R50/53 Here we go again! The mexican MINI Convention
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03-25-2004, 08:42 AM
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Austin, TX
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Day 1, 3/2/04, Austin to Saltillo, Coahuila 26,600 miles
Debbie and I left our shop at around 3pm, heading south with lots of ALTA Performance Parts to display at the 14th Annual Gathering of Classic Minis and New MINIS in Mexico. This meet is organized by a group of enthusiasts who, just like MINI drivers everywhere, exhibit tremendous love and excitement for their cars. We met the President of the Mexican MINI Club, Dr. Roberto Davalos, last year while we were in Mexico working La Carrera Panamericana. We also met Mexican MINI Club Founder Alejandro Jimenez and his family at the racetrack in Aguascalientes during the same event. So, this year we are very excited about visiting old friends AND seeing many, many MINIs along the way!
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The trip to Laredo was uneventful—we reached there about 6pm and crossed without any difficulties at all. We have never taken parts across the border before, but it was easy this time. So on we drove to Saltillo for the night.
Day 2, 3/3/04, Saltillo to Real de Catorce, 27,050 miles
We went southeast on the Pan American Highway with a morning diversion up into the pine forested, snow capped mountains around the apple growing orchards of San Antonio de Alonzas. Sound idyllic? It was. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Lunched at a ski resort (!?!) at Monterreal and then back to the highway. (Really, there is an alpinesque resort with lifts, summer ski runs with white brushes instead of snow, roaring fireplaces, everything you would need to ski (except snow!))
So, on to Real de Catorce. You may remember this town from that (albeit terrible, IMHO) movie, The Mexican with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts—but in spite of the movie it is a magical place. Up the cobblestone road we go, through the 1-1/2 mile Ogarrio Tunnel, into Real de Catorce itself. We drove about, visiting favorite places that are old friends. We parked and spent sometime walking in the 9,000 ft air. Seems like it is easier for us to walk and breathe than it is for Lil Schmutzi to drive and breathe and get enough oxygen! Add that to the strain on the clutch trying to get up these rocky hills and the MINI is a definite compromise. Poor baby!
Click here for larger image
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We meet our friend, Bridgette Alexander and her new baby while walking, said hello to Humberto Fernandez of the Hotel Real and made sure we had a room for the night, had supper at the Meson del Abunduncia, did a bit of shopping for Huichol Indian art, and then hit the sack. With the church bells ringing, and ringing, and ringing.
Real is a fascinating place, with incredible history…go to http://www.realdecatorce.net for a mini trip all your own.
More story to come... Stay tuned
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Performance
www.terrysaytherauto.com
Debbie and I left our shop at around 3pm, heading south with lots of ALTA Performance Parts to display at the 14th Annual Gathering of Classic Minis and New MINIS in Mexico. This meet is organized by a group of enthusiasts who, just like MINI drivers everywhere, exhibit tremendous love and excitement for their cars. We met the President of the Mexican MINI Club, Dr. Roberto Davalos, last year while we were in Mexico working La Carrera Panamericana. We also met Mexican MINI Club Founder Alejandro Jimenez and his family at the racetrack in Aguascalientes during the same event. So, this year we are very excited about visiting old friends AND seeing many, many MINIs along the way!
Click here for larger photoClick here for larger imageClick here for larger imageClick here for larger imageThe trip to Laredo was uneventful—we reached there about 6pm and crossed without any difficulties at all. We have never taken parts across the border before, but it was easy this time. So on we drove to Saltillo for the night.
Day 2, 3/3/04, Saltillo to Real de Catorce, 27,050 miles
We went southeast on the Pan American Highway with a morning diversion up into the pine forested, snow capped mountains around the apple growing orchards of San Antonio de Alonzas. Sound idyllic? It was. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Lunched at a ski resort (!?!) at Monterreal and then back to the highway. (Really, there is an alpinesque resort with lifts, summer ski runs with white brushes instead of snow, roaring fireplaces, everything you would need to ski (except snow!))
So, on to Real de Catorce. You may remember this town from that (albeit terrible, IMHO) movie, The Mexican with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts—but in spite of the movie it is a magical place. Up the cobblestone road we go, through the 1-1/2 mile Ogarrio Tunnel, into Real de Catorce itself. We drove about, visiting favorite places that are old friends. We parked and spent sometime walking in the 9,000 ft air. Seems like it is easier for us to walk and breathe than it is for Lil Schmutzi to drive and breathe and get enough oxygen! Add that to the strain on the clutch trying to get up these rocky hills and the MINI is a definite compromise. Poor baby!
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger imageClick here for larger imageClick here for larger imageWe meet our friend, Bridgette Alexander and her new baby while walking, said hello to Humberto Fernandez of the Hotel Real and made sure we had a room for the night, had supper at the Meson del Abunduncia, did a bit of shopping for Huichol Indian art, and then hit the sack. With the church bells ringing, and ringing, and ringing.
Real is a fascinating place, with incredible history…go to http://www.realdecatorce.net for a mini trip all your own.
More story to come... Stay tuned
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Performance
www.terrysaytherauto.com
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03-26-2004, 02:39 PM
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Day 3, 3/4/04. Real de Catorce to San Luis Potosi, SLP
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After breakfast with Humberto, we headed down the mountain and around to the west to try a different road south. Sometimes you win, and, well....unfortunately, the road turned to dirt after a bit and we spent about 30 miles researching the efficiency of AC microfilters. The HIGHLIGHT of this trip (sorry, we were too dumbfounded to take a picture) was that 1) a COYOTE crossed the road and then he was followed by a 2) ROADRUNNER! We are not kidding!! Astounding! Although we were stuck on a dirt road, we were smiled upon by the Looney Toons god! We then crossed into the tropics at the Tropic of Cancer (known as the torrid zone in these parts)-see photo of the great marker.
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger photo
Click here for larger photo
We got into San Luis Potosi for a late lunch and called our friend Alejandro Jimenez. Alex was not home, so we left a message with his son Paco and sat down to eat. Not a minute after ordering, here comes Alex and Paco, saying "Get UP!! Let's GO!!!" We had not even told Paco where we were...it was incredible! I asked Alex how he found us and all Alex would say is "This is my town....you can't hide here!" So off we went to join his wonderful wife Lupita for a delicious lunch, a quick tour of their home and their fantastic MINI museum, then off to see most of his MINI collection (the Mini race cars were in Mexico City at the time.) They have a brand new 2000 classic Mini, a classic Mini pickup, a classic Mini woody Wagon, another GORGEOUS classic red Mini, and his new red Cooper and grey Cooper S MINIs, as well as a rare Mini MIDAS. WOW!
Click here for larger image
We spent the evening touring San Luis Potosi together (what a beautiful colonial city), then had a fantastic feast at one of Alex's favorite restaurants, and finally, about midnight, retired to our own private bedroom at the Jimenez home. What a day, incredibly busy, what a pace! (Little did we know that this was indicative of the rest of this trip!!)
This family COULD NOT have treated us any better. Alex and Lupita and their sons Sergio and his wife Lise, Edgar, and Paco (not to leave out Morris, the family poodle) have to be one of the sweetest families in existence. We were made to feel completely at home in their home from the minute we arrived...they accepted us with open arms. How did we ever get so lucky?
More story soon, Stay tuned...
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.TerrySaytherAuto.com
Click here for larger photo
After breakfast with Humberto, we headed down the mountain and around to the west to try a different road south. Sometimes you win, and, well....unfortunately, the road turned to dirt after a bit and we spent about 30 miles researching the efficiency of AC microfilters. The HIGHLIGHT of this trip (sorry, we were too dumbfounded to take a picture) was that 1) a COYOTE crossed the road and then he was followed by a 2) ROADRUNNER! We are not kidding!! Astounding! Although we were stuck on a dirt road, we were smiled upon by the Looney Toons god! We then crossed into the tropics at the Tropic of Cancer (known as the torrid zone in these parts)-see photo of the great marker.
Click here for larger imageClick here for larger photo
Click here for larger photo
We got into San Luis Potosi for a late lunch and called our friend Alejandro Jimenez. Alex was not home, so we left a message with his son Paco and sat down to eat. Not a minute after ordering, here comes Alex and Paco, saying "Get UP!! Let's GO!!!" We had not even told Paco where we were...it was incredible! I asked Alex how he found us and all Alex would say is "This is my town....you can't hide here!" So off we went to join his wonderful wife Lupita for a delicious lunch, a quick tour of their home and their fantastic MINI museum, then off to see most of his MINI collection (the Mini race cars were in Mexico City at the time.) They have a brand new 2000 classic Mini, a classic Mini pickup, a classic Mini woody Wagon, another GORGEOUS classic red Mini, and his new red Cooper and grey Cooper S MINIs, as well as a rare Mini MIDAS. WOW!
Click here for larger image
We spent the evening touring San Luis Potosi together (what a beautiful colonial city), then had a fantastic feast at one of Alex's favorite restaurants, and finally, about midnight, retired to our own private bedroom at the Jimenez home. What a day, incredibly busy, what a pace! (Little did we know that this was indicative of the rest of this trip!!)
This family COULD NOT have treated us any better. Alex and Lupita and their sons Sergio and his wife Lise, Edgar, and Paco (not to leave out Morris, the family poodle) have to be one of the sweetest families in existence. We were made to feel completely at home in their home from the minute we arrived...they accepted us with open arms. How did we ever get so lucky?
More story soon, Stay tuned...
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.TerrySaytherAuto.com
#4
03-29-2004, 02:16 PM
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Day 4, 3/5/04, SLP to Morelia, Michoacan, 27,469 miles
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We spent the morning getting everybody but Edgar ready to travel. Edgar had to take his qualifying exams this weekend-two 8-hour tests!! But even without Edgar we made quite a caravan. Two trucks with classic Minis on trailers and two new MINIs traveling together. Lots of looks from the rest of the world.
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Not until we reached the Hotel Horizon in Morelia did we realize how important Alex and Lupita are to this event. Unbeknownst to us, they awere among the founders of this event 14 years ago!! They seem to be best friends with everyone there.
More classic and new MINIs continued to arrive all evening and eventually, close to midnight, everybody headed off en masse, to DINNER!!
Day 5, 3/6/04, Morelia MINI MEET
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We have heard that at some MINI meets where there are both classic and new MINIs that there is a lot of tension and even antipathy. Not here. These Mexican MINIacs are the friendliest group we have ever met. Many are old friends, but they welcome us newcomers warmly and sincerely. We are part of the group immediately.
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
After breakfast we all headed to the local BMW/MINI dealer to line the street in front of the dealership-42 cars, probably 2/3 classics. Local Morelians LOVE these cars! About noon, we begin a 3-hour drive like a giant snaking convoy to the curvy mountainous backroads to Patzcuaro, a gorgeous old town on a famous lake. We spent an hour or two looking at artisan's wares and watching the local people watch our cars.
Then we drove to the lake where Dr. Roberto Davalos and his wife Liz, another two of the world's finest people and co-organizers of this event, have a vacation house. Everybody enjoyed a late afternoon luncheon there before driving back to Morelia and the hotel.
Click here for larger image
After a short rest, we all went to Bobby's house for a late banquet, and for some, a bit of tequila drinking and revelry. Food, drinks, speeches, laughing, drinks, MINI cake for dessert. Altogether, a great evening.
Stay tuned, more story to come...
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.TerrySaytherAuto.com
Click here for larger image
We spent the morning getting everybody but Edgar ready to travel. Edgar had to take his qualifying exams this weekend-two 8-hour tests!! But even without Edgar we made quite a caravan. Two trucks with classic Minis on trailers and two new MINIs traveling together. Lots of looks from the rest of the world.
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger image
Not until we reached the Hotel Horizon in Morelia did we realize how important Alex and Lupita are to this event. Unbeknownst to us, they awere among the founders of this event 14 years ago!! They seem to be best friends with everyone there.
More classic and new MINIs continued to arrive all evening and eventually, close to midnight, everybody headed off en masse, to DINNER!!
Day 5, 3/6/04, Morelia MINI MEET
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger imageWe have heard that at some MINI meets where there are both classic and new MINIs that there is a lot of tension and even antipathy. Not here. These Mexican MINIacs are the friendliest group we have ever met. Many are old friends, but they welcome us newcomers warmly and sincerely. We are part of the group immediately.
Click here for larger image
Click here for larger imageAfter breakfast we all headed to the local BMW/MINI dealer to line the street in front of the dealership-42 cars, probably 2/3 classics. Local Morelians LOVE these cars! About noon, we begin a 3-hour drive like a giant snaking convoy to the curvy mountainous backroads to Patzcuaro, a gorgeous old town on a famous lake. We spent an hour or two looking at artisan's wares and watching the local people watch our cars.
Then we drove to the lake where Dr. Roberto Davalos and his wife Liz, another two of the world's finest people and co-organizers of this event, have a vacation house. Everybody enjoyed a late afternoon luncheon there before driving back to Morelia and the hotel.
Click here for larger image
After a short rest, we all went to Bobby's house for a late banquet, and for some, a bit of tequila drinking and revelry. Food, drinks, speeches, laughing, drinks, MINI cake for dessert. Altogether, a great evening.
Stay tuned, more story to come...
Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.TerrySaytherAuto.com
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