Sumidero Canyon

Outside of Tuxtla Gutierrez in southern Mexico is a magnificent canyon called Cañon de Sumidero.  There are two ways to enjoy this canyon: you can drive along its edge high above the river, or you can explore its depths and take a boat trip.  We did both.

On our boat trip, we saw wildlife, shrines, and some impressive geologic features.  There were hundreds of black vultures gathering along the river. 

 There were also crocodiles sunbathing on the banks. 

 

The river also has a serious problem with pollution.  Along the river there were large deposits of garbage in the eddies and bends.  Garbage and sewage builds up in this canyon since Tuxtla Gutierrez and other cities are just upstream.  To say the least, I wouldn't go swimming here.

One of the main attractions along the canyon is the Arbol de Navidad (Christmas tree).  This is a beautiful geologic feature that formed from deposits by running water.  These fans of accumulated and became covered by moss and other plants, giving it the look of a tree.

At the end of the boat tour, you arrive at a large reservoir.  From there, you turn around and head back up the river to the starting point.

 We also took the driving tour along the top of the canyon.  We were staying with a very nice family in Tuxtla Gutierrez, and they offered to go on a Sunday drive with us.  We stopped in several locations along the canyon to take photos.  We had a blast with our host, his sister, and his little five year old nephew.

Recipe: Enchiladas Verdes

Green enchiladas are one of our favorite dishes.  You can make them spicy or leave them plain; you can put chicken, pork, or make them vegetarian; and they make awesome leftovers.  They are wonderful any time of year, and they can feed a crowd.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 12-15 large tomatillos
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 spicy chili - serrano or habanero (optional)
• 1 large onion
• 500ml (2 cups) broth (chicken or vegetable if making vegetarian enchiladas)
• 2 limes
• cilantro
• salt
• pepper

*You will need either a stand alone or hand blender.

Enchiladas:

• Package of small corn tortillas
• cheddar or colby jack cheese

Put the tomatillos in a bowl of water to moisten the paper husks.  They will be easier to remove.

After cleaning the tomatillos, the green bell peppers, and (if desired) the chili, place them on a baking sheet in the oven.  Bake them at 175 C (350 F) until the tomatillos are soft and releasing juice, and the peppers are shriveled.

While the tomatillos and the peppers are baking, chop the onion and begin sauteing it in a deep pan with some olive oil.  Saute it at medium heat until they are translucent and soft.

Once the onions are ready, put the tomatillos and peppers in the pot.  Prepare the peppers by removing the stems and seeds.  If you want to, you can also cut the tomatillos in half, but this is not necessary.  Cook all the vegetables together until they are very soft.  You can smash the tomatillos with a wooden spoon or spatula while they cook.

Once all the vegetables are very soft, you can add the broth and simmer for 20 minutes or so.  This is when you can add the cilantro, salt, and pepper.  About 10 - 15 cilantro leaves should be sufficient.  Put salt and pepper to taste.

When done simmering, turn off the stove and let the mixture cool.  Blend the mixture and add the juice of the two limes.  Now you are ready to make the enchiladas.

Preparation:

Take small personal ramekins or a large baking dish and coat the bottom with some of the enchilada sauce.  We use terracotta cazuelas - we have small personal cazuelas and one very large cazuela.

Heat a nonstick pan and coat it with a tiny amount of olive oil.  One by one, heat the corn tortillas in the pan.  This will make them more flexible and allow you to roll them.  Place the heated tortilla on a flat surface and put in the fillings.  Cheese is essential.  We usually put cheese and then some sort of meat - pulled pork or pulled chicken breast (see the end of this post for how we cook these).  If you want vegetarian enchiladas, you can put just cheese, or you can put cheese and beans.  Once you have your fillings on the tortilla, you can roll the tortilla and place it in the baking dish. 

Repeat this process until you've made the number of enchiladas that you want.  We usually have three enchiladas in each personal dish, and if we make a large dish, we fill it to the brim.  Once you have your enchiladas all made, cover them with more enchilada sauce, and grate more cheese over the top.

Put the enchiladas in the oven at 175 C (350 F) until they are hot and bubbly.  Serve them with beans and rice (see the end of this post for how we make our rice).

Pulled Cumin Chicken:
Take two chicken breasts and brown them in a pot with a small amount of olive oil.  Once browned, add 250ml broth (1 cup) and cover the pot with a lid.  Simmer until the chicken is done and the broth is evaporated.  Let the chicken cool and then "pull" the meat (tear it up into long thin strips).  Sprinkle the pulled chicken with cumin, salt, and pepper.

Pulled Orange Pork:
Take 1 kilo (2 lbs) pork and brown it in a pot with a small amount of olive oil.  I suggest a large pork roast that is not too expensive.  Once the pork is browned, pour orange juice over the top and cover the pot with a lid.  Simmer the orange juice, turning the pork over periodically.  Keep adding orange juice until the pork is cooked.  Once the pork is completely cooked, take the lid off the pot and reduce the orange juice until it is thick.  Let the pork cool and "pull" the meat.  The remaining reduced orange juice will be the sauce for the pork.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:
Take 1/2 a green bell pepper and chop it.  Mince one clove of garlic.  Saute these with some olive oil till soft.  Put these in a blender with salt, pepper, cilantro, and juice of one lime.  Take that puree and mix with cooked white rice.

Hitchhiking in Mexico

We love to hitchhike.  Mexico and Central America are very good places to hitchhike.  Two of our best experiences hitchhiking were in Mexico.  The first occurred in the southern mountains of Oaxaca. While leaving San Jose Pacifico, we hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck.  This was not the most comfortable experience, since an ATV was strapped in the back of the vehicle.  I was sitting on the tailgate, and Javier was nestled on the side of the four wheeler.  We spent many hours riding in the back of that truck.  Going down twists and turns, doing our best to hide from the pouring rain, and holding on tight when arriving to the highway.  We were so grateful for this long ride.

The second occurred when we were leaving Palenque, in Chiapas.  We were trying to get to a very remote Mayan ruins called Calakmul, and were having a very difficult time getting a ride.  We struggled for hours to get someone to pick us up, and eventually we had to concede defeat.  We hopped on a small bus to the next crossroads, to try our luck there.  Much to our excitement, we were picked up almost immediately by a trucker.  It was a bit of a surprise for the driver.  I was standing by the side of the road, seemingly alone (Javi was bent down behind a sign trying to get something out of his backpack), and this trucker was very excited to pick up this young blonde woman.  But, when Javier was the one to run to the truck, he was just as surprised to see a dark haired man.  Although Javier was not the young woman he thought he was picking up, he was still pleased to help the two of us out.

This turned out to be the best hitchhiking Javi and I have ever done together.  We spent hours driving with this trucker, Jaime.  He was generous; he bought us coffee at a rest stop.  He hosted us in his extra bed in the semi truck.  He even wanted me to drive (though in the end I was too chicken to do it)!  For the night, we slept above him in his extra bunk in the truck.  The next morning, we took some photos, and said our goodbyes.  We will never forget Jaime, and we wish we had some way to contact him.

 

Chacahua!

Chacahua is one of the most difficult places to reach.  You first take a colectivo (van or bus) from Puerto Escondido to a small town outside the lagoon.  Then you take a taxi or colectivo from the small town to the edge of the salt water lagoon.  From there, you bargain with the boatmen, to try and get a ride across the lagoon.  This is the only way to get to the road to Chacahua - by boat.  If you are pleased with the price, you will take the 20 minute ride across the lagoon.  At this point you have to be dedicated to your mission, because once you get off that boat, you have to go to Chacahua.  You crawl into the back of a pickup truck, and drive for another 20 minutes to reach the remote town of Chacahua.

 

The lagoon is very nice, and on a moonless night, the lagoon lights up from bioluminescent organisms in the water.

The final road to Chacahua is a simple two track dirt road with no access except by water.  It is a bumpy ride surrounded by large cacti.

Once you reach Chacahua, you have the most luxurious of accommodations.  Small huts with no running water.  For showering, you go to a small communal stall and take a bucket bath.  Using water from rain barrels, you use a cup to rinse yourself.  The toilet is just as sophisticated; to flush you get water from the rain barrel.  There is apparently only one telephone in the whole town, and this is located at the small shop on the main "street".  Whenever somebody receives a phone call, loud speakers blast out all over town announcing for that person to come to the store.

There is not a lot to do in Chacahua.  For surfers, this is a paradise - especially at the right time of year.  Our time here was spent playing on the beach.  The beach is not ideal for swimming.  The water is rough, and rip tides are abundant.  Nonetheless, we made a game out of getting bashed around by the waves.  We continued with this diversion until we realized we were being swept down shore away from the town.

Those who enjoy adventure will love both the trip and their time spent in Chacahua.  The time spent getting there and simplicity of the town make this place one of favorites.

Our Friend Rufo!

While in San Jose Pacifico, a small town in the mountains of Oaxaca, we met a friendly dog.  We had decided to go on a hike, when halfway up the trail, we met a friendly brown dog.  He began to follow us, and eventually, we decided to call him Rufo.  We continued for a long time up the road, until we came to the highest point of the road.  From there, we began to travel cross-country.  After a while, we passed near a house.  We tried to go around, but had to pass near it.  Suddenly, some dogs came out of the house and attacked us.  They were very aggressive and kept biting Rufo.  Eventually, one even bit Alia in the back of the calf.  Rufo was unfazed by this though, and followed us closely as we tried to escape.  By the time we made it back to town, we were good pals with Rufo.  We were hugging and patting him.  When we would sit down he would even curl up with us.

 

The next day we left San Jose Pacifico.  As we started to hitchhike, we saw Rufo.  He came over and said hello.  We could not take him with, but we will never forget him.

Pulque!

Pulque is an old alcoholic beverage that has been made in Mexico for many centuries.  Now it is not very common, and it can only be found in small little breweries that specialize in its production. It is made on a weekly basis so as to not make it too strong.  It is made from the scraped leaves of the agave plant, and is often mixed with guayaba.

The flavor is not like any other alcoholic beverage I know.  The closest taste might be mead - honey wine.  It is slightly sour.  Maybe not my favorite alcoholic beverage, but definitely a cultural treat.

Guanajuato, Mexico

Guanajuato is a small mountain city north of the Federal District.  This is a colorful town, rich in history.  It is completely surrounded by mountains, making it accessible only through tunnels.  Entering this town is very exciting.  It's a bit like coming to El Dorado; you approach the mountains, enter through the tunnels, and emerge into a beautiful hidden city.

There are very few roads in this city which are passable by cars.  The hills are steep and some of the "roads" are no more than a meter wide.  Navigating the city is at times tiring. You must climb stairs everywhere you go, and sometimes the stairs seem never ending.

Guanajuato has a very rich history.  This city was the location of the first major uprisings during the Mexican war for independence from Spain.  There is a famous story of El Pipila, a man whose actions allowed the insurgents to overcome authorities in the city of Guanajuato.  When the Spanish troops took refuge in the city's granary, the insurgents were unable to make headway in the battle.  It is said that El Pipila strapped a large flat stone to his back, which allowed him to approach the  granary unscathed and set fire to its door.  This allowed insurgents to enter and take over the building.  El Pipila is memorialized in an enormous statue overlooking the city.

This city has some wonderful architecture as well.  The Teatro Juarez is a wonderful place to meet with friends and chat, and the churches in the city are spectacular.  Guanajuato is by far one of my favorite cities in Mexico.

Mexico City Canals

In the southern end of Mexico City are the last remaining canals of Lake Xochimilco.  This lake was once the heart of agriculture in the area, but now has largely disappeared.  If you go down to the canals, you will see the brightly colored boats that navigate them.  For some money, you can go on a tour of the canals in one of these boats.  We chose to just sit and watch the boats float by.  Even this is quite a nice experience; it is very peaceful and beautiful.

This is the entrance to the canals.

Here are some of the boats.  The more magnificent boats are often named.

We spent a very nice afternoon sitting on the bank of the canals.

The watermelon swimming in the ocean

One day in Isla Mujeres (Cancún, México)

 

l wrote this to Alia on Sep 8th 2010, after her departure from Cancún, México. Alia had some days between the end of her summer job with the US Forrest Service and beginning of school. As I was still in México, we had decided one month earlier, she could come to Cancún and be together for one week. Later, I would have to continue my way back to Spain, hoping to fix my US immigration status, and Alia would have to be back in school for the fall semester. We had not had much opportunity to be together until then and clearly would not have much opportunity either after Cancún. So, we decided that week in the Yucatán would make for our Honeymoon. The message that follows, was written after her departure...

September 8th 2010

Hola Alia,

It was difficult to see you leave Cancun. It was difficult to see you disappear among the people in Cancun’s airport. It was difficult to see you take with you, at least, part of all the love you had brought with you one week earlier.

The other day I was able to take a look to the pictures you took. At night my eyes get a little better and I can better enjoy the pictures. In your absence, the pictures at least allow me to remember all the love you brought to Cancun. I was still able to enjoy the love you put in those pictures: your happiness in those pictures, your expressions of love,  the anal setup and preparation that preceeded each picture, your smile, your shining eyes.

I remained in the airport for still a couple of hours after you left. I was a little confused, disoriented, like after something hits your head. I was feeling a little lost, still wondering where that love had gone. It’s true not everything had been perfect. There had been beautiful times, there had been stressful times and there had been passionate times. But, in the end, you always keep and remember the best. After all, nobody can say that things have been easy for us. The road we found has certainly not been smooth.

I went to one of the cafes, trying to get some internet connection. I wanted to check my email, and maybe write a few more messages. I wanted to wait a little while, in case anything happened. I didn’t feel like going back to Cancun and start figuring out what to do with the rest of the day, the rest of the week and the rest of the month. However, it became soon clear that I was not going to get any internet connection at the airport, and nothing out of normal was going to happen with your flight, so I started my way back to Cancun.

I started walking towards the hostel, hoping to find a hotspot. I could not find any until I finally reached the hostel. So I sat there for a couple of hours, across the street, sending emails and trying to figure out what to do next. Finally, I ran out of battery and went back to the bus station to find out about the bus schedules to the west. I hoped I could find as well some power plug to recharge my batteries.

There were buses day and night and I preferred a night bus, so I decided to stay a little longer and keep working on my plan for the next days. Then I thought I could also go to Isla Mujeres and, that way, win some time to get some replies.

Eventually, I decided that was the best option. So, I started doing research on how to get there. Unfortunately, I found out too late that the cheapest ferry was not the one running until late in the night. It was, however, too late as well for another change of plan, so I took the 10:30pm ferry to Isla Mujeres.

I was out of luck that night, I made it to the hostel in Isla Mujeres at 11:15, to find out the office closes at 11:00pm. I had thought the hostel, being a party hostel with lots of life until late in the night, would not give any problem accepting people arriving late. I was obviously wrong.

It was a bad end for a bad day. I really didn’t feel like struggling with that day much longer, so I decided I would go to the beach, look for some quiet place and sleep there. I kept telling myself that it would probably be much hotter in the hostel’s room, than at the beach anyway. It did not take long to find out, I was actually not that wrong about that.

In the middle of the night I woke up. Some couple was passing by on their romantic late-night beach walk and the girl freaked out when she saw a body laid down on the beach. The guy went to inspect my bags, so I rose my head to let them know I was doing well and only sleeping.  She thought I was dead and I clarify I was not. He told me to be careful that I don’t get attacked. I explained I could not get into the hostel and just wanted to have some place to sleep and start some better day tomorrow.

Other than that, the night was not that bad. I enjoyed throughout my sleep the fresh breeze of the sea and was already laying down on the beach when I woke up. I was starving though… and, even worse, probably getting dehydrated. Nothing to be surprised about, since I had not had any food, since the day before, when I had breakfast with you. That afternoon in Cancun I did not feel like doing any work, not even going for some food.

In fact, I was still feeling that way. I did not feel like eating, I didn’t have the energy to start digging in my backpack for some food. I wished I had some juice and I could just drink as much as I needed. Everything else was just too much work and not even what I really wanted. But I was starving, probably dehydrated and it was nothing but going to get worse.

So, I decided I would do what I had to do and spent the next hour eating something; as little as I was enjoying it. I started feeling a little better, but I was still very thirsty. I just didn’t feel like packing everything again and carry all my bags back to town, just to get some drink and then go back to the beach. It was starting to get hot as well, so I thought getting into the water would make me feel better. I didn’t want to expose my white skin too much to that mid-day sun, but those clothes were killing me under that heat. I really needed something to cool off the temperature of my body and the water in fact felt very good.

Surprisingly, while I was in the water, something hit my hand. It was some big, round thing. I turned around to find a huge watermelon swimming in the ocean. As soon as it had gotten my attention, it started waving at me: “Youhoo…!!”, while moving its leg up and down in the air. I was really very thirsty and that watermelon looked really 'freaking' juicy. I just could not find the way to tell that watermelon to stop screaming at me: “eat me!, eat me!”. But the watermelon had a big crack running through its entire length and, obviously, did not seem very safe to eat. I felt like Adam in the Garden of Eden, being tempted with the evil apple.

I decided I would take the watermelon out and study the situation very carefully.  I thought I would call Rationalman and have him assist me taking a good, rational decision on the matter. Suddenly I noticed somebody was trying to get my attention. A few people had gathered next to me. Some Mexican woman was making weird gestures to this American, to make him understand he should through that watermelon away. Rationalman, however, interceded and asked the woman in perfect Spanish, what would be the reasons to through away the watermelon. She explained it could be bad. I had, however, already worked with that hypothesis. She did not have much more to offer. I thought I would cut off the surface and try a little bit deeper inside. I was really thirsty, probably dehydrated and that watermelon was really sexy. In fact, if I was thirsty, that watermelon was pretty much the best I could have possibly wished for. Besides, it would not stop screaming at me, no matter what. Rationalman gave his thumb up to have a bite and see if I feel good or bad. The watermelon was actually 'freaking' good! I waited a bit and since it became obvious I was not getting any reaction, I decided to go ahead and eat some more. It was at times a bit salty, but I could always spit it out, and overall, it made me feel much better.

It even had some very positive secondary effects. The people around me was in complete shock, as they watched me dissecting and eating that street watermelon. It became clear I should be really desperate and in very deep hardship, if I did not mind to eat such thing and put my health in risk. So, some man came and offered me a can of soda! I told him I truly appreciated. I explained I was feeling dehydrated and that is why I gave it a try to that watermelon. Shortly after he came with a plate of food. Some seafood with some vegetables and potatoes. It was freaking good! After that, I was still able to enjoy the beach a while longer, but could not stay much more, as I was fearing I would get burned. So, I packed all my stuff and got ready to leave the island. That watermelon had saved my life that day, so I did not want to abandon it and leave it alone in the beach, so I took it with me. It became, however, a real pain to carry that huge thing, that monster, around. It was not long before it got bad anyway and that I finally had to discard it. That watermelon will always have a space in my heart and will always have visions of it swimming in the ocean, waving at me: “Youhoo!!”, while moving its leg up and down in the air.

Javier

Revisiting Mexico, hitch-hiking through Baja California, Sonora, Chihuaha and Sinaloa

On June 22 2010 I finally left the U.S. through San Diego - San Ysidro, into Tijuana. It was a very dramatic and emotional moment. I had been given a ride from Los Angeles and we did not notice the turn off, so we made it all the way into the borderline. It was the last time I was going to see my friends in many years. Who knows, I may not see them again. Yet we were barely able to say goodbye. They did not have passports and were really worried the had crossed the line and would be stuck in Mexico.

I had to leave the U.S. because of immigration problems. However, I thought I would not go directly to Spain, but cross over to Mexico. So, I would have the chance to travel all through the country until the Yucatan peninsula. Eventually, I would need to go to Spain, where I could start my visa application again. However, before Alia needed to register the marriage, so I had a few months I could use to travel through Mexico.

For some stupid reason, I came up with this stupid idea of crossing Mexico spending the least amount of money possible: that is, spending no money in hotels nor transportation. So, as cheap as little rooms may be in Mexico, there were still not acceptable for my stupid project. The transportation part was accomplished hitch-hiking. I first couchsurfed in Rosarito with Chef Chick, an old, liberal, American Vietnam-veteran, in his last months of life.

He had some really bad breathing problems. He had been told, he should have expected to be dead by then. But had been doing fine until then. He was starting to feel worse, however. At some point he said, maybe he was living his last summer. I learned one year later he died the Spring after. The week I spent at his place had been really good to me. Chef Chick was simply trying to enjoy the last years of his life and, at that point, the best way he could think of enjoying his time was helping out other people. One day I offered to teach him to cook a Spanish Tortilla. He was interested, but he asked me to allow him to cook it. He explained his illness had reduced him to almost nothing, but he was still able to cook. For one thing he was useful for, he did not want to be displaced. He was really nice to me. On my last day, we had a rather heated debate: I was explaining I was against country border and he, as an American patriot who had fought in Vietnam, could not make any sense of my point of view. As I would not back out he eventually became rather upset, but he realized I was just expressing my point of view. Then, he wished me all the best in my travels and my plan to rejoin back with Alia in Montana. Thank you very much for your help Chef Chick.

It was very special to be back in Rosarito. That's right, four years later, I was back in Rosarito. My first time in Rosarito, in the summer of 2006, was very intense: I got robbed in my first day. Shortly after, U.S. immigration did not allowed me to cross back to the U.S. to return to my apartment in Los Angeles.  Then, I spent a couple of months in Rosarito trying to figure out how to be allowed back in the U.S. and working with the Guardias Judiciales to get my stolen backpack from Chavez, the 'clandestine' drug dealer who bought it from Jaime Pimentel for $200 in marihuana. Rosarito brings back many, intense memories to me: so much energy spent with so little result, but the friends I made during those months. The youngest of all those was Jorgito. He was about four years old in 2006. In my return to Rosarito, I did not miss the chance to visit him again.

From Rosarito I started a hitch-hiking trip for several days. Some family first took me to Tijuana. Then, two guys explained they would like to help me get to Tecate, but it could not be until the morning after. They still offered I spend the night in some shack they had.

 As promised, the next morning they showed up to pick me up and take me to Tecate. The guy even gave me a coat, if I could make any use of it. It was the beginning of summer in the hottest place in Mexico. A couple of days later I had to endure almost 50ºC (122ºF) in the dessert between Baja California and Sonora, so it was not really like I was going to feel cold, but that coat did help me as a sleeping pad.

I was dropped off in Tecate. I had also been in Tecate in 2006, so, it again brought me a lot of memories. I had already remembered those days in Tecate in 2006, watching the movie Babel. In Babel, like it was my case in 2006, the Mexican nanny gets in real trouble crossing back the Mexican-US border at Tecate. In my return to Tecate I was able to fulfill the plan I had kept for those last four years. In 2006, walking around Tecate, I discovered a tunnel used to smuggle illegals and drugs into the U.S. My camera´s battery was dead and I was not able to take any picture at that time. In my return in 2010 I went straight to take those pictures.

After I got my work done, I went to have some food. Actually, I went looking for some place where I could watch the 2010 South Africa World Cup football game between Spain and Portugal. Clearly, the best option was a restaurant, so I also took the chance to eat some food. By the way, Spain won 1 to 0, so I was happy.

After the game, I was ready to leave Tecate and continue my journey. I took the road and looked for some spot to hitch-hike. It again took a while, and it was really hot, but, finally, some truck stopped. The truck stayed there for a while and I would not get the clue he was stopping for me. Finally, it stroke me and I went to check. The trucker was very frustrated I would not get it. However, he was really cool and cheerfully invited me to hop right in. Again the guy was really cool, because he even stopped for me to enjoy some sightseeing. However, he almost got in trouble: we got intercepted at some checkpoint. The Mexican officer was not friendly at all. He gave me quite some crap because he considered I had not been careful enough crossing lanes. He explained I should show respect for Mexican laws the same as my country's authorities require Mexicans to observe my country's laws. My friend, the trucker, very kindly asked him to chill out. The officer was really grumpy and inquired what was the deal with me, but the trucker simply explained I was hitch-hiking and he was only trying to help out.

The trucker gave me a ride all the way to Mexicali. It was sunset and somebody stopped again for me. However, he could not give me a ride all the way to San Luis del Rio Colorado. He offered I stayed at his place and he would take me to San Luis the next morning. He looked really sad and depressed. He explained he had recently separated, and he would appreciate the company.


It became really difficult to get a ride from San Luis to Puerto Peñasco. It was already dark and some guys at this gas station had seen me struggling, begging for a ride for hours. It was already pitch-black, so they started begging on my behalf for anybody to pick me up. Finally, some family finally accepted, but I would have to ride on the trunk of this pick-up truck. I said: "anything", and jumped in. I spent the next couple of hours, open-air, riding through the dark night. The worst however was yet to come. I had hoped once we would make it to Puerto Peñasco, they would have some suggestion where I could spend the night. But that was not really part of their business. So, as we were entering town, they simply asked me to jump out. It was midnight and I really had no idea where to go. I even looked to find some place among the bushes between the two ways of the road. I really could not convince myself of doing it. Finally, I stepped out and went to lay down on the side of the road. Three hours later, dawn woke me up. I was glad I had survived the night and decided to move out and visit the town.

It turned out to be quite a walk and my bags were killing me. But it still had to get worse as the day heated up. It was the very end of June and Puerto Peñasco is already in the Sonora/Arizona dessert. I think the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the world, have been in this dessert. It was freaking hot that day. I went to some library for some internet access and I saw the thermometer at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Pending to cross the Sahara dessert, hopefully one day in the near future, that is the hottest I have ever experienced.

I walked some more, then went to the beach. The sun was finally setting and it was time to start looking for a place to sleep. Again, I could not find anything. I finally gave up and accepted to sleep again among some bushes on the street.

The next day I was ready to leave town and try to cross what seemed one thousand kilometers of dessert to Hermosillo. I had found some CouchSurfing host there and I was really longing for a few days of rest. Fortunately, enough people took pity on me throughout the day and I arrived to Hermosillo just after sunset. For some reason I cannot explain, it seems like it always starts up great, until you are almost there and then you get stuck, to the point you start fearing you will not make it to the end. I really enjoyed crossing the dessert, again on the back of a pick-up truck. It was funny to stop in the middle of the dessert, for some refreshments. Those guys treated me to some local special drink: it was some sort of frozen fruit juice. Under that heat it felt really delicious.

After some hours, they dropped me at some gas station. The thought of not finding a new ride and getting stuck there, was a bit scary, as it was right in the middle of nowhere. Finally some other guy stopped. He was some sort of teacher. He would be some months teaching in some remote place and then spend the rest of the year at home. He was the first to tell me about the Sierra Tarahumara. It sounded like a really beautiful place. But as he depicted it as these very green and humid mountains, just a few hundred kilometer of the hottest dessert on the planet, it seemed to me the guy was drunk or something.

I think it was Santa Ana where he dropped me off. I was so close! But then I got stuck at this gas station. I would beg and harass anybody who stopped there for gas, but nobody had any space for me. Again, it was the people working at the gas station who finally felt pity for me and start asking everybody to give me a ride. Finally some truck drivers did: I guess in Mexico truckers do not have deal with this insurance BS against stow-aways.

I was finally in Hermosillo! That night I was going to sleep on some bed and probably even have good food, Youhoo!!! I got dropped off at the opposite side of town, however. So, I still had to wait a few hours for my host to come pick me up. I was freaking tired and desperate. He did not show up until midnight. I had started to fear he would let me down. I was really not happy and thought I would never forgive him for doing that to me. However, the week I spend with him and his family was so wonderful, now we are best friends!

I extended my $0 journey through Northern Mexico for a couple of more weeks. I was still able to make it through the Sierra Tarahumara, into Chihuahua, and back to the coast to Los Mochis. As fun as it was, or shall I say, it is now to think about it, it was even more painful than reasonable. I just had to accept it was not healthy to continue torturing myself like that. So, by the time I was ready to leave Los Mochis, I went to the local bus station to buy a ticket to Mazatlan.