Next month it will have been two years since we drove the van out our driveway knowing only we were headed for Australia- we managed that just fine and had an absolutely amazing 14 months there. A total bonus was getting to ship our van up through North East Asia on the way home and to explore both Korea and Japan in our own vehicle. All three places blew us away and were super easy to travel in – we are so glad we went.
With the ship carrying our vehicle home to North America now dropping it off in Baltimore, I got to do one last trip in the van before we put it away for the coming winter, after which we’ll make plans for our next adventure. I had to fly to Baltimore, get it through the port process and drive it almost 5,000kms ( 3,000 miles ) home to Kelowna in British Columbia. I do say “I” and not “we” because both of us have done this trip on a couple of occasions before and since not much of it represented “new” territory, Lois was less enthused about yet another cross-continent foray. There was really no need for us both to go – it was, after all, more of a delivery run than any kind of adventure, so I stepped up, took one for the team ( 😉 ) and flew off alone to get our rig. It would be a lot of driving, alone, across the US, but I thought it just might also be a great time to get some perspective on what’s happening there with the big election now just weeks away. Anxious to get our rig back home and do some work on it before the outside temperature fell below freezing, I picked just a few places to visit, arranged a slight detour to collect our new retractable shower door direct from the manufacturer in Ohio, and then planned to cross back into Canada near Lethbridge, Alberta. There I could pick up the replacement inside window trims from the good folks at Wilderness Vans. A very busy and probably quite tiring week or so beckoned.
When I got to my van it was very much hemmed in – I had to move the Delica forward so I could get mine.
As mentioned in last week’s blog, getting it out of the port in the US was fast, easy, and compared to ports in other countries, very inexpensive. I was actually shocked at how cheap it was. Just as well, I suppose, as there is a big fuel bill to come to deliver it to the other side of the continent. With the detours mentioned above, the 4400km journey morphed closer to 4,700km which took 7 1/2 days of pretty solid driving. Bear in mind that in a van you are not travelling as fast as you might in a car, and in the western states it was very windy making it difficult to handle the van at times. It’s tall and acts like a sail catching all the cross winds so for several days I had to slow it down quite a bit. I must admit that made some of the days seem very long indeed.
First close up of the rig – all appeared intact, no damage and no theft ( there was nothing to steal !). The usual mess they put all over your windscreen of course !
So, what’s going on the US right now ? I usually stay well away from politics in this blog ( the comments below are just some observations, rather than opinions ) but you simply can’t avoid noticing it in the US right now. Of course one sees many political signs ( Trump/Vance and Harris/Walz ) the preponderance of each aligning pretty closely with what are known as the “blue” states and “red” states. Lots more blue in the east and almost solid red in the west. It’s going to be an interesting election.
The “red” and “blue” in this map pretty much aligned with both the roadside signage and voting sentiments of those I spoke to along the way. A very clear divide…..
Of the people I spoke to ( in the port, at the airport, in the stores, at restaurants and rest areas I stopped at), when the election came up in discussion ( and it did ) people talked mostly about the economy and the cost of living. Where I travelled, immigration did not seem to be a big thing ( guess that’s a bigger issue further south – despite driving through Ohio, I did miss Springfield 😉 ). What surprised me is how many people seemed concerned about “the economy”, especially when, to all appearances the economy in the US is absolutely BOOMING. I can’t recall a time where I have seen it better yet lots of Americans seem unhappy or worried about it when you talk to them. It’s truly bizarre when you have inflation now back to normal, unemployment a non-issue, fuel prices very low ( a huge concern for Americans as a rule ), a strong/stable currency and stock markets at all time highs. I mean, ( on the surface anyway ) what’s not to like ? Restaurants and malls were full everywhere I went, the roads were always busy – things just seemed, well, pretty darn good. Perhaps one of our US readers can help us understand why so many American folks say they are so worried about the economy ? It’s a mystery to most of us on the outside looking in. Even one of the world’s most respected news magazines acknowledges things in the US now are red hot ( see recent front page story below ):
Front page of “The Economist”, noting boom times in the US. It’s certainly how it appears.
Beyond my exposure to the unavoidable political goings on with the election imminent, there were of course some sights to see. In addition to two big attractions along the way, there were lots of lesser “sights” ( I use the word loosely ) passed that also caught my eye – the birthplace of Hoover, of John Wayne, and a few other lesser names that were prominently highlighted as one approached their respective hometowns. I was struck by how humble were the origins of people who rose to such great fame. I also passed the World’s Largest Truck Stop in Iowa ( never, ever have I seen so many trucks in one place ! ), and crossed the great Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Those and many other notable places and features popped up along the way, but one thing I was reminded of as I crossed the continent was just how beautiful it is in places and how incredibly large it is. You can look on a map but one really has to drive it to get a feel for just how big it really is. Americans would of course be well aware of how big their country is in comparison with others (4th largest in the world ) but to experience it on the road adds a whole new perspective. Somehow it seemed almost bigger this time ( or perhaps that was just because it’s the first time I’ve driven it alone ).
Yes, it’s THAT bridge ( or was that bridge). The F. Scott Key bridge in Baltimore that was rammed by a ship and collapsed earlier this year. Caused major havoc with shipping into and out of Baltimore.First state out of Maryland. Found myself humming to the old Neil Sedaka classic about “Wheeling”, a town that I later passed through.A state we hear much about in the US election. Unfortunately saw just a corner of it on the route to Kelowna. In the east the states are generally smaller and you pass through several a day on some days. Later, out west, it seemed like several days in a state !Getting up early and heading more or less directly west each day provided some beautiful lighting. Not so pleasant driving into the sun in the late afternoon! October is often a beautiful travel month.The always helpful Jenifer, at Stoett Industries in Hicksville, Ohio – maker of the legendary Nautilus Retractable Shower Door. I was even given a factory tour !Hicksville, Ohio ……a quintessential US small town.Having gotten off the interstate I sought out a small tire place to do a tire rotation. I was a bit overdue. The friendly folks at Stockland took good care of me.Crossing Ohio I stuck mostly to smaller roads having diverted off the interstate to get to Hicksville. A good perspective on many of the small towns in this part of the US.Crossed the bottom of Iowa then went up the west side of the state, bordering Nebraska and the mighty Missouri River. And yes, there are indeed fields and fields and fields in this state!I’d forgotten how fast you can travel down here. That is 80 mph, or almost 130 kph (and even at that limit I still saw the cops catching people for speeding ! ).In much of this part of the US, the states came and went. Just acres and acres of farmland with bigger cities hundreds of miles apart. For days it seemed I just drove and drove, from before sunrise, till sunset. Tiring doing it alone. Not much to photograph !One of those places where nuclear missiles were kept, and pointed at locations across the USSR. Now a historic site, near Rapid City, South Dakota.Remember those days ? The “Cold War” ? There were some fascinating displays and lots of interesting facts spelled out at the Minuteman Missile Historic Site.Badlands NP, South Dakota. One of the two attractions I wanted to see while out this way, having been close, but never having driven through it before. Quite an eerie place, in some areas almost like a moonscape.Badlands NP.Badlands NP.More Badlands NP.Stunning Mt. Rushmore, near Rapid City, South Dakota. This was the other attraction I was interested in. I had seen it, a long time ago, but it’s the kind of place you can definitely revisit. Still as impressive as ever, carved in rock they are aging well.A close up. No prizes for guessing who is the most prominent President .We’ve probably passed this place in Montana 4 or 5 times over the years and I’d always wanted to check it out, but never did, rushing to get somewhere else it always seemed. One day we’ll stop at the place of Custer’s last stand !And, eventually………made it back to Canada ! An easy border crossing, at the town of Coutts, no one there waiting, just two quick questions and I was in. Getting close to home now.Crossing the Rocky Mountains – always a highlight of any drive across Canada !More Rockies….Getting close to home, crossing the Alberta/BC border near Lake Louise.Back where it all started ( our driveway ). We had 15,479kms on the odometer when we left Kelowna in November, 2022…..….and 81,440kms when the van pulled back into our driveway. That’s 65,961kms spent crossing the US ( twice ), and all our travels in Australia, Korea and Japan.
So, very tired (but very happily) I had now made it back home. Relieved to be here safe and sound ( certainly ) but at the same time still quite annoyed that the need to wait this long for our vehicle and the need to drive so far was all due to a careless error made in Japan. Alas, one can’t look back and cry over spilt milk. There is much to do at home for a few more months including cleaning, maintenance and replacement of some parts in the van. We will also use the time to start planning our travels for 2025 ( we are considering two options ), and will decide where we’ll go soon.
As this will likely be our last blog for 2024, let me say a huge thank you to all our readers for following along, for your comments (always appreciated), your tips, and at times from some, for your advice! Lois and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (in advance) and a very Happy New Year, we will restart the blog as soon as we hit the road again.
I’ll close now with a short video clip of the trip across the USA – enjoy.
Choosing to visit the world renowned Mayan ruins of Palenque was easy. Deciding how to get there, however, required more careful consideration. In last week’s blog I mentioned the widespread protests against literally anything and everything in these parts ( often resulting in road blockades ). Given that Palenque is internationally known, a major tourist draw and is most often accessed from San Cristobal de las Casas, protestors have, for years now, set up rotating blockades on the main road to the ruins, route 199, just outside the town of Ocosingo. The direct route is shown in blue in the second map below and is already ( at best ) a 5 hour drive. The worst part is that you cannot guarantee to be allowed through the blockades and if you are, generally with some additional delay and the payment of an unofficial toll ( perhaps this is where the term “highway robbery” originated ? ). We took the liberty of asking some locals, the police and then the tourist information folks about the route. Responses ranged from “No problem senor” to “Just leave early and get to Ocosingo before 8am” and finally – wait for this……”Be sure to drive in a convoy” ! Since a convoy could not be hastily arranged and travelling the direct route was clearly questionable, we took the long road to Palenque………
The long road to PalenqueDirect route to Palenque via the 199
While it looked like a much longer route ( and it was in terms of kilometres- see top map, above ), we managed to cover the extremely circuitous San Cristobal – Tuxtla Gutierrez – Route 145D – Route 187 – Cardenas – Villahermosa – Palenque route in just under 7 hours ( a very long driving day in Mexico ). No delays, no blockades and, all things considered, a pretty comfortable and often scenic drive as well.
Palenque – a brief summary
Palenque, we thought, better be worth this long drive ! In fact, it was not really so far out of our way since our next destination – the Yucatan – required that we cover much of that same ground anyway. Having heard so much about the place our expectations were very high. We had already seen Teotihuacan in Mexico City and had other similarly famous ruins planned in the weeks ahead. We need not have worried – Palenque was absolutely worth the effort to get to and altogether different than Teotihuacan. The latter, I suspect, only sees more tourists because of its proximity to Mexico City and thus relative ease of access – not because it is a more impressive archeological site. Palenque’s mystique is in a sense heightened because of its relative remoteness, and is absolutely enhanced by the lush setting – that jungle backdrop really gives the place ( please excuse the Hollywood analogy ) somewhat of an “Indiana Jones” movie set feel. What is interesting is that, as impressive as it is, only a small percentage of this site has actually been uncovered – there is much more there that hasn’t been exposed so far. The museum nearby, viewed after the site visit, contains many of the detailed sculptures that would otherwise weather away if left exposed to the elements – very impressive as well and it’s air conditioned comforts were a welcome relief nafter hours outside in very hot and extremely humid conditions.
About to enter PalenquePalenqueInside main pyramid, Palenque, near the queens crypt – humid as a sauna and very claustrophobic ! PalenquePalenquePalenquePalenquePalenqueWaterfalls, Palenque at slow shutter speedPalenque ruins in a less restored stateThe walk out of Palenque was quite beautiful itself !Some of the most impressive finds are kept in the museum
Following Palenque our route turned north east to the old Spanish garrison town of Campeche. Perched on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche has quite the rich history. A major trading port during the colonial era, its riches drew the attention of roving pirates and in response the Spanish built a fortress to surround the city, the well preserved remnants of which survive to this day. Within its walls lie what is known today as the Centro Historico and contain a couple of excellent museums that we explored and which provided a glimpse into life at Campeche in those days. Also one of the prettier cities to simply wander around with well preserved period buildings and other historical landmarks, now complemented with great restaurants and coffee shops ( which we also sampled ).
Campeche MaleconCampeche – Centro HistoricoCampeche – has the coolest police cars !Church in Campeche old townRestored nobleman’s house, CampecheNobleman’s house, CampecheFortress walls , CampecheLois, walking the walls of the old townJeff, in the Centro Historico, Campeche
Campeche was only a short 2 hour drive to one the most anticipated cities we would visit in Mexico – Merida. While the scenery and conditions continued pretty much as they had been all the way to Campeche- very flat, very green and very hot- we did experience a “first” in Mexico. A good, old-fashioned attempt shake-down by one of Mexico’s Policia Estatal ( State Police ).
Just north of Campeche one of the many police inspection stops one passes in Mexico lay ahead. It looked for all the world like any other – and in every other case but one, we were waved through ( or ignored ). The one that stopped us a few days earlier just wanted to impress us with his English – a few irrelevant questions from him, compliments from us on his English skills, and we were on our way. Not so today.
The Policia always work in pairs and when the first one waved us over ( meaning for us to stop ) his wingman quickly slid in to speak to us. Unusually, he had a very stern look on his face. All the others smiled a lot. We were asked if we spoke Spanish ( we always answer “no” ) but he tried some Spanish on us anyway. We missed a lot of it, but picked up three critical things; 1) we had not put our hazard lights on when approaching a police stop – doing so is the norm in Mexico, if not exactly the law, 2) this was a serious “infraccion”, and 3) the cost to “resolve” the issue quickly would be “dos mil pesos” ( 2,000 pesos or about 135 Canadian dollars ). Explaining politely that this was not a rule in Canada and we simply did not know about it got a polite shoulder shrug – he repeated “dos mil pesos”. We promised not to do it again ( lol ! ) if this could be converted to a warning perhaps. Another shrug and second request for dos mil pesos. A stand-off.
Lois then recalled a tip we had read about. She pulled out our Say Hi Translate app and asked if he could take us to the station, show us the rule we had broken, and issue us a formal ticket at which point we would pay. Suddenly we got the puppy dog eyes look, a markedly different tone and an admission from our friend that he would forget about this if we had something to give him. He seemed to be eyeing a bag of Cheeto’s sitting in our console so I offered those up ( opened, and half eaten – but he could not see that ) – he happily accepted them, gave us a wry smile and waved us on. I think we were barely out of earshot, the window safely wound up before we both burst out laughing. Proud of Lois for for her defiant stand, and glad we hadn’t eaten all the Cheeto’s yet !
Colorful houses on Merida streetMerida churchMerida churchMerida street scene downtownMerida, church
Alas, back to Merida, which, in short, was a bit disappointing for us. More of the same things we were starting to tire of ( churches and cobblestone streets ) and none as splendid as those we had seen before. The campground was not great, the neighbourhood a bit rough – frankly, Campeche was much more impressive. It was so unimpressive in fact that we’d have considered it a waste of time if it was a destination only but it was fortunately en-route ( and close ) to another of Mexico’s world-renowned Mayan ruins – Chichen Itza.
Approaching Chichen Itza, Yucatan tourism signs heavily promote the fact that the site is now one of the 7 Man Made Wonders of the World ( I was not aware that the places on that list ever changed ? ). This and it’s proximity to Cancun / Playa Del Carmen ensure that thousands of tourists converge on the place at any given time – the site is impressive, though I’d put Pelanque ahead of it in terms of the “wow” factor. Unlike Pelanque, at Chichen Itza it was virtually impossible to get photos without hordes of other folks in the image ( we had to be creative ? ).
Having had our fill of pyramids, churches and Spanish fortress ruins it did not take much convincing for us both to agree that a short “hotel” holiday was now in order. While we feel fortunate to have endured very little rain during the Mexican wet season, the high humidity that is also typical of this time of year has persisted and a cool break was called for. Given the unbelievable deals available at hotels here in the off-season and the fact that Yucatan campgrounds are neither inexpensive nor very good, we decided to use the rest of the week to enjoy some cool, pool-side relaxing time and also get some important onward travel planning done. Playa Del Carmen was close, we knew it well, and when we found the 50 Suites Hotel just off 5th Avenue offering a deal we could not believe we quickly hit the “Book” button. Pool time it was…..
Taking a break from the sun, Playa Del CarmenTaking some camping “down time” at the 50 Suites Hotel in Playa Del Carmen
Fifteen years ago Lois and I had travelled to Oaxaca state en route to the beachside community of Puerto Escondido where we spent a memorable 10 days. Memorable, for the great weather, great surf and as always, the people we met. Memorable as well for the windiest, most nauseating, and at times breathtaking journey we had ever taken in a minibus – a journey from Oaxaca city to the Pacific coast ( to get to Puerto Escondido ) on “Highway” 175. While only 235 kms on the map, it was back then, and turned out to be again, all of a 6 hour journey, only this time, driving ourselves, we battled a torrential tropical storm, dodged downed power lines, and crossed many overflowing creeks and partial mudslides. Turned out Mexico’s “rainy season” was not quite over yet. Nice to have had a high clearance 4×4 – we saw many smaller vehicles turning back. One of those times as well where, having descended 5,100 feet there was a palpable sense of relief when we finally reached our destination. Note – the following images were shot through the windshield, wipers on, in heavy rain, hence the reduced quality – couldn’t open the window in that downpour !
Creek overflowing from the rainsOne of many mudslides on the 175 that dayAnother, a waterfall of mud, with crews on the road clearing debris And anotherWho needs a truck when you can fit this much “on” your car !
The destination in this case was Huatulco, or rather the nearby beach community of San Agustín. Having enjoyed the relative cool of the highlands for a few weeks it was definitely time to switch gears and spend some down time on a beach – great reviews on iOverlander, subsequently endorsed by our new friends John and Kayoko, steered us to the Dutch-run “Don Taco Overlander Beach Campground”. While the Dutch owners, Franz and Anneke were on vacation, their ( Dutch ) caretaker, Mark, ran the place like it was his own and was great company for the 3 days we stayed there – even sharing some freshly caught tuna fish with us and another overlanding couple from Germary ( who, like us, were headed ultimately to Ushuaia, Argentina ). Probably one of the best true “beach” campgrounds on the Mexican coast, at Don Taco your rig was on the sand and literally just yards from the waves.
Mark, with the eponymously named ‘Don Taco’ ( the owners dog )I had just always wanted to take a picture like this !Rock bluff off San Agustín beach, Huatulco Fishing boats on the beachThe beachLois in the hammockView from door of our camperBeach to the westCampground from the road Lois, swimmingThe German’s motorhome and our camper, Don Taco’sCampground from the beach
Don Taco was just the recipe we needed to recharge the sightseeing batteries – one can get a little ‘churched out’ and ‘ruin weary’ in these parts unless you periodically change it up. What really surprised us at San Augustin was the sunrises. Being on the Pacific coast of Mexico ( ostensibly its “west” side ) one expects only sunsets, stunning examples of which we had seen all the way down the Baja. On closer inspection however, when you are this far south in Mexico the country kind of lays on its side – when looking out at the Pacific you are thus looking more to the south, not west, and depending on the particular angle of the beach you are on, you can ( and we did ) experience impressive sunrises. See below. The sun setting on the mountains behind us at night also gave a very picturesque orange glow to the whole campground. We kind of had it both ways at Don Taco’s. A small bit of misfortune while there – we realized we had “blown” one of our two, 100 watt solar panels. Not a single volt was coming out of it. Yes, we could survive on 100 watts but it would mean the occasional shore power top up and more careful use of the fridge until we could replace it in Mexico or ship one down from Canada – being a lightweight “flexi” panel dramatically limited our options in Mexico at least.
Sunrise at Don Taco’sThe orange glow of a sunset on the campground John, a resident Canadian and solar guru, confirmed it – not a single volt in that panel !
Continuing east in Mexico ( that just seems wrong – feels like I should be saying”south” ! ), the plan was to reach San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, spend time there before heading to the ruins of Palenque at which point we would enjoy our last weeks in Mexico in Yucatan. As was our experience going from Oaxaca to Huatulco, the distance on the map and the time required to get to some of these places seemed totally at odds. A combination of drastic elevation changes ( sea level to 7,200 feet ), narrow shoulderless roads, many small towns in between and, in the case of Huatulco to San Cristobal, a taxi blockade along the way, meant the latter journey took all of two days. Scenic- yes. Tedious – that too. We realized, only once we were there, that this segment of the south would have us crossing the “isthmus” of Mexico – that “skinny bit”. Technically known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it represents the shortest distance between the Pacific coast and Gulf of Mexico. In the low lying parts it is extremely windy with lots of cautionary signs along the road. We managed to stay upright but were not at all surprised to see more wind turbines there than either of us had ever seen in one place.
Wind turbines all across the Mexican isthmus – the skinny bit of Mexico !Mexico’s Pacific coast near the Isthmus of TehuantepecThere were some long straight stretches ( but lots of curves too ) !
Both Oaxaca and Chiapas states have been somewhat restive over the past decade or so with their indigenenous populations making their feelings known on a whole list of grievances – teachers’ salaries, taxi fares, truckers’ pay and a history of other perceived areas of discrimination. Road blockades, imposition of unofficial highway “tolls” and the like are not uncommon. We saw a truckers strike ( clogging the main road into town ) in Oaxaca city and had to re- route ( 2 hours out of our way ) around a taxi blockade in Ixtepec en route to San Cristobal. A funny way ( in my mind ) to display your dissatisfaction, but hey……T.I.M.
During our “detour” the GPS sent us down this road…….you just can’t always rely on it !
Very disconcertingly, during that part of the journey, a smorgasboard of dashboard lights suddenly came on – “ABS”, “Brake Fluid Low”, and “Stabilitrac Alert”. Odd, because we had just a few days earlier had a full service. We nursed the truck carefully into San Cristobal ( thankfully, with questionable brakes, we were “ascending” 7,200 feet rather than descending ).
Despite the trials and tribulations of getting there, San Cristobal de las Casas certainly lived up to the high expectations that had been set. Probably Chiapas’ prettiest city, the combination of great weather ( always nice and cool at that altitude ), a lively arts and crafts scene, cobblestone streets, many locals ( especially the women ) wearing traditional garments and just the vibrant church colours and colonial era buildings give the place a special appeal – so much so that it was packed with foreigners; travellers in general, ex-pat residents and many students here to take Spanish lessons. Not without good reason is it one of the most popular stops on the overland route south.
Street scene, Centro Historico, San CristobalColorful church, San CristobalView of the city, San Cristobal San Cristobal’s most famous churchPedestrian street San Cristobal Colorful buildings, San CristobalAdorable Chiapas child, all dressed up, San CristobalCampground Rancho San Nicholas, San Cristobal
As we closed out our week in San Cristobal in preparation for the “Road to Palenque”, some good news. What with washed out roads, failed solar panels and shaky brakes we needed some !
First, the brake issue on the truck was quickly identified by the GM dealer in San Cristobal and rectified. It seems the dealer in Oaxaca, when doing the brake fluid flush had not properly dealt with the passenger rear disc brake and it was indeed leaking and draining brake fluid. Some sort of seal, or cap, was not in place in any case – lucky we took it in promptly. As an added bonus they also took care of an outstanding recall issue on the vehicle – now everything was up to date and this would hopefully be our last visit to a dealer for another 10,000 kms at least.
Hopefully our last visit to a GM service bay for some time !
Secondly, “Truck Camper Adventure“ just published a review I had been asked to do on our truck and camper (and they have asked for a couple more articles); our first published story ! For anyone interested in some of the more technical aspects of our “rig”, read all about it here:
More often than not by the time we leave the place we are at we are pretty pumped about the next place we are going to – not so this past week. We’d already extended our planed stay in delightful San Miguel de Allende and in truth we could have stayed even longer – it was just that kind of place. Not that we weren’t looking forward to Mexico City, but we had both been there before a couple of times, the weather forecast was not great, and we were really only looking to see and do a few things we had missed on previous visits; neither of us was rushing to get there in any case.
Leaving San Miguel and it’s awesome campground
As it turned out, “CDMX” ( as Mexico City is affectionately known locally ) had some surprises in store for us, both good and bad. Firstly, our erstwhile fabulous weather did take a brief turn for the worse ( we had been so spoilt ! ). The drive in from SMA was a bit wet and most of our first day there visiting the Pyramids of Teotihuacan was likewise drizzly. It got worse – our second day ( a Monday ) was set aside for a walk through the massive Chapultepec park, its castle and a couple of the “must see” museums CDMX is known for. Turns out they were all closed all day Monday ! Apparently it’s common in Mexico- we just had not been caught out before. Now, a museum being closed one day a week we could see ( although most are open 7 days a week elsewhere ) – but a park ? I mean, imagine Stanley Park in Vancouver, Hyde Park in London/Sydney or Central Park in New York, ever………closed ? But hey, we often remind ourselves about “TIM” – “This Is Mexico”. Some things are just significantly different here ( but in fairness, both good and bad ). So we accepted the museum situation but I just could not believe a park could close – ever ! We were already downtown, and despite being advised ( twice – by the tourist information office no less ) that yes, in fact, the whole park was closed today, I just had to see for myself. So off we toodled on Mexico City’s excellent and very easy to navigate subway to Chapultepec station. “They had to be wrong Lois”, I said, “it must just be the castle at Chapultepec that is closed. It could not possibly be the whole park ?”. Well, as we emerged from the subway, there it was, staring right at us – a huge black gate blocking access. Our incredulous looks drew no sympathy from two cops standing nearby – “Lunes, senor” he said ( “Monday” ) – as if that alone explained everything. In Mexico apparently it does !
Yes, they really close this park every Monday. The whole park !
Things fortunately did get much better. In lieu of a visit to the main park and museums we filled our “Lunes” just exploring downtown Mexico City, walked other parks, and shopped the day away quite happily – the early dreary weather even improved as the day wore on.
Around the Zocalo, or main square, CDMXAround the Zocalo, CDMXShopping street, CDMXLois resting in the Parque de Bellas ArtesBellas Artes subway station – I think they stole this one from Paris !
Our visit to the Teotihuacan pyramids the day before had also delivered a wonderful and unexpected bonus. Not only was the site impressive in its own right and one of Mexico’s most visited archeological attractions, our visit day happened to coincide with an annual event where a large troupe of locals perform ritual dances dressed in full regalia – quite the sight as the images below attest; we would not have missed it for the world ! There’ll be ( many ) more museums and more parks but the colorful Teotihuacan dancers we’d likely never see again. We could leave CDMX quite content.
Pyramid of the Sun, TeotihuacanPyramid of the Moon, TeotihuacanTeotihuacanDancers arriving, TeotihuacanClose up of face paintAnother close upOur campground manager, Omar and his son, Karim were among the dancersDrummersDance leader- the incense was powerfulDancers close upNote the detail in the head dressesDitto for the head dressesA lead dancerLois got in on the action and I snuck a pictureHot air balloons over Teotihuacan visible from our campground
Oaxaca ( pronounced “wa ha ca” ), would take us well into the south of Mexico. A 5 hour drive crossing mountain passes at over 7,500 feet this regional capital was our next point of interest. A very popular stop on the overland trail, known both for it’s historic “Centro” and colourful indigenous arts and crafts scene, many travellers stay longer than anticipated.
Church doors, OaxacaDowntown street, OaxacaDowntown church, OaxacaDowntown street, OaxacaElderly woman, selling locally crafted handbagsLocal crafts – hats are popularLocal crafts – masks and pottery are big here
Many Mexican cities boast historic ruins and Oaxaca is no exception – the valley is littered with them. Monte Alban, probably it’s most famous (and another UNESCO world heritage site ) is pre-Hispanic and was continuously occupied for over 13 centuries between 500 B.C. and 850 A.D. A fascinating place to simply wander around and stare in awe at what was built with such precision and yet such ( relatively ) primitive technology so very long ago.
Lois, on the steps entering Monte AlbanJuego de Pelota, Monte AlbanGran Plaza, Monte AlbanMonte AlbanMonte Alban
Oaxaca’s great climate ( we were still up high ), awesome restaurants and classic cobblestone streets kept us exploring for a few more days. Technically, we were not staying in Oaxaca but in the small town of El Tule, just to the east. While small, El Tule itself did have one big attraction – El Arbor Del Tule ( Tree of Tule ). A Montezuma cypress, it has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world. We’d seen some massive Redwoods in Oregon but we can confirm we have never a tree with quite as stout a trunk as this one !
El Arbor Del TuleEl Arbor Del Tule
Another attraction ( for us anyway ) was “Overlander Oasis”. A very friendly campground run by a couple of ex-pat Canadians, Leanne and Calvin have built quite a reputation as THE place to stop on the way south. The truck and camper were in need of some minor repairs necessitating tools I did not have and Calvin has a reputation as a man who can fix ( and build ! ) anything – so we made good use of the opportunity. Sharing the place with us were Mark, a charming Brit who’d spent 28 years in Mexico and was passing through Oaxaca; Matt and Alex, a young Swiss couple headed to South America in a camperized 70 series Toyota 4×4, and John and Kayoko, fellow British Colombians in a fitted out Toyota RAV 4, also headed to South America. Needless to say some great sharing was done and a fantastic burger night put on by Calvin and Leanne was enjoyed by all. One little surprise we did not expect was a mild earthquake on our first night ( 5 point something on the Richter scale ). Apparently they are very common down in these parts – still, quite an eery experience to the uninitiated.
Calvin making some minor modifications to our solar panelsA memorable burger night at Overlander OasisJohn and Kayoko, from Torino, BC with us at Overland Oasis, Oaxaca
With the truck odometer quickly approaching 72,000kms ( 10,000 of that since leaving Kelowna to come south), a full service was due and fortunately Oaxaca had a helpful GMC dealer who took care of the requisite oil and filter changes, various inspections and tire rotations – thrown in was the most thorough truck wash we have ever seen – and a complete camper wash as well ! Add to that 4 freshly polished tires and we drove off the Oaxaca GMC looking pretty sharp !
History, however, tells us that the vehicle does not stay clean very long on the road and the week ahead would likely be no exception. With all road options to the south east having had washouts due to heavy recent rains, our expectation is for some mud in the forecast – more on that next week !
Having spent the last weeks in smaller towns and mid sized ( more easily driveable ) Mexican cities, the size of Guadalajara was immediately overwhelming. Never had we been so relieved to find our accommodation and safely settle in for the night ( or the whole weekend as it turned out). Given it is Mexico’s 2nd biggest city we deliberated for some time before finally deciding to drive in. Going right downtown meant practically all the sights would be within walking distance and the added benefit was that we could stay at what is by far Guadalajara’s most popular overland “campground”. I emphasize campground because Guadalajara really does not have a campground in the traditional sense ( vehicle camping not being as entrenched in Mexico as it is in Canada, the US, Europe or Australia ). The location of choice is in fact a commercial parking lot which allows multi-day stays, has 24 hour security, and whose owner has taken a liking to overland travellers; they are welcomed with open arms. Complete with fast wi-fi, a bathroom and friendly staff it is also located in a quiet, upscale area, right downtown and near all the sights; what more does one need – some overlanders stay there weeks !
Just before Guadalajara we overnighted in Zacatecas – our B/B offered a great view of “La Bufa” a stunning rock formation above the cityLa Bufa at night, ZacatecasEn route to Guadalajara, famous for Tequila, we passed many agave farms ( from which tequila is made )The cathedral in GuadalajaraRotunda, Plaza de Armas, GuadalajaraShopping district in Guadalajara Downtown GuadalajaraGuadalajara “campground” !
We enjoyed it for the weekend and also enjoyed Guadalajara’s sights – there’s a lively entertainment area close by and a great selection of restaurants; just a great vibe in this city very popular with fashionable young Mexicans. The forecast gloomy weather never materialized so our run of great weather continued on.
Lois, shopping in the Chapultepec markets, Guadalajara
Until we had bumped into Andreas, our German friend, in Durango, the city of Guanajuato ( our next stop ) was not even on our radar. Although we knew it was a central location in the Mexican revolution and thus steeped in local history, our plans were to leave Guadalajara and go straight to San Miguel de Allende. Since Guanajuato was more or less en route plans were quickly changed and, after a brief swing south of Guadalajara to check out Lake Chapala and Ajijic, we turned east towards Guanajuato.
Getting there was half the fun – while Lois generally navigates very effectively, her mixing of “Guanajuato” with “Guantanamo” ( as in the American military base in Cuba ) had our trusty Google Map getting a little confused – hey, what do you mean we can’t drive to Guantanamo ? A city of 185,000 and capital of the state by the same name, Guanajuato is built on a hillside and “blessed” with extremely narrow roads, low clearance tunnels and poorly marked one-way streets. Even more challenging to drive in than Guadalajara, most don’t even attempt to drive through the city. Let’s just say I would not want to be driving anything bigger than we are driving ! It was one more time where we really appreciated having a smaller, more maneuverable vehicle – eventually we found our cliffside campground. Another highly popular “campsite” on the overland trail, the views certainly made getting there worthwhile. Another atypical spot, it’s really more a level backyard in a large cliffside house but it came replete with spotless showers and toilets, level parking and power and water on site. It would have been on our top 3 on the trip so far were it not for the cacophony of barking neighbourhood dogs the likes of which we have never experienced before and hope never to experience in future ! Torture for sleeping !
Typical of the narrow streets we had to access in GuanajuatoSteep too ! Notice the low hanging power lines
Barking dogs aside, Guanajuato is unquestionably one of the prettiest of the Mexican cities we have visited, and is designated a UNESCO world heritage site for its important history and colonial architecture. It’s got to be about as classically Mexican as you can get. The city also lent itself to doing all sightseeing on foot – gotta love the smaller cities ! On our last day, “Victor”, a younger ( to us anyway ! ) American pulled into the campground in his Toyota 4Runner kitted out with all the usual overlanding gear. Turns out he is on pretty much the same journey as us – from his home in San Francisco he had travelled north to the Arctic, turned around and is on his way south to Tierra Del Fuego at the bottom of South America ( with plans for Africa after that ) – needless to say many notes were compared and tips shared between us !
Campground in Guanajuato – with Victor and his 4RunnerSunset view from the campgroundMain square, Guanajuato – could not get the guy with the cell phone to move !Teatro ( theatre ) GuanajuatoInside Guanajuato cathedralSidewalk cafes, GuanajuatoFashionable old men enjoying coffee, GuanajuatoPipila monument, GuanajuatoParroquia de Balsilica Colegiata de Nuestra, GuanajuatoPlaza de la Paz with view to Parroquia de Basilica Colegiata de NuestraGuanajuato view from Pipila monument Busker serenading Lois with a little “Guantanamera”Where it all began….the Alhóndiga in Guanajuato, site of the first battle in the Mexican revolution and now a great museumOne of Guanajuato’s many tunnels – no big RV’s allowed !Colourful back street in Guanajuato
Thirty four years ago, honeymooning around Europe, we met a well travelled Brit who spoke about his time in Mexico in the 70’s. We could not recall all the places he listed as “must sees” but one stuck with us all these years – San Miguel de Allende ( or SMA as it is often abbreviated here ). Finally, all these years later, it was the next stop on our travels – based on his glowing reviews we had high expectations. Like Guanajuato, it played a pivotal role in Mexico’s revolution and ultimate independence from Spain in the 1820’s – the two cities are not only close geographically, they share many other features and SMA is also a UNESCO world heritage city.
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, SMA
As our British friend did, there is good reason people fall in love with this place and equally good reason why an incredibly large number of “gringo expats” choose to make this place home – it just has so much to offer. Not just another Pueblo Magico, though it is one of those, it offers history, beauty, year round great weather and just a very cosmopolitan vibe. Like Guanajuato, it’s elevation at over 6,000 feet keeps it free of the extremely high temperatures, oppressive humidity and potentially malarial mosquitoes. Great restaurants, an eclectic artsy feel and some of the most traditionallly Mexican cobblestone streets we have seen so far. Something else we had both noticed about the folks in this part of Mexico, or more specifically had started to notice in Guadalajara, Guanajuato and also San Miguel – was their style. Dressed more fashionably and with, in some cases, a style sense on par with the French or Italians, whether it be chic university students scurrying around on Vespa scooters, elderly scarf-clad retired men sipping coffees in a cafe or proud parents dressing up small kids; it was definitely noticeable.
Quiet San Miguel backstreetEven the kids were “styling” in San Miguel. Mum and Dad were doing a photo shoot with their young daughter and allowed us to take this picture The “Jardin” ( garden ), SMAStreet scene, SMAHome town hero, General Ignacio Allende who famously sided with the rebels during the war for independence. SMA is partly named after him. Executed by the Spanish for treason.
Another popular stop on the overland route south ( or north ) it also offers probably one of the best, and best located, campgrounds in Mexico. Somewhat pretentiously called “The San Miguel RV Park and Tennis Club”, the facilities were fantastic and included two beautiful clay tennis courts. A real oasis in the city. SMA was also the first place on our trip so far where we have met more than one other overlander; beside us was a German couple in a massive M.A.N. custom built overland truck ( heading to South America ) and across from us another German couple in a Toyota “Troopy” ( as we call them in Oz ) – Ule and Ute had traversed the Sahara multiple times, travelled Africa extensively over the past 10 years and were now retired and following the same route as us, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. We enjoyed their company while in SMA and shared some invaluable information with each other.
Entrance to the San Miguel RV Park and Tennis ClubClay courts on site !Not quite high season so only 4 occupants – in another month, it would be packedThe Germans just always seem to have the biggest rigs – these folks are serious overlanders !
While San Miguel’s “sights” were easily seen in a day, we took the opportunity to simply relax here, shop, explore the many cobblestone back streets, sample the great restaurants, replenish our supplies, enjoy the company of our new overlanding friends and do some long overdue vehicle cleaning . Next stop – the hustle and bustle of Mexico City.
PS: Try as I might it is generally impossible to find Wi-Fi that is is fast enough to upload all the blog images in the same full resolution in which I shoot them. They should be reasonably clear on a small screen – just don’t enlarge them ! If anyone out there has the technical savvy to help me address the issue, please comment !
One of the great delights of any overland trip is taking a break from the rigours of the road and catching up with friends along the way. So it was with Mazatlan.
Pauline and Ted were the most gracious of hosts – opening their home to us, showing us the sights of Mazatlan and guiding us around on the very busy Independence Day celebrations. An unexpected bonus at a very late hour on Independence Day was seeing a turtle come ashore on the beach, right in front of Pauline and Ted’s place, to lay eggs – very exciting ! Apologies for the poor quality image below ( it was dark ! ) but the turtle can just be made out. On top of their amazing hospitality, they passed on some wonderful and practical tips, the kind one only gets from someone who has lived in Mexico as long as they have – it could not have been a better, more relaxing few days. Mazatlan is going through a bit of a re-birth in the tourism space and the city planners have done a great job making it tourist friendly – renovating the “old town”, and re-paving the Malecon ( one of the worlds longest, we are reliably informed ! ) among other improvements. The night-life and shopping options were awesome. We’d go back in a heartbeat – thanks again, Pauline and Ted !
View from Pauline’s place, MazatlanA street in the old town of MazatlanColorful house, Mazatlan old townPlaza Machado, Mazatlan old townTurtle laying eggs on the beach late at nightWe had a visitor at the pool !The Mexicans love a laugh – here, poking a little fun at “The Wall” !
While all good things come to an end, there was also much to look forward to in the days ahead – Durango was not in our original plans but commentary from other overlanders about the city itself and the stunning road across the Sierra Madre that would get us there, caused a a change of heart. And just as well we did. The new Mazatlan-Durango highway is an amazing feat of engineering in itself rising from sea level to over 7,000 feet and including numerous tunnels and bridges. Acting on a tip from our good friend Charlie Harris, we did take the ‘old highway’ as far as the town of Copala in order to sample Alejandro’s legendary banana cream pie ( and yes, Charlie, it was delicious ! ). That old road is not called the “road of 3,000 curves” for nothing – scenic, yes, but after 100 kms of it we were happy to finally find the “Entrada” sign to the new autopista.
Alejandro’s restaurant, Copala
With 1.4 million people our Durango expectation was for clogged roads and a busy high-rise downtown area. Au contraire – the city was easily navigated and refreshingly “low rise”. The setting of many “Western” movies, and home to legendary Mexican revolutionary icon, Francisco “Pancho” Villa, John Wayne even had his own ranch here back in the day ( complete with its own Western film set ). In short, we loved the city and received the most gracious hospitality everywhere we went.
The cathedral, DurangoPlaza de Armas, DurangoPedestrian avenue, Constitución, DurangoA quiet alley, Durango Clothing and personal effects, “Pancho” VillaAs if driving in Mexico were not challenging enough, on this street in Durango ( and only this street ), you drive on the left !!!!Directions to John Wayne Ranch in La Joya, DurangoFilm set ruinsRoad to the canyon, La Joya RanchOld “train station” from the film set, La Joya RanchHanging dock from film set, La Joya RanchStore, film set, La Joya RanchMain Street, film set, La Joya RanchMany saddles, still on the set from Western moviesThe jail, La Joya Ranch
For the first time in Mexico, we were not alone at the campground – during the 2nd of our 3 days there, “Andreas” ( a retired German in his 3rd year on the road ) pulled in beside us. Not only was the company wonderful but his tips were incredibly valuable having just driven “up” the very same route that we hope to be taking “down” to South America – priceless !
Closing out the week saw us leaving Durango after three great days there. Our next destination was Guadalajara but being more than a day’s drive we made a logical pit stop en route in Zacatecas, capital city of the state of the same name. An easy 3 hour drive along excellent roads got us there but the highlight was a stopover, and series of hikes, at Parque National Sierra de Organos ( The Organs National Park ) along the way. About an hour an half outside Durango and just inside Zacatecas state, these unique rock formations have also been the backdrop for many films ( Geronimo, The Cisco Kid, and The Undefeated, to name a few ) and are unlike anything we have seen before. Somewhat similar to the “hoodoos” at Bryce Canyon in Arizona, the rock formations resemble organ pipes – hence the park’s name. And, aside from ourselves and the park attendant, not a soul in the park !
Given the absence of campgrounds in Zacatecas we opted for a B&B, staying with a very hospitable Mexican family – just an excellent experience and one we will definitely do again. While the road to Guadalajara was smooth and the drive uneventful, navigating rush hour traffic late on a Friday afternoon in a Mexican city of over 4 million was, well, challenging to say the least ! By all accounts Guadalajara is a “must see” in Mexico so I’m sure the stress will be worth it – we hope to spend a few days here – more on that next week !
We are Lois and Jeff, of Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently retired with a serious overlanding travel bug, we hit the road in our truck camper in May 2019, initially tackling the Pan American highway. The PanAm completed in April 2022, and truck camper sold, we plan to continue exploring again later in 2022 in our Sprinter 4×4!
