Location: Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Months on the road: 4
Percentage of nights inside my tent: 25%
Punctures: 6
Tortillas: 700+
Colloquiallisms: No por mucho madrugar amanece mas temprano-- Getting up earlier won't get you anywhere faster. Medios chiles-- I'm good, as in, no more beer for me, please.
Mexican tongue twister: Pablito clavo un clavito en la calva de un calvito. En la calva de un calvito, Pablito clavo un clavito.
I made it to Oaxaca. Most of Mexico and North America is behind me as I turn the corner for Chiapas. However, this next stretch of Central America has shown itself to be the ending point for many a cycle tour I have followed. Off hand I can think of 8 that I have followed to their end here... Guatemala has been the target for so long, I must now move it to Panama and the excitement that is reaching Colombia, lest I let my guard slack. Honestly, the last week has dished up the steepest hills I have ever ridden on a bicycle. And I have been down a road or two... Spending days in 1st gear, except for a few sparse moments zipping to the bottom of the next gruelling torturefest taxed my desire for the harsh roads. Honestly, I was convinced that the level ground I finally encountered on the way into town was a huge downhill and hammered away at the pedals in top gear. I love the looks of folks on the sidewalk as a gringo in lycra and a cowboy hat blasts by at top speed on what most assume to be a motorcycle. I don't get that part. I guess the panniers make it look like a motorcycle? Or maybe it is my waterbottles that look like a motor? Whatever. Here are the pics, with the usual smart-ass remarks... As usual, Picasa likes to load arbitrarily, so pictures are only loosely chronological.
Months on the road: 4
Percentage of nights inside my tent: 25%
Punctures: 6
Tortillas: 700+
Colloquiallisms: No por mucho madrugar amanece mas temprano-- Getting up earlier won't get you anywhere faster. Medios chiles-- I'm good, as in, no more beer for me, please.
Mexican tongue twister: Pablito clavo un clavito en la calva de un calvito. En la calva de un calvito, Pablito clavo un clavito.
I made it to Oaxaca. Most of Mexico and North America is behind me as I turn the corner for Chiapas. However, this next stretch of Central America has shown itself to be the ending point for many a cycle tour I have followed. Off hand I can think of 8 that I have followed to their end here... Guatemala has been the target for so long, I must now move it to Panama and the excitement that is reaching Colombia, lest I let my guard slack. Honestly, the last week has dished up the steepest hills I have ever ridden on a bicycle. And I have been down a road or two... Spending days in 1st gear, except for a few sparse moments zipping to the bottom of the next gruelling torturefest taxed my desire for the harsh roads. Honestly, I was convinced that the level ground I finally encountered on the way into town was a huge downhill and hammered away at the pedals in top gear. I love the looks of folks on the sidewalk as a gringo in lycra and a cowboy hat blasts by at top speed on what most assume to be a motorcycle. I don't get that part. I guess the panniers make it look like a motorcycle? Or maybe it is my waterbottles that look like a motor? Whatever. Here are the pics, with the usual smart-ass remarks... As usual, Picasa likes to load arbitrarily, so pictures are only loosely chronological.
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| Knocking down the perfect serving of ice cream.... 1.3L |
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| Clearly half dreaming in the Pulque den outside Xico, I saw Pancho Villa in the leaves. Do you see his face? |
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| View from the porch of the pulque den, where everyone seemed to be out of their gourds... |
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| Except for guard turkey. he was cool. |
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| 50 pesos a night. the tent was for fleas and mosquitos. |
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| always a fan of some good spray paint or airbrush work... |
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| coffee plantation power wagon!!!!!!! |
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| bike and tree |
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| how a tailgate lasted this long in mexico, i will never understand... |
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| apparently the adventures have a limit called dry season. the rapids were sparse. |
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| but iguana bike helped me do a pedal bearing cleansing and rebuild. |
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| pico de orizaba looms around the corner one day! |
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| wow. that is a short bug. Bocho. |
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| Speer hammock in the mango orchard. |
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| probably the best tree house ever. Epic Ficus. |
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| a second look at how short the Bocho is... |
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| tree church? |
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| hella rainstorm picked a churro stand up in the wind, knocking over Tatanka and bending my brake lever :( |
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| Pico de Orizaba. Tall. 18,491 feet. |
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| I had fun gawking at it for about a week. |
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| sun dappled easy riding for once... so nice. |
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| as usual, I find a different way. |
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| that involves steep grades and sweltering heat. |
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| major pannier blowout! |
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| take it to the Tapiceria, where they reupholster seats. |
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| Tatanka on a stone bridge. |
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| This is what Slime looks like when it dries. Like a fiber! |
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| Xalbike, a cool bike shop in Córdoba. |
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| The crew at Xalbike. |
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| Dear lord it is time for a haircut. |
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| Juan and his wonderful family who hosted me in Córdoba. |
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| Yeah Slime! |
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| Yes. I go there. No. I go straight. How do you say that???? |
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| Karla. so cute. |
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| mexican bike tattoo |
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| something you don't see in America. |
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| WTF? |
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| Trick: road convexities make for good photos |
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| outside Magdalena, where the roads are punishingly steep. I was beaten to the top by two small girls with a flock of sheep. |
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| Midnight baptism in Tequila. |
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| Ricardo carries the candle. I wished I had a candle. |
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| Mateo in the church ceiling! |
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| Ricardo and Fatima look over Dalia with her godparents. Dalia is looking at me. |
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| The church is really just a place to collect Jesus statues. |
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| A fight almost breaks out over the holy water. Quite entertaining. |
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| High roads through the jungle. |
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| Ricardo's ranchito had some trout in the spring. Delicious. |
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| on one side of the road there was a mountain. on the other side there was nothing... --Arlo Guthrie |
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| Dalia gets a ride on Tatanka to the howling laughter of the entire family. |
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| Ricardo and his friend from Córdoba. |
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| The bus shelter is made from a bus roof. I love this. |
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| when everything is steep in Latin America, they still find flat ground for the soccer field. |
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| so it goes... |
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| defaced signs can be way more fun... |
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| up and around the corner, it always gets steeper. |
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| near the top of the 40th false summit of the week. |
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| HEEEEE-AWWWWWWWW |
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| another switchback to try and break my hub. or back. |
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| sinuous road. when it is more than curvy. |
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| and then another pantload of a downhill. |
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| why they build towns here, I will never understand. where do they get their water? |
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| market day in Tehuipango. |
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| Elote = ear of sweet corn with mayonaise, shredded cheese, chili powder, lime and salt. AMAZING. 5 pesos. |
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| checking out the market in Tehuipango. |
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| another Ol' Swolley comes to rest outside Tehuipango. |
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| The clouds were really neat that day. |
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| I'll be derned if it weren't a spigot on the side of the road. we need more of these! |
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| oh crap. up we go. |
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| here, the houses are made from bottle cap blanks. very colorful and many interesting patterns. |
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| crazy sky and maguey plants. |
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| more crazy sky. |
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| just one lone tree... |
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| this sign is not a lie. |
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| finally, the 2 day climb chilled out and I followed the ridge, looking down at other 2-day climbs up to the ridge. |
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| I went right. |
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| looking down the other side of the ridge. |
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| look closely at the road following this ridge out into the desert. |
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| The road is on the left in this picture. |
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| more downhill. |
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| following the ridge out to more crazy downhill. maybe 1500 meters in 15 mintues. |
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| flat ground at last! |
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| the desert is full of beautiful formations. |
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| and sugar cane. |
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| yes! |
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| the little tasties are playing! |
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| cactus country |
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| more cactus and red rock... |
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| bike and tree... |
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| dawn patrol in the desert. |
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| a river! rare sight indeed. |
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| the road followed the river for about 100 miles... up up and up... |
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| ever so slightly we go up. |
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| and up |
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| when you see a side canyon, you go check it out. this one did not disappoint. |
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| quickly the walls grew to a height of 250 meters. |
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| the canyone was full of boulders and a small creek. |
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| and green parrots. i saw two fly past. |
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| the rock is neat to examine. |
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| there are caves full of bats. |
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| and cool mud flakes |
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| and sometimes the only way is under the boulders. |
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| like a tunnel! |
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| sometimes you have to pull some sticks out to pass through. |
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| and the water was pleasant! |
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| taking a bath under the boulders. |
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| cool dead Javelina! |
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| the entrance and exit to the canyon is blocked by an old dam, that involves some creative thinking to ''unlock its secrets''. |
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| so neat! |
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| bridge over the river. perfect for swimming... |
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| perfect backroads for Tatanka. |
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| Camping in the cactus in the ol Speer hammock |
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| Quetzals!!! |
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| the climb continues. day 2 |
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| and up |
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| woops!. more up |
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| oaxaca has a thriving tuktuk scene. |
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| who is Juquilita? |
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| it also has a thriving burro scene... |
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| yes! |
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| lycra and a 2011 harley davidson sportster 1200! |
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| wanna trade? |
