Ruth and the sunset at the island of Dhiffushi, Maldives.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 31st.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Mercedes, Texas (day 2)

Tuesday March 31…11:00pm

I spent most of the day researching my tires on the internet. The size for our motorhome is a 7.50R16, which is an oddball size that is very difficult to get. There is a comparable size in the newer metric standard, P235/85R16, but most sources mentioned that they are slightly wider and will possibly touch the sidewalls of each other on the rear. I finally found some trustworthy info that said it would be okay to use the slightly narrower P215/85R16 and the local Goodyear dealer confirmed that this is the way to go. So I have an appointment to bring it in tomorrow morning at 9:30am. Then on Thursday, I will get new springs and a wheel alignment on the front end.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Back in the USA!

Monday March 30…11:30pm

What a day!

We left Allende at about 8am, and headed towards the border at Reynosa. Leaving Allende, we had to go north towards a toll road that would take us away from the outskirts of Monterrey. As is usual in Mexico, there is a choice between the toll road or the free road in the same basic direction.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Allende, just outside of Monterrey

Sunday March 29…9:45pm

We left Matehuala at about 8:15am, and drove north on the Mex 57 highway. This is a four lane highway, through a desert area. For the most part, it was in good condition, and we averaged 80 kmh (50 mph). Lots of truck traffic, but because it was a Sunday morning it was pretty quiet otherwise.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Matehuala (Real de Catorce)

Saturday March 28…9:30pm

We had set the alarm for 6am, and got up at that time.

Had a quick breakfast and coffee, took Whiskey for a short stroll before leaving her in the motorhome for the day, and actually made it to the front office by 7am. There was a different person there, and we asked if he could call us a taxi. He got on the phone, and less than five minutes later, a taxi arrived. It cost 40 pesos ($3.60 CAN, $3.00 US) for the ride to the central bus terminal.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Matehuala

Friday March 27…10:00pm

We were up before 7am, and Ruth went to make sure Alejandra and her son Antonio were awake as well. They came to Sherman to have a coffee and juice with us before we left. Antonio was excited because we promised him a ride around the block in the motorhome. He has decided that his mother should sell the house and they should buy a camper!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Zacatecas (day 2)

Thursday March 26…9:00pm

Alejandra took us into Zacatecas on her way to work. She didn’t have to be in early this morning, so it was about 10am when we left her place. Then, she gave us a quick tour of the historical area before dropping us off at the entrance to the El Eden silver mine, which is very close to downtown.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Zacatecas

Wednesday March 25…11:30pm

We actually had a pretty good sleep parked at the Pemex gas station. We were expecting it to be a bit noisy because of the trucks that use their engine break on the hill going into town, but it wasn’t too bad at all.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Just north of Jalpa

Tuesday March 24…8:30pm

We were up early again, before 7:00am. They filled the various swimming pools with fresh water, as they do every day, and Ruth and I went for a swim. The mineral hot springs water that they fill the pools with is a constant temperature of 39C (98F). You’d think that’s too hot for swimming in Mexico, but it feels just right, and it sure is easy to get into the water.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Villa Corona (day 2) - Guadalajara

Monday March 23…8:00pm

At about 9:30am, we walked up to the main highway to catch the local bus to Guadalajara. It’s about 50 kms (30 miles) from the town of Villa Corona to the centre of Guadalajara. The bus showed up, and it was 28 pesos ($2.41 CAN, $2.00 US) each, one way.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Villa Corona

Sunday March 22…9:45pm
We got up at about 6:30am, but it was still about 8:00am before we drove out.