Made it safely to Mexico City!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11-1-13)

BLOG Update- Thursday, 10/31/13 Arriving Mexico City, Mexico

As difficult a day yesterday was, today was the opposite, everything came easily and there was a lot coming at me. From the depths of despair seeing Torch’s back right wheel slanted and injured and barely finding my way to the Posada Santa Elena in Mineral del Monte I went to the heights of the Olympic Spirit with a tour of the stadium that hosted the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Plus Torch and I made it safely to a nice hotel not far from the National University of Mexico City, the Club de Golf Mexico (Golf Club of Mexico), Camp de Campestre de Ciudad de Mexico ( CC of Mexico City) and most importantly where Torch would be repaired.

I was lucky to find the Posada Santa Ellen and get in by the 10 pm deadline to register. After a restful night and sleeping in a bit I woke up to find an amazingly beautiful hotel and little village. Mother Sophia and daughter Martha greeted me with a delicious breakfast which looking back began my love affair with the mango and its juices. Brother Martin who checked me in last night was already off to school. When I walked out the front door there was an enchanting village square where I had to take some time to walk around and peek inside the ornate church of Our Lady of the Ascension. I remembered that this was the place near Pachuca that a couple named Ronnie and Dan had told me about at the place where Torch and I were registered near the border in Nuevo Laredo. They were right, this part of Mexico, high above Mexico City, is beautiful!

Everything was going my way this day as Torch and the Garmin were working fine. I found a nice hotel and booked it on line before leaving Paradise in the morning. It was a triumphant drive into Mexico City down a long, curvy descent. Amazingly I made a wrong turn (me, not the Garmin) and inadvertently came to the 1968 Olympic Stadium on the grounds of the National University of Mexico City. Not that I made a wrong turn part but that I came across the heart of the 1968 Olympics without really searching.

CLICK here for Highlight Video of the 1968 Olympic Stadium.

I was locked out of the Stadium and learned that the tours were in the morning and all done for the day. Always the opportunist I ventured over to campus to see what I could find which is Andy code for finding another way to get into the stadium. It happened to be October 31st, Happy Halloween back home and Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. There was a rather large festival on campus with a live band and extensive cultural and celebratory displays to mark the occasion.  I am not sure how to fully describe them. The Halloween party took me back to my college days. Again, it was a good day, why not celebrate my making it to a third Olympic City (Atlanta & St. Louis the other two) enroute to Rio? But first I was intent on seeing the inside of the 1968 Olympic Stadium.

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Adriana Gonzalez Duran, Manager of the Visitor Center.

I came across a Visitor Center on the campus of the National University of Mexico City. Being the largest university in Latin America and a  World Heritage site it needed a Visitors Center for sure. The institution was originally founded in 1551 by a royal decree of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and was recreated in its modern form in 1910 with this campus coming into existence in 1950. There I met the manager Adriana Gonzalez Duran who, despite my desperate pleas. refused to give me a tour of the Stadium. She did give me an awesome informative interview (see above) and pointed me in the direction of the University Communications Department.

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Cristobal Lopez Yanez, Campus Reporter & Historian (with Omar translating).

Once again it seems I found myself in the right place at the right time! Not only was the Communications Department still open late on a festive Friday afternoon but they were extremely accommodating. Not only did I get a grand tour of the Olympic Stadium but I was able to interview a long time campus reporter and avid historian Cristobal Lopez Yanez (see above interview). I was fortunate that English speaking Omar Paramo was there to act as a translator. I learned about the Friendship Route along he Periferico and the prominent mural on the front of the stadium representing the key elements of Olympic sportsmanship: fair play, friendship and a respect for others. These themes would emerge even more in the days ahead of my visit to Mexico City to help in my quest to combine the spirit of the Olympics and the history and traditions of the game of golf to define the “Olympic Spirit of Golf.”

Even though I only traveled about 80 miles this morning it was a full day and I was tired. My drive to the Inn Sur was literally straightforward and only seven miles long. I found it easily and even went by a automobile repair shop that looked promising. Hopefully it will be a simple matter of Torch’s camber being out of adjustment. With two historic golf courses close by I was hoping to get a chance to play some golf and experience history too!

After checking in I took a walk done Avenue Insurgentes and found a nice little sidewalk (literally on the sidewalk) place for dinner.

I liked the atmosphere of Mexico City and enjoyed a wonderful first day here!

There are some more stories in the pictures below this request to make a donation to The First Tee…

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

Here is a recap of my visit back in time to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City… I felt like I was there! Mexico City is truly a world-class city!   (Facebook Post Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/11/13)

Capturing the Spirit of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City

When the day started in Ciudad Victoria I had booked the night’s hotel room in Mineral del Monte about 60 miles northeast of Mexico City. On Google Maps it was about 360 miles away and would take about 7 hours to drive which was an easy day’s drive to me. As it turned out I drove at least another 100 miles and it would take 14 hours to get there. But that was the good news of the day. The bad news was that mid way through the day I pulled into a gas station to fill up and was horrified when I looked down to see my back right tire sitting at an outward angle. The rough roads we encountered, especially a tollway from Tampica to Tuxpan, had taken a toll on Torch, my 1992 Infiniti M30 Baby. It was as much my fault as I was slow to adjust my driving speed to the road conditions. Luckily she was drivable at least as far as I knew as it was my only choice. Hopefully I could make it to an Infiniti dealer in Mexico City and it was a minor adjustment to bring her wheels back into alignment. Hopefully being the key word.

My day started off great with a hearty breakfast and a smooth road, even divided at some points from Ciudad Victoria to Tampica. Silly me I went that way missing the tollway to Mexico City in Monterrey and then thinking why not swing by the Gulf Coast and stop for lunch. Driving along I never did see the Gulf of Mexico and looking back at the Go Pro videos I missed the sign and the turn to Playa Miramar. Then seeing the condition of Torch’s back right wheel later in the afternoon my focus was to make the notel in Mineral del Monte by sunset. That didn’t happen either because I got lost in the mountains in the dark trying to find the old mining town which sat at an elevation of 9,277 feet. Remember Mexico City is at a high elevation of 7,380 feet which was a major concern for hosting the Summer Olympics in 1968. Unfortunately there was no satellite reception for the Garmin. The day did end happily as I found the quaint town just before 10 pm when they were about to close reception.

We did get from Point A to Point B to well position ourselves for an early arrival tomorrow in Mexico City on only our third day in the country. Though instead of the priority being to find a golf course and some Olympic history, it was now to get Torch repaired properly. I had only planned for three nights in Mexico City. That would turn into eight nights needing time for Torch to fully recover from her injuries. More on that in the days ahead.

Overall it was a good day with the highlight being picking up two hitchhikers who didn’t want to wait for the school bus to take them home. One named Jesus was a teacher and the other Roland was a student. Roland was trying to sell me cologne of all things and I was just trying to communicate with them. Someday I will have to get the full 10-minute Go Pro video translate to learn what they were trying to say to me!

CLICK here for the Highlight Go Pro Video of Andy & Two Hitchhikers on the way to Tuxpan.

Sometimes, like in golf, an early challenge met and overcome is the trigger and sure sign that a good round is ahead. I was hoping that would be the case as we faced Torch’s mechanical difficulties early on in the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf.’

There are some more stories in the pictures below this request to make a donation to The First Tee…

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

Houston in in the rear view mirror of Torch, I am in Laredo, Texas looking right at Mexico tomorrow morning! “Journey to Olympic Golf” goes international…   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 10/28/13)

BLOG Update- Tuesday, 10/29/13 Leaving the United States of America

Okay came here for a salad & internet to Priceline a bed… but these guys were too much! Are they doing this is USA at Applebee’s? I get the green shirts, for apples and Appletinis right ladies? Applebee’s México u crack me up! Almost scored a green shirt and found that bed!   (Facebook Post 2 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 10/19/13)

The plan for the first day in Mexico was simple. Get up early, get across the border, get Torch and myself registered (her as a vehicle, me with a personal visa) and make it as far as reasonable to Mexico City which according to Google Maps was 703 miles away and a drive of 10-1/2 hours. So much for plans as I ended up making it 323 miles, driving pretty much all day, to Ciudad Victoria and staying there my first night. Victoria City is kind of on the way to Mexico City but not exactly!

The border crossing was uneventful to the extent I didn’t even realize I was in already in Mexico. I don’t really remember any tough questions, it seemed more like an Upstate toll plaza on the New York State Thruway. In fact I had to pull over and ask someone fro sure if I had crossed the border and what do I need to do next. They were nice, offered to join me (which i declined), and pointed me in the right direction—toward the BIG flag of Mexico and the Control De Internacion Temporal De Vehiculos or the Control Temporary Importation Of Vehicles. Both Torch and I would be imported to Mexico on a temporary basis!

CLICK here for a Video of my stop at the Control De Internacion Temporal De Vehiculos.

My bet to myself was that it would take two hours for us to cross the border, be processed how ever we needed to be processed and on our way to Mexico City. We arrived at the right time as there wasn’t much of a delay at the border or lines at the  place with the BIG flag of Mexico above it. There was only one major problem and it was with Torch. When they typed in her VIN the system identified her as ‘Other’ instead of the beautiful Infiniti M30 2-door convertible that she was. It took some time to resolve especially with the language barrier. I don’t speak Spanish and Norma Teresa Torres Zavala didn;t speak English. If she had I probably would be better educated on why she had four names.

All-in-all the four-step process went quite smoothly. Step 1 was get the papers and fill them out. Step 2 was to pay two dollars for copies. I was able to skip Step 3 whatever it was (documentarian in me, see pictures at bottom and please explain if you can). Step 4 was to verify and resolve Torch’s heritage and of course pay the fees, $24 for my personal visa and $48 for Torch’s plus a refundable $200 deposit to redeemable when Torch left the country. Which I think I received back, not really sure, checked, yes I did!

We were free to come (and more importantly to go) and back on the road at 9:41 am, beating my two-hour guesstimate by twenty minutes!

So here is Lesson One from the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf’ or any other international travel for that matter. Get a good local phone that works and has GPS. I did not do that (mainly for cost and limited time in each country) but learned my lesson and did it in Australia and New Zealand this past winter. I had a Garmin in Mexico which was good as far as it went until I lost the satellite connection. I was relying on maps (real maps, you know the ones you can fold) and handwritten notes from internet Google Maps directions. And you know how bad my handwriting is!

I passed the first “bear left, frog right” Muppets fork in the road by choosing correctly the ‘cuota’ (tollway) and not the ‘libre’ (free local road) coming out of Nuevo Laredo and heading towards Monterrey. Going along on my merri way, however, I missed the exit for the tollway to Mexico City. I was expecting it to be closer to Monterrey but it was much earlier and I sailed right by it as far as I can figure out. So there I was in Monterrey which is beautiful and encircled by a highway I was travelling along and around for a few times. Never seeing the tollway to Mexico City I pulled out my map and when I say a highway that was on the map I took it. In this game of Mexican Roulette that road was Mexico 85 leading me to Ciudad Victoria. I rationalized the choice (like I had a choice) by noting to myself that this route would bring me closer to the Gulf of Mexico and perhaps I could have lunch in Tampico the next day at a nice place overlooking the water. The reality was something entirely different and nearly ended my odyssey two days into Mexico. More on that tomorrow.

Like the night before in Laredo I pulled into a McDonald’s to use the free internet and Priceline a room for the night. No, Priceline was not a sponsor though I did find then a convenient, efficient and cost effective way to find a bed when needed. Across from the McDonald’s was a Chilli’s so I went in there and had dinner and met some nice young people.

Day 1 in Mexico, the 19th of the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf’ was a good day. Torch and I were safe, making progress towards Mexico City and enjoying our time in Mexico.

Hopefully more of the same tomorrow but not exactly…

There are some more stories in the pictures below this request to make a donation to The First Tee…

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

 

BLOG Update- Monday, 10/28/13   Houston/Laredo, Texas

After an amazing 6-night stay in Houston, I am in Laredo, Texas and ready to venture south into Mexico early tomorrow morning.

Well, what I thought would happen, did, during the last leg of “Journey to Olympic Golf” in America—I got lost and absorbed in the “Texas Triangle” of Dallas, San Antonio and Houston and it was hard to leave. The USA is so familiar and comfortable with a lot of friends and connections but I am all set to be a RoadTripper on the Pan American Highway on the way to Rio De Janeiro!

Wish me well, I will need it! The journey will transition from a golf trip to more of an adventure trip trying to navigate through borders and countries. I am sure I will still find golf and Olympic connections along the way!

Highlights in Houston included meeting Charlie Epps, the Golf Doctor and Houston’s preeminent golf professional who is also two-time major champion Angel Cabrera’s coach. I attended the Grand Opening of the Campus Course at Texas A&M and played the course with Mike Bailey, GolfChannel.com’s Senior Travel Writer. I avenged my loss to him in Puerto Rico at Royal Isabela back in 2011 where we first met. The Opening Ceremony of The Spirit International was all that I dreamed it would be with 80 young golfers from around the world.

ClICK here for the video interview with Charlie Epps.

CLICK here for the video interview with Jeff Blume who designed the Campus Course at Texas A&M

 

CLICK here for the Opening Ceremony of The Spirit International.

It was a real treat to stay at The Woodlands Resort & Spa the last three nights and play Panther Trail on Saturday. I also played the Shell Houston Open Tournament Course at Redstone on Thursday so that was three golf days in a row, eight days golfing of the first 16 of the journey. I do not think I will be golfing that much south of the border during the next 2-1/2 months but who knows?

 

Time for bed, sweet dreams and an early rise to head south!

 

 

Being lost in the Texas Triangle of Dallas-San Antonio-Houston for the last eleven nights was a lot of fun when you stay at places like the Four Seasons Dallas Resort & Spa, J.W. Marriott San Antonio and The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. Now it was time to break free and get down to the border in Laredo and go for the border crossing at sunrise. After a relaxing morning lounging around The Woodlands Resort I drove the five hours to Laredo and arrived as the sun was setting. I pulled into a McDonald’s to use their free internet and Pricelined a room for the night. This would be my MO (method of operation) when golf resorts chose not to offer me an invitation to visit. Amazingly that only happened one time. unfortunately there were not golf resorts separated by five hours of driving all the way down to Rio.

The Golf Channel producer who came to Glen Echo to film the hickory round referred to me as “a golf voyager and documentarian.”  I kind of liked the term with only one qualification—that I like to document what I voyage!

CLICK here for a Highlight Video of the In & Out Dash-Mounted GO PRO Cameras in Houston.

As evidenced by the first GO PRO driving video shot in Houston, my dual dash-mounted cameras, one facing in to record me and one facing out to record the road were in place and operational. I did not realize my arms were that long or my attention to the road that weak. But I was good at documenting my travels. Looking back I took over 35,000 pictures, over 1,000 videos and used 673 GB of electronic storage. Voyager and Documentarian am I!

 

Crazy too as I was heading into Mexico and down through Central America with no firm plans but with a great proposition—Would you like to be part of the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf?’

There are some more stories in the pictures below this request to make a donation to The First Tee…

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

Funny (in my mind hilarious, my arms are so long and skinny) first video with a GO PRO camera mounted in Torch, my Infiniti M30 baby!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 10/28/13)

GOPRO IN 001 First video driving in Houston