"If you are going to be traveling in Mexico, you'd better not get too attached to your plans",
says Richard Grant in the travel memoir God's Middle Finger; which is written about his explorations in Mexico's lawless Sierra Madre Mountain range.
Total Drive Time: 33 hours
Total Mileage: 1, 850
Main Highways Traveled: I-15 South, Carretera Federal 15 Mexico
Total Days of Trip: 8 (stops in Las Vegas; Phoenix; Navojoa, Mexico)
Today's Temperatures: Salt Lake City: 94 w/ 9% humidity; Las Vegas: 96 w/ 4% humidity; Navojoa,: 97 w/ 44% humidity; Bucerias: 88 w/ 66% humidity
Today, our travel plans have made a 'possible' shift; causing me to sigh a huge breath of relief (so big that any yoga teacher would cringe in disbelief because the exhale was so far from the beautiful pranayamic form that they teach). But who gives a crap, what type of exhale it was...because the potential of this news has released a huge burden of stress that I was feeling about our trip across the border.
I have never been to Mexico, per say. Well, I've been on Mexican soil three times but only to the border towns of Puerto Peñasco, Ensenada, and Tijuana. My first trip is an interesting one to reflect on and wonder about. I can't remember exactly how old I was, but I am guessing fourth or fifth grade. I was at a friend's house for the day and we took a day trip to the Tijuana/Rosarito area with her mom and her mom's Mexican boyfriend. I don't remember much, but I do remember rocking out to Eddie Money, eating lunch at a sketchy restaurant, and returning back home several hours later. I also remember getting lots of questions at the border from the police as we re-entered the country; and this is vague, but potentially instructions on how to answer the border patrol agents before we passed through. That seems like a normal day, right? Everyone goes to Tijuana for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, right? Was I, at the ripe old age of 11, involved in a drug exchange? No telling.
To say that driving down to Mexico is stepping outside my comfort zone is an understatement. However, I can rationally say that it is an acceptable level of risk that I am willing to take. Approximately 150,000 people cross between the Mexican/USA border each day. The last two weeks of my life have been researching the drive; where to stay, how much money do I need for toll roads, how much gasoline does our tank hold in comparison to the large stretches of highway with no gas stations, how do I exchange dollars to pesos, and how do I keep a low profile while driving a new car with United States license plates; a roof rack and two surfboards (ohh, and two gringos and their gringo dog stuffed inside). I have been scouring the internet for information; knowing that the more I educated myself, the more tranquila I would be on the adventure south, FALSE! The more I read, the more freaked-out I got! (Mom, if you are reading this...stop here and start again at the next paragraph). Really!, don't get off the highway, for the 6 hour stretch, through the state of Sinaloa because of the high murder rate for the people who wander off the highway. For those of you who don't know, the Sinaloa cartel resides here and their opium and marijuana is grown in the Sierra Madre mountains and their drugs are moved up and down the same highway we are traveling (probably into a neighborhood near you). The United States, Canadian, and British governments warn travelers to defer non-essential travel to various cities throughout the states of Sonora and Sinaloa; oh what a coincidence, the first two states we are traveling through.
What the 'H' is wrong with our world that it took me weeks of enduring horrific articles and warnings about the eighteen hour drive, south of Nogales, we are about to embark upon. Not that I am keen on quoting John Friend these days, the man at the center of an ugly scandal (due to his own poor choices, I might add), but I am going to...'we need to find the good'. And after endless hours of searching for road logs, I found the good!, a group called On the Road in Mexico. This group is a collection of up-to-date travel logs throughout Mexico; including trips to the states of Sinaloa and Sonora. To my surprise, people (most of whom are my parent's age) drive up and down Mexico for leisurely trips all the time. I joined the group, bought a detailed road log of the Pacific Coast, asked for advice: what would you tell a newbie, and received a wealth of information! By reading the road logs of other travelers, it has eliminated the vision I had in my head of us being the only people on the desolate highway; in the sizzling hot desert; with highways full of dark SUV's being driven by drug smuggling narcos; 'topes' (speed bumps) the size of mountains that jump out at you; and police lurking around the corner waiting to pull over the next unsuspecting, lost tourist....oh wait, that is some-what similar to what the drive down will be like; except there are more tourists traveling then I originally imagined; a ton more with amazing stories to share. And many of these travelers stop for a night or two in Sinaloa, have reported of their own children staying in Sinaloa towns, and do not caution us to stay away. Anywho, I look forward to making the pilgrimage for myself and reporting back to the group; in order to help out those who are headed back down the same highway for their yearly winter retreats in Mexico.
And today, we received even better news...circling back around to the prospect of change in our travel plans. The potential of caravanning down to Puerto Vallarta with Steve; a Canadian man who is married to the school's secretary. Steve has also been a goldmine of information for us; he is who we will be renting an apartment from when we first arrive to Bucerias. Steve drives this route frequently for work and it just so happens that he will be going through Phoenix about the same time we are. Well, not exaclty, but he is willing to wait about 5 days for us; after 6 days, he will be on the road south; with or without us.
So, for now, I will continue to prepare myself mentally for the drive; with or without the guidance of Steve-O. Knowing that most places are not as dangerous as people, on the outside, may believe. Knowing that I am beginning another chapter of my life; in a new country. Knowing that I have the opportunity to educate Mexican children; to empower them to live the life they always imagined. In the long run, taking the very minuscule risk of doing this far out weighs the little tint of fear that pops up in my head every now and then. Knowing that I am going to have some rad, unforgettable stories of my road trip through Mexico to share!
Total Mileage: 1, 850
Main Highways Traveled: I-15 South, Carretera Federal 15 Mexico
Total Days of Trip: 8 (stops in Las Vegas; Phoenix; Navojoa, Mexico)
Today's Temperatures: Salt Lake City: 94 w/ 9% humidity; Las Vegas: 96 w/ 4% humidity; Navojoa,: 97 w/ 44% humidity; Bucerias: 88 w/ 66% humidity
Today, our travel plans have made a 'possible' shift; causing me to sigh a huge breath of relief (so big that any yoga teacher would cringe in disbelief because the exhale was so far from the beautiful pranayamic form that they teach). But who gives a crap, what type of exhale it was...because the potential of this news has released a huge burden of stress that I was feeling about our trip across the border.
I have never been to Mexico, per say. Well, I've been on Mexican soil three times but only to the border towns of Puerto Peñasco, Ensenada, and Tijuana. My first trip is an interesting one to reflect on and wonder about. I can't remember exactly how old I was, but I am guessing fourth or fifth grade. I was at a friend's house for the day and we took a day trip to the Tijuana/Rosarito area with her mom and her mom's Mexican boyfriend. I don't remember much, but I do remember rocking out to Eddie Money, eating lunch at a sketchy restaurant, and returning back home several hours later. I also remember getting lots of questions at the border from the police as we re-entered the country; and this is vague, but potentially instructions on how to answer the border patrol agents before we passed through. That seems like a normal day, right? Everyone goes to Tijuana for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, right? Was I, at the ripe old age of 11, involved in a drug exchange? No telling.
To say that driving down to Mexico is stepping outside my comfort zone is an understatement. However, I can rationally say that it is an acceptable level of risk that I am willing to take. Approximately 150,000 people cross between the Mexican/USA border each day. The last two weeks of my life have been researching the drive; where to stay, how much money do I need for toll roads, how much gasoline does our tank hold in comparison to the large stretches of highway with no gas stations, how do I exchange dollars to pesos, and how do I keep a low profile while driving a new car with United States license plates; a roof rack and two surfboards (ohh, and two gringos and their gringo dog stuffed inside). I have been scouring the internet for information; knowing that the more I educated myself, the more tranquila I would be on the adventure south, FALSE! The more I read, the more freaked-out I got! (Mom, if you are reading this...stop here and start again at the next paragraph). Really!, don't get off the highway, for the 6 hour stretch, through the state of Sinaloa because of the high murder rate for the people who wander off the highway. For those of you who don't know, the Sinaloa cartel resides here and their opium and marijuana is grown in the Sierra Madre mountains and their drugs are moved up and down the same highway we are traveling (probably into a neighborhood near you). The United States, Canadian, and British governments warn travelers to defer non-essential travel to various cities throughout the states of Sonora and Sinaloa; oh what a coincidence, the first two states we are traveling through.
What the 'H' is wrong with our world that it took me weeks of enduring horrific articles and warnings about the eighteen hour drive, south of Nogales, we are about to embark upon. Not that I am keen on quoting John Friend these days, the man at the center of an ugly scandal (due to his own poor choices, I might add), but I am going to...'we need to find the good'. And after endless hours of searching for road logs, I found the good!, a group called On the Road in Mexico. This group is a collection of up-to-date travel logs throughout Mexico; including trips to the states of Sinaloa and Sonora. To my surprise, people (most of whom are my parent's age) drive up and down Mexico for leisurely trips all the time. I joined the group, bought a detailed road log of the Pacific Coast, asked for advice: what would you tell a newbie, and received a wealth of information! By reading the road logs of other travelers, it has eliminated the vision I had in my head of us being the only people on the desolate highway; in the sizzling hot desert; with highways full of dark SUV's being driven by drug smuggling narcos; 'topes' (speed bumps) the size of mountains that jump out at you; and police lurking around the corner waiting to pull over the next unsuspecting, lost tourist....oh wait, that is some-what similar to what the drive down will be like; except there are more tourists traveling then I originally imagined; a ton more with amazing stories to share. And many of these travelers stop for a night or two in Sinaloa, have reported of their own children staying in Sinaloa towns, and do not caution us to stay away. Anywho, I look forward to making the pilgrimage for myself and reporting back to the group; in order to help out those who are headed back down the same highway for their yearly winter retreats in Mexico.
And today, we received even better news...circling back around to the prospect of change in our travel plans. The potential of caravanning down to Puerto Vallarta with Steve; a Canadian man who is married to the school's secretary. Steve has also been a goldmine of information for us; he is who we will be renting an apartment from when we first arrive to Bucerias. Steve drives this route frequently for work and it just so happens that he will be going through Phoenix about the same time we are. Well, not exaclty, but he is willing to wait about 5 days for us; after 6 days, he will be on the road south; with or without us.
So, for now, I will continue to prepare myself mentally for the drive; with or without the guidance of Steve-O. Knowing that most places are not as dangerous as people, on the outside, may believe. Knowing that I am beginning another chapter of my life; in a new country. Knowing that I have the opportunity to educate Mexican children; to empower them to live the life they always imagined. In the long run, taking the very minuscule risk of doing this far out weighs the little tint of fear that pops up in my head every now and then. Knowing that I am going to have some rad, unforgettable stories of my road trip through Mexico to share!
