H3nightrod
New member
This is a awesom trip. Can't wait to read more!!!! So jealous!!!!!!!!
Trans-America Trail and Beyond
- Thread starter Grabow
- Start date
While planning our trip through Mexico, Guanajuato wasn’t really on our radar. However, after seeing a few pictures of the city, we decided to make a pit stop for a day or two. Guanajuato is considered Mexico’s “Crown Jewel” by most and, once we got there, we could see why.
The city sits in a narrow valley in the mountains at about 6,600 feet and has a very European feel. The streets are all cobble stone and everything is arranged on steep hills, sprawling out and up from the city center. The town is full of bright colored houses and winding, narrow, walkways and stairways, that lead up to them. Very visually pleasing and romantic.
We rolled into town, driving through those narrow streets, and set up camp at the “RV Park”. What they call an RV Park is really just some guy’s back yard with a few sketchy electric hook-ups and cold showers. But he was nice and offered us a small discount for the lack of hot water.
It was early November and, in Mexico, the first night of their Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. So we walked down the incredibly steep hill that the campground sits on top of, to find hundreds of people gathered at the center of town. Everywhere, there were children and adults with face paint, some in full costume. There was live music from mariachis and venders selling “dulces” (sweet treats) in booths that lined the streets. It was enchanting and magical. We couldn’t believe where we were standing.
After spending months on the road, and being totally swept off our feet by this charming town, we knew we wanted to spend some time exploring the city. We spent the next few days at coffee shops, searching craigslist, airbnb and flipkey for apartments. After looking at about a dozen places, we finally found one in the Presa district that couldn’t have been more perfect. We wanted to say a month, but this particular apartment, The Old Main at Quinta Zaragoza, was only available for two weeks. Bill, the owner, was incredibly flexible and allowed us to pay for one week while we searched for something else.
Feeling quite lucky already, we found a place on airbnb: a guesthouse of sorts called The Golden Bee. The owner, Sara, who lives in Washington State, needed someone to live in the house and feed her two dogs. A “housesitting” position, if you will. Her place was amazing and was just about a hundred yards up the hill from the RV Park we stayed at originally. Perfect!
So we moved in and proceeded to get to know Guanajuato. We tried our best to immerse ourselves in the city. Guanajuato has a major university in the center of town and is known for it's focus on the arts. There are countless Museums, galleries, and theaters to explore and experience. Our personal checklist included the "Museo de las Momias" (a large and rather macabre collection of local mummies), the "Casa Diego Rivera" (birthplace and boyhood home of the famed artist),and a dance performance at the "Teatro Juarez" put on by the university (a highlight of our time in town) among others.
Every day we would walk down the narrow callejons (alleys) and through the many tunnels that have been built under the city to accommodate the growing traffic concerns that didn't exist hundreds of years ago when the city was built. We would spend time people watching from the steps of the Teatro Juarez or in one of the countless beautiful Plazas that dot the city.
Guanajuato is truly a pedestrian city, and most days, the Centro is closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate the frequent festivals held in town. We rarely went more than a couple of days without seeing a festival or large celebration. In our month in a half in the city, there wasn't a day that went by that we couldn't hear fireworks going off, or live outdoor music in the distance.
We're now in San Miguel de Allende, which is east of Guanajuato and is a very pleasant city. Beautiful churches, cobble stone streets and great shops and restaurants. There is a huge community of ex-pats from the States and Canada, which means that most of the people here speak English. It's a great city to introduce yourself to Mexico. Very safe and just as enchanting as Guanajuato. However, since it has such a large "gringo" population, things are a bit more pricey here than anywhere else we've been in Mexico.
We are camped at the San Miguel RV Park and Tennis Club. It's a very well kept, and secure campground, with nice restrooms and hot showers. It's also right in the middle of town, which is great for exploring the city and not having to worry about driving at night back to camp. The downside to being right in the middle of town, is the fact that you are right in the middle of town. Mexico is not a quiet country, dogs barking, live music at all hours regardless of the day of the week, fireworks everyday at any hour (seriously any hour, 4 am on tuesday is as good as any) and church bells. The church bells near the campground in SMA are unlike anything we've ever experienced. With seemingly no rhyme or reason, no schedule to speak of, it's obvious that they are not automated. They may clank away at 3:17 am for 8 minutes (not an exaggeration) or one solitary clank at 4 pm. Sometimes they will ring for 3 minutes, and then 30 seconds afterwards ring twice again just for good measure. You can picture San Miguels very own Alzheimic Quasimodo clanging away, only to return 12 minutes later to ring again. And they're not some pleasant church songy type of ringing. No, this is more like a manual fire alarm ringing, frantically banging away. This may not be the norm, as we are here for a festival weekend, but it has been our experience for the past 3 days. We will be glad to sleep in the middle of nowhere again, onward to Grutas Tolantongo!
For more pictures of Guanajuato and San Miguel, go to our blog - www.adventureornothing.me
The city sits in a narrow valley in the mountains at about 6,600 feet and has a very European feel. The streets are all cobble stone and everything is arranged on steep hills, sprawling out and up from the city center. The town is full of bright colored houses and winding, narrow, walkways and stairways, that lead up to them. Very visually pleasing and romantic.
We rolled into town, driving through those narrow streets, and set up camp at the “RV Park”. What they call an RV Park is really just some guy’s back yard with a few sketchy electric hook-ups and cold showers. But he was nice and offered us a small discount for the lack of hot water.
It was early November and, in Mexico, the first night of their Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. So we walked down the incredibly steep hill that the campground sits on top of, to find hundreds of people gathered at the center of town. Everywhere, there were children and adults with face paint, some in full costume. There was live music from mariachis and venders selling “dulces” (sweet treats) in booths that lined the streets. It was enchanting and magical. We couldn’t believe where we were standing.
After spending months on the road, and being totally swept off our feet by this charming town, we knew we wanted to spend some time exploring the city. We spent the next few days at coffee shops, searching craigslist, airbnb and flipkey for apartments. After looking at about a dozen places, we finally found one in the Presa district that couldn’t have been more perfect. We wanted to say a month, but this particular apartment, The Old Main at Quinta Zaragoza, was only available for two weeks. Bill, the owner, was incredibly flexible and allowed us to pay for one week while we searched for something else.
Feeling quite lucky already, we found a place on airbnb: a guesthouse of sorts called The Golden Bee. The owner, Sara, who lives in Washington State, needed someone to live in the house and feed her two dogs. A “housesitting” position, if you will. Her place was amazing and was just about a hundred yards up the hill from the RV Park we stayed at originally. Perfect!
So we moved in and proceeded to get to know Guanajuato. We tried our best to immerse ourselves in the city. Guanajuato has a major university in the center of town and is known for it's focus on the arts. There are countless Museums, galleries, and theaters to explore and experience. Our personal checklist included the "Museo de las Momias" (a large and rather macabre collection of local mummies), the "Casa Diego Rivera" (birthplace and boyhood home of the famed artist),and a dance performance at the "Teatro Juarez" put on by the university (a highlight of our time in town) among others.
Every day we would walk down the narrow callejons (alleys) and through the many tunnels that have been built under the city to accommodate the growing traffic concerns that didn't exist hundreds of years ago when the city was built. We would spend time people watching from the steps of the Teatro Juarez or in one of the countless beautiful Plazas that dot the city.
Guanajuato is truly a pedestrian city, and most days, the Centro is closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate the frequent festivals held in town. We rarely went more than a couple of days without seeing a festival or large celebration. In our month in a half in the city, there wasn't a day that went by that we couldn't hear fireworks going off, or live outdoor music in the distance.
We're now in San Miguel de Allende, which is east of Guanajuato and is a very pleasant city. Beautiful churches, cobble stone streets and great shops and restaurants. There is a huge community of ex-pats from the States and Canada, which means that most of the people here speak English. It's a great city to introduce yourself to Mexico. Very safe and just as enchanting as Guanajuato. However, since it has such a large "gringo" population, things are a bit more pricey here than anywhere else we've been in Mexico.
We are camped at the San Miguel RV Park and Tennis Club. It's a very well kept, and secure campground, with nice restrooms and hot showers. It's also right in the middle of town, which is great for exploring the city and not having to worry about driving at night back to camp. The downside to being right in the middle of town, is the fact that you are right in the middle of town. Mexico is not a quiet country, dogs barking, live music at all hours regardless of the day of the week, fireworks everyday at any hour (seriously any hour, 4 am on tuesday is as good as any) and church bells. The church bells near the campground in SMA are unlike anything we've ever experienced. With seemingly no rhyme or reason, no schedule to speak of, it's obvious that they are not automated. They may clank away at 3:17 am for 8 minutes (not an exaggeration) or one solitary clank at 4 pm. Sometimes they will ring for 3 minutes, and then 30 seconds afterwards ring twice again just for good measure. You can picture San Miguels very own Alzheimic Quasimodo clanging away, only to return 12 minutes later to ring again. And they're not some pleasant church songy type of ringing. No, this is more like a manual fire alarm ringing, frantically banging away. This may not be the norm, as we are here for a festival weekend, but it has been our experience for the past 3 days. We will be glad to sleep in the middle of nowhere again, onward to Grutas Tolantongo!
For more pictures of Guanajuato and San Miguel, go to our blog - www.adventureornothing.me
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H3nightrod
New member
This ia amazing!!!!! I love the story about the church bells, it like the guy who is in charge of the bells has had way too much pulque!!!!
Have a great time at the grutas de tolantongo!!! It's a beatiful place fool of blue water pools and water falls. Have a great time and we look forward to more!!!!
Have a great time at the grutas de tolantongo!!! It's a beatiful place fool of blue water pools and water falls. Have a great time and we look forward to more!!!!
Grutas Tonantongo to Oaxaca
Not a whole lot has happened since we left San Miguel and Brian has been sick for the past few days, so we didn't really put a full on play-by-play together. However, here are some pictures of the places we slept at, for your viewing pleasure.
Grutas Tolantongo - a river of man-made hot spring pools fed by nature-made hot water pouring down from the main cave above. It's out in the middle of nowhere and takes about 3-4 hours to drive from San Miguel de Allende. We weren't super impressed until we went inside of the cave, which you can do, for free. It was amazing.
Pyramid of the Sun - From Grutas Tolantongo, we headed south toward Mexico City to check out the Pyramid of the Sun, supposedly one of the largest known ruins in Mesoamerica. Again, prepared to be let down (the last ruins we went to were pret-ty weak), we were both in awe.
Hierve del Agua - We ran into a couple of folks, James and Lauren, just outside of Oaxaca at the Overlander Oasis, in Santa Maria del Tule. Our first night in town they introduced us to Mezcal, and we introduced Santa Maria del Tule to a very drunk couple of overlanders. After we recovered, we decided to take a side trip to Heirve del Agua, located roughly an hour or so southeast of Oaxaca. Not a hot spring, but a "spring" nonetheless. The mineral deposits that roll off the sides of the pools have created a petrified waterfall.
[The view from our campsite above the pools]
[James of homeonthehighway.com ]
[Natural infinity pool - can you spy Brian on the left?]
[View of the petrified waterfall from the bottom. Pretty cool]
(continued)
Not a whole lot has happened since we left San Miguel and Brian has been sick for the past few days, so we didn't really put a full on play-by-play together. However, here are some pictures of the places we slept at, for your viewing pleasure.
Grutas Tolantongo - a river of man-made hot spring pools fed by nature-made hot water pouring down from the main cave above. It's out in the middle of nowhere and takes about 3-4 hours to drive from San Miguel de Allende. We weren't super impressed until we went inside of the cave, which you can do, for free. It was amazing.
Pyramid of the Sun - From Grutas Tolantongo, we headed south toward Mexico City to check out the Pyramid of the Sun, supposedly one of the largest known ruins in Mesoamerica. Again, prepared to be let down (the last ruins we went to were pret-ty weak), we were both in awe.
Hierve del Agua - We ran into a couple of folks, James and Lauren, just outside of Oaxaca at the Overlander Oasis, in Santa Maria del Tule. Our first night in town they introduced us to Mezcal, and we introduced Santa Maria del Tule to a very drunk couple of overlanders. After we recovered, we decided to take a side trip to Heirve del Agua, located roughly an hour or so southeast of Oaxaca. Not a hot spring, but a "spring" nonetheless. The mineral deposits that roll off the sides of the pools have created a petrified waterfall.
[The view from our campsite above the pools]
[James of homeonthehighway.com ]
[Natural infinity pool - can you spy Brian on the left?]
[View of the petrified waterfall from the bottom. Pretty cool]
(continued)
Grutas Tonantongo to Oaxaca Part 2
[Morning fog over the mountains that surround the area. Beautiful]
[adventureornothing.me and homeonthehighway.com - James and Lauren - we had a blast!]
Today is Christmas at the Overlander Oasis and we're staying for their annual Christmas Potluck (Thank you Leanne and Calvin, you guys have been great!). In a couple days, we'll be heading south again. Until then, Feliz Navidad!
[Morning fog over the mountains that surround the area. Beautiful]
[adventureornothing.me and homeonthehighway.com - James and Lauren - we had a blast!]
Today is Christmas at the Overlander Oasis and we're staying for their annual Christmas Potluck (Thank you Leanne and Calvin, you guys have been great!). In a couple days, we'll be heading south again. Until then, Feliz Navidad!
Playa Zipolite - we're never going home!
[GSM Crew]
After spending a couple more days in Oaxaca, we drove south on the long, winding, nausea inducing, road to Playa Zipolite. This beach is by far the best we've been to. A tropical paradise complete with palm trees and thatch roof cabanas lining the beach. We planned to snatch up one of said cabanas, but realized quickly that our plans were foiled: it was the weekend before NYE and the beach was packed! No big, we scored a parking spot in the shade, popped the tent and grabbed a cold cerveza from the bar within spitting distance of our new home. It was clear that we would stay a while.
[Cabanas la Habana at Playa Zipolite]
Playa Zipolite is a "clothing optional" beach that feels very free and laid back without the hedonistic aspect that one might expect. It's very gay, family, young and old friendly, and very popular with the French hippie crowd. As our new friend Jesus said, "...it doesn't matter what you are. At Zipolite, nobody cares." We met Jesus one afternoon when he, his cousin Angel, and the rest of their crew (a Ska-Punk band/graffiti crew) were catching some shade behind our jeep. They, invited us to hang out and have a couple beers. Jesus spoke decent English and was the translator for the night, which was more and more hilarious as the night went on. Brian introduced them to Bourbon, which they did not like, and they invited us to visit them in Mexico City on our way back north. We ended up spending the next couple of nights with them, drinking, laughing and trading stories in broken English and Spanish.
[GSM Crew plus Conchit y Ralf aka Carley and Brian]
In the days leading up to the New Year, there was a huge 3-day full on hippie fest/rave. Tons of French speaking dready kids running around, partying on who knows what, until 5 or 6am. We crashed their party on NYE and did our best to speak to them, but our French is pretty nonexistent. Luckily, we met a couple of dudes from Quebec who spoke English, so we hung out with them a bit. It was a good time! Fireworks (obviously) and glittery naked people everywhere.
[Cabanas at night]
Each day after that, we would say, "maybe we will leave tomorrow." It has been a week and we're still here. It's too easy to stay! In the morning, vendors make their rounds with chocolate croissants and other delicious treats. Around noon, they come round again with pizza and "Coco Locos" (a fresh coconut with Mezcal or tequila). After that, grab a piña colada and soak up the sun at Cafe Maya or Lola's.
The town, just behind the restaurants and hotels lining the beach, is small but has a lot to offer. Every night, the main street closes to vehicle traffic, and the local artisans (mostly young, dreadlocked, and tattooed) set up their tables to sell their wares. You can find some great handmade jewelry, clothes, art prints, and food. Carley had the best burger she's ever had and, since there is a huge Italian presence here, we got some excellent pizza, gnocchi and ravioli.
[Sunset soccer match on the beach]
So, after spending almost two weeks indulging in beach life, we have reached our limit. The plan is to leave tomorrow morning and head to San Cristobal de las Casas. We'll just have to see if we actually make it out of here.
[GSM Crew]
After spending a couple more days in Oaxaca, we drove south on the long, winding, nausea inducing, road to Playa Zipolite. This beach is by far the best we've been to. A tropical paradise complete with palm trees and thatch roof cabanas lining the beach. We planned to snatch up one of said cabanas, but realized quickly that our plans were foiled: it was the weekend before NYE and the beach was packed! No big, we scored a parking spot in the shade, popped the tent and grabbed a cold cerveza from the bar within spitting distance of our new home. It was clear that we would stay a while.
[Cabanas la Habana at Playa Zipolite]
Playa Zipolite is a "clothing optional" beach that feels very free and laid back without the hedonistic aspect that one might expect. It's very gay, family, young and old friendly, and very popular with the French hippie crowd. As our new friend Jesus said, "...it doesn't matter what you are. At Zipolite, nobody cares." We met Jesus one afternoon when he, his cousin Angel, and the rest of their crew (a Ska-Punk band/graffiti crew) were catching some shade behind our jeep. They, invited us to hang out and have a couple beers. Jesus spoke decent English and was the translator for the night, which was more and more hilarious as the night went on. Brian introduced them to Bourbon, which they did not like, and they invited us to visit them in Mexico City on our way back north. We ended up spending the next couple of nights with them, drinking, laughing and trading stories in broken English and Spanish.
[GSM Crew plus Conchit y Ralf aka Carley and Brian]
In the days leading up to the New Year, there was a huge 3-day full on hippie fest/rave. Tons of French speaking dready kids running around, partying on who knows what, until 5 or 6am. We crashed their party on NYE and did our best to speak to them, but our French is pretty nonexistent. Luckily, we met a couple of dudes from Quebec who spoke English, so we hung out with them a bit. It was a good time! Fireworks (obviously) and glittery naked people everywhere.
[Cabanas at night]
Each day after that, we would say, "maybe we will leave tomorrow." It has been a week and we're still here. It's too easy to stay! In the morning, vendors make their rounds with chocolate croissants and other delicious treats. Around noon, they come round again with pizza and "Coco Locos" (a fresh coconut with Mezcal or tequila). After that, grab a piña colada and soak up the sun at Cafe Maya or Lola's.
The town, just behind the restaurants and hotels lining the beach, is small but has a lot to offer. Every night, the main street closes to vehicle traffic, and the local artisans (mostly young, dreadlocked, and tattooed) set up their tables to sell their wares. You can find some great handmade jewelry, clothes, art prints, and food. Carley had the best burger she's ever had and, since there is a huge Italian presence here, we got some excellent pizza, gnocchi and ravioli.
[Sunset soccer match on the beach]
So, after spending almost two weeks indulging in beach life, we have reached our limit. The plan is to leave tomorrow morning and head to San Cristobal de las Casas. We'll just have to see if we actually make it out of here.
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Typical with the wire giving you probs huh? Always seems to be something very simple like that.
FYI, in the future, if you need to clear a code, just unhook the battery for a few minutes and then hook it back up. This should clear all codes. Also if you have a smartphone, very cheap apps available that allow you to pull codes and even monitor the engine while driving it. They take an OBD2 bluetooth device which can be bought at any auto parts store for around $50. I have Easydiag on my iPhone and it works great to pull codes and trouble shoot.
Cheers and keep having fun!
PS, love the turtle rescues, noble deeds rock!
FYI, in the future, if you need to clear a code, just unhook the battery for a few minutes and then hook it back up. This should clear all codes. Also if you have a smartphone, very cheap apps available that allow you to pull codes and even monitor the engine while driving it. They take an OBD2 bluetooth device which can be bought at any auto parts store for around $50. I have Easydiag on my iPhone and it works great to pull codes and trouble shoot.
Cheers and keep having fun!
PS, love the turtle rescues, noble deeds rock!
rubicon91
Explorer
Love the adventure. Tell me what are your thoughts on the sleeping in the rtt? I am looking at one of these and to eventually start albeit nothing on your scale taking adventures with my jeep. Highly recommend not so much works out great etc. would you change anything with your setup. Kudos to you guys. Love that you are out doing it.
So, as far as the RTT goes, we love it. There were a few places though, mainly the west coast of the U.S., that we wish we would have had the ability to stealth camp. Camping in California campgrounds is expensive. We could have saved some money stealth camping in a van or something similar.
That being said, we never could have taken a van to all of the awesome places that we have gone in the jeep. So, everything is a trade off I suppose.
I would highly recommend getting a RTT, ( get a james Baroud, the quality is amazing) and getting out there. It's the best option for overlanding in a jeep. A trailer would be more of a pain in the *** than it's worth, backing up on tight trails/shelf roads, ferries costing double, poor mileage etc. and that's coming from someone who pulled a trailer every day for work for 18 years. The Ursa Minor is cramped (I checked them out) and more expensive. The habitat is expensive, needs a lot of space above( no trees) and I hear it's awful in the wind. Plus, if you set up a RTT right, you can still use your freedom panels like we do.
A lot of time can be spent trying to build the perfect vehicle. Trust me, I spent years saving for, and mentally preparing the absolute perfect overlanding set up(and I'll say that the jeep is pretty close to perfect) but there will always be trade offs.
The only thing different I would do if I was building this jeep again, is maybe not bother with the shower set up we have. It was pretty expensive for the bladder, hot water heater, and pump, and although it was really nice when we used it, we've only used it once in our seven months of travel.
Personally, the biggest thing we plan to do differently on our next build, is build a vehicle that we don't owe on. Monthly payments put a big dent in the travel savings.
That being said, we never could have taken a van to all of the awesome places that we have gone in the jeep. So, everything is a trade off I suppose.
I would highly recommend getting a RTT, ( get a james Baroud, the quality is amazing) and getting out there. It's the best option for overlanding in a jeep. A trailer would be more of a pain in the *** than it's worth, backing up on tight trails/shelf roads, ferries costing double, poor mileage etc. and that's coming from someone who pulled a trailer every day for work for 18 years. The Ursa Minor is cramped (I checked them out) and more expensive. The habitat is expensive, needs a lot of space above( no trees) and I hear it's awful in the wind. Plus, if you set up a RTT right, you can still use your freedom panels like we do.
A lot of time can be spent trying to build the perfect vehicle. Trust me, I spent years saving for, and mentally preparing the absolute perfect overlanding set up(and I'll say that the jeep is pretty close to perfect) but there will always be trade offs.
The only thing different I would do if I was building this jeep again, is maybe not bother with the shower set up we have. It was pretty expensive for the bladder, hot water heater, and pump, and although it was really nice when we used it, we've only used it once in our seven months of travel.
Personally, the biggest thing we plan to do differently on our next build, is build a vehicle that we don't owe on. Monthly payments put a big dent in the travel savings.
One other thing that we wish we would have done, is add solar panels to the jeep. We meant to, but we ran out of time before we left. Would make multiple day stops while wilderness camping much nicer. Right now, if we camp more than two days without electric we have to run the jeep for about 10-15 minutes to recharge the house battery.
rubicon91
Explorer
I could see that. Thanks for responding to my question. I think the hardshell is the way I want to go. I have a gobi stealth on the way and then have to figure that part out. Now on to more important things like all of us living vicariously through your trip!!
Safe Travels and keep the updates and pics coming...Monkeys, Zapatistas and Pyramids - San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque
Over the last couple of months, we have been stepping back to reflect on our trip so far. It has been incredible. We have met so many wonderful people, seen so many indescribable things and really stepped out of our comfort zones. We have spent more time exploring Mexico than we ever intended, and still have only seen about half of what we had hoped to. We have come to realize that traveling is something that we want to do, not just for a year or two, but for as long as possible. Traveling in a financed vehicle, and without an income, puts some serious limitations on our ability to travel long term.
So, with that in mind, our plan now is to shift gears. Once we leave San Cristobal, we will head back to Kentucky. There, we will work to save money, rehab a house that is currently gutted and get it rented (income), and sell the Jeep to build a vehicle that we don’t owe payments on.
We will probably take it slow, making our way back across Mexico over the next couple of weeks. We're also planning some stops in Austin TX, New Orleans LA, Gulf Shores AL, Nashville TN, and Asheville NC.
We plan to be in the states for about a year and then, we’re back on the road! It's not an easy decision, but it seems like the best solution. A short hiatus, in trade for a much longer trip.
If anyone is interested, or knows someone that might be interested, in buying one of the best equipped Jeeps you will ever see, send me a pm. It will be available around the beginning of March. For a bunch of pictures of many (not all) of the mods done to our jeep click here http://www.adventureornothing.me/#!the-jeep-build/c15tl
Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Leaving Zipolite was tough, but only a few days after our last post, we finally made it out. Knowing that we were headed toward one of our most anticipated stops on our trip, San Cristobal de las Casas, made it a little easier. So we headed out early(ish) towards a stopping point at Tuxtla Gutierrez.
Indigenous Woman stencil
While still in the state of Oaxaca, we encountered two traffic jams. At the first, we followed some local traffic off of the highway and onto a short dirt road that bypassed the traffic. At the second, some locals offered to show us how to get around the traffic for a small fee. They wanted to ride with us to show us the way, but when we explained that we didn’t have any seats, one of them agreed to run ahead and we could follow him. All of this was complicated by the apparent urgency of the situation, and Brian’s less than perfect Spanish. About half way down the road, Brian told tour makeshift guide that we could find our way and paid him. His running all the way down this dirt path seemed like too much work for the agreed upon 30 pesos (about $2.50). When we finally made it back to the highway, we were still blocked. It was a teacher’s strike, and they were blocking a bridge with tires and rocks. We came out of the woods right at their roadblock, and it was obvious that we had been trying to bypass it.
Luckily, they were too preoccupied with some of the truck and bus drivers who were trying to reason with them to open up the road, to notice. We had read about people sitting at these roadblocks for up to 4 hours, so we figured that we should settle in for a long wait. Fortunately, they decided to open up the road within about 5 minutes of our arrival. We got to hop right in front of the line (which made some of the bus drivers a little mad) and continue on. We made it to Tuxtla Gutierrez before dark and camped in a hotel parking lot, good wifi and clean restrooms, who needs anything else?
From Tuxtla we headed to the nearby “Sima de las Cotorras” or a giant sinkhole filled with thousands of green parrots! Or so we were told, as long as you come at the right time of year, which apparently we hadn’t. The sinkhole itself is pretty interesting, and at least a few of the parrots had stuck around, so we got to see between 20-30 parrots take flight together at about 7:30 am. Together, the parrots, the sinkhole, and the free camping, made it worth the visit.
The next day, a short drive brought us to San Cristobal de las Casas. It’s hard to not be impressed with how culturally diverse the city is. There are several indigenous peoples who live in and around the city who walk the streets with their homemade bracelets, scarves and delicious sweet treats for sale. Mexico is going to give us diabetes.
We camped a couple of nights at the local campground, Rancho San Nicolas RV Park, feeling like maybe we had made a mistake leaving the beach. After weeks of endless sun in Zipolite, we weren’t prepared for the cool evenings of this mountain city. We decided to rent an apartment (complete with a fireplace, and free firewood!) off AirBnB to use as a home base while we explored the city and ate our weight in pozole and tacos dorados (local soup with chicken and hominy and fried tacos, respectively).
Brian and a tarantula at the Museo de Bichos
The campground at San Nicolas RV Park is really nice and safe. There are a couple of adorable dogs and one annoying cat on the grounds and the staff is accommodating and friendly. Bathrooms are clean, showers are hot (most of the time, except the one time Carley used them. Womp Womp) and the wifi is pretty good. It's easily a 20 minute walk to the center of town, but it's mostly flat, so no sweat.
Our first day in town, we had lunch at a small cafe in the center of the square. The sun was shining, music was playing, children were running around trying to get tourists to buy their bracelets. It was one of those moments where you just think, "man...this is why we're doing this. THIS is why we're here". That may sound cheesy, but it's true. San Cristobal is a lot like Guanajuato in that it can sweep you off your feet. There are several pedestrian streets lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. You name it, they've got it. Known for their coffee and cacao, there's a shop selling either on every corner. You should indulge. We did.
Kakaw Museum & Chocoloteria has a menu of local hot chocolates and truffles. The Columbiana cafe has some kick *** empanadas. Lucita's serves the largest bowl of pozole we've seen in Mexico. It'll keep you going all day.
After about a week in the city, we were ready to head toward the jungle. Onward to Palenque!
As soon as you leave the city, you see the hand painted billboards and signs indicating that you are entering EZLN territory. Much of the rural and mountainous regions of Chiapas are considered indigenous communities of resistance, and most of them identify as Zapatistas. Some significant tourist locations have been at the center of deadly land rights disputes between the federal govt., the Zapatistas, and another armed paramilitary group called the OPDDIC. The OPDDIC has taken advantage of the Zapatistas unwillingness to sign property deeds issued by the Mexican govt. and has been participating in a land grab throughout Chiapas over the last decade. One of the disputed locations is the popular Agua Azul waterfalls, just north of San Cristobal. This has lead, on occasion, to shootouts and robberies, and more often, to multiple unofficial tollbooths set up by each faction, causing visitors to pay multiple times for entry. We would advise skipping a visit to Agua Azul until the site is back under Zapatista control.
Handmade Zapatista doll
The long and windy road north to Palenque was littered with “topes” (speed bumps, usually homemade) and local roadblocks (kids holding a rope to block the road, trying to sell oranges, bananas, corn, and coconuts, for small amounts of change – we’re still undecided about how we feel about giving them money. They’re pretty cute, though, so it’s up to you). By the time we arrived at the Maya Bell RV Park, it was close to 3pm. So we walked the short hike up to the entrance to the ruins and asked the man at the desk how much it was to get in. Since the park was scheduled to close in a little more than an hour, he offered us a “discount”. So we tossed 30 pesos into his pocket (roughly a quarter of the usual cost) and headed in.
It's quite a hike up the trail to the ruins, and after driving all day, it may seem like a drag. But when we finally made it to the top, it was totally worth it. Palenque is impressive, to say the least. The beautiful jungle setting, complete with monkeys, iguanas, and waterfalls, makes it feel almost staged, and since we got in on a discount, we felt it would be smart to see as much as possible.
The Temple of Inscriptions
Temple of the Skull
That evening, as we sat at the campground's restaurant/tiki bar, drinking a couple of beers, it poured rain. Like, heavy, straight down, beating up the ground, rain. So, we stuck around and had a few more beers. What choice did we have? It was nice.
We had planned to leave the next morning, but without a clear idea of where we would camp, we decided to stick around for another day and see more of the jungle.
That morning, we woke to the sounds of howler monkeys in the distance. They do not sound at ALL like what we had imagined. It's like, a dinosaur/lion on a loud speaker at an amusement park (if you will). But they're not on a loud speaker. They're in the trees. And since you can't see them, it's a bit spooky.
Howler Monkeys at Palenque
All that rain made the green a bit brighter against the dark muddy backdrop, so we walked around the land and took some pictures. Later that afternoon, we took a hike through a different part of park and totally lucked out! Brian spotted THREE howler monkeys climbing around in the trees no more than 30 yards from us. We stood in awe for a bit and then moved on.
Carley in a bamboo forest
The tiniest little grasshopper
Sleepy treefrog
Golden Orb Weaver
Back at the campground, we ran into some folks we met back in San Miguel de Allende, and again in Oaxaca, and again in Zipolite, and AGAIN in San Cristobal (do you see a trend?). A German couple called Etta and Helmut (incredibly nice people) and they told us about a route that they had taken from San Cristobal to Palenque. A round about way to three waterfalls and one other set of ruins. Perfect! We now had a plan.
Dinner and margaritas at the RV Park restaurant and we were set to head out in the morning.
Over the last couple of months, we have been stepping back to reflect on our trip so far. It has been incredible. We have met so many wonderful people, seen so many indescribable things and really stepped out of our comfort zones. We have spent more time exploring Mexico than we ever intended, and still have only seen about half of what we had hoped to. We have come to realize that traveling is something that we want to do, not just for a year or two, but for as long as possible. Traveling in a financed vehicle, and without an income, puts some serious limitations on our ability to travel long term.
So, with that in mind, our plan now is to shift gears. Once we leave San Cristobal, we will head back to Kentucky. There, we will work to save money, rehab a house that is currently gutted and get it rented (income), and sell the Jeep to build a vehicle that we don’t owe payments on.
We will probably take it slow, making our way back across Mexico over the next couple of weeks. We're also planning some stops in Austin TX, New Orleans LA, Gulf Shores AL, Nashville TN, and Asheville NC.
We plan to be in the states for about a year and then, we’re back on the road! It's not an easy decision, but it seems like the best solution. A short hiatus, in trade for a much longer trip.
If anyone is interested, or knows someone that might be interested, in buying one of the best equipped Jeeps you will ever see, send me a pm. It will be available around the beginning of March. For a bunch of pictures of many (not all) of the mods done to our jeep click here http://www.adventureornothing.me/#!the-jeep-build/c15tl
Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Leaving Zipolite was tough, but only a few days after our last post, we finally made it out. Knowing that we were headed toward one of our most anticipated stops on our trip, San Cristobal de las Casas, made it a little easier. So we headed out early(ish) towards a stopping point at Tuxtla Gutierrez.
Indigenous Woman stencil
While still in the state of Oaxaca, we encountered two traffic jams. At the first, we followed some local traffic off of the highway and onto a short dirt road that bypassed the traffic. At the second, some locals offered to show us how to get around the traffic for a small fee. They wanted to ride with us to show us the way, but when we explained that we didn’t have any seats, one of them agreed to run ahead and we could follow him. All of this was complicated by the apparent urgency of the situation, and Brian’s less than perfect Spanish. About half way down the road, Brian told tour makeshift guide that we could find our way and paid him. His running all the way down this dirt path seemed like too much work for the agreed upon 30 pesos (about $2.50). When we finally made it back to the highway, we were still blocked. It was a teacher’s strike, and they were blocking a bridge with tires and rocks. We came out of the woods right at their roadblock, and it was obvious that we had been trying to bypass it.
Luckily, they were too preoccupied with some of the truck and bus drivers who were trying to reason with them to open up the road, to notice. We had read about people sitting at these roadblocks for up to 4 hours, so we figured that we should settle in for a long wait. Fortunately, they decided to open up the road within about 5 minutes of our arrival. We got to hop right in front of the line (which made some of the bus drivers a little mad) and continue on. We made it to Tuxtla Gutierrez before dark and camped in a hotel parking lot, good wifi and clean restrooms, who needs anything else?
From Tuxtla we headed to the nearby “Sima de las Cotorras” or a giant sinkhole filled with thousands of green parrots! Or so we were told, as long as you come at the right time of year, which apparently we hadn’t. The sinkhole itself is pretty interesting, and at least a few of the parrots had stuck around, so we got to see between 20-30 parrots take flight together at about 7:30 am. Together, the parrots, the sinkhole, and the free camping, made it worth the visit.
The next day, a short drive brought us to San Cristobal de las Casas. It’s hard to not be impressed with how culturally diverse the city is. There are several indigenous peoples who live in and around the city who walk the streets with their homemade bracelets, scarves and delicious sweet treats for sale. Mexico is going to give us diabetes.
We camped a couple of nights at the local campground, Rancho San Nicolas RV Park, feeling like maybe we had made a mistake leaving the beach. After weeks of endless sun in Zipolite, we weren’t prepared for the cool evenings of this mountain city. We decided to rent an apartment (complete with a fireplace, and free firewood!) off AirBnB to use as a home base while we explored the city and ate our weight in pozole and tacos dorados (local soup with chicken and hominy and fried tacos, respectively).
Brian and a tarantula at the Museo de Bichos
The campground at San Nicolas RV Park is really nice and safe. There are a couple of adorable dogs and one annoying cat on the grounds and the staff is accommodating and friendly. Bathrooms are clean, showers are hot (most of the time, except the one time Carley used them. Womp Womp) and the wifi is pretty good. It's easily a 20 minute walk to the center of town, but it's mostly flat, so no sweat.
Our first day in town, we had lunch at a small cafe in the center of the square. The sun was shining, music was playing, children were running around trying to get tourists to buy their bracelets. It was one of those moments where you just think, "man...this is why we're doing this. THIS is why we're here". That may sound cheesy, but it's true. San Cristobal is a lot like Guanajuato in that it can sweep you off your feet. There are several pedestrian streets lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. You name it, they've got it. Known for their coffee and cacao, there's a shop selling either on every corner. You should indulge. We did.
Kakaw Museum & Chocoloteria has a menu of local hot chocolates and truffles. The Columbiana cafe has some kick *** empanadas. Lucita's serves the largest bowl of pozole we've seen in Mexico. It'll keep you going all day.
After about a week in the city, we were ready to head toward the jungle. Onward to Palenque!
As soon as you leave the city, you see the hand painted billboards and signs indicating that you are entering EZLN territory. Much of the rural and mountainous regions of Chiapas are considered indigenous communities of resistance, and most of them identify as Zapatistas. Some significant tourist locations have been at the center of deadly land rights disputes between the federal govt., the Zapatistas, and another armed paramilitary group called the OPDDIC. The OPDDIC has taken advantage of the Zapatistas unwillingness to sign property deeds issued by the Mexican govt. and has been participating in a land grab throughout Chiapas over the last decade. One of the disputed locations is the popular Agua Azul waterfalls, just north of San Cristobal. This has lead, on occasion, to shootouts and robberies, and more often, to multiple unofficial tollbooths set up by each faction, causing visitors to pay multiple times for entry. We would advise skipping a visit to Agua Azul until the site is back under Zapatista control.
Handmade Zapatista doll
The long and windy road north to Palenque was littered with “topes” (speed bumps, usually homemade) and local roadblocks (kids holding a rope to block the road, trying to sell oranges, bananas, corn, and coconuts, for small amounts of change – we’re still undecided about how we feel about giving them money. They’re pretty cute, though, so it’s up to you). By the time we arrived at the Maya Bell RV Park, it was close to 3pm. So we walked the short hike up to the entrance to the ruins and asked the man at the desk how much it was to get in. Since the park was scheduled to close in a little more than an hour, he offered us a “discount”. So we tossed 30 pesos into his pocket (roughly a quarter of the usual cost) and headed in.
It's quite a hike up the trail to the ruins, and after driving all day, it may seem like a drag. But when we finally made it to the top, it was totally worth it. Palenque is impressive, to say the least. The beautiful jungle setting, complete with monkeys, iguanas, and waterfalls, makes it feel almost staged, and since we got in on a discount, we felt it would be smart to see as much as possible.
The Temple of Inscriptions
Temple of the Skull
That evening, as we sat at the campground's restaurant/tiki bar, drinking a couple of beers, it poured rain. Like, heavy, straight down, beating up the ground, rain. So, we stuck around and had a few more beers. What choice did we have? It was nice.
We had planned to leave the next morning, but without a clear idea of where we would camp, we decided to stick around for another day and see more of the jungle.
That morning, we woke to the sounds of howler monkeys in the distance. They do not sound at ALL like what we had imagined. It's like, a dinosaur/lion on a loud speaker at an amusement park (if you will). But they're not on a loud speaker. They're in the trees. And since you can't see them, it's a bit spooky.
Howler Monkeys at Palenque
All that rain made the green a bit brighter against the dark muddy backdrop, so we walked around the land and took some pictures. Later that afternoon, we took a hike through a different part of park and totally lucked out! Brian spotted THREE howler monkeys climbing around in the trees no more than 30 yards from us. We stood in awe for a bit and then moved on.
Carley in a bamboo forest
The tiniest little grasshopper
Sleepy treefrog
Golden Orb Weaver
Back at the campground, we ran into some folks we met back in San Miguel de Allende, and again in Oaxaca, and again in Zipolite, and AGAIN in San Cristobal (do you see a trend?). A German couple called Etta and Helmut (incredibly nice people) and they told us about a route that they had taken from San Cristobal to Palenque. A round about way to three waterfalls and one other set of ruins. Perfect! We now had a plan.
Dinner and margaritas at the RV Park restaurant and we were set to head out in the morning.
