Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding...
- Thread starter Lightcycle
- Start date
Thanks, we've got two DSLRs, one Nikon D60 with a cheapo Sigma 10-20mm lens, and a D3000 with a Nikkor 18-200mm VR. Most of the on-bike pictures are taken with a Nikon Coolpix AW100, which is ruggedized, shock-resistant and (field-tested) 100% waterproof - perfect for motorcycling. Also, we sometimes use the cameras on our iPhones, they are surprisingly good.
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Well thank you very much. Your pictures are awesome. It doesn't matter if the equipment is cheapo..it's the person behind the camera that makes all the difference. I like all your pictures.The one that gets stuck in my head all the time is the one of the wave.
Well, keep us updated and stay safe.
Well, keep us updated and stay safe.
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/61.html
The Road of 3000 Curves.
When we met Phil and Jayne at the ferry dock in La Paz a week earlier, they mentioned that they were planning on riding this road when they crossed into the mainland. 3000 curves? How could we pass this up?
Rick had to leave Mazatlan earlier than us, something about getting back to Mexico City and going back to wo... going back to wor... nope, can't say it. Anyway, that left us by ourselves again, heading towards the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental. This meant that we were going to leave our sun-drenched beach haven for colder climates, so we had to mentally prepare ourselves for this. The Alaskan winter had scarred Neda deeply and she curses bitterly anytime she's forced to put on her jacket liner: "I thought I was done with this stupid thing!"
Stuck behind a couple of trucks, time to snap a picture!
I found out that another thing Neda curses at are the Cuota (toll) roads in Mexico. They are really expensive. Everytime we see a sign saying "Cuota", I hear a string of expletives over the intercom. So we go looking for the sign for the "Libres" roads. In this case, Carretera 40 Libres leaving Mazatlan *is* the Road of 3000 Curves, and the villainous Cuota road threatens to spoil all motorcyclists fun by smoothing the twists and turns by all manner of technology: bridges and holes through mountains.
Twisty heaven!
The pavement is smooth, but the air gets colder as we slowly ascend the mountains. Every once in a while, the bushes along the side clear and we're treated to a magnificent view of the green valleys below us. Traffic is light in the middle of this weekday, but we still manage to get stuck behind a couple of trucks and have to wait for a straightaway to pass them. I'm amazed at how brazenly these large vehicles cross the median when apexing blind turns. Surprised there aren't more accidents!
There is a sign about 1/2 way through the road reading, "Espinoza Del Diablo": the "Devil's Backbone", a very apt nickname for this piece of asphalt!
A different kind of hazard on the Road of 3000 Curves
Along the way, soldiers and army vehicles have occupied all of the tiny villages. Part of the reason they are building the high-speed Cuota road through the mountains is to make it easier to mobilize troops to combat the drug traffickers who have a stronghold in this region. The soldiers barely take notice of us, and those that do give us a thumbs up on our rides.
We're told it takes between 6-8 hours to make the journey between Mazatlan and Durango. We do it in 5, with an hour break for lunch...
Riding through the streets of Durango
The city of Durango is the capital of the state of Durango, and is the most modern city we've visited in Mexico so far. We've opted to stay here for a few days because we don't want to travel during the holidays. Also, we've planned an entire Christmas day of Skype sessions with our family and friends back home, and we take the time to scope out a hotel with fast Internet.
Being on the road for this long is a curious affair. In some ways, we are closer to our family and friends, because we are making more of an effort to keep in touch, without the excuses of work. So far TelCel's mobile Internet infrastructure has been quite extensive and impressive, outclassing any provider in the US and Canada. Not sure what we're going to do once we've travelled past this luxury.
Our favorite place just around the corner from our hotel for cheap eats
Chilaquiles for me and a gordita for Neda
We find a nice hotel right downtown and for the next few days venture out enough into the strip to become very familiar with all the local eateries. On Christmas Day, we treat ourselves to a Chinese buffet, which is I think our first non-Mexican meal in Mexico. The restaurant is staffed by two Chinese women, I think the three of us represented the entire Asian population in the state of Durango! They seemed just as amused as I was to see a brotha!
Frolicking in the fountain. During the day, temperatures were beautiful, but dropped quickly in the evenings and early mornings
Fountains and churches - two mainstays in Mexico architecture
There's always someone carrying around some musical instrument in Mexico!
Neda wrestles the camera away from me...
Catedral Basilica de Durango at night
There is a markedly increased police presence in Durango compared to all other places we've been to thus far. I'm not sure if it's because this is a larger city or because it's the holiday season, but police cars and uniformed officers vigilantly patrol the downtown streets. The plaza at night is continuously lit by the Christmas ornamentation and the flashing blue and red lights of the police car permanently parked in front of the Basilica.
Feliz Navidad from Durango!
The Road of 3000 Curves.
When we met Phil and Jayne at the ferry dock in La Paz a week earlier, they mentioned that they were planning on riding this road when they crossed into the mainland. 3000 curves? How could we pass this up?
Rick had to leave Mazatlan earlier than us, something about getting back to Mexico City and going back to wo... going back to wor... nope, can't say it. Anyway, that left us by ourselves again, heading towards the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental. This meant that we were going to leave our sun-drenched beach haven for colder climates, so we had to mentally prepare ourselves for this. The Alaskan winter had scarred Neda deeply and she curses bitterly anytime she's forced to put on her jacket liner: "I thought I was done with this stupid thing!"
Stuck behind a couple of trucks, time to snap a picture!
I found out that another thing Neda curses at are the Cuota (toll) roads in Mexico. They are really expensive. Everytime we see a sign saying "Cuota", I hear a string of expletives over the intercom. So we go looking for the sign for the "Libres" roads. In this case, Carretera 40 Libres leaving Mazatlan *is* the Road of 3000 Curves, and the villainous Cuota road threatens to spoil all motorcyclists fun by smoothing the twists and turns by all manner of technology: bridges and holes through mountains.
Twisty heaven!
The pavement is smooth, but the air gets colder as we slowly ascend the mountains. Every once in a while, the bushes along the side clear and we're treated to a magnificent view of the green valleys below us. Traffic is light in the middle of this weekday, but we still manage to get stuck behind a couple of trucks and have to wait for a straightaway to pass them. I'm amazed at how brazenly these large vehicles cross the median when apexing blind turns. Surprised there aren't more accidents!
There is a sign about 1/2 way through the road reading, "Espinoza Del Diablo": the "Devil's Backbone", a very apt nickname for this piece of asphalt!
A different kind of hazard on the Road of 3000 Curves
Along the way, soldiers and army vehicles have occupied all of the tiny villages. Part of the reason they are building the high-speed Cuota road through the mountains is to make it easier to mobilize troops to combat the drug traffickers who have a stronghold in this region. The soldiers barely take notice of us, and those that do give us a thumbs up on our rides.
We're told it takes between 6-8 hours to make the journey between Mazatlan and Durango. We do it in 5, with an hour break for lunch...
Riding through the streets of Durango
The city of Durango is the capital of the state of Durango, and is the most modern city we've visited in Mexico so far. We've opted to stay here for a few days because we don't want to travel during the holidays. Also, we've planned an entire Christmas day of Skype sessions with our family and friends back home, and we take the time to scope out a hotel with fast Internet.
Being on the road for this long is a curious affair. In some ways, we are closer to our family and friends, because we are making more of an effort to keep in touch, without the excuses of work. So far TelCel's mobile Internet infrastructure has been quite extensive and impressive, outclassing any provider in the US and Canada. Not sure what we're going to do once we've travelled past this luxury.
Our favorite place just around the corner from our hotel for cheap eats
Chilaquiles for me and a gordita for Neda
We find a nice hotel right downtown and for the next few days venture out enough into the strip to become very familiar with all the local eateries. On Christmas Day, we treat ourselves to a Chinese buffet, which is I think our first non-Mexican meal in Mexico. The restaurant is staffed by two Chinese women, I think the three of us represented the entire Asian population in the state of Durango! They seemed just as amused as I was to see a brotha!
Frolicking in the fountain. During the day, temperatures were beautiful, but dropped quickly in the evenings and early mornings
Fountains and churches - two mainstays in Mexico architecture
There's always someone carrying around some musical instrument in Mexico!
Neda wrestles the camera away from me...
Catedral Basilica de Durango at night
There is a markedly increased police presence in Durango compared to all other places we've been to thus far. I'm not sure if it's because this is a larger city or because it's the holiday season, but police cars and uniformed officers vigilantly patrol the downtown streets. The plaza at night is continuously lit by the Christmas ornamentation and the flashing blue and red lights of the police car permanently parked in front of the Basilica.
Feliz Navidad from Durango!
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My question is how do u still find the time to troll gtam when u have a trip to plan
LOL! :lmao:
:dontknow: We'll figure something out.
suzuki2000
Well-known member
not sure if they are in the same position, but a lady i used to work with son and daughter in law went on a trek of Australia though southern asia for anout 1 1/2 years, they did something though not on bikes. liquidated all material items, packed up the savings. while onm the trek they lived modestly, but there was an investment portfolio built to work in their absence. Access to information allowed them to tend it as needed, but upon the return home they were able to pick up in "life" with enough to make re-enter life not too deep in a hole
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/62.html
We took a leisurely two days to travel from Durango to Guadalajara, opting to bypass the Cuota roads to take the non-toll highways instead. The roads are flat and boring, skirting the far eastern side of the mountains and nothing eventful happens, save for my Sena communicator, which stopped transmitting just as we arrived into town. The problem with constantly being on the move is that if we do need parts shipped to us, where do we send them to? And how long will it take? The logistics involved are annoying. So for the time being, I was in listen-only mode, which suited Neda just fine!
Guadalajara is Mexico's 2nd largest city. Our bikes are due for regular service (again, so soon?!?!) and we had originally thought to schedule an appointment in Mexico City, but after some research, we found a dealership just less than 10 kms away from our hotel! The only spot they had open was next Friday, so I guess we're here for a while! We took the opportunity to get acquainted with the city!
Main streets are really busy, so we took to the side streets
A lot of Mexican life centres around three things: the church, the market and the plaza. Every neighbourhood has a local version of this triumvirate. We rode to the center of town to the Marcado Libertad, which is the largest and most popular market in the city, right beside the Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima, which also happens to be the largest cathedral in Guadalajara.
Snack-time: Watermelons drenched with lime, seasalt and chilli! *delicious!*
Limes are Mexico's beloved condiment, they use them like Americans use ketchup. You can put them in beer, on tacos, watermelons, etc! We met a local girl the other day who just got married to a Belgian and had moved overseas to be with him. She told us that in Belgium the limes are so small and expensive, and this is one of the things she really misses about Mexico!
The moment the camera came out, this guy started doing tricks with his knife, flipping and tossing it up in the air. Very entertaining!
Mercado Libertad is huge; sprawling through indoor buildings and spilling outside into the open-air stalls. The air was alive with the sounds and scents of vendors selling fast food, groceries, toys, clothing. We had a great day snapping pictures and interacting with the locals, with Neda honing her ever-increasing Spanish skills. As for me, I was skilled enough not to need a knife to butcher their language...
Grabbing some lunch, over-the-counter-style, inside the Mercado
There are so many places to buy food, so we've developed two criteria for deciding where to eat: 1) no gringos! 2) it has to be busy. If there's nobody eating there, there must be a reason! I've fallen in love with the taco asada (shredded beef) and chorizo (sausage), but one item on the menu intrigued me - Brain Tacos! Walking Dead Style? It sounds much more appetizing in Spanish: tacos de sesos. Mmmmm! I've made up my mind to try this the next time.
Mercado is alive with bursts of colour everywhere!
Fruits and vegetables here are so much more juicier and flavourful than back home
Ice skating? In Mexico?
Outside the Catedral, there was a long lineup and when we investigated, we found that a large outdoor skating rink had been built, complete with skate rentals. Everyone wanted to try ice-skating, which I assume is a novelty in Guadalajara. It's 28C outside! Ice-skating skills must be a rarity here, because this girl target-fixated on my camera and I barely got out of the way as she careened towards me, arms flailing.
Also, no zamboni, so the ice got pretty funky after a while...
A different kind of taxi around town
Pedestrian traffic is heavy on this beautiful, sunny weekend. Catedral on Neda's left
Inside of the Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima
The inside the catedral is so beautiful and ornate, however there was a pre-recorded mass playing over the speakers, and the record kept skipping over and over again in the same spot. So we had to leave because it was a little bit annoying and slightly creepy A friend of mine told me that this catedral is a popular place to shoot TV shows, a lot of Spanish soap operas are filmed here!
A family is surprised by a toy bird flying overhead, set aflight by one of the vendors in the plaza
Boys playing by the fountain
Pensive? Or slow day for shoe-shining? I love the look on his face, so lost in thought!
Church spires compete to reach the sky
Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima, the centre of Guadalajara
Selling beads and other religious trinkets outside the catedral
We took a leisurely two days to travel from Durango to Guadalajara, opting to bypass the Cuota roads to take the non-toll highways instead. The roads are flat and boring, skirting the far eastern side of the mountains and nothing eventful happens, save for my Sena communicator, which stopped transmitting just as we arrived into town. The problem with constantly being on the move is that if we do need parts shipped to us, where do we send them to? And how long will it take? The logistics involved are annoying. So for the time being, I was in listen-only mode, which suited Neda just fine!
Guadalajara is Mexico's 2nd largest city. Our bikes are due for regular service (again, so soon?!?!) and we had originally thought to schedule an appointment in Mexico City, but after some research, we found a dealership just less than 10 kms away from our hotel! The only spot they had open was next Friday, so I guess we're here for a while! We took the opportunity to get acquainted with the city!
Main streets are really busy, so we took to the side streets
A lot of Mexican life centres around three things: the church, the market and the plaza. Every neighbourhood has a local version of this triumvirate. We rode to the center of town to the Marcado Libertad, which is the largest and most popular market in the city, right beside the Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima, which also happens to be the largest cathedral in Guadalajara.
Snack-time: Watermelons drenched with lime, seasalt and chilli! *delicious!*
Limes are Mexico's beloved condiment, they use them like Americans use ketchup. You can put them in beer, on tacos, watermelons, etc! We met a local girl the other day who just got married to a Belgian and had moved overseas to be with him. She told us that in Belgium the limes are so small and expensive, and this is one of the things she really misses about Mexico!
The moment the camera came out, this guy started doing tricks with his knife, flipping and tossing it up in the air. Very entertaining!
Mercado Libertad is huge; sprawling through indoor buildings and spilling outside into the open-air stalls. The air was alive with the sounds and scents of vendors selling fast food, groceries, toys, clothing. We had a great day snapping pictures and interacting with the locals, with Neda honing her ever-increasing Spanish skills. As for me, I was skilled enough not to need a knife to butcher their language...
Grabbing some lunch, over-the-counter-style, inside the Mercado
There are so many places to buy food, so we've developed two criteria for deciding where to eat: 1) no gringos! 2) it has to be busy. If there's nobody eating there, there must be a reason! I've fallen in love with the taco asada (shredded beef) and chorizo (sausage), but one item on the menu intrigued me - Brain Tacos! Walking Dead Style? It sounds much more appetizing in Spanish: tacos de sesos. Mmmmm! I've made up my mind to try this the next time.
Mercado is alive with bursts of colour everywhere!
Fruits and vegetables here are so much more juicier and flavourful than back home
Ice skating? In Mexico?
Outside the Catedral, there was a long lineup and when we investigated, we found that a large outdoor skating rink had been built, complete with skate rentals. Everyone wanted to try ice-skating, which I assume is a novelty in Guadalajara. It's 28C outside! Ice-skating skills must be a rarity here, because this girl target-fixated on my camera and I barely got out of the way as she careened towards me, arms flailing.
Also, no zamboni, so the ice got pretty funky after a while...
A different kind of taxi around town
Pedestrian traffic is heavy on this beautiful, sunny weekend. Catedral on Neda's left
Inside of the Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima
The inside the catedral is so beautiful and ornate, however there was a pre-recorded mass playing over the speakers, and the record kept skipping over and over again in the same spot. So we had to leave because it was a little bit annoying and slightly creepy
A friend of mine told me that this catedral is a popular place to shoot TV shows, a lot of Spanish soap operas are filmed here!
A family is surprised by a toy bird flying overhead, set aflight by one of the vendors in the plaza
Boys playing by the fountain
Pensive? Or slow day for shoe-shining? I love the look on his face, so lost in thought!
Church spires compete to reach the sky
Catedral de la Asuncion de Maria Santisima, the centre of Guadalajara
Selling beads and other religious trinkets outside the catedral
Haven't really thought that far in advance, so I can't answer your first question. But Neda has an answer to your second question: "By the time we've seen every corner of the planet, it will all have changed, so we'll just go back and revisit them again!"
Credit cards are hit and miss in Mexico. Only the larger establishments take credit cards, and even then, some of the machines they use don't seem to be compatible with Canadian cards. My card has been declined a few times and when I called up the bank in a panic, they say the transaction never came through on their end.
ATMs at the local banks work flawlessly, so once in a while, we withdraw local currency and the conversion is done automatically. Funnily enough there are a ton of ScotiaBanks and HSBCs down here, so these are the ones that charge us the least amount of service fees.
ATMs at the local banks work flawlessly, so once in a while, we withdraw local currency and the conversion is done automatically. Funnily enough there are a ton of ScotiaBanks and HSBCs down here, so these are the ones that charge us the least amount of service fees.
Odd, I think I've seen a couple posts in the same vein. If anybody's gonna hit the ground running, it'll be these two. I don't think when an endeavour of this magnitude winds down you default to hobo status. I'm pretty sure anyway.
To the original poster, good on you! First read of your exploits ADVRider.
and oh ya, LOL
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My question is how do u still find the time to troll gtam when u have a trip to plan
Just supports my theory that they've never left their basement in Toronto, they only conjure it up using electronic gee-wizardry
Just supports my theory that they've never left their basement in Toronto, they only conjure it up using electronic gee-wizardry
:angry7: Don't make me LOL you...
Natfx7
Banned
Lightcycle,
To everthing - turn turn turn
There is a season - turn turn turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to sell, a time to buy
A time to quit, a time to get
A time to ride, a time to embrace
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!
60's classics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUT4QpHcWGI
ccasion9:
To everthing - turn turn turn
There is a season - turn turn turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to sell, a time to buy
A time to quit, a time to get
A time to ride, a time to embrace
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!
60's classics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUT4QpHcWGIccasion9:
Oh hell no, we don't want to shut down another thread because you LOLed. Keep your LOLs to yourself!
The funny thing was he trolled a member without her knowing. This dude is gifted
and trolled her into a ban - impressive
