Purple haze all in my brain

So we are hanging around Budget Hotel #1 hoping the haze will lift. The Gulf of Mexico from Tampico around to Minatitlan is pretty hazy with pollution. When we did this trip in 2008, I remember that we had very low visibility from Tampico to Minatitlan. It was nerve-wracking.

I'd previously said that our next ultimate- intermediate destination was San Cristobal de las Casas, where we'd hoped to spend a few days. In light of the weather, we have now actually suspended that plan in favor of no plan at all.

We have some vague ideas, but no real expectations. We hope the haze will abate enough that we can advance as far as Veracruz. I just want to get out of Coahuila! In Veracruz, we will check the weather again to see whether we can continue on to at least Minatitlan.

The long-term (haha - long term for us means one week or so) problem is that there are storms forecast for all over Southern Mexico starting in a couple of days. We can't fly in storms. Hell, we can't even fly in nice fluffy clouds.

All of our planned intermediate-ultimate destinations were on the Pacific coast, which means we have to cross mountain ranges to get there. See all those big scary mountain ranges on this map? We need crystal clear weather to cross mountains safely in the trusty Koliber. If the clouds are low, we just can't cross the mountains. I'll do the math for you:

(Mountains + Clouds) * VFR = nightmare (or crash)

BUT - there are no mountains between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. We are thinking that we may just be stuck going to the darned old Caribbean if the storms in Southern Mexico prevent us from getting to the Pacific coast.

Yes, that's right. We may just have to beat a path to Belize. Oh darn!

Tiroteo in Tampico

Don't get excited. We didn't see one.

But we do have a story to tell.

Ricardo was busy explaining to me how Americans are overly timorous in foreign countries and how Houston and L.A. are every bit as dangerous as over here in Mexico, when our cab driver volunteered that he had been witness to a gunfight between the Zetas and the Federales this afternoon at 3p.

He then (without us requesting the tour or even knowing he was about to take us) proceeded to drive us by the situs of the firefight, where we were treated to a view of hordes of spooky, masked, armed-to-the-teeth Federales in battle gear and armored cars waiting with the body of the fallen Zeta. He said that the police were waiting there to confront any Zeta who might seek to recover the body of their fallen comrade.

Greeeeat!!

Well, the fearless Ricardo still was not convinced of any clear and present danger, but he was a good sport about my trepidation and we ate a quick dinner and got back to the hotel.

I know I said we weren't going to be in the Mexican states that the State Department warned about, but Tampico is in fact on the very Southern tip of the prohibited Coahuila State.

We leave first thing.