Highway Shutdown

Having some Taco Al Pastor

500g worth of meat. We were stuffed!

In Northern Mexico, we've seen toll workers going on strike, collecting fees in plastic containers for their own pockets with no receipts issued. We've learnt they are protesting their wages. Most of the time, they've waved bikers through.

Passing Mexico City, we had expected heavy traffic to hold us up, but it turned out to be surprisingly smooth. What got us was a surprised highway shutdown after Mexico City. As we approached a toll booth, the Federal Police waved traffic from all 5 or 6 lanes to U-turn. No vehicle was allowed through. It was perhaps due to an operation or a presidential motorcade.

We had to detour and re-route through smaller towns and roads to bypass the blocked highway. Fortunately, we had planned for a shorter route to Tehuacan as we thought we might be stuck in Mexico City's highway jams. Re-routing was still stressful as Google Maps prompts have to be intepreted on the ground. We had to tell apart minor roads from the main highway. Sometimes, we found ourselves on a main highway when we actually had to be on the adjacent small roads so as to turn left or right. A U-turn could sometimes be 25km away, so after 1 such legal turn, we've now did as the Romans do. We've rode against traffic on the highway and performed our own U-turns. Anyway, the Federal Police are too busy directing traffic.

Now rested and well-fed on Tehuacan's spicier Mexican food, we're looking to ride to the next destination - Kelvin