Driving...

Well, after a couple of days of my life I want back (I had some people visiting me at work and I really did not like spending that much time with them!), I finally have some time to write.

First of all: I like driving. Forecasting where I am going and seeing the scenary change slowly at first or surprisingly sometimes is something I really enjoy. I do not get bored, as I used to do when I was a child and my father did the driving on our vacations, now I enjoy most of it. But I have to recognize that people drive differently depending where in Mexico you are.

I've lived in Sinaloa, Guadalajara and Tijuana. I've drove in a lot of cities in Mexico; and basically there are four different styles of city driving:

1) Mexico City style: People sense and jump in front of you with just enough space to do it, but they're not hesitant and drive off like nothing happened. And usually, nothing happens. I am OK with it.

2) Small city/town style: People is very well educated, respect stop signs and walking people; if you are in a hurry, they would let you drive by, but you feel like you were rude and aggressive. Tijuana used to be like that. I really like this.

3) Tijuana style: People jump in front of you disregarding if there is enough space for you to brake or do whatever is necessary to avoid an accident; most of people just sees towards the front of the car, forgetting about whoever is approaching from the rear of the car, etc. It kind of works because most of people drive that way and they will be careful about what is going on in front of them. I do no like this kind of driving, but I am used to it.

4) Guadalajara style: People feel like they have to avoid driving like in Mexico City; then take great care not to cut in front of you or to do a sudden maneuver that will make you honk at them; however... they are extra hesitant and will stop in the middle of two lanes or at the entrance of the high speed part of the road to "let" you pass, but of course you cannot because they are blocking your path!!! Freaking people!! I hate this style of driving!!!

And of course I spent most of my time driving in Guadalajara...

Regarding driving on the road, I can tell you this. American people do not know how to drive in four lane roads. They do better in two lane roads, but that is because they do not have an option. Maybe I am generalizing, but every time I've been in California driving in four lane roads, all the people is trying to hog the left lane and they do not move! Even if you are right behind them at a higher speed; you would have to pass them through the right lane!! (Yes, I know that is OK in England, but California is NOT in England!).

So, in Mexico, whenever I encounter somebody with US plates (and most of the time somebody with California plates) they would be doing the same thing. Hogging the left lane and having me to pass them using the right lane.

Mexican drivers (in Central Mexico) are very sensitive to this kind of thing; they will be monitoring the rear view mirror when in the left lane, and would move right the moment they see you approaching them. I thank them!

Somebody told me yesterday about the difference between being a traveler and a tourist. I am a traveler, I like the change of scenary; the terrain and sky and road changes. The speed you have to have to let you take the whole experience. And I want to share a little of it in these pictures.

I loved it, with one exception; for some parts of the trip my kids were more interested in watching movies on the car DVD than in experimenting the whole traveling thing. I did not take that into account. In any case I am grateful for whatever they could see and appreciate, and hope we have the opportunity to repeat the experience.

See you around.