Topes!

Tope (toe-pay) is the Spanish word for speed bump, only these are speed bumps on steroids and they're a way of life in Mexico. Drivers here regularly ignore speed signs, stop signs, and dogs and children in the road. People drive 3 to a motorbike, no helmets, baby held firmly in the driver's lap. Pickups taking people to work hold 8 or more in the back and speed past us on curves. Memorials at every turn are a testament to the dangers of walking and driving here.

Thus was the tope born. They are the bane of a drivers existence here but they slow people down as they drive through villages. They don't slow all drivers down only the ones who care about their tires, shocks, and mufflers. Someone needs to do a study on the number of topes in a village as compared to the number of tire and muffler shops. There is to my mind a suspiciously high correlation rate.

The thing is, topes can sneak up on you. usually there's a sign or two to warn drivers but occasionally one suddenly appears with a convenient muffler shop just beyond. The most egregious example of a sneaky tope was on the outskirts of an almost village north of Acapulco. The speed sign said 80km so Tommy started to speed up and there it was and it hurt.

We're going to try and keep track of the number of topes between Huatulco and Oaxaca City. I just hope I can count that high.