Quit our jobs, sold our home, gone riding...

[motoged]

".... the rest is kind of hazy... I think at one point, I put our guide in a headlock and then I gave him a little noogie while screaming, "Who's your daddy, Dani! That's right, Jorge's your daddy!", then we were kicked out of the tasting room..."


That's funnier than hell.....

I am loving the RR....hope to be just south of Guad for several weeks in February....so your RR is whetting my ride readiness.

[LTFD]

.... and who the HECK is Jorge anyway? LMFAO

[DC2wheels]

Maybe is WAS Pedrosa (except for the height). He is prepping for when Marquez wins everything and HRC puts DP out to pasture. Gotta' have a fall back job, ya' know.

What better semi-retirement job than working for THE Tequila folks?

[Bgunn]

Great report and pics... I have a love hate thing with the town of Tequila. The hate part starts with buenos dias the next day.

Liking your menu choices

[lightcycle]

Originally Posted by Pesqueeb

Tacos de lengua. The best.

Haven't tried it yet, Neda did the other day, she says it's her favorite.

Originally Posted by Blader54

Once bitten, twice shy? So what then when twice bitten?

This about sums it up:

Originally Posted by Maverick75

You're a brave man. I downed a bottle of the stuff when i was 18. Never again.

Canadians will get this one:

Originally Posted by DC2wheels

Maybe is WAS Pedrosa (except for the height). He is prepping for when Marquez wins everything and HRC puts DP out to pasture. Gotta' have a fall back job, ya' know.

Don't get me started. Always a bridesmaid, Dani's the best racer never to have won a championship. If only he wasn't made of glass...

[lightcycle]

Originally Posted by motoged

hope to be just south of Guad for several weeks in February....so your RR is whetting my ride readiness.

Fantastic riding here, but you already know that! Have a great time!

[NoLurkerAnymore]

I am completely amazed - your stories, your pictures and you both seem really nice so that it's even more fun to read what you experience. It's a great work and thank you for sharing all this with us

[YZman]

Originally Posted by lightcycle

We are moving very slowly, spending at least a couple of days at each stop to recharge. The nomadic task of setting up and tearing down camp is less tedious when we can stay awhile and enjoy a day's rest, especially since we've seemed to stay ahead of the impending North American snowfall. By contrast to our sedate pace, the land speed record set by a vehicle with wheels is 1,228 km/h (faster than the speed of sound). This record was set just around the corner at the Bonneville Salt Flats (how's that for a segue?) ...

Actually it was set at Black Rock Desert. Bonneville is not sutable to ultimate land speed record attempts anymore due to the salt conditions.

Loving your ride report though. I am majorly jealious!

[Usmcpilot]

I spent 5 years in San Diego and never went south of the boarder. Mostly because Uncel Sam made it off limits. We will be moving back in 2 years, after we get out, and the first thing on my list of things to do will be a trip around the Baja! Thank you so much for sharing this outstanding ride report!

[ktmdreamer]

Thought you were going to stop in La Paz and live happily ever after...... glad you are still adventuring.... loving your pictures and writing from beside the fire place in snowy North bay.

I think you just need more practice with the tequila lol

[lightcycle]

Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/64.html



It rained all through New Year's Eve and into the first few days of 2013.

While I was still recovering from Tequila poisoning, we opted to stay in for the night while the steady rain poured down on all the merry-makers. The sounds of fireworks and music was a testament that you just can't drown out a good party! We are staying at a fabulous (and cheap) bed and breakfast about a 15-minute walk from the city centre. For the next few days we stayed around the neighbourhood, shopping at the local mercado.


Neda cooks up stir-fry vegetables to make up for all the greens that are lacking in the Mexican food

I have been gaining lots of weight on this Mexican diet of fried tortillas, tacos, and huevos. And it's all so cheap! Good thing there was a kitchen we could use in the B&B. Although the local food is high in fat and carbohydrates, obesity has only become a recent problem with Mexicans. Prior to the 1980s, the numbers were negligible, but with the expansion of US fast food chains, the average weight has steadily increased. There is a McDonalds in every city and it seems like Coca-Cola has focused all its advertising dollars in Mexico.


Regular service at Germania BMW

Thankfully the weather cleared and we dropped the bikes off for service at the dealership and walked around Zapopan, a larger town in the north-east Greater Metropolitan Guadalajara.


Almost every Mexican town or city has a gate


Whistling and skipping amongst the orange trees!


"Oranges and lemons, say the bells of... um the Virgin of Zapopan"

The Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan is the most famous building in the area, celebrating the likeness of the Virgin Mary. Like all Mexican neighbourhoods, it also has its own market and plaza and we spent most of the day walking around in the hot sun.


Pope John Paul II and a friend


Street musician outside the Basilica


Babysitting.


The mercado at Zapopan. More veggies please!


Restaurants are ready for the lunchtime crowd


While in the Farmacia in Zapopan, these two nuns approached me, and I helped them fix their old transistor radio.
I'm SO totally going to heaven now!


Mural on the wall of a cemetary, now my new desktop wallpaper


Cemetary just around the corner from our B&B


BRAINS! Well, that veggie diet didn't last very long...

The taco place around the corner from our B&B has become our second home. By now, I've tried almost everything on their menu. The report on the tacos de sesos (brains): it tasted exactly like it sounds. When cooked, it's a white meat. Very mushy, but you could still feel the texture of the brain folds. It was definitely an organ meat and not as salty as muscle. It wasn't bad, but not my favorite taco.


Guachimontones

During the weekend, we took another day-trip outside of the city to Teuchitlan, about 60 kms away - not too far from Tequila. It's home to a very unique set of structures called Guachimontones. Although not as grand as the Mayan or Aztec pyramids, these have the distinction of being build almost 1,000 years before the rise of the Aztec empire. They are considered "pre-hispanic".


Main Guachimonton, up close and personal. Several smaller ones scattered throughout the area

Another unique feature of the Guachimonton is that they are round in shape and rise up in smaller concentric circles like a cone. All other pyramids are straight-edged. These pyramids were built to honor the God of the Wind, at the very top, it's speculated that a long pole was erected where Velodores (flyers) would jump off the top with ropes tied around their ankles and slowly descend while rotating around the pole. Hearing this story sparked a memory of a TV show I used to watch called, "In Search Of" narrated by Mr. Spock, and in one episode he was describing this exact ceremony. Not sure why this stuck out in my mind so much...


Tourists from all over the area visit the site




These flat pads used to be the site of large permanent huts, all facing the Guachimonton


The town of Teuchitlan lies in the distance


Relaxing afternoon amongst the remains of an ancient civilization

[RedRockRider]

Great pics. Really enjoy checking in on your ride report. Great escape! Thanks for all your effort.

[TSRT97]

Thanks for sharing your amazing adventure with us! I'm enjoying every report you post! Have a safe trip.

[stuntheavy]

Just read the whole thing! Amazing. Great job documenting it all, and thank you for sharing.

Odd question, but how are you taking pictures from the bike, as you are going down the road? Do you happy to have any pictures (maybe cellphone picture) of your actual camera setup? I'm looking for ideas.

[lightcycle]

Originally Posted by YZman

Actually it was set at Black Rock Desert. Bonneville is not sutable to ultimate land speed record attempts anymore due to the salt conditions.

Ah yes, you are correct!

Originally Posted by stuntheavy

but how are you taking pictures from the bike, as you are going down the road? Do you happy to have any pictures (maybe cellphone picture) of your actual camera setup? I'm looking for ideas.

I do have a picture of my setup. Though it's probably not the safest way to take riding shots...