Road Warriors...

Seth and I have been back in the US for two weeks now! It seems like just yesterday that we left. I wanted to give you all our travel logs and some pictures we took along the way. Most of the pictures are taken from the passenger seat unfortunately. Someday when we don't have a car full
of stuff and two dogs we will take the time to really travel Mexico and see everything it has to offer. All I can say is that it is absolutely beautiful, and it deserves to be truly seen slowly.

Breakfast of champions.

These were the first expats we saw on the road. Looked like a small trip to Belize, maybe?

On our entire trip we would see horses and cows just hanging out on the side of the road.

Every town had murals and statues depicting their culture and history.

At one stop, I bought my first pozol which is a sweet, milky drink with cornmeal. It seemed to be served almost like a meal. I had a choice between chocolate or regular and of course, chose chocolate. I can't say I was a fan, but I wasn't a hater either. Just not my thing, I suppose.

Typical Coca-Cola plant sign. Mexicans love their Coca-Cola and let me tell you, its addictive!

I loved this picture. Its hard for you to see, but its two guys riding a donkey coming back from a construction sight. One is wearing a hard hat. I found that funny in a way.

All the bridges leading into a large city looked very similar to these arches. I liked how I felt I was getting the grand entrance into that town and usually the best view it had to offer. After 11 hours of driving, this was our final destination for the night. Villahermosa!

We were given advice from friends and other expats to stay in a "by the hour" hotel because they are more secure, and you get a private garage for your car. Not being squirmy about those kind of things, Seth and I decided from the beginning that we would try to find one so that we didn't have to worry about our belongings overnight. Every city has them going into and out of the city, and they are usually named cheesy titles like "Love Hotel" or "Passion Hotel" or you will seem them simply called "Auto Hotel." You drive in, pay your fee in pesos, drive right into your own garage, and stay bunkered in for the night. Most of them take dogs which is a rarity for Mexican hotels. Best part is they deliver food to your room, and its pretty dang good!

Here are my notes of our first day. We had a great time and wanted to make sure that we remembered all the little things we did along the way. In my opinion, its the best thing we ever did because after only two weeks, I've already forgotten some of the little things along the way.

Playa del Carmen to Dallas Day 1

-left at 6:30 after tearfully goodbye with Maria; car packed to the roof

-gassed up on way out with 200 pesos to make tank full

- odometer 166544

- overcast and sprinkling; broke into bag of homemade cranberry and white chocolate chip cookies

- 9:45 Bacalar; beautiful lake

- time for breakfast; chorizo from Guadalajara and PBJ

- saw a bus being used as an awning for a car shop, goat pulling a buggy, and street vendors galore

- approaching Chetumal and missed turn off; turned back around and went through police check; breezed through

- 10:15 stopped in Ucum to stretch legs, walk dogs, and refilled 500 pesos

- passed a group of Amish in back of truck, truck full of blondies

- Colorado plates going same direction

-11:00 first Aduanas at Tomas Aznar gave safe return paperwork and cleared through to Campache

-1:00 Campache ; filled up on gas 565 pesos and bought some pozolo de chocolate

3:00 toll Punte Chable 20 pesos

4:40 toll outside Villahermosa 20 pesos

5:30 nestled into our by the hour hotel "Auto Hotel" 350 pesos

- husband so tired he asked the girl at the hooker hotel her name when he meant to ask the room number. I quickly intercepted with, "número?" 

- ordered quesadillas and tortilla soup from room service 130 pesos; actually pretty good; took two calls to get it right but was molten hot

-Days 1 Total= $1920 pesos ($150 USD)