Miles: 519 -- Total miles: 2,108
Time on road 12h

Manuel,Tamaulipas to Acayucan, Veracruz

Got started on the road this morning just before daylight. Lot of fog in the fields and at times on the road.

Made it into Tampico with no problems. Traffic started to get a little heavy and slowed down the pace some. The GPS took me through the city without getting me lost. A first for me. With all of the turns and lack of signage, without the GPS I would still be there. Last year the Quest II would show me about a block and up to a tenth of a mile off of the road that I was actually on so I never really knew for sure where I was at. It also had a tendency to quit working before you came to a turn.

Tampico

South of Tampico and had a wide variety of roads. Some good, some bad. Started out coastal, mostly straight and flat. Later it went up in the hills for a few curves and a change of scenery.

GPS also got me through Tuxpan without getting me lost. Two for two! I am getting use to this.

Picked up a cuota road which took me around Poza Rica and then back to the coast for a beach ride.

A little road porn

Several sections of Hwy 180 were cuota. It was just a two lane road, no shoulders, and not well maintained. It was more like that they decided to put up toll booths and collect money from everyone. Before I got into Veracruz the cuotas became more like our interstate roads. Went around Veracruz on another cuota, left town on a different cuota, and finally headed southeast on another cuota to Acayucan. Seems like I spent about as much on tolls as I did on gas.

Today's ride had extended to be a longer ride than I had preferred. I was planning on stopping somewhere north of Verzcruz but just did not really like the area. Did not want to go into another big city so I by passed Veracruz. It was around another 160 miles before I found a hotel for the night. Still 45 minutes of daylight to spare.

View from room, down town Acayucan, Veracruz

Miles: 343 -- Total miles: 2,451
Time on road 7h 15m

Acayucan, Veracruz to Escarcega, Campeche

Today's road were the reverse of yesterday's. Started out on the cuota “interstate” roads and they continued for about half of the ride. From there it went back to the good/bad/good/bad roads. Mostly good traveling roads but a lot of construction also. A few small towns with a few topes. All in all not too bad. Terrain is mostly flat, roads mostly straight. Ok for “getting there” roads.

Road pics

Went through one federal police roadblock today. Had several vehicles pulled over to the side and checking them out. Waved me on through. Guess I just don't look like a very interesting person.

Two more military check points today. Both small and lightly manned. Slowed down but kept rolling.

All in all not a very exciting day. On schedule so I stopped for the night in Escarcega. Paid all of $29 for my hotel room. The deluxe version. Marble floors, hot water, cable TV, AC, internet, and a toilet seat. What more can you ask for.

I now have 4 days left to complete a one day ride. Will be slowing down the pace tomorrow.

Miles: 328 -- Total miles: 2,779
Time on road 6h 30m

Escarcega, Campeche to Akumal, Quintana Roo

Today started out good, and then it all changed.

Left Escarcega at a reasonable time this morning and headed due east. Roads were good, straight and flat, but after about an hour or so I begin to climb up into the hills to around 800 feet. Nice change with some sweepers but nothing to get excited about.

More road porn

Entered into Quintana Roo and came to my first military check point for the day. This time they were interested in me. They went through both panniers and the top box checking everything. Strange that I have never had them check the tank bag.

Few miles down the road was another military check point. This time they were only checking west bound traffic. Few more miles east and the state police had set up a check point. Waived me through so there was no problem with that one.

Just before Chetumal I began losing altitude. Road became flat and straight again and was around +/- 100 feet in altitude. Pasted Chetumal and headed north toward Felipe Carrillo. Decision time. Do I want to go north up through Valladolid and on to Rio Lagartos, or stay on the coast and go up toward Tulum for the night and just do some day trips from there? As I got into Felipe Carrillo the temperature had gotten up to around 95 (still better than yesterday's 100?+) so I opted for the coast and a short day's ride.

I got into Tulum and for some reason it just did not appeal to me. Too much traffic and too many people. Was not sure how to get to the hotels down in the beach area and I did not feel like exploring. I headed on up to Akumal and went into the town of Akumal. Nothing there so I headed over to the Akumal resort area where we have a condo reserved on Half Moon Bay for the 12th. Did not find anything that I was interested in until I got down to the Vista Del Mar. I rented a room in the hotel which is just a couple of buildings down from the condo.

Got the room rented, and this is when my day totally changed. First they showed me the room. You go from patio to sand to water. Then they gave me a voucher for a free Margarita at the restaurant next door. I quickly went from traveler to tourist. Became totally useless. When to the restaurant, had margaritas and dinner. Walked the 100 yards back up the beach to my room. Sat in a lounge chair on the beach just outside my room and watched the waves until after dark.

End of the day

Went from a day of good riding to, well, as I said, to being just totally useless.

Not a lot to report on today.

This morning I caught up on my ride report and finally got some pictures uploaded. Topped off the tank on the bike. Rode in to the town of Akumal and had lunch.

Came back to the room, played on the beach some, laid on a lounge chair to make sure that it did not run off, and now it is time for dinner, margaritas, and some more lounge chair time.

Miles: 195 -- Total miles: 2,974
Time on road 8h

Akumal, Quintana Roo to Valladolid, Yucatan to Akumal, Quintana Roo

Not a lot of motivation to ride today so I just headed up to Yucatan with no real destination.

The GPS kept telling me that the road that I was on did not exist. I ignored the GPS and continued on. Finally, after getting into the state of Yucatan the GPS decided that the road really did exist.

Realized that it had taken a lot of days and a lot of miles just to get a few hundred miles south of Mobile AL.

Made it into Valladolid and stopped and gave hormonicamoon a call. He was at home and invited me to stop by.

Made my way through Valladolid.

Finally made it to his street, thanks to the GPS, and found where he lived.

We had a late breakfast and discussed all things V-Strom and Mexico. A big thanks to hormonicamoon for putting up with me. He is a great person to talk to and was definitely worth the trip.

It started getting into the after noon and the temperature was rising so I wanted to get back to the cool breeze on the beach. It was knocking on the door of 100 before I got back to Akumal.

Headed back down the road. Notice how much different this road is than the ones that I was on before? It was very definitely differ...... O well, after a while they all look alike.

Stopped in Tulum at a Pemex for gas. Gas attendant tried pulling a swap of money on me. I gave him a $200 bill and in less than a second he had put it in his pocket when he thought that I was not watching him, pulled out a $20, showed me the $20 and pointed at the amount due on the pump trying to get me to give him more money. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I knew that I had given him a $200 bill and not a $20. He then gave me my correct change with no hesitation.

Made it back to the room and found heavy traffic out back.

Went down to the restaurant for dinner.

Had a few visitors drop in and join me for dinner.

Pulled up a chair and sat down.

Contemplated the long walk back to my room (first white building between the palm trees)

Made the journey back to the room with no real problems but due to the extreme difficulty of the trip, the update to the ride report will not be done until tomorrow morning. Hey, it is a rough life here.

Tomorrow I will be vacating the harshness of this environment and moving on up to Play de Carmen for a couple of days.