First Trip to Mexico and why I bought a GPS

FIVE GRINGOS’ AND NO ESPANOL

Characters in the this saga

Dick (I’ll lead, but I’m half bind)
Ron (I’ve only got one good leg, so why are we on this damn gravel road)
Rich (Laid back, I don’t care where we go as long as I get my Ice cream)
John (I know every lawyer and Judge in the Rio Grande valley)
Bob (I’m the only one that can read a map, so I’ll take up the rear)

I did not us last name to protect the innocent and because of CRS.

Sitting around a table at the Lonesome Dove bar & grill in Mission, Tx, with not a thing to do. We came up with the ideal to go see the pyramids in Mexico. Dick our leader has been to Mexico many times. He spoken about as much Spanish, as the rest of us, which is every limited. But what the hell lets go see Mexico.

Our trip was supposed to last 8-10 days with no schedule and no reservation. We don’t need any stinking reservation.

So with each of us having five different maps and no GPS, off we went thru Reynosa down highway 97 to Hwy 101 to Ciudad Victoria. All went smoothly until a Federal Police car passes us and pulled us all over. (What the hell have we done, only 50 or so miles into the country and we already messed up). But not to worry he owns a bike and wanted to Know where he could buy leather baggies like John has. Will we BS for a few minutes then off we went. To Victoria, where we spent the first night at a hotel off the main square, (which on this trip we did the same thing every night) the rooms for this whole trip were very clean and cheap and around the town square.

The day 2 we left around 8:30 after breakfast for our next stop Rio Verde. We all agreed that we wanted to go thru the mountains as much as we could. From Victoria we followed Hwy 85 Thru Ciudad Mante to Ciudad Valles, then Hwy 70 to Rio Verde to spend the night.

Each night on the trip we would walk around the town square, looking for a place to eat and an ice cream after our meal.

One thing we quickly learned was that you can not drink beer around the town square. (Mexico law). The town squares are more or less for socializing, which we could see that there were a lot of family activities and venders.

The next morning off we went via Hwy 89 to Xilitla to spend the night and to see a castle build by an Englishman named Earl James, it was closed of course, and I didn’t make it there, I got hung up on a speed bump (which happed more than once).

Off to find a hotel in the town square, no problem, we in got our rooms the parked our bikes in the hotel lobby. (How’s that for security). Then off to eat, get our ice cream fix, and walk the square. While walking the square a young man approached us and wants to know if we left our bikes out in the street. We told him that we were parked in the hotel lobby. We continue talking to our new friend, when we asked him, that since the next day was Sunday would the restaurant still open an eight.
Then he told us that Sunday was a big market day, when everyone came to town, from the surrounding mountain to sell their wares. They block off the entire street around the squared and they don’t open them until six that evening. We decided to leave as soon as daylight came the next morning. We left a 6:30 and all ready the streets where starting to get blocked, But people moved thing around so we could get by.

So off we when to find breakfast and head to our next over night stop. We left Xilitla on hwy 89, till it joined hwy 85 following it to Actopan, where we spent another night. The next morning we left for the pyramids at Teotihuacán.

Hurray we made it. We walked around, took pictures, and climbed to the top of the smallest pyramided (we are too old to climb the big one). John went in the silver business while we were there. He alone boosted the economy by at least 30%. He used my bike to haul it all back.

Leaving the pyramids down hwy 133 to the outer ring of Mexico City, to go to Hwy 57 North. We had a small problem, in that the group lost me and they went thru the same toll booth 3 times. No problem I new that I was in front of them, and they would show up sooner or later. So I went on my merry way to hwy 57, got gas and waited on the side of the road. About an hour later here they come. So I get off my bike, stand on the edge of the road waving my arm, right on by they fly, So I jump on my bike crank it to 80 and catch up. The leader didn’t even see me. (Did I tell you Dick is half blind)? Anyway John and Rich said that they were worried about me. I told them that I wasn’t the one with the problem. It was you two that had a problem. How so they inquired. I told them that the problem they face was how they were going to explain to my wife and mother-law, just how they lost me in Mexico.

Well on to or next stop San Luis Potosi, where we got up the next morning to head for Linares. Do we follow the highway to Linares? NOO we are going to take a side route from Matehula to Doctor Arroyo, via a supposed hwy 81. Down the road we go, right into a gravel road, well we missed our turn, go back to the junction, OH NOO a another gravel road, Since somebody has all ready fallen down two times before, and was tied with another rider for falling down, (but who keeping count). We go back to the main hwy 57 to hwy 31 to Linares. Where we spent our last night, and at our most expensive Hotel (568 pesos) spilt two ways.

We start out the next morning for home, via hwy 85 to Montemorlos to hwy 35 to China, then hwy 40 back to Reynosa. All is going well until we hit an Army road checkpoint. We like to have never got away from, because about all of them wanted to have their picture taken with their guns on my bike. It was a lot of fun watching them.

We finally made it home. 7 days and 1668 miles.

Things to Know before making the Trip.

1. Don’t go any where when you have five different maps and only one person that know how to read a map.
2. Don’t make any reservation or have a schedule. It takes all the fun out of the trip.
3. Don’t believe all the stories about how bad the roads are and how terrible the food is in Mexico.
4 The people we met we friendly and all way helpful.
5. The police and Military will stop you for no reason, Not true.
6. Make sure you bike and tires are in good shape, not like some people I know.
7. Slow down and have some fun, if not ask yourself why you are going in the first place.
8. Remember this is not Texas. Or how we do thing at home. All their ways and customs have been going on longer than ours.
9. Most important rule for the group, is WHAT GOES ON IN MEXICO STAYS IN MEXICO, but that another story.
10 I forgot what number ten was, CRS.

Myself I went with 7900 pesos and came back with 2000. This counted for all lodging and 3 meal a day. Plus fuel, plenty of ice cream and some beer.

Written in my own way, If you want proper spelling and grammar, you are out of luck.

Bob Arnold