Day 2 Northward in Mexico

WHERE ARE WE? Parador Turistico San Pedro, Mexico

Up and on the road this morning about 8;30.  Planned on doing just over 400 kms today.  This was where Archie and I travelled today.  Ended up at Parador Turistico San Pedro.

The first part of the trip was easy peasy even on the two lane portion of the trip.  Here in Mexico if you are on two lane highway, you travel with one tire on the shoulder which frees up the center of the road for passing.  All you have to watch for is someone else trying to pass and you yield to them.  It works really well once you get the hang of it.  Here were a couple of my passes.

this guy was giving up too much road

This is how its done.

Once I got heading north on 57 the truck traffic really picks up.  This is a route that serves San Luis Petosi and on down to Mexico City.  From here to the border will be mainly truck traffic and you just pick one that is going your speed and hang with it.  Because the traffic is so thick, things tend to happen that bring everything to a slow crawl.  A truck pulling out from the side or maybe a traffic stop by the cops.

Notice the plates, Illinois and Maine!!  Lots of trade going on down here.

Today I went through the Monarch butterfly migration zone, but it is the wrong time of year so I never saw one.

Saw lots of cops and marines and National Guard on the road today along with some new chassis for something going down the road.  Its funny to see them with helmets and goggles sitting on a box herding these skeletons of vehicles down the road.

I got all set up for the night at Nuevo Leon, Parador Turistico San Pedro truck stop.  It is in the middle of nowhere between the lanes of the 4 lane highway so they get lots of traffic stopping for meals and a nap or gas or diesel.  It is a noisy place but noise doesn't matter much to me so I will be fine. Its only like 350kms to the US border from here so I will be there by noon I hope. 

Had a nice supper in the restaurant tonight.  My last Mexican meal for a few months.  I had pollo, frioles, arros along with tortilla's and Agua Fresco Pina.  All for 165 pesos.  

Some pretty palm trees here up against the mountain background

While I was having supper a tour bus got ready to leave and one of the drivers opened a side hatch where there was a single bed and crawled in and shut the door and off they went.  Kinda like the secret sleeping places on big airlines.  I guess he will be ready to drive the night shift.

I was parked beside the gas price sign and got to thinking.  I will need gas tomorrow so where will I buy it.  Mexican gas has been around 23.99 since we started coming here 7 years ago.  Although it is expensive here, there are no surprises at the pumps here, unlike at home.  

So I need to decide where the best deal is to get fuel either in Mexico or the USA. So here is what I figured out. My tank holds 300 liters so in Mexico it would cost $570 Cnd to fill it, or I can limp into the USA and fill up where it will cost me $345 Cnd. That's a $225 difference. Well that's a no brainer so I will fill in the US.  Just for giggles that same fill in Canada would cost about $465 Cnd. $120 difference from USA.  What the heck??  Someone is not doing a very good job up there.  Think maybe I will take my time travelling in the USA and enjoy some of the benefits a country that looks after the needs of its people, has to offer.

Tonight was Survivor night again.  There were a lot of weird angles on tonights show but I am really enjoying it.  A couple episodes of Sons of Anarchy and off to bed. Good Nite!!