On Monday, September 14th I left to visit the site of Teotihuacan to approximately 3 km from San Juan de Teotihuacan by the main Gate #1 in the south of the site which is directed North-South. The gallery gives explanatory photographs of the structure of the site and main monuments. I traversed it in four hours per a gloomy weather not very favorable for pictures. Arrived around 9:00 there were few tourists polluting the site. I was back to the Park Trailer around 15:00. As for all the sites visited before they were restored and accesses arranged since 30 years. With the result that sometimes I did not find my reference marks. I remained on Tuesday, September 15th at the Park Trailer for a day of rest and preparation of the continuation of the trip into Mexico.
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On Wednesday, September 16th, Independence Day of Mexico, I became acquainted in the early morning by a French couple coming from France by plane to recover their motor home to continue their voyage after 6 months of interruption. After the exchange of information, I left for Morelia. Alas at approximately 120 km away from the city at the restarting of a toll gate the Low indicator of the instrument panel was flashing. The consultation of the handbook taught me that it was necessary to make control the transfer gear of which I had not use since my trip on the Moroccan tracks in October 2014. At downtown area a police officer indicated the localization of the garage. Of course it was closed in this national holiday. To follow tomorrow. The 309 km way from San Juan de Teotihuacan to Morelia on autopista cost 634 pesos, that is to say approximately 35€. At two hundred meters from the garage I stationed on the Sam's Club parking where I was going to prevent the authorities of my presence for the night. But back towards my vehicle I made a violent fall tearing off the skin of my left arm. I was looked after by the male nurse of the store. ¡Menudo dia!
On Thursday, September 17th at 9:00 I met the person of the reception of Mercedes-Benz speaking English a little. The communication was not easy. In the morning the shop foreman connected the scanner to diagnose the cause of the problem. Fortunately the VIN of my vehicle was identified by the scanner which after several research diagnosed a possible cause the defect of sensors. Then he consulted the documentation of transfer box, of course in Spanish. He made dismount a material which contained the defective sensors. It was necessary to order this material which should arrive on Friday around 13:00. My vehicle was immobilized. Opposite the garage a hotel accommodated me for one night. To follow.
On Friday, September 18th as agreed I recovered my truck, washed, and we went with the shop foreman to carry out a test to check that the interlocking of the reducer, Low, then its no-interlocking, High, functioned well with the ad hoc indicator of the instrument panel igniting three times in one second. The receptionist and especially the shop foreman were very professional with a very Latin kindness although not speaking English. I left Mercedes-Benz around 14:00. I was to give my truck in functioning order; I thus returned to the carpark of Sam's Club.
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From early morning I left to visit Patzcuaro to approximately 60 km west of Morelia where I arrived around 8:30. I found a parking Plaza Gertrudis. The village has approximately 55,000 inhabitants and is located at 2175 m of altitude. It is one of the colonial villages best preserved with three Plazas of which Plaza Vasco de Quiroga with his statue in its medium. Basilica de Nuestra Senora was built by Bishop Vasco de Quiroga around 1536. Behind the main altar a statue of the Virgin is very venerated, it dates back from the 16th century. The market is very coloured. The village and its lake are also very famous for the pescados blancos. When I returned to Morelia to carry on my way I due to make multiple detours because the main roads were prohibited in this Saturday. Then on the road Mex #15 towards Hidalgo in the mountains a car rally blocked me during approximately 45 minutes in a small village. I thought of going as far as Toluca to find a confortable bivouac. Alas I was not lucky; I did not find anything before Cuernavaca where I arrived around 19:00. Finally in the direction of Cautla on the MEX #95 I noticed a Sam's Club with an immense carpark which accommodated me for the night.
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On Sunday, September 20th I was not luckier. There too I left my bivouac early in the morning to visit the downtown area and Plaza de Armas at Cuernavaca. A pedestrian race was organized and the police blocked the principal accesses to the historical center. It was necessary to make detours in an indescribable mob of vehicles and especially of paradas and others bus forcing the passage. The Mexicans having the habit are very patient. After several attempts to find an access I gave up and decided to go directly, if possible, to Oaxaca knowing that Mex #95 was blocked at its origin. Finally I found on Mex #160 then #190 in dramatic landscapes of mountains with sinuous roads but crossing villages with many topes wasting the visual pleasure. I vituperated against the weak municipal officials who multiplied them. I stopped to bivouac to approximately 130 km from Oaxaca. In conclusion it was a week in half-tone
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