To Mexico City (and beyond!)

Just after Revolution Day, Hans, Ursula, and I packed up our suitcases and locked up our RVs in San Miguel for our biggest "non-RV" excursion yet...a 3-week trip to Cuba via Mexico City.

(web photo)

Mexican Revolution Day

Who doesn't love a parade?  Especially, if your child is one of the 1,000+ participants?  That might just be the secret to San Miguel de Allende's well-attended annual Mexican Revolution Day parade.  Invite every kid from every nearby school to participate, and they'll be sure to bring their parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, and neighbors to come watch!  When this many start gathering along the streets of centro, all the gringo tourists in town will surely come watch the parade too....and that's exactly what Hans, Ursula, and I did!

Overnight Trips to Guanajuato & Zacatecas

We had originally planned to only spend a few weeks in San Miguel and then move RVs over to Guanajuato, but when Ursula needed to fly to Germany for a few weeks to assist her mom, we decided to take advantage of Hotel San Ramon's excellent monthly rates, keep our RVs parked in San Miguel, and just take overnight trips with the Tracker to visit other nearby cities.

When Ursula's return flight from Germany was scheduled to land at the León airport at midnight, Guanajuato became our first overnight trip away from the RVs.

Scooting around San Miguel

Normally, when caravanning with Hans and Ursula, we use the Tracker for our local transportation.  It's great to transport the 3 of us, and/or haul groceries and big jugs of drinking water from the store.  But parking in downtown San Miguel can be a hassle-- street parking is nearly impossible to find, and some of the paid lots close as early as 7:00pm.

When Ursula headed to Germany for a few weeks to care for her mom, Hans suggested it was finally time for me to learn to ride on their scooter.  Motorcycles are ideal for navigating the clogged streets of San Miguel, and much easier to park as well.

First things first, I needed to have appropriate scooter apparel-- sturdy shoes, long pants, and a jacket.  Hans supplied the motorcycle helmet.  He rolled their yellow Honda 250cc scooter out to prepare for my maiden voyage, and I, of course, had to ham it up for the camera!

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

Ever since coming to Mexico for the first time in 2013, there has been one cultural celebration I've yearned to see-- Day of the Dead.  At it's core, it is a time when Mexican families honor and celebrate the lives of their deceased loved ones-- a Mexican "Memorial Day" if you will.  But this being Mexico, they celebrate with MUCH more color, vibrancy, and meaning than we do in the U.S.

Sensuous San Miguel de Allende

This was Hans and Ursula's first visit to San Miguel de Allende, so we wasted no time in getting out on our first morning to go see the town.

Off to Mexico via Colorado & Texas

On the morning I was to leave Bryce at the end of September, I did my usual inspection of the RV to make sure it was road-worthy after being parked for a few months.  Engine fluid levels good? check!  Tire pressure good? check!  No critter nests or chewed wires anywhere? check!  Under-chassis looks normal? uh, not quite!  Why is half of my transmission pan wet with drippy transmission fluid?  YIKES!