Mexico

16/12/2000 – 10/1/2001

Once across the border, we drove 240km across the desert of northern Mexico

to Chihuahua; where we stopped to pick up some Pesos.  We moved from cactus and scrub to pine forest as the road climbed to Creel – at more than 7,500 feet above sea level.

Next day, we followed the Chihuahua-Pacific railway to El Divisadero.

When a train arrived,

most of the alighting passengers walked past the souvenir stalls

to the lookout;

with its wonderful view of Copper Canyon.

We took a tortuous and pitted track to camp at Paraiso del  Oso;

before the three-hour drive down the steep and winding track to Urique at the bottom of the Canyon.

Deeper than the Grand Canyon, mangoes, oranges and bourganvillea thrive in the sub-tropical micro-climate at the bottom.  We camped just outside town in a compound owned by three Americans; one of whom, Jackie, was an artist.

Leaving the Canyon, we drove the 750km to Zacatecas;

where we spent an afternoon at the Pedro Coronel Museum.

We stopped for lunch at Guanajuato whose old silver mines have been converted into road tunnels that run below the city, and then drove to the 9,500feet-high summit of the Cerro del Cabilete – which is topped by a large statue of Christ

We reached San Miguel de Allende in time to cook dinner on Chrismas Eve.

After opening our presents,

we spent Christmas day in the town;

finishing at a good Mexican restaurant.

After an afternoon at the Toltec pyramids of Teotihuacan,

we camped  in a cactus field;

before making an early mornng drive into Mexico City

to spend a day at the National Anthropological Museum,

with the pre-Columbian treasures.

From the capital, we headed south to Acapulco;

where we spent a day on the beach – with Mexican families enjoying the Christmas holiday.

We spent a long, hot morning on New-Year’s Eve having our brake pads replaced (not having the right part, the mechanic had to cut down a different, new set and rivet them to the old pads) and then drove to Ometepec.

We made the mistake  of parking up by the cathedral for the night and were kept awake all night by the local New Year revellers.

Next day, we continued towards Puerta Escondido; stopping at a ramshackle ‘tourist complex’ by a lagoon; surrounded by Mangrove and coconut trees.

We were the only guests; and took the opportunity to cach up on our sleep.

Next day, we took an early morning boat trip on the lagoon .

to get a better view of the bird-life – including pelicans,

herons, ibis, kingfishers and fish eagles.

It took us a day to drive to Oaxaca; taking the sinuous road up into the temperate forest of the Sierra Madre.

We camped in the town centre beside the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and dined on Mitla salad (tomatoes, onions, avocados and cactus – sprinkled with dried and salted minature grasshoppers).

After an early start, we stopped at Monte Alban – a Zapotec site on a flattened hilltop

before camping by a mountain stream with pools for bathing.

We had wonderful views over the rain-forest

once we had passed through the clouds on the  winding ascent to Tuxtla Gutierez.

Next day we reached San Cristobal de las  Casas;

where we vsited the Museo Na Bolom – the home of Franz and Gertrude Bloom; two archaeologists who worked to protect the Lacondon Indians who occupy one of the last patches of rain-foreest in Mexico.

We camped by the Cascadas Agua Azul

on our way to the ruins of the Mayan city of Palenque.

Back in San Cristobal, and on our last night in Mexico, we had dinner with Francis and Sandra; a Swiss couple who were travelling in a converted Toyota.