Adventure Travel: Memories of Mexico November 28, 1999 Mexico
I blasted through Mexico very quickly. I heard it would take 3-4 days and I made it in 2. Needless to say I did not stop to smell the roses nor wake up and smell the coffee, I just got in the truck and drove. I met some friendly people, to be fair, but most of the people I encountered wanted my money simply because I had it and they didn’t. “La Mordida”, the bribe or literally “the bite”. I got bitten a couple of times. No blood or rabies involved but I was pissed. The first time was the worst. After that I learned to stand my ground and negotiate. Haggling, if you will. If I didn’t cave in and instead stared them down, usually there was a little fear in their eyes. Or when I confronted one official he sheepishly admitted he wanted a handout. I felt better that I was making a “donation”.
Other memorable moments along the road: Pick-up trucks with 25 people standing in back. Small children playing next to the highway. Courteous truck drivers signaling it was okay to pass regardless of a solid yellow line or blind curve. Numerous speedbumps in every little town and village like trying to drive over 4 inch steel pipes. Two different maps that seemed to be for two different countries. Plenty of potholes and dozens of detours.
