USA Arrival and Canadian Gold

It has been a little while since the last update. We are back in the US, after a couple of long days covering over 1000km through Mexico to Laredo TX. The ride included mountains, an impromptu mountaintop meal, a last night of Mexican food, and, after almost 10000 miles and only 2 hours from the US border, Pete being hit by a Ford F150. (More on that from Pete)

We headed to Victoria which included one last crossing of the Sierra Madres. The shock for us was that we hit cold air, starting one day at 50F. For the first time in over a month jeans were worn under our riding pants and the jacket liners were zipped in. The scenery was great, and near east of Mexico City there was snow on the mountain tops.

At one stage I stopped to take a picture of a bus stop. ( see pics). Once off the bike a couple of women approached and asked to take my picture, offered coffee, called their friends over, etc. Seems not to many people stop at this spot. Pete arrived a minute later, and soon we were offered lunch. Seems that the ladies had a little side of the road food stand and were drumming up business. If you stop you are a potential client. We ate their offering (not sure what is was). It was tasty, and we paid 10 pesos ( 80 cents) for three something-or-others. The ladies drummed up business and cooked us lunch for less than $2.

We spent out last night in Mexico in Victoria. Pete wanted one last Mexican meal so we walked over to a hole in the wall and ordered some sort of chicken thingy. It wasn't bad. The good news is that we both spent over a month in Mexico and Central America and didn't get sick, against most odds.

After Pete was drilled by a real greasy Mexican hotshot we kinda looked forward the getting to the US, and took the toll road from to the border. The zip across the desert was very very very windy. We hit the US border tired, hungry, gas lights blinking, and badly needing to do laundry.

After a night in Laredo we went to Dilley TX to Hank's place ( MotoHank.com) to change oil and tires. Hank is great and was there on a Saturday to help. The Suzuki VStroms didn`t miss a beat through hot, sometimes dirty and long days and were in need of a look over. ( I couldn`t wait to get the knobby tires off, Pete love`s èm).

We met a guy named Pat Kelly at Hank`s. Pat is a BMW rider and was getting some work done by Hank. Pat insisted that we stay with him in San Antonio that night, so we did. He actually took us out for dinner and offered his two rooms ( He said he preferred the couch). Pat was great. We used his laundry, hot coffee in the morning, and he even escorted us out of town to the highway ( I10 east).

We headed east with an eye on the clock, hoping to be settled by 2:00 local so we could watch the Canada - USA Hockey game. We were the only ones in the Best Western in Sealy Texas and watch Canada strike gold. Was there ever a doubt

Tomorrow - more east - toward New Orleans.

Tony


Snow covered Mexican mountains

Representing the country during the Olympics, actually nobody in Mexico knew anything about the winter Olympics but most had heard of Canada

When the hillsides are this steep the bus stops need legs

Roadside streetmeat stand

Lunch (don`t ask too many questions) but it was good.

Gloria, Angela, Susan, and their lunch customers

Ladies from the hills ( lunch village stop) The one on the right kinda made me a bit nervous. Not sure why.

One last Mountain pic.

Our host, Pat Kelly, in San Antonio just prior to morning departure.

Hey, Sid is from the Maritimes too.