The crew at dinner, New Years Eve, what a great bunch of people!
2nd-3rd
People were leaving and heading off in all different directions, while we left with Greg and Melanie for Tequila, with a stop at Gauchicmontones, a prehispanic archaeological site near the town of Teuchitlan about an hour west of Guadalajara. It is the major site of the so-called Teuchitlan tradition, a complex society that existed from as early as 300 BC. From there on to Tequila, where we had booked a hotel for the night. That went pear shaped when we got there, as it was advertised with secure parking, but when we arrived, there wasn’t any, so we couldn’t stay there. We did manage to find another hotel nearby that would accept the dog, and had parking, so that problem was solved. Walking around after a pizza dinner in town, we passed a barber, and I was hustled inside for a much needed haircut. total cost 80 Pesos, about $5.50 AUD. Lyn and I stayed an extra day, while Greg and Melanie headed off for Guadalajara, where they had an appointment the following day. We all had a lazy start to the day, and a late breakfast in the town square, then a quick walk around the Tequila museum, before they left. Lyn and I did a tour of the town, and one of the local Tequila factories, Cantinero. Very interesting, well worth it. Back to the town square for dinner at a different restaurant, then an early night.
People were leaving and heading off in all different directions, while we left with Greg and Melanie for Tequila, with a stop at Gauchicmontones, a prehispanic archaeological site near the town of Teuchitlan about an hour west of Guadalajara. It is the major site of the so-called Teuchitlan tradition, a complex society that existed from as early as 300 BC. From there on to Tequila, where we had booked a hotel for the night. That went pear shaped when we got there, as it was advertised with secure parking, but when we arrived, there wasn’t any, so we couldn’t stay there. We did manage to find another hotel nearby that would accept the dog, and had parking, so that problem was solved. Walking around after a pizza dinner in town, we passed a barber, and I was hustled inside for a much needed haircut. total cost 80 Pesos, about $5.50 AUD. Lyn and I stayed an extra day, while Greg and Melanie headed off for Guadalajara, where they had an appointment the following day. We all had a lazy start to the day, and a late breakfast in the town square, then a quick walk around the Tequila museum, before they left. Lyn and I did a tour of the town, and one of the local Tequila factories, Cantinero. Very interesting, well worth it. Back to the town square for dinner at a different restaurant, then an early night.
With Lyn and Melanie at Gauchicmontones
The chilli tour bus in Tequila
A bar in Tequila, we went in and had the obligatory shot of tequila
Lyn, Greg, and Melanie at the statue in the middle of Tequila. The statue shows the cutting up of the mesquite to make tequila
Big wheel that used to be used to crush the mesquite to get the juices out prior to distilling it.
Harvested mesquite prior to crushing. It takes about 7 years to grow to this stage.
4th-5th
Another tour of Tequila this morning, this time on the bikes trying to get out of the town. Cobbled streets, very rough, I think we saw all the the things that tourists don’t normally see. We swore we would sort out the lack of GPS in the next day or two. Following the toll road to Guardalajara made the ride easy, and we caught up with Greg and Melanie at the hotel they had booked for the night. Met up with Ugo again, and he helped us get a new GPS, we bought a Nuvi car one similar to Greg's, and it seems to work OK. We shifted hotels to one next door as it was a lot cheaper, not as nice either, but it was OK. Ugo got hounded by the cops, because his bike number plate was very difficult to read.
Another tour of Tequila this morning, this time on the bikes trying to get out of the town. Cobbled streets, very rough, I think we saw all the the things that tourists don’t normally see. We swore we would sort out the lack of GPS in the next day or two. Following the toll road to Guardalajara made the ride easy, and we caught up with Greg and Melanie at the hotel they had booked for the night. Met up with Ugo again, and he helped us get a new GPS, we bought a Nuvi car one similar to Greg's, and it seems to work OK. We shifted hotels to one next door as it was a lot cheaper, not as nice either, but it was OK. Ugo got hounded by the cops, because his bike number plate was very difficult to read.
6th
Rode to Patzcuaro, nice town in the mountains, much cooler there. Shitty ride over a million speed bumps, and through a million small towns. Booked into a hotel for the night, and we got the stoves out and cooked up some of the food we had been carrying with us for while.
Rode to Patzcuaro, nice town in the mountains, much cooler there. Shitty ride over a million speed bumps, and through a million small towns. Booked into a hotel for the night, and we got the stoves out and cooked up some of the food we had been carrying with us for while.
View from beside the road, who would have thought Mexico was so pretty?
A cemetery just outside one of the small towns, they are just about all decorated like this
7th
A much better ride today, cooler this morning, and great riding over some high mountain roads, we actually got up to 2,911 metres above sea level, according to the GPS. We were all heading to Angangueo, near a forest where monarch butterflies come to from all over the USA to congregate. We found a small hotel for the night, and planned to visit the reserve tomorrow, before going on to Mexico city. We had been talking to a guy named Marco, who Greg and Melanie stayed with on their way down to Chapala. Marco is head of the Ironbutt association in Mexico, and knows everyone who is anyone on bikes in the country. He is helping to organise a couple of rear tyres for the bikes, hopefully we can pick some up on the way past Mexico City. Marco is also the guy who organised the chain for Lyn’s bike, even getting it delivered to our hotel. A big thanks for that Marco!
A much better ride today, cooler this morning, and great riding over some high mountain roads, we actually got up to 2,911 metres above sea level, according to the GPS. We were all heading to Angangueo, near a forest where monarch butterflies come to from all over the USA to congregate. We found a small hotel for the night, and planned to visit the reserve tomorrow, before going on to Mexico city. We had been talking to a guy named Marco, who Greg and Melanie stayed with on their way down to Chapala. Marco is head of the Ironbutt association in Mexico, and knows everyone who is anyone on bikes in the country. He is helping to organise a couple of rear tyres for the bikes, hopefully we can pick some up on the way past Mexico City. Marco is also the guy who organised the chain for Lyn’s bike, even getting it delivered to our hotel. A big thanks for that Marco!
Locals collecting firewood
8th
It was 3 degrees this morning when we woke up, we are at 2,500 metres. The four of us got a ride up the mountain to the Monarch butterfly reserve with David, a guy from the hotel we stayed at, who speaks good english. After arriving at the reserve, we climbed onto horses and went up to near the top of the mountain where the butterflies congregate, then walked a bit further up to the spot the butterflies actually are. This is about 3,500 metres above sea level. We couldn’t get too close to them, the trees they are in are very tall pines, and they look like huge balls of dying leaves on the trees they are that thick, even weighing the branches down. Apparently the butterflies fly all the way down from parts of the USA every year to the same trees, very strange. Their life span isn’t all that long, so it is every 5th generation that actually gets here. Back to the hotel, pack up, then I noticed my front tyre was completely flat. No sign of a nail or anything, so we inflated it with Greg’s pump, a took off hoping it would stay up on the ride towards Mexico city for the night. Greg’s GPS was playing up, so Lyn led, and the traffic was getting really thick the closer we got to the city. It had cooled off again, so we started looking for a hotel, and we spotted one coming down a hill. Lyn and I managed to stop, but Greg was in a different lane and had no chance of stopping in time, so continued on past. That was the last we saw of them, the road was a 3 lane each way divided highway, with no way of doing a u turn, or stopping. When we saw them go past, we rode back out after them, but the road split, and we had no way of knowing where they went, it was too busy. Lyn and I eventually found a love hotel in Tlalpan, and later that night got a message that they had finally found a hotel miles away that would take the dog, after trying 3 others that wouldn’t. Not a good afternoon and evening for them. Our hotel experience was interesting, we pulled into the hotel, and were directed straight into a garage with a roller door on it, and a room directly above it. A girl told us the price, and we took that to be for the night. Unloaded the bikes, and carried the stuff to the room, very nice, and then we noticed the brochures promoting dildos around the room. I thought we had better find out the check out time, that’s when we found out the room rate was for 5 hours! Another discussion with the girl had us shifting across the courtyard into another room, same amount, but for all night. We had to shift the bikes to an underground carpark, so they weren’t locked up in their own little garage, but were still secure, so not so bad.
It was 3 degrees this morning when we woke up, we are at 2,500 metres. The four of us got a ride up the mountain to the Monarch butterfly reserve with David, a guy from the hotel we stayed at, who speaks good english. After arriving at the reserve, we climbed onto horses and went up to near the top of the mountain where the butterflies congregate, then walked a bit further up to the spot the butterflies actually are. This is about 3,500 metres above sea level. We couldn’t get too close to them, the trees they are in are very tall pines, and they look like huge balls of dying leaves on the trees they are that thick, even weighing the branches down. Apparently the butterflies fly all the way down from parts of the USA every year to the same trees, very strange. Their life span isn’t all that long, so it is every 5th generation that actually gets here. Back to the hotel, pack up, then I noticed my front tyre was completely flat. No sign of a nail or anything, so we inflated it with Greg’s pump, a took off hoping it would stay up on the ride towards Mexico city for the night. Greg’s GPS was playing up, so Lyn led, and the traffic was getting really thick the closer we got to the city. It had cooled off again, so we started looking for a hotel, and we spotted one coming down a hill. Lyn and I managed to stop, but Greg was in a different lane and had no chance of stopping in time, so continued on past. That was the last we saw of them, the road was a 3 lane each way divided highway, with no way of doing a u turn, or stopping. When we saw them go past, we rode back out after them, but the road split, and we had no way of knowing where they went, it was too busy. Lyn and I eventually found a love hotel in Tlalpan, and later that night got a message that they had finally found a hotel miles away that would take the dog, after trying 3 others that wouldn’t. Not a good afternoon and evening for them. Our hotel experience was interesting, we pulled into the hotel, and were directed straight into a garage with a roller door on it, and a room directly above it. A girl told us the price, and we took that to be for the night. Unloaded the bikes, and carried the stuff to the room, very nice, and then we noticed the brochures promoting dildos around the room. I thought we had better find out the check out time, that’s when we found out the room rate was for 5 hours! Another discussion with the girl had us shifting across the courtyard into another room, same amount, but for all night. We had to shift the bikes to an underground carpark, so they weren’t locked up in their own little garage, but were still secure, so not so bad.
Lyn at the butterfly reserve. It was cool up there!
Cowboy Curt on the way up the mountain to see the butterflies. I hate horses, does it show?
Butterflies don't weigh much, but this many makes the branches sag!
9th
Loading up this morning and found my front tyre was flat again, bugger! I modified my tyre pump to work, and got the tyre sorted to get us to Tlalpan Yamaha, where we were going to sort out some much needed rear tyres for the bikes. Victor and the guys at Tlalpan Yamaha were fantastic, I would highly recommend them to anyone travelling through Mexico City that needed any bike work or maintenance done. We found the leak in my front tube and fixed it, and between Marco and Victor arranged for 2 new Heidenau K60’s to be delivered, and we fitted them as well. We didn’t leave there until 5.00pm, but I wanted to get out of Mexico city so we would have a good run tomorrow down to Oaxaca, so on Victors advise we found a hotel in Tepoztlan for the night. The views coming out of Mexico City were stunning, but it was nearly dark, and there was a lot of cloud around, so it could have been even better. A walk around the town after we arrived got us a taco dinner, and a bottle of wine to share after.
Loading up this morning and found my front tyre was flat again, bugger! I modified my tyre pump to work, and got the tyre sorted to get us to Tlalpan Yamaha, where we were going to sort out some much needed rear tyres for the bikes. Victor and the guys at Tlalpan Yamaha were fantastic, I would highly recommend them to anyone travelling through Mexico City that needed any bike work or maintenance done. We found the leak in my front tube and fixed it, and between Marco and Victor arranged for 2 new Heidenau K60’s to be delivered, and we fitted them as well. We didn’t leave there until 5.00pm, but I wanted to get out of Mexico city so we would have a good run tomorrow down to Oaxaca, so on Victors advise we found a hotel in Tepoztlan for the night. The views coming out of Mexico City were stunning, but it was nearly dark, and there was a lot of cloud around, so it could have been even better. A walk around the town after we arrived got us a taco dinner, and a bottle of wine to share after.
With the guys in the workshop at the Tlalpan Yamaha dealer, great guys, highly recommend them
10th
A fairly long day in the saddle, as we wanted to get to Oaxaca, catch up with Greg and Melanie, and head down to Puerto Angel and the beach. We were having withdrawal symptoms from not seeing the ocean since Hawaii, and really needed some salt water therapy. It was cool in the morning, but warmed up in the middle of the day, and the sky was a bright blue all day, great riding weather. There was some toll road, but mostly open road, slowing down in odd places for the ever present “Topes”, or speed bumps. These things are all over Mexico, and a real pain in the arse. Some have sign posts warning you they are there, but some don’t, and there were a couple of panic stops to avoid a nasty jolt, which would lead to a distribution of the load on the bikes. If I ever get asked asked what I remember about Mexico, the first thing that I mention will be these bloody speed bumps. Some of the scenery was terrific, going through mountain ranges and along ridges with great views. The petrol shortages that had been a concern around Xmas and new year seems to have been resolved, although we were still getting reports of more rioting in different parts of the country, apparently fuel tanker drivers were getting beaten up in protest to the fuel price hikes. We arrived at the hotel that Greg and Melanie had booked into, they had already arrived and settled in. Greg had had some trailer issues the day before, but had sorted them out with a strap to hold the top on the chassis. A walk up the street got us a meal, (the restaurant in the hotel was closed), and after a good chat and catch up, off to bed for an early night, we were all hanging out to get to the beach tomorrow.
A fairly long day in the saddle, as we wanted to get to Oaxaca, catch up with Greg and Melanie, and head down to Puerto Angel and the beach. We were having withdrawal symptoms from not seeing the ocean since Hawaii, and really needed some salt water therapy. It was cool in the morning, but warmed up in the middle of the day, and the sky was a bright blue all day, great riding weather. There was some toll road, but mostly open road, slowing down in odd places for the ever present “Topes”, or speed bumps. These things are all over Mexico, and a real pain in the arse. Some have sign posts warning you they are there, but some don’t, and there were a couple of panic stops to avoid a nasty jolt, which would lead to a distribution of the load on the bikes. If I ever get asked asked what I remember about Mexico, the first thing that I mention will be these bloody speed bumps. Some of the scenery was terrific, going through mountain ranges and along ridges with great views. The petrol shortages that had been a concern around Xmas and new year seems to have been resolved, although we were still getting reports of more rioting in different parts of the country, apparently fuel tanker drivers were getting beaten up in protest to the fuel price hikes. We arrived at the hotel that Greg and Melanie had booked into, they had already arrived and settled in. Greg had had some trailer issues the day before, but had sorted them out with a strap to hold the top on the chassis. A walk up the street got us a meal, (the restaurant in the hotel was closed), and after a good chat and catch up, off to bed for an early night, we were all hanging out to get to the beach tomorrow.
Cactus beside the road on the way down to Oaxaca
Lookout above Oaxaca. Look at those lovely rear tyres.......
11th-12th
More beautiful weather, but cool in the morning, about 7 degrees C, and a stunning ride down to the beach through some of the best mountain roads I have been on, just a great ride. It took us over 6 hours to cover the 260 odd kilometres, because of the twisty roads through the ranges. Slowing down for the villages and ever present speed bumps didn’t help, but the scenery was spectacular, photos just don’t do it justice. As we descended from the mountains, (over 2500 metres), the temperature rose, and at the bottom it was hot, time to peel off some layers. With the hotel sorted out for a couple of nights, (after checking a couple out), time to relax with a beer. A taxi ride to Zipolite, not far from the hotel, (which was perched on the top of a STEEP hill up a rough track of cobble stones, now nicknamed the hill of death), we finally got our feet in the sand. The advantage of the hotel was the superb views down over the bay and the town, very Mediterranean looking.
More beautiful weather, but cool in the morning, about 7 degrees C, and a stunning ride down to the beach through some of the best mountain roads I have been on, just a great ride. It took us over 6 hours to cover the 260 odd kilometres, because of the twisty roads through the ranges. Slowing down for the villages and ever present speed bumps didn’t help, but the scenery was spectacular, photos just don’t do it justice. As we descended from the mountains, (over 2500 metres), the temperature rose, and at the bottom it was hot, time to peel off some layers. With the hotel sorted out for a couple of nights, (after checking a couple out), time to relax with a beer. A taxi ride to Zipolite, not far from the hotel, (which was perched on the top of a STEEP hill up a rough track of cobble stones, now nicknamed the hill of death), we finally got our feet in the sand. The advantage of the hotel was the superb views down over the bay and the town, very Mediterranean looking.
Sammy the Yammy and friend looking down off the mountain...
More mountain views
The view from the hotel at the top of the hill of death, looking down over Puerto Angel
13th-19th
We moved hotels after 2 days, getting a cheaper room in a hotel in Zipolite, right on the beach. We didn’t have the view over the bay, but didn’t have the 20 minute walk up and down the hill of death if we wanted a meal or drink either. The view from the new hotel room was over the beach to the the clear blue water, and we could be swimming in about 1 minute from the room if we wanted to. A great move. About 200 metres up the beach was Lola’s, a bar and restaurant that had 2 happy hours a day, 2 for 1 drinks, and a great view. Needless to say it became a daily hangout! Two days after we arrived there, Don Lamb and his wife Julia arrived on their BMW, Australians on their way back to the US after visiting Julia’s son in Guatemala. We had been talking to them on Facebook, so they knew where we were. They stayed a few days to rest, but Greg and Melanie had to get going again, as their visa was about to expire, so they needed to cross the border into Guatemala. While on a ride down the beach road to check out the surf further to the west, a guy recognised my HU shirt and spoke to us, Jon is a Canadian who has ridden down for a couple of months, so he joined us for a drink later that night as well. Thursday came, and Don and Julia headed off back to Oaxaca, and friday morning it was time for us to leave as well, it has been a very relaxing time. The weather was almost perfect, a bit windy for a couple of days, but otherwise great.
We moved hotels after 2 days, getting a cheaper room in a hotel in Zipolite, right on the beach. We didn’t have the view over the bay, but didn’t have the 20 minute walk up and down the hill of death if we wanted a meal or drink either. The view from the new hotel room was over the beach to the the clear blue water, and we could be swimming in about 1 minute from the room if we wanted to. A great move. About 200 metres up the beach was Lola’s, a bar and restaurant that had 2 happy hours a day, 2 for 1 drinks, and a great view. Needless to say it became a daily hangout! Two days after we arrived there, Don Lamb and his wife Julia arrived on their BMW, Australians on their way back to the US after visiting Julia’s son in Guatemala. We had been talking to them on Facebook, so they knew where we were. They stayed a few days to rest, but Greg and Melanie had to get going again, as their visa was about to expire, so they needed to cross the border into Guatemala. While on a ride down the beach road to check out the surf further to the west, a guy recognised my HU shirt and spoke to us, Jon is a Canadian who has ridden down for a couple of months, so he joined us for a drink later that night as well. Thursday came, and Don and Julia headed off back to Oaxaca, and friday morning it was time for us to leave as well, it has been a very relaxing time. The weather was almost perfect, a bit windy for a couple of days, but otherwise great.
The hotel we moved to, right on the beach
View from our balcony
Lyn hard at work in the kitchen......
Don and Julia, more Aussies, on their BMW
Handing down another brilliant sunset
20th
A warm ride along the coast to the east towards Salina Cruz, so warm in fact we stopped at a Pemex and had a lay down on the grass for a while, then poured water over our shirts before continuing on. We headed north from Salina Cruz, past a million wind generators. This area is notorious for the constant wind, and today was no different, but at least as we were heading north it was more of a tailwind, so not too bad. A pity it hasn’t blown away the thousand or so topes we had to ride over! It was tiring riding, so by the time 4.30 arrived we turned off the main road to a town called Jesus Carranza, where the GPS said there was 3 hotels. We could only find one of them, but it had a very basic room available, somewhere to park the bikes, and as Lyn wasn’t feeling the best, it was home for the night. Within a few minutes the police turned up, and had to call reinforcements as they couldn’t speak english, but they just wanted to see our documents to make sure we were in Mexico legally, and take photos of our passports. Seems there had been trouble in town previously, caused by foreigners, so they wanted to know who to blame if anything happened!
A warm ride along the coast to the east towards Salina Cruz, so warm in fact we stopped at a Pemex and had a lay down on the grass for a while, then poured water over our shirts before continuing on. We headed north from Salina Cruz, past a million wind generators. This area is notorious for the constant wind, and today was no different, but at least as we were heading north it was more of a tailwind, so not too bad. A pity it hasn’t blown away the thousand or so topes we had to ride over! It was tiring riding, so by the time 4.30 arrived we turned off the main road to a town called Jesus Carranza, where the GPS said there was 3 hotels. We could only find one of them, but it had a very basic room available, somewhere to park the bikes, and as Lyn wasn’t feeling the best, it was home for the night. Within a few minutes the police turned up, and had to call reinforcements as they couldn’t speak english, but they just wanted to see our documents to make sure we were in Mexico legally, and take photos of our passports. Seems there had been trouble in town previously, caused by foreigners, so they wanted to know who to blame if anything happened!
21st
Another warm day, and the wind had not let up all night. The hotel we were in had a number of doors that rattled and banged all night, I did a raid and managed to stop two of them, but the others eluded me, so we had to try to turn a deaf ear to them. Not a good nights sleep. The ants got into our leftover pizza from last night’s dinner, so breakfast would have to happen down the road a bit! There was a section of toll road near Minatitlan that we ended up on, and it was one of the roughest toll roads I had seen, lots of potholes, and lumpy bumpy bitumen. A fuel stop gave us the chance to wet ourselves down again, much to the amusement of the armed guard. For the last few days, all the Pemex stations have had a security guard with a shotgun walking around as a deterent to anyone still unhappy with the petrol price hike. There was a couple of army checkpoints, and at one of them we were pulled over, and I had to get off my bike, and show them the contents of my tank bag. Lyn fared better, once she took her helmet off, they just waved her on. Gender in-equality is alive and well in Mexico! We arrived at Frontera, where thought we might stay for the night, but it wasn’t what we expected, so rode on to Ciudad del Carmen, where we found a pretty good room for the night, with secure parking for the bikes, and just across the road from the beach. The wind had died down here, so things were much more pleasant than last night. The restaurant closed at 7.00pm, so we rode into town to KFC for dinner. This is a tourist area, so food prices are high at a lot of places, we tried a couple, and decided KFC was our best bet. The wifi was pox, so no blog done tonight.
Another warm day, and the wind had not let up all night. The hotel we were in had a number of doors that rattled and banged all night, I did a raid and managed to stop two of them, but the others eluded me, so we had to try to turn a deaf ear to them. Not a good nights sleep. The ants got into our leftover pizza from last night’s dinner, so breakfast would have to happen down the road a bit! There was a section of toll road near Minatitlan that we ended up on, and it was one of the roughest toll roads I had seen, lots of potholes, and lumpy bumpy bitumen. A fuel stop gave us the chance to wet ourselves down again, much to the amusement of the armed guard. For the last few days, all the Pemex stations have had a security guard with a shotgun walking around as a deterent to anyone still unhappy with the petrol price hike. There was a couple of army checkpoints, and at one of them we were pulled over, and I had to get off my bike, and show them the contents of my tank bag. Lyn fared better, once she took her helmet off, they just waved her on. Gender in-equality is alive and well in Mexico! We arrived at Frontera, where thought we might stay for the night, but it wasn’t what we expected, so rode on to Ciudad del Carmen, where we found a pretty good room for the night, with secure parking for the bikes, and just across the road from the beach. The wind had died down here, so things were much more pleasant than last night. The restaurant closed at 7.00pm, so we rode into town to KFC for dinner. This is a tourist area, so food prices are high at a lot of places, we tried a couple, and decided KFC was our best bet. The wifi was pox, so no blog done tonight.
22nd
A walk to the beach with our cup of tea started the day off well, watching the pelicans catch their breakfast. The pelicans here are smaller than the Australian ones, and brown in colour, not white. Another clear blue sky, and temperatures predicted around 30 deg C, no changes. On leaving the hotel, we had ride less than a kilometre when two guys on Harleys pulled up next to us at the lights and said “ Where are you going?” As soon as I said Campeche he said “Follow me”, and headed off. Just out of town we pulled over in a bus stop, and were told to just follow this road. The guys and their wives introduced themselves as Pedro and Leonardo, and soon a couple of other bikes joined them, a group gathering for their sunday ride. We headed of, and the ride north was stunning, with the road following the coast closely all the way to Campeche. Clean blue sea and sky, sandy beaches, and hardly anyone or anything around to spoil it. A stop for lunch at Champoton, where we each had a fried whole fish and salad, sitting on plastic chairs next to the sea, beautiful. From there, about 60 kms to Campeche, where we had booked into a room for the night. The town is a walled city, with a long history, a very pretty place with a good vibe. As we had arrived early, we went for a walk around to check a few things out, and caught the last hour of the museum as well. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for a couple of margaritas, very nice too. Ham and cheese from the Oxxo store, (a bit like seven eleven), and a bread roll from the bakery, (total cost about $3.00 AUD), and that was dinner back in the hotel room, with a couple of drinks.
A walk to the beach with our cup of tea started the day off well, watching the pelicans catch their breakfast. The pelicans here are smaller than the Australian ones, and brown in colour, not white. Another clear blue sky, and temperatures predicted around 30 deg C, no changes. On leaving the hotel, we had ride less than a kilometre when two guys on Harleys pulled up next to us at the lights and said “ Where are you going?” As soon as I said Campeche he said “Follow me”, and headed off. Just out of town we pulled over in a bus stop, and were told to just follow this road. The guys and their wives introduced themselves as Pedro and Leonardo, and soon a couple of other bikes joined them, a group gathering for their sunday ride. We headed of, and the ride north was stunning, with the road following the coast closely all the way to Campeche. Clean blue sea and sky, sandy beaches, and hardly anyone or anything around to spoil it. A stop for lunch at Champoton, where we each had a fried whole fish and salad, sitting on plastic chairs next to the sea, beautiful. From there, about 60 kms to Campeche, where we had booked into a room for the night. The town is a walled city, with a long history, a very pretty place with a good vibe. As we had arrived early, we went for a walk around to check a few things out, and caught the last hour of the museum as well. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for a couple of margaritas, very nice too. Ham and cheese from the Oxxo store, (a bit like seven eleven), and a bread roll from the bakery, (total cost about $3.00 AUD), and that was dinner back in the hotel room, with a couple of drinks.
Next to the gulf of Mexico, heading up the coast towards Campache. Note the oil rig in the background. The water was beautiful and clear, glorious coastline.
More of the same coastline, stunning
Some of the beautifully coloured streets of Campeche
Mural on the wall of a building, Campeche
Part of the old city wall, they built them thick in those days....
23rd
Our plan today was a 70 km ride east to Edzna, the ruins of an ancient Mayan city that reached its peak around 1,000 AD. The ruins are very well kept, by far the best of the ruins we have seen all around the world, with the exception of Pompeii, and they are about equal. The entrance fee is 55 Pesos, about $3.00 AUD, and there was hardly anyone there. We were free to wander around as we pleased, the only thing we couldn’t do was climb the steps of the Great Acropolis. Amazing workmanship, considering the tools they had to build the place with. From there we continued north to Merida, where we booked into a small hotel. The road was good, still lots of topes, and they are still a pain in the arse! It was a lot cooler riding, quite pleasant, and still no sign of rain, so a pleasant days ride all round.
Our plan today was a 70 km ride east to Edzna, the ruins of an ancient Mayan city that reached its peak around 1,000 AD. The ruins are very well kept, by far the best of the ruins we have seen all around the world, with the exception of Pompeii, and they are about equal. The entrance fee is 55 Pesos, about $3.00 AUD, and there was hardly anyone there. We were free to wander around as we pleased, the only thing we couldn’t do was climb the steps of the Great Acropolis. Amazing workmanship, considering the tools they had to build the place with. From there we continued north to Merida, where we booked into a small hotel. The road was good, still lots of topes, and they are still a pain in the arse! It was a lot cooler riding, quite pleasant, and still no sign of rain, so a pleasant days ride all round.
Sme photos of Edzna, nearly as good as Chichen Itza, much cheaper, and a lot less crowded.
24th
A leisurely start to the day, with a walk down to the centre of the town, and a look around, before walking back to the hotel and packing up to be out before midday. The plan was to ride to the Cenotes, (Sinkholes in the ground with water in them, you can swim in them), about 70 kms away, and do the trip in by horse drawn rail car, the only way you can get in to see them. From there, ride to Valladolid for the night. The first part went well, we found the small town of Cuzuma, but were getting hungry, so needed something to eat first. A boy on a pushbike followed us around the town while we were trying to work out where to go, as the signage is poor. We managed enough miming to indicate what we wanted, and followed him to a building we could get a meal in. There was a centre table with about 15 people, (all tourists), sitting eating, and a a few other tables, one of which we sat down at. We ordered a meal, and one of the guys from the centre table came over and talked to us. Don is from Jasper, in Canada, and a bike rider, so we chatted for a while. His group had already done the cenote trip, and were leaving after their meal. We changed into swimmers, got a carriage organised out to the cenotes, and did the trip, very interesting. There were black catfish in the water, and the small ones would attack your feet and clean all the dead skin off you, similar to the ones in the tanks in Thailand. The water was crystal clear, and not as cold as I thought it would be. By the time we got back to the bikes it was after 4.00pm, so we knew we wouldn’t get far tonight. After the GPS led us astray, we headed out towards Valladolid, and got as far as Piste before it got dark, so found a hotel there for the night. A cheap meal at a local restaurant topped off a good day.
A leisurely start to the day, with a walk down to the centre of the town, and a look around, before walking back to the hotel and packing up to be out before midday. The plan was to ride to the Cenotes, (Sinkholes in the ground with water in them, you can swim in them), about 70 kms away, and do the trip in by horse drawn rail car, the only way you can get in to see them. From there, ride to Valladolid for the night. The first part went well, we found the small town of Cuzuma, but were getting hungry, so needed something to eat first. A boy on a pushbike followed us around the town while we were trying to work out where to go, as the signage is poor. We managed enough miming to indicate what we wanted, and followed him to a building we could get a meal in. There was a centre table with about 15 people, (all tourists), sitting eating, and a a few other tables, one of which we sat down at. We ordered a meal, and one of the guys from the centre table came over and talked to us. Don is from Jasper, in Canada, and a bike rider, so we chatted for a while. His group had already done the cenote trip, and were leaving after their meal. We changed into swimmers, got a carriage organised out to the cenotes, and did the trip, very interesting. There were black catfish in the water, and the small ones would attack your feet and clean all the dead skin off you, similar to the ones in the tanks in Thailand. The water was crystal clear, and not as cold as I thought it would be. By the time we got back to the bikes it was after 4.00pm, so we knew we wouldn’t get far tonight. After the GPS led us astray, we headed out towards Valladolid, and got as far as Piste before it got dark, so found a hotel there for the night. A cheap meal at a local restaurant topped off a good day.
On the little horse drawn carriage on the way to the cenotes
The steps down to the water from the surface.
Looks like the water is up to my knees, but really it's up to my armpits, really deep, clear, and clean
25th-29th
Before checking out in the morning, we rode the 3or 4 kms to Chichen Itza, and had a look around the ruins. Very impressive, but also very different to Edzna, in that these are a lot busier, tourists come in by the bus load, and their are hundreds of vendors everywhere selling their souvenirs to them. The cruise ships stop nearby, and do day tours to the place, listed as one of the seven wonders of the new world. From there we rode to Playa del Carmen, and met Gary and his wife Yvonne, bike travellers now living in Mexico, and stayed in their little unit they are doing some renovations on, no hot water or cooking yet, but for us very comfortable. Thanks Gary, very much appreciated. Yvonne’s brother Alan was over from Mexico City helping with the reno’s, and his wife came over to join him, so they moved into the unit next door. After a few days helping them, I am now an "aluminium carpenter”! We caught up with Dave Hand, another biker we met at Lake Chappala, and spent a day with him and his friend Cheryl at the beach, very nice, we can now say we have swum in the Carribean Sea. The weather on the last day was a bit cooler, with a few spots of rain, the first we had seen since arriving in Mexico over a month ago.
Before checking out in the morning, we rode the 3or 4 kms to Chichen Itza, and had a look around the ruins. Very impressive, but also very different to Edzna, in that these are a lot busier, tourists come in by the bus load, and their are hundreds of vendors everywhere selling their souvenirs to them. The cruise ships stop nearby, and do day tours to the place, listed as one of the seven wonders of the new world. From there we rode to Playa del Carmen, and met Gary and his wife Yvonne, bike travellers now living in Mexico, and stayed in their little unit they are doing some renovations on, no hot water or cooking yet, but for us very comfortable. Thanks Gary, very much appreciated. Yvonne’s brother Alan was over from Mexico City helping with the reno’s, and his wife came over to join him, so they moved into the unit next door. After a few days helping them, I am now an "aluminium carpenter”! We caught up with Dave Hand, another biker we met at Lake Chappala, and spent a day with him and his friend Cheryl at the beach, very nice, we can now say we have swum in the Carribean Sea. The weather on the last day was a bit cooler, with a few spots of rain, the first we had seen since arriving in Mexico over a month ago.
At the entrance to the site, and no, that doesn't say Chicken!
The main pyramid
Gary, Yvonne, and granddaughter, Lyn, Alan's wife and Alan, and myself, outside Gary's daughter's place in Playa Del Carmen
30th-1st Feb
The sky was blue again in the morning, so it was time to move on, and after saying our goodbyes to Gary and his family, we headed south to Tumul. We rode in to the ruins, which upset the security people, as we weren’t supposed to go through the gate. It just happened that as we arrived at the gate, there was a tourist trammy bussy thing coming out, and we passed on the other side of it, missing the security guy. As soon as we stopped, a very red faced guard screamed up on his push bike, huffing and puffing and very out of breath, demanding we turn around immediately. We left after some tourists asked some questions about our trip, much to the relief of the guard. Passing through one of the small villages beside the main road, I spotted a KLR loaded up with gear, and a guy just pulling out onto the main road. I stopped, and he pulled up beside me. His name was Vincent, from Switzerland, and he was heading down to Belize. We planned to meet up at Bacalar, (he rode a lot slower than us), but although we waited for him just on the edge of town that evening, he didn’t show up. Lunch beside the road at a small taco stand, then on to Bacalar beside the lake, where we met up with Dave Hand again. We found a hotel nearby that suited our budget, and had dinner with Dave, before a fairly early night. The three of us spent a very pleasant afternoon sailing on the lake in a trailer sailer, about 22 ft long. Unfortunately the jib was torn, so we couldn’t have that, and the engine wasn’t working, so we couldn’t use that, and there was no winch handle, so that also made things a bit more difficult, but nonetheless, we had a good time! The next day we had planned to go snorkelling at Chetumal, near the Belize border, so rode the 34 kms down to the town, but the weather turned a bit ugly, so lunch next to the bay instead, then a very wet ride back to Bacalar to dry out. Dave decided it was too wet to continue north to Tumul as he had planned, so also booked in for the night.
The sky was blue again in the morning, so it was time to move on, and after saying our goodbyes to Gary and his family, we headed south to Tumul. We rode in to the ruins, which upset the security people, as we weren’t supposed to go through the gate. It just happened that as we arrived at the gate, there was a tourist trammy bussy thing coming out, and we passed on the other side of it, missing the security guy. As soon as we stopped, a very red faced guard screamed up on his push bike, huffing and puffing and very out of breath, demanding we turn around immediately. We left after some tourists asked some questions about our trip, much to the relief of the guard. Passing through one of the small villages beside the main road, I spotted a KLR loaded up with gear, and a guy just pulling out onto the main road. I stopped, and he pulled up beside me. His name was Vincent, from Switzerland, and he was heading down to Belize. We planned to meet up at Bacalar, (he rode a lot slower than us), but although we waited for him just on the edge of town that evening, he didn’t show up. Lunch beside the road at a small taco stand, then on to Bacalar beside the lake, where we met up with Dave Hand again. We found a hotel nearby that suited our budget, and had dinner with Dave, before a fairly early night. The three of us spent a very pleasant afternoon sailing on the lake in a trailer sailer, about 22 ft long. Unfortunately the jib was torn, so we couldn’t have that, and the engine wasn’t working, so we couldn’t use that, and there was no winch handle, so that also made things a bit more difficult, but nonetheless, we had a good time! The next day we had planned to go snorkelling at Chetumal, near the Belize border, so rode the 34 kms down to the town, but the weather turned a bit ugly, so lunch next to the bay instead, then a very wet ride back to Bacalar to dry out. Dave decided it was too wet to continue north to Tumul as he had planned, so also booked in for the night.
Discussing sailing tactics before heading out on the lake
Some nice places on the edge of the lake
Lyn's bike on the roundabout at Chetamul, just before the Belize border
On the way back out of Chetumal, we found the new MX track, and rode in for a look. After talking to a couple of the guys there, Dave and I had a ride around the outside of the track, then did some posing!