So driving in the Yucatan was a great vocabulary and evasive driving lesson. It took us about three towns with signs saying "Topes" before we realized that "topes" means speed bumps and is not just a really popular city name. Also, imagine our surprise and confusion when we first passed the sign stating "Zona de Vibradores" (Zone of Vibrators). Apparently, it is a lot of topes in a row. Mexico is very serious about its speed bumps!
The lanes, when they are actually marked, are really only suggestions. People will pass on a two-lane highway, going around a blind corner with a car coming from the other direction. They just expect the car being passed and the car coming from the other direction to pull onto the extra lane (a.k.a. the shoulder) so that the passing car can make its way straight up the middle. You know you really aren't supposed to pass if you see a sign saying "Curva Cerrado" (Closed Curve), which apparently means blind curve without a shoulder.
Instead of cumbersome road cones that can be knocked over and ignored, the Mexicans find it much easier to just put large rocks all over the road they are working on (see above). They are really concerned, though, about safety. Nearly every mile there is a sign with an important safety message (in Spanish) like "Wear your security belt, it saves," "Guard your distance," "This is not a high speed road," or "Slow down, your family will wait."
1 comment:
Zona de Vibradores? I was way off before I read about the speed bumps. :) I thoroughly enjoy the tales of your travels. Don't know if you still check out my blog...but I recently have exotic locations like...Wyoming, South Dakota, and Chuck E. Cheese. :)
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