From Baja to mainland

I can’t believe this is our first post since we have been on Mainland Mexico. We have both been neglecting the blog since there has been so much to see and do, but finally, here is an update of the past three weeks.

We started off with a six hour ferry ride from La Paz to Topolobompo in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Getting the vehicle import papers in order and buying our tickets was fairly easy and surprisingly inexpensive (around 200 dollars for both of us and the Trooper). Once we got moving, we had to make decisions about whether or not to take toll roads. I find there is so much misinformation and there are so many opinions around about what is safe to do in Mexico, what parts are to be avoided, and what tactics we should employ to stay safe that it is hard to decipher fact from fiction. We decided to err on the side of caution and have, as a rule, taken all toll roads provided they go to where we want to get to. These roads are often wider, better maintained, faster and apparently safer.

We started making our way south through the state of Sinaloa and into Nayarit. We hit some beach towns and got some sun, but headed inland after Christmas towards Guadalajara (Mexico’s second biggest city). Before we hit the big smoke, we stayed a few nights in the town of Tequila… I am not sure if the city is named after the drink or visa versa, but yes, there is a lot of tequila in Tequila. Distillery tours anyone? I loved the agave cactus fields, and enjoyed hearing about the process of distilling, aging, and distributing Mexico’s signature spirit.

We hit Gudalajara on the 30th of December and were lucky enough to be invited to stay with a couple we had met on the beach in Saylulita, Viviana and Michael. The city is extremely beautiful, and incredibly hip. Lots of murals, art, markets, and stylish people make it easy to pass days just wandering around. On New Year’s Eve we were welcomed into Viviana’s gradparents’ home for a family meal and celebration. We partook in some Mexican New Year’s traditions, eating 12 grapes at midnight for each of the upcoming months, walking around the block with a suitcase to ensure travel in the upcoming year, and eating a spoonful of lentils for money. At about 1 am we were invited to hit the club, and danced harder than we have since the trip began. Hello 2012. Thank you Viviana and Michael.

Our next stop was in a beach town called Boca de Pascuales. We rolled into a great little campsite run by a Kiwi man named Dave Stanley. His Mexcian wife runs a restaurant in Tecoman (10km from Pascuales) and his two kids are bouncing between. He was a gracious host, and an interesting guy. Later on in the night a bus full of travelling street performers rolled up and parked while they were waiting for another act to show up from Guadalajara to join them on the trip to Nicaragua. We spent four days relaxing and getting to know eclectic assortment of people in the camp. Lots of fun.

We are now in the state of Michoacan heading south. We are planning on zooming through the state of Guerrero into Oaxaca where I am told the food is Mexico’s finest. My Spanish is ever improving, as is Paul’s surfing. We are super excited to head deeper into Mexico and are getting a real interesting look at the various regions within this diverse country.

Hasta luego, que ustedes vayan bien.

For the photo captions, go to my photo gallery.