Pátzcuaro
We pulled into town and right up to the plaza in front of the basilica, where lots of vendors had their tables and stalls set up, selling flower and knick-knacks.

The first hotel we tried was full, but the guy at the counter directed us to another place on the side of the basilica that had rooms available.

Flower merchants along a side street next to the basilica.

This is the street next to the main plaza where there were stalls set up with merchants selling local craft stuff...

...like this.

Street shot of Pátzcuaro.

We saw this old (or is it new) Ural sidecar rig. Kind of a strange to see a Russian motorcycle in Pátzcuaro.

I loved the unintentional art in this tailgate.

The main library is housed in this beautiful old colonial building.

This is the mural on the back wall of the library. Here's a closer look.

We grabbed dinner at the Plaza Chica, the smaller plaza, as the name implies. There were a bunch of outdoor food stalls, and the carnitas tacos were delicious, but a little greasy.

They put together a vegetarian plate for lisa.

The girl in the background had never seen a vegetarian before, and almost twists her head off to get a good look.

Mmmm...

Another great thing was grapefruit flavored Fresca. I drank a lot of it in Mexico, until I thought about how much sugar was in it. Pretty delicious, though.

Aside from the cactus, this looks like it could be in Tuscany.

Always livestock in the roads.

We found the scenic dirt road that wound around the southeastern part of the lake. There were tons of wildflowers all over the place. Truly beautiful.

A church, downhill.

In preparation for the Day of the Dead, cemeteries are cleaned and decked out in tons of flowers. Why do we not have a holiday that respects our family members who have passed?

This is a restoration project in progress at the church in Tzintzuntzan.

Ancient olive trees - some of the only ones left in Mexico from the colonial period - on the church grounds.

The back wall of the church.

Some fella holding up a wall in Tzintzuntzan.

A cow's butt. Again, untethered and by the side of the road. Safety first!

A movie, shot by Lisa, of us near the end of the road around Lago de Pátzcuaro.

On the road back to Troncones.

November 4 - 0 miles

Ahhh... one last day on the beach before Lisa goes back to New York.

Beer, anyone?

I love swimming with dogs. I also love posing with my hairy chest.

Sunburned and blissed out. I really could get used to spending more time on the beach.

These kids were always trying to get people to ride their horses. Sometimes, if no one was interested, they'd race up and down the beach, sending the dogs into a frenzy.

After hanging at the beach, we went back to Casa Viva for a nap and to hang out. Lisa said she wasn't feeling too good. She spent the rest of the day, and night, either in bed or in the bathroom. Montezuma's revenge. Such a bummer. We were pretty sure it was that nice vegetarian meal in Pátzcuaro, though I ate basically the same thing and didn't get sick. It's hard to guess where it would have come from.

Here is Lisa's rendition of what her parasite, Chompy, looks like. Luckily she had a sense of humor about it. Note the sombrero and maraca.

November 5 - 156 miles

I dropped Lisa at the airport, with a handful of dramamine and a jug of Pepto. Sad to see her go - extra sad because she was still ill. I'd be seeing her again in a few weeks, but was already missing her.

I went back to Casa Viva, packed up the bike, and said good bye to the Maciel family.

I was on my way to meet up with Doug in Sayulita, just north of Puerto Vallarta. I knew I wouldn't make it in one day, especially since the coast road is incredibly twisty and slow-going. I picked Tenacatita as my stopping point for the night. I didn't make it, and ended up in the middle of a deserted stretch as the sun was going down. I referenced the map, and picked the next town as my destination: Maruata. Unfortunately I was forced to drive at night again. I didn't feel that bad about it, since it was a pretty well-maintained road, and was able to follow a car for most of the way.

I pulled into Maruata at around 8pm and asked some kids if there was a cabaña or hotel where I could stay the night. They directed me down the road where I found some beach-side camping areas. I secured a place then went to the local taco restaurant to get a bite and a well needed beer.

November 6 - 316 miles

Maruata
Since I arrived at night I wasn't able to see much, other than the dirty international hippies and their drum circles. Apparently Maruata is a destination for the hippie jet-set.

Anyhow, this is the view I awoke to. Absolutely stunning.

There weren't that many people there, since it was still the beginning of the tourist season, so I had my tent pitched right on the shore.

I made some coffee, and packed up my gear. I had a lot of miles to cover that day.

There were some very curious dogs who didn't have any manners, and seemed to expect handouts. I blame the hippies for this. This one was rather sweet, though one of her children enjoyed jumping on my tent a few times during the night, which kind of freaked me out.

I made it to Sayulita, where Doug and his wife Sheri were staying, by 3:30. Plenty of time to have a beer and a nice dinner. We were in bed early because Doug and I had some miles to cover the next day.

November 7 - 274 miles

Sayulita
I met up with Doug in Sayulita. His wife Sheri had stayed after their friends had left, so we hung out a bit. She took this photo of us all packed up and ready to go.

And they're off.

Heading up the coast towards Mazatlan.

An all to common sight: a big truck riding your ass.

Our plan was to camp on the beach just south of Mazatlan, near the turnoff towards Durango. Since we had had to navigate some cities on the way, the day was getting eaten up.

By the time we reached the coast the sun was low in the sky.

We had arrived here by driving through some pretty poor agricultural towns. Also, the beach was completely deserted. We passed one restaurant/hotel that was open, but looked really dilapidated. We just went on by.

We decided not to camp, as we had seen a lot of farm workers walking around with huge machetes, and thought we'd be an easy target if we were on the beach. So we pushed on and went back towards the highway, and Villa Union, where we thought we'd find a hotel. We asked some guys at an auto repair place if there was a hotel, and they said that we probably wouldn't want to stay there. After seeing it the next day, I realized he was right. It looked like a bordello.

So we decided to push on to Mazatlan, even though the sun was down by then. We rode into the city on a four-lane divided highway, then proceeded to ride through some marginal neighborhoods, and eventually found the historic part of town. We choose a hotel that didn't look too expensive, and reserved a room.

Mazatlan
The Siesta Hotel was fine, and there was secure parking in the courtyard. I love this about Mexico. It would never be allowed in the States.

Our fine accommodations.

I didn't take many photos in Mazatlan since we weren't really planning on stopping here, and we arrived late and left early.

Next Page >

< Back for more FUN