Saturday, June 28, 2008

 

Day 80 Saturday June 28

Left Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro State, Mexico
Temp: 25 degrees C
Sunny, cool and windy

We were on the road just before ten and making good time north on the cuotas.

There were a lot of federalés out today and we were very lucky that they were busy ticketing others as we went by. It was the same for the military stops that check all your baggage for drugs and guns. Every time we came to a military checkpoint, they already had all their allotted space filled with tourists, unloading and checking everything they owned. This is a very lengthy process and getting waved through happily saved us a lot of time!

About middle of the day I was hit in the face by a big bee which managed to sting me above the lip before I could brush it away. I felt like I was punched in the nose! We had to pull over so that Sue could pull out the stinger and the attached venom sack which was still pumping venom!...two hours before my face started feeling half normal….

The sky was full of threatening black clouds and dust devils, with heavy rain squalls all around us. We were fortunate in avoiding or outrunning almost all the rain but the crosswinds were horrific for hours!

A long hard ride with only a twenty minute stop for late lunch saw us into Saltillo around five thirty.

First a hotel, then a trip to the local Mercado for supper and back to relax and check mail.

Kilometres - Daytrip: 659 km total: 18,725
Gas:
$ 37.50 Tolls: $10
Lodging: Quinta Royal $ 47


 

Day 79 Friday June 27


Left Acapulco, Guerrera Province, Mexico
Temp: 35 degrees C
Sunny, Humid, then rain/Hail

We left early hoping to take the cuotas far and as fast as possible to make up for the long delay.

Because of the broken bolt flange on the underside of the engine we have developed an oil leak and the dealer pointed out the obvious, that one more bad hit on a tope and our trip is done! We have decided to cancel plans to finish the rest of the Mexican pacific as it is almost all tope country and are heading to Mexico and north via the cuotas (toll hwys.) instead.

It was very warm when we left but within two hours we were cold enough to stop and put on coats. From then on it was cloudy or foggy, or rainy, or hail and wind. Thank heavens the road was good.

And the new tires performed wonderfully. There were times when the water and hail on the road was more than deep enough to cause problems, and more than one vehicle was pulling over, but the bike kept tracking really well!

We made it to Mexico city by 1:30 and spent the next three and a half hours bumper to bumper in first and second gear on a straight line north through the city! I might have gotten into third gear once for a minute or two, but the bike didn’t see fourth or fifth gear until twenty after four! Avoid at all cost! Incredibly poor signage and insane drivers!

We finally called it quits after the hailstorm and the heavy wind and rain squalls around six thirty at the Holiday Inn (cheapest) in Santiago de Querétaro after checking prices at three other hotels.

We were exhausted and I think I was asleep by eight.

Kilometres - Daytrip: 585 km total: 18,066
Gas:
$ 32.60
Tolls: $38 - and worth every penny!

Lodging: Holiday Inn $ 82 +tx?


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