My main concern w/ a vehicle such as your would be how to securely store things in it when I was out exploring, walking around town, etc. Almost always worth parking in a secured lot or a parking lot where you tip some guy 5 or 10 pesos to watch your car. What's this "Tuffy locking drawer thing" you wrote about? Pictures or online link?

While the chances of encountering real violence is likely overestimated, petty theft (pick pocketing, breaking into cars, etc.) is a real concern throughout Central & South America. For the most part the only thing locking the doors in a vehicle like your does is keeping honest people honest, as there's nothing to prevent someone from simply breaking the glass & unlocking the doors. Same goes for any-town USA for that matter...petty thieves breaking glass in car doors is a major problem in San Francisco.

With regard to the food, yea, I just got back from 3 weeks in Mexico and fly to Peru tomorrow. Central & South Americans are big on meats and starches & not so much on green veggies; for the most part food is cheap & taste great, good luck on losing any weight!

Nice posts! But what's the deal with the tolls in Mexico? $100 for 9 hours of driving? Wtf!

Yeah no ****. Maybe my estimate is a little high. But it seemed like tons of tolls. And some were as high as 340 pesos - which is $17. A few more were like 220 pesos - $11. And a lot were in the 100 peso range. I didn't keep track but I bet it was at least $80.

I haven't left my car overnight anywhere that wasn't protected or I was near my car and could hear the alarm. Most of the hotels and motels on the road in Mexico have secure parking. The city ones either have parking or you can find a secure lot nearby. Maybe this will change in Central America, not sure.

Here's the post on the tuffy drawer: http://ushuaiaorbust.com/2017/11/08/preparations/



It's super sturdy. The idea is even if they try to smash and grab, they won't have time to break into this thing while the alarm is going off. You'd need a serious crow bar. Also the FJ is pretty good for not being able to see what's in the back seat or behind. It's super dark back there, and what you can see just looks like clothes. Gramps took one look at it and said - yeah this isn't much of a smash and grab target.

As another security measure if I have to leave it somewhere, I can back it up against a wall or something. This means they'd have to put it in neutral and push it to get into the back - another thing that would take time and make them more likely to just grab some **** they can get to and run.

The car carrier on top is super easy to break into. But I don't have valuable stuff up there. It would suck to lose my hiking backpack and backpacking tent - but I'd survive. I think people see something like that and pretty much assume you're not gonna load it up with valuable items. Not that it would stop them from breaking in at night if no one is around.

On the eating front - I've actually lost some weight by avoiding dessert or sweets (I think the crepe I ate in TJ is the last desert thing other than maybe a tiny cup of ice cream) and have a fasting day once a week. Even though there's so much food here, the portions are generally pretty reasonable. I'd say about 25% smaller than the US on average. Not quite Asia-level, but smaller.

When I'm driving it's pretty easy to eat a light breakfast, take a ritalin lol - which kills my apetite, then eat a few tacos at 4pm or something - which is late lunch for locals, but dinner for me. I realized early on - well after TJ which I blame Gramps for - that I can't be in my normal vacation eating mode for a year, or I'll weigh 300 lbs by the end. Also I'm very motivated because I know every lb I lose will make the trip more enjoyable, and make my hiking trip in April with cardshark's BFF much easier.

Puebla has been a challenge though as there's so much amazing food here. Everything is good. And yeah - you get the bill and it's like $7 for an amazing meal and 2 cervezas. $11 for an amazing meal with white glove service. I've heard this and Oaxaca are the culinary capitals of Mexico. I'm very excited for Oaxaca next.

I'm really enjoying these blog posts Suzzer, thank you.

Well I guess it's public now as people are posting on his timeline - but please don't post anything on my blog or their blog or FB page if you know me somehow. One of the 3 guys on motorcycle that I was supposed to meet up with in Puebla right about now, somehow skidded off the road and into a ditch at 60mph and died. This is not my old friend of 20 years, but his best friend apparently. I knew him a little as I was working with him on their website. My friend said he died in his arms while they were waiting for the ambulance.

This happened Friday, just a few hours into Mexico on a smooth patch of highway. These guys have driven their bikes all over Southeast Asia and live in Guam where I'm sure there are all manner of crazy roads. So they weren't bike novices or anything.

And that's pretty much all I know. They're in Zacatecas right now dealing with all that. My friend had to call his family the next day. I can't imagine how awful that must have been.

My trip will go on but I'm devastated thinking about what they're going through. Not feeling very adventurous at the moment.

Holy ****! That sucks.

Motorcycles are so much fun and so stupid. I'm allergic to pain so swore off riding them a long time ago.

New blog post is up - 2 weeks in Puebla. If you like food this one is for you: http://ushuaiaorbust.com/2018/02/03/...-city-foodies/

no piña with your al pastor?

It was on the table. I hadn’t added it yet.

By sheer coincidence, I just watched another travel video on those cemitas in Puebla right before reading that blog post.

mexican food

be warned, if you head south the culinary level will decrease for a while, until you finally reach Peru, which is nothing less than a heaven for foodies

Yeah I'm prepared. El Salvador has some good food I think. I'm on a Guatemala foodies FB group - so hoping to get some good ideas from them.

Suzzer,

This is awesome. I many times think of a trip like this but always chicken out. It’s great that you’re actually doing it!

Suzzer - can ED fly down and join you for a week or a segment? He's too shy to ask directly.

Very sorry to hear about your friend and your friend's friend. I've lost friends that way as well but never had one die in my arms. Your friend will need support, even if it's just sitting with him and drinking a beer.

New blog post, lots of food again in this one (Oaxaca): http://ushuaiaorbust.com/2018/03/02/its-oaxaca/

Also suzzer eats a cricket.

i always enjoy your updates.

Thank you

+1 blog more

looks like a super awesome trip.

Thanks a lot. Chiapas/Yucatan blog coming soon.

Also I finally found a t-shirt that fits me.

New blog is up, this one with an illegal roadblock to make bahbahmickey wet his pants: http://ushuaiaorbust.com/2018/03/14/...-some-yucatan/

Also live tortoise sex.

suzzer,

Glad to hear things are going along well. Hope your heel can recover with this new info.

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about border crossings/frontiers that is sort of interesting/exciting to me. I'd be very interested to hear details & see photos each time you go from country to country.

Good luck and be safe.

This may be old news, but you've lost weight. Are you losing weight on the trip?

Nice shirt.

San Cristobal de las Casas is Zapatista country. Did you see any? (FNLS is a different group. Zapatistas are EZLN.)

No idea. What would they look like?

Yeah I've lost some weight by having fasting days and generally not eating much on driving days. The black shirt is also a bit illusory and I may be sucking it in there.