Day 3: Gulf Coast to the Pacific Coast

After breakfast and emails we were back in the car for another long day of driving. It would prove to be another hot day in the 3 digit zone. It was nice to share the road with our new friend Glenn. If anything were to go wrong anytime, anywhere we would offer backup or have backup. That’s a good feeling in a foreign country that’s getting so much bad publicity lately. Don’t get me wrong they get 2 thumbs up from me… well, sort of.



Today we had a little directional melt down. We managed to miss our exit twice and added 2.5 hours to the day. Oh yeah, not to mention we had our first shakedown by 2 heavily tattooed Policias with machine guns. Both men demanded money from each vehicle in order to cross the road and drive in the right direction. They were clowns, but it was a little unnerving all the same. If this ever happens, just do your best to keep the price low, pay them, and get on with life.

We broke rule numero uno and drove into the night. There was nowhere to stay along the trans-isthmas highway, Mex 187, between Vera Cruz and about 30 minutes east of Salina Cruz. Glenn and I talked some employees at a grocery store into letting us stay in our trucks in the parking lot. This was in a town just short of Salina Cruz. A little shady without a doubt as prostitutes worked the local bus stops 50 feet from where we parked. I slept with the machete under the pillow to help Jana fall asleep faster.

Dear Diary: After driving 12 hours today we have put over 2,000 miles on the truck in the last 36 hours. I need to stretch my neck and my back.B

Day Two: Gulf Coast

We had our work cut out for us for the day as we wanted to see the El Tarjin ancient ruins. We were only stopped at 1 of the 4 search points. I chatted up the Federali that searched the truck. He was surprised by the organization and the custom drawers under the bed. We gave the crew of 20 year old military kids with semi automatic guns in there grip, a bottle of water each and jumped back in the car to continue the drive south.

After a nice relaxing lunch we made a new friend sitting in a traffic stop due to construction on Mexico Highway 180. I heard a voice outside the car yell, “Hey bro, where you from in California?” Turns out the guy behind us was from San Diego and wanted to know where we were surfing. He was headed to the infamous Mexican Pipeline; Puerto Escondido. We decided to caravan the rest of the trip through Mexico until we went opposite ways.


The caravan travelled into the witching hour of dusk. Unfortunately we couldn’t find our planned destination so we ventured on south another 25km to a city called Guitierrez Zamora. So, we didn’t make it to El Tarjin after all but we did find a “nice” hotel in the middle of town with safe parking. It´s called The Palencia and is in town square. For $39 US you get air conditioning and super secure parking.

Buenos Noches.

From Cali to Tex Mex

Driving from California to Texas was a test. When they say there is nothing on I-10, they mean it. It is one long and often windy drive.

The drive from California to Austin, TX can be done in as little as 27 hours if driving straight through. With rest stops and sleeping, it took us more like 3 days from Los Angeles to Austin.

The highlights of the drive included Brad's little cousins dressing up in mullet wigs, stumbling across El Dorodo Hot Springs, AKA "the best place to get naked" in Tonopah, AZ and a giant metal bird at a New Mexico rest stop

The lows included watching a line of cars full of families leave a state prison after visiting hours, Coming down with a bad cold and contemplating the idea of having to spend an extra sick day in a motel room that looked like it had been staged for an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.

Facts:

The El Dorado Hot Springs are located seventy-five miles east of Quartzite, leave I-10 at Tonopah--Exit 94;

New Mexico visitor centers have free wi-fi, coffee and tons of tourist information. They don't make rest stops like that in California!

The hill country roads in Texas are actually more lush than California's Gold Country. Wild, eh?