29 August – 3 September 2008
Well Dominic was quick on the ball – he has been on our site already! Thanks for the message – keep following us! Before we crossed the border we went into Sanborn’s to finally meet Johnny, Mary and Tina who have helped us with our insurances throughout the United States, Mexico, Central and Southern America. They have been very helpful, despite the problems both they and we faced with AIG in New York which caused us to hang around in wonderful Fairbanks. Anyone who needs insurance over here should check out their website: www.sanbornsinsurance.com/brownsville. It was good to put faces to names and not only did they have our policies ready for us but they also gave us three great Sanborn’s Travelogs to help us on our way through Mexico. Great information with routes, eating stops, hotels, camping places as well as things to see along the route. Many thanks!
After an hour chatting with them we finally crossed the Rio Grande at around 11am and then spent about 1.5 hours sorting things out at the border. It doesn’t take as long when there are not 17 other vehicles all trying to get through at the same time. Things went fairly smoothly until they needed the credit card for the deposit on the vehicle import – there machine would not take chip and pin card! With a queue forming behind us we explained that they were the only cards that we had – are there any others these days? Finally the young man behind the desk got things sorted and we were on our way.
Back in the land of the topes, loud music, colour, smiling people and manic driving! You can sense the difference as soon as you drive out of customs check. Along the road we passed a Mobile Dentist – novel idea, he kept passing us and we think he must have just pulled off the road into a village, given someone a quick filling and then set off again??? In the distance we could see smoke billowing across the road and wondered what was going on – we had forgotten that they simply cut the roadsides by burning it off. The sky was full of dark dark clouds and the roads were very wet but despite this the drivers were just flying by us using a single carriage way with wide hard shoulders as a 4 lane highway.
We were doing 70 miles per hour and trucks were passing us at speed.
In Ciudad Victoria we quickly found a good place to stay thanks to Sanborn’s Travelog and had a great meal, five beers and a margarita for under 20 pounds – we are definitely back in Mexico!
The following morning was hot and sticky but there had been a downpour during breakfast with the streets flooding in a very short period of time. Then the sun came out again – it was to be like this for most of the day. Filled up with diesel on the way out of town for 30 pounds – we are definitely back in Mexico!
In the direction of Tampico the traffic is busy and the nutters are still flying by in the rain. Once again we see the huddled homes, restaurants and businesses along the sides of the road interspersed with some farming – have to say here the land has already been ploughed and sown!
Coming into Tampico the navigating got a little difficult even with the Travelog – problem is they don’t have as many street names on display here. Denise has been spoilt with the grids that are American towns which make it very easy to navigate around them. I am sure we came in on the road that the Travelog suggested we didn’t use but never mind we found a hotel by 3pm and went off to investigate Tampico. Its funny – when the sun shines everywhere looks wonderful but when its wet and rainy – things get a different perspective and you think places look a bit seedy and we stick out like a sore thumb – not many white faces around here! I guess with the rally we always had the safety of numbers and now we are on our own. However, the stares were friendly and the people were laughing. It was Saturday and many family groups were sat around in the plaza or having something to eat together in a nearby square, despite the torrential rain which caused us to rush into a nearby bar for shelter – where else. A good choice, the restaurant there looked great and we will be going back there this evening – Denise even managed to ask if a reservation would be required in Spanish! Looks like we may have to get the rally umbrellas out finally.
We did go back to the restaurant that night and when we ordered our drinks we got two each “promocion”. We watched from the balcony as the people wandered around the square, young couples sitting under the palms, young children chasing bubbles from a balloon seller, young girls flirting with boys – all life is here on a Saturday night. As the dinner came, the storm rolled in and we had to move our table away from the edge of the balcony where the water was streaming over the top. The people in the park quickly took shelter around the square expecting the storm to end but it went on and on and, as the skies lit up with lightning that was the end of the Saturday night “promenade in the park”. Great dinner which ended with Denise thinking the waiter had offered her a black coffee when what she actually got was a crème caramel! Just when we thought her Spanish was getting better – you can imagine that JC thought this was a great laugh and never shut up about it for at least two days!
Had a bit of confusion navigating out of the city the next day – ended up going wrong way up a one way street! Thankfully a very helpful young Tampican put us back on the right road and we were soon crossing the Rio Tampico over the toll bridge – great views across the river and the city to the beach on the Gulf Coast!
The landscape is much greener than on our journey North – must be all of the rain. The road conditions are changeable going from wonderful smooth paved roads to massive topes and pot holes. Across another river at Tuxpan we drove through orange and banana plantations.
Driving through towns, at every set of traffic lights there is someone trying to make some money, sometimes just by selling papers or flags, often by washing windows but not normally by juggling or fire eating!!! All good fun. As usual, Denise had a problem navigating into our next stop at Poza Rico – the trouble is the signposts are right on top of the turns every time – not a lot of advanced warning – that’s her excuse anyway. Eventually we made it to the Poza Rico Inn and headed straight for the swimming pool and then the bar to cool down and calm our nerves – just like being with the rally gang. Spent the rest of the afternoon out there relaxing around the pool and laughing at the kids there who were having a great time particularly when the heavens opened and the afternoon downpour began – lots of squealing and giggling going on. Although a little bit of English is spoken we are definitely the only non Hispanic people here – therefore lots of sign language going on.
The fire eater........................ The juggler............................ The flag seller......................
Well, I bet you never thought you would see another Mayan site, but that’s where we are heading for today. Gerry – don’t worry I am sure as you say, it will be erased from John’s hard drive in a very short period of time! No clouds today, the sun was shining and as we navigated out of town we were pulled over by two traffic cops on motor bikes. It is a bit disconcerting when they carry guns and have ammo belts! Apparently, we had gone through a traffic light which was flashing green – something like our Amber – showed the driver’s license – apologized profusely and amazingly we got away without a fine.
Along the route we passed what we think was a funeral procession, although we did not see a coffin nor a body – just lots of flowers in the first pick up and lots of people in those following! El-Tajin is the sacred city of the Totonac Indians which dates back to a similar period as Tikal and the other sites we have seen. The most important building is Los Nichos – a seven storey pyramid with 365 niches – one for each day of the year.
When we left we were treated to a display by the ‘Volvadores’ – flying pole dancers from Papantla – nothing like pole dancers as we know them. These are Totonac rain dancers in colourful costumes. Four flyers and a musician climb to the top of a 30 metre pole where the musician dances to the music of his own pipe and drum whilst the roped volvadores through themselves into space to make a spiral descent head first to the ground – no safety equipment. We felt giddy just watching them climb up never mind come down again!
From El Tajin our route took us along the Costa Esmeralda – lots of small hotels, bars, camping areas along the coast – too early to stop today as we need to be in Veracruz this evening. Driving into Veracruz we heard the pip pip pip of a horn alongside us and a big wave from the couple inside – it was only when they passed us that we spotted that their number plate was from Alaska! Sadly the traffic was so dense there we had no chance to speak with them but it was good to know that we are not the only people undertaking such a long trip. It was around 6pm when we finally reached the sea front and we were both tired. Looking for a hotel we stopped at one right on the beach where on enquiring we found that the price was 2,500 pesos per night – around 125 pounds – seemed a lot considering we would only be staying for one night and not get to use all of the facilities on offer nor could we get into their underground car park, so we drove further along the beach, found a perfect place with lots of parking, good rooms, a swimming pool and breakfast included for just over 500 pesos – a quarter of the price – it pays to shop around!! Dinner and drinks at a beachside restaurant with the added bonus of being serenaded by a lovely old singer cost us less than 25 pounds – we may never come back.
Headed on the next morning, keeping to the Gulf before we have to drop down to the Pacific. We drove along a causeway with the sea on one side and large lakes on the other passing through small fishing villages along the way lots of small restaurants serving sea food and stalls selling fresh prawns for 75 pesos or around 3.50 pounds per kilo! As we crossed the bridge at Alvarado and onto the toll road, the usual topes boys were there selling empanadas – whilst calling to us “yummy yummy – no fat – all light” amazing what English they can learn when they have too. Should have bought some as our lunch supplies were running very low but we managed to rustle something up and sat in a sugar cane field for our picnic. We decided that, as we were making such good time, we would take a couple of rest days to get caught up on things like the blog and washing – wonderful so we headed for Lake Catemaco. As we drove into town the rain came down and the roads turned to rivers in minutes – the scarey part here was not knowing what is under the deep water – with steep flood drains, roads washed away and the usual topes all masked by the surging waters. We found an hotel right on the lakeside. I can see you all shaking your heads and wondering what’s happened to our camping. Believe me it is just too hot and when it rains it really rains. At these prices we might as well enjoy it for a while as we are not sure what things will be like as we get further South! Great view and very nice pool – Jenny would love it here although she would probably be swimming in the lake rather than the pool!
Driving here is much more mentally tiring than sitting on the interstate for hours on end. JC has to have eyes in every orifice to look out for speeding drivers coming from all directions and who will squeeze into any gap they can – all good fun.
Despite the haze over the lake today the temperature was at least 35 + and very humid. We’ve been in contact with Roberto from El Salvador who we met in Guatamala with the rally and he and Brian are going to help us to find someone in San Salvador to fit the Altitude Converter. Our plan is to leave tomorrow, hopefully, to get down to the Pacific Coast in one day, then along the Guatamalan coast to reach San Salvador by Tuesday/Wednesday. For now though its time for a bit of sight seeing in Catemaco so after breakfast we headed for the lake where we were besieged by boat boys – not surprising as there were not many other people about! Negotiations on price over we set off for a 2 hour boat trip complete with life jackets – that was a surprise! Our guide spoke no English, so we got along with Denise’s scratchy Spanish and the bits she had read in the guide book earlier. Our first stop was the shrine where the Virgin is said to have appeared. Then to what we later learned was the spa at Coyame – nothing like a spa we had ever seen before. Our guide led us off the boat to his friend who “spoke English” that was the first laugh – we had no idea what was going on, thought we were going to see some monkeys and that they were painting our faces with something which would protect us from mosquitos when we ventured into the jungle!! Turned out to be a mud face pack for 50 pesos! Trouble was we had to leave it on for another 20 minutes, get back on the boat and ride to a wayside spring where we paid another 50 pesos to wash it off! Don’t know who was laughing the most us, at ourselves, or the boys at the daft tourists – that’s travelling. We both look 100 pesos younger though!
We could have had lots more stops – at his cousins restaurant for lunch, at his aunty’s hotel for a swim and a margarita, but by this time JC had him sussed and in his best Spanglish told him we had no more money for “treats”. The boat then took us to Crane Island and Monkey Island – we didn’t get off at either but were watched by a passing crocodile! Back on shore we wandered around the Centro by the Cathedral and got into a restaurant for lunch just before the rains came yet again. Denise jumped out to take some photos much to the amazement of the locals who obviously thought she was “loco”.
Time for a snooze and a swim when the rain stops. Now that’s what I call a rest day!
The Gulf Coast has been great. JC has got such a taste for “pulpo” – octopus - that Bill at the Black Swan had better get stocked up. He’ll be wanting pulpo for his dinner instead of sausage and mash!!