It’s hard to believe that today was only the fifth day of a long trip. We have traveled about 2200 miles from snowy Michigan to warm and sunny Mexico. At 7:30 this morning we left Brownsville, Texas, and entered Mexican customs, with both excitement and a little trepidation (Cormac McCarthy’s “crossing” was a recurring thought with all of its dark and ominous connotations). However, after some fumbling about, things went smoothly, and we were happily on our way in about 45 minutes. It’s noteworthy that both border cities, Brownsville and Matamoros, were a pleasant surprise; both seemed thriving and clean.
Our destination today was Tampico, which is on Gulf and about a 320 mile ride. On the way we sped along on two-lane roads through the countryside. Actually, most of the roads had two full lanes and small get-out-of-my way lanes to the right where people pull over when being overtaken. It’s a sensible system once you get used to constantly looking at the rearview mirrors, as most of the drivers here ignore the 100K or 110K limits. We started the trip with the best of intentions regarding local speed limits, but the ride became increasingly “sporty,” as we got a better feel for the situation. As with the north shore of the greatest lake, most of the enforcement seemed to like to stay close to home, in the towns. However, the war on drugs was evident in the form of trucks full of soldiers wearing balaclavas and cradling M-16s, the sight of which was both reassuring and disconcerting.
We stopped for quick lunch of tacos de bistek ranchero, which we captured in the photos below. Another noteworthy event was crossing the tropic of cancer in the early afternoon . We arrived at the outskirts of Tampico well ahead of schedule and checked into a plush Best Western in full recognition of the fact that this place will surely not be the norm during our travels.
Our curiosity about the bright lights of Tampico overpowered our better judgment, and into the morass of the city we went por motocicleta. After negotiating the dangers of the furiously busy narrow streets, we finally found a restaurant for dinner, carne asada for both of us. All in all, the foray into the city in the evening provided a clear reminder of the need to exercise better risk management skills in the future.
Tomorrow we head south along the Gulf coast and hope to stop at a much smaller town just north of Veracruz.
Our destination today was Tampico, which is on Gulf and about a 320 mile ride. On the way we sped along on two-lane roads through the countryside. Actually, most of the roads had two full lanes and small get-out-of-my way lanes to the right where people pull over when being overtaken. It’s a sensible system once you get used to constantly looking at the rearview mirrors, as most of the drivers here ignore the 100K or 110K limits. We started the trip with the best of intentions regarding local speed limits, but the ride became increasingly “sporty,” as we got a better feel for the situation. As with the north shore of the greatest lake, most of the enforcement seemed to like to stay close to home, in the towns. However, the war on drugs was evident in the form of trucks full of soldiers wearing balaclavas and cradling M-16s, the sight of which was both reassuring and disconcerting.
We stopped for quick lunch of tacos de bistek ranchero, which we captured in the photos below. Another noteworthy event was crossing the tropic of cancer in the early afternoon . We arrived at the outskirts of Tampico well ahead of schedule and checked into a plush Best Western in full recognition of the fact that this place will surely not be the norm during our travels.
Our curiosity about the bright lights of Tampico overpowered our better judgment, and into the morass of the city we went por motocicleta. After negotiating the dangers of the furiously busy narrow streets, we finally found a restaurant for dinner, carne asada for both of us. All in all, the foray into the city in the evening provided a clear reminder of the need to exercise better risk management skills in the future.
Tomorrow we head south along the Gulf coast and hope to stop at a much smaller town just north of Veracruz.
3 comments:
Harry and Chris,
Happy New Year.
It is really neat to follow your journey down the Isthmas. Wonder what happened to the tracking on the first day after crossing the border.
Ride Safe and enjoy the journey. Evelyn can't believe that your spouses would let you go away for such an adventure.
Hey...it's Jimmy's daughter, Kristin. Feliz Nuevo Ano y cuando volves, ustedes, tenemos un fiesta grande. (or not. Did I say that right, Chris?)
Hi Chris and Harry, I'm glad to hear you were able to get adequate weather to ride out of Michigan and are down to Mexico. Looking forward to reading your updated trip reports and seeing great photos of your travels. Feel free to call or email if you need any Onstar services during your journey. Ride safe.
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