Back in the USA !

Day 208

Current Location: San Antonio, Texas (USA)

Total Countries visited: 9

Total Miles Driven: 26,753

Hello everyone !  I am writing from San Antonio, Texas... Both Large Marge and I successfully crossed the border yesterday into El Paso, Texas... and we're now back in the USA !  Adios, Mexico, I will miss you very much.

This is a weird feeling.  I'm literally only days from being finished with my trip.  Large Marge is doing as well as ever, as if she had a a fresh breath of youth recently - or perhaps it's the cold weather that fits her better, given her recent menopausal bursting accidents.

And that last border crossing was actually fun !  Who would have thought I would actually say that... I did have to wait for an hour on the bridge because of all the rush hour traffic, but I was entertained by all the peddlers and window washers who were trying to score one last peso before we made it safely back to the motherland.

Yoda tried to stop him, but this window washer had too much Force.

And the border patrol officers were unusually nice to me this time...  They performed the customary search of Large Marge, but they went through it really fast, and in fact they even cleaned it up a little (they put all my food that was laying around in a little plastic bag, thanks !)  Oh well - I don't have any funny border stories for you this time, sorry !

Over the last 9 days I have driven over 2,000 miles... that's a lot, I really packed it up !  I promised myself I'd go out with a bang, and I did... I saw some incredible things (wait until you see that sunset).  So here we go:

Guadalajara

Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico, with a population topping 5 million.  And unlike Mexico City, it feels clean, liveable, civilized.  I only spent one day in Guadalajara, but I loved it !  It has gorgeous architecture (with its two-domed cathedral being the center of it all), street art everywhere to add to the scenery, excellent food and vibrant nightlife with salsa bars hopping at every corner until late into the night.  It also has another one of those gigantic labyrinth markets that sell absolutely anything you can imagine, from food to clothes to jewelry and more... Definitely one of the most Mexican cities I have visited, and one of my favourites.

La Calavera, disguise usually associated with the day of the dead.

Main cathedral, can be seen from anywhere in town.

Seriously ?  What are you supposed to do with that exactly ?

Water games.

Puerto Vallarta

Just a few hundred miles west of Guadalajara is Puerto Vallarta, a wonderful beach / coastal town that is very tourist-friendly.  A lot of money has been put towards making the city welcoming to foreigners, and there are sculptures everywhere, a very wide pedestrian-only street (the Malecon) lined with restaurants and bars, and drink specials every night.  I suppose that the only negative thing I could say about Puerto Vallarta, similar to Cancun, is that it's not Mexican enough.  Too many tourists everywhere have taken over the entire place.  But that's not really a complaint - I still got a tan, and I still had a blast.

A fun coincidence was that I arrived in town at the very beginning of the Mardi Gras / Carnival festival which lasts 3-4 days.  Parades in the street, dancers, fire walkers, it was spectacular... Too bad I didn't bring my camera for that !

Beach in the Zona Romantica near my hotel.  It was a bit cloudy.

Can't go wrong with $1 beer / margaritas !

Beautiful sculptures all over the Malecon.

Mazatlan

Mazatlan is another coastal / beach town a few hundred miles north of Puerto Vallarta, but that's pretty much the only comparison there is between the two towns.  Whereas Puerto Vallarta is touristy, Mazatlan (at least the old part of it where I stayed) is not - I could count the non-Mexicans on one finger, literally.  That was great - nobody spoke english, mexican music everywhere, and it was still Mardi Gras, so I celebrated Mexican-style and really enjoyed it!  Mazatlan beaches are also incredible, mostly because they are surrounded by the city, and one of the main streets where most restaurants / bars are located (another Malecon) is right on the ocean.

And then there was the sunset.  Or should I say, the Mother of all sunsets.  This was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.  The sky went completely pink, then orange, and clouds became rainbows, I could not believe I was not dreaming - colours like this do not exist in real life.  Please judge by yourself and let me know if I was dreaming.

The sun is about to set.

And here you go.

I think I was dreaming.

And the clouds became rainbows.

Mexican band for the carnival !

Copper Canyon

The last attraction of my trip to Mexico was Copper Canyon.  Interestingly, when I was planning my trip last year it was the first thing I put on my to-do list, as it is world-famous and renowned for its natural beauty.

I stayed two nights in the little town of Creel right on the edge of the Canyon, at 8,000 feet elevation.  The first thing that struck me was the temperature - it was cold !  During Winter in northern Mexico, at 8,000 feet elevation, I could swear I was in Colorado or even in Canada - there was some snow on the ground, the smell of wood burning was everywhere as people were trying to keep their houses warm, and there were no palm trees - only pine trees everywhere... it was weird.

Large Marge looking comfy in Creel, Mexico.

Beautiful rock formations just outside of Creel.

I spent some time (not enough time though, it would take at least a week to see it all) exploring the canyon and its surroundings... Copper Canyon is amazing.  It is often compared to the Grand Canyon in the US, but to me it felt very different from it.  Copper Canyon is actually a network of 7 canyons, and the area that the canyons cover is much greater than the Grand Canyon.  At its widest and deepest, Copper Canyon is wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon, but what truly sets Copper Canyon apart is that there is so much more access to it than the Grand Canyon.  There are roads going inside (and at the bottom) of the Canyon, there is an Orient-express like train that traverses each of the canyons (with magnificent views I hear, and of course with a bar / restaurant car on board - I will definitely try that next time), and there are actual villages at the bottom of the canyon, where indians have been living for hundreds of years and keeping their customs alive.

Basaseachi Falls, the tallest in Mexico.

View of one of the canyons - you can actually zipline through it !

Monster makes a comeback!

On my second day there I decided to hike down to the bottom of one of the canyons to soak into some hot springs.  It was quite a hike, 3.5 km (over 2 miles) straight down the canyon, and at the end you are rewarded with a set of swimming pools where hot water is being diverted from a nearby spring.  Mind you, if it were up to me I would have put the swimming pools at the top of the canyon, but I guess they didn't have much of a choice (the hike back up was quite challenging).

Some interesting tidbit on my way down, as I had nearly arrived at the hot springs I see three cows sitting at the edge of the road - one baby, and two adults (call them mama cow and papa cow).  I didn't make much of it, but as I got within 25 feet papa cow stood up facing me and gave me a look that could either signify anger or the total lack of intelligence (at first I thought it was anger).  Given that papa cow had very sharp horns, and given that I have been told in the past that wild cows can charge if they feel threatened (especially with baby cow needing protection), I stopped in my tracks and tried to think of alternatives (I was not turning back, no way).

Good cow, bad cow... what to do ?

Alternative 1 - take a detour through the canyon.  This one seemed easy.  I was only 20 feet above the river bed, so I figured I would walk down to the river, walk along the river until I am past the cows, and walk back up to the trail.  Unfortunately, I had not anticipated the possibility of running into cousin-cow (who was also very angry/stupid, and very pointy) that was blocking the only access to the river and became agitated as I almost walked over it.  Retreat, fast !

Alternative 2 - become friends with papa cow.  I ran back up to the trail, and decided that my only other option is to make friends with the mad cow by throwing it food.  I figured, if papa cow likes my food, he will think I'm a friend and let me pass, bingo !  So I pick up the only granola bar I had left, cut a half of it and try to throw it just in front of papa cow so that it can get a good taste of my friendship.  I don't know if was due to nervousness, or if driving a large vehicle for 6 months made me that much stronger, but I completely miscalculated my throw, and the granola bar landed directly on papa cow's head.  Oops !

But this is where the story ends.  Papa cow was actually of the stupid (non-angry) variety, and got scared by the granola bar hitting its head, so it ran away from mama and baby cow, leaving them to fend for themselves (typical, I know).  I could now pass safely.

It was worth it.

Swimming in the warm (98 degrees F) water at the bottom of a 2,000 foot canyon was quite amazing and relaxing.  I spent some quality time there before attempting the arduous climb back up to Marge.

The last amazing thing that happened in Copper Canyon that I would never have thought possible is that as I was driving away from Creel in the morning to make my way back to Texas, I hit a major snowstorm.  I could not believe it, and neither could Marge.  I was terrified and euphoric at the same time.  Thankfully, Marge handled it like a pro, but I still cannot believe that I drove through a snowstorm in Mexico.  How many people can say that ?

I am not making this up !

She is an old pro.

That's it for now folks !  I am going to enjoy the San Antonio Riverwalk tonight, eat good meat, drink gigantic margaritas, and continue heading towards Florida where Large Marge will finally be put to rest.  It's almost over !  Wow !

Home, sweet home ?

Day 199

Current Location: Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)

Total Countries visited: 9

Total Miles Driven: 24,301

That's it folks.  The umbilical cord is cut.  As of February 8th, in addition to being homeless, I am now unemployed.  Perfect combination of uncertainty and freedom, I am reborn.

I am now in Morelia, which is a lovely little town about 200 miles west of Mexico City.  I have only been back in the country for 20 hours, having spent the previous 8 days in Chicago to take care of my resignation from PwC, finalize my tax return and catch up with friends.  

A week in Chicago, sounds exciting right ?  I really loved seeing many of my friends during the week, whether it was at dinner, movie theater or behind a beer bottle or three.  That was the best part of my trip.  But overall, my Chicago vacation can only be categorized as bittersweet.  Chicago has been my home from July 1998 until August 2011 - just over 13 years.  And now that I return for a week after a 6-month absence, it doesn't quite feel like home anymore.  First, having been spoiled by the clement weather of the South, I can't handle the Chicago weather anymore.  It makes me mad.  No matter how warm it was in February by Chicago standards, to me it felt either cold, windy, blustery, or all of those at once.  I slept 10 hours a night (still waking up tired), and stayed in at home doing nothing productive entirely too much, where I should have been out and about enjoying the highlights of my former hometown.  And the most surprising tell of them all (even to me) - this overwhelming feeling of ecstasy which swallowed me as soon as I reunited with Large Marge and started driving again last night, as if that was what I was always meant to be.

I suppose I shouldn't make too much of this.  I am pretty sure that had I visited in the Summer, I would have loved Chicago and enjoyed my stay there a lot more.  And perhaps in my subconscious mind, Chicago now signifies work, a world of responsibilities whereas Large Marge means exactly the opposite, freedom.  Either way, things have definitely changed.  I don't see Chicago as my home anymore.  My home is somewhere in the world, waiting to be discovered.

I guess I don't have much of an update for this blog edition - just a bunch of mixed feelings spilling out in the open.  This trip is coming to an end soon (some time in March, most likely) and I have to start my slow descent back into reality.  I'm not upset at all that this trip is soon ending - quite the opposite, I embrace it.  However there is so much uncertainty about what is next that I can't quite put my brain around it yet.  I think (hope) that will come over the next few weeks and months.

In the meantime, I will continue driving in a general northerly direction, and expect to be back in the US in the next 2 weeks.  But I promise, the fun is not over yet !  The crystal ball says that there will be more sun, palm trees and fruity drinks in my very near future.  Stay tuned !

DMR

Back to Mexico

Day 185

Current Location: Acapulco, Guerrero (Mexico)

Total Countries visited: 9

Total Miles Driven: 23,868

Folks, it's official.  I love Mexico. I may have mentioned this before, but I have to reiterate it.  I am falling in love with Mexico again.  Right now, I am hanging out at the pool at my Acapulco hotel on the beach - the place is just gorgeous.  And I have seen a few more places lately that reminded me of the richness of Mexican culture and scenery.

Last time I wrote, I was in Guatemala City.  What a messy, dirty place.  The city is just not pretty - it doesn't seem to have been built with any kind of aesthetic goal in mind... it looks like overpopulation has hit the city all at once, and construction happened randomly in order to house the new arrivals.  The streets and buildings are all the same colour - brown, and there is no clear downtown area where you can walk around at night and hop from place to place.  I suppose that's the charm of Guat City... there is more than meets the eye, so you have to look for the beauty as it's hidden underneath 3 layers of grime.  I did find a cute little bar with great live music that I found very enjoyable.

Main square in Guatemala City.

However, as soon as I left Guatemala City, everything changed.  The cities became smaller and older, far prettier, the scene majestic with mountains, volcanoes and lakes.  Here is a short list of the amazing places I have seen over the last week:

Antigua, Guatemala - As the name says it, Antigua is old.  Very old.  And incredibly pretty.  It's probably the most touristy town in the country - it has a nice open square with gardens and fountains in the middle of the city, surrounded by restaurants hotels and bars.  But it's the old buildings that struck me the most, especially the churches, some of which are still in ruins.  Antigua used to be the capital of Guatemala, however it was hit by a series of very severe earthquakes that destroyed the city at least three times many years ago.  As Antigua haphazardly tried to rebuild every time, the capital moved to Guatemala City.  Antigua still has a number of buildings still in ruins from the earthquake, which have now been converted in tourist attractions.  Walking among the fallen church walls where the altar used to be, you feel like you are on a movie set.  Nothing seems real anymore.

Streets of old Antigua

Beautiful convent and market street

Inside the convent, partly in ruins

Entrance to church destroyed by earthquake

All that remains is rubble.  Surreal.

Holy sighting

Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala - As you continue driving inland Guatemala, the terrain becomes very mountainous, there are volcanoes everywhere.  But nowhere are volcanoes as visible and impressive as on the shore of Lake Atitlan.  The lake is huge, and surrounded by 3 recently active volcanoes, one of which is permanently covered by a cloud of smoke coming from the lava, as if it was just about to erupt.  The view from anywhere around the lake is incredible - it is said to be the most beautiful lake in the world, or as Aldous Huxley put it when comparing with famous Lake Como in Italy: "Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes.  It really is too much of a good thing."  And that's not all - the lake is surrounded by several quaint little Mayan villages, where the main language is not even spanish, people are still wearing the traditional mayan attire and selling hand-made trinkets at dirt-cheap prices.  Can't get much better than that.

First lake sighting, from the road above.

On the lake shore.

Sunset view, and volcano

It must be noted that the roads in Guatemala left a bit to be desired.  Rock avalanches and landslides are a common occurrence, with huge rocks left in the middle of the road, which sometimes actually gets washed away during the rainy season and it takes a few years to reconstruct.  Driving there was a bit stressful, but I made it.  Mexican roads are much better !

The sign says:  Caution, bridge destroyed.  Passage through river.   That stressed me out a bit. But Large Marge swam it like a pro.

Road and bridge got washed away by the heavy rains.

Tuxtla Gutierrez & San Cristobal de las Casas - Tuxtla Gutierrez is the capital of the state of Chiapas in Mexico.  It is a fairly large town (maybe a half-million), very comfortable and friendly place.  It is not the most beautiful or majestic place, but definitely a good place to rest after a long day's drive - and I had there the best Mexican food I have ever had, Tuxtlan style steak with tomato sauce.  I am still dreaming about it.  


Also, just about 40 miles east of Tuxtla Gutierrez is the lovely little town of San Cristobal de las Casas.  Another gorgeous place full of magic - there are more churches there than anywhere else I have seen, and they are all of different colours and styles.  The town is packed with little shops and cafes, and it has the largest outdoor Sunday market that I have ever seen - a maze of alleys and vendors and people covering the area of about two football fields... it was quite overwhelming, and I didn't have any clue what were most of the things they were selling.

Pretty blue church.

Small yellow church.

Big yellow cathedral.

Entrance to the Sunday market.

Why did the chicken cross the road ?

This place is not for vegetarians.

Why on earth would you eat that ? Really ?

Oaxaca - Oaxaca is a Mexican state with a capital of the same name.  Like Chiapas, Oaxaca is known for its rich cultural heritage, in addition to its perfect beaches that are not too crowded.  

Oaxaca proper is another amazing Mexican town, one of my favourites so far.  It reminded me a bit of Guanajuato, and a bit of Italy... It has at its center avery large square with a stage where mariachis play their music all day, little cafes and restaurants all around the square, a pedestrian-only street lined with bars and restaurants, and one of the most amazing cathedrals that I have ever seen.  The outside of the cathedral is impressive enough (and somehow the entire street was lined up with human-like sculptures, a bit freaky), but the church interior was jaw-dropping.  Everything is covered with gold and jewels.

Just a few miles east of Oaxaca city is the town of Tule, which contains the largest (widest) tree in the world. This isn't a marketing gimmick folks - the tree's dimensions surpass the imagination.  The diameter of the trunk is over 10 meters, and its circumference is over 30 meters.  I have never seen anything this big in my life - and the tree is over 1400 years old !

And as if that wasn't enough (Oaxaca is surrounded with several other culturally and historically significant artifacts), just a few miles west of the city is the ancient town of Monte Alban, which is thought my many historians to be the first town in all the Americas.  It is now in ruins, but some of the buildings date more than 2,000 years.  And to top it all, it is built on top of the mountain, with magnificent panoramic views.  These ruins are a must-see.

The tree is so big, it makes the church look like a dollhouse.

It would take 15 adults to circle the trunk holding hand to hand.

Gorgeous cathedral just outside Oaxaca, under angry sky.

Beautiful earth tones on this cathedral.

Main square, Oaxaca city.

Outside Oaxaca cathedral, with human-like sculptures.

Inside cathedral, incredibly ornate walls and ceilings, all lined with gold.

View of Monte Alban on top of the hill.

Other view of Monte Alban ruins.

The Pacific Coast - After Oaxaca, just a short day's drive South and you hit Puerto Escondido on the Pacific Coast.  It is a great little town, full of surfers and tourists who prefer it to busier, dirtier and crazier Acapulco.  Puerto Escondido is still relatively quiet, has world-class waves, and is incredibly friendly - everyone knows everyone else, and there is always a party going on at one of the local's houses.

Then another short day's drive, you get to Acapulco.  Crazy, addictive Acapulco.  The beaches here are gorgeous, all built around the bay, very accessible from anywhere in town.  And the nightlife is possibly the craziest in all Mexico - every night, bars along the main strip (there are dozens of them on a mile-long strip of road called zona dorada) are booming with young locals and tourists trying to mix it up.  And prices are cheap! Yesterday I hit a bar that had quite the drink special: 3 beers for 50 pesos.  That's less than 4 dollars for 3 beers.  How can you not love this place?

Swimming pool at the hotel.

Beach and sunset.

Bay of Acapulco.

Morning view from my hotel room balcony.

As you can see, I am doing very well these days.  Enjoying myself, relaxing... I will be in Acapulco for 4 days, just enough to get some sun so that people believe me when I tell them I spent 3 months in Central America.  Then I will continue my way along the Coast, all the way to the USA !!!  No more crazy borders, from here on it should all be fun and beaches !

Until very soon,

DMR