Time for an adjustment.

In all my previous posts I have written very little about the culture of the different places that I have been. Unfortunately, the very superficial overview of my travels has made my blog extremely tedious and uninteresting to myself and to anyone who has been following my travels. Please be patient with what will probably be an extremely juvenile attempt at insightful observations and discussions about myself and my surrounding environment.

Day 69 (Saturday July 24, 2010): Juchitan de Zaragoza to San Cristobal de Las Casas

I am unable to remember a better day of riding. After an incredibly easy 100km of straight road in sunny weather as a warmup, I have a quick stew for breakfast and hit the twisties to Tuxtla Gutierrez. I apologize to all the mating butterflies since I ruined the moment for a lot of them.

Canon del Sumidero is well worth the 20 peso entrance. Although they should have been paying me since I became a tourist attraction at one point. It is interesting to be on the other end of a tourist frenzy. With no exaggeration, I had around 20 people ask to have photos taken with me and the motorcycle. All it took was a single person to take photos then everyone wanted one. Perhaps I shouldn't look at it as a tourist frenzy and think of it positively. Chiapans might just be that friendly.

Canon del Sumidero

Riding the final hour to San Cristobal in the rain was the first time I have been cold on a motorcycle since northern California. I learn a valuable lesson about Google Maps in Mexico... You can never trust that it puts a marker in the correct spot. Ones best method of navigation is to find a hotel with a map of the area and have the address of the place. I wasted quite a lot of time trying to find places that were marked blocks away from their actual location.

That night, I get the back-sweat (not my own) and the guys from the hostel get free drinks. Let's leave it at that. *Shudder*

Day 68 (Friday July 23, 2010): Oaxaca to Juchitan de Zaragoza

I can't remember the name of the town where every house along the road sells handwoven, natural dye, rugs. Mom, if you read this you will get an absolutely beautiful indigo rug... Hopefully... If the person I bought it from keeps his word... Seems like a foolproof plan to me.

The blue one.

I think I would have had a lot of trouble making it to Hierve el Agua without knobbies. Tight corners in deep mud is no place for street tires.

One of the few safe places to stop. (At the highest point on the path to Hierve el Agua)

Those are people on the top right of the photo to give scale.

Natural infinity pool.

The people in Juchitan made me very uneasy and with no hostels in town I have to find a hotel which proves to be difficult and expensive.

Day 67 (Thursday July 22, 2010): Oaxaca

I believe I need to rethink how I am currently traveling (which is, VERY SLOWLY). Without a schedule of any kinda except a vague end-date it always feels like I have a lot of time, but in reality I do not. That said, I do not regret the time I have spent in places like Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Escondido. However, It is time to move on to Guatemala.

Day 66 (Wednesday July 21, 2010): Oaxaca

Although I wake up with food poisoning I do not want to waste the day and decide to make a short trip to Monte Alban. These types of (bad) decisions seem to be the theme of the past few days. “Hey, you know what would be really great?!?!?! Leaving a place that I like in almost every way possible so that I can ride through the rain for 5 hours, then end up in a city that is industrialized dirty and crowded. Sounds like a good plan to me. Let's do it. . . “ Clearly, I am more than a little crazy because I just had a conversation with myself and published it on the internet.

Monte Alban

Juego de Pelota court

Day 65 (Tuesday July 20, 2010): Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca

It rained for most of the ride on highway 131 with thick fog in some stretches that obscured what I am sure were some spectacular views. I will never complain about potholes in Edmonton ever again. In a lot of places there were more potholes than road. If these potholes did not slow down the traffic enough, speed bumps were thrown into the mix for variety.

For the next 5 hours it rained.

Day 59-64 (Wednesday July 14, 2010 to Monday July 19, 2010) : Puerto Escondido

I meet a Suzuki V-Strom rider from Australia and we hang out for most of the day. If you read this Tim you need to send me an email so I have a way of contacting you. I also met up with friends from Puerto Vallarta who have managed to catch up to me.

I do not want to leave Puerto Escondido. Nevertheless, onwards I must go.

Day 58 (Tuesday July 13, 2010): Chicahua to Puerto Escondido

Although the novelty of taking public transportation again has worn off, I am so tired that I don't really mind.

Day 57 (Monday July 12, 2010): Puerto Escondido to Chicahua

This is the first time in almost two months that I have traveled to another town without my motorcycle. The ride to Rio Grande and Picolito would have been particularly uninteresting if it wasn't for the pleasant company. You know who you are!

From Pinotepa to Chicahua there are two options for transportation: a bus or a boat through the mangroves. The choice was rather simple.

I can't seem to post a video of the ride through the mangroves.

Day 56 (Sunday July 11, 2010): Puerto Escondido

A lazy day highlighted with some fantastic pizza that I have been craving for awhile.  

Day 55 (Saturday July 10, 2010): Puerto Escondido

Headed up into the mountains on a dirt path to find a waterfall but 5 minutes from the destination, a heavy thunder shower hits. Luckily I am running with an extremely aggressive thread on my tires. Without those knobs I doubt we would have made it out that night. Since I am carrying absolutely none of my rain gear I get dressed up in an orange plastic sheet. I am going to say it was for the sake of increased visibility and all the stares and laughter obviously meant I was highly visible.

The sunset at La Punta is breathtaking. Imagine a semi-circular bay, with the sun setting directly in the middle. The day is slightly cloudy and the rays of sunlight hit the thick air which look like moving bands of light hitting and reflecting across the ocean. (A picture would be more useful but I forgot my camera so this image is mine alone).

Day 54 (Friday July 9, 2010): Acapulco to Puerto Escondido

The trip which normally takes 9 hours by bus only takes 5. It feels like the bike is just an extension of myself now and I am completely at home on it.

I get to Puerto Escondido with the full intention of leaving the next morning. However, there appears to be a lot to do in this town. I might end up spending a few days here while waiting out some of the rain.

Day 50-53 (Monday July 5, 2010 to Thursday July 8, 2010): Acapulco

Went out with a bunch of guys from the hostel the first night and a girl (literally a girl because she looked 15) starts talking to me who only knew the English words “Hey baby, you want to fuck me?” and “How much money do you have?” I thought she was a prostitute which could be the only conclusion given her vast English vocabulary, but then she tried to give me money. We had someone that spoke fluent Spanish in the group and he couldn't even understand what she was trying to tell him other than she thought I was gay for not drinking or smoking. After we bail from the bar, I thought I wouldn't see her again but then I wake up with her in the other bunk in our room.

Most of the taxis in Acapulco are VW Beetles and the drivers are insane.

The views from Capilla de La Paz.

I misunderstand the garbage truck driver and thought he told us that we could ride in the back... Why would I think such a thing?

From our lunch table.

The cliff where La Quebrada cliff divers jump off.

This can't be safe at night.

Where I am couch surfing.

Day 49 (Sunday July 4, 2010): Playa Azul to Acapulco

It takes the couple until noon to repack all their gear, which makes me glad that it takes me at most 20 minutes to start riding.

Day 48 (Saturday July 3, 2010): Barra de Navidad to Playa Azul

Mucho curvas peligroso – Many dangerous curves. Nobby tires, wet conditions, shear cliffs, and tight corners makes the journey extremely long. Partway through the trip I see two KLRs along the side of the road with Canadian plates. They are a couple from BC and like me they have no deadline. We decide to ride together for the day. It seems like the adventure touring is stressing their relationship.

Not the safest riding conditions.

Playa de Maruata

Travel companions!

Hammock, motorcycle, and ocean... and loads of bugs that love to bite.

I fall asleep to this.

The lady who run the cabanas that I stay at. She is a lot jollier than this picture suggests.

Day 47 (Friday July 2, 2010): Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad

Judging by the significant wear on my tires after 250km (Pirelli MT 21), I am not sure that I will be able to make it to Guatemala before needing new tires. I have trouble sleeping...

Don't really need a picture to remember this place...

One of the beaches at Barra de Navidad.

Day 46 (Thursday July 1, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

My mind is completely preoccupied while working with the mechanic.  

Day 45 (Wednesday June 30, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

Right up there with the best nights of my life. . . Scratch that. . . I can't think of a more significant night.

Day 44 (Tuesday June 29, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

Kind of hard to write stuff when I promised I wouldn't.

Day 43 (Monday June 28, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

Developing a less than manly crush on a girl.

Day 42 (Sunday June 27, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

Back at Oasis Hostel. At no point in the trip have I wanted to pack up and go home more than today. I miss the people in Edmonton, not the city.

Day 36-41 (Monday June 21, 2010 to Saturday June 26, 2010): Nuevo Vallarta

Incredibly relaxing week which goes by far too quickly. Lazy river.

Probably not the smartest thing, popping a quad onto two wheels. Even when riding on four wheels I only want two.

Day 33-35 (Friday June 18, 2010 to Sunday June 20, 2010): Puerto Vallarta

Scuba certification. We get to see a turtle on the second day. I have my feet hanging off the bow of the boat on the way back to the marina on the final day of the certification, and a pod of 25-30 dolphins start swimming with and around the boat.

Day 32 (Thursday June 17, 2010): Tepic to Puerto Vallarta

With an early start and only 200km to travel I thought that I would get to Puerto Vallarta before noon. Instead, the ride takes six hours to complete. Like the day before, the cause of the delay are long trains of cars that are impossible to overtake safely since there aren't very many stretches with more than 200m of visibility. I get so fed up of travelling at 30km/h that I stop off at a small restaurant with loads of semi trailers parked outside and ate a fantastic meatball soup. I am thinking that the break was a great idea until I discover that the road widens to two lanes in each direction 1km after my restaurant break.

Day 31 (Wednesday June 16, 2010): Mazatlan to Tepic

I meet a Mexican BMW motorcyclist who is traveling in the same direction as I am but he gets a call from the office on the outskirts of Mazatlan and needs to wait for a conference call. There are two roads leading from Mazatlan to Tepic. A toll road and a public road. The toll road is well maintained, patrolled, and has two lanes in each direction. The public road has one lane in each direction and does not have many straight sections for safe overtaking. I disregard the motorcyclists suggestion to take the toll road but after 20km on the public road behind a slow moving train of 20 vehicles with no opportunities to overtake, I turn around and take the toll road.

Tepic, being the first mainland Mexican city I spend time in, I am shocked by the difference from the cities in Baja California. In the center of the city there is a large park which contains basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, fountains, and a free public zoo.

Day 30 (Tuesday June 15, 2010): San Jose del Cabo to La Paz to Mazatlan

Goodbye Jan. Thanks for ditching me in Mexico. Ass.

Not quite sure how I feel about riding alone yet.

Apparently the price of the ferry ride has risen 300% due to privatization in the last few years. However, there is a lot less fear of sinking nowadays. Which is always good.

And then there was one...

There are a few other riders on the ferry.

Goodbye Baja California.

Day 29 (Monday June 14, 2010): San Jose Del Cabo

Surfing! The sticky wax on the surfboard completely mangles my nipples. They hurt when the wind blows on them. I am able to catch one wave but fall off immediately. No matter how much I would like to continue surfing after 1.5 hours, my arms are exhausted from paddling.

Vaslev gets stung by a jellyfish on his hand which causes pain in his hand and his armpit. I offer to pee on it but he is not particularly keen on the idea.  

This is a closer look at my windshield after the crash and the tire. The sticker is my motorcycle's temporary import permit.