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Published: April 14th 2009
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April 12, Sunday
Happy Easter ! We packed up, met for breakfast again, and then said our goodbyes to Rafa, Neder and Carla. They had to hit the tollway to Vera Cruz, about 10 hours and 800+ kilometers of hard riding in front of them. Deb and I had a nice easy days ride to Palanque, only about 210 kilometers away. This time we took it pretty easy, and I was able to see much more of the views than before when I was mainly paying attention to what was coming on the next curve I was carving. Around lunch time I pulled over at what I thought was an overlook, with maybe a little convenience store. Instead it was a great little restaurant, with a world class view overlooking a beautiful valley, and some Mayan ruins. Sadly, it was a bit hazy today, so we didn’t quite get the full affect. Next stop was at Cascada Agua Azul, translation - Falls water blue - or Bluewater Falls.. This was a very crowded, but very pretty spot, with swimming, food and vendors galore. Deb went in for a swim, as once we were down out of the mountains, the temp
climbed quickly up to 95 f. (35C) Again the bike created great interest, and again I had ridden right up to the very entrance and gotten a parking spot. I love motorcycling in Mexico ! We sampled several food items, fruit in a cup, empenadas filled with chicken, cheese or potato, some kind of cinnamon - sugar tortilla, must be the Mexican version of a donut, and even a coffee ( Nescafe of course). On to Palanque, we found a hotel a half block from the plaza, the Hotel Palanque of course, and the biggest draw was that it had a pool. We were steamy hot and dripping with humidity. I think we’d been spoiled up in the mountains. This one cost 730 pesos, but it’s worth it with the pool, and very secure parking. That 730 seems pretty steep compared to the other recent hotels, but it’s still only $55. We took swim, then did a little wandering around the vendors in the plaza. There was some great music going on, and lots of interesting items for sale. I bought a turquoise bracelet, (turquese) and a T-shirt. I haven’t purchased many souvenirs, since there’s not much room left to
pack stuff on Bear, but I figure I’ll have room for a piece of jewelry or two, and I can always leave an old T-shirt behind to make room for a new one. Bed time in the air-conditioning was a welcome moment.
April 13, Monday
Nice late sleep, and then downstairs for the free continental breakfast, a fruit plate with yogurt and granola added to the bill. I got going on the computer to finish up my taxes ( uck ) and Deb took some laundry to the Lavendaria, and a box of clothes to the post office for mailing home. She had to make a little room for some of her purchases. This is another “benefit” of touring on a bike. You really have to make decisions about how much stuff you can buy along the way. It does help keep the budget under control. We took a little swim again, and wandered around the plaza, and down some of the side streets as well. I bought a pair of jeans to replace the pants I’ve been wearing which are getting pretty thin in some important sections. The jeans I bought earlier were not doing well either,
so I’ll be leaving them behind too. Guess that’s what I get for buying cheapo jeans in Mexico. After a few communications with the home front to get some data for the tax man, and some few hours getting up to date with the blog, it’s time to hit the sack again here in Palanque
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david
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Awesome Fun
I am enjoying the read. Keep it coming. Happy Easter late!