Taken in Copper Canyon with a Tarahumara

Searching for the real Mexico

Last October my partner Robin suggested we fly to Australia for a month. I thought about it for a short while and suggested we do something more adventurous since anyone can fly to Australia. Not much adventure in that. Australia would be a nice place to visit and we hope to do it soon but I needed something more.

I suggested we ride to and around Mexico on a motorcycle. I had started riding in 1964 right after getting my discharge from the navy. We already had a motorcycle but it wasn't adequate for the kinds of roads and conditions we expected to encounter in Mexico.

I started cruising the classifieds and in December I found a used BMW R1100GS in California.

I borrowed a trailer and we drove to Arcata and in pouring rain I test road, inspected and then we bought it. The drive home was an adventure in itself. Heavy rain, a radiator that developed a leak and snow that stalled us on a mountain pass for hours.

I spent December and January outfitting and getting the machine ready. We researched insurance and vehicle import rules, border crossings and places to visit.

more photo's and more story soon.