Party, Party, Party

As we are leaving Zacatecas we witness the raising of the Mexican National Flag. Throughout September the flag is raised to much pomp each day. The Army provide the honour guard and band and about 50 locals come out to stand solemnly to attention and with one arm horizontal across their chests, hand not on their heart but held flat and horizontal in salute. It is a simple act of national pride and respect that it is chastening to witness.

We ride from Zacatecas to San Miguel Allende a beautiful small town, which is firmly on the tourist route. The town is even more lively than normal as it is approaching Independence Day just before the weekend. There are Mariachi bands, folk dancers and school children performing on a make shift stage in the plaza. The back drop is Allendes unique brick built church. The party atmosphere goes down well with every-one and runs and runs.

From here we head through the Sierra Madras Oriental Mountains on our way to the coast. The ride takes us winding and twisting through narrow passes from under 200m altitude to over 2200m. We start seeing our first hints of the tropics with Banana trees on the side of the road. Tonight is definitely off the tourist route. Our small town stop over is however fully in the swing of Independence celebrations. The town square is packed with food stalls, a big stage, a fair with children’s rides and a market. By sundown it is also packed with people who either live here or have come down from the surrounding villages in the mountains. We seem to be the only non locals in town. A great evening is spent people watching, soaking up the event and atmosphere and eating tacos from the stands on the side of the square. Children are running everywhere, between the forests of legs and the party continues into the small hours.

On to the coast for us and a stopover on the Gulf of Mexico for a night on the beach. A nice quiet place on the beach to relax in? Of course today IS Independence Day and the rest of the hotel is full with one large extended Mexican family making a long weekend of the holiday and very much in party mood! A few of the group who have the energy join in and are welcomed to the group as if long lost cousins. Once again the party runs to the small hours on the beach.

Fortunately (for us at least) the celebrations appear to have reached their peak. The next few days take us down the coast and then inland and while there is still plenty of bunting and Viva Mexico signs the nights are quieter allowing the group to recover and relax.

We are in the heart of what was a 1000 years ago the Mayan Empire and we have the chance to visit several ruins on the route. El Tajin is one of the largest remaining sites of Mesoamerican ruins originally built by the Totonac Indians. We also take a day off at Palenque to visit the ruins there which are some of the best preserved, with temples and ball courts remaining almost perfectly intact. The ball courts are subject to some speculation as to the rules and rewards for playing. However the consensus appears to be that defeated soldiers from opposing armies were made to play against each other and the losers all got executed. The winners got a day of paradise with wine, women and song….. and then all got executed. Some-one suggested this might be a good incentive for their local football team although it seems a bit extreme!

The only things not to be well received in Mexico have been the Topes, Vibradores or Redcutar de Velocidad. Sleeping policemen if you are British, these humps in the road vary from smooth and nicely built to a line of bricks cemented to the road. Sometimes there is a sign. Sometimes not. Sometimes there is a sign and no topes. Sometimes they are steel half footballs set into the road. They are un-predictable and certainly do their job at slowing us all down. At least they do when you see them! Although quite why they need to put them in the middle of a section of dual carriageway toll road escapes us all?

Only another day and half’s ride away to our south is the border with Guatemala, and the section of Central America where the countries are small and the borders come thick and fast. So does the humidity as we are deep in the tropics and rain forest and jungle await us. The heat was certainly turned up in Mexico, and it’s going to get hotter.