South Pacific Mexico Coastal Highways Update (09/07)
South of Manzanillo Colima (about halfway down Mexico's west coast), "old Mexico" returns with a flourish. Gone are the multi-lane tollways, off ramps, and modern roadside businesses with acres of spare shoulder asphalt. Mex 200 reverts to a sinous thread winding its way up and down headlands and crossing vast flats of coconut palms and banana trees. It's "heads up" time in cities and towns because of numerous last-minute notification of impending left turns to maintain course. This route through the state of Michoacan has many deserted stretches that attests to the fact that Mex 200 was only completed here in 1984 -- civilization has yet to catch up. As far as "gasolineras" go, new gas stations have been erected narrowing the "gas gap" to perhaps eighty miles. Unleaded fuel is plentiful as is unleaded premium and Diesel. A new shiny blue Maserati caught my eye and a brief conversation with its vacationing Italian owner confirned the fact the Pemex's Red Grade Premium is satisfactory for even turbocharged Italian sports cars (never mind motor homes).
Downtown Acapulco remains a nut-house for motor homes. I strongly recommend staying north in the cluster of RV parks at PIE DE LA CUESTA, and using a bus or toad to venture downtown. If you must drive your rig south, do so by using the peripheral ring road and Mexico 95-D toll road to reconnect with Mex 200 well outside of Acapulco. If you jog south on Mex 95-D until it ends on ave Costera, then make a right, there is a COSTCO WHOLESALE not more than a mile up a wide lightly tafficked boulevard. Easy to enter, acres of parking, and they accept USA Costco membership cards. There is a couple of ATM machines inside. It was here that I finally connected with a case of Delo 400 15/40 motor oil. A discounted paperback novel caught my eye as did a case of nectarines. Simply retrace your route up Mex 95-D and make an exit on to Mex 200.
Proceeding south, Mex 200 degenerates into a scarred unmarked swath of tarmac. Nothing much to shatter ball joints with but every single little group of houses seems to have its own series of TOPES (molded asphalt speed bumps) that are sometimes signed "Reductor de Velociadad", or even "Tope". It's the -unmarked- topes that will make you slam on the brakes and grind your teeth.
Proceeding into the state of Guerrero, it is obvious that Mexico's NAFTA and prosperity of the north hasn't made it this far south. Most houses seem to have no windows, few side streets or roads are paved or even gravelled. The average skin tone becomes mahogany brown, clothing is plainer, women walk with umbrellas "para-sols" unfurled, roaming burros are frequent as are iguanas, some of which I've seen that are more than three feet in length. A few nights ago I ran out of daylight, and decided to overnight-it in a small 24 hour PEMEX "gasolinera". The gas stations in southern Mexico usually have a guard on duty holding a 12-gauge shotgun while seated in a folding chair. I politely exchanged greetings with the guard, asked permission to spend the night, and offered him a COSTCO nectarine. The way he accepted it you would have thought that I had given him a fifty dollar bill. I cannot imagine a sleep more secure than one with an armed guard posted near my hood ornament.
Just down the road from this gasolinera was a rather comparibly upscale roadside restaurant called "The millineum". The menu featured a section called "Comidas de Campestre" ("Game"). Listed were selections of "Iguana, Armadillo, Quail, and Venison". I chose venison and was rewarded with one of the best "authentic" Mexican meals that I have had in years. The beans were black, the tortillas hand made (using two hands, and not a press), and was accompanied by a pitcher of chilled Jamaica Flower Tea. Afterward I groaned in pleasure.
There are not a vast number of really large rigs down here primarily because really large spaces to hold them are very scarce. Another RV parking area to get closed was the one on the highway (Hotel Relax) in Puerto Escondido. A new park called "Palmas de Cortez" is located across from the entrance to the pedestrian strip. Turn right for the strip and turn left (just before the bridge) for the RV park.
Highway Robbers? You must have seen a different movie. Any robber dumb enough to stand out on Mex 200 is going to get smacked by a speeding bus. I passed by an italian restaurant that advertised "Fettucine Alfredo". Yeah well at least I didn't "give in" and head for Burger King, in Acapulco :-)
David