Two Moto Kiwis Arctic To Antarctic May 2012...

Saying goodbye to Lo De Marcos and our Canadian family we set of to La Manzanilla.

With 294 km to do it was an easy day, weather ok temperature for riding in and fine, the trip was uneventful so quite a bonus.

Arriving later than we anticipated after getting caught up in thick traffic we went down to Jolandas Restaurant and the staff told us where to find Jolanda and Leons where Ken and Carol Duval were staying, we had some goodies for Ken so we were playing delivery boys as well.

We headed back into town to check out the sunset.







Jolanda and Leons is a great hideaway with great security, a cool as Rotweiller (once you have been introduced), swimming pool and three Cabanas set 2 km off the main road, we really enjoyed our stay for three nights relaxing and getting more health back day by day.



Ken and I chewing the fat



During our stay we all piled into and onto the ute and went into town for a rock concert night at Jolandas, danced and drunk Pina Coladas ... what a treat!



Silly face contest



Leon makes bread as part of their Restaurant and Accommodation set up, we bought some to try and it was second to none, freshly baked you just about have to reserve your loaf as they go quickly.



With beautiful sunsets and birds La Manzanilla is a really neat place, the other wildlife we caught up with was a very spooky fish head on the beach ... dunno what breed it was but I think it came from Mars.





Jolandas accommodation is found at N19 17.939 W104 46.176, you turn off opposite the turn off to La Manzanilla township, first house on the left after going through the trees, through a dip in the road then along a straight, spot the white house with the black double gates, highly recommended with neat cabanas.









The restaurant is downtown and RIGHT on the beach, easily found at N19 17.001 W 104 47.305 down the main drag, last turn right before the beach and 300 metres along on the right hand side.

Me sittin on the beach in the sun



The lineup, Len, Me, Ellen, Jolanda, Ken and Carol



The restaurant



These guys are both RTW motorcycle travelers too so plenty of good yarns over Red wine. Ellen is also offered a job as a Sushi cook at Jolanda's but she decide to travel around the world before settles down

WOW !!

This looks like a fantastic place.
Sorry I missed this place last year, calls for another trip.

Great sunset pic.

Hey Andi and Ellen, that place looks really crappy, I have no effen idea why Carol and Ken have stayed there so long. And here I was thinking they had a clue!

Actually probably lucky I didn't get there, I might not have left. In Guatemala now, on the east coast looking for a beach, and didn't find one :-(

You may be a wee Kiwi - but there is no hiding that dutch blood with a photo like that.

Great to see you guys again and Finally meet Ken and Carol.

As vague as Andi's instructions are, the place is simple to find. Jolanda and Leon are nice people with a great place to stay.

Andi and Ellen-
It was great to finally meet you guys and a pleasure to have you as our guests. Thanks for getting me out on a ride on Sunday as it's been too long. Enjoy the road south and if any other questions come up be sure to shoot me an email.

Was great meeting you in the Youkon. So glad you have overcome all the challenges that have jumped in front of you.
Great ride report, good luck keep your stick on ice.

Yo been working out bro?
looking pretty buff

You're using the iPad again.
The word replacer is working overtime...

Looks like you guys are doing good.

Where next? Zihuatanejo??? If so you can find/stock up on good coffee there for later. Used to be a couple good "Expendio de Cafe" where you could buy the good stuff, as opposed to the usual swill in the red cans.Follow your nose downtown....May just also take you to the good Tequila, the stuff out of a barrel and bring your own container.

A few good almost deserted beaches north of there and some good camping spots, been a few years but sure a good place to eat fresh lobster and find/see creatures. Mars or......TV???? Didn't you recognize that big smile......

Can't really find a big thumper to head south but just got home. May get lucky in the next couple weeks. Don't think I'd ever catch up but you never know. I'd bring you some Canadian stickers for them nice bags....!

See any roadside stands for "Pata de Mula"???? Got to stop for those or "Coctel de Pulpo" on the beach.:dg And some food pics??? I am hungry for real Mexican food, need ideas for DIY I always seem to find or remember some when I come here.

Should get my butt off here and get them Frijoles soaking then maybe up there and pick up some very nicely powdercoated BMW parts.

Ride on!

Heya Doug, cheers for the kind words mate, neat to be back on the road.

Yea it was torment , we are in Uruapan, gonna walk up a volcano tomorrow, Gene and Nadas pics inspired us.

Hey dutchie, good luck headin home mate and keep us in the loop, and maybe if you decide SA looks good we can have a slow race to the bottom.....Christmas fantas in Ushuaia??

Totally cool to finally meet you guys and cheers for the bloke ride , RR will be updated tonight with some pics.

Thanks man, hopefully in for some plain sailing at least for a while anyway.

Working out .... on Tacos and ALL sorts of yummy Mexican tucker.

My arms have been saw from wrestling Maya on some shortcuts .... so one hopes I might build some muscle :eek1

Boyz with new toyz eh ..... How is life in Nelson Nordie, you guys gettin your fair clip of scooting in?

Heya Pierre the pace we go you could catch us on a step thru, 900 or our 950 is wasted .... we should bought a CG125 and put knobbies on it

We will be staying inland now looking at all sorts, Mexico City next on the list then who knows from there.

You still have snow in ya yard??

The TT needs new suspension bearings before they'll give me a warrant

The DR got a new chain and sprockets today and EddieB and I are swapping tanks tomorrow in Picton. He'll get my white IMS and I'll get his black.

The pushbikes are getting a workout though...

Mexico city....or..... . If the traffic guy whistles the shite out of you because you did "something" he didn't like, just crank up them HPs and keep going. But....guts were churning and I was in a hurry to find a safe(r) spot and fill up the "ice cream bucket".

Yeah snow....was melting yesterday. Couldn't get out of the yard til I shoveled some and sanded.Plow just went by and probably filled in the entrance. Could be much worse like Montreal and QC these days.

Darn bikes....hard to find here. Some but all stock. You know how it goes, order farkles....wait....install....tweak.....modify....recheck PO's work/claims then.....improve.And there is a nice stock 09DR around, would almost have to sign up over there and get lectured, may not go all that well if I open my big mouth.

The yard Eh!:eek1....Just because I gave Ken my XL yesterday, might as well put "some" of it here he'll see it. Dirt tracker....I have shovels and Rum but no Pepsi.Yes, that's Beear damages them broken cherry tree branches.....

Andi and Ellen, You two along with your hassles (now hopefully all behind you) were the main topic of conversation at the Vincent Rally last night. It was both pleasing and suprising to see how much interest there is in your ride even from bikers who don't go anywhere near adventure rides.

Keep the reports coming, there is a huge number of riders following your trip from here in Central Otago.

Argh the one BIG thing we miss is our mountain biking .... gotta be careful what I eat now or we will need a 1950 !!

Dude lotsa snow there, bit warmer heer even inland.

Yeah thumper is all you need here, can't stretch the legs on Maya too often here for fera of being killed by a Mexican stunt driver ... and traffic.

Heya Jantar, great news, promise to keep it coming for the boyz, really appreciate the support knowing we are being stalked by homelanders

There will alway be hassles in one way or another, wouldn't mind a few less but they do make for good reading ..... you imagine if we reported 20 degrees, still and sunny with nice lattes every day ... think that would wear thin quickly

More coming up shortly, heading inland now so some pretty cool stuff to look at, hope all is well at home.

Leaving Jolanda and Leons on Saturday we made tracks for Manzanillo to finally meet Spencer and Mary, at only 1 hour down the road it was an easy day, we set off with Ken and Carol Duval in a private BMW v KTM Dakar race ... we recklessly reached speeds of up to 85 km/hr

Again an uneventful trip ... I am getting used to these !!! we arrived at Spencers and Marys to to warm welcomes.

The boys had planned a local ride without luggage for the Sunday, in the morning Spencer and I set off for a ride which turned in to 200 km jaunt with probably 100 plus km of this offroad through small Mexican villages and some really strange looks, I am guessing to say it would have been the first ever 950 SE through there.







Our route



Really enjoyable ride taking in scenery and dust, we found our way out despite local advice of just turn around and go down that track!!!!!

Again we returned a little later than planned due to navigational discussions but Mrs.Garmin actually got us back to the tarmac.

Sunday night was one of Sushi galore a n d Kens 60th birthday so wines, Sushi and good times were had followed by a night of Dakar on the TV.



Monday Spencer had to go to work, we had some jobs planned for Maya, windscreen brackets and pannier braces as well as a home made bike cover, for the reference 4 metres of fabric does not go around a 950 SE so Tuesday we have to go back and grab some more.

We did go into town and go to the vege market .... felt like a total gringo ..... ouwh Ellen just said we are

Few pics from in town, not in any order,

Big arse bottle



The latest WW 2 frigates in the harbour



The large entrance mural for atmosphere



Very nice beaches



Yummo



The colours



Large iguana on Spencers back fence .... Mr.Boots the dog eyeing it up licking his lips :eek1





Unfortunately there was a lack of intricate engineering shops so my brackets etc went to the back burner, will try again in Mex City.

We did however make a new bike cover, this did get finished despite Ellen buying the wrong coloured material after she short ordered it ... at least we know which way is front now.



To conclude this is our we were here photo with the mob



Spencer said to make mention that RTW travellers are welcome with plenty of tent space in his yard, his only request is beer and a ride to go and play

Thanks to Spencer and Mary for having us stay.

Said goodbye to Spencer Mary Ken and Carol and headed for the hills.



Our route took us along the coastline then inland to Colima up to Tepalcatepec and down to Apatzingan .... apparently a very dangerous road we found out afterwards but everyone we saw waived.



Some dangerous locals on a truck



It was a reasonably long day (for us anyway), we got up to 2300 metres and it was actually quite cool again.

Apart from a quick chain adjustment and a coupla photo stops it was 20 degrees still and sunny ... but no lattes!!



We did however watch a hill steam away with a small eruption which was a treat.



Arriving at Apatzingan it was BLOODY hot, 40 degrees and we managed to time it perfectly for rush hour and were stuck in traffic ..did I mention it was hot.

Poor Maya worked up a bit of a sweat reaching 6 bars out of 7 on the temperature gauge, she had a piddle of petrol too, sounds like an O ring maybe on its way out.

We found a Hotel, parking way off the street and quiet (well... for Mexico), we turned on the ceiling fan and nearly had to nail everything down with stuff being blow everywhere. ... it worked well!!

Dude who worked there was really keen to learn of our trip, nice guy too.



Tea time was on so wondering off into the town centre we found a Chinese Restaurant, we said (we Ellen did) gidday and Ellen started talking in Chinese to Chun Sheng the fello at the counter who turned out to be the owner.



After about 10 minutes of chatting we decided to stop there and have Chinese for a change from Tacos etc.

We placed our order, Chun Sheng gave a us a BIG serving and then said gratis!!! .... he was so happy to talk with Ellen in Chinese so it was a treat for him and we certainly appreciated the food which was second to none, a very nice surprise indeed.

If you find your self in Apatzingan and wanting Chinese he is located about 4 blocks south of the city square on Constitucion, the food is excellent.

A treat was in order while in town so we got icecreams, it was very nice to sit in the town square and watch the world go by.

Couple of pics of town centre





A fountain



The church by night



On the way back we found these, we have no idea what they are but the colours were outstanding.



Next stop Uruapan and Volcano hunting!!

The photos have been fantastic, the trip looks like its going great.. Missing out on a lot of sushi by the sounds of it, great to see Ellen spreading the love...lol