Wednesday morning (12/26) we get an early start and head toward Laredo. The temperature is decent although we are both wearing our electrics. The wind is downright scary. Mike is leading and every so often his bike will jump 3 feet to the left from a wind blast. I don’t know which is worse, knowing it is coming or the surprise. Passing trucks gets your blood flowing as does being up on overpasses. At a gas station we’re terrified our bikes will get blown over while we fill up.

Instead of crossing through Laredo, we take a toll road to the Columbia Bridge which is 20 miles west and it’s a smooth process. Mikes needs a vehicle sticker, but mine is still good and I save a couple of bucks. We get our tourist visas, exchange money and ask several people where to turn in our permits when we leave. I’m not taking any chances this time.

In line are several deer hunters from the US. Getting their rifles into Mexico takes some work, but apparently it is worth it to these guys. I ask them if they can tell the difference between two big guys on two wheels and four-legged animals with antlers. You can never be too safe.

I take Mike's picture and notice a '?' sign behind him and am already confused. Shouldn't there be an upside down '?' at the beginning and a '?' at the end of the sign. I already have lots of questions.

Rather than take the toll road to Monterrey we opt for Hwy. 1 south. After a few miles we are in some mind-numbing construction zone. The dust is like talcum powder and the bikes get squirrely. As we move south our thoughts are whether we should turn around, but then you think that it can’t go on much longer. Just when we think the construction is over we’re greeted with another section. After about 20+ miles we are out. Since we plan on taking the toll road when we come back this way, we’ll never see this ‘road’ again.

In Anahuac we eat at a nice restaurant next to the Pemex station. I get instantly stupid and can’t figure out how to open the door and have to knock to get in. Duh! The chicken tacos are delicious and will be one of our best meals of the trip. It might be the thought of having authentic Mexican food that makes it so good. After a week the same meal might be just ok.

Soon the mountains appear as we head south through fields of Joshua Tree cactus. The mountains are hidden in a haze of smog that follows us into Monterrey.

	I’m using a new Mexico software map on my GPS that has every street in Monterrey and all the Pemex stations. Monterrey is a nightmare of traffic and construction. Without the software we would be seriously lost. Mike’s bike starts to stall which turns out to be a onetime occurrence, but I know it will be in the back of his mind for the rest of the trip. Even with the software, the one way streets and pedestrian malls confuse us and we have trouble finding the Colonial Motel by the Macro Plaza.   Our itinerary has us stopping in Monterrey to make reservations for New Years Eve and the continuing on to Santiago for the night. Instead we stay at the Colonial Motel for the evening and make reservations at the Ancira Radisson Hotel across the street. This gives us time to walk the plaza at night and it’s both huge and stunning. This is one of the largest plazas in the world and the decorations for the holiday make it even more magical.

Several years ago the local government decided to tear down several city blocks and create this large plaza/green space/park with libraries, museums, government buildings, churches and palaces. Some of the building are old like the church and palaces, but most are modern. The plan drew a wave of protest, but I think it’s a winner and represents a great, modern city.

On the other hand, there aren’t many people in the plaza, but the pedestrian mall with shops is buzzing. It might be that not much is open on the mall as the facilities close for 3 weeks around the holidays.

With the parking attendants and bellboys guarding out bikes outside we head to bed. The exterior of the Colonial Motel is beautiful. The interior needs some work which is one of the reasons we made the reservation across the street and not here for New Year's Eve.