I rode from Creel to Durango in a couple of days and then cooled my jets to see the city.
Durango is a nice City. It has a very nice ‘Centro’ surrounded by interesting streets and architecture. There are a lot of good restaurants and places to see. I didn’t talk to many people that could speak any English at all. My bad Spanish was a little frustrating as I could tell if a guy knew how to say it… something was happening somewhere! I only stayed for a couple nights until heading to Mazatlan across a very amazing highway over the mountains.In Canada we seem to build the highways in the valley and have a few sections where you climb over the peaks and then back down into the valley.
This highway seemed to travel the peaks and ridges of the highest mountains. Again, the scenery was spectacular and the cliffs were breathtaking. The roads were in great shape but many of the curves were so tight the semi trucks couldn't navigate them without taking the entire oncoming lane. Every blind corner had to be ridden assuming there was an oncoming truck leaving you nowhere to go. I had to be prepared to come to a complete stop or ride the shoulder if one existed. The weather was cool leaving Durango but as I came out of the mountains and into Mazatlan the temperature rose at least 10 to 15 degrees.
I booked an all-inclusive that I found online for a bargain and hung out at the Mazatlan RIU for 4 nights of indulgence and partying. The food was just ok but the room, the pool, the gym, and the beach were perfect. The hotel was populated almost 50/50 with Canadians and Mexicans. All the craziest people in the pool were from Winnipeg and we defiantly had a few drinks between us. Ummm…. I don’t mean body shots… honest! I hung around the pool and the beach most of the time and only made one excursion to town to see a live band on the malecon in old Mazatlan. It was fun, and I got to practice my Espaniol but it was a pretty early night.
From Mazatlan I rode to San Blas for a couple of nights and then to Sayulita just north of Puerto Vallarta. I can see why all my Aunties have been coming here for the past few years! It’s a very cool little ‘puebla del mar’ with good restaurants, surf, sun, and bikinis. Well… maybe my aunties would have noticed the surfer dudes more than the bikinis, but they were all there. Yes, Auntie Betty, It has become very clear to me now! It was bit of a reconnaissance trip as I had to head to Guadalajara for Spanish lessions beginning the next day so I only stayed the one night. I couldn’t believe it… 9 friendly girls from California staying in a gorgeous 9 bedroom villa and I had to leave the next day! Half of them were even my age… or at least within 13 years. I am sure to return in the next few weeks as it is a really is a cool place to hang out.
In Guadalajara I was booked for a 1 week Spanish course but I ended up extending it for an extra week. The course was quite intense but I know it is going to be very helpful with a little time and practice. I stayed with an older couple for a very economical $100/week, including 2 meals per day.
Miguel and his wife Graciela are really nice people and staying with them gave me great opportunities to practice my Spanish. They live in an apartment within a great neighborhood. I would take my homework on my walks every night and find a nice spot to work. Some nights it was in a park, and others a patio lounge, or a local taco stand. Sometimes I would spend more time helping others speak English then I did practicing my Spanish but it was always good fun either way. The only down side to the apartment was that I had to find a storage site in the center of town for the bike. With that I didn’t have convenient access to the bike on a daily basis and had to take the bus to school. I had a couple of late nights clubbing with Sjoerd 'el holandes' but we managed to stay out of real trouble. Between that, and lunching, and getting to know Dave (USA), the Austrian girls (so cute, and good with the Spanish to boot!), Dillon (Australia) and his girlfriend (Guadalajara), and others from the school; I did manage to see a lot of the historical sites in the city. I could easily go back for another visit!
This past weekend I rode with the ‘Gladeadores’ to Puerto Vallarta for the weekend. I’ll try to get to that story tomorrow!
I will probably hang out here for a couple of days before I return to La Paz via Sayulita and Mazatlan to pick up the van. I am really torn up about leaving the bike. It creates so much flexibility when getting around and it creates a lot of interest from locals, other travelers, and tourists alike. But then again, I am really looking forward to camping with a cooler, an awning, and a BBQ!
