I have finally fixed my internet connection and uploaded my photos so I will begin the ill-fated story of 4 friends riding to Mexico. It all began at, well, the beginning.
Last summer (2006) a very good friend of mine (let's call him "Guapo") and I traveled to Ramos Arizpe to teach driving and tactics to Mexican Police. You may recall my report posted here:
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11449
Guapo rides a black R1150GS:
Guapo and I absolutely fell in love with Mexico and the people so we vowed, General MacArthur-like, that we would return soon on motorcycles. Planning began almost immediately on a run to Mazatlan in the spring of 2007 but life got in the way so the trip got postponed to fall and re-routed to the Colonial Highlands. I washed the GS (for only the 3rd time in 5 years - probably my first mistake) so it was sparkly and ready to ride hard and get dirty.
The original itinerary was:
Austin to Saltillo (via Laredo-ish) then
Real de Catorce then
Guanajuato then
Xilitla (via Tequisquiapan and Jalpan) then
Mineral de Pozos then
Bosques de Monterreal then
Home.
Guanajuato was to be the southernmost point and the turnaround point.
[Important disclaimer: any decent photographs (like this one taken by Guapo) were most certainly not taken by me but by one of my other companions]
That was the plan anway. As the title states....it's not an adventure until something goes wrong!
The night before we were set to depart was also my wife's birthday. I had planned to take her out to a nice, romantic dinner at 6pm sharp before I ran off to the mountains of Mexico without her for a week. I spent all day packing, re-packing and re-repacking the bike.
At 5pm I was certain I had everything EXACTLY where I wanted it so I went inside to apply the cherry on the sundae - my Garmin 2610 loaded with the new BiciMapas GPS software of Mexico. I latch the GPS it into its mount, plug it in, turn it on and....NOTHING. I nervously switch it off and back on again. Repeatedly. Still nothing. I am beginning to worry now and sweat is rapidly accumulating on my forehead. I rush inside and plug the unit into the wall. It fires right up so there is nothing wrong with the unit...probably just a fuse. CRIMINY! The fuses are under the tank behind the battery. I take the (full) tank off in record time although I forget to clamp the first hose and spray gasoline all over me and the bike. I quickly find the blown fuse and - doh! - no spares. I send my lovely (and gracious) birthday bride on a banzai run to Radio Shack for some spares.
While she is gone I manage to strip the quick release conncector from the power to my tank bag so I mentally will the cell phone into my hand like Yoda retrieving a wayward light saber - whoosh!
Me: Uh, honey, could you get something else at Radio Shack?
Her: Sure, what is it?
Me: A medium sized male blade conncetor.
Her: Silence
Me: Just put call me and let me talk to Radio Shack when you get there.
My wife returns in record time and I replace the fuse and the connector and mount the tank back on the frame. Start to finish time: 29 minutes! Woo hoo! I rock. I start the bike up for a triumphant test ride and it sounds HORRIBLE - like it is running on one cylinder. Badly.
Frantic calls to more mechanically inclined friends are no help. I convince myself it is bad gas and it will clear up after burning a tank in the morning. AusWife and I head out to Castle Hill for a dinner and we have a wonderful, if distracted, birthday dinner.
After returning home I pretended to sleep until I "woke up" at 4am to get ready. As I pulled into the arranged meeting place a half hour early I spot one of my tripmates already there and riding an identical silver GS and wearing an IDENTICAL hi-viz AST jacket. Sigh.
This is him. Let's call him "Viejo". Viejo rode 12,000 miles to Prudhoe Bay and back on the GS this summer. Now THAT is an adventure. He also IMMEDIATELY diagnosed the issue with my rough-running GS as a part of the thottle that was unseated due to my NASCAR pit stop like removal and replacement of my tank. He poked it into place and my GS went back to purring like a kitten. I have found me new riding buddy!
The fourth member of our merry band was the only one riding a non-GS. Let's call him "Joven". He was riding a black VStrom 1000:
Oh, yeah, this is me - your intrepid reporter. Let's call me "Baboso".
The four of us loaded up and headed out with a combined 14 headlights destroying a broad swath of the pre-dawn darkness on I-35.
This is where we actually started taking pictures so I will cut back on the verbosity and dial up the photos.
Viejo crossing the border for the first time. Note the big smile!
The crossing was effortless although we almost lost Viejo.
After passing through Aduana (customs) we get flagged over to wait for an inspection. Two lovely young women are sitting under the inspection area and are, presumably, supposed to pre-interview us while the customs officers make their way to us for a full blown search. I didn't really feel like waiting in the heat so I did the only thing I could think of -
flirt!
Girls: Where are you coming from?
Me: (Thinking this is kinda dumb since you could SEE us cross from Texas) Uh, Texas?
Girls: Where are you going?
Me: (I am onto their little game now so I don't say "Mexico") Guanajuato.
Gilrs: What is your purpose?
Me: (Begin flirt) To visit your country and learn Spanish.
Girls: You are doing pretty well.
Me: I have been studying for a long time but just can't get it. I think I really nead a Mexican girlfriend.
Girls: (Giggle and look at each other the point to Guapo) What about him?
Me: He needs one, too.
The girls giggle some more then tell us we can leave just as the inspections officers are about to walk up. Guapo, Joven and i roar off then look back to see Viejo dismounted and taking off his helmet and jacket. We holler frantically to him so he grabs everything and scoot our way before getting detained. Moments later we are headed south again.
I have to go get dinner for AusWife. Next installment will see us spend the evening in Saltillo.
Before hitting the road to Real de Catorce.
Stay tuned...
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Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
In the meantime, I am hopping a plane to Guanajuato where I am meeting my former riding companions on the steps of the university at 6pm tonight. I am honored to have such great friends.
