Traveling in Mexico is always an adventure, especially travel by car. Yesterday we set off expecting about a 3 hour trip to Patzcuaro on the new toll road. Just as we were saying that we didn't think we would see a sign when we got to the overpass of the road that leads to the new toll road, there was a small sign. But of course it didn't mention Morelia or the new toll road. Just the next town down the road.The new toll road is wonderful and really saves a lot of time but we came up on some construction and were directed to take the exit to Moreleon. We asked if we could get back on the toll road to Morelia and they said that we could get to Morelia.....which might not be the same as getting back on the toll road. Of course we had to go through the exit toll booth and pay the toll. We asked them about getting back on the toll road to Morelia. They said to go to Moroleon and after a while we could get back on the toll road. What can you do? We started to pull away from the toll booth and they came running after us and said that we could turn around and go back through the toll booth and get back on the toll road because it was open now. They gave us another toll ticket to pay again at the end of the toll road.
So back on the road again. When we got to the last toll booth, there was a long line of traffic and lots of people milling about the toll booths. We are trying to figure out what is happening and then we see a sign strung across the toll booth but it is facing away from us, so we are not sure what it says. After a while the traffic from our direction is waved through the booth but when we got to where we would pay, the men who were standing around were shouting "gratis, gratis, gratis" We think that some demonstration had taken over the toll booths and the demonstrators were now letting cars through for free.
We never seem to be able to figure out the whole story but Mexicans have their own way of letting the government know when they don't like what is happening. As I said Mexican road travel is always an adventure.I made the pictures this morning with the holga lens on the DSLR camera. I'll be posting more. The huge trucks filled with flowers are still pulling into Patzcuaro and lots of them are unloading right on the street where we are staying.
5 comments:
I could tell this story over 1000 times of trying to get around Mexico with no signage and failed directions. But since I am very sad right now, I won't. Why am I sad, you ask? Because you tempted me so nicely with that strawberry picture to start the blog! I want one of those.
Those are beautiful vegetables. I love the chayote's. Right now there are a couple growing in our garden but they are not big enough so I don't think they are going to make it. Hopefully the plant will come back next year and it will be fruitful and multiply. Oh those strawberrys look absolutely delicious with all that cream. Oh brother that looks good. :)
Happy Halloween.
The strawberry thing does look good doesn't it. We didn't buy it though.
For a brief shining moment, I was a bit of a local Pátzcuaro hero as I explained to southbound people how to get on the cuota from Querétaro to Celaya - doing the sensible thing, and following the sign to Celaya, dumps you on the libre, which is even more odious than threading one's way through Moreleon. But always an adventure - last time (really, last time, I promise) we took back roads to Querétaro, in the middle of nowhere we passed a signpost pointing to two towns - Los Angeles and San Francisco. I kid you not. And besides, this is the internets, so it must be true.
Have a great time!
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