Mainland Mexico

In the spring of 2007 we quit our jobs, gave up the little flat in South Park, stashed our stuff under Cara’s parent’s stairwell, and took off in the truck to mainland Mexico. After crossing in Nogales (Arizona/Sonora border) we started our long drive through the Sonoran desert to the Sea of Cortez, down Mexico’s Pacific coast, crossing over into the Yucatan through the isthmus, up into Mexico’s southern mountains, back to the Pacific coast, zigzagging through the central highlands’ silver cities, before returning through the northern deserts six months later. Along the way we hung out in charming old hotels, ate smoky moles in colonial plazas, slept in hammocks under tropical stars, surfed world class waves, shopped for treasures in Indian markets, photographed ancient pyramids, made friends with other travelers, spent time in hospitals, broke down in the middle of the desert, got ripped off, stayed in bed for days with the stomach flu in the sweltering heat, bitterly disagreed over whether to spend our time on the coast or in the mountains, worried about our dwindling funds, and patched, rotated, and replaced all our tires (multiple times).

*If you want more info about the trip, I've inserted an email I sent while in Mex. at the bottom of this post and it gives more specifics about the trip.

These pictures track the order in which we saw Mexico.

Driving through the Sonoran Desert

Eye Infection in Mazatlan

The first of a hundred llantera stops

Ticla, Michoacan

Palm Sunday in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero

Good Friday in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas


Zapatista village, Chiapas



Palenque, Chiapas


Palenque, Chiapas


Palenque, Chiapas


Chizen Itza, Yucatan


Campeche, Campeche


Campeche, Campeche


Campeche, Campeche


Hammock store owners -- Merida, Yucatan


Ticul, Yucatan


Tulum, Quintana Roo


Our tree-house style palapa -- Lagunas de Chacahua, Oaxaca


Oaxaca City, Oaxaca


Oaxaca City, Oaxaca


Chile covered grasshoppers, a common snack in Oaxaca City


Political march in Oaxaca City


Oaxaca City, Oaxaca


Mitla, Oaxaca


Mitla, Oaxaca


Making mescal -- Mitla, Oaxaca



Doing laundry -- Costa Chica, Guerrero


Costa Chica, Guerrero


Costa Chica, Guerrero


Pulqueria --Cholula, Puebla


Mexico City, Mexico

Teotihuacan, Mexico


Nexpa, Michoacan


Patzcuaro, Michoacan


Patzcuaro, Michoacan


Guanajuato, Guanajuato


Guadalajuara, Jalisco


Guadalajara, Jalisco


Crocodile -- San Blas, Nayarit


San Blas, Nayarit


San Blas, Nayarit

Some where in Sinaloa


Alamos, Sonora




Chris made a short little film about our travels:

*July 4, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

I had high hopes of sending out a group email containing exciting accounts of our Mexico adventures every couple weeks or so, but in true Cara-fashion I procrastinated. This week, however, I had a little work to do on the laptop and I was inspired to compose this letter.

I think it's probably been two and a half months since my first email and we've really made some tracks all over Mexico since then. We've explored the mountains of Chiapas and the beaches and lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula. We've spent a month divided between Oaxaca City and the beaches of Oaxaca. And we ventured into Mexico City, the silver city of Taxco, and the magical mountain village of Tepotztlan. And in between all these locations have been many dusty towns, tourist resorts, and empty beaches. Most recently we've been beach bumming along the coast of Michoacan, where Chris is surfing and I am perfecting my hammock swing and finally managing to make my way through all the books we brought.

While all these locations have been wonderful and amazing, some have rank higher on our list than others. Chacahua, a secluded, tropical beach/lagoon in the state of Oaxaca, was great. Our gracious hosts (Carlos and Marta), our treehouse cabana, the flying manta rays, Marta's shrimp in a smoky chili sauce, the beautiful tropical settings, the "mile" long wave, excellent fishing, the other travelers we met, and Chacahua's groovy Afro-Mexican culture all served to carve a special place in our hearts for Laguna de Chacahua.

However, Oaxaca City was a wonderful contrast to Chacahua and we had such a blast while we where there. Oaxaca City and the surrounding areas have wonderful artesanias, or artisan crafts and art, and we spent a large part of our time shopping for black pottery, Zapotec rugs, and other treasures. In addition to the great shopping, Oaxaca City has delicious food. We sampled lots of moles, sipped many cups of hot chocolate, and gorged ourselves on organic salads and soups (such a welcome break from all the heavy/spicy food we so often find ourselves eating). We even tried chili coated grasshoppers! Mainly, though, we just enjoyed walking around the city, ducking into the ornate churches and modern museums, exploring the busy markets, and relaxing in cafes.

In the Yucatan we went a little hammock crazy and bought a few more than we needed, but the colors and craftsmanship were just too enticing to pass up. Also in the Yucatan we enjoyed riding bikes through Steinbeck-like fishing villages south of Campeche and climbing the Mayan ruins of Uxmal and Ek Balam. It felt rather rewarding to reach the Caribbean, which is picture post card beautiful, with its clear and turquoise water and powdery white sand. We did a little exploring south of Tulum, driving through a wilderness reserve that spit us out in the town of Punta Allen, which is little more than a fishing village on the Caribbean. We had fun knocking around there a couple days, counting the iguanas. Finally, in Valladolid we feasted on cochinita pibil and swam in cenotes, which are underground limestone swimming holes – it felt like we were in a science fiction movie.

While we weren't there more than a week, we were unexpectedly charmed by Mexico City. It was a treat to be surrounded by the vivid murals of Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco, see where Frida Kahlo lived, observe pilgrims making their way to pay homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe, and witness the spectacle that is lucha libre (Mexican professional wrestling). I was especially impressed by the archeological site of Teotihuacan with its Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Also, while in D.F. we were able to try pulque, an ancient beverage made from fermented agave sap. The pulqueria was very rustic and charming, straight out of an old Mexican movie, but pulque itself is not so good! However, probably the best part of Mexico City was sitting in cantinas listening to mariachis, eating tortas, and enjoying a tequila.

Our most recent location is not so bad itself. We have been at a beach called Nexpa, camped out in a rustic cabana ( i.e. Chicho's tool shed). While we've done lots and lots of camping, this is the first opportunity we've had to really set up a proper camp, complete with a kitchen. It's so nice to be able to make decent dinners. So often our camp dinners are just peanut butter sandwiches. This beach is quite beautiful and pleasantly free from trash and the mountains directly behind us are lush, tropical, and dramatic. Plus, the surfing is world class.

In giving the above account, I am impressed by how many places we've seen. Funny, it doesn't feel like we've been that busy and we seem to always be commenting on how quiet and slow life is. It is true that much of this trip has been quiet and slow, but we've been filling our time with various domestic activities. I have taken up embroidery, for one. It seems that every serving of tortillas comes wrapped in a hand-stitched towel, which is a nice homespun touch. While in one of the markets in Oaxaca I found the materials for these tortilla towels and I've been on a roll ever since. Chris has been fishing quite a bit, which has made for some delicious dinners. Also, he seems to enjoy hand washing our clothes. He's always on the look for a good laundry sink and a sturdy bucket.

Next we will be heading up into the mountains of Michoacan to the cities of Patzcuaro and Morelia. Following this jaunt into the mountains we will be hitting up the beaches of northern Michoacan and Colima. Then we will be off the colonial silver cities of the northern central highlands, followed by a little more beach camping in the state of Nayarit, and then we will be on our way home sometime in September.

We are so much looking forward to seeing everyone upon our return and hearing about what you all have been up to. We think about all of you often and wonder about what's going on in everyone's lives. I hope everyone is healthy and happy.

Hasta pronto!

Cara