After Pastor Paul and Marcia Collinson-Streng gave us a brief motorcycle blessing at noon on Wednesday, we left for Laredo, passing through Lockhart. Sean and I had a late lunch at the Dairy Queen while Landon did some official closure at a farm service agency. "Good fries." "Yep, they sure are. They make good hamburgers here too." "They do." I don´t remember us saying anything else important. Our brains were in neutral, getting ready for the ride.

Hit the first Motel 6 on the way into Laredo. On October 4 it took longer than we expected getting bike insurance and passing through the border, but we still managed to get to Matahuala and stay at The Oasis, a wonderfully tired wonder of the 50´s.

Yesterday was a long ride to Cuernavaca. We had to avoid Mexico City because foreign plates are not allowed on the roads on Friday. Dramatic mountain riding to Tula, got rained on, then had a beautiful drive through a forrest over the contintental divide and down into beautiful Cuernavaca. At dusk, we drove through the Monastery gates. It was a bit like coming home for me. We set up camp in the dark, had a modest supper and slept great. The temperature droped down into the low 50´s. We´re planning to stay here another day and take off for Central America on Monday.

This far the trip has been a transition from life in Texas to the experience of Latin America. The more south, the less familiar and more challenging. It´ll take a while for me to get into stride. We are having a great time.

Today, Oct 6, we are in Cuernavaca, southwest of Mexico City. Yesterdays ride was everything from superslab toll roads to narrow city street to high mountain passes up to over 9000 ft in a forest that reminds me of the Black Forest in Germany, only larger. We´re learning to drive like the locals-not too sure of all the rules- little by little .