On Being Told What They Think You Want to Hear

We had reservations at the Hotel Casino last Saturday night. Upon arrival, we checked with the front desk about retrieving our car from valet parking first thing (between 7am and 7:30am) on Sunday morning - no problemo! Until Sunday morning that is! Turns out that the garage doesn't even open till 8am or thereabouts. That put us behind schedule for our drive to Oaxaca but one has to go with the flow!

Acquiring the surest route to somewhere in Mexico involves asking at least three people how to get there, and trying for two-out-of-three... before I take another trip through the Twilight Zone. :16:Lizzy

bobnliz wrote:Acquiring the surest route to somewhere in Mexico involves asking at least three people how to get there, and trying for two-out-of-three... before I take another trip through the Twilight Zone. :16:Lizzy

I wish I knew that rule before I drove down from Nuevo Laredo on 85 to Monterrey then to 54 into Guadalajara. At times in the mountains the road was about one and 3/4 lanes wide. At one time there was a sign that said 130 KPH then right after a great big speed bump. I got all four wheels of the ground with my fully loaded van.

Oh... OUCH! My sympathies... that's getting high the hard way. Lizzy

Me&BearDog:

Admittedly, I have never experienced a speed sign that said 130KM but I also haven't traveled that route. Since we recognize that speed limits are simply suggestions - we have developed a habit of hold it between 90 & 100mph (144-160kmph). Speed bumps are the thrill! Today, we did a 46.6 mile R/T from Oaxaca to Ocotlan with side trips to various artisan villages and encountered 164 topes (many unmarked and unpainted). That is a bit over 3 per mile! On top of that excitement, there were chuckholes that could have done very serious damage to our rental car!

CheenaGringo wrote:Me&BearDog:

Admittedly, I have never experienced a speed sign that said 130KM but I also haven't traveled that route. Since we recognize that speed limits are simply suggestions - we have developed a habit of hold it between 90 & 100mph (144-160kmph). Speed bumps are the thrill! Today, we did a 46.6 mile R/T from Oaxaca to Ocotlan with side trips to various artisan villages and encountered 164 topes (many unmarked and unpainted). That is a bit over 3 per mile! On top of that excitement, there were chuckholes that could have done very serious damage to our rental car!

Soooo, about that insurance policy on the rental car????? What's the scoop?

CheenaGringo wrote: Since we recognize that speed limits are simply suggestions - we have developed a habit of hold it between 90 & 100mph (144-160kmph).

Your'e kidding right??

CheenaGringo wrote:Me&BearDog:

Admittedly, I have never experienced a speed sign that said 130KM but I also haven't traveled that route. Since we recognize that speed limits are simply suggestions - we have developed a habit of hold it between 90 & 100mph (144-160kmph). Speed bumps are the thrill! Today, we did a 46.6 mile R/T from Oaxaca to Ocotlan with side trips to various artisan villages and encountered 164 topes (many unmarked and unpainted). That is a bit over 3 per mile! On top of that excitement, there were chuckholes that could have done very serious damage to our rental car!

Speaking of pot holes!!! Right after I crosses the border I hit one about 12 inches deep and bent my back rim and lost the hub cap. This was before I took my van out for flying lessons. Well it was hit the pot hole or let the big bus hit me.

Know what is also an suggestion? The ALTO sigens are also a suggestion as in "Hey if you have time to stop that would be great! If not, that's alright also....

E-raq:

After all of the jockeying around with rental car companies over insurance, we decided to go with Payless since they charged the least for a full package of insurance. Upon arrival, they did an about face and decided they would honor the AMEX Premium Auto Rental Policy - so all we got dinged for was $10/day for Supplemental Liability Insurance. More to follow after we return the vehicle and get the whole picture.

Chris:

Not kidding one bit but only when driving our Windstar on the open cuotas in Northern Mexico. It takes driving that fast to average around 70mph when accounting for the non cuota stretches and travel through the towns. Since I don't know the history on this rental car, I have held it to 80-85mph on the good sections of the cuotas.

My Sainted Mother told me that the ONLY way to drive in Mexico (City) was, ..."with one hand on the horn and a fist out the window". Lizzy

If that is the case with horns in Mexico City, then most of the drivers in Oaxaca must have learned there! The Dawg warned about the drivers in Oaxaca but they manage to outdo Albuquerque, NM for rude and pushy drivers. I was telling Kathy today that they should have to disconnect their horns in order to get a Oaxaca License Plate.

We have a friend in Chiapas who is from DF.He lives in Chiapas but alsoworks in Tabasco and Oaxaca, we always argue about who are the worst drivers in Mexico : I say that worst come from 1 Oaxaca and 2 Tuxtla Gutierrez, he swears I am wrong and that the worst are from Villa Hermosa and Tuxtla, we both agree than the drivers in DF are civilized compared to those of Oaxaca Tuxtla and Villa Hermosa.

By the way we know quite a few people in Oaxaca who drive without a license.They learn how to drive on their rancho, have a problem reading and writing and never bother taking the driver´s test. They also drive without insurrance.