Mountains......Floods.......Pyramids

July 6, 2010

Oh my God, it has been a wild journey through Mexico so far.

We left San Carlos at the Sea of Cortes to Mazatlan. Took one look at the city and turned north, where we found a beautiful spot on the beach. Had to go swimming in the Pacific and stay near the water for a day. From there the road turned inland over the first mountain pass via Tepic to Guadalajara. Just as we worked our way into the city, a storm dumped an unbelievable amount of rain, flooding the city streets until they were no longer passable. The traffic was a mess. Somehow I found the Periferico (beltway around the city) and headed back for the highway out of town. The next town was not in much better shape, but we found a place to camp for the nite. Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende was our next destination. After visiting Guanajuato, which lies at about 6700 feet, I felt the urge to scrap Miguel and instead go on toward Teotihuacan. The next morning I saw on TV somewhere what devastation happened during the nite in that area. The rivers flooded the valleys and huge mud slides came down the mountains. You can imagine how grateful I felt to have listened to the urge to move on. I prayed a lot that day for all the people who lost their lives and all the hardship for those affected by the hurricane depression. Teotihuacan was hot and beautiful until another Thunderstorm blew in and I got drenched. Everybody looked like they had walked through a car wash. The canopy of trees could not hold back the downpour at all. After the rain, it was magical at the ruins. There was no one there. I sneaked into the Quetzalcoatl temple and whiled with the Ancient Ones, which had been buried there. Mexico has an excellent road system around the large cities, which allowed me to avoid the capital and start over the mountains toward the Caribean coast. The mountainous country side beyond Mexico City is spectacular. Although some of the vehicles in use are amazing. They almost look home built. I have not seen an accident so far, but plenty of broken down chulupas along the way. Yesterday we arrived at Palenque. Eddy, a nice young Mexican fellow, watched my dog and washed my car while I visited the ruins for 4 hours. Palenque is an awe inspiring place with many trails into the jungle. The ruins are well preserved. The site felt very peaceful and serene. Upon my return to the parking lot, Eddy announced it was time to go swimming. We drove a little ways and then headed on foot into the jungle to a waterfall. It had been a very hot and humid day. The fresh water was delicious. On the way back through the jungle we observed 2 families of Howler monkeys with their babies. I gave Eddy a ride to his house. He had washed three cars that day and was tired. It had been a magical day for me. My heart was jumping with joy and wonder. Not to spoil the feeling, I only drove a little further north towards the coast, before turning in for the night. Today we arrived at Santa Elena on the Puuc Route of the ruins. We will stay here for a few days and rest, visit the ruins and just enjoy the landscape and the Mundo de Mayas.