Tuesday, October 25
I stayed in Mazatlan for 2 nights. I liked the hotel, the location, and it gave me an opportunity to get laundry done. I also encountered one of these for the first time.
They use electric current flowing through the water to heat it. It is common as one heads south. Needless to say, I didn't adjust the shower head!
Although the motorcycle looks like I am carrying a lot, the majority is camping gear, tools, and some spare parts. Very little of it is clothes. So, in order not to smell like a gym locker room, I felt it was time to wash some clothes. And it was nice to take some time off from riding.
I walked along the beach a long way, then even further on the Malecon, just seeing the sights,
people watching and enjoying the sea. Which reminds me of a joke:
Grandpa had farmed his entire life in Minnesota, never having left the state. Finally, his family and friends convinced him to take a trip. They asked him where he would like to go. He said he had always wanted to go to California and see the ocean. So, the whole family went, and took Grandpa to the ocean. He stood there for quite a while, just staring out to sea. Finally, one of them asked him his thoughts. He said, "Somehow, I always pictured it as being bigger than this."
On Tuesday, I rode from Mazatlan to Durango. This is the fourth state in Mexico I have been in.
The road I took is called Espinoza del Diablo, or The Devil's Backbone. At one time, it was known as Mexico's deadliest road. Not only for the very curvy and twisty road and the accidents it caused, but also the murders related to the marijuana and poppies grown in the canyons. But the government spent 2.2 billion dollars on a new, straightened road, one that has 115 bridges and 61 tunnels. The new toll road, called cuota has siphoned the majority of the traffic, leaving a beautifully paved curvy road for those who use it, and brought more police and military presence to the area.
And hardly anyone was using it. I bet that once, I drove more than 10 km without passing another vehicle. The road was in superb condition and the scenery was fantastic.
I only met one semi and one bus on the road, but twice had to swerve way to the right for cars on blind corners that were way over in my lane. Of course, plenty of the usual assortment of four-legged animals.
I came around one corner to see a circle of vultures surrounding a little dog that had been hit and killed. You can encounter anything on these roads.
I went through my first military checkpoint. The soldier was carrying an M-16, and he asked some questions I didn't understand. I said, "no entiendo muchas espanol". Finally, I heard "donde va" in there and realized at least part of what he was asking was where was I going. I just told him Durango, and that must have satisfied him, because he said "adelante" and so I did.
There was a passenger bus stopped there as well, and everyone on the bus was lined up at the checkpoint. Later, at a different checkpoint where this time I was waved on, I saw another passenger bus stopped with all the passengers off the bus and lined up to go through the checkpoint. How would that fly in the USA? After this election, we may find out.
I climbed from sea level to over 8000 feet and it was chilly up there. I had read that the best part of the libre, or free road was between Concordia and El Salto, so just before El Salto, I was able to get on the toll road. It was the worst toll road I have been on. Full of potholes, patches, potholes in patches; I should have stayed on the libre. But I was still 100km from Durango and I didn't have a hotel for the night, so I headed there on the faster route.
When I arrived in Durango, my first impression was that this was a vibrant city. Many people were smiling and laughing, and that hasn't been my experience in other cities down here. Durango is an old colonial city, founded by the Spanish. The downtown, or Centro really has a European flavor, with the old buildings. In Europe, many buildings in the cities are from the 1500's or 1600's but still in use and kept up well. That's what I'm seeing here.
Of course, walk a few blocks out of the Centro, and there are the big stores, little shops, and such.
There were parks and cathedrals and a pedestrian mall. Bands playing. I like it! I will explore another day.
I stayed in Mazatlan for 2 nights. I liked the hotel, the location, and it gave me an opportunity to get laundry done. I also encountered one of these for the first time.
They use electric current flowing through the water to heat it. It is common as one heads south. Needless to say, I didn't adjust the shower head!
Although the motorcycle looks like I am carrying a lot, the majority is camping gear, tools, and some spare parts. Very little of it is clothes. So, in order not to smell like a gym locker room, I felt it was time to wash some clothes. And it was nice to take some time off from riding.
I walked along the beach a long way, then even further on the Malecon, just seeing the sights,
people watching and enjoying the sea. Which reminds me of a joke:
Grandpa had farmed his entire life in Minnesota, never having left the state. Finally, his family and friends convinced him to take a trip. They asked him where he would like to go. He said he had always wanted to go to California and see the ocean. So, the whole family went, and took Grandpa to the ocean. He stood there for quite a while, just staring out to sea. Finally, one of them asked him his thoughts. He said, "Somehow, I always pictured it as being bigger than this."
On Tuesday, I rode from Mazatlan to Durango. This is the fourth state in Mexico I have been in.
The road I took is called Espinoza del Diablo, or The Devil's Backbone. At one time, it was known as Mexico's deadliest road. Not only for the very curvy and twisty road and the accidents it caused, but also the murders related to the marijuana and poppies grown in the canyons. But the government spent 2.2 billion dollars on a new, straightened road, one that has 115 bridges and 61 tunnels. The new toll road, called cuota has siphoned the majority of the traffic, leaving a beautifully paved curvy road for those who use it, and brought more police and military presence to the area.
And hardly anyone was using it. I bet that once, I drove more than 10 km without passing another vehicle. The road was in superb condition and the scenery was fantastic.
I only met one semi and one bus on the road, but twice had to swerve way to the right for cars on blind corners that were way over in my lane. Of course, plenty of the usual assortment of four-legged animals.
I came around one corner to see a circle of vultures surrounding a little dog that had been hit and killed. You can encounter anything on these roads.
I went through my first military checkpoint. The soldier was carrying an M-16, and he asked some questions I didn't understand. I said, "no entiendo muchas espanol". Finally, I heard "donde va" in there and realized at least part of what he was asking was where was I going. I just told him Durango, and that must have satisfied him, because he said "adelante" and so I did.
There was a passenger bus stopped there as well, and everyone on the bus was lined up at the checkpoint. Later, at a different checkpoint where this time I was waved on, I saw another passenger bus stopped with all the passengers off the bus and lined up to go through the checkpoint. How would that fly in the USA? After this election, we may find out.
I climbed from sea level to over 8000 feet and it was chilly up there. I had read that the best part of the libre, or free road was between Concordia and El Salto, so just before El Salto, I was able to get on the toll road. It was the worst toll road I have been on. Full of potholes, patches, potholes in patches; I should have stayed on the libre. But I was still 100km from Durango and I didn't have a hotel for the night, so I headed there on the faster route.
When I arrived in Durango, my first impression was that this was a vibrant city. Many people were smiling and laughing, and that hasn't been my experience in other cities down here. Durango is an old colonial city, founded by the Spanish. The downtown, or Centro really has a European flavor, with the old buildings. In Europe, many buildings in the cities are from the 1500's or 1600's but still in use and kept up well. That's what I'm seeing here.
Of course, walk a few blocks out of the Centro, and there are the big stores, little shops, and such.
There were parks and cathedrals and a pedestrian mall. Bands playing. I like it! I will explore another day.
What an experience!!
ReplyDeleteHammer down Steve ...ill be watching...stay safe....
ReplyDeleteBy the way...this was scott
Delete