The roadbook announced over 11 hours of travel, but that probably allowed for ample time during stops as the whole distance was 724 km with a negligible 11 km on gravel. Nevertheless most crews were up early, planning on a departure of around 6 am. Also, we would lose an hour as we would enter into another time-zone.
The route started with a navigator's nightmare since we had to do the first 400 km in a straight line without a single turning!
Now that we are getting into the heart of Mexico we noted that especially in the countryside almost all males wear the white sombrero, not only out in the field or in the street but also in their cars, in restaurants, probably in their homes and we wonder how comfortable they must be in bed.
Driving past a car parked on the kerb we suddenly observed Paul Wignall donning his brand-new sombrero and taking a deep bow for each passing rally car! Mexican courtesy?
Compared to the spectacular scenery of the previous days, the countryside of the morning trip to Villa del Oeste was quite uneventful.
One of the things we have desperately missed until now, is a good little expresso coffee. You probably know that the Dutch need their daily shot of caffeine, so were very glad that Rosalie Gatsonides, tired of our griping, decided to bring some hot water from the hotel and prepare the morning dose for the Dutch group somewhere along the road.
The movie set at Villa del Oeste and the names of the well known actors and the films that were shot there was very entertaining. Everyone took many pictures and fooled around.
We stopped in Durango, another cowboy name that the not so young amongst us will remember fondly from the old Westerns.
Lunch in VIP's, a Spanish restaurant chain from Madrid that serves excellent quality food suitable for our tender tummies. Joanna Brown, James Walker and Kurt Richter were there as well, which confirms it was a good choice.
Siera de Organos where John Wayne apparently shot many movies was our next stop. Spectacular scenery and you can very well imagine the cowboys and Indians lurking behind the stony columns. We met Jingers and Aldrich Richter and the doc Terence Mulligan and we had a serious talk about the subject that interests us all: cars.
Actually our two identical blue Toyota FJ Cruisers are a striking sight and get quite some favourable comments (justly so, they are fabulous on the Off-road tracks that John and James have found for us and on asphalt they handle and drive like sports cars). I can very well imagine this Mexican farmer dozing behind the wheel of his pick-up truck after a good lunch and his share a tequilas when suddenly this strange looking blue car comes zipping by and before he has time to refocus, there is another identical strange looking blue car zipping by. You can just see him mumbling to himself to lay off on the tequila for a while.
Next stop Sombrerete. Only a small loop of 1 km through this very attractive little silver mining town. Picturesque town square and altogether we would have liked to spend some more time here exploring the little side streets. It was far more attractive than Hidalgo del Parral which we visited yesterday afternoon. But the roadbook was right, the various sights and little detours did demand quite some time and if we would still like to reach Zacatecas in daylight we would have to keep going.
We arrived in Zacatecas. At around 6 pm confirming that it took more than 11 hours. The Hotel Quinta Real is gorgeous. Originally a Plaza de Toros from 1866 and converted to a stunning 5 star hotel with 49 very luxurious and spacious rooms shaped around the bullfighting ring whilst maintaining much of its original style.
We were treated to a band playing Mexican tunes outside the hotel and they served tequila in little stone jugs that each of us received to hang around our necks. Then we followed the band on a walking tour of Zacatecas, a truly beautiful old silver mining town dating from 1560 and it is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was quite some time ago that I followed a band around the streets!
Back in the hotel we had a typical Mexican dinner with all kind of delicacies, which were difficult to place, but tasted very good.
Another perfect day in the Rally Panamericana.
By Rob and Bas Zwartendijk Car 24
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La Aventura Panamericana - Day 31 blog
Hola Hero!
It has taken this long for Car Seven to recuperate, or at least the non-English member of the crew who had the worst journey in the world, to get from Panama to Cape Town via New York.
Mar 5, 2007
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La Aventura Panamericana - Day 30 blog
Today we drive from San José to El Bambito.
After a short night of rest we got up at 04.15. We had breakfast at 05.00 and left the hotel at 05.45. We drove through a dark and quiet San José. We filled our car up with diesel and drove out of the city into the mountains.
Mar 5, 2007
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La Aventura Panamericana - Day 28 Blog
Brrrrr… Brrrrr… Brrrrr…
Who invented mobile phones that vibrate their wake up call? It is 5.45am in Tegucigalpa and the sun has not yet made its feeble awakening. We blink our weary eyes and struggle out from underneath our warm blankets. We are in Honduras at the start of Day 28 of our Central American dash.
Dec 14, 2006
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La Aventura Panamericana Day 24
It is nearly 06: 00 when we leave the hotel Villa Maya in Flores. Unfortunately because Arnold couldn’t believe that crocodiles are in the lake and he had to cancel his swim…!
Dec 14, 2006
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Day 21 Aventura Panamericana
Today started at 04.45 hrs.in Tulum. We had mislaid the tulips to get the 1.63 kms from Room 6115 in Block D, under Blocks C & B, past the tennis courts on the left and the Colonial Restaurant on the right, avoiding the Tope at 1.34 kms to emerge in the reception area, and all in pitch darkness.
Dec 5, 2006
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