Nov 30th - Flores to Panajachel

A very long day of over 500 kms, much of it on road that is being upgraded from gravel to tarmac. This meant an early start from our lovely lakeside hotel, Villa Maya.

The driving now is more or less due south, all the way to Panama. Our first interesting event occured when we had to take a ferry across the River de la Pasion. The ferry, powered by four outboard motors, takes about 12 cars. We had special clearance from the tourist police to load ahead of the local traffic, much to their annoyance!. It took three trips to ferry us all across the river.

The ferry, powered by four outboard motors, taking our cars across the Rio de la Pasion

We were now driving on wonderful straight roads towards the Guatemalan mountains. Most of the rain forest has been cut down for agriculture and to see so much pristine forest destroyed is all rather depressing but when you see how poor the locals are you can understand why they need to turn the land over to food production.

Around lunchtime we hit the roadworks and what roadworks they were! They reminded me of the Chinese roadworks we experienced in 2004. The works went on for mile after mile. Extremely slow going with trucks carrying road materials blocking the way at virtually every turn. We then came across the first of two lengthy delays when the road was blocked whilst heavy machines were being used to move earth and grade the new road.

Queuing at the first road block due to roadworks

The total delay amounted to nearly two hours. Finally, we were on our way again and heading for our hotel on Lake Atitlan, famous for the volcanoes that are the magnificent backdrop to the lake.

The road wound its way through magnificent mountain scenery with one hairpin bend after another. How glad I was to have had my brakes seen to in Belize. Several cars suffered brake fade due to the extremely steep descent from above 7,000 ft to below 5,000 ft. I never realised how high the mountains were in Central America.

Sadly, the delays on the journey meant we arrived at Lake Aititlin after sunset and missed the fabulous views of the lake you see as you descend from the mountains. Still, we have a late start to tomorrow and we will be able to explore the area in the morning.

Photos for the past few days will be posted as soon as I re-establish e-mail contact through my mobile phone which does not work here in Guatemala.

Nov 29th - Belize City to Flores, Guatemala

Only two nights in Belize as this morning we drive to our third country of the tour so far, Guatemala.

It´s always a shame to only stay for one or two nights in a place you have never been to before. Having seen Belize for such a short time we both would like to come back and have a longer look at this beautiful country with its rain forests and Caribbean shoreline.

Our drive took us out of Belize City and south through rain forest in the rain!. The heavens opened up as we drove on 50 kms of gravel tracks to the beginning of the section of road known as the Hummingbird Highway. This is a wonderful tarmac road that winds through the mountains of southern Belize. The low cloud cover spoilt the views but the forest all around made it a memorable drive.

A typical Belizean village house on stilts. Not much protection from a hurricane!

After another 50 kms we came to the capital of Belize, Belmopan. After hurricane Hattie struck Belize in 1961, killing more than 3,000 in Belize City, it was decided to move the capital inland. Belmopan is a small town with a few government building and anot much else. A strange out of the way capital. Whilst driving through the streets of we came across an accident involving a motorcycle and a cyclist. The cyclist was lying on the ground and at first sight appeared to be dead. One of the drivers in front of us who had stopped, jumped out of his car and with the help of the motorcycle rider picked up the injured man and literally threw him in the back of his pickup truck and drove off! We hope it was to the hospital but they way they ignored the man´s injuries we are far from certain!

Another 100 kms driving west out of Belize and we came to the border with Guatemala. Much form filling and going from one office to another enabled us to cross into Guatemala in about an hour. Once again we experienced the transition from one nation to another. This time we went from colonial Britain to Latin America. We could have been back in Mexico again with everyone coming from an Latin American Indian origin.

We had one place to see before we made our way to our hotel just outside the town of Flores and that was the Mayan site of Tikal. Tikal is the largest and most impressive of the Guatemalan Mayan sites. Giant pyramids dominate the site, with Temple 2 being the highest in the American continent.

The highest temples in Mezoamerica at Tikal

We spent about an hour exploring the site and while we were walking through the ruins we came across a group of coatimundi. Very pretty and tame animanls that weren't bothered by us at all.

A coatimundi scavenging amongst the ruins of Tikal

We left Tikal and drove the short distance to our hotel on the edge of Lago Peten. The Villa Maya hotel was a very special place indeed being beautifully situated in the middle of tropical vegetation. We had drinks on the patio overlooking the lake and feeding the freshwater crocodiles, whilst the sun set behind the lake. A great way to end the day.

One of our first impressions of Guatemala is how green the countryside is. Tomorrow we will be driving through the mountains of central Guatemala and their magnificent volcanoes

Nov 28th - Belize City

Our last rest day started early for me as I had to deliver the Landcruiser to the local Toyota dealer by 8 am.

I retraced the journey into Belize City that we had taken yesterday evening and quickly found the garage. They kindly arranged for one of their drivers to take me back to the hotel.

We had decided to stay in the city for the day rather than take one of the excursions to the neighbouring islands for snorkling or diving. We found a cab driver who took us on a tour of the town. I say town because it really is more of a town than a city with only 90,000 inhabitants and you can drive from one side to the other in about 15 minutes.

St.John's Cathedral in the centre of Belize City built by slaves in the 1812

The Belizean economy is going through tough times and it shows everywhere you go. Apparently there is high unemployment and on every street corner there are lots of men standing around. The great thing though was when we walked past them they were always very friendly. The mainstay of the economy is tourism and the cruise ships anchor offshore and the passengers take a tender to shore, where they are immediately directed to the Duty Free shopping plaza. Not the greatest place, with mainly diamond and T shirt shops!

Looking across the harbour in Belize City at the former British Governor's residence

We went back to the hotel and had a lovely swim in the hotel pool and then a snack lunch. Several phone calls to the garage to see if the car was ready and then they delivered it back to me. Everything has been done, with new front brake discs and pads. They even sorted out the handbrake that has been causing such a racket when I drive over bumpy roads. Now all I can hope is that the remainder of our trip is free from mechanical trouble.

Other members of the group have also taken the opportunity of this final rest day to get work done on their cars. Terence English had the oil changed on his Landcruiser. Bob Howells had the steering of his Landcruiser re-tracked, punctures repaired and a tyre replaced. Whilst Mike Taylor had the front discs re-skimmed on his Landcruiser. Strange that all the work being done is on the Toyotas!

Tomorrow we leave Belize for Guatemala. Our stay here has been far too short, but at least we have had the opportunity of seeing one of the smallest Central American countries.

Nov 27th - Riviera Maya to Belize City

Our last few hours in Mexico and our first frontier crossing in over three weeks.

We left our resort hotel at Riviera Maya at 6.15 am for the 300 kms drive down the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninusula to the border with Belize. The drive was an easy, fast run on long straight roads. The further south we went the more dense the vegetation on either side of the road became.

At the last fuel station in Mexico many of the group were filling up their fuel tanks as petrol/diesel is twice as expensive in Belize as it is in Mexico. Another 50 kms and we were at the border. Goodbye to Mexico.

It took us about an hour to get through the two border controls with a lot of form filling and administrative work by mostly friendly officials. Once in Belize it was, once again, amazing to see how different one country can be from another. The houses, many in a very run down state, were obviously from the British colonial period and quite unlike anything in Mexico. Signs are all in English and we have gone from kilometres to miles!

Our first view of Belize and how different the country's buildings are from those in Mexico

About 75 kms south of the border we stopped to take a river boat trip along the New River to the Mayan site of Lamanai, deep in the rain forest. Belize is about 75% rain forest with 60% of that in national parks and under protection. The variety of wildlife here is huge. Every conceivable tropical bird, howler monkeys and jaguars.

Speeding up the New River, Belize to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai

Our boat ride, at high speed, up the New River took about 50 minutes. On the way we went past one of the Menonite (German origin) communities of Belize. Very similar to the Ahmish in the US, these groups live a very simple farming life and do not use modern conveniences such as cars, radios or TV's.

The guides had laid on a great lunch for us all, which we had at the boat station at Lamanai and then we took the walk into the rain forest to see the Mayan ruins. Some of these ruins are over 2,500 years old and hidden deep in the forest are very impressive. With others, I climbed to the top of the highest pyramid, some 75 metres high. The view over the forest from the top was wonderful.

The impressive Mayan Temple at Lamanai in the middle of the rain forest, with several members of our group climbing the giant staircase to the top.

After a further hour at the site we left for the boat ride back. By now the sun was starting to set and a fast drive to Belize City enabled us to arrive just before dark. We didn't have a chance to see the city, but as we have two nights here, I will report more tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be our last rest day of the tour and then we have another nine days of driving through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

I am having difficuly e-mailing photos from here so those will have to wait until later in the trip or when we get back to the UK.

November 26th - Chichen Itza to Riviera Maya

Late yesterday evening we went back into the park to see a Son et Lumiere show played out against the backdrop of the Chichen Itza Pyramid and temples. We made the mistake of not hiring a headset for the English translation, so much of the narration we did not understand which was a shame because the narrators talked about Mayan history and culture and how the various building fitted in to Mayan life.

The drive today was only just over 200 kms, so we were able to leave our hotel after 9 am. We stopped off to see a cenote, which is a cavern in the limestone bedrock that is open to the sky and filled with water. They are amazing places to see. The cenote we looked down into was about 100 feet deep to the water. Vines hung down all the way to the water from the roof of the cavern and birds swooped in and out catching insects. You could swim in the pool but with limited time we chose not to.

The cenote at Chichen Itza with vines hanging from the cavern entrance all the way to the water below

We made the decision to skip some of the other cenotes that are scattered about the Yucatan peninsular and head for the Caribbean coast on the eastern shores of the peninsular at Tulum. Tulum is famous for the Mayan town ooverlooking the Caribbean. It is a late period Mayan town dating from the 12th century. The castillo, which is very well preserved overlooks the sea and you can see many fine Mayan carvings on the the buildings.

The well preserved Mayan castillo at Tulum overlooking the Caribbean

A short drive up the coast to our resort hotel meant we arrived around 1.30pm which gave us time to have a buffet lunch and then a swim in the wonderfully warm azure blue Caribbean waters.

Relaxing on the Caribbean coast at our hotel in Riviera Maya the resort area south of Cancun

Tommorow we leave Mexico after nearly three weeks. We have driven just under 5,000 miles from the far north of Baja California to the the southernmost state of Mexico, Chiapas. We have seen every conceivable variety of scenery and been welcomed by the Mexicans in a most friendly and hospitable way. Not once have we felt threatened, or had cause to be concerned for our safety. A far cry from the horror stories we had heard about Mexico before we arrived. We will leave wanting to come back again. Our thanks go to the Mexican people for making our journey such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

We will cross the border in to Belize tomorrow morning for our two night stay in Belize City.

November 25th - Campeche to Chichen Itza

Because of telephhone calls/e-mails to the UK and Belize (to arrange with the Toyota dealer to skim my front brake discs when we are there in three days time) we didn´t leave Campeche with the rest of the group and decided to alter the route to the famous Mayan site of Chichen Itza, our overnight halt.

First we looked at the historical centre of Campeche which has one of the oldest cathedrals in Mexico. From there we drove 150 kms north to the little town of Becal where Panama hats are made by the locals in their houses. We were shown how they are made and then I bought one for myself and two small ones for two of our granddaughters.

Panama hats for sale in Becal, Yucatan.

The photo below shows the jipijapa palm fronds being bleached and dried in the sun.

The jipijapa palm fronds hanging out to dry.

We then drove to the regional capital of Yucatan, Merida, where the oldest cathedral in the Americas is located. It was built between 1561 and 1598 using stone from Mayan ruins.

After our drive out of Merida we took the autopista heading due east to Chichen Itza. The Mayan city at Chichen Itza spreads over four square miles and is dominated by the giant pyramid, Kukulkhan. There are so many fine buildings it is diffult to describe them all, but the photos below show some of the most famous.


Chichen Itza - Temple of the Warriors

Chichen Itza - The Pyramid Kukulkan

Chichen Itza - The 365 steps on the Pyramid Kukulkan

Chichen Itza - The astronomical observatory

Chichen Itza - The astronomical observatory illuminated by the setting sun

Tomorrow we head for the Caribbean coast of Yucatan for our last night in Mexico.

November 24th - Palenque to Campeche

According to the information in the Road Book we navigate by, we are now officially in Central America, with most of Mexico designated as being part of North America.

We had to wait till 7.45 am to leave the hotel as the park gates to the Mayan ruins open at 8am. It was only a short drive of 4 kms to the ruins and what a spectacular sight they are.

Deep in the tropical rain forest they rise above the trees. The Mayans built their temples between 300 AD and 400 AD. They are truly magnificent strutures and once again I hope the photos I took with my mobile phone do justice to them.

The Mayan ruins at Palenque

We spent about an hour there and then drove north through the wetlands area known as the Pantanos de Centla. It is a fantastic place to see. Mile after mile of wetland area with wildlife everywhere.

At the end of the wetlands we had our first sight of the Gulf of Mexico. We had now driven right across from the Pacific to the Gulf. Our drive up the Gulf coast included the crossing of two long bridges to Ciudad del Carmen, a bustling town. We had a great fish lunch in a waterside cafe and many of the group enjoyed the excellent food.

Three more hours of coastal driving brought us to our overnight halt of Campeche. We are now in the Yucatan peninsular and tomorrow we will be seeing more of the Mayan cultural heritage

November 23rd - San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque

One of the shortest drives of the tour, a mere 235 kms, meant we could spend a couple of hours looking at San Cristobal de Las Casas. It's one of Mexico's most beautiful towns. It has 115,000 inhabitants and is located in the most magnificent mountain scenery. The colonial buildings have been maintained and the centre is unspoilt by modern buildings.


The central square in San Cristobal de las Casas, surrounding by beautiful white colonial buildings.

The magnificent cathedral in the centre of San Cristobal de las Casas

Our drive to Palenque was through wonderful mountain country. Mostly above 5,000 feet with pine forests and alpine meadows. As we neared Palenque we dropped to 2,000 feet and we entered the tropical rain forests of southern Mexico. Such a change in so short a distance. Lovely lush vegetation with palms, vines and exotic flowers and fruits.

We stopped at the Agua Azul waterfalls which are a popular tourist attraction and this is where I took the photo below.

Agua Azule waterfalls near Palenque in Chiapas state

We had hoped to see the Mayan ruins near Palenque but we arrived too late. We will see them first thing tomorrow morning.

Finally, I tried to have my brakes fixed at a mechanics workshop in Palenque but to no avail. They didn't have the right tools to do the work so it will have to wait until Belize City.

Wheels off!
Mechanics in Palenque looking at my front discs in an attempt to stop the brakes juddering.

Bob Howells and my navigator trying to blend in with the locals!

I'll report on the the Mayan ruins of Palenque tomorrow. From there we head for Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico coast and then just three more nights in Mexico.

November 22nd - Huatulco to San Cristobel de las Casas

We were able to sample the delights of the Camino Real Hotel in Huatulco late yesterday afternoon. The hotel is sited on a beautiful bay with a magnificent pool complex and wonderful beach. Just before sunset, which is getter earlier and earlier the further south we drive, I was able to swim in the Pacific. The water was wonderfully warm, and after a long drive, it was a great way to refresh myself. In the evening the hotel laid on a hot buffet on the beach. Everyone agreed it was a really special evening.

Back to today. Another drive of over 500 kms with the possibilty of a boat ride down Sumidero Canyon near San Cristobel de las Casas. The boat ride apparently takes about two hours so most people headed out of Huatulco by 6.30am.

The drive initially was along the Pacific coast with great views over the ocean. After a couple of hours driving we came up behind a truck carrying a load of builders portable toilets. Unfortunately for the driver, and other road users, one of the toilets was about to fall off! We accelerated past the truck and then waved him down. He was oblivious to the danger as the load completely obscured his wing mirrors. As we were talking with the driver, the de Hullu´s stopped and asked us if we had any spare diesel as they were nearly empty. Apparently the last diesel station had no diesel and the next one was some 100 kms away. We agreed to follow them and hopefully we would find another station. Luck was with us as Rolf & Ines Pritx caught up with us and they had a five gallon jerry can of diesel, which they gave to Antoine. We sped away on a new toll road and for the next 50 kms we were subjested to the most tremendous winds. I think they were similar to the Mistral in France as they appeared to be blowing from the land out to sea.


The de Hullu family receiving emergency diesel supplies from Rolf & Ines Pritz

We arrived at the boat station for the ride down the canyon at arouind 1.30pm. A giant dam was contructed in 1974 and the lake that has built up behind it is now an attraction for tourists as it has a great variety of wildlife, including crocodiles!. The ride down the river was full of interesting moments as the guide pointed out the sleeping crocodiles sunning themselves on the bank of the river, pelicans and points of interest along the way. The canyon is some 3,000 deep in places and the lake is up to 800 feet deep!

After the boat ride we only had about 75 kms to our destination, San Cristobel de la Casas. We are in the heart of indian areas of Mexico and there is a great deal of civil unrest at the moment. Paul and Jayne Wignall drove into one village in the countryside where there were burnt out cars littered around. We have all been advised not to do anything that might be considered contentious and that includes taking photos without the locals agreement.

San Cristobel is meant to be one of Mexico´s most beautiful towns. As our drive tomorrow to Palenque is only 250 kms we will have a late start and be able to the see the town before we leave. I will be posting photos tomorrow,

November 21st - Acapulco to Huatulco

Yesterday evening we took mini-buses to see the famous cliff divers of Acapulco. They dive from 120ft into 12 feet of water. It was quite impressive, but not worth the $35 we were each charged.

The problems with the car are starting to mount up. First the juddering brakes and now a dreadful rattle from under the car. We decided to get Jingers to take a look before we left for the 300 mile drive down the coast to Huatulco.

In no time he found the cause: loose handbrake linkages due to a badly adjusted handbrake. We took both rear wheels off and adjusted the handbrake. Now, even if I still have a rattle I know what the cause is.

Disaster then struck. I inadvertently dropped my camcorder and broke it! No amount of 'fiddling' with it would make it work. Mark Gibbon happened to be walking past and I mentioned my misfortune to him. Without a second thought he produced a 'spare' camcorder which he said I could use. Then Antoine de Hullu came to the rescue providing me with a one hour tape. What a fantastic group of people we have on the tour.

We finally left the hotel around 8.30am. but not before we took a snap of us both on the hotel terrace, overlooking the bay.

Standing on the hotel terrace overlooking the bay

Acapulco Bay

The drive along the coast was very pleasant with lush green tropical vegetation.
After driving for nearly five hours we stopped for a fish lunch on the beach at Puerto Escondido. Already there were John Brown, Mike Johnston and Roger & Sarah Lucas. Mark & Olpha Gibbon then turned up and I had the opportunity to thank Mark again for his generosity.

The fish restaurant at Puerto Escondido, with Do & Els Meeus and Mark & Olpha Gibbon

After lunch a two hour drive brought us to tonight's hotel in Huatluco. A quick dip in the very warm sea and then an evening meal on the beach. A great way to end the day.

November 20th - Mexico City to Acapulco

After three nights in Mexico City we now head for the No.1 resort in Mexico, Acapulco.
Yesterday evening we had a great meal at an Argentinian restaurant, organised by Bob & Thelma Howells. In the group were Rolf & Ines Pritz, Antoine, Maria & Victor de Hullu, Jim & Leejun Taylor.

This morning we left the city in the dark and rain. There followed a few wrong turns as we attempted to navigate our way out of the city but, with the aid of some great help from a van driver who led us for 10 miles to get us on the right road for Acapulco, we made it. The Mexicans are such friendly and helpful people.

We rose through cloud covered mountains to over 10,000 ft before descending to the tropical landscape on the way to the coast. We had a wonderful view of Popocatepetl, the 17,500 ft active volcano that erupted a few years ago.

Because of brake problems, with juddering front brakes, we decided to drive directly to Acapulco on the autopista and not visit Taxco, a pretty Mexican town.
Three hours later we drove into a Toyota dealership in Acapulco only to find them closed because of the public holiday celebrating independence. The brakes will have to wait.

We then had a short drive to our hotel on Baia de Puerto Marqez, the bay next to Acapulco Bay. A snack lunch, swim and a hairdo for the navigator and we are set for the evening high diving display that Acapulco is so famous for.


The view from our bedroom at the Camino Real Hotel of Bahia de Puerto Marquez

Before that we drove the 10 kms in to the centre of Acapulco. The guide books accurately describe it when they say it is a town of 'faded glory'. Rather tacky and not how I was expecting it to be.

November 19th - Mexico City

We had decided to drive the 50 kms out of the city to visit the ancient ruins at Teotihuacan. I always find it fun driving in foreign cities. The rules of the road are nearly always different from those that apply in the UK. Here people are pushing and changing lanes at every conceivable opportunity. Because the Mexicans are used to such driving everyone seems to accept it and always gives way. I have seen no examples of road rage at all. Quite a contrast to driving in London!

Anyway, the drive took us 40 minutes, going fairly quickly on the autopista north of the city. Teotihuacan is a vast archeological site. They do not know exactly how large the city was, but it covers many square miles. It is dominated by two huge pyramids, one dedicated to the Moon and the other to the Sun. Entering the city you walk down a wide roadway known as the Avenue of the Dead. Apparently the name came from the Aztecs, who when they first came to Teotihuacan they thought the rooms on either side of the roadway were tombs of the dead.

Beneath the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world.

The city was started in 100BC and deserted in the 8th century. The inhabitants built a very structured and well designed city that was influenced by religious beliefs. At the northern end of the Avenue of the Dead stands the Pyramid to the Moon, a tiered structure that originally had a temple on the top. The larger of the two pyramids, dedicated to the Sun, stands halfway along the Avenue of the Dead on the eastern side of the roadway. We decided to climb the 248 steps to the top. The view over the ancient city is magnificent and hopefully the photos below will give some indication of the size and magnificence of Teotihuacan, as well as proving we made it to the top!

The great pyramid site of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico City, with the Avenue of the Dead leading to the Pyramid of the Sun on the right and the Pyramid of the Moon in the far centre.

Standing on top of the Pyramid of the Sun, having climbed 248 steps at an altitude of 7.560 feet.

We stayed for a couple of hours and then drove back into the city. On the way we had hoped to visit the Basilica of Guadalupe, but a combination of horrendous traffic and then rain made that impossible.

We arrived back at the hotel in time for a late lunch. With a very early start needed tomorrow, to get out of the city before the rush hour traffic makes travel virtually impossible, we packed our main bags and stowed them in the car. A short walk from the hotel and we were able to visit the museum where Diego Rivera´s famous 50 metre long mural hangs. It is a very impressive mural depicting dozens of famous Mexicans.

This evening eleven of us are heading for an Argentinian restaurant to say farewell to a wonderful city that has surprised us all. I´ve said it before, but I´ll say it again ´we will return´.

November 18th - Mexico City

After the driving of the past few days the three nights we are staying in Mexico City are a real delight. No early start required, which is quite a luxury and with our room on the 17th floor I snapped the photo below of the city with the haze of the renowned Mexico City smog hanging over it.

Early morning smog over Mexico City

We had decided that a visit to the Blue House, where Frida Kahlo lived was our first port of call. We hailed a taxi outside our hotel and for the first 20 minutes we crawled at a snail´s pace through the traffic. The photo below shows a typical view of the traffic - stationary!

Typical grid lock in the centre of Mexico City
Once out of the Centro Historico we made good progress and arrived at the house in 30 minutes. Frida Kahlo lived there until her death in the fifties. She was married to Diego Rivero, the famous Mexican painter and muralist. She also had an affair with Leo Trotsky and, after his assassination by one of Stalin´s assassins, Diego Rivera was held as a suspect. The house is an interesting time capsule. With many of both her and Diego´s personnel possessions on display.

The Blue House where artist Frida Kahlo lived and who was the wife of the famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera

We had asked our cab driver to return in an hour, which much to our surprise he did! We then drove back into the centre and were dropped off at the central plaza, known locally as Tocolo. The cathedral dominates the plaza. It is a huge building with a wonderful alter of guilded gold. Much of Mexico City was severly dmaged in the great earthquake of 1985. The floors of the cathedral are all at different levels where the ground moved.

Back in the plaza there was much activity as this weekend is a national holiday celebrating Mexican Independence on Monday. There were groups of native Indians dancing to tomtom drums. Adding to the cacophony of noise was a live band belting out rock music for one of the national Radio Stations, 7DIAS.

Native Indian dancers in the 'Zocolo', Plaza de la Constitucion, with the Palace National in the background

We then walked back to our hotel past the Palace of Belles Artes and the Monument to Benito Juarez a Mexican patriot.

Mexico City - monument to Mexican patriot Benito Juarez

The day ended with a meal organised by HERO at a restuarant in the suburbs with a huge fountain in the grouns outside.

Palace of Belles Artes in Mexico City

November 17th - Guanajuato to Mexico City

Today was meant to be one of the highlights of the tour, a visit to the winter resting grounds of the Monarch butterly high up in the mountains of Michoacan state about 150 kms west of Mexico City. Yesterday evening we heard from Arne Hertz, travelling two days in front of the group, that he had not seen any butterflies at the three sites we could visit, but had heard there might be some at the third site.

The Monarch butterfly is one of nature's marvels. It migrates for thousands of miles, flying from Mexico to as far as Canada, over three thousand miles away. No one knows how it manages to fly back each year to the Mexican wintering grounds. The butterflies winter in Mexico from November to March, mate and then the males die. The females fly hundreds of miles north to lay their eggs on cotton plants, and then die. The eggs develop into caterpillars, larvae and then finally butterflies. The young butterflies fly as far all over north America and Canada and then make a return journey to the Mexican mountains of up to 3,000 miles to the exact place where they were conceived. How they manage to migrate to the winter resting grounds, a place they have never known, is a mystery.

A Monarch butterfly resting on the ground

We set off with a heavy heart, leaving at 6.15am in the dark. As the dawn broke we made the decision to visit the first of the three sites as it was only 12 kms off the main road and also if there really were no butterflies we could at least try one of the two other sites.

Four hours of driving brought us to El Rosario and we drove the 12 kms up into the mountains. When we arrived at the large car park, ours was the only car there, which did not bode well.
We attempted to ask two locals if the butterflies were wintering and they said yes, but we were far from certain they understood us. We asked one of them if he would take us the 500 metres from the car park up to the park entrance. We were at 9,700ft and the high altitude made walking quite difficult. We paid the 35 pesos entrance fee and headed up the mountain with our guide, who was a very friendly young man and who continued to insist there were many butterflies further up the mountain. We started to see our first Monarchs after walking for about 30 minutes flying high up amongst the pine trees. As we climbed higher into the forest the numbers increased dramatically. They were all around us, thousands of them, but the most wonderful sight was to see so many flying high up in the trees and on into the sky above the tree tops. Literally millions of butterflies. We had to be careful not to step on them as we walked on. Now we were over 10,000 ft and the density of butterflies was increasing. We came upon an open meadow area, in beautiful sunlight, and in every direction we looked there were Monarchs. The numbers were simply unbelievable.

Millions of Monarchs flying in the sunshine.

Our guide told us that we had only another few hundred metres to walk before we would be where the Monarchs rest by hanging on to the branches of the pine trees. So, finally at 10,570 ft we arrived at a grove of trees where you could see branches bending under the weight of butterflies. A sight which almost defied belief. We spent about 30 minutes at this very special place, taking photos and video before heading back down the mountain. I hope the photos I took with my mobile phone, which I use to e-mail for posting to the web, show some of the amazing things we saw. I will post my digital camera photos when I return to the UK.

Pine tree branches weighed down by resting Monarchs

We returned to our car and drove back to the main road. As it was now 2pm we decided to drive directly to Mexico City so that we would arrive well before dark. We headed for the large town of Toluca about 60 kms from Mexico City and then took the autopista. We arrived in Mexico City at 4.30pm and had to endure the city rush hour traffic which produces the most horrendous traffic jams. We were lucky to miss the worst of the traffic but others who arrived later were held up for hours.

Our first impressions of the city are mostly positive with many modern buildings and a large amount of green open space. As we have three nights here we will be able to spend two days sigh seeing and will report more fully on the Mexican capital.

November 16th - Guanajuato rest day

This was our second rest day of the tour and enabled us to spend the day exploring this wonderful city.

But first, I must mention the sad endings of the tour for two of our American entrants. The first were Richard and Toni Taylor, car 6, who had to head back to the States from Los Mochis beacause a member of their family is seriously ill. The second happened yesterday when Jim Moore and Steve Luckman, car 2, decided to call it a day after they had yet another serious mechanical problem with their 1977 GMC truck.. They broke down not far from Zacatecas, left their car to be repaired, and returned to the Qinta Real from where they too will be returning to the States. Everyone will miss them, especially for their great sense of humour.

Returning to today. Jingers spent some time trying to repair our Brantz which is still playing up. He has replaced a sensor, so let's hope that works. At around 11.30 we caught a taxi with Mike Johnston and Terry Mulligan, the group doctor, into the city.

We went first to the site of the giant statue of Pipila. This was erected in honour of the miner who, in the Mexican war of independence, early in the 19th century, set fire to the town's granary store doors. The Spanish were holding the grain store at a time when the peasants were starving.

The statue of Pipila, high above Guanajuato

From the statue site there is a panroramic view of the city and I hope the picture below conveys how beautiful the city is.

The beautiful city of Guanajuato

A short funicular ride down to the city centre, next to the Teatro Juarez, was a bit of fun. It ended at one of the many road tunnels where I snapped the photo below.

One of the many tunnels that connect the road system of Guanajuato. Single carriageway, hewn out of solid rock

The Teatro Juarez is a magnificent building with a stunningly beautiful ceiling in the auditorium.
We moved on to the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato. This is a lovely 17th century building, and whilst we were there a service was being held.

Teatro Juarez auditorium ceiling

The city is a very lively and friendly place. Hundreds of children were coming out of school as we caught a taxi back to the hotel.

A short drove in our car to see if the Brantz was working properly and a refuel before tomorrow's long drive to Mexico City and two mor rest days.

November 15th - Zacatecas to Guanajuato

First a catch up on last night. HERO had organised a walking tour of Zacatecas accompanied by a Mexican Mariachi band, conisting of about seven musicians and a donkey! We never discovered the reason for the donkey. We were each given a small china mug to carry which was constantly filled with four types of tequilla! The band played as we walked, drank and danced, with many locals joining in! The walk lasted an hour going through the back streets of this beautiful city.

Now back to today, which was one of the shortest distances of the tour so far, a mere 366 kms and only 24 kms on gravel. The short distance meant we could start late and have a brief look at Zacatecas in the daylight. Wonderful buildings, tree lined squares and a real bustle of activity are how I will remember the city.

All too soon and we were on our way. Now we are on main highways with plenty of traffic. Gone are those empty roads of further north; such a shame. Two large cities on the way, First, Aguacalientes with a giant Nissan car plant on the outskirts and then Leon with 1.2 million people, the fith largest town in Mexico. On their outskirts, these large cities, are like their US counterparts, with Walmart, Costco, Office Depot and The Home Depot dominating the retail centres. Still, the centres of these cities retain much of their original Mexican architecture.
Some 50 kms before Guanajuato we passed another giant motor plant, this time General Motors, at the the town of Silao. Silao is beneath the 8250 ft hilltop church of Cubilete which has a giant statue of Christ. We drove the 10 kms up the cobbled road to the church. The views from the top are incredible and standing above you is the statue of Christ. The building is quite modern, with a small covered in alter and a large open area where the congregation stand or sit. The alter has an enormous crown suspended from the ceiling with an equally enormous sculptured ring of thorns beneath it. I have never seen anything like it before.

With sunset only an hour away we headed for our final destination. First, 24 kms of smooth gravel through the hills and then the most amazing drive through the narrow streets and tunnels that are unique to Guanajuato. The tunnels, bored through solid rock, are single track, and with roads joining from side tunnels it's like a rabbit warren! I can't think of anywhere else in the world that has such a road system.

We drove the final 5 kms to our hotel just outside the town. Much to our surprise, waiting to greet us at the hotel, were Kenny and Dee-Ann Crouche and Fred and Ernie Nelan. They had flown down in Kenny's plane from their homes in Texas.

The day ended with us all having a drink in the central square of Guanajuato.

November 14th - Hidalgo del Parral to Zacatecas

Another long drive, this time over 700 kms, but all on tarmac.

Our start at 6 am was not helped by the fact we had virtually no sleep as a group of locals decided to have a party in the room directly above us which went on till nearly 4 am! Anyway, once on the road we quickly forgot our lack of sleep as we headed south for the World Heritage Site of Zacatecas. The road stretched endlessly into the distance, crossing dry scrubland all at an altitude above 5,000 ft.

As there was so much driving to do we decided to miss out on visiting the old movie sets used for making cowyboy films just south of the large city of Durrango. A bit further south and we visited the Sierra Organi, the site of many John Wayne movies. The area is especially beautiful with colossal columns of basalt standing like giant organ pipes. This is where the name Organos originated. 40 kms further on and once again we crossed into the tropics at the Tropic of Cancer.
Our day ended at the unbelievably beautiful Hotel Quinta Real in the centre of Zacatecas, that is a converted bull ring. It is one of the most interesting hotels I have ever stayed in. Hopefully the photos below will do justice to this memorable place.

Hotel Quinta Real, Zacatecas, Mexico

A word or two on the driving standards here in Mexico. All the horror stories we were told about it being dangerous to drive in Mexico are simply untrue. The driving standards are very high indeed, with great courtesy shown by lorry drivers when you are trying pass them. They use the disconcerting code of letting you know that it is clear to pass, by flashing their offside indicators as though they are going to turn left in front of you! (In Mexico you drive on the right) Once you are used to this all you need to do is come up behind a truck and wait for them to flash you. They then move over as far as possible (the roads are generally quite narrow single lane highways) to make it easy for you to pass. Car and van drivers are similarly very courteous and noticibly non-agressive. Such a change from the UK!

This evening we are being taken for walking tour of this great city. I will report more on this tomorrow.

November 13th - Copper Canyon to Hidalgo del Parral

We set our alarms for 6am to make sure we were up for the sunrise over the canyon. The early start was worth it, with the sky changing colour, as the sun rose above the eastern rim.

Sunrise over Copper Canyon

We had decided to make a late start, so we had time to take a short walk to the edge of the canyon. It really is a spectacular sight and I can see why many consider it an equal, to the Grand Canyon. With the rim at over 7,000ft , more than a 1,000 ft higher than the Grand Canyon, the drop to the canyon floor is incredible. Unlike the Grand Canyon, Copper Canyon has a lot of vegetation which adds to its beauty. I can see why it is one of Mexico's greatest tourist attractions.

Our drive then took us south on tarmac roads, so unlike yesterday's gravel roads. The road was virtually devoid of traffic as we rose to a height of nearly 8,000 ft. The road wound its way through wonderful mountain scenery, with towering mountains split by deep gorges.
The total distance to our destination, Hidalgo del Parral was 400 kms and we arrived around 3.30pm.

It was such a relief to arrive at our destination fresh for once!. The early arrival gave us time to have the car washed before supper in our hotel.

November 12th - Los Mochis to Copper Canyon

Our start was delayed by our attempts to repair our Brantz, but to no avail. We decided to use the car's trip meter instead. The reality turned out differently as we managed to alter the settings of the Brantz whilst we were driving and made it work more or less normally.
The day's drive consisted of two parts: the 100kms drive from Los Mochis through the verdant plain leading to the Sierra Madre mountains, where the second part of the drive would be on nearly 250kms of gravel roads ending at our hotel on the rim of Copper Canyon at 7400ft above sea level.
We were surprised how green the countryside was as we left Los Mochis, quite unlike Baja. The road was more or less straight heading east for the mountains passing through some very pretty Mexican towns, with old buildings surrounding a central square.
After two hours we turned off onto an old mining track. This was the start of some of the most spectacular mountain roads and scenery we have seen. The road wound its way into the mountains getting narrower and narrower. Any vehicles coming the other way caused quite a problem. The road surface became progressively worse with boulders strewn all over the road. It wasn't long before we came across one of our cars with a puncture. The car was being driven by one of the Dutch entrants, Do & Els Meeus. Several cars had already stopped to help, so we carried on.
The photo below was taken as the wheel was being changed.

Repairing puncture on Do Meeus' car high up in the Sierra Madre

The Sierra Madre are a truly awesome mountain range and at every turn of the road we were presented with another incredible view. I hope the photos below give some idea of how beautiful the scenery is.

The stunningly beautiful Sierra Madre Mountains

The mountains on the way up the gravel track

The road, no track, was extremely tough going, even for an off-road vehicle like mine. We couldn't believe that Roger and Sarah Lucas in their 1970 Mercedes 280SL would be able to make it through.
Further up the road we came across one of the control cars that had broken down, with Kurt, the driver, attempting to repair a broken fuel line. The road certainly was taking its toll and even rugged 4x4's were not immune from breakdowns.
A short excursion to the viewing point overlooking Urique Canyon was definitely worthwhile, with wonderful views down into the canyon, about 5000ft below. Then more tough going on extremely bad roads, for the next 40kms, until we finally arrived at our hotel We were just in time to see the canyon before darkness set in.
After dark we were amazed to see the Lucas's arrive. How they negotiated these roads we will never know. Some 4 hours later the last car arrived - the GMC truck of Jim & Steve. They had suffered a breakdown which caused their delay. How they were able to navigate the mountain roads, where there are no signs, and in the dark, is truly remarkable.

November 11th - San Jose Cabos - Los Mochis

We left the Marquis hotel with a great deal of sadness, but the tour has to move on.

A drive along the south-east coast of Baja took us past wonderful seaside villas overlooking pristine beaches. A beautiful unspoilt coastline. For the second time our Brantz, the computer trip odometer, was giving false readings making navigation very difficult. 85 kms of gravel road brought us back to Highway 1, the road leading to La Paz.

La Paz is a town of 150,000 inhabitants. There is a lovely bay to the north of the town and some 20 kms along the coast from La Paz is the ferry terminal of Pichilingue. The name comes from the original native indians who called it 'pirates place'.

We arrived at the ferry terminal at 1pm, as all the other cars turned up. All that is, except for Loius Bustello, who had suffered a puncture and couldn't change the wheel as the locking wheel nut could not be removed. A temporary tyre repair by Jingers enabled him to limp to the ferry with 30 minutes to spare.

Our cars loaded on the ferry from la Paz to Los Mochis

The ferry took 6 hours and we crossed in a flat calm sea, arriving in Topolobampo at 9.15pm. The drive, in the dark, to our hotel in Los Mochis took us 30 minutes, and was not helped by the continuing problems with the Brantz.

Tomorrow we head up into the Sierra Madre mountains, made famous in the Humphrey Bogart film, Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Our destination is Copper Canyon, one of the highlights of the tour.

November 10th - San Jose Del Cabo

Our first rest day of the tour, and what a place to chill out!

The Marquis Hotel is simply awesome. It overlooks the Sea of Cortez, with every room having a fabulous view of the palms, sand and sea. I have never seen such immense swimming pools. The two halves of the hotel each have an Infinity pool that must be at least 70 metres long! You lie in the pool and look out to sea, as though you are swimming in the ocean, an incredible experience.

One of the two 'Infiniti' pools with the microlite landing on the beach

Lazing in the 'Infiniti' pool looking out on the Sea of Cortez

The amazing entrance lobby of the Marquis hotel overlooking the Sea of Cortes

Every aspect of this Mexican run hotel is 5 star plus. Apparently the hotel is privately owned by a Mexican family who run one other hotel in Mexico. Somehow the feeling that this is not a chain hotel comes through all the time with the impeccable service provided by the hundreds of staff.

Following an 8am swim we had a great breakfast overlooking the sea. Bob & Thelma Howells joined us and we all agreed it was going to be difficult to leave this hotel tomorrow morning.

We then decided to drive into the small town of San Jose del Cabo to have the car washed. We found a couple of men washing cars in the back streets and for $5 dollars the car was cleaned. We then went into the centre of the town. It has a pretty central square surrounded by tourist shops. We spent half an hour shopping at a craft fair for toys for the grandchildren and some small items of jewellery as presents for the family. We left San Jose del Cabo and stopped at a super market to stock up on food for tomorrow's seven hour ferry crossing to the mainland, as we had been told the food on the ferry leaves a lot to be desired.

A short drive back to the hotel and lunch by the pool. The afternoon was spent sorting out our bags for the next five days until the next rest day. We have found it much easier to have a small bag to take into the hotel each night and leave the majority of our clothes in the car. This way we limit the amount we have to carry, unpack and then repack each night/morning.

This evening we are going, by coach, with the group into Cabo San Lucas for a meal that has been laid on by HERO.

I learnt from the hotel manageress that Cabo avoided the recent hurricanes but the route we take tomorrow up the eastern side of Baja will be through the towns hardest hit by the storms. We will leave around 7.30am for the 200kms drive to the ferry just north of La Paz.

November 9th - Loreto to San Jose del Cabo

Today's drive took us to our furthest point south in Baja, Cabo San Lucas, and then to our fantastic hotel in San Jose del Cabo, the Marquis.

We left the Inn at Loreto at 7.30am and drove the short distance into the centre of Loreto to see the 17th century mission. The missions we have seen are all very simple structures but with very ornate carved alters.

We then headed up into the mountains and took us first adventure drive of just over 100kms through some of the most magnificent scenery of the tour. Rough mountain tracks took us over the coast mountains and then we criss-crossed over a river. Difficult driving over the boulder strewn river bed with sections of quite deep water to negotiate.

One of the rough river crossings

The 100kms took us over three hours, but it was all great fun and everyone who drove the section agreed it was well worth doing.

One of the many giant cardones cacti behind our car in the Baja wilderness

Back on to tarmac and we still have over 450kms driving to do. Our route took us to the capital of Baja Sur, La Paz. With time getting on we did not drive into the centre but headed on south. About 100kms south of La Paz we crossed the Tropic of Cancer. More signs of hurricane damage were evident as we went through towns with roads damaged and trees blown down. Apparently, the main damage by the two hurricanes was on the south-east corner of Baja north of Cabo San Lucas, an area we will travel through on our way north to catch the ferry acroos to 'mainland' Mexico.

We finally arrived in Cabo San Lucas around 4pm. Cabo is a very American town and has many resort complexes and golf courses. A short drive past Cabo and we arrived at the Marquis Hotel. The hotel is truly a marvel of design with enormous swimming pools overlooking the Pacific. We are really looking forward to our two nights here and tomorrow's rest day.

November 8th - San Quintin - Loreto

This was the longest day of the tour, over 800 kms. We needed to have an early start so we were up at 5.15am and away by 6.30am. Whilst I was in the car park, Jingers our ace mechanic, was chatting with me about the day's run when, without him noticing a stray dog stole his breakfast roll from the back seat of his car! I saw it running away with the food in its mouth. A very lucky dog.

Jingers Riley, our ace mechanic, outside the hotel at San Quintin laughing having had his breakfast roll stolen from his car by a stray dog!

We had decided to take the 'classic' route and avoid the 200kms of off-road trails the adventure drive took. Our route took us more or less due south through wonderful desert scenery full of giant cardones cacti. They are the typical large cactus so common in old Hollywood cowboy films. The photo below is of my car standing in front of one which is about 10 metres tall.

Some 400kms after we left San Quentin we crossed into Baja Sur where we had to put our clocks forward an hour. At lunch we stopped at the beautiful oasis town of San Ignacio. With the desert scrub all around it it is amazing to find a place where large groves of palms are growing. Sadly, the town has suffered badly from the recent hurricanes and roads have been wasked away and debris was all over the place. The centre of the town has a beautiful shaded square with a marvellous old mission church.

The beautiful mission in the centre of San Ignacio

We had lunch with Paul and Jane Wignal and then as we were leaving, John Brown and Mike Johnson turned up. Prawn cocktails and lobster were the order of the day, washed down with a bottle of Mexican beer.

The next major town, 200 kms further south, was Santa Rosalia on the coats of the Sea of Cortes, an old mining town that was built by the French in the 19th century. In the centre of the town is a magnificent church designed by Eiffel and shipped out from the 1884 Paris Exhibition! The photo below shows the interior of the church.

Church designed by Eiffel and shipped to Santa Rosalia from Paris Exhibition in 1884

We then had our first experience of the problems foreigners have filling up their cars in Baja. The attendants try every devious method of overcharging. I'm still not sure how much fuel was put in my car as there was no volume of fuel shown on the pump! Next time I'll make sure the pump is working properly, in order to avoid being 'conned'.

By now it was nearly 3pm and in southern Baja it gets dark quite early, so the remainder of the drive was done as the sun set rapidly in the west. We drove into Loretto in darkness, which is not the best thing to do in Mexico as potholes, unmarked roadworks and animals that wander on to the road, are all hazards to avoid. Our hotel in Loreto was the Inn at Loretto a five star complex on the Sea of Cortes. A really beautiful place to end the day.

November 7th - Ensenada to San Quintin

Finally the start of the Panamericana tour.

At 7am 25 cars lined up, or more correctly, circled around the giant Mexican flagpole in the centre of Ensenada for the start.

We were flagged off by John Brown at 9 minutes past seven. We had decided to take the coast route south as opposed to the adventure drive section through the mountains. The decision turned out, for us, to be the right one, as we were able to see the blowhole at La Bufadero and then a wonderful observatory in the San Pedro Martir National Park some 200kms south of Ensenada. Sited at over 9,000 ft, there are three telescopes run by the University of Mexico. They range from under a metre in size to over two metres. Perched on the mountains that run down the centre of Baja California you can see both the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean from the observatory. A fantastic sight,. and one not to be missed. The scientist who showed us the 2 metre telescope took us up to the main dome and showed us how it all worked, including opening the dome and then demonstrating how the telescope follwed the stars as the earth rotates.

Standing in front of San Pedro Martir observatory housing 2 metre telescope

Our drive south then took us through some wonderful desert scenery, with cactus of all different varieties. Unique to this area is the ciros cactus, a weird tapering cactus that grows up to 8 metres in height. The day finished at our three star hotel on the coast just south of the town of San Quintin. Tomorrow is the longest day of the tour, over 800kms, so it will be a 6.30oam start for us.

November 6th - Ensenada

A rest day for us before the start tomorrow morning.

A beautiful sunrise over the mountains surrounding Ensenada. We have the official signing-on for the event from 11am and then later this afternoon a briefing by John Brown followed by a dinner at the hotel.

We signed on and collected our stickers for the car, road books (3), a Panamericana document case and the number plates showing our event number 19.

We then drove about three miles into Ensenada to change money and attempt to get a Mexican SIM card for my mobile phone. We were lucky with the SIM card because as we were trying to explain to the girl serving us in the Telcel mobile phone shop, Al one of the Mexican members of the HERO team came into the shop, and he helped us to buy the SIM. So, now I have a Mexican phone number for the rest of the trip. Even with the very high cost of calls in Mexico it's still cheaper than the international rates Orange charge!

Off to the bank and our first experience of Mexican banking. Dozens of people waiting to be served at the bank! We were given a number and had to wait till our number was called. Twenty minutes later and we were changing US dollars into Mexican Pesos at about 11 to the dollar.

We then returned to the hotel as the first of the group who had their cars in the containers at Tijuana arrived at the hotel. Over the next four hours everyone arrived. It was our first opportunity to meet old friends who were with us on the Inca Trail (2001), as well as from the China/Tibet tour (2004) and South Africa (2005).

The day finished with a meal at the hotel accompanied by Mexican music. Tomorrow the Panamericana starts and everyone I've talked to, can't wait to get going.

More photos will be posted in the next couple of days.

November 5th - Mexico at last!

We have arrived in Ensenada the starting point of the Pan Americana tour.

We left at around 11am from La Jolla for the 35 mile drive back to the Mexican border. The taxi dropped us off on the American side and we then walked across the border into Mexico. No customs controls of any sort! Our shipping agent Cynthia arrived about 15 minutes later and took us to the compound where our cars had been stored for the past two days.

Cars lining up to cross back into US from Mexico

No problems at all starting the cars and the drive through Tijuana was a thousand times easier than on Friday as it was Sunday and there was very little traffic.

The two hour drive south took us along Highway 1 which is the main road on Baja California. It runs mainly by the Pacific. Mile after mile of new condominium developments are being built. With prices from $44,000 you can see why the Americans are flocking to the area.

Sunrise over Ensenada with sport fishing boats in foreground

We arrived at our hotel just before 3pm and met up with the HERO team as well as several of the other participants. The main group will be arriving tomorrow after they collect their cars from the containers in Tijuana.

Tomorrow I will go to the centre of the town to see if I can buy a Mexican SIM card for my mobile phone and also change some money as the hotel won't do this for us.

November 4th - La Jolla

A lovely mild day spent in La Jolla, just relaxing and enjoying the Californian weather.

La Jolla is a beautiful place on the southern Californian coast, just north of San Diego. It has a village feel about it with wonderful views looking over the Pacific.

A short walk along the sea front took us past the setting up of the San Diego Triathlon, which takes place tomorrow. Then we came across a small seal colony, with several dozen seals lying on the sand, basking in the sun. The sea shore, and an area out to sea, has been designated an ecological reserve and strict restrictions on access are enforced to protect the environment.

Our walk then took us into the town. La Jolla is full of jewelry, art and designer stores, so familiar all over the world.

Later in the afternoon we took a taxi for the short journey to Stuart & Sheri's house, where they were very generously hosting a pre-event party. Their house is on the bluffs above the Pacific, in a truly magnificent location. We met up with several good friends of ours from previous events: Tom & Rosalie Gatsonides, Jim & Leejun Taylor, Ahmad and Raza Fakhr, Antoine, Maria & Victor de Hullu, Terence English, John Beavis, Bob & Thelma Howells. Also there, although not going on the event, were our Texan friends, Kenny & Deeanne Croucher. Kenny, who has his own small plane, told us he would be flying down to see us when we are in Mexico City. John & Joanna Brown and Jingers were there from HERO. The Jamieson's had laid on a sumptuous feast with our glasses being filled with the most wonderful Margeritas. Around 9pm we left for the short trip back to the hotel.

We aim to be back at the border around noon and then to cross in to Mexico and then collect our cars from the parking depot in Tijuana. But before we leave, we are going to watch the triatholon competitors.

It's been fun staying these past two days in La Jolla, a great start to the Pan Americana adventure that is about to begin.

The car is in Mexico and we are in the States!

So this was it. The day had arrived after nearly a year of planning and organisation. We were on our way to Mexico.

We had arranged to meet three of the HERO cars, as well as Bob & Thelma Howells, at the shipping agent on the US/Mexico border, south of San Diego, at 12 noon. This meant a 7am start from Malibu for the 150 mile journey south. We were going via our hotel in La Jolla where we would be staying for the next two nights, after delivering the car to the compound where it would be stored in Tijuana.

It was an easy drive on the freeways south and we missed most of the rush hour traffic in LA. As we had two in our car we could use the Carpool lane and whenever there was traffic backed up in the other lanes, we sailed past it! Two and a half hours later and we were in La Jolla, checking in to the La Valencia Hotel. We dropped off our bags and waited for Bob & Thelma to arrive from the Toyota dealership where their car was being serviced. Once we had met up with them we drove the 35 miles to the border. Jingers Riley, Arne Herz (who had done the route survey) and Hans were already at the agent. The five of us then went through US Commercial customs to get the Temporary Import Bonds removed from the cars. $125 had to be paid for the privilege!

Pacific from our hotel in La Jolla, California

Then, we all drove out of the States into Mexico. A short stop at Mexican customs, with them querying why there were so many medical supplies being carried by one of the HERO cars. Once our agent, Cynthia, had explained to the customs all about the event, we were waved through and into the traffic chaos of Tijuana. It reminded me of China! Cars coming at you from all sides with little regard for traffic lights. We needed to go to the Temporary Vehicle Importation offices to get the cars into Mexico. This turned out to be on the other side of Tijuana. The drive took us along the border which looks like a prison. High walls and fences with barbed wire and cameras, and then the sobering sight of hundreds of white wooden crosses on the wall, each cross with a name written on it. Written in large figures was the number, 4,043. Cynthia told us that this is the number who have died attempting to smuggle themselves into the US. The number is regularly updated.

The drive to the offices to import the car, took us nearly an hour. Once there we spent several more hours attempting to overcome Mexican bureaucracy! $400 had to be paid as a deposit (refundable when we exit Mexico) and $60 for the issue of the car and Tourist Visa permits. We then were told the compound to store the car was back at the border crossing! Now we were in the middle of the Tijuanan rush hour, not something I would wish on anyone! With Cynthia in her car leading us, the five cars attempted to follow her through the traffic. Amazingly we managed it and we all arrived at the compound together. With the cars parked up, we headed back across the border. We walked through and hired a taxi on the US side to take us back to La Jolla. Jingers, Arne and Hans returned by car and had to brave the horrendous jams trying to clear US customs to enter the US. How long they had to wait at the border I have no idea. We will find out this evening when we meet at the Jamieson's house for the party being hosted by them at their house overlooking the Pacific in La Jolla. It should be a great way to start the event.

Tomorrow we take a taxi back to the border and pick up our cars and then drive the 100kms or so to the hotel in Ensenada where the tour starts on Tuesday.

I will attempt to post the first of the photos I am taking of the trip in the next couple of days.