Mexico - San Miguel de Allende to Merida

November 10-16: San Miguel de Allende

the iconic Parroquia on the plaza

There is a small campground fairly near the centro of San Miguel that requires a smaller vehicle to even drive into, but the location makes it an ideal stopover. From here it's an easy walk around town and the main plaza area where a lot of the good stuff is. On my first visit here 10 years ago, I decided there were too many gringos and that was that. This time, however, I enjoyed the more "cosmopolitan" atmosphere and stayed a full week. It's certainly not the cheapest town in Mexico but there is always something going on and there are a great variety of shops, galleries, language schools and restaurants. 

wedding celebration on the plaza

gorditas and horchata

One of my favorites was this very Mexican place right across the street from the Biblioteca Publica, a cultural center that also houses one of the largest English libraries in the Americas. A fresh tortilla off the grill with a filling of your choice (I had chorizo y papas) with a salsa verde and maybe the best horchata I've had in Mexico (big container in the back of photo to right with whitish liquid). Total cost was 26p, about $1.70. Pretty awesome.

with Serge and Gaby on the plaza

Another winner was an Italian place called Mare Nostrum, run by a couple from Sardinia. I'm certainly no expert on Italian food or fresh pasta but the spaghetti bolognese was absolutely delicious. I found out about it after striking up a conversation with a Mexican couple (in picture) from Queretaro as we sat on the plaza people watching, and they joined me there for dinner.

inside the Biblioteca Publica

I included this picture from the gift shop at the library to show the yellow book "501". This is the same book my tutor back in Denver encouraged me to buy when I started taking Spanish lessons. Which gives me the opportunity to mention Laura Reinhold and Laura's Lessons in Denver. Without a doubt the work we did on future and past tenses, for example, has made my trip that much easier. I still need to immerse myself for who knows how long, but certainly an improvement over my last visit. Muchas gracias, Laura.

November 18-29: Catemaco

Catemaco across the water

Another place I hadn't been to in 10 years was Catemaco which sits next to a lake south of Veracruz. This was going to be a 2-3 day stay which pushed into 12 days at the Hotel Tepetepan, where I camped on their large lawn. Again, not that I did much. It rained quite a bit, a couple of times 3"+ in a matter of hours, so I seemed to always be waiting for the tent to dry out. It's not supposed to be the season for it, but there you go.

the real deal

Fred, Lyddyia, me, Gene

At one point I thought of leaving but Fred started talking about Thanksgiving, so I stayed. American food! It was really good, Gene slow cooked a turkey in the smoker. Easily the most moist turkey I've ever had. A couple from Belgium joined us for dinner. They have been traveling for 10 years in a standard road RV! They are now in their early 70's and just arrived in Mexico after taking about 4 years to drive around South America. Before that it was north Africa and the middle East. Wow.

Zacatecas to Catemaco

The two pictures shown above were from a hard-to-get-to restaurant that's only open Friday-Sunday. Somewhere down a bumpy road on another side of the lake is this place that's something of, well, a treehouse. Built in and among trees on the edge of the lake, a place that would never pass any kind of building code in the U.S. (or Mexico for that matter), is a gem of true local cuisine. The woman shown is pressing out the tortillas by hand and cooking them over wood. You would almost certainly need someone to show the way, but its worth it.

In the map Zacatecas is top left and there are some blue lines and nights (that's what the numbers are - nights in Mexico, and counting). Next was Pinos, San Miguel, Puebla then Catemaco lower right on the gulf.

November 30-December 5: Palizada to Merida

in front of my Palizada hotel

From Catemaco I drove down to Palizada, a pueblo majico set along the edge of a lagoon. Arriving at dusk I cruised around looking for the Micro Hotel Don Fernando and finally found it on the riverfront malecon. This "hotel", which I had read about in a tourist guide, was little more than six very small rooms in back of a restaurant. Equipped with the kind of small saggy bed I would imagine is found in every poor place on the planet, I bit my lip and paid my 350p. Thankfully, it had a (noisy) working window shaker - though I had no window - which made it somewhat bearable.

the riverfront malecon

The town itself is very picturesque, tranquilo, clean and colorful. It's pretty far away from most anything else so tourism is slow to take hold. I had hoped to find a guide to take me into the laguna up the river, but there are none, as of yet.

panucho breakfast

The guidebook that told me about Palizada said one of the things you have to see is their miniature version of the Statue of Liberty, put up in 1949 to honor their French history/connection here. I guess I expected something a bit more "substantial", but I'm sure they did the best they could at the time. A better time to visit this town would probably be February or March, as right now it is the end of the rainy season and the river and surrounding waters are way up and teeming with mosquitos. They about killed me at dinner. The super-clean and organized Mercado is a great place to pick up breakfast. I had two panuchos and a papaya leche at one of the stalls for 35p.

camping spot at Isla

The next two days I camped next to the beach in Isla de Aguada. Though it's a narrow beach on the laguna side of the isla, it was still nice to be near salt water of any kind. I even took a swim.

Mordita: meaning "little bite" this refers to when local police, or in this case a state cop, try to extract a small bribe in order to make some imagined violation go away.

I started a relaxing drive up along the gulf coast to Merida; the road was good, the sun was out. Or, it would have been relaxing if not for a certain Policia Estadal officer.

Somewhere north of the city of Campeche was a checkpoint and I was waved over. No problema, they'll normally ask where I've been, where I'm going and maybe they want to see some papers. I've never had an issue with mordita, at least not in Mexico (Honduras and Nicaragua, oh yeah). This cop, who knew pretty good English, asked to see my driver's license, passport, car registration and my International Driver's License. My whaaa? First I've heard of this requirement. He tells me it's new for the Yucatan and he'll have to fine me (no specific sum ever got mentioned).

While he wanders off to "write my ticket" I realize I have the number for the U.S. Embassy for Mexico in my phone. Why not try calling them? The main Mexico City office quickly transferred me to the office of American Citizen Services at the Merida Consulate. The woman there put me on hold ultimately for maybe 8-10 minutes trying to find an answer before all this finally came to a close. The cop, meanwhile, wanders back over and sees me on the phone. "I'm calling my embassy", I tell him, "just to verify that this is a law". That got him to thinking a bit and he says "I'll call my jefe to make sure, too".

I'm still on hold when he comes back around yet again to say that, after consulting with his boss, he'll let it slide because "it's a new law". In that same moment the woman from the consulate came back on to say that, while they weren't 100% certain of whether this actually was a law - though probably not - there is a list of lawyers on their website who could help me should I really get fined. I thanked her, hung up and told the cop that my embassy said there is no such law. He handed me back my papers, and off I went.

I called your bluff, motherfuckerrrr!!!!

I'm top corner of building in the middle

Finally in Merida I found the Hotel Casa de Balam just two blocks off the main plaza. After looking at a few rooms I chose the one referenced in the picture because it had a king size bed. After Palizada I decided to go big even at 1500p/night.

I did quite a bit of walking around Merida in my three days there and I'm kind of ambivalent about it. I probably won't be back. For cities on the Yucatan, Campeche is a much more relaxing and pretty city in my opinion, and one I would revisit in the future.

the cathedral

There is also a heavy sell going on in many of the storefronts and on the sidewalks. More so than in other places that I've experienced. That gets old. Having to haggle so much isn't any fun, either. I did buy a hammock here from an artisan store with set prices. Time will tell whether that was a rip. Anyway, after three days, I was ready to move on. Of course, there is excellent food. Sitting down to a meal of cochinita pibil with a cold beer while back in the Yucatan was pretty darn satisfying. And the chiliquiles with a green salsa was excellent. It's similar in taste to a tortilla soup.

Catemaco to Merida

This map shows Catemaco to Palizada, Isla de Aguada then Merida. I found a couple of short new roads! New is kind of a misnomer, the condition of both was pretty bad. Oh, well.

Mexico - the border to Pinos

November 4-6: the border and Cuatro Cienegas

...into old Mexico

It takes about 15 minutes to get from my hotel to the border at Del Rio/Ciudad Acuna. There is almost no one crossing here, at least today, and while the customs guy is intrigued by my tent - I show him a photo which he, in turn, shows to his boss - he lets me through immediately. A drive around a wall to a small parking lot and it's right into the aduana for the payment and stamping of my passport. The next building over is where I get my vehicle stamp and pay for it, as well. The whole process takes less than 40 minutes. This is easily the fastest, friendliest crossing I've done to date. I'm in such a good mood I pay the older gentleman in the parking lot 50 pesos for "watching" my vehicle and off I go...Mexico otra vez!

my first stop

The 215 mile drive south to Cuatro Cienegas is equally uneventful. I went through two road stops, much smaller and less intimidating than any I had in my previous trip. They simply asked where I was coming from and where I was going. They didn't even ask to check any papers. And the sun comes out, to boot. C.C. is a small pueblo magico, towns that usually have some historical importance, are uncommonly attractive or are in a special area. My 12 room hotel was clean, had secure parking and cost 600 pesos (about $36). And no one spoke English. the deep end right away.

at the dunes

the cave entrance

My second day I scheduled a tour with a guide I had read about in Lonely Planet and who spoke English. He showed me some ancient rock paintings and a cave where supposedly Geronimo would hide from time to time. Then off to the gypsum dunes and the pozas (natural pools), both of which make this area a special ecological zone for certain species of plants and small animals. All in all, I really like C.C. and the area. It's pretty, quiet, friendly and a great start to the trip.

November 7-16: Parras to Pinos

view of vineyards

My next stop is another pueblo magico called Parras. Once you leave the main highway across the desert between Torreon and Saltillo the road going south gains elevation and is lined with walnut tree groves and vineyards right into town. Parras is the home of the oldest continuously run winery in all the Americas (I think). I stayed at a grand old hotel called the Hostel el Farol just steps off the plaza. (For my money, if you want to see these old towns, get as close to the plaza as you can. It's worth the extra cash since that's where the action is. And that's where the old, cool historical colonial stuff is).

Sticking with the booze theme, there is an artisanal sotol shop on the plaza where I tasted their product and bought the bottle in the picture. They charged all of 75p. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't buy a dozen of these. The folks I shared it with all thought it was really good. Sotol is northern Mexico's answer to tequila or mescal, another desert plant that happens to make a great drink. I know you can buy sotol in the larger stores in Denver. 75p! that's like $4.50! But, I think I can only get this in that store. Guess where I'm stopping my next time down.

follow the blue line

My next stop was intended to be Real de Catorce, another pueblo magico. This had been on my list for some time. Completely spaced out the exit I needed and drove all the way to Zacatecas, about 300 miles. As long as I go back to Parras I can swing by there, too. The map shows my route from the border to Zacatecas. The black and red were previous trips.

I was going to call this section "A Magical Pueblo Tour" because I next went to Pinos, yet another p.m. This little town had some really narrow one way streets which is where I located my hotel for the night, a short video attached.

street on the Pinos plaza

This hotel is a work in progress, a very old building that has mine shafts you can walk through, hidden corridors, a fully stocked bar tucked away so well I never would have known it existed without a tour of the place by Lourdes, the manager. She makes an appearance in the video. There were also some really nice rooms, nicer than mine, but for 1000p vs. 450p. I'm not sure the parking will ever get much better, though. That courtyard isn't getting any bigger.

tacos bistek with a Pepsi, 45p

The U.S.A. - Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

October 12-17: Arizona

From Bryce it's a straight shot down to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. After crossing some really flat desert the earth rises and turns into the Kaibab National Forest. The picture at left is looking back towards Utah from the north edge of the forest. There's a scenic overlook!

view from Locust Point campsite

It's a long and pretty drive through pine forest and lush meadows - and a small herd of buffalo - just to get to the north entrance gate of the park where there is a sign saying the park campground is full.

The ranger said, "well, let's look at this as a positive" and handed me a forest service map and suggested I go exploring. The result, after about 17 miles of dirt road, was a place called Locust Point along the north rim, just outside the park boundaries. I was able to sleep within about 50' of where I took this picture, and it was free and beautiful.

along the north rim

The next day I paid my $30 to get into the park. The canyon is certainly more dramatic once inside than where I spent the night, and I loved the lodge with the large dining hall. The official campground, however, is kinda like a sprawling parking lot among pine trees and, I think, is more of a convenience than an experience. I'm glad I had to do the dispersed camping option.

the road into Lee's Ferry

ripple

My next camping spot was Lee's Ferry along the Colorado northeast of the Grand Canyon. Another official campground with no real privacy or imagination, it was still okay since it wasn't even half full. The night sky and the Milky Way were crystal, making it all worthwhile.

I hit Flagstaff to secure my Mexico car insurance from a broker there ("Flag" to the locals, I found out, or the "locs", I guess), and found some camping near Payson and then Showlow (I don't know if there was a thing going on, or what, but I've never seen so many FJ's in one place, Showlow that is. Mine was way cooler than most! IMO). The weather was not very cooperative, though, and I kept moving hoping for blue skies somewhere. 

south visitor's center

petrified stuff

I ended up taking the drive through the Petrified Forest National Park, a place that wasn't even on my radar, but turned out to be quite interesting to see.

It just so happens that that night in Gallup I watched the movie of the same name with Bogart and Bette Davis, when they were both really young. Great old b/w flick.

creased map of Utah and Arizona, route in black

a rare kse selfie, not too happy to be in Gallup

October 18-26: New Mexico

El Morro rock from campground

After my night in Gallup I drove down to El Morro National Monument, which has a free campground. El Morro has a natural watering hole that was life saving to the Zuni, the spaniards and the pioneers. 


There is also a large rock formation where you'll see pictographs, peoples' names and dates and even a poem. The first spanish name dates to some 15 years before the Pilgrims showed up. There is a hiking trail that takes you past all of these points and then to the top of the rock where there are some Zuni excavations (including a kiva!). Except for when it rained and hailed this is a great spot to hang for a couple of nights. 

some of the name carvings

on top of the big rock

I took a swing through Pie Town for a slice and a cup of joe (they raised the price since my last time through to almost $6 for a slice! it's good, but $6? dude...), and then headed up to Albuquerque to visit my old friend Scott.  
          

...where we partied like rock stars! No, not really. He worked and I watched CNN. We did meet up later with his gf Debbie and then had a feast together the next night at her amazing house/horse property. That's where we took the picture. 

In the afternoon they took me on the Sandia Tramway, a very cool ride with great views of the city and the ski area that's on the east side of the mountain.

I wanted to make one more stop in New Mexico, in Roswell to load up with my favorite beef jerky. I came across this stuff five years ago passing through Carlsbad and now I order it on-line a couple times a year. I love the smoky chipotle, the jalapeno lime and the cowboy style flavors. That very day I had heard on the news that the WHO (I think it was them) put out a report saying that processed meats definitely cause cancer. 

Fuck 'em, I bought 3 pounds!

October 27-November 4: Texas

view of the Guadalupes

I had wanted to camp in Guadalupe Nat. Park, but the main one off the highway is literally a parking lot (my taxes can't do better than that?) and the tent campground was full. So, a long day of driving down to Alpine for a room before heading into Big Bend. 

On the way to Alpine you drive through Marfa where the historic Hotel Paisano is. They were full at the late hour I passed through, but I'm definitely going to stay there some day. Several years ago there was a 60 Minutes piece done on Marfa, it's become some sort of artist hangout and one of the artworks shown was this "building" on the highway towards town (I'm not sure Morley Safer got it, either)...some 35 miles north. Actually, it's just north of the town that's north of Marfa. But the store still says Marfa. Must be bullet proof glass because it's been shot at, for sure.







The next four nights were spent camping in Big Bend National Park, two nights at the Cottonwood campground and two nights doing what they call backcountry car camping. You can see a short video of my site below.

at the entrance to Santa Elena Canyon near Cottonwood

At Cottonwood I saw some cool birds and I was able to get some so-so pics. I was getting into the birdwatching thing after awhile. A park ranger helped me - a lot - with identifying most of them.

vermillion flycatcher

red tailed hawk

great horned owl

a storm moves past my campsite

near Cottonwood, south visitor's center

near my campsite

I like Big Bend a lot and can see going back down to do the backcountry car camping for a week, or more. On the way north to Marathon I went through a customs check. The dog apparently smelled something, and one of the border guys took out half my stuff looking. Knocking on the sides of the vehicle, the floor. They half-ass put my stuff back and I told the guy they need to retrain that dog. He said maybe it's just that they hadn't found anything, yet. I told them (there were 3) that they were doing a great job. 

     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I spent the night in the Gage Hotel in Marathon. There is really nothing else here, but the hotel is great, along with the bar/restaurant. I could live here...if I had the means. The hotel was designed by the same architect who did the Piasano, all back in the '20's. Very much Texas and the old west, lots of dark wood and brass. The food was excellent, as was the Texas martini (plural, in this case).

On the road down towards Del Rio is the Judge Roy Bean museum. If you're ever on this road, you can't miss it. Again, there's nothing else around, might as well. The picture is the inside of the actual saloon where he dispensed justice. After this, and two nights in Del Rio, it was into old Mexico.

the judges' bar

historic marker

New Mexico and Texas