UPDATE 23 - 28 MAY

23rd May

 

After one day rest driving has set in already and we hear doors banging and people moving around at 5am in the morning.  We have a long day of over 500kms so everyone is keen to get on the way.  As the snails of the rally we hang back waiting for everyone to leave and 16kms out of town we have the first breakdown of the day.  We were not held up for long and make our way down the coast of the Gulf of Mexico through small villages with pretty fishing barbours.  The sea looks so inviting that we stop for a paddle.  It would be a great place to stop for the night in the rooftent but we have to get on and catch up with the rest of the group. We have a long way to go and many bridges to cross!

 

   

 

One of the fishing villages......              Imagine staying here tonight.... 

 

After our fine earlier in the week we keep our eyes peeled for the police road checks and have become very adept at unplugging the radio and hiding it behind the seats!  We leave the coast and head into the wetland area which is a National Park.  Lovely scenery but the road was horrendous with potholes and speed bumps all along the way.  We caught up with two of the classics one of whom had taken off when he hit one of the large potholes.  I suspect that everyone on the rally had got this one.

 

 

   

 

Just one of the many............              Constable country...........                    Water lilies in the sun.........

 

 

Its strange as we drive along and see the incredulous looks of the locals as these small cars whiz by.  Some of them are living in tin shacks.  Outside one of them we spotted someone using a very expensive video recorder to film.  Obviously his mate from the village before had rang him on the mobile to let him know we were coming.  With much waving and shrugging of shoulders we carried on our way.  The vegetation changed and we could have been in England on a summers day that is until we checked and the temperature was 42C!

 

 

   

 

This boy got a surprise..............          Local church - spot the Toyota....         He wanted to cool off.......

 

 

On our final stretch into Palenque our stop for the night, I managed to get us off route which took us through a wonderful village called Paraiso.  The smell of cooking and garlic was in the air and the men were fixing fishing nets in the street.  Everyone was laughing and directing us back to the main road – another good place to have camped.  Finally reached out hotel in the jungle where it was very very hot and humid.  Lots of tired drivers hoping for a good nights sleep despite the noises from the jungle.

 

 

Paraiso......

 

24th May

 

Another early morning start necessary today to visit Palenque Mayan site.  I have to admit that we were tempted to pass on this one but were really glad we did not.  It was a beautiful site built on terraces.  We made the long climb to the top of one of the temples and were rewarded with a fantastic view.

 

   

 

He wonders if he can make it....           Still smiling after the climb up....         The views were worth it.....

 

   

 

and more..............                            Confirms the loftiest temple..  and more..........

 

Long climbs again today steep hills with speed bumps at the bottom so we couldn’t get any speed up to get up the other side.  Finally we made it to our next stop today at Cascada de Agua Azul a 7 km stretch of waterfalls in the jungle.  Some of our team took the opportunity to cool off.

 

   

 

Spot Charles in the hat.........              7kms of this......                                She didn't swim...........

  

With the pressure on to get to our next location for a boat trip at 4pm we set off once again up hill and down dale.  Averaging only 40mph we don’t think we will make it and when we come upon our first breakdown today, we know we will not make it.  As Corry sat under the umbrella in the Jaguar, the horseman came riding down the main street to have a look.

 

   

 

Needlework along the way........           Good use of the rally umbrella!......       Horses at the Car Wash!........

 

When we finally reached the toll road the temperature dropped from 42C to 24C and we had our first rain of the trip.  It absolutely tossed it down for about 5 minutes.  The drivers on this road were crazy, exceeding the speed limit all of the time despite a sign at the road side “ Better to arrive one hour late than to have a minute’s silence!”

We took our time and missed the boat.

 

25th May

 

We had a bad start today, I lost the memory stick on which I had saved my blog for the rally website!  We knew it could only be in the room but after unpacking the bags three times, stripping the beds and moving the mattresses one and a half hours later Coxy had convinced me I had flushed it down the loo.  In desperation I went to own up and Paul and Nikki came back to our room with two fresh pair of eyes.  Guess what Coxy had only closed the laptop lid with the memory stick lying on the keyboard.  What a relief but this was to prove costly later when we found that it has actually damaged the screen of the laptop and as I type this up in Mexico City we have spent most of the day trying to get it sorted without success.  Looks like we will have to use hotel computers until we reach the USA so bear with me. 

 

As we had a late start, we had missed breakfast so stopped at a wayside café for huevos and spotted these trucks going past.

 

   

 

For all you truckers who are following us ........................................

 

Not a bad road today, apart from the usual police checks.  We had one guy who wanted us to open all the boxes.  When we got to the first aid kit JC made a great friend of him when he gave him a bottle of Deet explaining as only he can pantomime its benefits against mosquitos.  He made a friend for life with Tommy the policeman!  Our stop tonight is at Hualapulco – a beautiful five start beach resort on the Pacific and we have two nights here – fantastic I need the rest.  JC had a treat at dinner when he tried fried grasshopper (too many bones).

 

26th May

 

A day of rest and that’s just what I did – no photos, not website, no washing just laid by the pool all day cooling off in the water.  Apologies to my readers but I just needed a complete break after the stress of yesterday.

 

27th May

 

Left early to cope with the “road of a thousand summits” which takes us to OAXACA pronounced WAHACA!  Despite setting of before any of the others we are quickly overtaken on this one as the road winds up into the Sierra de Mahuatlan.  It’s a damp day.

 

   

 

Damp day in the mountains 17C..         Over 3000m...........                            Has Pippa been here?..........

 

The men are clearing the storm drains all along the road.  Perhaps they know something we don’t?  The temperature dropped to 17C at some times today.  Felt almost like Winter – must be acclimatizing haven’t had the AC on at all today.  As we dropped out of the highlands we came onto a large open plateau similar to that of central plain and we concentrated on getting some farming shots for CMC – a special request.

 

   

 

Coming down to the plateua.....           Farming shots for CMC - a bit different here..........................

 

   

 

and more..................................................................................................................................

 

Made it to Oaxaca in good time and found a Toyota garage so that we could get a service before we get into Mexico City.  Finally arrived at the hotel at around 6.30pm .  Weary from the day we watched the sun go down from the bar and chatted with Paul and Nikki over a few beers before having an early night. 

 

28th May

 

Guess what – another early start – this is definitely not a holiday!  We have 447 kms to do and then have to get ourselves through the city to the hotel.  I have to admit to being a bit anxious about navigating us in.  The Cuota or toll road to the city is great and we make good time.  Had a good laugh when we stopped to fill up and I visited the loo.  A serious attendant let me in and inside there were about six women standing around who were all about half my size and when I went into the loo the door just came up to my chest, my head and shoulders were sticking out.  They had a lot to say in unintelligible Spanish but there was much grinning all round! 

 

   

 

No mountains today.............              Forest of cacti.....................               Finally proper toilets...............

 

There were some strange landscapes today.  A forest of cacti – if that’s how I can explain it and snow covered  volcanoes on either side of the highway.

 

   

 

Views from the road coming in to Mexico City................................................................

 

I was right to be anxious about my navigating.  We took a wrong turn in the city and spent one and a half hours trying to find the hotel.  Although some of that could just have been that we were stuck in traffic most of the way.  At one point we got stopped by the police having done an incorrect turn and were expecting a fine at least but as soon as the policeman came up to the window JC quickly dropped the map into his hands and asked the way!!  We got away with it – it must have been his smile.  Not wanting to lose face and arrive at the hotel behind a taxi, we headed off again and at each junction asked a policeman until we finally got there.  Spanish must be getting better!  Looking forward to seeing Mexico City.

 

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