North America
The Long Road to Palenque
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 )....
Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas
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...
Mexico City to Oaxaca
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....
The Colonial Highlands
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...
The “Wild West” – Durango
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...
Mainland Mexico
True to form, Baja remained intensely hot for our last few days there - there would be no respite from the humidity either. Our route to La Paz ( point of departure for mainland Mexico ) took us north from Los Barriles to another great beach community - or should I say twin communities, La Ventana...
Southern Baja to Los Cabos
Regular “Mexico-goers” would attest that the southern half of the Baja peninsula offers more for the traveller than the north. Having now visited both we’d certainly agree. The north, frankly, for the most part for us was more of a means to an end - the part you had to travel through to get to the...
Bienvenidos a Mexico !
And a very warm welcome to Mexico it was - in more ways than one ! A stifling hot day at around 38 degrees but wonderfully welcoming and friendly Mexican authorities who made the border crossing a breeze. On display at all times was the typical Mexican charm and friendliness that international...
San Francisco and Beyond – Last Week in The USA
Last post had us arriving in San Francisco, or rather Sausalito to be more precise. Sausalito is a cosmopolitan little community known for its vibrant art scene and great restaurants, just over the Golden Gate Bridge. Popular with “yachties” ( because of the marina ) and day tripping...
Redwoods and Wine Trails – California
While Oregon had really “wowed” us, California also offered up an enticing array of sights and experiences. Bigger ( much bigger in fact ) and more well known, the “Golden State” advertises itself on marketing literature as a place to “Dream Big”. Perhaps.......however, our first impression was...
