carnets

That each his backpack, we reach the bus station in San Diego, escorted by the local and French family.

Maëlle wearing a green bag 18L, Thomas a bleu 35L, Mallorie 40L blue, Julie 60L Green, Marie-Claude 65L blue, Jean-Roch 70L blue. Both JR and I carry a small bag in addition to the balance ;-)

We sorted and selected among the bare minimum content, already limited, our bike bags. Like what, you can always be easier! But I think we are still loaded ...

First coach to reach Tijuana, a border town. We dive in the bath Mexican, from the first wire announcing the border. Outside, it honks, it screams, it's the inverse of the country that we just left. A musician gets on the bus with his guitar, soldiers are everywhere, armed to the teeth.

Bus Terminal, we need to find the office of immigration and buy tickets to Mazatlan, our first destination. It just a little, unable to speak Spanish, but we can get on the bus just 5 minutes before departure. A small concern remains, we have not managed to make our green cards coming out of the USA; we will be banned for life from living in the U.S.?

We are now en route to 1800 km and 29 h. On several occasions, Mexicans getting in to sell food, the military to inspect the bus. We spend the new year without even realizing it, this is the first time! The movies help pass the time even if we do not understand much. The car is comfortable enough to sleep, except the air conditioning is at the bottom.

A point, we passed the Tropic of Cancer, is in southern Morocco.

When we arrived, it was already dark and the hotel located on the Lonely Planet is downtown. A little lost, we mark a taxi and we climb with our big bags in a sort of golf cart, a taxi pulmonías typical of Mazatlan. Here, no belt and it pushes so it does not fit. We are now installed, Hotel Del Rio, a double bed and a mattress on the floor.

We spend four days in Mazatlan, fishing town. We adapt gradually to our new environment, poverty, noise, dust, odors .... We seem to gringos, and people think we're purse vendors. Some approach us for a little chat, when they understand the dialect that we use is not English. Hola, amigos!

We stroll through the old city, very colorful, very colorful market and also alive. We taste the juice and tacos sold on the street without looking too closely in the preparation, it is far from our standards of hygiene and safety.

In the streets of downtown is anarchy. Between buses, trucks, cars, taxis, pedestrians and anything that moves really there's no priority or else the rules elude us. It honks, it screams, all wrapped in a cloud of dust and pollution.

The late afternoon is devoted to lessons in our small bedroom, finished the holidays, there's a bunch of clips to catch up!

Next destination, Barra de Navidad, further south, still on the Pacific coast. A little galley at the transport level, in three stages, expectations and changes in the night. There's definitely better, but as it does not matter ... In Mexico, the bus network is extensive and there is something for everyone. Among the long distance bus we find the first class with air conditioning, TV, few stops, the intermediate class and second class with the mood of the country, frequent stops. Beside the local buses, outright folk. Whatever the choice, traveling by bus is advantageous. Bus rates are not high.

So we arrived in Barra de Navidad at 4 o'clock in the morning. The waiting room of the terminal is obviously closed, suspecting it was a small village. At the sound of the waves, we are heading towards the beach. We find two squatter Mexican travelers, who spend their nights here. We try to exchange few words in all languages, and we moved right next to finish our night. It is narrow and the waves rise high. Despite a fairly moist atmosphere, we try to finish our night under the stars.

At sunrise, we're looking for a coffee and later for a place to sleep. We find our happiness at the hotel Trivento, enjoying a promotion 3 nights for 2, and this time no one will sleep on mats on the floor!

Barra is a small fishing village and is very touristy. The streets are stained with stalls selling local crafts (and also non-local), each house is open to the street. Here a jewelry trade, there a taco restaurant, a mini supermarket, a lavanderia (laundry not automatic), a bar here, ...., sellers of all kinds of tours by boat are lined along the canal. In short, every space is used and you can find anything.

In Mexico, the pace of life is different from other countries in North America. We had no difficulty in resuming the rhythm of Latin food. Here you can eat until very late, everything is open and lively.

We make our way to the bakery for French baguette in the morning. After 6 months of false bread, it's always fun! Here, the tortilla is the staple diet. Thus, we find tortilleria in all villages, like there are bakeries in France, the manufacture of these wafers is mechanized but still rustic.

For the first time travel, we find water warm enough for swimming. But beware, the Pacific is not the Mediterranean, and the waves are awesome. We can not say that we play rather swim with the waves! Children are dead of laugh, can you imagine, bathe in January, unthinkable!

The jackets are stored at the bottom of the bags and we wade along the water, let it snow ;-)

We admire with envy surfers having fun on the waves with ease. Thomas pointed out logically, that if we were American, we would be surfers.

Even if we adopted a mode of travel more touristy, we still travel further along the short at six. We have a big advantage in foreign exchange and cost of living but the budget does not allow us to try out all the tourist attractions. We walk a lot (once the backpack posed ;-)) and see the city from a different angle. Cons by our practice rudimentary Spanish, we can easily come into contact with people. We have to work orally, for sure, because even in mixing French, Italian and English is not there yet.

Courses CNED argue, we sends the sequence 2, still 3 sequences of late!

Next step, Zihuatanejo. It promises to be the morning after traveling overnight. It saves us a hotel night and it gives us time to find where to land upon arrival. It was not counting it was Sunday, suddenly we still paying three transfers one at 2 am, and buses not really terrible.

This is our last destination on the Pacific, at least in Mexico. The city is also very touristy. Arriving at night, we join a track to finish our night under the stars. In the morning, a huge cruise ship bar on the horizon, hundreds of Americans will disembark for the day. With our large bags, we do not pass unnoticed, we become part of folklore since it became the target of cameras. Please just find a place to put stuff. When leaving the shore, leaving tourists and souvenir shops to dive in the heart of Mexican life. We quickly find a hostel at Angela's Hostel, really well. We are located just above the market, guaranteed atmosphere at dawn. Our host speaks English, which helps a lot.

Several superb beaches along the bay, the water is 26 ° C and for once, the waves are within reach. Ideal for learning to surf. Girls dreamed, Roberto did. A morning in the water for the entire family, 2 monitors, including equipment for about 30 €.

Shortly after our arrival, we witnessed the capture of crocodiles, came off the beach city. They were 5 or 6 to master the beast, but everything went well, the animal had to find his river above the city.

After the breathtaking scenery on the Pacific coast, we head east and higher up. To be continued ...

MC

photos

bonus

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Hotel Del Rio, M$ 350 (it is cheaper for two people)
located downtown, near the old Mazatlan, the market and one block from the Playa Norte.
The central portion which connects the rooms is nice, WIFI and drinking fountain at the center
Clean enough (of course it depends on your level of requirement, which may also change during the trip, you get used to everything ...)
Price of a taco in the streets and shops: 10 to 12M$. Hygiene rules are not comparable to France, it's the same you get used.
To try: the pulmonías, taxis that are found only in Mazatlan. 50 M$ the race, staying within the boundaries of the town.
Machado Place: more touristic, more clean, very pretty. Many restaurants and cafes in the area, including Etnikafé.
Acuario Mazatlan: aquarium and botanical garden. 75 M$ and 50M$. Performances and shows, like Sea World to the Mexican. It was both one week away ;-)

Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico

Trivento hotel, 450 M$ for a room at 4 (one double bed and two single beds) where we slept at 6, clean.
Nice patio, kitchen facilities, WIFI in the lounge.
The hotel is located in the village center two blocks from the beach.
French bakery with baguettes (a bit expensive 20 M$, but it's fun) not far away.
San Patricio Melaque, is 2.5 km from the beach, the ride is pleasant and well watered by the waves.

Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico

Angela's Hostel, 350 M$ ( 3-bedroom) in Gregg and Angela. Shared kitchen, living rooms with hammocks, WIFI. Gregg speaks English.
The market is just below, the beach is 5 mins walk.
Surfing lessons with Roberto El Tunel Surf School in Casa Loma Bonita, a Mexican very nice, 500 M$ of the 3 individual sessions.