APOTA – The Mexican Adventure 2025

[Apota]

Palm Trees, Pit Stops, and a Saturday Night Crowd

Packed up, fueled up, and headed out of El Rosario toward San Blas. Got a reasonably early start and took the toll-free highways 15, 72, and 54. It was one of those days where you just enjoy the ride, the countryside, and the smells of the trees and plants as everything starts to shift. As I moved south, the landscape got greener, maybe even a little tropical. Not sure if it’s technically tropical yet, but it felt like it. Seeing palm trees again was a good sign.

It was hot today, but really only when stopped or riding slow in direct sun. Once moving, there was a perfect breeze that made for fantastic riding conditions. Loved that.

The Unexpected and Fun Pit Stop in Reynosa
While riding the other day, I had the idea to mount my phone somewhere so I could snap road photos while riding. Nothing fancy, just something to make it easier to grab quick shots. Problem was, I needed a drill, or at least someone with one.

Enter Reynosa, and two guys named Pedro and Enrique.

I stopped at a small shop. Not modern, kind of a mix between a tire repair place, a junk pile, and a siesta hangout. Between my terrible Spanish, their terrible English, Google Translate, and a whole lot of gestures, I managed to explain what I needed. They got it right away.

Enrique jumped on a bicycle and rode off looking for a drill. Pedro started digging around for bits, and we began prepping. Enrique came back a few minutes later with a drill, but the chuck wouldn’t grip the small bit we needed. After more chatter, he took off again. Meanwhile, Pedro and I kept tinkering with what we had until he suddenly remembered another drill he had stashed somewhere.

He brought it out, and we were in business. A few minutes later, the hole was drilled, the mount was in place, and the job was done. They refused to take any money. Just a handshake and “buen viaje.” Eventually I managed to press a little cash on them, took a couple of pictures, and rolled on. Moments like that are why I love riding in Mexico. The people are something else.

Rolling Into San Blas
The rest of the ride was smooth. I stopped a couple of times to take in the scenery and eventually rolled into San Blas in the afternoon. A couple of hotels were full, which had me mildly concerned, but one of them pointed me toward Hotel Familia.

It turned out to be a great spot. Family-run, with a nice restaurant out front and secure parking out back. They gave me a garage remote for the private lot behind the building, probably enough room for eight or ten cars. I asked if taking up a car spot with the bike was okay, and they immediately offered a better idea — park on the cement pad in the garden where they grow plants. They even suggested putting a cover on it so it wouldn’t get covered in “plant juice” overnight.

Very safe, very welcoming. Room was 850 pesos.

I took a photo with the owner standing next to the bike, threw on the cover, changed into town-exploring clothes, and went for a walk.

Lots of Motorbikes and a Saturday Night Crowd
San Blas was alive. Crowds everywhere, Saturday night energy. I didn’t make it down to the beach, but I explored the waterfront, the marina, and wandered through town. Not a ton to see, but it’s a well-known birdwatching destination.

What stood out the most? Motorbikes. It felt like I had suddenly been dropped into Southeast Asia. Bikes everywhere — on every corner, cutting through traffic, weaving between cars and pedestrians. You had to stay alert just to cross the street. Seemed like an odd thing to see in a town this size, but clearly it’s how the locals get around.

In the main plaza, they were setting up a huge stage. By 8 PM, it was in full swing. I grabbed a spot at one of the plaza restaurants and had some fantastic enchiladas while watching the crowd build. Turned out to be a whole lot of loud music, speeches, and more speeches. After an hour of waiting for something to actually happen, I gave up and wandered back to the hotel.

From my room, I could still hear the party rolling well past midnight. Big crowd, big volume, big night in San Blas.

Oh Yeah, The Phone Mount — Right Idea, Bad Workability
That phone mount we installed? Good idea in theory. In practice, not great. The vibration was bad enough to make most of the pictures unusable. I might salvage something from it, but it’s not the solution I hoped for.

I’ve got a GoPro too, but it brings its own issues. Still figuring all of that out. Not critical, just something I’ll keep messing with when time allows.

Tomorrow – Southbound With as Much Coastal as Possible
Tomorrow I head south again. Maybe Bucerías. Maybe Puerto Vallarta. Maybe somewhere else entirely. I’ll figure it out in the morning.

San Blas just felt like the kind of stop I needed
because too much fun is .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Here is a slideshow of the day..