Clubhouse Dinner

Day 27 – Mazatlan to Guamuchil

The weather is getting warmer, especially as you move away from the coast. Shortly after lunch we passed through Culiacan, a city with close to 1M inhabitants. It was hot and we got lost. Not fun at all. Eventually we found our way onto hwy 15 north. Overall the GPS helped, but at times, I found it was more confusing than helpful.

We arrived in Guamuchil late afternoon and as is common practise, we followed the signs to “el centro”, parked the bikes and started looking for a hotel. As Lee walked around the corner to see if there was any sign of a hotel, Linda and I were approached by a local gentleman (Victor). He spoke some English and told us that there was a motorcycle club in town and that he would like to invite us to come over. He also offered to help us find a hotel. As he was explaining this Lee came back to tell us that he had spoken to a couple of police officers on bicycles and they were waiting to lead us to a hotel. Victor agreed to meet us in a half an hour so we jumped on the bikes and followed the cops on bicycles.

The ride behind the two cops was interesting. To get to the hotel, they led us through 3 stop signs and then the wrong way down a one way street! The hotel fit the bill, so we checked in, quickly showered, changed and hurried back to meet Victor.

By the time we got back to meet Victor he had made some calls and we were met another member of the club. Javier could speak very good English and explained more about the club and the motorcycle community in Guamuchil.

There are not a lot of larger motorcycles in Mexico. They are expensive and difficult to import. Because of this the motorcycle community is fairly small. The club numbers about 70 members. I would think that the club members would represent the majority on motorcycle owners in this community of 100,000 people. They ride all sorts of motorcycles from sport bikes, to cruisers to off road bikes.

We were invited to their clubhouse for beers and dinner. One of the members likes to cook and prepares meals nearly every night of the week. Everyone who shows up chips in for the food and drink. Since we were the invited guests, some calls were made and about 25 members showed up to greet us and have dinner. Indio is the cook. When he heard that we liked chicken he made a fabulous chicken stew. I have no idea what it would be called, but it was very good. Several of the members could speak some English so between their English and our Spanish we traded stories all evening. We eventually made it back to the hotel about 1:30am.

We can’t thank the club members enough for their hospitality. They made us feel very welcome. We would also like to extend a special thank you to Victor for taking the time to approach us and extend the invitation. This event was a memorable highlight of our trip. We hope to make it back here again.

We didn’t get up too early this morning.

Day 28 – Guamuchil to Navohoa, Sonora

Another hot, windy day, but only 270K. We made good time because Highway 15 is mostly 4 lanes now. The free 2 lane hwy 15 has ended and the only road north now is a toll road. At this point I don’t mind. Much of the road is mainly across the Sonora Desert. As far as I’m concerned, the less time we spend on the road the better. One good point about the toll roads here is that the toll also gives you break down coverage. Hopefully we don’t need it is nice to have.

Tomorrow we are planning to go to San Carlos on the coast of the Gulf of California.

How Much Will It Cost?

Day 26 – Mazatlan April 28, 2008

Today we find out what is wrong with Lee’s bikes. We had made arrangements to meet Antonio, who was storing Lee’s bike, at 10 am. We were there early waiting for both Antonio and Ramone to arrive at their respective shops. Ramone arrived first and we explained the problem. He told us that he would look at the bike. When Antonio arrived we rolled Lee’s bike next door to Eurobike Motors and Ramone and one of his employees started work on it. Within 15 minutes Ramone had found the problem and went ahead to rectify it. Thankfully it was not as serious as we had thought. It was a loose throttle body intake connection. Cleaning the air filter and tightening the connection was all that was needed.

Linda and I left Lee with the bike and started to walk back to the hotel. About ½ way back we saw Lee with his bike stopped in an intersection. He was off the bike and speaking to a police officer. We walked over to see what what happening. The police officer was in the process of removing Lee’s licence plate. Once the bike was repaired, Lee decided to ride it back to the hotel. He was stopped for not wearing a helmet. He probably could have talked his way out of a ticket if he had been carrying his licence, registration and insurance but since he didn’t expect the bike to be repaired while he waited, all these things were at the hotel. To make a long story short, Lee paid the $45. fine and took a taxi to the hotel and back to get the necessary gear to ride the bike. The fine was more than the repair costs... they only cost $35 . Even added together the cost was a lot less than expected!

After assessing the remaining time and distance we have decided not to take the ferry to the Baja. It would cost about $360. for Linda and I and the bike. We plan to ride north out of Mazatlan and check out a few towns along the way.

Cooling it in Mazatlan

Day 25 – Mazatlan April 27, 2008

Up early and out walking by 8am down the main inland road paralleling the beach. We were looking for place to get a cup of coffee. Eventually we came across the Panama Restaurant and Bakery... obviously a very popular breakfast spot. Even though it had a significant North American influence, it was popular with many Mexicans. The food and service was good. It was one of the first places that we had been in where there was a sense of urgency. The staff really hustled. It is a bit too much like "Dennie's" though.

We have been putting on plenty of kilometres over the past few days. Not on the bikes but on the sandals! The main beach (Playa Norte) is about 5 K long. There is a promenade the full length and then another couple of kilometres south to the Playa Sur.

The afternoon was spent swimming and drinking beer at Carlos’s place on the beach.

Back In Mazatlan

Sunset on the beach at Novillero. Fishing boats in foreground.

Dancing in the plaza in front of our hotel

Day 21 – Sayulita to Playa Novillero


After a late night on the town, bar crawling and dancing, we were unable to get an early start. I didn’t feel my best today and once we moved away from the coast it was very hot. Hwy 15 is a busy road. There is a lot of truck traffic. This combined with plenty of small towns and the accompanying topes dropped our average speed below 50 kph. (6 hours to travel just under 300 K)
As we approached Playa Novillero there was noticeable drop in temperature, thanks to the on-shore breeze. We had visited Playa Novillero on our last trip so we knew what to expect. When we arrived the hotel operator remembered us and when we went for supper, the restaurant owner also remembered us.
Speaking of food... we discovered “ceviche”. It is a raw seafood dish. Seafood and vegetables are marinated in lime juice. Various seafoods can be used, fish, squid, scrimp, etc. On tonight’s menu was ceviche de camarones (scrimp).
This morning we are riding to Mazatlan to catch the ferry to the Baja. We have 2 conflicting ferry schedules. We should be able to catch one today or tomorrow.



Day 22 – Playa Novillero to Mazatlan


The day started out like any other but an unexpected event has demanded a change of plan.
About 90K out of Mazatlan Lee’s bike suddenly started running rough. At the first opportunity we found some shade at a Pemex station and tried to diagnose the problem. His bike was still running but as if on one cylinder, sputting and backfiring, stalling at low engine speeds. We could not find any obvious problems, loose wires, disconnected vacuum hoses, etc. We changed a spark plug but we could not rectify the problem.
The guys at the Pemex station told us that there was no one in town that could help and that we would find help in Mazatlan. Luckily the bike ran well enough to get to the city. On the way Lee noticed a motorcycle repair shop so we stopped to ask them if there was a Suzuki dealership in Mazatlan. They gave us directions that helped us find the dealership. Communication is a bit of a problem, but the people could not be more friendly and accommodating.
We arrived at the dealership a few minutes after 2pm.... siesta time! The dealership is closed between 2 and 4pm. It was scheduled to re-opened between 4 and 6 so Linda and I went to get some hotel rooms while Lee waited with the bike. Luckily we had stopped in Mazatlan on the way down so we knew are way around (to some extent) and we already knew of a nice, inexpensive hotel... the Del Rio. After getting settled in the hotel and a quick bite to eat, I went back to see Lee, just as the dealership reopened.
After talking to the dealer we discovered that he did not have a service dept but he gave us directions to an independent shop, “Euromotor”, located a couple of K from the dealership. We hobbled over to the general area to find senor Ramone but couldn’t find it. We stopped to ask again and luckily, again, we were next door to Euromotor. Unfortunately, Ramone had gone to Durango and would not be back until Monday!
This, of course, presented us with the problem of what to do with Lee’s bike until Monday. At this point it is hardly running. We discussed leaving the bike in front of the shop and asked the guys next door at the car stereo shop if they thought that idea might be OK. They told us emphatically that it was not a good idea. At this point, the owner of the car stereo store, Antonio, offered to store Lee’s bike in the back of his shop until Monday. After a round of introductions, handshakes and big smiles we manoeuvred Lee’s bike into the tight space at the back of the shop. We promised to be back at 10 am Monday then Lee jumped on the back of my bike and we headed back to the hotel.
We won’t know the extent of the necessary repairs to Lee’s bike until Monday (or later). We think that the problem could be related to ignition timing. An electronic module may have failed or the timing chain may have stretched and jumped a link. In either case a quick fix is unlikely. Mazatlan is not a bad place to be for a few days. There is lot’s to see and do. The accommodation is comfortable and inexpensive.
We just came back from walking to the ferry port to confirm the schedule and rates. The passenger ferry leaves for the Baja on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Depending on how long it takes to repair Lee’s bike we may not take the ferry but return north on the mainland. The ferry is quite expensive. For Linda and I plus the motorcycle is roughly $350. one way. There is no point in taking the ferry if we don’t have time to explore the Baja.
Will update the blog when we have new info.

Leaving Sayulita

Just a quick note to let you know that Lee arrived in Sayulita yesterday and we are packing up to go to Playa Novillero and on the Mazatlan on Friday.

We have conflicting information on the ferry schedule. We will take the ferry to La Paz either Friday or Saturday.

Back In Sayulita

Day 18 – Barra de Navidad to Sayulita

After coffee downtown, we packed up and rode 20K north to La Manzanilla for breakfast. Manzanilla is small beach community but with plenty of restaurants and rental accommodation. It also has a camp ground near the laguna. The laguna is full of crocodiles which, according to locals, only eat the occasional dog or cat. With this in mind, I might avoid this campground if you are not comfortable with crocs or if I had a dog or small kids. Also, La Manzanilla also has a Spanish language school. I am told that it is pretty good.

Back in Sayulita we took a room at the Sayulita RV park. A neat little room with our own outdoor kitchen/eating area, complete with fridge and hot plate. The 4 small units share a bathroom but there is another bathroom in the building next door.

We plan stay here for 3 days. Lee is going to meet us here on Wednesday. On Thursday we will go up to Playa Novillero and on Friday take the ferry to La Paz, Baja Sur.

Believe me! This margarita is as big as it looks.


Sayulita es muy romantica.


A salsa band playing on the beach.

Barra de Navidad

The Beach at Barra de Navidad

Day 16 – Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad

After a leisurely breakfast and email check we packed up and left the big city resort. The route south of PV winds inland and climbs a few hundred metres before returning to the “happy coast” (Costalegre).

We arrived in Barra de Navidad at 2 pm and looked for a hotel. It has been evident since we reached the Mexican coast that prices have climbed over the past two years. Beach towns such as Sayulita and Barra de Navidad are not super expensive but they are not the bargain that they used to be. Nice hotel rooms can still be had for $35 to $50, a little more for beach front.

There is a good selection of restaurants too with moderate but not expensive prices. We ate at “Sea Master” restaurant. It is located on the beach with 2 open air levels. Linda and I shared a order of guacamole and a chicken fajita dish. They were both excellent. The guacamole was particularly tasty with nice fresh ingredients. With a couple of beer the bill came to $16. and there was more than we could eat.

We are going to stay here one more day before going to Sayulita.

Mexican timber framing??? Dave, I think these guys could use your help.

Into Jalisco

Puerto Vallarta... fancy, fancy, fancy!!!


Happy Linda at happy hour

Day 15 – Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta

Linda arrived today. Yahoo! She had a good flight that arrived on time. Sure glad to see her.

This morning Lee and I rode into PV together. I had picked a hotel out of the guide book that is located in old PV. We parted company near the hotel and Lee continued south on the coastal highway (200). I went into town to find the hotel.

The one I had selected had no vacancies but there was another nice looking hotel across the street, so I went in to inquire about a room. After I had asked for a room, the fellow behind the desk politely ask me if I knew that this was a gay hotel. I explained that I needed the room for myself and my wife. After a nice discussion he recommended a hotel around the corner. I took his recommendation. Later I smiled as I tried to imagine what might have transpired if Lee and I had both gone in to this hotel to ask for a room?

After getting the hotel room I rode back to the airport to meet Linda. This hotel, Playa Los Arcos, is a large hotel on the beach in old PV. It is very close to the hotel in which we stayed back in 1972. I have been told that PV is the fastest growing resort in Mexico. It certainly is a busy, booming place. Too busy for us, and too expensive.

Tomorrow Linda and I are also continuing south to Barra Navidad, about 200K from PV. We plan to stay there for 2 or 3 days before returning to Sayulita. Lee is planning to go further south and meet us back in Sayulita next Wednesday.

Family vehicle with safety equipment... most don't bother with helmets.



La playa a Los Corchos

Southern Nayarit

Day 14 - Playa Los Corchos to Sayulita

It stayed quiet, the most prominent noise was the breaking surf, and we were up with the sun. The only food product we brought was coffee and this was our first chance to try some. It tasted good. After packing up, we drove into Santiago for breakfast but there was not much open when we arrived. We asked a couple of locals and then opted to buy some fruit at a local fruiteria, 2 bananas and an orange each. Our cheapest breakfast yet... 4 ¼ cents!

The weather seems much warmer now that we are at sea level. Actually it is only around 30C but seems much warmer when you are in traffic and moving slowly. We also noticed that the sun is much stronger that at home. The temperature rises quickly when the sun come up.

We stopped in San Blas for lunch at a taco place just off the el centro plaza. Lee has been ordering the tacos and I have been eating the tortas. Both were very good here. Eating in Mexican restaurants is the antithesis of “fast food”. It isn’t prepared or in some cases, even bought until you order it. Eating is a leisurely activity, as perhaps it should be.

We reached Sayulita around 2:30 and rented a cabina at the Sayulita RV park. A very nice place right on the beach. I know that they have wireless internet here but getting the password has been a challenge. Anyway... it’s time for supper.

We went to the famous fish taco restaurant overlooking the plaza. Last time I was here tacos were 50 cents each. Now they are $2. We had a beer and told them their tacos were too expensive and left. We found great tacos and great company at a taco stand down the street, less than half the price. Unfortunately Sayulita is getting too popular.

Linda arrives in PV tomorrow. I'm excited. Really looking forward to her arrival.

Lee is heading off on his own for a while. Linda and I may go south the Barra Navidad before meeting up with Lee back here in Sayulita next Thursday.

Day 13 – Mazatlan to Playa Los Corchos

With freshly cleaned clothes and a day out of the saddle we left Mazatlan heading south on Hwy 15 libre. There is, or partially is, a pay road south out of Mazatlan. It does not appear to be completed yet. If you are not in a hurry (and in Mexico who is?) take the free roads, they are much more interesting.

I had visited one or two of the beaches on this route 2 years ago so we opted for the unknown. This led us to Playa Los Corchos. Much of the coast south of Mazatlan in low lying farm land and marshes. The area is rumoured to be the seat of Mayan culture but some scholars think that the rumour is more folklore that fact.

Playa Los Corchos is at the end of route 72. You must pass though Santiago Ixquintla to get there. There are no hotels, only a few “campos”. These are beach restaurant / bars with large thatched roof shelters called ramadas. We rode into the entrance to one of them and stopped to speak to the owner. We discovered that there was no problem camping on the beach so we ordered some beer and a snack. Supper was a choice of fish or shrimp. It was OK but not the best we have had on this trip.

After we set up the tents, the owners packed up and left. Other campo owners did the same and we were left on our own. The only two people on a beach that stretched to the horizon in either direction. We were told that it was quiet place (muy tranquilo) and we hoped that it stayed that way, at least for one night.

manana Sayulita

Day 8 to Day 11

A road stop for lunch... Carne Tacos

Lee big smile and an enchilada

The church in Guachochi

La Playa in Mazatlan

Day 11 – El Ranchero to Mazatlan

We were up early this morning. It was darn cold and we needed warm clothing and the heated liner. After a sparse breakfast of coffee and a bun we set course for Mazatlan. It turned out that our night stop was located just before the most interesting part of the highway. The highway winds, climbs and descends along the high ridges of the Sierra Madre and crosses the continental divide, which separates the states of Durango and Sinaloa. This road is called El Espinzola del Diablo (literally The Devil’s Spine but it is often referred to as The Devil’s Backbone.)

It is a great motorcycle road. You could average 50 to 60K per hour if you pushed it but this is not the kind of road that you ride to test you cornering skills. It is a truck route. Even if you are not following a truck, you can’t tell if one going to meet you in the middle of the road in the next tight turn. Also if a truck breaks down, there are very few places to get off the road. They might simply stop and attempt the repairs right there! There are many shrines along the road erected in memory of those who didn’t make it. With this in mind we took our time, rode the inside track and entered all turns with caution... still a great ride!

Once into Sinaloa you descend fairly rapidly and the temperature rises accordingly. We stopped for a rest and a bite to eat at Concordia, about 40K from Mazatlan. Again at a small one man operation. Essentially a tent, awning and a couple of tables. I forget the name of his specialty. A beef broth with big chunks of meat, onions, peppers and other assorted spices and vegetables served, as always, with tortias. It was very tasty.

As I mentioned before, we wanted to stay in the old Mazatlan area. Our guide book suggested a couple of hotels in the area. We picked one with parking and found it without any problems. It is a residential / business working class area a couple of blocks from the beach. A very nice place. We have separate rooms for 200 pesos each and we brought the bikes in though a side door and parked them in the lobby.... no problema. It turns out that we are only 2 blocks from where Linda, Jen, Dave and I stopped to check our map after we got off the ferry from La Paz on the last trip.

We spent the afternoon strolling down the beach promenade stopping at various restaurants to sample their cervaza. Time for supper now.
We decided to stay in Mazatlan another day and catch up on the laundry. (I didn´t think that it was fair to meet Linda on Friday and say... ¨by the way we need to do some laundry¨)

Dave... we discovered the perfect bar. Each table has a hole in the middle for a bucket. If you order a bucket of Pacifico (10 bottles) you get all the free food you want.... camarones, pollo, pescado, etc. It is a local bar too.

Tomorrow we are heading south to another beach location... yet to be decided. Looking forwar to Linda´s arrival.



Day 10 – Rodeo to El Ranchero

Tonight we are staying at El Ranchero Restaurante y Cabanas, a family run business with a restaurant and cabins of all sizes. At first they thought we needed the 4 bedroom with kitchen, only 1000 pesos!? We settled on a one bedroom unit for 350 pesos. We thought that the price included breakfast, but it didn’t. We left feeling that we had been misled. We discovered latere that there is another hotel about an hour closer to Mazatlan. Perhaps this would have been a better choice... next time???

We are in the mountains on Hwy 40 from Durango to Mazatlan about 45K west of El Salto. It is a winding 2 lane highway and the main route across the sierras. El Salto is a town about halfway between Durango and Mazatlan. It was our intended destination but we could not find a hotel. It is a very rough looking town so we didn’t look very hard. A few kilometres down the road we saw a sign for this place. Apparently there isn’t much accommodation along this route.
Hwy 40 is a great motorcycle road. It would be better without the truck traffic but this is the road they use. There is a “Cuota” (toll divided highway) from Durango to Mazatlan but it is partially under construction. It won’t take much of the truck traffic off highway 40 though. The tolls are too expensive.

We are still at 2600 metres elevation here. For so far south, it is pretty cool this evening. A jacket is necessary. The temperature should be more tropical tomorrow when we get down to sea level.

We are approximately 3 hours from Mazatlan, which our destination for tomorrow. I have stayed in the newer part on Mazatlan. This time we are looking for a place in the old city.

Day 9 – Guachochi to Rodeo, Durango

Up again with the roosters. We had an early breakfast and continued south for a longer day on the road. We covered 467 kilometres before stopping for the day in Rodeo. The first part of the trip to Hidalgo del Parrar was an interesting ride. Nice winding road though pine forest. Unlike in the BC mountains where roads follow the river valleys, the roads here follow the ridges. Instead of looking up at the peaks, the scenery here is primarily the canyons and valley below you. We were riding between 2000 and 2700 metres ASL until we descended to the desert floor.

After Hidalgo del Parrar the topography changed to high desert. There was on stretch of straight road for 100+ kilometres. Because of this, we made good time and arrived in Rodeo before 4 pm.
Approaching Hidalgo del Parrar we stopped for lunch at a road side stand. In the lean-to beside the stand there was a fire burning and a fresh steer hide hanging on a rack. It was obvious that the steer had recently been butchered and the meat cooked. A large pot, over the fire, was being used to the render the fat and which was then poured off into waiting containers. This stand was busy place. We had to wait while people ahead of us purchased fresh meat. We ordered 6 beef tacos. There were served with a hot salsa and fresh onions. Very tasty!

It appears that we are the only tourists in Rodeo. We stopped at on hotel on the highway to inquire about rooms. They had one but it was very basic. We like basic, but not for 400 pesos ($40.). I had spotted another sign so we rode off the highway to find the Camino Real. It is basic too but half the price. In the yard are budgies, chickens, roosters and a dog. My guess is we will be up early tomorrow morning!

Day 8 - Batopilas to Guachochi

Nature’s alarm goes off early in Mexican towns. This morning’s alarm was a symphony of roosters crowing, morning doves cooing and dogs barking. We were up early enough to take a stroll around town and observe the morning activities As is common in Mexico, some residents were out washing and sweeping the street in from of their home, the kids were on their way to school in their meticulously clean uniforms and a truck came round the corner loaded with Mexico’s most common building material, cement. After taking a few pictures we headed back to the unnamed restaurant for a home cooked breakfast. Excellent Huevos Mexicanos.

It took 3 hours and 15 minutes to ride back to Highway 23. Both Lee and I dumped the bike once on the way up, thanks to loose gravel and dirt. We were both almost stopped at the time so no injuries to either our bodies or the bikes. At one point we encountered a truck coming in the opposite direction. Lee was ahead of me. When I caught up, Lee and the truck were both stopped nose to nose on the narrow road. Luckily there was place that I could pull off the road and park my bike. Then Lee and I manhandled his bike toward the ditch to allow just enough room for the truck to pass. The ride to Batopilas and back was a dirty, dusty, tiring and exciting ride... but a great experience. One we won’t soon forget, or repeat, for that matter.

At the intersection of highway 23 and the Batopilas road is a tienda (small general store). We stopped in the parking lot to clean and lubricate our chains, inflate the tires back to highway pressure and have a bite to eat.

It was nice to be back on the pavement. The road to Guachochi is in very good condition. A nice winding road though a pine forest. Guachochi appears to be the centre of this fairly densely populated ranching and farming area. We are in the downtown area in Hotel Chaparro and seem to be the only tourists around.

Tomorrow we are planning a longer day to Rodeo, Durango

The Batopilas Adventure

Day 7 – Creel to Batopilas

Wow! What a day! We left Creel about 10:00, after a hearty breakfast, and rode highway 25 south out of Creel. The route from Creel to Batopilas consists of 75 K of paved road and 65 K of dirt and dust.

The highway ride was wonderful (and relaxing). It winds, up and down, through high pine forests with a few small lakes and farmland intermixed. As we approached the Batopilas junctions were met several other motorcycles heading north. We stopped at the intersection to air down the tires for the dirt road. As we were doing this, several motorcyclist arrived at the junction. They were all part of a tour group that had been down in “Bato” (adventure rider slang) for a couple of days. We chatted with them and they volunteered some helpful information... road conditions, what to watch for, accommodation suggestions, etc.

We started down the Batopilas road at noon. There was construction for the first 10K or so. This turned out to be an added challenge. Parts of the road we rode had been excavated and were in the process of being filled and graded. Once past the construction the road was similar to many mountain / logging roads you would encounter in the Canadian Rockies. It winds down, but not steeply though several villages and ranch land. At kilometre 27 the canyon comes abruptly into view. The road narrows and steepens into a series of switchback. Wonderful views and deadly drop-offs. There is an almost constant concern for opposite direction traffic but in most places you can see a fair way ahead and there are small, but sufficient, pull-outs to allow traffic to pass. Down, down, down you go. Back and forth until you reach the canyon floor... but you are not in Bato yet! Only just over halfway. The road crosses a plank bridge and climbs up the other side of the canyon. Then back down again. It took 3 ½ hours to reach Batopilas from the junction. It is mostly a 1st and 2nd gear journey. That includes time for water and photo stops.

We had received some advice regarding accommodation from the tour leader at the junction. Here it is... when you cross the bridge and enter Batopilas stay left. The narrow, now paved road follows the river. Keep left at every opportunity and you will arrive in el centro. There are several hotels here. The one that was recommended to us is called Casa “Real de Minas de Acanasaina”. It is located the far right corner of el centro. Good gated yard for the motos and a beautiful courtyard, in which I am currently sitting writing this report while the occasional tangerine falls off the tree above me.

There are a few restaurants and bars in Batopilas but we were advised to look for a certain home where we could get a nice dinner. This home located in a small plaza just above the end of the main street is identified by a porch and yellow painted railing. There are two tables on the porch that could seat 6 persons. There were only two meal selections. Lee and I both chose the carne (beef) enchiladas. The meals were cooked on a wood burning stove and they were excellent.

Tomorrow we are heading back to this house for breakfast before riding out of the valley and continuing south on Hwy 23 toward Durango.

First view of Batopilas Canyon

Looking down into the canyon. The road is seen in the centre of the picture

Lee riding across om¡ne of the bridges

The courtyard in our hotel in Batopilas. Red door is to our room.

The porch restaurant

Day 8 - Batopilas to Guachochi

Nature’s alarm goes off early in Mexican towns. This morning’s alarm was a symphony of roosters crowing, morning doves cooing and dogs barking. We were up early enough to take a stroll around town and observe the morning activities As is common in Mexico, some residents were out washing and sweeping the street in from of their home, the kids were on their way to school in their meticulously clean uniforms and a truck came round the corner loaded with Mexico’s most common building material, cement. After taking a few pictures we headed back to the unnamed restaurant for a home cooked breakfast. Excellent Huevos Mexicanos.

It took 3 hours and 15 minutes to ride back to Highway 23. Both Lee and I dumped the bike once on the way up, thanks to loose gravel and dirt. We were both almost stopped at the time so no injuries to either our bodies or the bikes. At one point we encountered a truck coming in the opposite direction. Lee was ahead of me. When I caught up, Lee and the truck were both stopped nose to nose on the narrow road. Luckily there was place that I could pull off the road and park my bike. Then Lee and I manhandled his bike toward the ditch to allow just enough room for the truck to pass. The ride to Batopilas and back was a dirty, dusty, tiring and exciting ride... but a great experience. One we won’t soon forget, or repeat, for that matter.

At the intersection of highway 23 and the Batopilas road is a tienda (small general store). We stopped in the parking lot to clean and lubricate our chains, inflate the tires back to highway pressure and have a bite to eat.

It was nice to be back on the pavement. The road to Guachochi is in very good condition. A nice winding road though a pine forest. Guachochi appears to be the centre of this fairly densely populated ranching and farming area. We are in the downtown area in Hotel Chaparro and seem to be the only tourists around.

Tomorrow we are planning a longer day to Rodeo, Durango

Into Mexico

El Centro Casas Grandes

Lee with a friend for Paco

Typical street scape in Casas Grandes

Looking relaxed in Cabanas el Prado in Madera, Chihuahua

Once again relaxing in the hotel in Creel

Day 4 - Silver City to Nuevo Casas Grandes

After our complimentary breakfast at the Palace Hotel in Sliver City we headed for Columbus, NM and the border crossing into the Mexican town of Las Palomas.

The crossing was uneventful. All needed facilities are at the crossing. There are “assistants’ at the crossing who help by pointing out the various offices, immigration, customs, etc. These offices are not easy to recognize. The process was made smoother by heeding occasional suggestions from our “assistant”. First we obtained our travel visa from the “migracion” office, then obtained copies of the visa, drivers licence, vehicle registration, and passport. We took these copies to the customs office (aduana) and received our vehicle permit. That’s it! A small tip for the assistant and we were on our way.

The vehicle permit cost 316 pesos (payable by Visa on receipt) and the visa cost 237 pesos (payable at any bank) The exchange rate is approximately 10 pesos to the dollar.

We arrived in Nuevo Casas Grandes about 3 pm, found Hotel Pinon, unpacked and went for a walk around town. Even off the bikes we stood out in the crowd. It seemed like we were the only tourists in town. We received lots of smiles and waves.. or perhaps they were laughing . Either way we smilled and waved back. Supper was tacos in a local outside restaurant. We tried the beef tacos and also the scrimp. Both were very good.

Tomorrow we plan the see the nearby ruins (Paquime) and then ride to Madera.


Day 5 – Nuevo Casas Grandes to Madera

After breakfast “Dennis’ Restaurante” we packed up and set course for Paquime, the ruins. In order to get to Paquime one has to go through the old town of Casas Grandes. The old town is much nicer than the new one (Nuevo). Beautiful old world charm in el centro. We stopped to take a few photos. The ruins of Paquime are what is left of a town that was abandoned some 700 years ago. It is believed that it was attacked by the Apache indians in 1340 and unearthed in the mid 20th century.

We headed south from Nuevo Casas Grandes across fairly flat farm land (They grow Pecans in this area) and stopped for lunch in Buenaventura. We stopped at a roadside cafe. A typical concrete flat roof building. In Canada or the USA you would not even consider slowing down let alone stopping to eat a place that looked like this. But this is Mexico and Mexico is the land of contradictions. The inside of the restaurant was clean and bright , the owners friendly and the food great!

Leaving Buenaventura we left the plains and into the Sierra Madre range. Leaving the semi-arid farmland behind, we climbed into pine forest on a nice winding, well maintained road to the town of Madera. We discovered that the word “Madera” in Spanish mean “lumber”. Madera is not a tourist destination but there are several hotels. The one we chose was one of the cheapest. Lee convinced me to check it out and once again we were surprised. Despite the rough look, the room, with private bath, is clean and well maintained. $200 pesos and the owners served us dinner (with beer) for another $130. If at times you are not outside your comfort zone, it’s not an adventure. {Note to Dave: Dave this is your kind of place!}

Tomorrow we are off to Creel, gateway to the Copper Canyon.

Day 6 – Madera to Creel

After a great breakfast of honest to goodness huevos rancheros we packed up and said our goodbyes to our hostess at Cabanas el Prado. She came right out to the street to wave adios .
The route today took us through a mix of high plains farmland and pine forests as we gradually gained elevation. There was strong wind out blowing of the west that tossed us around a bit and churned up some dust. The temperature is not about 16 or 17C here in Creel. I used my heated jacket at times on this leg.

We arrived in Creel around 1:45 and followed the signs to el centro. We parked by the railway station and reached for the Lonely Planet guide book. As luck would have it we were parked 20 metres from the hotel we selected. After setting in the Korachi Hotel it’s time to explore the town and find an internet connection.

Tomorrow we will ride down to Batopilas and overnight there. It a 2000 metre descent on a single lane dirt road. We plan to return to the highway the next day and make our way south towards Durango.

It might be a few days before we can get another internet connection.

Day 3 – Winslow , AZ to Silver City, NM

While Lee was scoping out a breakfast spot, I was watching the bikes. And guess what happened... Well, I'm standing on a corner In Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me....

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Right....! Perhaps this happened to Glenn Frey but not me. Of course, these are the lyrics from the Eagles hit.. “Take It Easy”

Here’s a bit of trivia gleaned from cyberspace.... “Jackson Browne wrote this for his first album, but he didn't know how to finish the song. He gave it to his friend Glenn Frey, who needed songs for his new band - the Eagles. Frey finished the song and the Eagles used it as the first song on their first album. (thanks, Bill - Johnstown, PA)”

Anyway... back to the travelogue:

We found “The Falcon” family restaurant on 3^rd Ave. It hasn’t been redecorated since Route 66 was THE highway through town, but the food and service was great. After breakfast we took I40 to Holbrook and south on hwy 87 through Snowflake, AZ and hwy 260 (the scenic route) through White Mountain National Forest and the Apache Reservation.

I’m discovering that there is a lot of high elevation terrain in “these here parts”. We climbed once again to over 9000 ft and passed by a ski hill with snow on it!! Once again the heated jackets were valuable.

We stopped for a bite to eat in Alpine Arizona. The restaurant we initially selected looked like it was busy with the after-church crowd so we opted for a local general store that advertised subway sandwiches. Unfortunately the sandwiches were not available on Sundays so we settled for a nuked burrito. Yum-yum!

The best part about travelling is the serendipitous encounters. The burrito was not so good but when motorcyclist's paths cross, there is always time for conversation. In this particular conversation with a local biker, we were redirected from our planned route and convinced to follow Hwy 191 south from Alpine. What a road! Not for the timid. For a while I thought we were already in Mexico. Narrow road, tight turns, no guard rails... incredible ride, incredible views!

We arrived in Silver City around 6:30 and sought out the old downtown area. We are in Palace Hotel, one of the original hotels and dined at a local brew pub.

We are heading into Mexico tomorrow. Crossing the border at Las Palomas. Planned destination is Nuevo Casa Grande.

Hwy 191 south of Alpine, Arizona

Escalante to Winslow, AZ

Day 2 – Escalante to Winslow, AZ

After a leisurely and nutritious breakfast of complementary coffee and left-over veggie pizza we reorganized our packing then waited for the Wells Fargo stage coach to arrive with a fresh supply of cash. Once re- supplied with US dollars we hit the road heading south again on hwy 12 into the heart of Escalante National Monument.

Our chosen route bisected the Escalante from Cannonville to roughly Church Wells (on hwy 89). This road, known as the Cottonwood Road, is not on your basic highway map. The road is generally passable by 2 wheel drive vehicles but there is a steam crossing, some sand and rough gravel. (It was is our tune up for the descent into Copper Canyon.) If you want to take this road it is advisable to check at the Cannonville Visitors Centre for road conditions.

Our 1 wheel drive vehicles had no difficulty but there were a few exciting moment early on. With experience, both my riding technique and confidence improved to the point that the ride was very enjoyable. About 25% of the way along this road, we stopped for lunch at Grosvenor Arch .

Once back on the pavement we followed Hwys 89, 160, 264 & 87 though the Navajo Nation, Hopi Indian Reservation to Winslow, Arizona. The only uncomfortable factor was the strong west wind but at least the weather is getting warmer.

Tomorrow we are heading for our Mexico staging destination... Deming, New Mexico

Viewpoint on Hwy 12 south of Escalante


Grosvenor Arch - Just off the Cottonwood Road


Lee on the Cottonwood Road

The Adventure Begins

The V-Strom and the Wee-Strom
(Lee's 1000 cc) (Bernie's 650cc)


First of several high passes

View of hwy 12 through the Escalante

Day 1 on the bikes – Price to Escalante

April 4, 2008

We arrived in Price, Utah just before noon and met our congenial vehicle storing host, Denis. After a tour of Denis’s garage and his interesting collection of bikes and cars we unloaded and prepared our bikes.

Our planned route took us down hwy 10 then hwy 72 through Fish Lake national forest and finally onto hwy 12 into the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. (ie park). This route exhibited some of the best Utah scenery that I have seen. There are some significant elevation changes along the route and vegetation changes from desert sage brush to mountain pine and poplar forests. The highest point along our route was 9600 ft asl. Luckily we both brought electrically heated jacket liners because the temperature was not much above freezing along the high ridges. There was still significant snow on the hillsides but the road was clear.

Our overnight location is a motel in the town of Escalante. Tomorrow we are continuing south on a mix of secondary highways and dirt roads. If the weather is warm enough we plan to camp tomorrow night in Winslow, Arizona.

20 Hours on the Road

April 3, 2008

As I left Fernie heading for Calgary to pick up Lee I had a nagging feeling that I had forgotten something.

The plan was to load my bike on the truck and haul an empty trailer to Lee’s place in Calgary, load his bike and pack the truck. After a good night sleep we would head south. Everything was falling into place nicely. With the bikes loaded. We opened a bottle of wine and enjoyed on of Lee’s fantastic meals. Suddenly the light went on. My helmet! Where is my helmet? Oh Shit! I left it in Fernie.

We made a few calculations and discovered that it was only 80K out of our way to reroute through Fernie. So we were on the road at 5am, met Linda at the Blue Toque for breakfast and then continued south. Hopefully with all needed items.

The trip was uneventful. We arrived at a Motel 6 in Lehi, Utah just south of Salt Lake City, almost exactly 20 hours after our early rise in Calgary. It was a long day but it’s only a couple of hours to Price, Utah where has Lee made arrangements to leave the truck and trailer for 6 weeks.