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Near downtown Queretaro, Mexico
Queretaro, Mexico
 Prior
to living in Mexico, we knew very little about this country. Amy and I lived in the city of Queretaro in the state of
Queretaro, Mexico in 1995 and 1996. It is located 600 miles south of
Laredo, Texas and 135 miles north of Mexico City. The climate was very
consistent throughout the year. Dry and warm. Though they claimed to
have a rainy season, it only amounted to a couple of hours of late afternoon rain.
No big deal. The city is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and
its proximity to famous towns such as San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, which are
also known for their beautiful colonial architecture. From
Queretaro, there are a few well-paved back roads which will take you through
some spectacular country sides of Mexico.
Riding in Mexico
 There are basically 4 types of roads in
Mexico. Toll-ways, freeways, urban roads, and back roads. Toll-ways are almost
like the Interstates in the United States in terms of pavement conditions. Since the
speed limit is not really enforced, cars on the fast lane are often going above
100mph. I really liked those roads, but the
availability of toll-ways is limited to major city connections. Watch out
for slick oil at toll-booths. They are REALLY bad! Freeways are
normally QUITE bumpy and filled with dangerous road hazards; like domestic animals,
people crossing the roads, broken-down vehicles on the shoulder, huge
potholes, and unmarked construction sights. Urban roads are even
worse. On top of the hazards found on freeways, you will encounter many speed
bumps. I mean many. They are everywhere. They are sometimes so big that you just
cannot avoid dragging the bottom of your Wing. You can imagine how I
used to feel every time
that happened! Back roads are sometimes pleasant, but
most of the time, the conditions are less than decent. So, except for toll-ways
which connect major cities, the road conditions in
Mexico are less than satisfactory for riding a Gold Wing. In small old
towns, you will encounter cobble stone roads. They are roads filled with round
rocks about the size of cantaloupe. They are sometimes pretty to look
at, but not when you are on your Wing. It's really hard on the suspension, and you
can lose control  if you are going slow. Unless you are in a major city, you
won't find a motorcycle dealership. So, your bike needs to be in very good
condition. In Mexico, receiving a driver's license only requires an eye exam and
some dinero (money). No written test of any sort is required. No skills needed. You will find that
there is not much order on the roads. People drive very selfishly, and there is
no respect for others. It's worse if you are on a motorcycle. They will try to
squeeze you out sometimes. However, the bright side is that there are many
beautiful places you can visit in Mexico, and generally speaking, the weather is
perfect for motorcycling in the central region. But to get to those places, it's often difficult not
to include poorly maintained roads. Riding in Mexico can be a great fun if you are
riding a large off-road bike, but often stressful on a Wing (although I still enjoyed it).
Regardless, I wouldn't recommend touring Mexico alone if you've never been there
and don't speak Spanish!!
Traveling in
Mexico - Things to Consider
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Once you go into the heart of
Mexico, you will find that most Mexican people are very friendly and
polite. It is very important that you try to speak to them in Spanish
even if you speak little. It really changes their attitude toward you. |
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What they say about food and water
is very true. Eat only at reputable places to eat and never drink tap
water or ice cubes made from tap water. I tried all sorts of street
foods, but I was not visiting. Yes, I occasionally had stomach problem
from doing so. I'm sure you won't want to spoil your vacation in
Mexico by staying in the bathroom the whole time. Worse yet, you could
pick up something serious like hepatitis like I did... Amy and I went
for a ride with my co-worker. Stopped at a dinky restaurant in a small
town called San Juaquin. Spectacular mountain roads with huge cliffs
right off the pavement with no guardrails. Anyway, I picked up hepatitis
A from whatever I ate there. |
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I was hospitalized after 2 days
(first misdiagnosed as COLD). After being hospitalized, I was diagnosed
as having typhoid fever. I was given treatment for that for a
day. Then, finally, a correct diagnosis was reached - hepatitis A!.
They were ready to take my gall bladder out before correct diagnosis since
it was starting to swell! Anyway, this happened in the best
international hospital in Queretaro, which is a decent size city.
Imagine getting ill in smaller towns or out in the country. You're out
of luck. |
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Keep cash in different
places. Maintain a minimum amount of cash in your wallet. Keep the
rest somewhere else. Not only do you need to worry about pickpockets or thieves, but
also Mexican cops! It is possible that you will get stopped by a cop
and get harassed by them. You might need to bribe them to get out of
the situation. You might need to give out all the cash in your
wallet. So keep a minimum amount in your wallet. This happened to us
once. We were driving a rental car in Cancun and were pulled over by
cops. Even though we were not speeding, they claimed we were (they
didn't even have a radar). When I denied that I was not speeding, then
they said I was drunk (which was not true, I had a glass of wine with dinner
a couple of hours earlier) and went on to say they would take me to
their station and I might spend a night in jail. So, paid them off.
The Mexican government and cops are incredibly corrupt... |
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Keep an eye on your Wing whenever
you can. If you must leave it, try to park in a paid parking
where you will find an attendant (quite easy to find). Hint to the
attendant that you'll pay him if he watches your Wing and makes sure nobody
touches it. In Mexico, people WILL touch your Wing, play with
different controls, and sit on it unless you tell them not to do so. |
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Did I scare you off?
Hopefully not, but just want to make it clear that you really need to be careful if you
decide to travel in Mexico, especially
on a motorcycle! If you are determined to do so, good luck! |
   
      
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Winging in Mexico
