We left Guadalajara on the first day of Jan.. I counldn't bring myself to load the Vulcan back on that damn trailer.. (Sheesh.. I hate those things).. Finally managed to get away around noonish.. The traffic was about right and the weather was in the 70's.. I led the caravan, another couple was traveling back with us, so my friend was babying the black GMC for me while mine and his wife visited as only passengers can do.. Most of the highway is very good and two lane.. Winding higher into the mountains, that scenery is incomparable.. The rivers and streams passing the small towns and settlements look more like something on a postcard than anything real.. Some of those curves are just right for my friend Fullstate.. Watch those tail lights in front of you.. you might be catching yourself.. I lost track of the mileage between Guadalajara and Zacatecas, but the striking country scenery is breathless.. Damn.. that Vulcan performed like a dream, in those mountains.. We made a gas stop or two for my gas.. (about 130 miles to the tank). Each stop was an adventure.. Not even a lone biker other than me on the highway.. I had it all to myself.. Whenever we stopped, I'd ask the cagers traveling with us, if they had noticed or seen this or that.. The answer was always "We didn't see that".. Sure miss a lot when you are not traveling on a motorcycle.. Checked into a little native type motel somewhere between Zacatecas and Saltillo, about 8:30 in the evening .. When that sun goes down, it gets pretty cold, up there.. Great restaurant and the food was spectacular.. I ordered a T-Bone and that puppy was still fighting back.. Toughest damn piece of beef, I ever tried to manhandle.. This one, was full grown "Toro".. Didn't have a drop of Angus, that's for sure.. (for you and the bride... Soto).. The cook changed it out for me and got a good side that I could handle.. After a good nights sleep and a cold shower, the next morning, we had a good breakfast, lots of coffee and some good conversation.. we got it back on the road.. Made real good time back into Nuevo Laredo and we hit the line for the border about five miles outside of town.. I loaded the Vulcan, bad as I hated to, and circled around thru town until I got a break in the line .. We slipped thru and across the bridge, to the US side... Took about 2 1/2 hours total to get back across.. The next chore was to find gas fillup joint on the American side.. Man.. there were gas lines all the way into San Antonio.. Never seen such a crowd.. Anyway .. the motorcycle ride was finished, so I drove the GMC back to Irving.. The rest of the trip was entirely uneventful and boring.. I missed the opportunity to visit with my friends in Austin... Soto and IceMan.. Another time, guys. That traffic was too brutal to pull off, so we just ran straight on through.. Time to start planning the next run down there, and I sure hope more of you get the chance to see the last frontier for bikers, before the "progress" of the US destroys it, for us.. Your friend in Irving (formerly Guadalajara) Bill Walker
