viva la mexico

While Laredo Texas is pretty nice, Nuevo Laredo Mexico not so much. Its amazing the difference just crossing a bridge. My first encounter was with a dozen or so military guys with AK47's when i pulled into the wrong area trying to get to customs and they came running. A little intimidating on a motorcycle when young guys with big guns run at you. After a few minutes and driving around the small streets loaded with shady characters and beggars i found customs and got my permit etc which took about 1hr...no english and my spanglish.... which is quickly getting better.

This is customs and international border bridge in laredo.

After getting my permits i got lost and ended up in a part of town that i never want to see again.

The roads in Mex are pretty bad. Shared by all...... people, bikes, mopeds, semis, dogs, donkeys, dead dogs, trash, potholes, oil, u name it.

Thank god for Cuoata (toll roads) they're nice for long distances but expensive.

The first hour or so south of NL was pretty flat and looks like i imagined. Eventually i started getting into the mountains. There's a heavy military presence on the frontage, dirt roads looking for drug dealers and illegal border crossing i suppose.
In the mountains the sky was huge ad you can see where the weather is both stormy and nice. Exhilirating.

I was told about an off the beaten path mountain town, Real de Catorce, near Matehuala. Its an old silver mining town that closed in the early 1900's and is now kind of an artists and travel hang out. So I went to check it out and stayed there for the night. I had no idea the road type til i got there. Its 20 miles of deserted cobblestone. At first it didnt seem to tough but at is went on and up, way up, it turned out to be quite the challenge.Narrow, no guard rails and rough cobblestones. I finally reached the entry to RdC which is a 1-2 mile tunnel that looks like an old mine shaft. Again, from the start not so bad, once inside.. pretty rough. At points there was 2ft of unavoidable water which I almost tipped in a few times. Water was falling from the ceiling and looked like a bat cave. The stones are smoothed over and slippery from the splashing of cars. the town is built into and nesteled in the mountains!


By the time I got up top it was dark and tense.....especially when the burros were in the road!The town was cool but I didnt get to enjoy it due to altitude sickness from ascending to high to quickly. The hostel i stayed in was rustic cool.

the next day on the way down i met a family from London. They've been travelling around the world for 2 years with their young son Elliot in a 1975 Land Rover. We were above the clouds and it was cool watching them come in and out.