HongerVenture
Adventurer
Sweet action! Let's hear more... and see more pics.
Make Tacos Not War...FJ45 Wanderings in Mexico.
- Thread starter Hltoppr
- Start date
computeruser
Explorer
Looking forward to more pics.
Thanks for the report - after a long winter and a perpetually too-busy schedule, knowing that somebody is off having fun and being spontaneous is inspirational!
Thanks for the report - after a long winter and a perpetually too-busy schedule, knowing that somebody is off having fun and being spontaneous is inspirational!
Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
Flagstaff to Tucson...do these brakes feel funny to you?
As I'm sure everyone can attest to...the day before we leave I have to give a midterm exam in a college class I'm teaching, and have several work related fires to put out...keeps me in the office until 7:30 p.m.....ugh...
So, bright and early Thursday (March 13th) morning, I head out to the garage and finalize the fridge install, and run a 12v plug to the rear of the Troopy; throw some clothes in a bag, the tent, chairs, table and sleeping bag are stuffed under the cargo area. Extra food from the fridge, and a 6 pack of Pacificos and we're just about ready to leave! My buddy Dave drops by with some fuel line and heater hose, and heads back to his place to pack.
I throw together a bracket for the XM radio...gotta have BBC news, right?!
...funny...the brakes just don't feel quite the same since I bled them last weekend...hmm...maybe I've just got a bit of air in the master....I'll deal with it later...just remember to pump the brakes for now....
Gotta love the efficiency of 4 wheel drums.
I kiss the wife and kiddo goodbye and head out of town to pick up my riding/driving companion, who comments that this is the easiest trip prep he's had in a long time....speak for yourself, man....
We hit the interstate and I crank through the H41 transmission's 4 gears, then shift into overdrive, using the Fairey componentry to gain essentially a 27% fifth gear. The Cruiser settles in to a GPS monitored speed of 65 with no complaints!
We stop for lunch (it's 2:30 p.m. or so) at Camp Verde, about an hour south...where the Cruiser basks under a large Anasazi fertility god....
Then on to Tucson; fighting Phoenix traffic...at least with the Alternative Fuel (petrol/lpg) designation on the Troopy, I can use the HOV lane....hmm...gas guage doesn't seem to be working right....I've used less than half a tank to Phoenix...maybe it's broken...we'll find out if we run out of fuel...maybe I've got just enough dregs of lpg in the other tank to start her up again?
In downtown Tucson, we find a local bar, the Iguana lounge, and have some of our first Mexican food of the trip...it's an "eclectic" crowd...I make a comment to Dave that we are the only folks in the place whose tattoos weren't done in prison....:smileeek:
After cruising (literally and figuratively :bowdown: ) down 4th Street, watching the hippie gals go about partying, it's on to the Motel 8, where we fall asleep to the sounds of domestic violence in the room next door....Mexico will be a welcome destination.
The next morning we're both up by 5:30, and out the door to find breakfast. A local coffee shop does the trick. At the "A Shot in the Dark" coffeshop, we sidestep the "doorman", who is sitting in a chair in the entrance alcove...sleeping...or deceased....we're not sure. Later, the figure rises and moves off...
The Troopy is still holding together!
Heading out of Tucson, we finally stop for fuel....let's see: 274.7 miles, 16.2 gallons....16.9 MPG!!! Amazing! Dave doesn't believe me when I give him the figures...:sport_box We'll see!
Next Stop...Fish Tacos, Beaches and Sunsets!
O', and the incident with the cow eyes....
-H-
As I'm sure everyone can attest to...the day before we leave I have to give a midterm exam in a college class I'm teaching, and have several work related fires to put out...keeps me in the office until 7:30 p.m.....ugh...
So, bright and early Thursday (March 13th) morning, I head out to the garage and finalize the fridge install, and run a 12v plug to the rear of the Troopy; throw some clothes in a bag, the tent, chairs, table and sleeping bag are stuffed under the cargo area. Extra food from the fridge, and a 6 pack of Pacificos and we're just about ready to leave! My buddy Dave drops by with some fuel line and heater hose, and heads back to his place to pack.
I throw together a bracket for the XM radio...gotta have BBC news, right?!
...funny...the brakes just don't feel quite the same since I bled them last weekend...hmm...maybe I've just got a bit of air in the master....I'll deal with it later...just remember to pump the brakes for now....
Gotta love the efficiency of 4 wheel drums.I kiss the wife and kiddo goodbye and head out of town to pick up my riding/driving companion, who comments that this is the easiest trip prep he's had in a long time....speak for yourself, man....
We hit the interstate and I crank through the H41 transmission's 4 gears, then shift into overdrive, using the Fairey componentry to gain essentially a 27% fifth gear. The Cruiser settles in to a GPS monitored speed of 65 with no complaints!
We stop for lunch (it's 2:30 p.m. or so) at Camp Verde, about an hour south...where the Cruiser basks under a large Anasazi fertility god....
Then on to Tucson; fighting Phoenix traffic...at least with the Alternative Fuel (petrol/lpg) designation on the Troopy, I can use the HOV lane....hmm...gas guage doesn't seem to be working right....I've used less than half a tank to Phoenix...maybe it's broken...we'll find out if we run out of fuel...maybe I've got just enough dregs of lpg in the other tank to start her up again?
In downtown Tucson, we find a local bar, the Iguana lounge, and have some of our first Mexican food of the trip...it's an "eclectic" crowd...I make a comment to Dave that we are the only folks in the place whose tattoos weren't done in prison....:smileeek:
After cruising (literally and figuratively :bowdown: ) down 4th Street, watching the hippie gals go about partying, it's on to the Motel 8, where we fall asleep to the sounds of domestic violence in the room next door....Mexico will be a welcome destination.
The next morning we're both up by 5:30, and out the door to find breakfast. A local coffee shop does the trick. At the "A Shot in the Dark" coffeshop, we sidestep the "doorman", who is sitting in a chair in the entrance alcove...sleeping...or deceased....we're not sure. Later, the figure rises and moves off...
The Troopy is still holding together!
Heading out of Tucson, we finally stop for fuel....let's see: 274.7 miles, 16.2 gallons....16.9 MPG!!! Amazing! Dave doesn't believe me when I give him the figures...:sport_box We'll see!
Next Stop...Fish Tacos, Beaches and Sunsets!
O', and the incident with the cow eyes....
-H-
Last edited:
BajaTaco
Swashbuckler
Andrew, this is good stuff! Hey by the way, I was talking to a friend here in town the other day, and he was raving about this wicked expedition rig he saw in Flagstaff... couldn't stop talking about it and how he wished he had one. Guess who he was referring to? He was stoked to see it pictured in some of the shots for the med-kit review in the Overland Journal Gear Guide.
Hey, by the way, one night I was sitting at the bar in the Iguana (the bar you mentioned in Tucson), and the guy next to me struck up a conversation. Finally he said "you really have no idea who I am do you?" I said, "no I don't, should I?" He loved the response, proceeded to buy me beers and shoot the bull. His name: ******** Butkus
Hey, by the way, one night I was sitting at the bar in the Iguana (the bar you mentioned in Tucson), and the guy next to me struck up a conversation. Finally he said "you really have no idea who I am do you?" I said, "no I don't, should I?" He loved the response, proceeded to buy me beers and shoot the bull. His name: ******** Butkus
:xxrotflmakcowyo said:
Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
The Troopy draws the good type of attention...and is a really great way to meet with like-minded folks!
I guess all the cool people hang out at the Iguana Lounge! It is perfectly situated across from the bus station!
....more to come on the Chris Marzonie Action Figure....:hehe:
-H-
I guess all the cool people hang out at the Iguana Lounge! It is perfectly situated across from the bus station!
....more to come on the Chris Marzonie Action Figure....:hehe:
-H-
FourByLand
Expedition Leader
I miss Tucson!Good story so far!
Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
Caborca, MX & Puerto Libertad....Part Uno
We crossed the border early in Nogales, using the truck route to hopefully avoid some traffic...we had promised to call our spouses as soon as we crossed, but the "iron curtain" of cellphone reception fell within 200 yards of being in Mexico...o' well....on went the SPOT beacon; sending its "Doin' Fine!" message to my wife's cellphone.
It's always somewhat of a jolt to drive in Mexico...I have some general rules, to which I'm constantly adding:
1. Speed limits in Mexico are merely a suggestion. (Seriously, you're gonna get run over if you go this slow....)
2. Maps of Mexico are merely a suggestion. (Roads come and go...conditions vary...there may or may not be a big lake there....)
Immigration at Nogales is one of the better run locations; everything from tourist visas, copiers, and a Banercito for vehicle permits is located in a central location, just South of Nogales. If you're going, it'd be a good idea to know the requirements, as very little guidance is given as to the process, and, unlike in the US...most signs are in Spanish only....
So, visas and import sticker on the Troopy, (we'll be travelling out of the Free Zone of Sonora), we take the turn West to our first stop, the town of Caborca; about an hour and a half away. The road turns out to be brand new, and we fly along the Southern Sonoran Desert at 100kph. (The OZ speedo in the Troopy is now very useful!)
Arriving at Caborca, we're surprised to find a pretty well to do town, complete with several auto dealerships, and a full array of retail shops, including what appears to be a popular lingere store named simply "The Sexy Shop"....so much for translation....
Gassing up, we once again average 17.4 mpg! It's not my imagination....this Troopy is one of the most efficient expedition rigs I've owned! (outside of motos, of course.)
A friend had recommended a restaurant, Mariscos El Terry, so we start the search....mariscos being seafood, for those who are wondering. We both have a hankering for some fresh fish tacos. After a bit of asking directions from locals, we find it, and sit down for lunch.
Like many places in Mexico, this is an open air "taco stand", on somewhat of a larger scale....we immediately know it's gonna be good...lots of locals, families and upscale patrons, dressed in casual business attire. Getting in the groove, we both brush off our dusty spanish skills and soon have some fresh guacamole, chips, cokes and beautiful fish tacos at our table.
Mmmm....good eats!
Both the rig and occupants being fed, and some dirt roads on the dessert (desert, more appropriately... ) menu....off we go to some little known beaches....our choice of Punto Lobos to the Southwest, or Puerto Libertad, further to the South.
Taking a left onto a farm road, we hit dirt soon enough. The road is good, sandy, with some washboard; but the OME suspension soon shows just how good it is by sucking up all the sudden whoops and rocks; allowing us to make good time at about 40-50kph. Unfortunately, I realize that I hadn't quite yet installed the new rear door weatherseals...so a thin layer of silt begins to bellow in the rear...'doh!
We reach a decision point about 40 kilometers into the road, we can continue West, and to a beach called Punto Lobos...one way in, one way out, which would require backtracking the next morning...or Southwest towards the town of Puerto Libertad...which we know nothing about.
At the turnoff, we find a sign, indicating about 50+ miles to Puerto Libertad, not bad.....but, scrawled, in English, on the fence pillar next to the road is a warning...."Puerto Libertad....8 Hours...Too Rough"
We both know from experience in Mexico, these types of warnings are often times more accurate than the maps (See: Mexico Rule #2), but not wanting to backtrack, we dive into the road to Puerto Libertad....we're in a Land Cruiser!
-H-
We crossed the border early in Nogales, using the truck route to hopefully avoid some traffic...we had promised to call our spouses as soon as we crossed, but the "iron curtain" of cellphone reception fell within 200 yards of being in Mexico...o' well....on went the SPOT beacon; sending its "Doin' Fine!" message to my wife's cellphone.
It's always somewhat of a jolt to drive in Mexico...I have some general rules, to which I'm constantly adding:
1. Speed limits in Mexico are merely a suggestion. (Seriously, you're gonna get run over if you go this slow....)
2. Maps of Mexico are merely a suggestion. (Roads come and go...conditions vary...there may or may not be a big lake there....)
Immigration at Nogales is one of the better run locations; everything from tourist visas, copiers, and a Banercito for vehicle permits is located in a central location, just South of Nogales. If you're going, it'd be a good idea to know the requirements, as very little guidance is given as to the process, and, unlike in the US...most signs are in Spanish only....
So, visas and import sticker on the Troopy, (we'll be travelling out of the Free Zone of Sonora), we take the turn West to our first stop, the town of Caborca; about an hour and a half away. The road turns out to be brand new, and we fly along the Southern Sonoran Desert at 100kph. (The OZ speedo in the Troopy is now very useful!)
Arriving at Caborca, we're surprised to find a pretty well to do town, complete with several auto dealerships, and a full array of retail shops, including what appears to be a popular lingere store named simply "The Sexy Shop"....so much for translation....
Gassing up, we once again average 17.4 mpg! It's not my imagination....this Troopy is one of the most efficient expedition rigs I've owned! (outside of motos, of course.)
A friend had recommended a restaurant, Mariscos El Terry, so we start the search....mariscos being seafood, for those who are wondering. We both have a hankering for some fresh fish tacos. After a bit of asking directions from locals, we find it, and sit down for lunch.
Like many places in Mexico, this is an open air "taco stand", on somewhat of a larger scale....we immediately know it's gonna be good...lots of locals, families and upscale patrons, dressed in casual business attire. Getting in the groove, we both brush off our dusty spanish skills and soon have some fresh guacamole, chips, cokes and beautiful fish tacos at our table.
Mmmm....good eats!
Both the rig and occupants being fed, and some dirt roads on the dessert (desert, more appropriately...
) menu....off we go to some little known beaches....our choice of Punto Lobos to the Southwest, or Puerto Libertad, further to the South.Taking a left onto a farm road, we hit dirt soon enough. The road is good, sandy, with some washboard; but the OME suspension soon shows just how good it is by sucking up all the sudden whoops and rocks; allowing us to make good time at about 40-50kph. Unfortunately, I realize that I hadn't quite yet installed the new rear door weatherseals...so a thin layer of silt begins to bellow in the rear...'doh!
We reach a decision point about 40 kilometers into the road, we can continue West, and to a beach called Punto Lobos...one way in, one way out, which would require backtracking the next morning...or Southwest towards the town of Puerto Libertad...which we know nothing about.
At the turnoff, we find a sign, indicating about 50+ miles to Puerto Libertad, not bad.....but, scrawled, in English, on the fence pillar next to the road is a warning...."Puerto Libertad....8 Hours...Too Rough"
We both know from experience in Mexico, these types of warnings are often times more accurate than the maps (See: Mexico Rule #2), but not wanting to backtrack, we dive into the road to Puerto Libertad....we're in a Land Cruiser!
-H-
Last edited:
Hltoppr
El Gringo Spectacular!
Parte Dos....
Turns out to be a beautiful road; narrow, rocky, sandy in places, but nothing that the Cruiser can't handle with ease....about 60 km in, we pass a road grader....I don't know where from...and the road is cake...dusty, but easy!
The first glimpse of Puerto Libertad is a glint off the Sea of Cortez, and the 100+ foot smokestacks of the local electric power plant...hmm...didn't know THAT was there....so much for totally pristine beach town...
We bump down the main street of a typical coastal Mexican village...Pemex station, lots of dogs, meager residential housing, and a coastline full of small fishing boats; bringing in the day's catch. A side road leads us away from the townsite, and down to a nice set of abandoned palapas, alone save for a single pickup about 300 yards down the beach; occupied by a local couple who are obviously more into each other than a couple of gringos....
We park on the beach, break out the lawn chairs, crack a couple of Pacificos and some cheese from the Engel....and think of you guys and gals at work....
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful....:wavey:
putting essential expedition equipment to a torture test...:costumed-smiley-007
La vida es buena...
-H-
Turns out to be a beautiful road; narrow, rocky, sandy in places, but nothing that the Cruiser can't handle with ease....about 60 km in, we pass a road grader....I don't know where from...and the road is cake...dusty, but easy!
The first glimpse of Puerto Libertad is a glint off the Sea of Cortez, and the 100+ foot smokestacks of the local electric power plant...hmm...didn't know THAT was there....so much for totally pristine beach town...
We bump down the main street of a typical coastal Mexican village...Pemex station, lots of dogs, meager residential housing, and a coastline full of small fishing boats; bringing in the day's catch. A side road leads us away from the townsite, and down to a nice set of abandoned palapas, alone save for a single pickup about 300 yards down the beach; occupied by a local couple who are obviously more into each other than a couple of gringos....
We park on the beach, break out the lawn chairs, crack a couple of Pacificos and some cheese from the Engel....and think of you guys and gals at work....
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful....:wavey:
putting essential expedition equipment to a torture test...:costumed-smiley-007
La vida es buena...
-H-
