To Latitude 0°0’0” - Stories from MEXICO
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Tijuana to Guerrero Negro
the story of 18 hours of nothing... (except some cacti and dust)
May 5, 2010
The troop departed Leann's apartment in La Mesa around 7:30, got our oil changed, grabbed some breakfast (mostly because I was hungry and no one wants a grumpy pregnant lady on a LOOOONG drive), and then headed off to cross the border in to Mexico. It took us about 20 or so minutes to reach the border and were very excited to see...
The border crossing was the easiest thing in the entire world! No, really. They don't stop you for anything. They just smile and wave and let you on through. We didn't even have to get our passports stamped (yes, we're still a bit dubious about this... but we were also about ready to revolt... WHAT? NO STAMP IN MY PASSPORT! THAT'S HALF THE REASON I CROSS BORDERS!!! haha, not, but seriously). Then we were in a whole new world. The minute you cross over the border, you are most certinaly out of the U.S. and in Latin America! It's a pretty amazing and radical change. I loved it!
Ah yes, and not to forget the fence at the border... crazy.
Arturo went to the government office right across the border to legalize the car and then we were off to what we thought would be a beautiful drive.
It started out well, driving along the coast, through Ensenada, and then in to the Yellow Hills area. The hills were covered with these beautiful yellow flowers! I loved it! We stopped in the hills to have our first meal in Mexico. We ordered enchiladas and carne asada... it was AMAZING!
The rest of our drive today was, well, not to say wasn't beautiful, but it wasn't what we expected. We traveled for 12 hours through the desert. There were stretches of several hours where we saw nothing but cacti and dirt. Literally. Nothing. NOTHING! (you know those of you who complained about my rock pictures on Facebook? That was the most we say for 9 or 10 hours of travel) Here are some of the highlights...
Okay, so enough desert pictures, right? After hours of this we finally reached Guerrero Negro, Mexico. We thought for sure this town would be our savior. It is located on a nature preserve and has the largest salt mine in the world! Must be cool, right? You'll have to wait and see when I write more tomorrow (yes, I know I'm a few days behind... sorry!)
For more pictures of rocks click here (si quieres ver mas fotos da un click aqui)
Total mileage so far 1,959
445 from La Mesa, CA to Guerrero Negro, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Guerrero Negro and Loreto
May 6 and 7, 2010
I know you have all been dying to know all about Guerrero Negro (and for those of you who Googled Guerrero Negro, no fair!), so here it goes...
Guerrero Negro is a small town of no more than a couple thousand people and the only reason it exists is because you can't make it anywhere else in one day if you're driving from Tijuana, and because of the salt factory. Through the month of April you can see Gray Whales, but since we got there in the beginning of May we were SOL.
We arrived after dark (on May 5th) and tried to find a decently priced place to crash and then walked the streets in search of something for dinner. We found a taco stand that was open and ate some tacos (I think we will do this a lot while in Mexico). The thing I really like about Mexican food in Mexico is that you get to "build your own" taco, burrito, etc. They give you the tortilla and the cooked meat and then they have all the toppings on the counter for you to add as you would like. So they have bowls of cliantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, salsas, etc. and then you pile what you want on top of your food. It's so simple, yet so flavorful and full of yummy goodness! Love it!
This morning we decided to take the complimentary salt factory tour, because what good tourist turns down a free tour of something that is the biggest, most amazing, oldest, etc. of something in the world? And I know many of you are rolling your eyes right now, but this tour was really cool! We saw the factor where the salt on your table probably came from! Here are some photos from our salt factory adventure in Guerrero Negro...
I think you have seen enough picutres of the salt factory, but in case you would like to see more you can see them in my Mexico album on Facebook.
After our approximately 2 hour tour of the Guerrero Negro salt factor we hit the road and headed south again toward La Paz. After many more hours of driving all of our time in the desert was rewarded with this amazing little beach.
FINALLY THE OCEAN AFTER A FULL DAY OF DRIVING IN THE DESERT!!!!!! And it only got better from there. After several more hours of driving (yes, through the desert AGAIN) we came to Loreto. We didn't arrive until around 7:30 or 8:00 and decided that we would stop in Loreto for a copule of days to enjoy the town, the beach, and the amazing warm weather. We were rewarded for our decision to stop in Loreto. What an amazing little town!
We stayed in an inn call La Damiana. It is owned and run by a woman named Debra and her partner Gerardo. They are such wonderful people and the inn is colorful and full of personality! It has just a few rooms and we eneded up being the only people styaing for the 2 nights we were there. The Inn has a kitchen (which is wonderful for saving a bit of money), and they serve coffee and tea in the morning. We sat on their little outdoor patio in their garden ate our morning breads, had homemade coffee, and enjoyed the cool early morning weather! Debra informed me that there are flights directly to Loreto from Los Angeles, so if anyone is keen to visit you can fly directly to Loreto! (which I recommend over driving... unless you love the desert).
This is the patio at La Damiana Inn in Loreto, Mexico
Arturo and I with Debra and Gerardo, the owners of La Damiana Inn in Loreto, Mexico
Freshly squeezed orange juice prepared for us by Gerardo at La Damiana Inn in Loreto, Mexico
Loreto is a world class fishing area. It also has a large "gringo" population. I don't know this for a fact, but Becky and I posit that many people have retired and purchased houses in Loreto, or own second vacation homes there so they can fish when they want. But there are also many locals that we got to meet and migle with. We arrived in low season, so many of the boat owners who run vistors out on fishing trips during June, July, and August were giving cheap tours to the Islands close to Loreto. We took a 4 hour tour to the Isla Coronado and to the Bahia Loreto. This is one of the most amazing beaches I have ever been on in my life! You could wade out and there would be colorful fish around your feet. We even saw a small manta ray when we were only knee deep in water. I would try to do this beach justice with words, but I'll just post some pictures instead.
More photos of Bahia Loreto on the Isla Coronado off of the coast of Loreto can be see in my Mexico album on Facebook. (si quieres ver mas fotos da un click aqui)
After coming back from our island adventure we ate ceviche (don't worry, my shirmp were pre-cooked!) at a local restaurant and relaxed. What an amazing day!
We'd also like to send a shout out to Pat back at CWU for her amazing crackers she gave us before we left! We ate them with avocado while stuck in construction traffic on a two lane highway in the desert for at least 45 minutes. Yum! Thanks Pat!
Total mileage so far 2205
246 from Guerrero Negro, MX to Loreto, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Loreto to La Paz, La Paz to Mazatlan
May 8 and 9, 2010
We were sad to leave Loreto, but happy to be moving forward with our adventure! From Loreto, La Paz was only a short drive (well, relatively short... about 5 hours). Once again we drove through mile upon mile of desert landscape (yes, we are sick of the desert) and ended up in La Paz in the early afternoon. It was SO incredibly hot in La Paz, well over 100 degrees, and someone informed us that the day we arrived was the start of the hot season. Good timing us! We promptly found some ice cream and tons of bottled water, checked in to a pension and took cold showers. We felt a bit better, but still hot. We did laundry and Arturo bought roses for Becky and me! Then I made an appointment for a pedicure (I desperately needed one!) and sat in an air conditioned salon for about an hour having my feet rubbed and scrubbed. It was amazing! Then we all went and walked on the malecon (water front walkway) and watched the sun set. As Becky's postcard said "watching the sun set in this city will make you understand the meaning of La Paz" (yes, I HAD to find a way to work this in to the blog). It really was a beautiful sunset! I will try and steal Becky's picture of it to put on here. I left my camera in the pension so I didn't take any pictures in La Paz.
The most fun thing about La Paz was that there was a festival going on. There were dance groups performing, kids rides, street vendors... it was very lively and lots of fun! Becky and I tried Chilaquiles which was pretty good, fairly filling, and cheep (35 pesos, or approximtely $2.92, which we split between the two of us). We had another ice cream (what? I'm pregnant and it was hot! Plus, let me explain this ice cream to you... they look like popsicles and you can get one made with cream or one made with water. They put hunks of fruit in them and there is more fruit than cream or water, and they aren't as sweet as our ice cream. They are amazing! You would have eaten two in one day as well, trust me! Once again I don't have a picture of the ice cream... sorry). We didn't stay up too late partying with the locals, I think we were all tired after such a hot day, and went to bed around 11:00.
We got up early on the 9th to get everything packed and ready to be at the Baja Ferry office by 9:00 am when they opened. When we arrived (about 9:30) we were told that they didn't open until 10:00. So we waited around to make sure that we made the Sunday ferry (we have already lost 2 days, so we really can't afford to lose another!). The ferry was more expensive than we had hoped (around 5,000 pesos for the three of us, our room, and the car), but we made it and were on on our way to Mazatlan and off the Baja Peninsula! You can visit the Baja Ferries site here.
The boat left at around 5:00pm and we were all excited to be on our first cruise! Here are some pictures of the boat and our room.
The ferry we took from La Paz to Mazatlan (Baja Ferries, Chiuaua Star... love the name!)
Becky and Arturo in our room on the Chiuaua Star Baja Ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan.
The bathroom in our room on the Baja Ferry.
The view from the Baja Ferry as we departed from La Paz.
Total mileage driven so far 2,422
Total mileage so far 2,673
217 from Loreto, MX to La Paz, MX
251from La Paz, MX to Mazatlan, MX (by ferry)
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Venturing out of the desert and in to new territories
May 10, 2010
As much as it pains me to say this, as soon as we were off the boat in Mazatlan we were heading out of the city and to Guanajuato. We had at leat a 9 hour drive in front of us, and with my many bathroom, food, and streching breaks, we knew we had to hit the pavement running. So, our boat arrived in Mazatlan at around 7:30 and as we exited the boat in the morning to stand on the deck, we were greeted with an amazing sunrise!
Me on the boat with the Mazatlan sunrise behind me.
After Arturo unloaded the car from the bottom decks we met him on the street (only drivers could get the cars, the rest of us passengers had to walk) and hit the road. We made one quick pit stop for breakfast (because a full pregnant woman is a happy pregnant woman) and I had the best conversation of the trip so far. There was this homemade bread on the counter of the little market and it was all different. So I poined to one that had nuts on it and asked the man in my oh so perfect Spanish (well, at least it was intelligible) what type it was. He looked at me with a very confused facial expresion and told me that it of course was bread. I smiled and nodded and thought to myself "of COURSE! What WAS I thinknig?" and proceeded to buy the bread bread from the kind gentleman who I had confused.
Our drive to Guanajuato went well and quite quickly. Mexico has this great system of private highways which are just as good, if not better, than many roads in the US. However, they are all toll roads and we paid a TON in tolls. We added it all up when we got to Guanajuato and we paid something along the lines of USD$88 for tolls just for one day! (granted, we drove 750 kilometers, but still) We all decided it was worth it because we made it to Guanajuato in about 9 hours! I will post a picture of all of our toll receipts later, but I don't have a picture of them yet.
It was such a relief to be out of the desert and on main land. We saw some cacti, but it's not all we saw! We stopped in Tequila to have lunch which was fun. We didn't take a tour of the Cuervo factory because they charge for it (yes, we're cheap), but we had lunch and took some fun touristy photos. It's a really nice little town for a stop over and if there are any tequila buffs reading this it is definitely a must see! There was a cute little market and lots of shops selling touristy items. Overall it was a nice stop (plus I always love an excuse to get out and walk!). But believe it or not, not a single one of us had Tequila in Tequila!
Becky having lunch in Tequila, MX
Arturo outside of the Jose Cuervo factory in Tequila, MX
Me with a giant bottle of tequila. No, we didn't buy it!
We finally made it to Guanajuato in the evening, met up with Becky's friend Ondrej from WVU who is studying abroad in Guanajuato. He arranged for us to stay with some of his classmates, so he escorted us to their house and helped us find parking. We stayed with three girls who are studying art at the local university, Gaby, Diana, and Indra. They were wonderful hostesses and they host couch surfers, so if you are in to couch surfing and want to stayin Guanajuato look them up! Their house was SO cute! I wish I had taken pictures of it, but I didn't... maybe I'll have to see if Becky took some and steal them from her and link them up here.
We were starving so Gaby and Ondrej took us out to a cafe where we had bagel sandwiches (a nice reprive from tacos and quesadillas!) and chatted for a while. When we got back to the house I was SO tired from not sleeping the night before that I crashed for the night. The others stayed up talking for a while, but not me! Tomorrow we get to explore the city! VERY excited!
More photos from our adventures in Mexico can be found in my Mexico album on Facebook. (si quieres ver mas fotos de Mexico da un click aqui)
Total mileage driven so far 2,871
Total mileage so far 3,122
449 from Mazatlan, MX to Guanajuato, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Guanajuato... Add it to your list of places to go!
May 11, 2010
If you are consdering a visit to Mexico, put Guanajuato on the list of places you go! This city is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for a great reason! It is situated in the hills of Mexico's interior at about 2,000 meters (approx. 6,000 feet) above sea level. It is colorful, vibrant, and there is something new to explore at every turn. The city is made up of a series of tunnels the locals refer to as subterraneos and homes built on hills surrounding the city center. To reach these homes you need to take many many flights of very old cobblestone stairs. Many of the houses also hang over the subterraneos and all of the streets, subterraneo streets included, are cobblestone. The town is home to mostly students at the local universtiy, many of which are studying the arts. This brings a very funky and young vibe to the town which is very fun! Rather than attemping to explain Guanajuato futher I think I will just post some pictures...
A view of part of the city from the window of Gaby, Indra, and Diana's house.
Plaza de La Paz in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Houses overhanging the subterraneos in Guanajuato, Mexico.
One of many allies in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Me in one of the many squares in Guanajuato, Mexico.
We also walked up to the very top of the city to the Pipila monument. There were 278 some odd stairs and many more steps were needed to get up the stairs. So, my super accomplishment of the day was at 5 and a half months pregnant at 2,000+ meters of altitude, walking all the way to the top! My work was definitely rewarded with an amazing view of the city! (I then returned hom to check my email and my cousin Casey who studied abroad in Guanajuato told me to climb up at night... I did NOT climb the stairs again! haha)
Some of the stairs you have to climb to get to the Pipila Monument and an amazing city view.
And the view you're rewarded with!
Off to the state of Veracruz tomorrow! Hasta manana!
More photos from Guanajuato can be found in my Mexico album on Facebook. (si quieres ver mas fotos de Guanajuato da un click aqui)
Total mileage driven so far 2,871
Total mileage so far 3,122
449 from Mazatlan, MX to Guanajuato, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Woot woot, that's the sound of the police!
May 12, 2010
Some of you already understand the title of this blog due to my Facebook posts, but while this day's events can now be laughed about, at the time they weren't funny at all.
We headed from Guanajuato at around 8:30 and headed toward the state of Veracruz (hoping to reach Santiago Tuxtla). Our original route had us taking highways which came very close to Mexico City, but sort of circumvented te city. We had done something similar with Guadalajara and it worked just fine, so we thought we would do the same with the D.F.
We drove and drove and drove and finally got in to the outskirts of Mexico City. As we started heading in on the freeway, and were in one of the many suburbs of the area, we were pulled over by a motorcycle cop. As soon as we knew he wanted us to pull over we knew we were in trouble. The thing about police is, if they say you did something wrong and you don't know all the ins and outs of rules (or even if you do, really) there is nothing, and I repeat, nothing you can do about the accusations they make. This lovely man of the law asked if we were trying to enter the city. Arturo explained in a very respectful manner that we were trying to get to Santigo Tuxtla and were not trying to get to Mexico City and that we were a bit lost. The officer then pulled out some road law book that looked like it was 20 years old and tried to explain to us that because our plates didn't end in a specific number or letter we couldn't enter the city and that we needed to pay a 5,600 Peso fine (divide that by 12 to see what the USD equivalent is... yeah, our jaws dropped too!). He didn't ask us for papers, for the Mexican insurance we have, for the registration we got when we entered the country, our licenses or passports, nothing. He simply told us we had violated a law and that we needed to pay.
Arturo tried to talk to him and get him to help us get out of the city and understand that this was a simple mistake, but a corrupt cop only wants one thing, the money they feel you owe to them. Oh, and the ticket we got is written on a pink post-it note! Nice, huh? On top of that the post-it note doesn't even say anything! It just has some random numbers and words written on it. Arturo was able to talk him down to 3,500 pesos (about USD$291) which helped a bit and is much better than the USD$466 he originally wanted.
So, as much as I hate to say we gave in to the corruption, we paid the fine. If we hadn't the police office could have impounded our car, taken what he wanted from it, and put Arturo in jail for a night. The scary part is that we didn't have to watch out for everyday theives and criminals or drug lords, but an authority figure, such as police, who are corrupt criminals themselves. They abuse their power and use it to manipulate and gauge people who they know have money. A great song to explain the situation we faced is Molotov's Gimme the Power. (If you don't speak Spanish try to find the lyrics online and translate them. It really says quite a bit about what we experienced today.)
After we paid the fine for our pink post-it note ticket we frantically tried to get as far away from Mexico City as possible. After hours of sitting in traffic, keeping an eye out for cops, and making a copule of wrong turns, we finally made it to some back country highways and away from the D.F.
Due to our 3 hour adventure in "Mexico City" we didn't make it to Santiago Tuxtla and had to spend the night in Veracruz. Also, because of this experience we have decided to get out of Mexico as quickly as possible.
We are all safe, we still have our car, and no one went to jail, which are the important parts. However, the lesson of the day and my recommendation to all travelers is to AVOID MEXICO CITY like the plague! (unless you have lots of extra cash you don't mind giving away to corrupt policemen)
There are no photos from today. It was a hard day and no one felt like taking any.
Off to Xpujil tomorrow to see a few ruins then on to Belize and OUT OF MEXICO!
Oh, and good luck with tourism, Mexico, you have just encouraged us to spend our tourism dollars elsewhere due to your inability to control the corruption of your police forces.
Total mileage driven so far 3,412
Total mileage so far 3,663
541 miles from Guanajuato, MX to Veracruz, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.28 pesos per Litre
(approx $2.86 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Out with the old, in with the new (Xpuhil Mayan Ruins to Belize)
May 13 and 14, 2010
We left Veracruz early in the morning on the 13th and headed out for Xpujil (Xpuhil). We arrived around dinner time and found a place to stay. After looking at several hotels (and not being able to negotiate with them on the price) we settled on some rustic bungalows just off the highway. The bungalows were only $350 Pesos for the room which was a great deal.
The cabana we stayed in while in Xpuhil, Mexico
Our room at the cabanas we stayed at in Xpuhil, Mexico
We had a nice drive to Xpuhil, but the roads in the eastern part of the country are very different from the roads in the west. There are more two lane highways and fewer four lane highways, making travel a bit slower. There are also fewer toll roads, so the drive was one of the cheapest (besides the Baja of course, which was free).
On the way we stopped at the Aguas Blancas waterfall which was about 7km off of the main road. It was a nice stop, but unlike the rocks I wanted to see in the Baja, it wasn't half as thrilling. It was $15 Pesos for each of us to stop and see the falls. We paid it because we had already driven 7km off the road to find it and we knew it would support the local economy. It was a cute little waterfall and a nice stop, but unless you need to stop for rest I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to go to these falls.
Part of the Aguas Blancas waterfall (the upper part)
Becky at the Aguas Blancas waterfall
The morning of the 14th we woke up, packed up the car, and went to go see the Mayan ruins at Xpuhil. Because it was a weekday, low season, and we didn't have enough pesos to pay for 3 people, they gave us a "buy two get one free" discount. They were asking $37 pesos per person, so it should have been 111 pesos (around USD$10 in total), but we only had to pay $74 (about USD$6 in total) which we felt was a much better deal. So if you go to any ruin (other than the major ones probably) try to negotiate the price. It just might work!
The ruins were nice. It was amazing to stand and sit where people stood and sat over a thousand years ago. There were 4 main structures. The first one we came to we were worried was the best. I mean, it was impressive, but it was just okay. After passing through two more we finally saw a large structure through the trees and realized that the biggest and best structure had been saved for last!
The biggest structure of the Xpuhil Mayan Ruins in Mexico
Arturo at the biggest structure at the Xpuhil Mayan Ruins in Mexico
After we spent about an hour at the ruins we hit the road to finally leave Mexico and move on to Belize. It only took us about an hour and a half to get to the border. The exit of Mexico (just like the rest of Mexico), had not instructions for how to depart the country and no signs for immigration or customs. We almost drove out of the country without checking anything out. It was really one of the most disorganized border crossings we've ever experienced. Thankfully we asked someone about the passport stamps and they helped us turn around and showed us where to go.
We parked the car and got out to check the car out of the country and lo and behold there was a problem with Becky and me beauase the official in Tijuana had told us we didn't need to get our passports stamped. And just like that, ONE MORE FINE we have to pay to the lovely government of Mexico. After these last couple of experiences we have all decided that we will never be returning to Mexico. It's just not worth it. So Becky and I each had to pay USD$20 "fine" in cash to the officer to get our passports stamped to be able to leave the country. So, $340 in fines later, we were FINALLY out of Mexico (never to return!) and on to Belize.
To read about our border crossing in to Belize and our stories from Belize, see the Belize page.
Total mileage driven so far 3,981
Total mileage so far 4,232
569 from Veracruz, MX to Xpujil, MX
Average gas price in Mexico - $9.78 pesos per Litre
(approx $3.08 USD per gallon using an exchange rate of 12 pesos/dollar)
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Recapping Mexico... the highlights of our time in a country of variety
May 14, 2010
As our time in Mexico comes to an end we decided to recap our experiences, good, bad, and comical, to share with you. Becky, Arturo, and I all contribued to this list. Some of the items may not make sense to you as a reader, but most should!
- We've been able to verify that true Mexicans wear levis and cowboys hats.
- The beaches are as beautiful as the hype says they are.
- Everyone eats tacos. This is not a stereotype, it is a fact.
- There is no border control entering Mexico.
- The smaller towns are much more fun than the larger cities, which are just plain overwhelming
- If you take the good roads you will pay a TON in tolls.
- The ice cream is amazing and you can't eat enough of it!
- Mexico has such diverse landscapes, from desert to beautiful beaches to mountains to tropical...
- The houses have intricately painted, colorful tiles.
- Roadside bathrooms haven't been all that bad! (we're bracing for the worst for the remaining countries)
- Getting to eat tortillas that were made right in front of you! Yum!
- The differences in sodas (Becky said she likes the Mexican Coke more than the Coke in the U.S.).
- The mountains of rocks in the Baja and thinking we missed them (I was really upset that we might have missed the rocks!).
- Runaway car ramps in the mountains. You really had to see this to completely appreciate it, but the cars had to drive several miles following this red line, then there were ramps that were about 20 yards long (about the length of a truck or a truck and a half). One option was to run in to a rock wall, the other option was to run your car off a cliff... it was really morbidly funny. (we hope that no one ever needs to use these ramps!)
- Becky getting sunburned in her armpits... we still aren't sure how that happened.
- Stop sings being about as far away from the roads as possible, covered by street vendors, and covered in grafiti so they were, basically, illegible.
- Carboard cut outs of military men holding flags preparing you to stop at military checkpoints. Becky really wanted a picture with one, but never got it.
- Lime... it sounds good on everything, but it's not (such as lime peanuts... bad idea!).
- Beans, beans, beans... they come with just about everything, including fried eggs for breakfast.
- People actually listen to the music you think they listen to, AND they blare it really loud on their car stereos.
- Mexico is such a vibrant country. Either houses are painted in very vibrant blues, oranges and yellows, or the brightly colored plants and flowers of Mexico brighten up the gray cement houses.
- Mexican people can use tortillas in an infinite number of ways. They are such a versitile food!
- Signage is really lacking. We joke that there are signs after you pass the exit you were supposed to take that say "just missed it suckah!". Either there are no signs, the city you want disappears from the sign, or the sign is place directly at your exit and you have to look at your map so you miss it... (for those of you who know the alphabet game, it's impossible to play in Mexico!)
- Topes are speed bumps and they love topes in Mexico. They also really like to put a whole bunch of small topes in a row to tell you there is a large tope coming. However, the large tope isn't painted and can't actually be seen until you hit it.
- David Gray! (yes, this is an inside joke, and no he wasn't in Mexico and we didn't meet him)
- Taking our first cruise! Heck yeah Chihuahua Star!
- The sound of bugs being massacred on the windscreen and the giant bees and grasshoppers that were stuck in our headlights.
- The northern part of the country (Tijuana/Baja) is very different from the southern part (La Paz/mainland).
- Cars on the highways using their signal lights. We still haven't figured this out. For some reason the thing to do seems to be to leave your left blinker on
- Mexicans actually Cantinflea (if you don't know what this is, Google it)
- The cardboard cutout of a police car that was on the side of the highway (yes, it worked to get you to slow down!)
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Mexico - Tips for Travelers
May 14, 2010
- Octane levels are not as high as posted. If you want to get good gas mileage you will need to pay for premium gas which runs at around $9.28 pesos per liter (this equates to approximately USD$2.86 per gallon using a 12 pesos per dollar exchange rate)
- On the main land toll roads (called cobre) will save you time but are quite costly. For us it was worth it. If you're not pressed for time and would like to save cash you can take the free roads (called libre) but will drive through many small towns and hit lots of speed bumps. It would probably be easier on your car and give you better gas mileage if you take the toll roads.
- The average hotel/hostel price (for the ones we selected) came out to around $12.50 per person per night. We couch surfed several nights which saved us some money, but we found that couch surfing is really only available in larger cities in Mexico.
- We didn't find it necessary to stay in hotels with garages. I know many people who have done this in carbefore have specifically looked for hotels with garages, but we really didn't find it necessary to pay an arm and a leg for accommodation just so we could have a garage. When we couch surfed in Guanajuato we paid for a secure parking garage which ended up being around $150 pesos for 2 nights (USD$12.5) and with three of us in the car it was very inexpensive for us to park.
- Food was pricier than we were expecting. We ended up spending an average of USD$12 per day on food (not counting drinks) and an additional USD$5.00 per day on drinks (this could include Gatorade, water, beer, etc.). But keep in mind there was only one of us drinking alcohol. If you're traveling with more than one person who drinks you will spend more on alcohol. Beers in Mexico can range from $15 pesos and up (so about USD$1.25 or more) and adds up really fast when you're travling on a budget.
- Avoid big cities with your car. They are more dangerous and as I'm sure you read about our adventures in Mexico City, can cause many problems for you as an international traveler. Besides, you get way more culture and a sense of Mexican life in the smaller towns!
- If you take the toll roads in Mexico you could estimate your travel at around 60mph (100kmph) to do a good time estimate. Don't forget to add in times for potty breaks, stops, etc. If you estimate that it will take you 8 hours to drive somewhere plan on spending more like 11 hours traveling because you will want to stop and see things, eat, etc.
If you have any questions about how much we spent, time travels, etc. please let me know. You can email me at rebecca@elnomad.com.
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