It was time to put some distance between us and the Yucatan. After a quick stop in Tulum and one final swim in the Caribbean, we pointed the wheels towards the mountains of Chiapas. The words of the manager at the rental agency were still fresh in our minds. He was a very friendly fellow with lots of recommendations. Most of which were the staple tourists stops. He did not approve of our planned route, but seeing that we were fairly set on it he offered some advice. He pointed out two specific sections on the map. He pointed out the first one and advised us to have a full tank of gas so we would not have to stop. The second, we should skip all together, due to the high risk of highway robbery.

Tip: If you have learned anything from Mexican Road Trip | Part One it should be that getting a 0% insurance deductible is a no brainer, the roads are terrible and the other motorists are loco.

The long drive from Tulum to Palenque took us through the southern regions of the Yucatan and Campeche, then we cut through the south eastern corner of Tabasco to reach the state of Chiapas. The drive was thrilling, the further we went the more there was to look at. Flat, to rolling hills, to mountains. We passed through the first of the “warning” zones on this route. And, because we took this seriously, we made sure our tank was full of gas. What the manager had failed to mention is that we should have also packed a platter of tacos and two cold beers. As we did not have these necessities we were forced to stop in the danger zone. For the record, we found nothing but friendly people.

Tip: When stopping for gas, be sure to specify how much and what grade you want. Make sure you check the pump is at $0.00 before they fill. At one point, thinking we had this getting gas thing figured out, we looked at our receipt to see that we were charged an extra 500 pesos, enough to fill the tank. This one might be hard to avoid if you are paying by card as most machines don’t have the option to okay the price. It is straight to the PIN number. But we called him out on it and were refunded the extra money. We will never know if this was an attempted scam or just an honest mistake. Side Note: Tipping the gas attendant is customary if they provide good service. $10-20 pesos.

A few adventurous days in Palenque and it was time to move on, further into the mountainous jungle. Next stop, San Cristobal de Las Casas. There are two routes to get there, one being being the road we were strongly encouraged to avoid. This is the eventual route we decided on. It was not because the other way was 6 hours longer, it was because we asked a few other opinions. They also mentioned the highway robberies but assured us they were rarely during the day, and hadn’t occurred for a while. We should have no problems if we left early. We made a judgement call and set out.

Tip: Once in awhile you will come across kids who hold a rope across the highway and refuse passage until you buy something. Just keep driving, if you don’t stop they will drop the rope at the last minute. We were given this advice by a local, we assure you. We did not decide on our own to run a road block manned by 8 year olds. Another kind of roadblock you might come across are those occasionally constructed by groups trying to protest something to the government (wages, gas prices, etc). Bandits can then use these roadblocks as an opportunity to rob you. We also heard that the government was stepping up their presence to discourage these highway bandits.


We soon found that our warning had missed some valuable points. Possible bandits, okay, we got it. He might have added that this is the worst paved road in southern Mexico. The views were unreal, but you did not dare to take your eyes off the road in fear of driving into a black hole, never to return. Even a split second glance in the mirror to check your hair could have catastrophic consequences. Like catching serious air off of one of the 40,000 topes (speed bumps). We played dodge-the-pothole and gas-break-gas-break for 5.5 hours. This was only a 213km drive.

Tip: These topes are everywhere and range in size, watch out for them. We read somewhere that the unofficial slogan for the Yucatan Peninsula is Tope. Sometimes they are painted for viability but most often they are not. Once in awhile there is a warning sign. And occasionally there is a painted line across the road with no tope, so you slow right down for nothing.

The extreme change in elevation brought with it an extreme change in temperature and flora. Pine trees replaced the palm trees. The cool weather was so nice we stayed 5 days. Finally! We could wear the sweaters we had been packing around for 6 weeks. After San Cristobal it was a steep descent back into the oven. A few more days in the lower elevations of the mountains and it was time for us to start heading back. From Chiapa del Corzo to Villahermosa was another incredibly windy road, full of hazards.

Tip: Police and Military checkpoints are frequent. You need to comply at all road checks. Even if you think it is not the police or military. They will shoot first and ask questions later. No humour here. We were fortunate enough that we didn’t run into anything but nice & honest officials.

Once back at sea level it was smooth sailing, with the ocean in view for two days. The trip was a success. No major accidents. There were times when we thought a collision was imminent. Like when in busy cities and six lanes merge into one with no order. Only the frantic beeping of horns and first come first serve attitudes. Or trying to determine which stoplights are the optional ones.

Tip: There are no signs posted for toll roads, just the booth at the end where you pay. If you haven’t dodged a pothole in awhile and you find yourself enjoying the drive, it is almost certain you are on a toll road. It is fairly reasonable and the good road is worth it. This was our outlook until we hit 3 tolls within a single 200km stretch, come on!, you’re killing these peso-pinching gringos here.

‘La Bala de Plata’ made the journey unscathed, almost. But here is another lesson for those of you who also suffer from short term memory loss. We pulled over on the side of the road to check the map. There happened to be a massive hole on the side of the road in front of the car but no problem, we knew it was there and Bren could turn sharp back onto the road to avoid it. Funny how quick you can forget. After looking at the map, Bren proceeded to drive into the excavation. After some explicits, Bren was able to reattach the bumper with his proficient MacGyver skills.

Now that our 16 day road trip had come to an end, we were a little sad to see the car go but we now have a whole new appreciation for the ease of taking a bus.