ROAD TO ADVENTURE

[Music] [Music] the road to adventure that means many things to many people to some it's the swift flight of the jet [Music] to others the crisp crack of the gun while hunting to steal others it's the roar of the racing engine to the young at heart it's roman but the road to adventure intrigue and excitement winds south of the border to mexico and there it's called the pan-american highway leading to the beautiful blue oval-shaped bay of acapulco the thrilling excitement of the toreador [Music] the vivid beauty of the handcrafted pottery the challenge of fighting game fish and everywhere the dashing caballeros [Music] get out and go used to be the motto of the middle 19th century and people went by wagon by horse through mountain pads and forest trails well today get out and go is still the motto only now it's farther and faster and more frequent it all began for larry and his lovely wife sandra when walt connors persuaded them to take their vacation in mexico larry is an avid fisherman and traveler and walt was probably fishing when moses was found among the reeds anyway if you add the years to his fish stories it would seem so sandy was becoming accustomed to this new mode of life having been married only a year she was learning to enjoy the role of a happy wanderer she found herself looking forward to the time they could spend in their new travel trailer since she could take all of the conveniences of home with her she used to worry about the pork roast being too rare now she finds herself concerned over whether taiwan is the capital of taipei or vice versa anyway it seemed like all walthaver talked about was his next trip to mexico and now his dream was becoming a reality and he couldn't wait to show larry and sandy the strange magic of the mountains to introduce to them the sights and sounds that are distinctively mexico every year millions of wheels roll under family campers and trailers along many roads to adventure but this trip promised something special mile after mile slipped beneath their wheels and before they knew it they were entering mexico [Music] they received the official stamp of tourista and soon were on their way into the beautiful mexican countryside into a land of intrigue flamboyant luxury and high romance a land whose origin had been in antiquity but a land where you'll always find a welcome amigos the first stop was el salto which means the big falls this is one of the most awe-inspiring sites in all of mexico mighty and majestic tall and teeming with fissures and embroidered patterns of tropical greenery surrounding it it almost seemed as if reality had turned back into a dream as the sun struck the mist and nature's paintbrush painted a picture of sheer beauty the first camp in mexico was at the base of el salto here the group met a young scottish fellow whom walt called scotty it wasn't long before walter had his fishing gear out and began to talk a mile a minute he might have gone on until long after sundown if sandy hadn't interrupted with a call that dinner was ready the fishing would have to wait sandy conceded right here and there that this kind of traveling is best especially since these hearty eaters raved about her cooking noonday piece was soon shattered when walt and scotty began swapping fish stories and as good as scottie was he was no match for walt [Music] they fished the limpet green waters hoping to catch some trout but beautiful as it was it offered little in the way of fishing that night the gang listened to the chirping of the friendly mexican crickets the murmur of the wind and the trees and scottish folk songs filled the air [Music] scotty was greatly impressed with walt's mode of travel so walt invited him to spend the night and so to sleep still listening to walt's stories [Music] to walt the camper is king and it's comfortable but this is no time to sleep [Music] up at the crack of dawn scotty tried out the shower and walt went to work cooking breakfast scotty had remarked that if walt's cooking was as good as his stories he might come back for lunch a good thought but this was the day they would be heading south the feeling is strong that when friendships are made while fishing they are ties that last forever on toward tampico through the rugged mexican mountains that give you a sense you're entering a secret country remote and forgotten unspoiled by modern civilization [Music] and as the sun set it seemed to say that tomorrow would bring an adventure in fishing for which tampico is famous it was at tampico the following morning that berkeley bedell a business associate of larry's met them for a few days of fishing berkeley had flown his private plane in from spirit lake iowa in order to do this type of fishing precision made gear is a must and they had the finest flexible rods fine reels and lines assuring them that the fighting fish of tampico would be shown no quarter the type of equipment used is of the utmost importance when fishing anywhere especially in these waters any fisherman who plans on going home with a whale of a tail or two is always properly prepared the powerful engine was checked and made ready for a full day's work whether running at full speed or just idling a reliable engine is always important [Music] so they were on their way to the beautiful blue tampico bay below strange fish glided through the shallow water globes of sequined bread and gold slim silver flutes bristling submarines mercury little arrows the boat skimmed across the water as if it were as enthusiastic about the trip as those on board for in fact fishing is a team effort right away berkeley gets a strike first one of the day and it's a truca a mexican trout boy look at that rod bend must be a big one isn't this a good way to start any day ten minutes out and the promise of the sunset the night before was being realized the only one not appreciative was the fish and what a battle is being put up here it takes an adept angler to boat everything that hits the bait and berkeley has a pretty fair record for this score another for berkeley [Music] it seemed only minutes after berkeley's splendid catch that walt was at last going to prove his agility behind the pole as a sharp crack of twanging nylon and a rod bent double promise to fight to the finish this is what walt had been waiting for looks as if he has a grouper these fish can weigh as much as 60 pounds but this was a good catch on light tackle 15 pounds of fun and fight enough to force a smile on any angler's face [Music] every cast seemed to bring a strike but time to move on to other waters tampico it seemed was truly a fisherman's paradise and they fished until their arms grew weary and walt began to worry about leaving something for the next fellow these mexican waters abound with sea trout sea bass and grouper red snapper and almost any kind of fish that swims the ocean waters still casting into the sunset it was the end of a fisherman's perfect day [Music] the next day found the troop again headed south through the rugged terrain that is mexico mexico is a land in which men have survived against heavy odds like this cactus in a desert even though you're looking forward to the beautiful scenery that lies just around the bend you take advantage of one of the many places mexico has provided for resting or siesta as the mexicans say it under the shade of the towering pipe organ cactus mexico is tierra caliente the hot country but in a pleasant sort of way with temperatures ranging normally from 74 to 84 degrees it is a wild country some places unexplored but promising gold silver petroleum jade marble even ancient cities where lie buried the secrets of a once proud civilization of the past mexico is a leader in the spanish-speaking world yet clings to its past and rightly so for it has a past to be proud of cheap herders and sheep are important to the mexican way of life as they travel through mexico they realize that it comes as close to paradise as any place could from a summer dawn to a beautiful mexican sunset through tiny villages to cities to major metropolitan areas the magnificent mountaintops seemed to show signs of being molded and shaped by human hands when god and mother nature finished creating this vast continent they must have taken all of the beauty and all of the splendor left over and put them all in one place right here in the midst of mexico san luis potosi here the real mexico can be seen not old men by the roadside sitting under a shady sombrero though indeed they can be found but mexican people must be thought of as energetic in spite of the malice of the tropics mexicans our sun seared but not debilitated by it and market day is as exciting as america's county fairs thousands of desirable commodities are brought by big and little faces young and old that seem to share the sculptured look as did the masks of the ancient aztecs have so long ago it is here that one can find an abundance of the foods that mexico is noted for such as frijoles and tacos the road after all those turns and twists on the first leg of the journey has straightened out now as the caravan heads toward mexico city through a calm but dramatic geography with a unique style for extravagant gestures mexico appears to have but one major ambition and that is to remain the mexico that it is into the city of oaxaca famous for its blacksmiths makers of the world's finest knives handles are delicately carved and designed from steer horns knives have been made in oaxaca for kings and queens in europe and walter had heard a great deal about this heart and was fascinated by the elegant craftsmanship and the many various kinds that were displayed not only did they look beautiful but they were rugged and dependable and hard enough to penetrate a peso almost everything about the mexicans way of life from birth to death involves artistry of some sort it seems to reflect the spirit of the country here black pottery makers fashion urns made from volcanic ash clay larry was getting the feeling he gets when he's away from fishing for any great length of time and so they headed for selena cruz the second fishing stop at the bay of tawanapec it was here that walt larry in berkeley met red hastings a high school football coach from sacramento red had been fishing these waters all week and said he knew the best spots for amberjack and trout since his boat was in the water they decided to use it once again rods and reels were made ready equipment checked they shoved off into the light green water where coral heads and huge starfish could clearly be seen on the bottom then into light blue water heading toward the dark sapphire sea that sleek boat seemed to welcome its destiny pushed on by an engine happily humming the song of the open waters excitement began to mount once again as the men made ready for another day of fishing according to red they now had come to the right spot walt was already dreaming up fish stories to tell when he got home only these would be true as no man who fishes in these waters will ever have to exaggerate the size of his cat walt had heard somewhere that god does not subtract from the life of a man the hours he spends fishing he just adds those hours onto the other end anyway it was a time to fish now not talk so the men began to take their task in hand inside 20 minutes berkeley's stout spinning rod whipped eagerly the line sizzled and the fight was on everyone watched trying to identify the first fish and tried to swipe a free lunch berkeley spinny scrapper finally came into view it's a pale silver weaving across the wake watt had a bet going that he could catch the largest fish that day and he was challenged larry had a strike and went to work to prove to walter that fish aren't choosy as to whose bait they take there was something about that warm morning air the hot mexican sun the smell of the sea that made larry feel he was as free as any human could hope to be and that trout on his line gave him the excitement that seemed at that moment to be his whole purpose in life fred being a good conservationist said thanks old buddy for the fun maybe another time minutes later walt had the opportunity to put his money where his mouth was again pesos passed into the kitty as the odds kept changing walter talked a lot but there was no doubt he was one fine fisherman as the fight neared its climax walt's fish was identified as an amber jack and a good catch it was walt held the prize so far but the day was far from over the mexican morning was beautiful the fish were hungry only moments after walt brought in his jack a cry of mucho piscato berkeley had a strike looks like a big one this is a fishing ground where the word monotony has never been heard it's times like this you really appreciate fine tackle having a battler like this on the end of the line really taxes the ingenuity of the angler anticipating each swift move over around many times under the boat this one had a mind of his own and he was bent on shaking that hook the sight of a rod bent double never fails to bring that thrill of excitement that's known only to fishermen and one that all fishermen appreciate [Music] but it kinda looks like walt's gonna lose some pesos berkeley's catch turned out to be ten pounds of fighting fury and that's a big catch in any fisherman's book [Music] heading back to port walt's pocket was a little lighter but he didn't apologize for his catch he just smiled said that he always figures when fishing he'll have better luck in a few minutes or tomorrow larry said he'd done his day's work and promised that sandy would be eager to get the fish cleaned and cooked for dinner walt assured the crew that sandy would cook it but that larry's work wasn't quite finished yet it was a good day in salina cruz at the bay of tawanapec and red had been right fishing in these waters was as he'd promised excellent the following morning found the adventure seekers traveling west destination mexico city city of palaces and unique contrasts where the aztecs lived many years ago after wandering for more than two and a half centuries and where flowered canals once carried traffic through the imperial city of the aztec ruler montezuma something exciting was in the air it seemed something was about to happen and indeed it did for in no time the caravan was entering mexico city a cosmopolitan metropolis as modern as tomorrow an average temperature of 63 degrees 7 000 feet above sea level in a growing population of 7 million people the mexican countryside seemed to have been asleep for years pleasantly so but its capital was vibrantly alive and in mexico city signs of a civilization that seemed to arrive late in history could clearly be seen it's a place where architecture changes as often as its street names here you are dwarfed by skyscrapers of steel and concrete not a replica mind you of any other country but excitingly original that night promised all the glamour and excitement that mexico city is famous for after parking their travel trailer sandy prepared a light snack to last them until they could find the right spot to dine indeed the choice would be difficult as the city had a great deal to offer in the way of music fine food and unusual entertainment [Music] the following morning after showering larry remarked to sandy that this was one of the real pleasures of a travel trailer your own comfortable bed a home-cooked meal and a hot cup of coffee while shaving today sandy wanted to see some of the historical sites of mexico city and to visit the marketplace and larry was looking forward to the bull fights that belonged to mexico that morning found the trio visiting such sites as the beautiful parks and fountains the oldest church in the western hemisphere the palace of fine arts and of course the aztec pyramids that contain stories of the past far more exciting than the exterior surface would lead you to believe some of history's finest architects handiwork can be seen in mexico city the buildings give you the feeling the designs were drawn by artists combining old spanish elegance with tomorrow's dreams magnificent structures of steel and concrete decorated with beautiful murals of natural stone and ceramic art mexico city has its own shopping centers and its own discount house and the shout of olay olay this is truly the real excitement of mexico get the feeling after seeing mexico city that all those mexican revolutions must have been in paint since the city is a masterpiece of color and art the road to adventure was leading the caravan now to acapulco not just a resort but a tropical verdant paradise cradled among encircling green mountains tenderly caressed by a sapphire blue oval-shaped bay laced together by miles of sparkling white sand beaches what bull fighting is to mexico city cliff diving is to acapulco a dangerous sport where men dive 180 feet straight down and one miscalculation could mean instant death [Music] as the sun rose early the next morning larry berkley and walt wasted no time getting the boat headed into deep water there's a keen air of anticipation building even the birds seem to sense this is going to be an exciting day almost as soon as the bait was out walt had a strike a dolphin hit the beta blue and gold and green and bronze flecked battler the dolphin is the most brilliantly colored fish among the hordes of oceanic wonders possessed of incredible eyesight they can spot their prey at phenomenal distances in their eagerness to run it down they take to the air in long graceful arching leaps hardly does one touch the surface of the sea before it's airborne again when a dolphin is hooked it stages as much of an aerial display of acrobatic tumbling as will any billfish the angler must set his hook well on the strike if he hopes to hold his fish until it's whipped dolphin are curious as well as greedy and will follow a hooked member right to the stern of a boat instead of taking flight at the plight of their fellow fish they'll flash to and fro around it and readily take a bait tossed into the water this characteristic enables a party of anglers to take several dolphin out of one school all that's necessary is to leave one of the hooked fish struggling behind the boat but walt's going to play it safe you can tell by the blunt nose this is a bull dolphin yes sir you can be mighty proud of that one and by next year the stories of that fish will have him as big as moby dick but the men were out for marlin and walt thought perhaps the water was too shallow as they headed for the reef and deeper waters walt spots a fin [Music] and now it's larry's moment of truth the fighting marlin has taken the bait and larry has his hands full again and again the marlin leaps the most spectacular acrobat of all game fish he churns up the ocean showers spray 20 feet in every direction with every roll of the boat and pull of the rod larry realizes he's experiencing the thrill of a lifetime he is sweat drenched he is tired but he keeps fighting always to keep that line tight larry gained a great deal of respect for his opponent he'd never thought fighting a marlin could be as exciting as walt had described but it was and larry even wondered if maybe walt hadn't understated it this was great man versus nature's toughest fighting fish the marlin a frightening aspect at first but a thrill beyond the wildest imagination he fully understands now why scores of sportsmen annually hunt the marlin the aristocrat of the game fish but the battle is over the marlin is alongside this battle will live in larry's memory for years to come a drill of achievement that will never be matched landing his first big game fish berkeley was looking for action so he moved on to other waters once again to challenge the sea again the hook was baited this time with mullet once again the weight begin as the bait is being trolled through the water but not too long for soon walt's sharp eyes spot a fin over there strike he hits the bait it looks like berkeley has tied into a big one and he knows he's in for a long fight but berkeley loves every minute of this he came here to fish and the rougher they are the harder they fight the better he likes it the marlin streaks through the water ripping line from the spinning reel a game fighter this marlin he'll sprint like lightning he'll stop jump 10 feet 20 feet or more and he'll run again his desperate dazzling display of determination is awe-inspiring there were times when berkeley began to wonder if he hadn't tackled more than he could handle but he wouldn't give in they were both committed man and fish berkeley sensed this great giant had a personality of his own man had invaded his waters and he was objecting violently frantically trying to throw the hook leaping pounding walking on his tail leap after leap up up up as though climbing a ladder and then running again but berkeley hangs on fighting him for every inch there are moments when he seems to disappear and then like a bomb rockets straight up and plunges to the depths a jet propelled monster of a fish using every inch of its fighting fury no wonder the marlin is the sport fisherman's greatest trophy at long last he's alongside still battling to elude the gap for these three men the trip is over they have come a long way they have fished the gulf of mexico the bay at tawanapec the sea of cortez tomorrow they'll be journeying home they'll take back with them a treasure no one can take from them a memory of fighting and landing a big game fish a feeling a sense of accomplishment a personal triumph that they can know because they have lived and experienced it here in these blue waters that kiss the shores of the enchanted land of mexico and so as they headed north they realized that until you've seen the water gracefully covering the beaches of acapulco until you have seen the beauty of the sleepy mexican countryside until you have seen time etched on friendly mexican faces or until you've seen a sailfish jump or smelled the magic of the mountains then you haven't seen mexico for then and only then have you traveled the real road to adventure where somewhere along the way you're bound to hear a friendly native say adios amigos come back soon [Music] [Music] you