Ah yes our Police chief was executed last week, Welcome to Mexico

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Four days off in Tucson at the Sheraton, which is extremely well run and surprisingly nice. First day we just chilled. Bit of Laundry, dropped the bike off for its service and then lay by or in the pool avoiding the 40C + heat and sun. In the late afternoon we had a Kevin and Julia meeting to discuss the transition from USA to Mexico and Central America. To get into the Mexican spirit I shaved off my goatee revealing a chin that hasn't seen daylight for 20 years. This left a proper Mexican Zapata mustache We joined the meeting late, chewing on a cigar courtesy of Jeff and wearing dark sunglasses. The new look met with great approval, and has earned me the nickname of The General (pronounced henerarlee). Day two we hired a car with Max and Christine and drove out to the Pina Air Museum which we managed to not get into. It is on the Davis Montan Air Base, so no photo ID - no access. We ended up shopping, doing all the rest of our chores and generally getting organized. This left thursday for more pool chilling out and friday morning a return to Pina (with passports). The air base is the US Navy and Air Force official storage for mothballed or to be scrapped and used for parts planes. Currently 4300 planes in store. Lines of F4 jets, being converted to be target drones. B52's and Star Lifters are unfeasibly huge. F111's F14's, Sikorsky helicopters, the whole US arsenal is here. Some like the B52 date back to 1940's /50's are still in active service and have forecast lives into the 2040's.

Then after a very relaxed few days we are off at 6am on saturday morning to head to Douglas and the Mexican border. We ride down as a group to ensure we get through customs together. The early start is mainly to avoid the heat but also because there have been a number of Army / Bandit gun battles around the border in recent weeks and months, but these are always in the afternoon. This along with Swine Flu has stopped US tourism completely in Mexico as the Yanks and all convinced that if they don't get shot they will get Mexican Flu! The border crossing is straight forward and having spent 3 hours, seen three different officials, one twice, we got visas for both of us and a temporary import license for the bike and are ready to go before midday. By this time the corner of the street has a Mexican Army Jeep and 6 heavily armed soldiers sitting on it. We learned that last week the town Police Chief was assassinated by the drug runners. Welcome to Mexico!

We arrive in Nuevo Casa Grandes in the late afternoon having had our first experiences of Latin driving. Cor Blimey! Lets not worry about speed limits, solid lines in the middle of the roads or anything technical like that. At Nuevo the very cool pool beckons us and after a swim and cool down and a couple of beers a group of us (including Karen and Lorraine) wander into town. The pavements are like an obstacle course. We pick the diviest of dive bars and order cervesa's which come in the can, plus limes and salt. The limes, contrary to 80's fashion, are not for taste but to wipe the bottle / can with to kill any germs! The salt is to add to the beer to kill the fizz so you can drink more. The large señoritas serving the drinks are, we think also ladies of ill repute, as we have been warned that, in Mexico, bars with wild west style swing half doors at the entrance are for Caballero's only as women will be provided, and there is no bringing your own. However we have a second beer mainly to show we are not intimidated and then leg it to a shabby local restaurant.

Northern Mexico is a surprise with a few straight and dull roads across farmland, but lots of lovely hills with winding roads and trees scattered over the dairy fields like the little round lichen trees you used to stick on the scenery of model train sets. Mountains with canyons and rocky outcrops providing twisty hairpin laden roads complete the picture. However these need to be treated with extreme caution because A) Scattering gravel over them randomly seems to pass for a repair B) Not “repairing” them and leaving potholes you could lose a 4x4 in is acceptable C) No Mexican stays on his side of the white line especially if he has a locally built Kemex Kenworth 45 ton or double trailered 85 ton truck (NB: Double trailer rigs drift even further across the line) D) Free roaming Donkeys, Horses, Goats or Cows (more of this later) are liable to be right where you least expect them. If ever the training mantra of ride so you can stop in what you can see has ever been more appropriate I don't know when. We lunch at Gerrero in the square. The lady restaurateur is very pleased to see us due to lack of scaredy cat Americans. It is Sunday and the locals are all out in the finest either cruising in their pick ups or going to / coming from Mass. All very civilised. We arrive at Creel which is a Mexican one horse town and very quaint too. Down at heel has been passed and we are through the heel to the ankle. Sat out in the courtyard of the Hacienda drinking with Kevin and Julia which was very pleasant after the late afternoon rain.

85 miles to do today. Pah I hear you cry what's the point of getting the bike out. Today we are riding to Batopilas. This is an old silver mining town (now dry of silver) which still boasts an 1100 population. We have the Hacienda there booked out all to ourselves. The only thing about it is th#at Batopilas is at the end of the road (all but 6 miles) in Copper Canyon. Never Heard of it? Copper Canyon is deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon. However the sides are not shear drops so you don't get the same initial breath taking drop. The other difference is there is a a road to the bottom of Copper Canyon, dropping over two thousand metres in forty miles. Well when I say road I mean gravel road. Well not all gravel there is the mud, stream crossings and sand. When I say road, more goat track at times. Well not so much goat track as.... I think you get the picture. One section has thirty consecutive hairpin bends (gravel and rocks) as you descend so fast you almost fall down the mountain. Guide books suggest a 4x4 and 4-6 hours to drive the 45 miles. Oh and when you arrive at Batopolis and have a nice relaxing peaceful day off there is only one road out - the same one you came in on. Suffice to say there were plenty of fallers, luckily (some might say skilfully) not us though. Lots of bruises and bruised pride and bent panniers and crash bars but all OK. When we arrive we ask where the garage for the bikes is as the sign says estacionment por moto. However in signs and broken English, Señor explains that it was washed away in the last heavy rains, so just park on the side of the single track road next to the thirty foot drop into the river!

The day off allows us to take a local Jeep tour to the newly restored Cathedral. See picture of “Jeep” to appreciate we are not talking costa del sol tour. The Cathedral was built by the Jesuits, as the centre of the Diocese for Copper Canyon. They then found that it sat on a huge silver reserve and clearly thinking this was God's reward for their missionary work nicked most of it. Just to make sure the locals didn't get too much, mining was restarted in the early 1900's by a former Governor of Washington, who was a friend of the Mexican President of the time and he nicked the rest. Colonialism at its best.

Another night in the former mine managers hacienda, now rustic hotel and we have to ride out. It has rained torrentially over night and the gentle river outside the hotel is now a torrent of brown froth. Now it is largely up hill. And I hate to say it but loads of fun. Karen and I forge ahead mainly by chance and lead the way out for most of the morning. The early morning clouds roll around the many false peaks of the canyon and the sun light bursts through in bright rays. We make it out in one piece and the right way up, which puts us in the minority. The range of fallers is from Al, who dropped his bike while getting back on it after helping Paul out of a ditch, to Ed and Lorraine who went down three times, once face first into a two foot deep wet, sandy almost plaster of paris consistency water splash. They got the Mark Spitz award, although they did look like they had been plastering a ceiling in full bike gear, badly.

The rest of the day doesn't disappoint as we ride in a group of four ably led by Nigel (risky as he is ex army occifer and his nick name due to his navigation skills is round the corner Richardson) through a never ending run of twisty and interesting roads to Parrel. Our first Mexican city. We arrive at 5pm and it looks like a dump. From the quiet off off the beaten track and Spanish beauty of Batopilas to the the USA inspired (oh look McDonald's) dump of Parrel. Dinner next door, lots of congratulating ourselves for all making it through Copper Canyon and a quiet night is on the cards. Lets have Tequila shots to celebrate says some-one. No don't buy shots, if there are still seven of us drinking its cheaper to buy a litre bottle. Why we bought the second bottle and how we drunk it is still not clear. Suffice to say we did. Jim, one of our American riders went to Woodstock (among many other fascinating things he has done) What was it like. “I can't remember” Those who were really there usually can't - On a slightly smaller scale the cantina in Parrel has achieved the same status.

Big day today with 400 miles to Zacatecas and the Emporio 5 star hotel, opposite the Cathedral. Day started oddly though when 10 miles out of town we stop to find Danielle has hit a cow! While staying upright she has shortened the front of the bike by a couple of inches, covered it in cowshit and sprained her wrist. She is badly shaken (we assume the cow is as well but she wandered off) and so she and the bike spend the rest of the day in the van. Main roads today and now the real quality of Mexican driving is to be seen. The road is one lane each way but both have a hard shoulder the size of a small car or a half a truck. The trucks and buses having achieved their 70 - 85 mph cruising speed (I kid you not) are not slowing for any-one. So as they approach a hill the slower ones move to the hard shoulder and the faster one's over take straddling the white line. Three abreast 85 ton trucks is a common occurrence However it is common to still be two abreast as they crest the hill. If coming the other way it is the same then carnage will follow. The number of crosses and shrines on the sides of the roads testifies to this. As we approach Zacatecas we are caught in another torrential rain storm, with lightening to scare even the hardiest of kite fliers. The hotel is superb and located on the main square where tonight for one night only as part of the celebration of the founding in Zacatecas (we think) Carlos somebody the stud of Mexican pop music is performing a free concert to flower throwing, screaming, know all the lyrics Mexicans. Its great fun and the whole town is alive. Carlos Famous Mexican, and his dancers, and the local beauty queen and three runners up are staying in our hotel . Jeff our van man lets them have his best Spanish chat up lines but ends up empty handed.

Zacatecas is a beautiful colonial style town with Spanish architecture, narrow streets and walkways here there and everywhere. More time and some sunshine are needed to explore it properly, but we only have one night as we leave for San Miguel Allemande in the morning. Described by a Zacatecas local as the most beautiful town in Mexico. We are staying in an old Monastery so lets see....

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Photos

Who shall we invade next
A bit of spare capacity for the USAF

Nick ably descending Copper Canyon
The tree in the right of this shot is 40 - 50 feet tall, you are just seeing the top of it due to the shear drop...

Jeep Tour
Karen is in the back of this pick up along with 8 other people, Hey three hour tour for $10 you don't get luxury...

Wish you were here?
Great Roads, Nice Scenary, Lunatic locals (missing form this shot)

Copper Canyon
If you look very closely you can see the winding road and bridge at the bottom of the canyon...

Taking a break
Little rest on the excellent surface of Copper Canyon