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<\/a><\/p>\nWe awoke to find that it was cold. Our handy Auto Zone thermometer told us it was 28\u00b0 in Charlotte, and our Lowrance GPS indicated our elevation was 9,500 ft. Stumbling sleepily out of the bus to stretch in the dim, misty morning light, we saw that the sun was still behind a tall, steep mountainside. In fact, turning slowly around, we were amazed to see the same steep slopes wrapping 360\u00b0 around us. We had fumbled our way into a crater!!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe sides of the crater were steep enough that I had to use my own four wheel drive (two feet, two hands) to climb up to the rim. But the exercise felt great after so much driving. Ned and I hiked around the rim to the other side and bushwhacked our way back down the opposite slope.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Back on the autopista, we dropped quickly out of the mountains and into the smog. We had been told by several people to visit Puebla, Orizaba, and Cordoba, but we found the entire Hwy 150 corridor too crowded and too polluted. We blew by on the toll roads, and at Cordoba, turned southeast on a yellow road toward Presa Miguel Aleman, a reservoir in a more remote area.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThis was sugar cane country! The yellow roads turned to dirt, and the pageant of this sweet commodity was dramatically played out as we drove along in a drizzly mist.
\nThe crops thrived in this warm, humid climate in the valleys between \u201cKing Kong\u201d looking mountains.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nMachete wielding men labor hard to harvest the cane.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTrucks carry the harvest\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u2026to the processing plants. Recognize the \u201cDomino\u201d brand label?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nOnce at the plant, the drivers line up to have their loads tallied and dumped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nMost of the drivers were asleep in their cabs, confirming our suspicion that they waited in line for hours. This poor guy looked like he\u2019d been waiting days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nRaw cane went in\u2026processed liquid sugar, poured into tankers, came out\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u2026and beautiful rivers downstream suffered. The pools beyond this fall were not only brown, but also covered with sudsy foam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHand painted, public service messages like this have been common throughout the remote areas of Mexico. This one warned against Dengue fever and the dangers of standing water. I\u2019m pretty sure I even spotted a Leprosy sign out of the corner of my eye once, but failed to get the photo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nA ferry! This would be fun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWe were trying to find an obscure road south of Vicente around a reservoir, but after we loaded Charlotte onto the ferry, we asked if this was the right way to get to the reservoir. No, we had to go back into Vicente and take a different route\u2026no ferry crossing after all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBack in Vicente we could not find the road south. We drove around in circles for a while, and finally got pulled over by a truck load of AK47 toting cops wanting to know what we were up to. We played our stupid tourist parts again and they loved Vaca Muerta (our dead cow head). All seven of them were very friendly so Ned got the brilliant idea to ask for a police escort to the road. The head honcho agreed, and we followed them through the village to a tiny dirt road we would never have found on our own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe dirt road led through more cane fields. Darkness fell, so eventually we turned off on to a muddy track and drove deep into the fields to hide among tall stalks. It was muggy and buggy, so we stayed \u201cindoors.\u201d Dinner was left over soup heated on the Coleman stove inside the bus and salad made in and eaten out of the lettuce bag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nNed slept well, but I had an uneasy night listening to strange sounds among the rustling canes. \u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d kept running through my mind. By morning, though, all was well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTiny poorer pueblos along the dirt roads We saw pollos (chickens) roasting in the front yards of several casitas in a village called Cabeza de Tigre, (Tiger\u2019s Head). They looked delicious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We were hungry so we decided it would be a good opportunity to have a local encounter. We pulled up to one of the huts and asked if they would sell us a chicken. It was a great choice. The little home was also a one-table restaurant and the family was precious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Antonino, Anita and their daughter Raquel, who was 7 months pregnant, were the perfects hosts. We were treated warmly and graciously. Antonino told us he was of Maztecan descent. We really enjoyed our breakfast of fresh roast chicken, tortillas, rice and a delicious salsa. He laughed telling us the chicken was so fresh it was running around this morning!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Antonino said he rented rooms to Mexican tourists on their way to the reservoir. We showed them pictures of where we spent night in the cane fields (las ca\u00f1as) and they laughed, thinking that was so funny. They said we should have stayed there with them!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anita proudly offered to show us her beautiful, well organized kitchen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Antonino was surprised to learn that the Spanish word for cilantro is the same in English.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anita showed me how to make the salsa, but wanted to make sure we had a blender\u2026uh, no blender in Charlotte! But some of you may want to try this\u2026it was so good! The reservoir was unremarkable, but the 182 red road west toward Teotitlan was insane! We climbed yet another 6500 ft. in to a rain forest. We could tell it would have been gorgeous but the fog and drizzle kept visibility low the whole way. It was hard driving for Ned; tortuously tight turns, sheer drop-offs, blind corners, on-coming traffic and heavy fog\u2026and it was getting dark. We had decided on this route because we suspected it would be beautiful\u2026but we couldn\u2019t see much of anything. We did climb through the mist at one point, popping into great views of huge, fog filled valleys.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The backside of the pass was dry desert and an absolutely spectacular, airy drop back down 6,000 ft. Are you getting the idea that Mexico is mountainous??<\/p>\n<\/div>\n By night, the city of Teotitlan was full of shady looking characters. We drove on and found an awesome place to hide for the night. We slept well and woke up to a beautiful mountain desert view. We desert rats do best in a warm arid climate. Ned made bacon and eggs. I worked on photos. We did some stretches and got back on road. The road was still super windy, heading south toward Oaxaca.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We had been shower-less camping for 5 days and checked into a hotel in Oaxaca to refresh, do laundry and work on the blog. Breakfast on the plaza was a real treat. The city had a wonderful energetic feel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The surprise orchestral concert added to the upbeat atmosphere<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Oaxaca region is famous for Moles, sauces made with chocolate. Our meals were delicious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Textile and basket weaving is also important here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We had heard about this regional delicacy\u2026deep fried grasshoppers! Evidently they are supposed to be full of lead, so the Mexican government has banned them. Obviously some vendors still sneak them into markets. The guy carrying these around got pretty fussy with me for snapping this photo. No, we didn\u2019t try them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 10 miles out of Oaxaca, is the small town of Santa Maria Tule where the Overland Oasis is located. Ned had read about this place and felt we should stay there. It turned out, the ex-pat Canadian owner Calvin, is a total gear-head just like Ned. They spent two days yakking about VWs, race cars, off road races, tools and who knows what else! I finished the red & yellow road blog. Check out Calvin and his wife Leanne\u2019s 1957 Greyhound bus that they have lived in for years. It\u2019s now parked somewhat permanently under the awning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On our way to breakfast in Tule, we walked by this textile shop. This man was vigorously working his loom. It looked like hard work, but the results were beautiful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Only locals were eating in this open air street restaurant. We were served lovely Oaxaca cheese omelets with rice, black beans, (obviously) handmade tortillas and another awesome salsa. Of course I had to ask what was in this one. Here it is: After Tule we drove south toward Puerta Angel and up over another beautiful pass. The sunset and scenery was gorgeous, but I was not enjoying it. I was in the back sick as a dog. Evidently, the hand rolled Oaxaca cheese I bought in the market is not suitable for Gringo stomachs. I ate some that morning. Ned did not. By the time Ned shot this photo I had already lost a bunch of my breakfast via dual ports on the cold drizzly pass and was threatening to lose more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This cute little cabin was a god-send. Ned spotted this place just cresting the alpine pass and made a quick u-turn to check it out. It would have been quite romantic without the food poisoning. The night was rough, and I was grateful to not be camping in the cold.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Back on the Pacific coast in Puerta Angel. This little bay was pretty, but the area seemed very impoverished. Mentally and physically challenged people seemed abundant and begging was rampant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is where we finally got our last blog out\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After a camping night spent in a sandy wash and several foiled attempts to reach a private beach\u2026this was our reward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This fellow found himself straddling a curb and unable to move forward or back. Charlotte and Ned did their good deed for the day, winching him off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We spent Valentine\u2019s Day in the romantic town of San Cristobal de las Casas. The city is rich in both Native (Mayan descendants) and Spanish Colonial history. Beautiful woven textiles and handmade garments are everywhere. The woman on the right is Mari. She hand sewed the blouse I bought. The skirts the girls are wearing are thick fuzzy wool, a very popular style here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mari also made these gorgeous pillows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The youngest shoe-shine. I paid him 5 pesos for the photo, but that didn\u2019t come with a smile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And the youngest street hawkers. It was a bit sad to see so many of these kids selling and begging on the streets, but most of them looked pretty healthy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The markets were the most colorful yet\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Amber, fossilized resin, is another hot commodity in the area. Maribel explained how real resin glows vivid turquoise under an ultra violet light. The fake stuff, mostly cheap crystal does not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ned couldn\u2019t believe there is an adult shorter than me on the planet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mexican fast food consists of roadside taco stands and pollo asado (roasted chicken) stands. Lunch time found us driving through Ocosingo on a red road heading north toward the Mayan ruins of Palenque.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I was immediately drawn to Luis and his shy, charming smile. It was Saturday, and Luis was helping his mom, Juana at their little chicken stand. He was polite, courteous and hard working.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Luis had never heard of Baja California, even though it is a Mexican state, so Ned brought out the map and showed him our route. Juana watched with obvious pleasure and pride.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We chatted a bit, and Luis told me he was learning English in school and some day wanted to go to the United States. We practiced counting to 20 and reciting the days of the week and months of the year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tales of our travels brought a local audience who listened with rapt attention. I was sad to leave and wanted to take Luis with us. He took our contact info and promised to email us if and when he ever could. I truly hope he does.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What the heck are these bean-like things everyone has drying in their yards???<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I was so curious I had to stop to ask. It was coffee as I suspected! So I had to buy some\u2026it is wonderful!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMountain grown\u2026the richest kind!\u201d We had heard of the waterfalls at Agua Azul, but nothing prepared us for their stunning beauty.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Local boys showing off in the pools<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kat showing off in the pools<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The spectacular ruins at Palenque\u2026actually Palenque was the name of the Mayan king who built this Palace around 600AD.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Palenque himself depicted here with a serpent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A decapitation, our guide told us<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nature takes back its own! These rocks I\u2019m standing on are really huge ruined buildings which have not been excavated. There are thousands like this strewn throughout the jungles of the former Mayan empire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We hired Rafael to take us around. He was more knowledgeable than we could have imagined, explaining Mayan numbering, mathematics, history, calendar, astronomy and much more. I\u2019d share some, but it was mind boggling, and I\u2019ve already forgotten most of it. I\u2019ll let you know if it ever comes back!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Living quarters<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Rafael calmly and with a straight face explained how to eat termites and how nutritious they are.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tastes like chic\u2026.uh, carrots!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care how much they taste like carrots, Rafael, I\u2019m not eating a live bug!\u201d But I did. They really did taste like carrots!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After Palenque we made a beeline for Cancun, mostly on the autopista. However, we veered off long enough to take in Izamal, the yellow city. Almost all of the buildings in the town were painted yellow. The effect was striking. Eyes burning, sinuses clogged and throats hurting, we looked at each other in total exasperation. We were deep in Mexico City traffic. We were in hell. It was dark now, so we could only smell and feel the effects of … Continue reading
\n<\/a><\/a> How to make a thatched roof\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAdd all together in blender:
\n2 Jalape\u00f1os
\n2 Tomatillos \u2013 raw
\n1 Garlic clove
\n1 Cilantro bunch
\nSalt
\nSimple and delicious!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAvocado
\nA small bit of Serrano chili
\nCilantro
\nOne raw tomatillo
\nLime juice to preserve the color\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nYup, those are coffee trees growing up on those cliffs.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWe had no interest in Cancun, except that there is one thing that Americans can do there that they can\u2019t do at home\u2026stay tuned to find out what we\u2019re up to next!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"