lostCANADIAN in Mexico

One thing we weren't prepared for, as we spent much of our time in Houston dropping off our cold gear because we were expecting things to get hot, was the frigid cold front that moved in just as we set out. We're talking low ten degree temperature, at a stand-still. Cruising down the highway at 120 km it hit sub-zero temperatures and we got cold FAST!

We put on almost every single article of clothing we had available and even with the heated hand gribs churning life-giving heat, we still had to stop often for coffee to keep the body moving.... if this weren't bad enough, we got hit by rain and had to put on the rain gear as well!

Absolutely miserable we finally rolled into Laredo aroudn six at night and weren't even considering riding into Mexico this day as the most important advice we repeat to each other often is "Never drive at night in Mexico."

We wouldn't be taking the express toll-paid highway as it costs nearly twenty-seven dollars to simply reach Monterrey, which was a meager hundred and fifty kilometers away. We have a long way still to go and very little to spend, we had to cut it short somehow. Either way, the side roads are long, winding and reportedly full of banditos and other dangers (potholes, wandering animals) so riding at night is out of the question.

We decided to shack up in Laredo tonight and make the crossing early in the morning. Shopping around for a hotel was interesting, riding up to one after another and asking prices we've finally found a relatively cheap and apparently safe motel. We made for a restaurant up the street called "Pollo Asados" which I saw on my way in, and I was dying to try out this special kind of way of cooking meat, it's sort of like a BBQ, but don't you dare refer to asado as a BBQ! It was amazing! A small little diner with such incredibly tasting food -- I had the patas asadas which is basically potatoes and beef with some cheese.... which has become one of my favorite meals so far!

Back to the motel and we begin to consider what tomorrow will bring for us. We are a bit paranoid and have ridden our bikes right into our motel and even then, we still sleep with an eye open. Tomorrow we are finally entering Mexico, at last. We will be experiencing some culture shock.... surrounded by people that can't understand us as we struggle to understand them and communicate in Spanish.

At last, the adventure begins...