Foreword
   There is a phrase in Mexico, “From Tijuana to Chetumal.”  It means from “one extreme to the other.” Tijuana touches San Diego.  It’s north and west and on the Pacific Ocean.  Chetumal abuts Belize.  It’s south and east and on the Atlantic side of Mexico.  Mexicans maintain, “You can get anywhere in Mexico by bus. Mexico has 800 bus companies, and they are the finest get-to-where-you’re-going system in the world.” The two expressions got me thinking. 
   Crossing Mexico by bus would be a grand adventure, and taking the bus, stopping in places I’ve never heard of, might make me feel like an explorer. I pulled out a large map of Mexico and looked it over. I’d avoid resorts, beaches and Mexico City.  I wanted to see the heart of Mexico, the interior. I’d descend into the Copper Canyon, three times the size of the Grand Canyon, and cross deserts. I’d follow the mountainous Silver Trail, routes established by the Spanish, and seek out early missions founded by Junipero Serra. I’d stay in colonial towns. The route would take me through green jungles and past romantic waterfalls. I’d visit indigenous villages and climb Mayan pyramids.  And I would put Mexico's bus system to the test.
   The destination would be the journey itself.
    The bus would give me a feel for Mexico’s roads, the travel time and the distances. I would travel with Mexicans and get a sense of culture and history. 
  From Tijuana to Chetumal, it’s about 3000 miles, and with my meandering route it would be longer. I decided to take the trip in stages. The first stage would be from Tijuana to Zacatecas. I’d travel light and buy a shirt, sweater, socks, or whatever, along the way. 
   I picked up a felt-tipped pen and drew a heavy black line on my map from Tijuana to Zacatecas. For practical value, it could have been a river in the Congo. I was not familiar with the route, nor did I know where I’d spend the nights. I added up the miles for this first stage on the map. There were 1600 miles of desert and mountains, with the Copper Canyon in between Tijuana and Zacatecas. There were switchback canyon roads, some gravel and dirt, and roads that were not wide enough for two cars to pass each other. I wanted to do it all by bus.
    I didn’t look at the bus schedules. I was told that there were buses, and they would do the job. I formed a simple plan. Start at the Tijuana bus depot, look for a bus that’s headed east along the general route traced in black ink on my map, select a ride to a town, hopefully not more than four hours away, maybe six if pressed, get off, see where I had landed, stay the night, add a day if it was interesting, then repeat the process over and again until reaching Zacatecas, or like Ambrose Bierce, I’d gone missing.


Expenses
Transport:  buses, taxis etc.
Hotels
Meals
Misc. fees, entrances
Total Avg. cost per day  
$605
$1,296
$784
$438
$3,133

$82.45
Bus Journey Across Mexico
 From California to Guatemala:  
Exploring Mexico’s Diversity by Bus
Encounters and Reflections