Leaving Durango, we had no “hard-stop” destination …just a general idea of where we wanted to end up at day’s end. The roads were fabulous!!! Much better than we could have ever imagined. Basically we continued the mountain roads that had started north of Creel and followed them south until we were northeast of Mexico City.
Amazing roads, fascinating sites and we were in high-elevation rain forest –a contrast to the pine forests that we were in to the north. The roads twist through high trees that hang over the road and look like riding in a cavern with moss hanging down everyplace. The day was slower than expected because of the wonderful twisty roads.
This day was also
our first encounter with some of the holliday traffic ...Easter holiday
puts more people on the roads ....but makes for a fun expereince of seeing
the people enjoy their holiday.
Popped into this
small town ....a typical small town currently some road construction going
on at the town square.
Me waving to the
ladies on the corner who offered to take my picture.
Then
late in the afternoon an experience that we will never forget:
Weather
was great until we unexpectedly got hit by the humongous thunderstorm.
The hail was like marbles and was stinging our bodies even through the
heavy riding jackets we wear. (Actually, I was in mesh and the hail created
welts from the impact while riding. –it was worse then getting bombarded
by those paint gun bullets). Not to mention I was wet to the bone instantly.
Then
the road construction started and we were diverted into the back country
all on what was previously dirt. Now it was a literally river of red clay
mud that was about six inches deep and was washing away the clay right
under our tires. Now we were in deep red clay mud that was turning into
a river and heading down a steep hill. Ruts forming everyplace right in
front of us and pouring down rain with no end in sight. Cars and trucks
were sliding all around us.
Then Don dropped his bike in the river –he had no choice as to avoid a truck that was sliding toward him. Bob and I had to get our bikes stable and propped up and help Don get his bike out of the river. A policeman diverted the cars and trucks around us while we did all this. Instead of the Tres Hombres I am sure this all looked like the Tres Studges. We finally got all three bikes up and going and no damage to the bike. Don has a battered pride and a huge knot on his left foot.
Dons yellow riding jacket is now terra cotta color.
Bob (left)with a
serious look -thinking: "I'm glad we're out of that craziness, but I think
Don may have broken his ankle ....wonder if we should just cut loose from
him now?" :-)
We pulled into the town of Tulancingo which we were unfamiliar with. Saw a semi fancy motel as we came into town .But went into downtown to keep looking. After a bit of aimless loiter on the city streets this seemed to be the best bet for the night and we headed back to the first motel to get a room. It had more amenities than we needed, but a place to get dry, and more importantly, allowed Don to get off his ankle.
Kathy
had packed a pharmacy of drugs with me so we got Don started on the Vicodin
and ice for his ankle. I then took a taxi to a pharmacy and bought
an assortment of fun including more painkillers, and anti-inflammatory
stuff and an ankle wrap thing. Gotta love Mexican pharmacies!!
| So,
with my supervision not needed by Don and Bob for the time being, I decided
that I better check out this town –having never been here before and likely
that I’d never end up here again. I took a taxi to a restaurant/bar
that was suggested by the motel staff. The place was empty, except
for three guys who were sitting and having fun dialogue. It was obvious
that they were friends catching up on old times and fun. It
turns out they knew a tad bit of English –enough to trade some dialogue
with this hick from Nevada.
They took me under their wing and we proceeded to explore the city and have too much fun. They were eager to show me the town. They were all professionals; two were surgeons and the third an accountant. “Yuppie Mexicans” is probably the best way to describe them. Too funny: regardless of where you are, accountants always get teased and this night was no exception. My accountant jokes were well received by the doctors and the accountant was a good sport. These were all good guys, it was a real treat for me to run across them. When I say we had too much fun ….the four of us ran up a 5,300 peso tab! Yes, that is over $500US dollars …ouch !! We split it evenly and conceded that the tab matched the fun. So,
high from a night of free-flowing fun, frivolity and alcohol, we loaded
up in their car and they took me back to my motel. The surgeons thought
it a good idea to check on Don’s ankle (earlier in the evening I
had told them of our day and the medication that I had given Don).
I don’t believe Bob really appreciated the late night visit, but he was a good sport. But Don knows he’s got a great riding buddy …who else goes out and gets two surgeons to give a free medical exam ("a house call" no less) after a spill on the bike? :-) I’ve been staying in touch with my new yuppie friends from south of the border, they are good fun and I see a Las Vegas rendezvous in our future. (sorry, no pictures, they are way too incriminating.) |