Quinta Erika war wunderbar!

I don´t want to go over the actual ride to Acapulco because the road has been essentially the same for about a week now. Alfred suffered a bit due to the heat, though. Most likely his body still wasn´t quite right and still had the lingering effects from dehydration. One nice bit of the ride though was the ocean which finally came into view after so many miles of riding in the hills. The ocean was never far but just out of view. That´s one of the strange facts of riding on highway 200. If you look at a map you might get the impression that the road is mostly along the ocean. In fact you see the ocean very sparingly and your left with the same terrain we´ve seen for 1000 miles.

Just outside of Acapulco the law enforcement and military presence becomes quite heavy. There is a large narco crime element here. The checkpoints don´t bother us at all but there is always the slight nervousness when approaching one. I guess the thought is, ¨is the time we get messed with by corrupt or just plain shitty police?¨. Then they wave us through like they almost always do and you´re cruising down the highway again.

Acapulco looks like a lovely place to bring a wad of cash, sunscreen and have a great time. To drive through it is a different story. By now we had been on the road in 90 degree heat with full riding gear on, eating dirt and bugs for 4 hours. We were sticky and testy and needed a cold one. In this state we were forced to deal with the traffic of this modern large city with one main artery (at least to our knowledge) to get you to the other side. Insane traffic, a glaring roasting sun and my natural North American impatience made for another lovely experience driving in a Mexico city. Of course we got lost. Like so many times before a thoughtful local had us follow him where he led us through a maze of alleys and tight turns until we again found our road. I mean how did we miss that unmarked labyrinth of a route? Silly gringos.

Just outside Acapulco is the small beach side town of Pie de la Cuesta which seemed like a good place to spend one night. Cruising along the main road I was left to wonder what made this town so appealing to warrant a mention in the Lonely Planet guide? Overpriced, underwhelming crappy hotels and the same crumbling facades of every other rundown town. Lonely Planet please save us by guiding us to a nice hotel without roaches and with a toilet seat. Just outside Pie town is just the place, Quinta Erika.

Quinta Erika (QE) is an Eden oasis built by a long time German expat named Helmut and run by him and his daughter Erika. As you enter the gates a 100 meter dirt driveway guides you through a jungle of palms and flowering vines until you reach paradise. In true German style Helmut has thought of everything. Outdoor showers, hammocks, beautiful stone swimming ponds, dining amongst the best that nature can give and if that isn´t enough QE is set on a mountain lake with spectacular views. In an unGerman (all you Deutchophiles don´t give me any crap about this line, I lived in Deutchland for 4 years and know a little about German culture) like manner Helmut, Coco (his wife) and Erika are the most gracious conscientious hosts giving caring service while knowing when to give you your peace. For $55 dollars a night you get all this plus a lovely full breakfast in the outdoor dining area.

We told Helmut that we would only be staying one night. Within an hour we resolved to stay two.

The next day we decided to change the oil in the bikes and asked Erika if she knew where could find some oil. Helmut is an old time biker and self confessed gear head, so we thought the odds were good that between the two of them we would have our oil. Erika told us that she used to own a moto repair shop and still had some oil that we could buy. This place is getting better by the minute. Helmut jumped right in and provided us everything we would need, including cold beers! He stayed with us while we exchanged our oil, talking bikes, travels and his life.

We enjoyed everything about QE including the other guests. One morning we dined with two English women. The next night we dined with a couple from NYC. This is how to live.

Just a fantastic place. If I ever get back to the Aca area I will definitely pay Helmut and Erica a vist. Danke schon, Helumt!

Next on the itinerary is Zihuatenejo. More mad capped adventures of gringos on the loose to come!