This turned out to be the best day yet…………up at 6 and after Breakfast at the local hangout in Iturbide, we rode some great down hill twisties on Hwy 58 towards Ciudad Victoria . Dodging rocks,goats and donkeys’ was all part of the ride. The scenery was breath taking in the early morning sun and concentrating on the sights was hazardous to our negotiating the s curves with the early morning sun in our faces.
Shortly after dropping down to the plains near Villigran, we were passed by the Federally Policia, they paid us no attention even though we where over the speed limit. Stopped for fuel near Hidaigo at a Pemex Station, we soon noted that we were surrounded by about 24 machine gun toting soldiers and one bren gun humvie…..they had all parts of the lot covered as an Army Fuel Truck was parked next to us….maybe they thought we where cartel saboteurs coming in to blow the tanks…..we had passed a burned station not long ago. We managed to get fuel and back on the road without a shot being fired….no pics..too scared.
We are learning the meaning of lane splitting and the rule of thumb being on a motorcycle is just above a bicycle and bigger rules. Animals roam freely along the road…..don’t know if they are wild or farm animals feeding on road shoulder grass which appears greener and more lush than the fields.
We are heading into Ciudad Victoria which is the Capital of the State with close to 80,000 inhabitants………this city could be anywhere in America…Burger King, MacDonalds, Applebee, Holiday Express, Best Western and Scotia Bank…..huge Shopping Plaza: however, only the businesses not the people. Mexicans are as a whole a happy people who go way out of their way to help others. Again we are on the receiving end of this hospitality.
We are in Cuidad Victoria, Pedro is having an electrical problem which we hope to solve while here…..while standing guard over the bikes at the mall I am fortunate to meet Rodolfo T Rodriguez and his son by the same name. Rodolfo speaks english having worked as a Mechanical Engineer in the USA and has travelled by motorcycle to Alaska. He returned to Mexico his birthplace and the land he loves….meeting his family I can understand the ties that make this a great country. Rodolfo Sr., Rodolfo Jr. and Raquel his youngest daughter spent the entire afternoon driving us around the city in search of the parts we required, with Rodolfo testing and soldering things at his home while we enjoyed the company of Raquel at Applebees during lunch.
To the Rodriguez Family…Thank you….you have been a life saver for helping us out with this problem.
To Raquel, who is studying to be a Corporate Lawyer and to Rodolfo Jr, who is studying to be an Engineer we wish you all the success that these careers will bring you and make your parents proud.
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