Chiapas

We ended our time in Mexico in the southern state of Chiapas.
The city of San Cristobal de las Casas is an old Spanish colonial city that has beautiful churches and pedestrian thoroughfares. You have to walk up a lot of stairs to the churches. We found the best place in town was this little wine bar called Viña de Bacco.







On our way out of S.C.d.l.C, we stopped in the village of San Juan Chamula. Chamula is an unusual town, as it has autonomy and an indigenous government. It has a simply painted church, but inside, a combination of Catholic and Mayan rituals are intertwined. There are no pews and the floor is carpeted with fresh pine needles. In front of the altar, elaborately costumed medicine men are apparently diagnosing various sins or maladies and prescribing anything from prayers and lighting candles to sacrificing live chickens, if that is the cure for what ails you. Along the walls are statues of many saints, many covered in mirrors to deflect evil. Pungent incense is burnt, and many Mayan women in their traditional dress were kneeling to pray.
The town was preparing for Carnaval-- the time of celebration before Lent begins (known to most Americans as Mardi Gras).  Many people were walking the streets and lining up for parades in traditional costumes-- the men in big fur jackets that made them look like bears. Little boys were lined up with ice cream carts in the main plaza waiting for the festivities to begin. The waiting devolved into ice cream cart bumper cars.

We had to get on the road, and a last stop before leaving the country was to check out some Mayan ruins at Tenem Puente.  They are not in the top ten Mayan ruins of Central America, but there are ball courts and pyramid temples, so you get the idea. Mayan ruins are prolific throughout southern Mexico and Central America, as is the Mayan culture. Even though they don't live in these elaborate stone cities any longer, Mayans are everywhere-- especially throughout Chiapas.

Surf Spot: Chacahua, Oaxaca, Mexico

Our friend in Ixtapa that owns the surf shop recommended a stop in Chacahua. It's a bit hard to get to, but we found it-- no thanks to Storm Rider Surf Guide (SRSG is the surf "guide" we got for this trip and it is basically useless. It lists most of the surf able breaks in a place, but doesn't give you any clue how to get to them. They have a teeny tiny map of a large area with a bunch of lines-- it could be a map, or it could be a drawing of a pin cushion. At some spots, they actually print "you won't find this wave without a surf guide." You look at the cover, it says "surf guide"... confusing.) At Chacahua, you leave the Mexico 200 at a small sign and ride along as the road deteriorates. Really deteriorates. It's only 30km from the highway to the coast, but it takes just under an hour.
When the road ends, your in tiny village and you have to take a boat across a lagoon to get to the beach where the waves are. We loaded up boards and packs for a 15peso ride.
We camped under the palapa of a "restaurant," which was also a family's living room. This seems to be a popular camping style in Mexico. What is the point of putting up a tent at all?
We watched a pretty poor evening session and hoped for better waves in the morning. They didn't come. So, it was a bit of a dud for surf, but we are out of the surf season, and the beach faces SSE, and there was no swell from that direction. The area is beautiful. It is quiet, probably because of the sojourn to get there, and the lagoons form a national park.

Rules of the Road: Driving in Mexico

We drove the entirety of the Mexico 200, which is this country's equivalent of the Pacific Coast Highway. We know more now about driving in Mexico than when we began 3 weeks ago.

*The rules are pretty simple: There are no rules. You can drive whatever direction, at whatever speed, and you are responsible for not hitting anyone. We have seen cars careen in reverse down one way, one lane streets-- and successfully insist that other drivers back up to get out of their way. When on an entrance ramp to the highway, we met another vehicle driving up the entrance ramp straight at us. We drove around each other.

*TOPES (toe-pays, or speed bumps) are the one consistency. They are varying in size and shape, but sometimes the size of Volkswagons.  Since speed limits either don't exist or aren't enforced, instead you will find Topes anywhere that you are expected to slow down-- towns, schools, fruit stands that would like you to look at their wares, etc. You may be going 100kph and the tope will have no warning sign.  We have learned to look very closely for anything resembling a speed bump-- extreme caution is exercised where shadows masquerading as topes cross the road.
Most roads have no shoulder, so going a reasonable speed is advisable, and the topes definitely guarantee this. However, some stretches of road have been vastly improved-- 4 lanes of median-divided traffic, wide shoulders and guardrails, pedestrian bridges-- you really could go fast quite comfortably. For some reason, there roads have even MORE topes. Why not just keep the road small and dangerous if we all have to go slow anyway?

*The distance markers between towns change sporadically. Often you will see "Acapulco 50km" and then twenty minutes of driving directly towards Acapulco later, you will see "Acapulco 63km." It gives one the sensation of time travel, which is exciting.

*In cities, sometimes, you make a left turn from the right lane. Sometimes you make a left turn from the left lane. How you tell when to do which is beyond me.  I try to let Forrest drive in cities.

Standard Mexican pickup load

*Anything, or any number of people, are eligible for rides in the back of a vehicle. Four persons is the record we have seen on a motorcycle-- with one helmet total. Small pick up trucks can transport up to 20 people, horses, cows, or anything else for that matter.

*Something I cannot get used to is use of the blinker, or turn signal. When someone wants you to pass them, they put on their left turn signal. However, when someone is going to turn left, they also put on their left turn signal. If you pull out to pass and find out they mean to be turning, it is an unpleasant surprise.

*The nicest roads are toll roads, or "Cuota."  Well in advance of the toll booth, a sign will tell you to prepare your toll. This sign, nor any of the subsequent signs between there and the toll booth, will give you any clue as to what the toll might be. They are random amounts between 15 and 63 pesos. The toll booth attendant will act as put out as possible when your toll is not prepared.

*Cops: there are more police in this country than I have ever seen anywhere. The all carry semi-automatic weapons, even when riding in the back of pickup trucks.  They do not enforce speed limits or care if you run red lights. We have been pulled over once, in Zihuatenejo at night, for having a tail light out. All our taillights were in full operation. This cop clearly spotted a gringo-mobile and wanted a bribe. Luckily, we had a Mexican friend riding in the backseat who rolled down the back window as the cop approached the vehicle. Like Bruce Wayne, our friend leaned across to the window and casually mentioned that he knew the police commissioner. The cop asked if he knew where the commission lived. "Where does he live? Are we going to go to his house to settle this?" was our friend's response. The cop let us go and told us to have a nice evening.

*Most surprisingly, there seem to be very few traffic accidents in Mexico. We have not seen anyone crash into each other, even though most intersections are uncontrolled, everyone drives very close and very fast. The danger we have seen is going off the side of shoulder-less roads while driving too fast, when the drop off is between 2 inches and 100 feet, the results somewhere between nominal and devastating.

Guerrero: Swanky Art Capitol of Mexico

The best thing about traveling is making friends with locals. A number of years ago, I spent a winter in Ixtapa, Guerrero and made a friend who was a surfer, and an architect on the side. Now, he is an architect that still surfs. His latest accomplishment is opening a hip "surf & life" store called LOOT in Zihuatanejo. While we were visiting, he invited us to an art show that rivals any I have ever attended, in any city, anywhere.
On Saturday night, LOOT was the place to be. People flew in from Mexico City (not to mention all the Americans and Canadians in attendance) to attend the art show of Miguel López Vázquez. The event began at 7pm and went until after 2am-- we stayed the whole time: I have never enjoyed art so much.

Miguel gives a short speech about his art while Andrés surveys his kingdom from above

It began with a wealthily crowd of art buyers-- wonderful fresh fish appetizers were served with champagne and people bought $400 painted dogs alongside very large, very expensive paintings.  Later, DJs Salon Acapulco turned it into a dance party, and all the locals and beach bums showed up to carry the party through the night.

One of many painted dogs checks out one of many paintings

The artist free styled caricatures as guests arrived

Everybody Salsa!

Surf Spot: Playa Linda, Guerrero, Mexico

While staying in Ixtapa, we surfed Playa Linda almost daily. It's just north of Ixtapa where the road ends at a government-owned RV park.
It's a great beginner break, because it has consistent waves all winter.
The surf school from Ixtapa, Catcha La Ola, drives out a truckload of surfers every morning and crowd of mostly friendly locals shows up daily-- the better the surf, the bigger the group, but the most people we saw surfing at once were 25. 

Dental Tourism

It's become very popular to have dental work done in Mexico. For the price of the same dental surgeries in the states, people can fly to Mexico, have the work done by competent dentists, and have a week's vacation.  We had to try it out.
Last time I got my teeth cleaned in Alaska, it cost over US$200, and the cleaning is usually done by a dental assistant. We went to this gem of an office, recommended by a friend in Zihuatanejo, and I got my teeth cleaned well, by the dentist herself, for 500pesos (US$40).
There was as much paperwork as is involved in getting a pedicure.
If that isn't a great example of what's wrong with US healthcare, I don't know what is. 

Surf Spot: The Ranch, Guerrero, Mexico

wade in or out is rough on the feet

 "The Ranch" or "The Secret Spot" is a great surf spot in the middle of nowhere, north of La Saladita. It's not really a secret anymore, so I don't feel bad telling you exactly how to get there, as the first time I went it was a pain to find,  the second I got lost and ended up at a carnival in La Union, a nearby town, but now, every morning in the winter, there are 15-20 gringos out on the break.
Off the Mexico 200, take the exit towards El Chico, turn by the soccer field, take a bridge over the hi way, and drive SLOWLY through the village. When you get to the 3 way fork in the road, take the path all the way to the left, follow to end (there's a sign at the fork, but it's pretty dusty and the writing is small.

restaurant with driftwood board rack

It's a long wade out over sharp and slippery rocks to the break, but it is a fun wave. On days when it's good, the break is packed with locals.
The beach here is wilderness, except for a small restaurant that opens when a pickup truck of ladies drives down at 7am to start a fire and cook up Huevos Rancheros for the surfers coming out of the water.

great place to camp

Through Michoacan Unscathed and One Surfboard Richer

Michoacan proved not too dangerous. There was a serious search by the military when we crossed the northern border-- looking for guns, I guess, but they were most intrigued by my first aid kit and camping hammock. This search was the only thing out of the ordinary as far as road travel.
After surfing at Rio Nexpa, Forrest suggested we stop at Playa Azul, near the southern border of Michoacan, to shop for a surf board for me. Playa Azul is a little-known beach town that seems principally to specialize in empty white plastic chairs. I was very dubious they would have a surf shop. But Forrest's surf radar was on, and we found a pile of junk boards outside "Playa Azul Surf" being manned by two middle-aged men in hammocks. I explained what I was looking for and the owner got up, introduced himself, and led me through the dark shop, circumnavigating piles of debris. Most of his surf boards looked like shark attack victims. He asked if I could stay in town for a few days so that he could "put something together for me." I declined.
Back out front, he and his friend began brainstorming all the people they knew in town that owned surfboards. The shop owner took off on his bike to ask a friend if he would sell me his board. The friend got out of the hammock and started marching me down the street to his "cousin" who had a board he might sell.
A few blocks away, we walked into a restaurant on the beach, interrupted staff and diners, and my escort demanded his cousin, the restauranteur, sell his surfboard to me. "My board?!"he exclaimed, "My board is my daughter, my mother, my girlfriend! I can't sell it! I have had it for 25 years!"
After these theatrics, he walked around a bunch of empty white plastic chairs, into the kitchen, and came back carrying a surfboard.  It had been broken and repaired in two places and was a bit shorter than what I wanted, but it was a surf-able option. He looked at me and offered "1000 pesos?" (US$80)
No one in Mexico likes to sell long boards, because they can make more money renting them. The only boards longer than 6'6" that we had seen for sale were marked at 6000 pesos or more.
The owner of the surf shop pedaled up on his bike announcing that his friend with the board was not home. He was disappointed that the restauranteur had offered such a low price.
I agreed to buy the board for 1000 pesos, shook hands,  and went back to the truck to get money. Forrest and I counted out all our pesos and only came up with 995. I offered this, and the man handed me his surfboard/girlfriend and gave me back 20 pesos. He turned and paid the surf shop owner a commission and left us to strap his treasure to the top of Sandhog.
When the waitresses were back at work and the surfboard sales team had pedaled away, the restaurant owner walked back over and handed me 100 pesos, apologizing for asking so much for his board. We refused the money-- it was a fair price for the only board for 100 miles-- and Forrest said, "We won't take any money, but you can buy us a beer."
This pleased the man incredibly and he invited us into his restaurant. He grabbed round after round of beers while he told us all about the giant waves he has surfed on this board. His mother yelled from the front of the kitchen that he needed to leave us alone and get back to work. We talked about the US and Mexico and the environment and adventures of all kinds. Hours later, we excused ourselves to keep heading south.
I probably am not a good enough surfer to ride this 7'2" well-loved surf board, but it was worth the stories and the beers and meeting a new friend. 

Surf Spot: Rio Nexpa, Michoacan, Mexico

A long, curvy drive from Pascuales led to a popular surf spot: Rio Nexpa. It's a river mouth that can provide a surf able wave for beginners even with minimal swell. The beach is packed with palapa covered cabañas-- basic accommodations for really cheap.
We stayed a couple nights at Jorge & Helen's Place-- got a two story, six bed, two deck room with a fridge, overlooking the beach, for 300 pesos.
I rented a 7'6" board from the little grocery store right in front of our rooms. It was pretty dinged up, but ridable.
Both morning and evening sessions are good fun on this somewhat crowded break.

Surf Spot: Boca de Pascuales, Colima, Mexico

First surf stop! Pascuales is a beach break less known, but can be as big as the break at Puerto Escondido-- in the summer. In the winter, it's surf able... for people like Forrest, I would probably never get in the water here. The graveyard of broken boards at our hotel is enough of a deterrant.
We stayed in our tent at Hotel Real de Pascuales. They have people set up tents under a palapa (palm roof) and you get to use the bathroom for 60 pesos a night.  Most importantly, you're right in front of the surf break.  Camped next to us and staying at the hotel rooms were surfers from all over the world-- Mexico, Germany, Peru, Australia, etc.
Pascuales is a short (17km) drive off the Mexico 200 from town.  The wave is best from about 9-12am, but it is steep and fast-closing (translation: it would smash and crash a long board rider like me).

Everyone is a safety officer

The wall at Nogales, AZ

We crossed into Mexico a week ago-- drove south across the border at noon on a Tuesday and no one even asked to see our IDs. However, we did get a good look at THE WALL.

There really is a huge wall at the border of Arizona and Mexico. I'm not shy to say that, as a descendent of immigrants, I am a fan of open borders-- both for humanitarian and economical reasons. Also, one need only ask Hadrian, the Ming Dynasty, or Gorbachev to find out that walls don't work. Living in a country that would wall our international border (especially selected borders) makes me ashamed.  I can't believe the leaders of the so-called "Free World" aren't saying "Mr. Obama--tear down that wall!"

Permiso de Importacion

Once you're past the wall and the border town of Nogales, about 20 miles into Mexico, you have to stop and get a sticker put on your car. It takes lots of copies and US$200 to put this sticker on your car. This sticker is the Permiso de Importacion-- proof that you have paid the deposit so that you won't leave your junky car in Mexico. I don't know how all the junky cars that are in Mexico got here-- maybe they need to up the ante.

After many warnings to "be careful," we read the state department website for Mexico travel warnings. I  don't care where you are traveling, this is always a BAD idea. They make it sound like you are going to get robbed, mugged, killed, raped, murdered and ambushed by humans, dogs and crocodiles the second you leave the safety of the United States. They make the south side of Chicago look like paradise. The only place you can find violence worse than described on the State Department website is on video games played by American children and sub-adults. The State Department concludes that the majority of violence in Mexico is near the US border (seems like thinly veiled justification for the wall, doesn't it?)

We heeded the advice with many grains of salt and distanced ourselves from the USA as quickly as possible. We witnessed no blood baths, ninjas, or genocide-- only that the food got better and cheaper. However, it actually is unsafe to drive at night in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. We can report that NOT driving at night is only slightly less sketchy.  When we pulled off the road to sleep for the night, we dodged getting hit by a semi, someone called the police on us, and a man with a machete knocked on the window. When a man with a machete tells you to move, you do.

note that Forrest is wearing shoes-- safe.

Having learned some lessons, we made it all the way to the coast in just 2 days, and found a whole bunch of gringos hanging out at the beach. We stayed in the surf town of Sayulita for two days visiting friends and shopping for surfboards. Our hostel was full of Canadian 20-year-olds that don't wear shoes. I can appreciated relaxing and being on vacation, but I don't need to read a website to know that walking around Mexico without shoes on is very unsafe.

The people of Mexico do NOT agree with the US State Department that violence is worst around the border. In the state of Michoacan, the people have gotten so fed up with paying bribes for "safety" to drug cartels (and to police who are on the bank roll of drug cartels) that citizens have armed themselves and are operating as vigilantes trying to restore security for their families. The government has sent the military, but the vigilantes are refusing to put down arms until the government arrests the leaders of the drug cartel. We are gathering information from locals about the safety of travel in Michoacan, as it is the next state south and home to some good surf breaks. So far, it seems agreed that non-cartel members (especially pale ones from Alaska) will be pretty safe.

Ready to Go

The car hunt is over. Meet "Sandhog"-- a 1995 Toyota 4Runner with 165,000 miles. She came out of the factory before I had a driver's license. We've got her all ready to cross the border today. We should be at the coast by Thursday. All we need now is surf boards.

Finding her was two-and-a-half days of mildly painful hunting (Neither Forrest or I are shoppers or car people). If you used car shop with Craigslist as your only resource you may look forward to hearing:

"If you want to look at it, you have to bring jumper cables." (This was slightly better-- for the honesty factor-- than the seller who was jumping the Mitsubishi we wanted to see as we pulled up.)

"It leaks some oil and the engine smokes, but that's not a big deal."

"There's nothing wrong with it-- it has a little damage, but not much."

"You could come look at it, but my son took off with it two days ago and went to his girlfriend's house and I don't know where his girlfriend lives and he wasn't allowed to take the truck and now we're out looking for him but haven't found him yet... maybe I'll call you back."

We drove far and wide-- around all of Phoenix and Prescott, AZ.  Sandhog was sold to us by a clean-cut, honest-seeming young man working as an auto mechanic and flipping cars for extra money (probably to give to orphans). He was going to be late to church when we came to pick her up.  After we made the purchase, we got pulled over immediately for not having plates-- it was a Sunday, and no DMV was open. The cops we mostly interested that we had Alaska driver's licenses, and Forrest was mostly interested that they were cutting into our Super Bowl watching time.