. . . Yet, I Like Mexican Policemen

- Traffic conditions in Mexico -

I wrote a letter to the head office of the Mexican Esperanto Federation, asking them to find a motorcycle shop where used bikes are sold and bought back after the trip. This was to be my third trip to Mexico and my plan was to visit Mayan archeological ruins and coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. Therefore I wanted to get a motorcycle in Mexico. The answer to my letter arrived in July about two months later, bringing good news, reporting that one shop was finally found after a long search. Before then I had believed hat the Mexicans, who often say "Hasta manana", are not reliable. However, I was impressed and thankful for the trustful Mexican Esperantist. I sent a letter to the motorcycle shop at once. I waited for a month, but there was no reply. I wrote two more letters. In October, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't wait any longer and I sent a fax. But, the fax didn't reach them. The communication codes were probably different. At last I made a phone call. A man, supposedly a guard, answered the phone. I couldn't get any information on the bikes. Afterwards I repeatedly called them for a week and finally talked to the owner of the shop at two o'clock in the morning. He told me that he had only two used bikes, both of which require a riding position leaning forward and that the bikes cost 700,000 and 40,000 yen, respectively. I don't like these type bikes, because they would make you tired after a long trip. In addition, they were more expensive than I had expected. So, I phoned a motorcycle shop in the USA and got the phone numbers of six or seven shops in Los Angeles and San Diego. For two hours I talked on the phone and at last I found a shop with better bikes. Eventually, I gave up my plan of visiting Maya and the Caribbean Sea and I changed my destination from southern Mexico to - first Baja California, then Mexico City and afterwards to the north Mexican Plateau.

On the 21st of December, when I arrived at the airport in San Diego two hours behind schedule, Douglas, from the motorcycle shop, picked us up by van. In the course of the day, I bought two Honda Rebel-450's. To tell the truth, I had a companion on one of my trips and this partner was a young female rider!

At six the next morning we headed for Tijuana, on the California-Mexican border. The weather was disappointing, raining occasionally. The entrance into the border towns of Mexico is free of inspection within 72 hours. However, riders must have an auto permit, traffic insurance and a tourist card. Strangely enough, there wasn't either a custom office or officers on the American side of the border. So we left our bikes at a car parking the States and entered Mexico on foot so that we could get some information. We found that the paperwork could be done in Tijuana. So we walked back to the States and this time rode straight into Mexico. It was my first experience to enter the same country twice in a day.

Baja California is the same length as the main island of Japan. The long and narrow peninsula extends 1200 km straight to the south from Tijuana. This peninsula is divided in half into two states of North and South Baja California. I was embarrassed to learn that the time difference of one hour was set at the state border in spite of the same longitude. Japanese common sense cannot always be applied to the rest of the world. At the entrance of South Baja California, the extensive Viscaino Desert awaits. A sole line of road cuts across the barren and vacant field. Near the edge of the desert, totem-pole-shaped cactuses come into view. The tallest of these measures approximately 10 m in height. The whole area of South Baja California is covered with these cactus forests. The Rebel-450's rushed through the valley of cactus pillars. The 450 cc engine of the parallel twins was powerful. This bike is as manly as a wild horse and this is the best type of bike for Baja California, where fierce nature rules and denies any artificial existence.

Not only in Baja California but also most places in Mexico, good riding is promised. First of all, you don't have to worry about riding in the rain. I have never been cursed by rain in the winter in Mexico. This is most important for a motorcycle trip. Good weather gives you clear vision, keeps your luggage dry and leaves your bike free from skidding. Among all, good weather makes your trip good fun. Furthermore, even in winter, it's not too cold for riding in Mexico, for the country is located further south than Japan. Or rather, it can be said that the winter climate of Mexico is the best for riding. You can enjoy riding as if riding comfortably in the early autumn of Japan.

Next to good weather, you can enjoy a low-budget trip in Mexico. Gasoline is inevitable for motorcycles. In Japan you cannot ignore its expense even for a short trip. Japan sells some of the most expensive gasoline in the world. Needless to say, Mexico is an oil-producing country. The gasoline is sold for less than 30 Yen per litre. This is less than a quarter when compared with that of Japan and even less expensive than those of other countries like the USA, Australia and New Zealand, in each of which one litre of gasoline is sold for around 40 Yen. Therefore you don't have to care about the gas bill no matter how far you travel.

Once you feed your bike, you have to feed yourself.

Hotels are not expensive either. If you pay 1000 -2000 Yen, you can find a hotel room with two beds, sometimes three or even four, under a high ceiling. Of course you can enjoy a hot shower as well. Unlike in Japan, you are guaranteed to find a hotel room whenever you arrive at a town in Mexico. So don't trouble yourself with making reservations, and appreciate the freedom of motorcycle touring. You have already supplied yourself with two of life's three basic necessities, these being food, shelter and clothes. Last comes clothes. A rider's body is 100 percent exposed to danger unlike a four-wheeled driver. From this reason every rider must protect his or her body with leather armor. The low price of Mexican leather goods exceeds that by the recent "price destruction" of Japan. With a leather jacket for 4000 Yen, leather pants for 3000 Yen and leather boots for 3000 Yen, for 10000 Yen in total, you can completely cover your whole body with leather. But, good weather and low prices are not only sufficient for motorcycle touring. If the traffic is as heavy as in Japan, you had better stay at home and take a nap. You don't have to worry though. In Mexico the distance between villages is as far as 50 km to 100 km, and there are neither traffic lights nor motor vehicles between them. As the roads are straight in general, you don't feel danger while tearing along the road at 100 kph or more. Needless to say, your trip goes as planned. The above story might give you an impression that Mexico is a paradise for motorcycle riders. Yet, one's life is not always full of luck. There are some problems with touring in Mexico. These problems arise from the structure of Mexican roads, the toll for Mexican motor ways and finally from Mexican policemen.

The first problem we had in Mexico was flooding in Baja California. The fact there is a desert in Baja California means that there is little rainfall in the peninsula. This means there are no rivers. No rivers means no bridges. Rain occasionally falls on this land. The desert lacks in trees that work as water reservoir. The rain runs over the land directly into the sea. The flow of the rain doesn't avoid the road. As a result, we had to ride across the flooded roads six or seven times before we arrived at La Paz, the southernmost town of Baja California.

The roads of Mexico have far less traffic than those in Japan. Furthermore, they are straight. One can't resist the urge to open the throttle. Japanese mad riders would speed as fast as 200 kph. Yet, caution! These same roads can be bumpy and most have lots of cracks and holes. Anyhow, after some careful navigation we arrived at a village in Baja California right at dusk, and found that the village didn't have any hotels. We then had to ride another 80 km. In the dark on these road there were neither street lights nor reflective rails. I was riding and watching very carefully. All of a sudden, I noticed a hole in the road. Bang! My bike jumped up and the impact turned a pair of the rear-view mirrors down. The force of the impact helped to loosen the rear indicator screws and the vibrations from the road swung the indicators like a pendulum. In addition, the lens of the headlight also popped off, while the gear change lever suddenly dropped forward and dangled. As a result, the bike became uncontrollable for a moment.

Let me tell you the roads in Mexico also have more unexpected surprises than these pot holes. The roads in Mexico lie in the midst of crude nature. This is different from the roads in Japan and can be the cause of unexpected interference by animals who don't know traffic rules. You might have to brake quick in order to avoid cows in the daytime and foxes at night who rush out on to the road. Even a small pebble can be lethal to a rider, to say nothing of these kinds of animals. Unlike motorcars, motorcycles have only two wheels. Therefore, riders are always risking their lives on a motorcycle.

Further more, there is another obstacle on the roads in Mexico. When you enter a town or village after riding one of these trafficless roads at high speed, you are sure to come across "topes" rising from the road. These obstacles are concrete-made logs with a semi-columnar form laid across the road so that vehicles might decrease their speed. These are really a headache for drivers, but I'm sure best friends to pedestrians. I truly admire the wisdom of the rural people, who put priority on human beings rather than efficiency. In contrast, in big cities like Mexico City, these "topes" have been gotten rid of, leaving pedestrians risking their lives when crossing the street. In most big cities in the world, human beings are considered to be mere "things."

The second problem for riders in Mexico is its motor ways. Before leaving Japan, Allen from Texas told me that the toll roads in Mexico have nearly no traffic. I had the idea I would ride these trafficless roads, because the toll was supposed to be negligible in Mexico. Immediately after entering Mexico, we took the toll road from Tijuana to Ensenada. We only paid 200 Yen for the 200 km trip. That was cheap! After crossing the California Bay from La Paz by ferry, we again took a toll road, but this time it cost a lot. It was as expensive as riding the toll roads in Japan. Unbelievably, we paid 3000 Yen for 200 km from Tepic to Guadalajala,

and 4000 Yen for another 200 km from Guadalajara to Mexico City. This is enough money for a two- or three-night stay in a hotel. Afterwards, we avoided these type roads, saying "No gracias." Genarally speaking, motorcycle travellers are not blessed with money. Therefore, this high toll is not a negotiable matter for riders. The last problem was Mexican policemen. As I mentioned before, you could ride as fast as you want on the roads in Mexico. Of course on the toll roads nearly without any cars, you witness no small amount of cars passing as rapidly as in a Grand Prix race. I never knew if there was any speed limit in this country, but sometimes I saw traffic signs saying 110 or 90 kph. At four in the afternoon, we were hurrying from the outskirts to the center of Mexico City at a speed of 105 kph, expecting to arrive downtown before rush-hour. Unexpectedly right then a pliceman rushed out into the road, throwing his arms wide open, and pulled us over for speeding. He said he would take us to the police station on charges of exceeding the 85kph speed limit. Until then the sky had been clear blue, but upon entering Mexico City, dark clouds covered the sky and it began to rain. Being caught by a notorious Mexican policeman, my mind also darkened. There is a rumor that Mexican policemen stop vehicles and find any kind of excuse to ask for money from ignorant tourists, especially from tourists who don't speak Spanish. They supposedly charge unreasonable sums of money, and it is said that a tourist will have serious problems unless he or she quickly gives a bribe to settle the problem. It is also reported that if the tourist says something that offends their "machismo", the Mexicans' creed of manliness, he or she will be put in jail. A Mexican policeman, whom I once met on a bus, had told me, "The most dangerous people in Mexico are the police."

Anyway, I was facing a serious problem. Some cyclists, whom I met on a ferry crossing the California Bay, told me, "If a ten-minute negotiation with a Mexican police doesn't work, ten pesos will solve the problem." I was sorry to learn that ten pesos also means the low salary of Mexican policemen. I had never given a bribe in my life. I hesitated a little, but I handed out, as I had been told, ten pesos to the policeman who then firmly insisted on my guilt. The young officer showed me a badge under his jacket and said, "I am a Mexican police officer!" He didn't take the money and, on the contrary, assumed a much firmer attitude than before. Concerning this case, we were dismissed for reasons that I never understood.

Later, as we were entering the City, I looked back and saw my partner, who was riding behind, signaling to pull over to the road side. A police car was following her. We pulled over and a policeman got out and said something to her, pointing the license number. Later I came to learn that any vehicle with the number "7" for the last digit of the license number was not allowed to travel on that day of the week. This time she offered ten pesos, but again unfortunately the policeman didn't take it either. I wondered if that story about the bribe was true. At any rate, we were released once again without any specific reason.

In due time we were riding into the main street of Mexico City, which had a tremendous amount of traffic.

The hotel we were heading to was located near the intersection with the Reforma which runs through the city center. As I was riding down that busy street, paying close attention to the street names on the sign boards above the intersections, I noticed my partner behind me was again caught by the police for the second time. This time we were welcomed by five Harley Davidson police motorcycles. The police pointed to the forbidden number on her bike and told us that they would take us to the police station. We were ordered to leave our bikes on the street and to pay a fine of 10000 Yen at the police station. It was already getting dark. I told them we wanted to go to the hotel first and then to talk about it. The police answered they would lead us to the hotel. I thanked them, because I thought it would be safer to have some other people around us and expected we would be able to make contact with someone we could ask for help. When I told the police to hurry to the hotel, one of the policemen answered, "Once we help you, you should help us in turn." He said something about 4000 Yen. It might have been a suggestion of a bribe. That was big money, anyway. I was afraid we had been caught by the bad police. There was no other choice but to face our problem when we arrived at the hotel. Surprisingly, both the middle-aged policeman riding ahead and the young one riding beside my partner were really friendly. They seemed to enjoy guiding us to the hotel. The middle-aged policeman on the white motorcycle spoke in to the walkie-talkie from time to time. Suddenly, he stopped his bike in the middle of a busy intersection and said, "Now we have emergency, so we hope you can ride to the hotel by yourselves." I felt relieved and asked him if I could take a photograph of them. Surprisingly, the policeman suggested taking a picture with our four bikes parked in the middle of the intersection. He himself even took a picture of us and turned his bike around and then disappeared into the town with his pal.

When we arrived at the hotel that night, we saw a police car parked in front of the hotel. The hotel looked like an ordinary house. We didn't have any idea where the entrance was. While we walked around the hotel, a policeman came out of the car and called the people inside the hotel in a loud voice for us. A maid came out and said, "I am afraid the rooms are all booked up, but I will make sure of it anyway." After locking up the gate, she disappeared and didn't show up for a long time. Until then I had put up with a good piss and at last I felt it impossible to resist any more. I asked the policeman about a nearby lavatory. He told me to do it somewhere in the dark on the other side ofthe street. Moreover, he kindly blocked this middle-aged rider so that the pedestrians could not see the shameless man.

65 km north of Mexico City there is a town named Tula, the ancient capital of the Toltec civilization. We were advancing toward this town, following the "Tula" road sign. In a small town just before Tula, we lost our way and were stuck in a crowded street in the town's center. I asked the directions from someone standing around. At that moment, I saw two policemen walking straight towards us. Unfortunately, we had parked our bikes in front of a police station. They ordered us to come to the police station on charges of proceeding against the traffic flow on a one-way street. We followed the policemen, worrying about the awaiting disaster. But again, nothing serious happened. We only showed our licenses and the case was over. On the contrary, the policemen kindly guided us to the outskirts of the town and showed us the sole way to Tula.

Mexicans are very kind.

The reason why I started learning Spanish 20 years ago lies in the fact that I met a large number of nice people on my first trip to Mexico. I met lots of kind Mexicans this time as well. I can't forget the kind woman and her son whom I met in a restaurant in Mexico City. They said, "We will show you the real night life in Mexico", and invited us to a night club located downtown in an area very dangerous for tourists. On the following day they again invited us to the restaurant where they worked. In Mexico, there are lots of these kinds of people. But somehow there is the wide-spread rumor that Mexico has a lot of thieves or robbers, or that the vicious policemen take bribes from tourists. This might not be a pure fabrication, however, I am afraid it is a little too exaggerated. In Mexico even nature remains free from human control. Therefore, Mexico is never a safe country for tourists from industrial or authoritative societies. Even a road constructed by man is not wholly controlled by man himself. In this country the security promised by the society cannot be trustworthy. The Japanese have now forgotten the fact that security is not unconditionally given by the society, but it must be acquired basically by the effort of individuals. In fact, the Japanese sell their own freedom in place of the security given by society. Mexicans are very proud of the fact that Mexico is a country of freedom. Each of them believes he or she lives his or her life in freedom. Probably Mexicans have the idea that any rule must be made for the individual, not for the whole. In Mexico even policemen are not the slaves of rules. What makes rules is not the law, but individuals. Mexican policemen sometimes might not keep rules by receiving bribes. Otherwise, they liberate, according to their own judgment, those victims who break the traffic rules. This may be anarchistic. It might be dangerous... Yet, on the other hand, it is humane. I like these Mexican policemen.