We don’t plan on visiting any more sites on the way home and the only thing to look forward to is a night on the beach in Veracruz. It will be a cuota day for the most part. We head toward Villahermosa on two lane. There is a huge cathedral in town, which we see from a distance and what looks like the biggest water tower I’ve ever seen.

	Soon we are off 186 and back on 180. It’s starting to be a strange day and I fight both a feeling of haziness and of impending police radar. Maybe it was our previous encounter with the cop who passed us on the cuota a week ago. I don’t approach our previous speeds, but the bike is running great and the fuel mileage is back up.

	Near Minatitlan we again cross a very steep bridge and head out into farmland. Everyone seems to be selling pineapples, but we have yet to see where they are grown. That’s one of the differences between US Toll Roads and Mexican Toll Roads. A toll road in Mexico is a large grocery store where you can buy almost anything. Bicycles, horses, kids running across the road, mopeds, construction zones with a 50 ft buffer all add to the excitement. On the other hand, Mexican drivers are infinitely better than their US counterparts. Looking at the traffic you would think it’s all chaos, but it’s really a symphony in motion. We saw one minor car accident on the whole trip.

Around Veracruz on the toll road and we’re back on 2 lane. The scenery in this direction is wonderful. Mountains are up ahead and the gulf is on the right. Don drops a bit of a bombshell in that he is going home a day early and will head out tomorrow for McAllen. I guess if I would have known Don was going to leave early by himself I would have stayed a few more days in Mexico, but the die is cast and I hope he makes it out safely. He’s got a long haul home and I understand. Tomorrow Mike and I will head to Aldama.

Our motel is supposed to be nearby, but it is up on the Emerald Coast which is north of Nautla. This is a hike up the road and it’s starting to get late. We finally get to the Best Western which is full, but another motel nearby isn’t. Instead of staying with US tourists we stay with Mexican families, which is a better vacation experience. The gulf water is cold, but the pool is warm. A shot of Tequila with dinner and I’m ready for bed.