Hitchhiking is High-Class

Written by Bessie about Mexico. Feelin' amused

We were hanging out at a pool about 20 minutes outside of the latest town (San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico), trying to get home when it happened. We'd paid a taxi to get us to the pool after we'd spent about 30 minutes following numerous people's directions and still couldn't find the bus stop. We figured on the way back we'd walk back to the highway to catch a bus, but the trouble was we were out in desert-like area, and the 2 mile walk to the road offered no shade. I'm sure we sound lame to our friends that have spent months in Africa, but after spending some of the day before in the desert and getting crispy, it wasn't happening two days in a row.

So after finding out that a taxi to come get us would be the exorbitant price of 120 pesos (about $12), we decided we'd give our thumbs a try. We'd checked out the families in the parking lot, but the cars looked full, so we headed out towards the road to find a passing car.

Well, we'd forgotten we were in Mexico, because there's always room for two more! Somehow our first hitchhiking experience would be with a family with grandma in the backseat, and they insisted on picking us up and taking us to the highway. The daughter sat on mom's lap in the front seat, and grandma, her grandson, Kyle and I fit comfortably into the backseat of the nicest car we'd been in over the past two months. This family was well off and sporting a fairly new VW Jetta with leather seats and a fold-down tv in the ceiling. We enjoyed the ride listening to Usher and that song "Da Da Da" that was reinvented by a VW commmercial about 10 years ago.

In short, we were traveling in style. To top it off, the family decided to take a detour and spend a few hours in the town we were going to, so they practically took us home.

Who knew hitchhiking was the way to travel?

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March 30, 2008 shawna: As a mom type I wish i would have been there to give you the $12.00!! But... there are more nice people in this world than bad ones. Sounds like you landed with a nice family. In Kansas we would have all been arrested for not each having a seat belt!! Be safe and have fun!! Love Shawna

April 01, 2008 Bessie: Haa haa - thanks, Shawna. I definitely understand... It's been funny noticing how accustomed we've gotten to low prices that when things are priced more like in the States we're outraged. More than $5 for a full dinner - outrageous!

March 31, 2008 DADDIO: Hi ! Great travel adventure with a happy ending. Why were you in such a hurry to leave the ocean towns and blessed humidity? I have a dry throat just reading about your desert travel! Hope you had fun at the pool. Hope you make it to the cathedral in Mexico City sometime. Great sights to see in that area. HUGE population. Many historic destinations. Peace and Love to you.

April 01, 2008 Bessie: We definitely got our fill of beach towns. It's nice to change things up and see new sights and people. Everyday is a new adventure!

April 03, 2008 Pacha: B, K, first, kudos on your trip, it's going amazingly well and i bet the best it's just to come... I'm reading your blog in my small appartment in Córdoba, Argentina, and i love it, i spended two and a half years living in and travelling around méxico, and your words bring back so many lovely memories of that time... About hitchhiking in México, it is more safe than you would believe, i did well over 10.000 kms hitching in méxico from San Luis Potosí to Tulum and back and forth between places (i got stuck in San Cristobal for almost 9 months, you know it's no easy place to live behind) and never got any trouble at all. Most rides ended up with me been asked to have dinner with them, or even givin me money to continue my trip even when there was no need for that. I met lovely and honest people that introduced me to off the track places that were unbelievely gorgeous, and most of all, the experience of gettin in touch with people that aren't involved with tourism and gave me an inside look of the real México. I was invited to stay at their houses a couple times and even got invited to a wedding and a 15 years birthday party (big instance in the life of every teenage girl in latin america). Don't be afraid of hitchhiking, take precautions like you would in any place, and you won't be desappointed. It is the best way to improve your travel experience and on top of that, it's a great exercise for your spanish.
I'm a computer programmer as Kyle, so i know what a change it is to feel the sun over your head instead of the cold white lights of an office and the wind in your face instead of monitor radiation.
Keep the good vibes and love each other, and you'll be fine anywhere.

April 04, 2008 Kyle: Mmmm...monitor radiation.

April 03, 2008 Linda: I'm with Shawna........spend the $12! Glad you are having desert adventures as well as seaside....using sunblock of course! Oops....the mom gene just took over.

April 04, 2008 Kyle: You know what we can get for $12? About 12 beers. Would I trade in 2 six packs for a 15 minute ride to town? Probably not :)

April 04, 2008 selena xo: glad to hear u got a pretty cozy ride! i'm also glad ur safe =). ur funny 'we'd forgotten we were in Mexico, because there's always room for two more!' lol. aint that the truth? haha i also agree with ur father. when u said desert all i could think about was water.

April 05, 2008 ATA: Hahaha, thata mexican hospitality for ya...with a VW Jetta in the mix, ha. Good mole is almost any mole but I assume yuo havent tried the mole negro, or mole from Oaxaca, that is an experience, try it.