Twisties continue!

Day 8  January 22, 2012  El Tuito to Caleta de Campos

Miles ridden: 310

Gas:
Meals:  $120 chicken with coleslaw and rice  $70 for some kind of fish tacos (5) and  2 Pineapple juices. 
Lodging:  Hotel Real Campanario $400 pesos, parked bikes inside the lobby

We did get up and out the door earlier this morning but we were still an hour off because Carl’s watch was an hour behind the actual time.  Well, maybe tomorrow!  I know we are retired but we really need to make some miles now because the weather is going to change is South America.  If we want to cross the Andes before the snow flies, we need to get moving.

Today we rode highway 200 that goes along the west coast of Mexico.  There were miles and miles of twisty mountain roads.  Up and down the mountains we went.  The traffic was fairly light, tho.  We were both longing for a stretch of straight road that was more than 1/8^th of a mile long.  It seemed like the longest straight stretches were bridges. Carl says that anybody who says they never get tired of twisties has never ridden the west coast of Mexico!

Today I seemed to have more day dreaming time than usual.  I got thinking about what is different about Mexico this trip than our last one in 2006.  The roads seem better, there are more Pemex gas stations and now they have added OXXO convenience stores at some of them.  The toilets are definitely cleaner and the only pay to pee I have encountered was in Cabo.  To me, it seems that there are more big American cars, SUV’s and pickups.  There seems to be more highway directional signs, highway 200 is well marked.  Granted we have the GPS maps telling us where to go but it seems like it would be easier to get around than before.  I suspect the economy in Mexico is better than 6 years ago.  We talked to 2 different young men that had worked in the US for several years and they both said, “the money is good in US but life is good in Mexico!”  I think they are right! What the same about Mexico?  The people are still friendly and helpful and full of good cheer!

Will need to post pictures when we have a faster connection. Internet south of the border does not seem quite as good.