Bicentenial Week in Mexico's 'Cradle of Independence' - September 16th, 2010

Independence Day

I really wanted to see some of the other historically significant cities in that region, ones that my schedule did not permit earlier. For the evening of the 15th, the giving of the Grito at 11pm was probably the high point of one's experience for the 2010 celebration. Unbeknown at the time by and luckily for me, that was not the only one and much more was yet to come. I had to serendipitously stumble upon the rest of the fun and it proved a wonderful trip. First on my list was Delores Hidalgo, so-named for its famous one-time resident who began in 1810 what was being celebrated that day.

2000 Miles in One Week - part III

To the Beach…!

The salt air was easy to smell as I approached the north end of Tampico, passing through the neighboring town of Altamira, looking for, what looked to be, a the beach bypass called Carretera A Puerto Industrial. I didn’t realize it but this was a harbinger of things to come as the name implied, I was in for a rude awakening - in more ways than one. Ignorantly, and thus optimistically, I roared my old Land Rover southwestwardly, looking for signs of the little city on the beach that I had imagined.

2000 Miles in One Week - Part II

Headed Due South with a Big Root Beer in my hand 

(...and yet another machine gun pointed at my tires, lol)

So, with a big 'S' indicated on the compass, a big Barq’s Root Beer (from Wendy’s Drive Thru, of course), a brand spankin’ new Mexico registration placard for the ‘Disco’ and an actual radio station that was broadcasting "en Ingles" still blasting on the radio, I was lighting up my tires as I headed out of Heroica Matomoros, through the military checkpoints and finding the highway to Victoria with relative ease, (i.e. I got lost only once...). 

Btw, my friends seem to love the scary stories of how dangerous Mexico is, so here's a nice, scary pic of a guy with a big gun to scare the crap out of you! lol

 

Even if it was a just a crappy Journey tune that I was sick of, even back in the 80's, it was being announced in a language that I was not to hear on the radio for the next few months. Life was pretty good, and I was soaking it all in like you take a big gulp of air before diving into the ocean.

2000 Miles in One Week - part I

A tour of the ages - well, for my summer... lol

Last week I was forced, due to the vehicle registration laws here in Mexico, to drive up to the border, turn in my expired vehicle sticker and apply for a new one. That was the plan, at least...