Gotta agree with you, Yuma; of the cheaper Mexican beers, Tecate is tastier that the others (IMHO).

If you pay a few pesos more, Negra Modela is a decent dark beer, as is Dos Equis Obscuro. A few places here have XX Obscuro on tap and it's really yummy.

If you pass through Mexico at Christmas time, check out Noche Buena. They only sell it in December, but it's a great tasting beer.

Bruce, the problem with the border is that we don't seem to get much of a variety of beers here. It seems that we only get the big Mexican names, and with the Tecate factory nearby, that is our dominant one. However, I absolutely happen to love Tecate, so I don't complain.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread; I will second the toll road from Tijuana to Ensenada which wasn't all too expensive if I remember correctly. Bruce, do you have any toll roads near you?

Toll roads: my turn to rant!

I hate the highway system in Mexico. The crappy roads are kept crappy on
purpose, random speed bumps every where, and nothing like marking a dangerous curve with a series of hellish speed bumps and slick-as-snot paint.

On the other hand, the toll roads are VERY expensive and once on, it seems there's no way of unless you really know what you are doing.

I paid (5 Oct 2007) about $40 USD to go about 200 km from Tepic to Guadalajara. Not worth, considering you get stuck in construction and one lanes on the TOLL roads, and they still make you pay some places on the "free" roads. Eh? Come again?

It's much nicer and not much slower on a bike to ride the libres. Certainly worth it for $40 or more for a half day's riding.

I think it's all part of the System of the Rich in Mexico that helps keep the poor poor. Not liking this country. Not sure how I am going to deal with even more wealth disparity in other countries.

Poor is one thing, but having wi-fi and cheap cell phones every where, while restricting access to clean water to those who can pay through the nose for it is NOT a good way to run a country.

I'll save more for another rant. Lucky to be from Canada, I guess.

Mitch

Not about Toll Roads
 

I see you're experiencing some culture shock. There are plenty of things NOT to like about Mexico....you really don't know the half of them! :rofl: But there are plenty of things to like as well. It may take a while to discover those.

Trust me, most of the working poor in Mexico dislike the govt. more than you do (see recent disputed election) I suggest a visit Oaxaca to see some serious pre revolutionary actions going on there Right Now. But do be careful who you talk to about politics.....many rateros in the midst.

The movement that started in Chiapas over 10 years ago is building. But so is a new pro govt. middle class enamored with all the trinkets modern western culture offers. I see a bloody civil war coming that's about 50 years overdue.

What do you suppose the military are really looking for at all those check points? Guns is there #1 priority. Now ask yourself why. Tienen miedo.

Patrick:mchappy:

Mazatlan to Durango
 

Just been to Acopulco on Monday - not many tourist there at the moment so expect to get a lot of attention from people selling things!

But before you get there drive from Mazatlan to Durango, it has to be one of the best roads in the world. The first 160km are corner after corner from sea level right up to 2700m, and the veiw from every corner could be on a postcard... Road is in very good condition too.

I´m in the midst of a trip from Texas down through Central America. So far I´ve made it as far as Oaxaca. In my opinion, up in the north there is no need to take the toll roads. The libre roads are just fine. However, to get from Guanajuato to Oaxaca I dropped down onto MEX200 along the Pacific coast and I think it scarred me for life. Three days of tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope after tope. I figured out that I was averaging about 35mph over those three days thanks to all the topes. NEVER AGAIN will I ride that road and from now to the Guatemala border (via Palenque) I´ll be taking as many toll roads as possible. I don´t care how expensive they are I never want to see another tope again.

Why do Topes scare you?
I know they are a pain on certain bikes but normally we either ride around them (on the right) or sometimes there is a nice gap in the center. Otherwise just hit 'em at speed. No problemo.

What bike are you one? How much weight are you carrying? If you're over loaded I could see Topes busting your rear sub frame or something if you're heavy. Also depends on the design and ferousciousness of the Tope. Some aren't frame busters...others ARE!

Mostly we hit them at full speed, no problem with good suspension, light load.
How was the traffic on Mex. 200?
Have a safe trip! Hey, how's the weather? Any rain or signs of flooding?

Cheers,

Patrick:scooter:

topes
 

Come on now , Mex200 aint that bad!. Just travelled that road this past winter and numerous times before and have never enountered a problem othe r than on some trips by car having the muffler strike the tope. Hey, that's why they have muffler shops along the road- a few bucks , a few minutes of soldraje autogenio and she's quiet again. On any of the bikes they were never a big issue.My old YamahaXS750 did hit the centerstand sometimes as have other street bikes sometimes if not slowed down. With dual sport/adventure tourers like GS1100 and the KLR they are nothing more than a bump if taken at a reasonable pace . From fencermatt's profile I see he may be driving an Ural - with sidecar ?
That might explain a few things .
Dasvedanja.

Oops, gotta update that profile. I'm on a KLR650 now. On the URAL I never would've noticed the topes at all, that bike was an absolute tank.

If I ignored the topes and hit them at full speed I think MEX200 would've been much better but, I gotta admit, I don't have the balls to slam my bike (a fully loaded KLR650) into a giant speed bump 100 times a day.

Considering that, the (speed-up-to 15kph STOP speed-up-to-15kph)x10 followed by (speed-up-to-45kph STOP speed up speed-up-to-45kph)x5 followed by a brief stretch of open road until the next hamlet starts everything over again got really old somewhere south of Aculpoco.

Traffic-wise, there are parts of MEX200 between Playa Azul and Puerto Escondido (that's the section I rode) that can get a little backed up, mostly on the twisty parts when you get stuck behind a CocaCola truck, but it was no worse than getting stuck behind RVs heading up Highway 1 in Oregon, and the ride down from the mountains and then back up into the mountains was absolutely amazing.