Tuesday 1 April 2014 – Vizarron to CD Mexico
No images today. No, not an April Fool’s joke, just that with a driving day ahead of us to get to Mexico City, and a first re-packing exercise already completed, the sense of adventure had departed ahead of us. That is until I spotted a ‘Mexican Hat’ shop in Ezequiel Montes, finally a shop that sold sombreros – i.e. ‘Mexican Cowboy hats’ rather than the oversized larger than life hats that I have never seen anyone wear in the streets of Mexico. Why get such a hat on the last day of your trip? Well, to be honest, these plasticised straw hats are not that comfortable when first bought. I’m not quite sure if they need some gentle heat treatment to get them to fit the shape of individual heads – mine seems to be larger than the head of the average Mexican. ‘We know!’ I hear you shout.
This one, and those collected on previous trips will join a gallery of New World (+ South African) head gear on the wall of the Conservatory that was completed in the UK last year and will act as a reminder of the good times enjoyed. I might even wear them when the odd occasion demands that I stand out in a crowd.
With two SatNavs competing for the honour of who could get our destination the nearest (Ian claimed that I had told mine to go to the wrong place, but when I checked the most recent destination, it matched the coordinates that he had given me for the Hotel) we eventually arrived safe and in one piece. Of course, the Gods had to show their displeasure with our leaving by displaying a few thunderbolts, a distant rumble and a light rain just at the time that we had to unpack the car and walk the luggage three blocks to our hotel, through busy shopping streets. No way Jose! I could imagine another flight home with my back ceased up. Fortunately Cliff agreed to driving back to the Hotel, unloading all our luggage, leaving me on guard duty while Ian and he took the car back to the car park.
To distribute the weight of the luggage, I was wearing my bright orange winter sport jacket, leaving other guests no doubt wondering where the Dutchman had put his speed skates. The ensemble was topped off with the newly acquired sombrero. No one dared to take a photo, but I must have looked a picture – including beads of sweat on my forehead.
Tomorrow morning, a taxi collects me at 9:15 for the ride to the airport, from where I catch a flight to Newark (USA) and from there fly on to London Heathrow where Angie will meet me and whisk me straight off to Dover for a Channel Crossing and a drive to Cologne, to visit her Dad who is unwell. That means no Internet contact until I get back to home in the UK on Monday.
It has been a great trip – thanks to Cliff and Ian’s efforts – we must do it again sometime! (Plans exist for a trip to Peru in October 2014, after I get back from the Australian Convention in Brisbane.)
Who said life was dull!?
The Cactus Trip Diaries 