Mazunte Build - The Diverse Cars at Itínera

They say, if your home is mobile, but you got a bunch of vehicles that are not, you might be a redneck. Fortunately, that’s not the case for us. Even though we sleep in tents, hammocks, and the like, all the cars on the property are fully mobile. They may only need to have a battery stuck in. Since one of them hogs three batteries, we always keep switching them back and forth if we want to keep them moving. So seeing how our work is still being delayed (while entering another weekend), I thought I’d make a post on the variety of vehicles on the property.

The Shaman

The first and most loyal workhorse at the place is the white Chevy pick-up truck, called the Shaman. Steph bought it four years ago in Mexico City, back when we were starting the first activity on the property, which eventually matured into this build. It seemed to be a decent choice: a four-wheel drive is indispensable among these hills, and it seemed to run perfectly fine… until they actually arrived in Mazunte with it. Since then, it has had trouble with its starter, its transmission, its brakes, and eventually every single system of a car. That’s also what inspired a friend of ours to call it Shaman, because a visit to the mechanic didn’t make it better, so apparently it needed a shaman to fix it properly. Though it has kept some its bad habit of breaking down unexpectedly, whenever it runs it’s a super helpful vehicle to have around.

La Moto

Since driving around a truck when you’re not transporting things is pretty much a waste of resources, in order to get around the area of Mazunte, Steph got himself a motorcycle. It’s neither anything big or fancy, in fact it’s old and beat up, so in a way the kind of transport most locals here have. However, it has been more reliable than the Shaman, and with its crate attached behind the seat, it is actually quite useful for transporting smaller things. Of course, the upper limit of this is only the creativity, determination, and fearlessness of its rider, and I think we still have not properly exhausted all the potential of a simple motorcycle.

Amaranta

Especially once she started building on the nearby property of La Boquilla, also Julia realized the need for simple transportation. That’s when she got herself a purple beetle she named Amaranta. In its previous life this bug must have been somebody’s toy, as it came with purple floor lights, electic door locks (for a bug!), and a bunch of such ridiculous nonsense. However, it doesn’t have any front blinkers or even a horn. All this doesn’t matter that much, and Julia keeps making the best use of her small car, be it on supply runs to Pochutla, or taking things back and forth from La Boquilla. Especially on the steep hills of the latter this type of car unbeatable, mastering climbs effortlessly, where most other small vehicles fail. No wonder, it’s a beetle, after all.

The Van

About a year ago this green Chevy van found its way to the property. Driven by two German travelers who had reached the end of their journey, it was gifted to my friends. Since then they have enjoyed it for its well furnished camper insides, as well as its powerful engine, running strong and smooth, as if it was new. At the moment it serves as their bedroom, but the only thing that keeps them from taking it on the road are its expired plates (from British Columbia). Yes, registering cars from abroad is a tedious process in Mexico, and at the moment not their top priority. Still, it’s great to have a reliable vehicle on hand, just in case it may be needed.

Le Bus

Probably the most impressive one of all their vehicles is the former school-bus, Steph brought down from Alexander, Oregon. I actually had the pleasure to accompany them on their last leg of that drive, from Acapulco to Mazunte, which I wrote about here. Starting out as a school-bus, it had been converted into a party bus when Steph got his hands on it. Some of the extensive light and sound equipment are still there, as are the leopard colored seats and panels. However, in order to be able to keep its American registration for the next few decades, it had to be turned into a mobile home. This meant, throwing in a bed frame and a make-shift kitchen, just for the paperwork. Once in Mazunte, it was admired and celebrated, but also put to work immediately. And boy, can it work! Its humongous loading space can carry more tires, palm leaves, or tree trunks than any other vehicle here, but more importantly, it’s stronger than all others combined. So it’s not completely out of this world that the Deposito we are building is supposed to be a garage big enough to park this bus. Not that it actually needs it, but it’s a nice gesture to honor this massive and powerful worker.