We are in Obregon, Morelia, about 500 miles away from the USA border. By we I mean the three amigos, Joey, Todd and Ralph. Our four o’clock meal served as both lunch and dinner. The Santo Filete Sonora Restaurant next door to the Holiday Inn Fiesta Inn is the best steakhouse in town. For starters the amigos ordered up a bottle of their best wine. A bottle of Caymus red Napa valley wine ($150US) sparked numerous discussions about our past two weeks of motorcycle riding. Is it the journey that’s the goal itself; or is it the destination? And what happens to those people who obsess about the final outcome of the ride from the very beginning? Well, we thinks they just end up missing out on all of the amazing things that happen along the way.
If you are just getting started with this story let me just point out that there’s fifteen more to catch up on if the ride adventure interests you.
From Dispatch Day 0 story: And do you have a plan she now attentively asks me ………..Do we have a plan, I repeat back. Why most certainly we do, only I’m not the one with the plans this time. What she doesn’t yet know is that the first thing that usually goes wrong with my motorcycle adventures is the plan! The plans always seem to change. And then you have the occasional mishap of say a “toad” in the road that somehow starts a chain reaction that starts to unravel that said plan.
From Dispatch Day 1 story: – of our travels……….That type of thing doesn’t happen to an almost brand new motorcycle. Which leads me back to something greater than ourselves reached out and touched Dale……..
From Dispatch Day 2 story: – All of the burned out vehicles. trucks and buses, except for one are already cleared out. Road construction crews are repaving the melted asphalt from the over 250 vehicles that were set on fire. The majority of the vehicles on the road today are heading northbound and primarily police and military. Outside of some truck traffic there’s very little traffic on the roads except for our little motorcycle group. And if you don’t yet know we also have a B team consisting of Tracy, Brian and Bob. Today they stopped for lunch and didn’t encounter any roadside prostitutes or ran out of gas………
From Dispatch Day 3 story: – And now Dale is getting us all fired up to ride. It’s cold outside. The B team boys are strategizing how to best take Mexico City and the horrendous traffic. I’m watching from a safe distance away. Thinking, you fools, only the Mexican spirits know for sure what’s in store for you………..
Dispatch Day 7 – Bryan tells me there’s no drama in team Bravo. He may be right! Now I ask you what is drama? Is it Team Alpha stopping at some tires burning on the side of the highway; and me setting up some wooden blocks for a ramp, so that those two hooligans that I am riding with, can jump said ramp with their motorcycle, for the sake of a good picture? Or is it drama when Todd encourages Joey to do some wreck less hooliganism style behavior such as trying to wheelie over the open flames? ………..
Dispatch Day 12 – Today as I ride through an indigenous village I see a kid about seven walking down the road and carrying a live turkey; I say to no one, that’s something you don’t see everyday. And then there’s pigs staked out in front yards like dogs. Don’t see that everyday either. Then it just goes on and on from there; a litter of puppies by the road; a road killed dog; lots of loose chickens; children walking to school; children not going to school; everyone and everything using the main road. Too much to take in. A vulcanizing tire place and a store with not much in it. And then more of those dreaded topes…………
Dispatch Day 13 – This morning Tyedye Keith and Scott both sunny side up disposition types looked at the sky, that was still holding back the rain then they looked at each other and then in a mind meld sort of way probably made a beeline to visit the Palenque ruins. Super Dave also looked on with envy and was also inspired to ride and confirm that the crypt does exist. Tonight we are in the city of Cordova, Veracruz………..
Dispatch Day 14 – Jefe kept forcing me to twist my throttle to catch up. I drew the line at 120 mph. At one time Dusty was in the zone and was going with it leaving both Jefe and Ned behind. Then the tollbooth came up and Joey pulled up. 246 pesos. Si Senor! What. Each he says! Each motorcycle. Si Senor. That nearly broke the bank. The highest toll paid so far. And then he transformed back to Jefe and says; well at least we weren’t going in the opposite direction like those poor dumb .ucks! ……..
In the end Todd decided for Joey and I that it really doesn’t matter a hill of coffee one way or another if the journey is the goal itself or the destination.
Just try to look at life itself as it unfolds, at this very moment. In this life, if you don’t celebrate yourself, nobody else will.
The End
Trawlercat Personal Blog Chronicles 