More Driving in Mexico

We just returned from our drive down to the beach at Troncones, just north of Zihuatenejo. It's about 7-8 hours each way. Here are a few things we came to understand:

-Tollroads - there are some lovely toll roads we were able to travel. These roads are typically 2 lanes with generous shoulders that bypass many of the small towns. This makes driving a pleasure, fairly quick and uneventful throughout much of Mexico.

-Small towns - be prepared! We ran into a large traffic jam on a 2 lane highway (not toll road) outside of a small pueblo. We sat for about 25 minutes not knowing what the hold up was. We also curiously watched pickups and a few taxis pull off to the left onto a dirt road and head in the same general direction of the highway. Finally, we joined them and, bumpity-bump!, hit the dirt road. After traveling about 1 km, we got to the pueblo and took a right onto the only major crossroad. One block later we are back at the highway and SMACK DAB in the middle of the reason for the halted traffic. There was a large flea market in the pueblo with over 40 tourist buses trying to get on and off the highway into a one lane entrance between booths. Buses are backing up, pulling forward all while cars, 18 wheelers and others are trying to pass around them. No traffic cops anywhere. It was a cluster _____! And we were dead center. Luckily, through scooting here and inching there and snaking around here, we made it through in another mere 15 minutes! WHEW! And no dents!!!

-Small towns part 2 - if you are driving through a small town, and you notice families all walking down the same street you're on in the same direction, and the girls are wearing white dresses and the boys are dressed with colorful panchos and have fake mustaches drawn on their faces, and the crowds start getting bigger and bigger.... then either turn around or be prepared to join the parade or posada or local celebration of the Virgin of the Guadalupe for the next 2 hours! (We figured it out in time to turn around!)

-Animal Crossings - this is actually the bigger danger in Mexico. You come over a hill and a cow or burrow is situated right there in your lane. When you DON'T expect it is when you are driving 70mph down the toll road (yeah, the one you can go fast on) and a goat herder is shepherding his flock across the road. This prompted Mary to yell "GOAT!!!!!" at the top of her lungs. We swerved left then right, narrowly escaping the responsibility to pay for and have cabrito for dinner.
This did lead to an interesting conversation. Mary said, "What if that was the last word I said before I died? GOAT!!! How sad!" Then we started talking about last words before some fiery crash or other untimely end. "CRAP!" "LOOK OUT!" Those are obvious. But the less obvious are: "De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, ........" when you just can't get the work out in time, "BIMBO!" (Running headlong into a truck that sold this brand of baked goods), or "ASS!" (the double entendre naming both the animal you are about to disembowel and your idiotic husband).

-Passing - this is what our friend calls a "polite game of chicken." It's still chicken, but they are polite about it. When passing someone on the toll road (remember 2 lanes), the passer puts on the left blinker and heads into the oncoming traffic lane. Most polite drivers who are "passees" move over onto the shoulder to make room. And, even more polite, the oncoming traffic moves into their shoulder to avoid the head on collision. This took some getting used to , especially when you are the oncoming traffic person.

-Banditos - there's some talk north of the border that banditos lurk at every corner putting rocks in the highway to stop you and then rob you. I am pretty sure those stories have happened to folks. However, we found nothing but friendly people along the roads of Mexico. Now, we make sure that we don't drive at night, too!

-Vistas - driving through Mexico offers some beautiful vistas along the way. Lots of unspoiled beauty....