Many Mexicans, especially the older ones, were raised with a sense of propriety and manners that would put the most prim of Charlestonian matrons to shame...it has been many years since I have been to Charleston...last time I was there you could not order a drink on Sunday but you could get a very special cup of tea! Mexico has a tradition of hospitality and politeness to strangers... when you enter a shop or restaurant you should greet the people there, you will be greeted before you set foot in the door. It is the way things are done here.... even at 150 peso/night motels the staff are polite... I was raised a southern gentleman, it was a tradition to be gentlemanly at my University... Email and the internet strip us of very important facial and tonal clues and we can find ourselves saying the most innocent things that then evoke episodes of very ungentlemanly rage and inappropriate language... it happens... in the early days of scientific communication over DARPANET careers were damaged and even destroyed in "flame wars" and so it goes today. An $80/day hotel budget will allow a person a lot of creature comforts here, but no guarantee of a hot shower every time, or reliably working AC. Just sayin'. The cheaper places often have far much more charm.
Schizz... It was, unfortunately, the stay close to the baño way. For those of you traveling in and around Oaxaca there has been a stomach virus going around. One of my fb friends sez it is global and went through Telluride a month or so ago...problem with living in a resort town in a box canyon in the high mountains is that everyone brings their bugs and leaves them for us to incubate! May be somewhat true here.
Bug was going through Sayulita a couple weeks ago. 1 to 2 day toilet/puke event. Headache and dizzy. 4 out of 7 in our casa came down with it. No es bueno on the moto. Town full of spring breakers and then Easter Pilgrims. On March 25, we were on the hyw 90 from PV to Guadalajara and thousands of pilgrims were walking and busing over the mountains. I got the feeling they were headed to Tala from some loose conversation. Many of them were fighting the bug. Does anybody have any intel on this pilgrimage? Am I using the correct word? Parts of the road have been washed out for at least a month on the West side of the big bridge around San Sebastion del Oeste Reading 200 pages is like reading the Cliff Notes and then wanting to take the test. This kinda travel requires some study.
The stomach bugs are caused by Rolex! Who needs hard science when you've got the internet. Send me all your Rolex watches, every single one and I will have them cleaned and returned to you with a transparent window on the back, the hands might be slightly crooked, and the weight of the piece may change slightly. Ship them express before midnight tonight April 1st. I have also lined up a trio of bright, perky, and downright charming spirited edecanes who have volunteered for the first annual IMS Lens Measuring Contest. Winner gets their choice of genuine Rolex watches!
Talk of politeness, tempers, over-reactions, etc. reminds me of a motorcycle guy that lived in this area for awhile. He interpreted the smallest things as slights so local guys just started avoiding him. His dad whom I never met but supposedly had the same disposition went on one of his many trips to Mexico one time and was never heard from again. No car, no body, nothing. ...on another subject... ...so when are you heading to Baja, Trice? Have you been riding the Katoom?
Craneguy, the good thing about being British, is that when you are passing the kidney stone, the neighbors will just think you are having sex. Seriously, let me know when you are ready to pass it, I'll get the Mystery Rider over for some coffee and we'll open up the windows and listen for the screams. We will be rating them on a scale of 1 to 10, so be sure to leave out those moans and groans unless they involve seafaring curses or such. I was wondering why you have been so uncommunicative, lately. I thought it was because of my sense of humour. It's so nice to hear that it is because of a kidney stone...I think I need to reword that.
The road to YelapaI can see my destinationBut this is the last km of the road. So i hid my bike on the mountain and hiked downIt was worth the hike down.The hike up the next mourning not so good.
Quiet determination my friend. This ain't my first one. I was going to say "stiff upper lip" but I just found out that phrase originated in the US (Probably has something to do with the climate ) The only reason you ever hear groans from me is if YOU just finished telling a joke! I'm trying to get sorted out for the big desert adventure. Just getting the employment medical requirements covered is taking most of my damn time.
September: Cross on the 25th @ Tecate and pull into Cabo on the 3rd of October. With Tim Morton on his longest Baja tour. Next week's Junction Ride is one of the warm ups on the KTM. I'm doing the 500 mile challenge ride. Last month's Big Bend Ride was one of this year's warm ups on the KLR - which is going on the market. It was on that ride doing the 50 mile sandy River Road when I decided to park the KLR and notch it up. I'm 56 and didn't grow up on dirt. I realize I'm diving into the deep end of the pool with others who have been on the swim team for years. Morton's Baja Bound tour is perfect for me in the sense that I'll be stretched outside my comfort zone. My "group" is largely younger Aussies who live and ride in the Outback. Right now I'm using Tim's bike prep guide and making a few more mods to the bike, such as better lighting for night riding and a bib mousse for the front.
WTF Trice, night riding in the desert on a KTM! Wow! When you go for it you go for it! In your research for your previously planned GS trip in Baja did you plan all road? How many days to do the length of the peninsula? RMO
The night deal and the reason for the upgrade to the KTM's lighting isn't because of doing planned night riding. It has to do with daylight hours being eaten up while dealing with potential issues such as flats late in the day. I didn't dive into road trip planning for my pavement only solo (or with Bato, if he went) ride because the gears were already spinning once I started doing distance dirt and sand this year. As far as off-road, there were/are other non-tour options but none were a relatively sure thing. Hence signing on with Tim Morton. Well, one thing is for sure. It'll be harder to come up with excuses not to do this since the deposit has just been mailed.
Is that the one with the Rhino paint job? Helluva good looking bike, somebody is going to get a nice bike for Mexico. If any newbies or Mex vets looking to get back in the game, that is a proven bike and well sorted for use here. Hope it goes to a good home and it gets more miles south of the border, it deserves that. Now, if you want to reconsider the sale and just park the thing in my garage... I will endeavor to make sure it gets a diet of Pemex and Castrol as needed, at least two opportunities a week to stretch its legs wherever it wants to go!
Indeed This was she when I brought her home: Then after my rattle-can bed liner paint job: just kidding This was her after the bedliner: That bike all dusty again a few weeks ago in BBNP:
