Finding Iraq in Mexico
10/23/16
Nuevo Laredo, Mex
to Las Los Lunas hotel and bar near La Leona, Mex
460.5 kilometers
ridden.
Was a slow start
to the day for me but not terrible. The same couple that had been going at it
so loudly last night decided to start their morning the same way.
Breakfast was much
better than most continental affairs and I ate scrambled eggs and fresh fruit
with a glass of orange juice that I ate in the room. I got a shower and
realized just how bad my hair has become without conditioner, I think I would
have pulled half my hair out if I had been in a hurry. Before leaving I got to Skype
with Cat for a bit this morning while I packed and we talked about her game
against Rage City Orange Crush the night before.
With my bags packed I got the bike
loaded and answered some questions from a local who wanted to know about the
bike and then about my trip. I gave him some details asI set my GPS for
Monterrey and rode out.
I spent most of
the morning locked in my own head and on edge. My guts were in a tight knot of
tension and anxiety. The way the center median was set up, the colors of the
run down buildings on each side of the road, signs I couldn't read, it all
reminded me of Iraq and specifically Baghdad.
Once I started to
reign it all in I found myself humming and singing in my helmet without any
music on. It took me a few moments to realize it was the same two songs I had
listened to before every mission in Iraq. I hadn't heard either of them in at
least a year and likely longer yet there I was belting them out. When I
realized what it was the tension was back, though with a giggle. I fought to relax again but as I cleared the city the scent of burning garbage dragged me right back to Iraq.
I rode smoothly
until a bit low on fuel when I stopped for gas and had my first point and mime
contest with the attendant at the Pemex station. 163 pesos later I had a full
tank again and set off for Monterrey.
My GPS only had
the city center marked as best I could tell so I followed it most of the way
looking for a roadside food stand that I could watch the bike from. I went
through outskirts where the stands had been and right on into a bustling down
town. The press of traffic was everywhere and traffic rules appeared to be more
like suggestions by the way drivers were acting.
I could feel
myself getting angry and realized I needed food and caffeine or it was only
going to get worse. I began to circle the city center trying to find a food
stand but it just seemed like a shopping district and it was all fast food
chains and no parking where I could watch the bike.
I finally pulled
over and tried to connect to Wi-Fi to see if I could find any help or contact
the Monterrey Rollergirls. I had no luck and was only getting more angry for no
reason. I gave up and just programmed the GPS for San Lois Pottasi and decided
that I should push as far south as possible.
On the way out of
town I stopped at a 7/11 with a federal police car out front and had a Lipton mango
iced tea, a sandwich that I think was ham, and a bag of sour cream and cheddar
potato chips. A quick bathroom stop and I was back on the road.
I was still
feeling angry, but much less so. I had gotten so spoiled by voice navigation
with Google Maps that my silent GPS and the strange and cramped traffic made me
yell in my helmet many times as I missed turns or simply couldn't understand
where it wanted me to go. I ended up on a
route through what looked to be a more affluent residential area on the hill
overlooking town. It reminded me a bit of the hills above Santa Barbara.
It took me a bit
to get onto the highway and heading south but once I was it was a pretty smooth
shot. I ended up stopping for
some tacos, a monster and some sort of chocolate swiss-roll thing with
pineapple I tried on a whim. After I ate I was
working on my journal when a man came in and sat at the table with me. His name
was Frank and he introduced himself as a motorcyclist who rides a Harley. We
chatted and it turned out he was in Mexico, but driving his Cadillac, because
he needed his knee replaced. Frank said he lives in South Carolina where his
bike was and that I was living his his dream. He wanted to hide his motorcycle
from his home to Ushuaia someday.
While we were
talking I got asked by the staff if the couldy take a picture with me and I said
yes and stepped up. When they got one with their phone I asked if we could take another. I grabbed my phone and took my first pictures with Mexican citizens.
It was a replica of the one the two had asked for and then I took a selfie with
the third woman working the shop.
When I sat back
down with frank we swapped some stories and he gave me some info on riding in
Mexico before I finished and excused myself to the bathroom. Frank came out to
see me off as I was packing up to leave.
The rest of the
ride was just slab but I did have to stop and put on my rain gear after a bit.
As it started to
get dark I began to look for a hotel, I had no luck initially and ended up
following a smaller side road to where my GPS showed a town. I rode in and felt
very much like I was back in a small Iraqi village. My hackles were up and
kidnapping and robbery warnings were fresh in my mind.
I chose a small
shop to stop in and use my phrase book to try and ask about a hotel. I guess my
pronunciation was terrible because the proprietor looked very puzzled. I
managed to get hotel stated but when he gave me directions he felt like I
wasn't understanding. He called a friend to come translate for him and asked me
to wait a moment.
I asked him for a
bathroom and when he worked out that I only needed to pee he just directed me
around behind the building to a corner. When I looked confused he shook his
head yes, mimed peeing, and pointed to the wall.
Relived, I
returned to the front and found a nice man had come down in his white flat bed
Nissan pickup and asked me what was up. He was able to give me directions to
the hotel and told me it was nice, secure, and cheap. When I thanked him he
told me he used to live in North Carolina.
I followed his
directions back to the hotel while purple lightning lit up the mountains as I rode back north.
I got to the
hotel and again someone had to come speak with me because I simply couldn't
accurately communicate quickly in Spanish. The guy came over
from the kitchen and spoke good English. He told me the room would be 500
pesos. I suspect it was the gringo price and while I stood there thinking he
quickly offered that it was $41 US. I agreed to the price and paid with a
single 500 peso note. I asked about internet and included meals and was told no
internet was available and that no food was included.
I asked where I
could park the bike and when they showed me the entryway I was perfectly happy.
Apparently I didn't look happy as they promptly said I could park it inside the
lobby.
I went up to the
room and the desk clerk followed me and showed me the room as if I were unhappy
and needed reassured. The room was basic but nice and had a private bathroom.
I dropped some of
my gear and and walked down to bring the bike in. I rode it slowly up onto the
stairs as they were at a 45 degree angle to how I could approach them and with
the rain I knew the marble would be slick. I got it up and to the door but we had
to open the second half of the glass door to get the bike in. The marble was
incredibly slick and having to make a 90 degree left immediately inside the
door, which included a single step down, was a bit nerve-wracking. I got it in
alright and proceeded to unpack and carry gear to my room. the stairs went up
through a semi landing and then through a semicircular cutout in the floor
above. Due to my height I had to duck to get across the landing going up or
down.
After unloading I
changed out of moto gear and went down to the restaurant. Just a moment after
sitting, the power went out to the whole building and I was forced to use my
phone for light. I ordered a full arrachara steak dinner at the recommendation of the
waiter, who was the one who spoke English and had helped me at the front desk.
The food was great and included tortillas, guacamole, fried potato wedges,
refried beans with cojito cheese and some sort of sausage in addition to the
steak. I ended up making it all into yummy tacos which I washed down with a
Corona.
After dinner I
retreated to my room where I proceeded to catch up on file transfers from
cameras and finish writing my journal.
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