End of a Continent

So, my first night in Mexico, I stayed near the Centro in Chihuahua. Secure parking will be an important part of this trip. The little Yamaha only weighs 295 lbs. and I was concerned about parking. The hotel had an underground parking garage, but anyone could drive or walk in. I wanted to ride up the ramp and park it in the lobby, but that answer was no.

Finally he offered a very small locked area in the garage underneath the stairs and that seemed better to me. The door was so narrow that I couldn't go through the same time as the bike, so I had to be inside while he pushed it in to me. In the morning, there was a different guy at the front desk. I told him I wanted to get the bike out and he went down to the garage with me with the key. The key didn't fit the lock, so he went back up to call someone. He came back down and was fiddling with the lock, but still couldn't get it open and went back up again. This time I looked at the lock. It had a long neck on it and if you turned it parallel to the latch, you could slide the latch almost open without removing the padlock. A little wiggle and I had the door open! So much for security. Appearances, I guess...

What a $17 room will get you

I was headed west to the Sierra Madres.
Leaving Chihuahua and I got turned around again. But this time Roberto pulls up on his Yamaha and I ask the way to Hwy 16. His English isn't very good, but he asks if I have time for him to call his friend who speaks English well. So I follow him and he goes a few blocks off the main street, stops and calls his friend. In about a minute, his friend drives up, I'm so sorry I didn't remember his name, but Roberto tells him where I want to go, and after some dialogue, they  come to a consensus with directions and then offer to buy me a Mexican breakfast at the little restaurant where we had stopped. The other people coming out of there all had tortas, a sandwich thing that looked more like lunch to me, but I said I would have coffee. But the place didn't have coffee, so I politely declined their offer, told them it was temprano, or too early for me. They said they understood. They said they didn't get many opportunities to practice English, so they enjoyed the chance. Even Roberto said he could understand more English than he could speak.

We said goodbye and I followed their directions, stopping at a McDonald's on the way for a Big Breakfast. Hey, it was my first morning in Mexico. I will ease into their breakfasts, if you don't mind.
.



The road west climbs and comes into beautiful farm land. There were acres of alfalfa, hay, and apple orchards. The orchards, acres and acres, all had black mesh screening over them. Probably for insects. I saw trucks loaded with apples moving on the highway. It must be the end of the harvest, because they trees were pretty well empty of fruit. Soon, I came to a Jumex factory and it all made sense. I have read there are a lot of Mennonites in the Cuauhtemoc area. I suspect that this is part of their influence.

Somehow I missed the road again and was going up and down streets in Guerrero. A guy in a car behind me was honking as though he wanted to talk so I pulled over. He asked if I was from Colorado and if I had ridden it from there. Shock, again, when I tell him yes and that the goal is South America. He says he has a Yamaha also, an R1. I think people are helpful to old motorcycle riders.

He gets me on the right road, a little farm road that takes me back to Hwy 16, and I climb some more. Soon, I am in pine forests and there are a lot of logging trucks on the road. Sometimes they are over the center line and I need to make sure that I hug the road on the right. Very limited sight distance, and surprises come quickly around curves. If there is a breakdown, it is in the road, because there isn't any shoulder.

I start looking for a hotel with secure parking. I stop at a very busy hotel/cafeteria with lots of workers just finishing a late lunch. The room is twice what I paid in Chihuahua, and I didn't think the parking was that secure either. So I asked the girl at the desk if there was something barata, cheaper. And that I was muy pobre. She directed me not far down the road to a place run by an old woman, not friendly, but who had a room for less and parking right outside my door and window. Still paid more than I did in Chihuahua, though.

After settling in, I walked back to the first hotel and ate there. Everything was one price served cafeteria style. But the food was pretty good, although the beef(?) was tough. Common, I have found. It was a large room with many community style tables. I think there is a lot of mining and logging and who knows what else in this area that men stay at for extended time periods. I saw a pickup truck parked there with a Metso sign on it. Metso Minerals is a huge mining outfit. They had swallowed up a mining company where my father had worked for more than 30 years. That is why the hotels can charge what they do, I guess.

Friday 10/21:

It is cold in the mountains and there wasn't any heat in the room. Fortunately, there were heavy and thick wool blankets- I used 4, and stayed comfortable all night. I waited for daylight and continued on. It was cold in the morning, and I put the liner in before I started. 

I don't know the name of the town where I stayed, but heading west that morning there was very little traffic. And that was the case all day. Very twisty, narrow roads most of the day. A motorcyclist's dream. At one point, a whole family, about 12, coatmundi crossed in front of me. Real cute! They were gone before I could take a photo

.

That's another thing. There weren't any scenic overlooks and there usually wasn't any shoulder to the road, so I didn't take many photos. Also, I must pay attention for cows and horses in the road. Two dogs came out today to attack my tires or feet. So, when conditions allow, I will try to make the effort to take more photos.

I stop at an OXXO (7-11) for a snack and water. While waiting to pay, Manny starts speaking to me in English. Evidently, I don't appear to be Mexican? He tells me he was 3 years in the Mexican army, but he is headed to work in a mine. He asks where I am headed, and now I just tell people the next major town. He is the first person I have heard down here mention cartels. Maybe it was his military background that made him vigilant-he had said he was in Special Forces-but I assured him I would be careful. As if there was something that I could do. I will try to stay on major roads, but what threat I would be to a cartel if I mind my business, I don't know.

After several hours in the mountains, I crossed from the state of Chihuahua into the state of Sonora. Just like the Sonoran desert in Arizona, the terrain changed from the pine forests to saguaro cactus and mesquite brush. And the temperature got hotter! By the time that I reached Cuidad Obregon, the temperature was 104°. That is very hot in my riding apparel. I splurged on a nicer room with air conditioning and am enjoying it quite nicely! Thanks for following. More later...