class five hurricane decimated the town two months ago. The destruction was depressing, but the determination of the people to rebuild was inspiring.

After finding anti-freeze in the oil (what a lovely sight!), we stopped for an additional half day in San Blas to tear apart half the engine to rebuild the water pump. Luckily it was the one major engine part I knew would go some where in the teens of the engine, so I had the parts on hand. I just didn't expect it to go in the thirteens -- 13,714 to be exact. After 4 hours we were back on the road with fresh oil, coolant, and water pump.

Not wanting to get any email from friends bragging that they saw the latest installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, we went and saw the Two Towers last night. The bonus was that instead of paying $8.50 as in the US, it was only 35 pesos, a hair under $3.50.

The rest of the night was not so enjoyable, however, as a rooster set up camp directly under our window and started cockadoodledooing not at 6, or 5, or even four. No, it must have begun seeing daybreak a little earlier... at MIDNIGHT, and continued all night long. Zelie, with her supersonic traveler's earplugs slept like a baby, but I was sentenced to a night of fantacizing about breaking that rooster's neck with my bare hands.

With Oaxaca still days away, we are hoping for a quaint beach town like this for Xmas. We'll do New Year's instead with the Oaxacans.

Until we write again, Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!!

- The EZ Riders

A Few Pics

Here's a few pics for your enjoyment. Please let me know if you like the thumbnail size like this for easier dowloading, or if we should just put them all right on the page.

Crossing the Border...

Waiting for our Papers AT the Border the second day.

Down into Copper Canyon. Note the road winding off into the hillside in the middle of the photo.

I can't figure out how to rotate these yet, but this is the Cathedral in Durango all decked out in Xmas decor.

A well deserved break on the way out of Durango. ¡Las quesadillas eran muy ricas!

The view from Espinoza del Diablo.

Fancy digs in Mazatlán.

Pobrecito Eduardo despues de una abeja lo picó (Poor Edward after a bee stung him).

Little girl on the street in San Blas.

Damage from the recent hurricane in San Blas. Note the destroyed block wall and the lamp post bent clear to the ground on the median.

"Lanchas" docked in the afternoon light in San Blas.

In the Tropics at Last

When a bee flew into my helmet and stung me on the eyelid yesterday as we cruised down the final stretch of Espinoza del Diablo (Devil's Spine) it was only the first negative point in an otherwise seamless first week on the road. Today my swollen eye attracts more attention walking around town than my blonde hair and 6 foot stature normally would.

Last night we arrived in Mazatlan -- 20 km south of the Tropic of Cancer. Not known as a quiet beach town, the road into Mazatlan was much like a traffic jam in New York City with livestock and buses instead of taxis. The road down from Durango, however, was some of the most exciting and beautiful riding of the trip so far. The Espinoza del Diablo twists and turns for over 200 miles -- at some points with three 180 degree turns in under 500 meters, and with one 270 degree turn with what seemed like a 15 m radius.

The only thing more numerous than the potholes and sharp turns on Mexican roads, however, are the animals-- horses, mules, goats, cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, dogs -- and not all of them dead. One cow that was a little irked by us screaming by at 60 mph gave us a little head fake like he was going to leap into our lane just to scare the daylights out of us. It seems every town has at least three dogs that try to tag along for a ride, even if it is by hanging on to Zelie's pantleg with their teeth.

The language barrier is coming down slowly, but with a few funny exchanges in the meantime. Checking out of the Hostel in Creel, I asked, "What is the brief moment of exchange here? I'd like to pay in pain." "You like to pay in pain?" smirked the woman. "Hey Juan, he'd like to pay in pain, do we take pain?" "Oh yes" replied Juan sarcastically, "we take pain. How much?"

Later, as we left I thanked them by saying, "Many Greases for everything!"

Today, we continue down the coast to where ever we end up. Our plan to reach Oaxaca by Christmas is looking tough to fulfill, but whatever.

Stats:
- Close Encounters with Livestock - not quite 1
- Close encoutners with Bees - 1
- Close encoutners with water borne parasites - we'll see after last night's Margarita makes it all the way through
- Total Meat and Beans consumed - 100 lbs.
- Total Fresh Vegetables consumed - 0
- Avg MPG of El Cabroncito - 45
- Miles from Home - 1,800

On the Road,
Eduardo, Zelie, & El Caborncito

Bienveinidos a Mexico!

"Hay que Regresar, Señor." {You have top go back, sir.} Those were the first words we heard out of the immigartion official's mouth on Saturday evening, one hundred miles south of the border.

We spent Friday night in New Mexico, hoping to get a fresh start on Saturday morning. After a mad-dash to Walmart and Auto Zone for last minute goodies, we crossed the border just after noon, and made it almost all the way to Casas Grandes.

In all the other times I've crossed into Mexico, there's the border, and after twenty miles or so a station to register the vehicle, get your Visa, etc. Not al Palomas it seems. No, instead as the security guard yells "PASE!" at you waving you through, you are supposed to stop, hold up traffic and ASK him where to register the vehicle. We failed to do that, and spent all day Sunday instead, riding back to the border, waiting five hours for the proper papers, and then on to Asencion for the night. "Bienvenidos a Mexico!" the same guard said as we passed the checkpoint above Casas Grandes Monday morning. Wonderful...

We landed in Creel last night just at night fall, and spent the evening yapping with other travelers in one or two of four different langauges being thrown about the table. Today, it's through Copper Canyon, and on to Parral for the night. We're aiming for Oaxaca by Christmas, but can't be married to it. Afterall, we're on Mexico time now.

Stats --
Potholes: 5,000 attempts, 0 points
Dogs: 6 attempts, 0 points, but one REALLY good attempt!!
Miles from home: 1,000

More later. Thanks for staying in touch!!

Eduardo, Zelie, y El Cabroncito

Adios, Amigos!

Today we hit the road. It's been a long time coming, and not a minute too soon, too. We were just starting to go batty with the endless last minute details. But this morning as we head out into the brisk Santa Fe air, I think we've got everything in order.

You know you're living large when you've got enough tools and spare parts between your legs to build a small tank. That's us heading down the highway this morning. And it's only half of what we originally packed. After visiting the truck scales yesterday and finding we were a bit over the bike's gross weight limit (gulp!) we came home and shook out the "non-essentials." So out went the socket set, to hell with the stove, who needs three pair of underwear anyway? We slimmed down as best we could, but still feel a little FAT. We'll take it slow and not eat much -- I'm sure we can lose a cool 20 lbs in a hurry.

After a lovely night in Deming, NM tonight we cross the border tomorrow morning. Who knows when we'll post next, but please stay in touch. There are adventures afoot, and I hope you'll come along for the ride.

Best,
Ed(ward) and Zelie