3 Bikes to Villahermosa

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April 9, Thursday

We awoke early to pack, and met Rafa and Carmen in the hotel garage again. This time we were heading to La Parroquia for breakfast, then on to Villahermosa and San Cristobal, in the state of Chiapas. We picked up another couple on the way named Neder and Carla. Rafa had promised that this would be some of the best riding in all of Mexico. We rode the two lane towards Catemaco ( originally our destination instead of Vera Cruz ), but a few kilometers out of Vera Cruz Neder‘s front tire went flat. We pulled over in one the little villages and up to the Vulcanadora - the tire repair shop. It seems every little wide spot in the road has one of these guys. Unfortunately, the mechanic wasn’t there, but the shop was wide open and the guy running the convenience store next door said we could use the tools. We found out that no one had the proper size (14 mm) hex head male socket tool to remove the axle. So after about 30 to 40 minutes of trying out every tool and set of nuts and bolt configurations we could think of, Neder and Rafa rode off to the next town to get something we could use. When they returned 20 minutes later, they had gotten a bolt, put on 3 nuts and welded the thing together to create a tool we could use. Moments later the wheel was off the bike, the tire half off the rim and the old tube out. There was a half inch slit, across the tube, close to the valve stem. We couldn’t figure out why. In went the new tube, on went the tire, checked for leaks in the tub and back on the bike. A two hour pitstop in the heat of the day. On we went. Catemaco is a beautiful, though touristy city on the shore of a large lake. We ignored all the guys trying to wave us in to park in “their” spots, and we pulled up next to the restaurant. Rafa cut a deal with the help to let us park the “motos” in a spot with some guy to watch them for about 20 pesos. ($1.60) It sure is a great lesson to watch how a native deals with the various exigencies of touring Mexico. We had a great lunch overlooking the lake, and watching the boats load up with tourists. I think the outboards have only two speeds, idle and full throttle. By the end of this late lunch, we realized we would not be making it to San Cristobal, so we jumped on the “autopista con cuota” the tollroad, and rolled on the throttles. Averaging about 140 to 150 kph, we zoomed along into Villahermosa, arriving on the outskirts about an hour after sunset. A stop at a Pemex, and I realized that Deb was all done in, with a bad headache coming on. I advised Rafa that we needed to find a hotel right away. He nodded, and in 5 minutes we pulled into a “Auto Hotel”. This is an interesting bit of Mexican culture. Also known as a Hotel de Paseo, these sparkling clean businesses cater to the “hourly” clients. You pull up to the gate, check in, and are lead to a room. Each room has it’s own garage and the employee opens up the door, you pull in, and the door closes. The rooms are clean and large, great showers and facilities, and you can indeed stay all night. Once you’re in, you are expected to stay in, although I’m sure you can make whatever arrangement you need at the gate. Besides this being the largest and nicest hotel room we’d been in, it was only 230 pesos for the night ! 230 times 8 means that hotel, with super security, and the best room ever, cost ..... $18.40 We will be looking for more of those. I read a short article that quoted a local police chief who was interested in shutting down one of these places in his jurisdiction. He sat outside and wrote down all the license plate numbers, then when he had checked them back at the station, he realized he would lose his job if he “exposed” what was going on. He mentioned that basically, all the “wealthy and important” wives were there in the middle of the day, and all their husbands in the evening.... Showers and room service ( yup, room service - food placed in a turntable that opens from the garage into the room, so the waiter never sees you ) and in to bed after a very long and tiring day.

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Photos

Carla and Carmen
Stopped at a Cascada

Carla and Neder
Lunch in Catemaco

Tour Boats
Lake at Catemaco