The Big Big Trip Journal! If you want to make the man (or woman) upstairs laugh, just tell him your plans!

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 112, Thursday, January 02, 2020, Monclova to Cuatro Cienegas 82 km

I dislike headwinds. In fact, I despise headwinds. They ooze cruel intent to mess with my head and make me miserable. Having lived in the Netherlands I've had my fair share of headwinds. I remember one particularly cruel day cycling from near Utrecht to home and it taking all day to cover the 90 odd km.

Well, today I met the most brutal headwind of my cycling life so far. It threw everything at me for hours and I still had a fantastic day's cycling!

I was up early because I wanted to get some cash from the bank. I deliberately waited until today in case my card got swallowed - first time using the card in Mexico. Travel advisories stress that atm use should be in malls etc. for security. There was a bank 100 meters from the hotel.

Refused!

Using my banking app I got to talk to the folks back in NL and got the card activated for Central America. And there was me thinking Mexico was North America!!

That had slowed me down and as I was taking the bike out of my room I had another delay- a soft rear wheel. I really wanted to get going so pumped it up and brought everything down to the lobby. I took my time loading up, checked the tyre - holding well - so I set off on my first day adventuring of the new decade!

Leaving town was easy enough & traffic was light. Monclova is a remarkably clean town. The pavements might be broken and the edges of the road potholed, some buildings might be in a state of disrepair, others held together with nothing but prayers, but there is no litter! A shame the same attitude doesn't extend to the highway.

As I left town I looked south and could see dark clouds and rain falling in the area that I could have been cycling. Oh, how I laughed!

The plan was simple - head north to San Buenaventura, then west to Cuatro Cienegas. About 80km. There was a bit of climbing and I was expecting a bit of wind.

The road to San Buenaventura was an ok four lane, although shoulder less. Traffic in my direction was light and I had no problems taking the lane.

I turned west in San Buenaventura and my first reaction was to stop for coffee! I was going to need all the stimulation I could get! The wind was coming head on or slightly diagonal, but sometimes, just for fun, it gusted from the side trying to blow me off the road. Thankfully, I now had a lovely shoulder that meant I could wobble safely! At least the wind had blown all the grey clouds away and now the sun was blazing!

In fact, with such a strong wind the sky was where all the action was! For the rest of the day I was treated to a light show that would put any firework display in the ha'penny place! In the sky, the sun blazed from a blue background, then lit up clouds in the most magnificent way when they ventured in front of it. On the ground, the slopes of mountains were light blue, then dark blue, then grey, or green or sandy coloured depending on the distance and the cloud cover.

I made reasonably steady progress towards the mountains in front of me and entered a valley with mountains on both sides. Of course, these had the effect of channeling the wind even better! A few gusts brought me to a complete stop! However, if ever there was a place to be stopped, it's along this section of Mex30! I'd pedal for a while, a gust would stop me and I'd stand, straddling the bike, in awe of what Mother Nature was throwing together for me.

The only problem as I progressed slowly along this windy valley was that I could see dark clouds bearing down on me. As they got closer I could see sheets of rain falling from them. A race was on!

I admire my optimism in these cases! I was barely able to hit 10kmh and I thought I could beat the weather! There were a few drops - big and wet that had me pulling over to cover my bar bag and to don a jacket. But that was all. Or so I thought. Ten minutes later, the heavens didn't open, but it's fair to say a crack appeared. That crack was enough to soak me with about three or four dozen drops. It was a bit like a scene from a movie - it seemed like I was hit with large calibre rain drops in slow motion, each one spreading on impact and soaking an area far larger than its size. In no time at all my shorts gave all the impression of having gone for a swim!

In ten minutes the rain had passed and now the sun was drying me!

Of course, as I was going through this valley I was also climbing steadily. Crossing a railway track I left the valley behind and entered onto a wide open plateau. If I thought the wind was strong before I was rapidly educated on the effect a wide open plain has on wind!

It was so strong I actually walked for a while - walking was faster! I was about 25km from my destination yet it was still hours away!

The sky was fantastic though!

I stopped three times to eat something on that last leg. I could feel my energy dropping, but not my enthusiasm. I was rolling along at about 8kmh, 10 if I was lucky!

Approaching Cuatro Cienegas I was begining to feel under a bit of pressure. It was getting late and although sunset isn't until about 7pm I'm in the mountains and they block out the light as the sun falls. I was heading for a campground that I had no idea was open so I wanted to get there as soon as possible.

I missed my turn in the pretty little town and had to double back. I eventually got on the right road and cycled a good way out of town, finding the campground. A little old lady made me very welcome. It's basic, the bathrooms won't win any awards, but I got the tent set up, nearly missed the sky changing colour, had some food and got to the tent before the rain started.

To say I'm exhausted would be the understatement of the year - and we're only two days in! Today was exhausting, but so, so beautiful. The sky, the light on the mountains,even the rain, were just out of this world - or perhaps a better way of putting it - a reminder that I'm in a whole new world!

Once again today, people were very friendly, asking questions, wishing me well. I'm so frustrated that I cannot communicate better. Can't wait to get some proper Spanish under my belt. There just aren't enough words in English to describe days like today!

I had to pump the rear tyre three times today do that needs attention. Given the darkness & rain I've left that for the morning.

I'm not even thinking about tomorrow. It's 180 km to the next town. Nothing in between. If the wind is like today that could take three days!!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 112 - some extra sky pics!
(Apologies, Mods 😀)

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 113, Friday, January 03, 2020, Cuatro Cienegas to Stealth camp 155km marker Mex 30 77 km

I sleep better, and longer in the tent, I think. A few pages of my book and I was out like a light. The wind and the rain were like a lullaby to me!

I was awake after sunup and savoured the warmth of my sleeping bag for an extra few minutes. Then it was up and time to get puncture fixing!

The wheel was totally flat this time, so no cheating today! I got the tyre off and quickly located the hole. This was a new puncture, nothing to do with the tear in the sidewall. (That's growing slowly). I patched the tube and checked the tyre. There was a 1,5 cm gash in the tyre at the puncture point but nothing remained. I booted that too!

Low on water I skipped breakfast planning to get it in town.

I set off and was blown into town - the wind was going to be an important factor again!

I found a little store and stocked up on water. I've 3 liters between my two big bottles, 750 mls in my dog deterrent bottle, 3 liters in a camelback on my back and 2 more liters in a bladder in a pannier.

Breakfast was a coffee from the store and tacos from Ismael, a street vendor. Delicious! If a little spicy.

A rare photo of the Three Amigos - Hobbes, Roccado & your narrator.

I was sitting in the village's plaza, directly opposite the old church - a delightful building, although very simple & modest inside.

All the little villages I have passed through have some kind of a public park. These are always neat, clean and full of seats. The furniture might be very old, but it is well cared for. There seems to be a strong sense of civic mindedness amongst the citizens. In one little village yesterday, the local park had been decked out for Christmas. No fancy lights or expensive ornaments. The highlight for me was a Christmas tree made from tyres! The biggest on the bottom, a slightly smaller one in top and so on….all painted green!

By the time I was leaving town it was after 11am, hardly the ideal time to be setting out to cross a desert!

Once out of the village the road settled down into a good quality two lane with a wonderfully wide shoulder. Perfect riding conditions - except for the wind!

Unlike yesterday, the sky was mainly empty of clouds and, at the start, at least, the mountains were in the distance.

To be honest it's difficult to describe today's cycling. It wasn't boring, that's for certain, but very little happened and very little changed. Traffic was very light in my direction, I had lots of room. There were few places to stop. It was a case of cycling along on good surfaces through country, though interesting, was very similar.

At least that was the case until later in the afternoon after a bit of climbing when I came across green fields in the middle of the desert! Now that was a surprise!

If you look at this section of Mex 30 (about 130km along) on Google satellite view you'll see big circles. Today, I figured out what they are!! Irrigation machines that rotate, forming a circle of watered land! It was really interesting to see the fertile curves surrounded by bone dry soil. Unfortunately, this sight was accompanied by a dead straight road facing directly into the wind! Most definitely my least favourite straight section thus far. I thought it would never end!!

I had set off without a destination in mind. I just wanted to get as many Kms under my belt as possible to make the next town reachable tomorrow. I knew I'd have to stealth camp but it was pretty clear that my options were limited. Other than the fertile area, everything was scrub with no cover or a mountain! There were frequent culverts under the road, though. They were looking like an answer to my problem.

Despite the fact that the sun was hardly obstructed by clouds it was never terribly warm thanks to the brutal wind. Unfortunately, there was no respite from the sun. About 3:30 pm I felt the onset of a headache and also noticed that I was finding it harder to concentrate. Ideally, I'd pull off into some shade and rest up, but there was no shade!

Anyone see a nice place to pitch a tent??

From 5pm I began looking earnestly for a culvert. I found one after a bend which meant the wind wouldn't be barreling through it. I cycled slowly until the road was clear then made a dash for it. Once down I'm hidden from the road. It's a little over a meter tall, so too low for my tent. I'll be sleeping al fresco tonight!

Mi casa

I had food - tuna wraps, Nutella wraps and some nuts. I made some lemon & ginger tea. Once this is finished, it's into the sleeping bag for me. Here's hoping there's no creepy crawlies!!




If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 114, Saturday, January 04, 2020, Stealth camp 155km marker Mex 30 to San Pedro 111km

For years I've been reading blogs, mainly on CGOAB, of epic bike tours, and sometimes not so epic. Many have included nights spent in culverts and after last night I have joined that group!

It's really not so bad!! Maybe I was lucky - my culvert was rather clean and relatively smooth. It was located just before a bend so the chances of traffic stopping was virtually nil. Because it was so low I set out my sleeping pad near enough to one end. The result was that I got to see the stars in all their glory when I lay down. It was a pretty cool spot!

I was disturbed at some stage by what I think was a half bark. A wild dog, or even a pack of wild dogs would not be fun. I lay still, hearing nothing. Then I switched on my head torch to light up outside, thinking that might blind and scare anything away. Ha! I only succeeded in blinding myself! All remained quiet, then a little later I heard the half bark again, but further away. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The morning was cold! I cursed myself for my organisation the night before. Had I been smarter I could have had breakfast in bed! As it was, I crawled around and had Nutella wraps and a coffee. Outside I was surprised to see a decent coating of frost on the panniers.

I packed up and hit the road, gizmo reading 5C. At that time of the morning and at that temperature the wind was barely a factor. I was soon rolling along enjoying the coolness. The long, straight road to the mountains wasn't as opressive without a headwind.
My morning view - pre-coffee hence the artistic angle

Again, most of the traffic was coming against me so the cycling was relaxed, pleasant and meditative.

The mountains changed colour as I got closer. Strangely, as the temperature rose I felt cooler - the wind was rising too and it was nippy!

About 10:30 I came to a roadside
restaurant and stopped for some food and a chance to top up my water. An unexpected surprise, gratefully accepted!

Now, when I say restaurant, it wasn't a restaurant in the European sense, but the food was simple, wholesome and tasty!

Back on the road I was powering along with my unexpected fuel. Everything was going swimmingly until it wasn't! Up ahead I could see a turn into the mountains. I knew there was a bit of climbing to do and had expected to have already started. It looked like the climbing would start after that bend. I reckoned it was 10-15 minutes away and felt good, ready for the climb. But here's the thing with long straight roads - distances are deceptive! It was a good 90 minutes before I made it to that bend. 90 minutes of me telling myself "just 10 minutes more!". By the time I arrived I had psyched myself out and was exhausted. Worst of all, there was no place to take a break out of the sun.
The Cursed Bend!

I rounded that cursed bend and the climbing began - into the wind. It was brutal and savage. The ascent wasn't steep, but the wind added to the gradient. When there was a bit of descent I had to work just as hard, again thanks to the wind.

Seeing a crash barrier that was so high it cast a shadow I pulled up & rested in the shade.

Setting off again I had real doubts that I would make it to civilisation today.

In fairness, there wasn't a huge amount of climbing and sooner than expected I reached an open plateau and thankfully, turned out of the worst of the wind.

However, I do need to go back to before that horrible bend. As I was labouring along a car pulled up opposite me and the lady driver started talking to me. Frustrated at my lack of comprehension of her Spanish she did a U-turn and pulled up beside me. Her daughter was in the passenger seat, two more kids and at least one dog in the back seat and she wanted to give me a tow! I think she was trying to tell me that there were big hills around the bend. All I had to do was hang on to the door and she'd pull me along!

Now, I've never been pulled by a car and I sure wasn't about to start on Mex 30, going up hills being pulled by a woman with whom I could not communicate!

None of them in the car quite understood my reluctance but when it was clear that I was grateful, but I was happy to cycle on, everyone rummaged in the car until a half drunk bottle of coke was thrust at me! Again, I declined, trying my best to show my gratitude. What wonderful people!

Back on the plain I started to fly along - at least flying by my standards. I noticed a wobble at the rear of the bike & thinking the trailer might be a bit soft pulled in. Nope! Rear wheel soft again! I pumped it up and set off again. The wind seemed to have died down and I was making great progress for an hour. Then the wind picked up again and I wasn't making such great progress.

From one moment to the next it seemed like my belly fell out of me and I was suddenly ravenously hungry. I stopped and tore into some jerky eating like a man possessed!

Once I got going again a car pulled up beside me and indicated I should stop. Two guys in the front seats I was a little nervous, but there was regular traffic.

My nerves weren't helped when the driver went to the boot and took something out.

Edgar was getting me a jar of honey, for energy for my trip! He'd seen me a few days ago on the road to Sabinas and was genuinely delighted to be able to stop and talk to me. His co-pilot, Xavier handed me a liter of ice cold water which lasted about 5 seconds! Photos were taken, Facebook connections made and once again I was blown away by the welcome, the kindness and the generosity of people!

A weird thing from today and I suppose, an indication of how our minds work and are influenced by our senses. During the climbing, through an arid, bone dry landscape, I was passed by a couple of trucks carrying silage. It took me a moment to place the pungent, slightly acidic aroma that filled my nostrils but when I did I was transported back in time more than 30 years to a time in my childhood when I'd visit the farm of an old friend. That self same smell was ever present, or so it seemed. So from a Mexican desert to an Irish Midlands farm in seconds! Now that's travelling!

When I did finally get away I was so pumped up I was flying again! About 10km from San Pedro I finally had a decent data signal but neither booking.com nor Expedia had a listing. I picked a hotel at random from Google maps and rode on.

Approaching town a pickup slowed down beside me and the lady passenger offered me an apple as her husband shouted questions at me!

On the edge of town I stopped at an Oxxo store. I deserved a coke! The ladies working there were all questions and before I got to leave another woman came over from a car wanting a selfie with the bike. She sulked until I got in too!

I found the hotel easily enough and got a room. Had a long shower, did my shower foot stomping laundry and hit their restaurant for food. I was exhausted but the food was delicious. Simple, but very tasty.

My first desert crossing is complete!

I was nervous about that, and it was certainly very tough, especially parts of today. But the social encounters, the openness of people are just so uplifting!




If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 115, Sunday, January 05, 2020, San Pedro to the edge of Torreon 78km

I should have known better than to have two cups of coffee with my dinner last night. I got to sleep ok, but was wide awake after only three hours!

Oh well, it gave me time to plan a route for the next day. Perhaps it was the caffeine surging through me, but I decided to dust off my cojones and take some backroads!

I did fall back to sleep about 6am and slept until 9. I went to an Oxxo up the road for coffee and set about my rear wheel. Now, with access to water I could see a slow leak just outside my patch. I didn't think I had misplaced the patch so removed it and had proof that there were indeed two holes along the seam. I repatched to cover both holes, checked the tyre thoroughly and reassembled the bike.

I also spent a bit of time checking out accommodation options, finally settling on a hotel between Matamoros & Torreon. It wasn't because of its location or features - it was the cheapest!

All the fustering about meant that it was noon before I left the hotel. I had a serious argument with myself over staying for another night. It was cheap and very nice but travelling me beat lazy me!

Mexican towns & cities (at least so far) use one way systems which takes some of the stress out of negotiating them. The general road conditions can be dire, though, and the sheer destructive force of the speed bumps should not be underestimated!

I was soon out in the country where the view was similar to previous days, but the road was smaller and narrower. Traffic was fine, passing me with a wide sweep and if anyone thought it strange to be biking along there, there were no indications of it.

I turned onto a smaller road that seemed to be just dried mud and stone, following an irrigation canal - bone dry of course!

The views were spectacular as I bounced along, waving to the handful of men out walking their flocks of goats.

The road changed to gravel and I cycled through a couple of small settlements. The road surfaces in these places can be incredibly bad with big holes and cracks. There was certainly less engagement as I cycled through these places. I was more likely to receive a sullen stare than a wave or a smile.

Bouncing along this rough road I began to regret my caffeine infused decision. I wasn't afraid although I was aware that I was literally in the middle of nowhere, it was simply that my recently dusted off cojones we're taking a hammering on the rough roads! When I came to a paved road crossing I took the opportunity to check my maps and saw that I could take this to the highway, then zip down the highway and rejoin my adventure route further down the road where, hopefully, the surface would be kinder.

Not cycling through the desert.....cycling in the desert!

So I did….and it was! Back on Mex 30, old friends reunited, although, like my cojones, Mex 30 was battered today. As I cycled happily along in the rough shoulder I started to feel the now familiar softness from the rear. The tyre was going down…...again! I won't quote my language verbatim, but it was loud, frustrated, contained some Spanish and was, if I do so myself, surprisingly creative!

Taking advantage of a crash barrier before I left the highway & crossed back onto the backroads I stopped to pump up the wheel. Once stopped I could feel the full force of the sun. Hot work! Octavia hailed me from the other side of the road, came over & offered me a lift to Torreon! I told him I'd be fine, but he wanted to give me his number in case I had any problems. So far as I know my sim is data only (what good is voice in Mexico when I don't speak nor understand Spanish?) so we connected on Facebook instead.

I'm not a fan of Facebook but it's certainly handy!

(When I arrived at my hotel I had a friend request from Octavia and immediately afterwards a message offering any assistance!)

On the road I was zipping along! This was an agricultural area, well irrigated and developed. I immediately felt better. I know (some) farmers - they're all, at least, a little crazy, have a tendency to drive too fast but they don't go around kidnapping foreigners!

What was interesting was that the mountains I've been seeing for the past few days looked different when rising out of a lush, green landscape compared to sand and scrub.

I'd pass through a little village and the road would disappear, replaced by huge and varied potholes. Actually, think craters! Louisiana has met its match in terms of road surfaces! Outside each of these villages, normally at the first bend in the road, would be the local dump.

The roads could be lethal at times with huge craters and cracks. In the distance oncoming traffic was weaving left and right. It was not an unusual sight for cars to be driving on the wrong side of the road.

The last stretch - the shoulder was fun!

By now it was heading on for 5 pm but I was relaxed as my hotel was close at hand. Joining the main road between Matamoros and Torreon I saw my first bicycle path in Mexico and pulled in to the first Oxxo I saw for a coffee. Since I was close to my hotel I tried to buy a beer for consumption on arrival. Alas! It was not to be! I'm thinking alcohol sales are banned on Sundays!

Having grown up in Ireland I'm not in a position to complain about such things. I usually appreciate these quirks from one place to the next - although it may take a period of adjustment!

At this point I did a very silly thing. No, I did a totally, dumb thing.

At a distance of 2,4 km from my hotel I used Google Maps to navigate.

Google maps has many great features and I use it regularly - but never to navigate on a bicycle. In my defence I was very tired and very, very hungry.

I crossed the road by going over a high walkway only to be led to a dump. I did attempt to go through but turned back after rounding a corner and finding myself in an area that would feature in no tourist guide. My gut was screaming at me to get away so I did. I crossed back over the main road.

I went further down the road and crossed again (another walkway) only to be met by a gate.

I walked back and took a road and ended up in what could only be described as slums - of course, now in the dark.

I actually cycled past the hotel since it was in a walled compound. I banged on the big metal gate & was admitted. Don't let the "walled compound" bit fool you - this is no fancy resort - I can rent the room by the hour here!

They tried to overcharge me on check in - I had a confirmed price from Booking.com. After much waiting I paid my fee and settled in. Then the boss came showing me something else about commission. I had no choice really than to pay the extra (about €3), but the principle bugged me. Probably no comeback from Booking.com since I paid in cash - I wasn't giving them my credit card!

Of course there were no good options and I didn't fancy going out in the dark searching for food. I sat down and ate a hearty meal of jerky, crackers and some nuts. Then I set about my rear wheel.

The good news is that this was a whole new puncture! A tiny sliver of wire penetrated the tyre. Once removed, I replaced the tube altogether. I'm running low on patches so thought I'd save them. I have a spare folding tyre, a Schwalbe, that I'd rather keep for the more remote areas. This tyre should get me to Mazatlãn, at least.

Once that was done, it was time for bed. The room was bitterly cold by now. It doesn't have any glass in the window - only a wire mesh. The TV remote is covered in plastic. It's that kind of place! I slept in my night clothes on the bed (not in it!) using my sleeping bag as a quilt.

All in all, it was an unpleasant way to end the day. The rough roads early on weren't the best for cycling, but great for a sense of adventure! The kindness of Octavio again highlighted what great people there are around and, probably more importantly, who are willing to break the ice, so to speak. The experience with the hotel and Google maps was a lesson in false economy and possibly rushing the choice of accommodation. On a positive note it made for a great night's sleep! - once Lazy me stopped his crowing!

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 116, Monday, January 06, 2020, edge of Torreon to Nazareno 37km

I was awake well before sunrise and whoah! it was cold!!

Since I was going to be on a main road & going through the city I didn't feel obliged to be starting too early.

I got up, packed, dropped off my key and was let out through the big steel gate. Quite literally the first thing I had to deal with was a pack of dogs, or more correctly, three packs of dogs on the street outside. One directly outside the gate, one half way up the street and the last at the top of the street. There was lots of barking, less chasing and zero threat, really. One dog was proudly carrying a dead bird so that seemed to be a distraction!

I hopped into the main road into Torreon and followed that as far as was safe, then moved onto a parallel road. Traffic was heavy, but respectful in the main, although the side of the road needed constant attention due to debris and potholes.

I stopped for breakfast at a 7-11 and continued on directly into the city centre. It was surprisingly straightforward. Plaza Mayor was beautiful in the sun. I'd have stopped only there was nowhere I saw for coffee. Besides, I had a long day ahead of me.

My target for the day was Cuencame, about 120km away and a lot higher than I already was! According to all my apps there were no hotels or campgrounds between Torreon and there. I could have stayed in Torreon but that would have been a 10km day and leaving me with a toughie tomorrow. My hope was that Nazareno would have accommodation options not listed in any app. The truth is that I was feeling rather tired and a 120km day, steadily uphill under a hot sun was going to be putting me under pressure.

Within two streets of the luxury of the Plaza Mayor I was on the "other" side of town. It was the same in the U.S. from wealth to poverty in two blocks.

I passed through the less salubrious parts of the city, heading for the hills.

Realising I was on the edge of civilisation I stopped at a little store for water, some pastries and a Coke. The lady was very nice & friendly and invited me to sit in an area where her little daughter was sitting, playing. I ate my food, drank my Coke watching the TV coverage of the Three Kings - a big part of Christmas in the Spanish speaking world.

Onwards again and I met the first wave of a very heavy paramilitary presence. There was a roadblock but I was waved on.

I was now heading into the mountains, but the view was definitely spoiled by a huge dump on one side of the road. Leaving that behind the road settled into a shoulderless two lane with relatively light traffic. The only issue I'd have is when I was on the same section of road as two passing cars.

In a relatively short time the temperature had gone from 5C to 22C and I could feel the sun. The wind was hardly present at all.

It wasn't too long before the serious climbing began and in a country where the road planners seem to have a cavalier attitude to safety, the road separated for the climb, oncoming traffic on a completely different road! I was glad of the extra space as progress was slow and wavey. I was soon in my granny gear and heating up fast. The countryside, however, was compensating in style.

At the top of the climb two things happened - the separate roads merged and the wind hit me with a vengeance! I had a sharp descent then a straight road off into the distance.

I flew down and attempted to keep my speed up but the wind eventually wore me down. After stopping to take photo I never recovered my previous momentum.

This was, by now, familiar territory to me, with mountains, scrubland and a long straight road.

How cool is that? This dry, mountainous area of Mexico is now familiar to me!!

I pedalled along, humming away to myself, watching my mirror and just enjoying the moment. The wind was keeping me cool and I could drink my water with wild abandon knowing that there were lots of stores along the way.

I passed through a little town and continued on. Coming to Nazareno I kept my eyes peeled for anything resembling a hotel. I stopped at the local Oxxo for a cold drink and got talking to a man who spoke very good English. He mistook me for an American and when I replied that I was from Ireland he said he knew it well, then complimented me on my English! Then he wanted 10 pesos "for something" which led to him disappearing into the store as soon as he got it.

I cycled on out of town and then I saw it! A hotel!! I pulled in and an old man was sweeping the courtyard. I got a room for a decent price and plonked myself down in the cool courtyard to just relax.

A little later, I hopped on the bike & went back to town to buy some beer and some food from a street vendor. I also found a bike shop and bought some more patches - just in case! I had considered hitting a supermarket and cooking something on the trangia, but I was feeling too lazy!

Back at the hotel I had a wonderful, lazy afternoon updating this, eating some roasted meat and drinking beer! It's a tough life!

My plan is just relax and take it easy. There's a TV in the room but it doesn't work, but I do have a good shower!

This little guy lives outside my room!

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 117, Tuesday, January 07, 2020, Nazareno to Cuencamé 89km

It's funny how things work out. A couple of days ago, in a caffeine induced fit of bravery, I decided to tackle some backroads. Today, in the middle of nowhere I was faced with no realistic option but to take the king of backroads! Had I not had the experience (and the resulting diminished anxiety) of the other day I would have been rightly fecked today! But that's a little later in today's tale from the road.

I slept very well and slowly got myself organised. It's amazing how the contents of my panniers can explode in a confined space!

I raided the local Oxxo for breakfast and witnessed the collection of money from the store. It involved at least three guys, all armed, one with a pump action shotgun. Another reminder that all is not well in these parts.

I set off again on the two lane enjoying the cool morning. It's that wonderful time when it's still cold in the shade, but pleasant in the sun. Traffic was still light and all was good in my world.

My first climb of the day was not too far away, pleasant but demanding. Then a drop on the other side and a straight road disappearing in the distance. These straight roads just seem so appropriate, somehow, in this landscape.

I pedalled on enjoying the silence between cars. Really, it was just the wind in my ears and the sound of my drivetrain running. At least until I started to sing!

I passed a couple of small settlements and then, in the middle of nowhere I had a choice to make. According to all maps the "main" road veered right and a minor road ran straight on, eventually turning east. The only problem was that the minor road was the road I was on and the "main" road was full of rocks!!

The only traffic to pass me was a man with a donkey & cart - he took the minor road. I checked all my maps and the road running east was no good for me at all. I could take the Rocky road or turn back.

Just then a truck slowed down and took the Rocky road. "Feck it", says I, "I'm going that way too!"

It wasn't easy. It wasn't comfortable. It certainly wasn't fast. But it was a lot of fun!! The surface was abominable! Sometimes it would smooth out for maybe 20 or 30 meters but then it was back to rocky & lumpy. Sections were pure washboard, bouncing me up and down. But this was adventure!

Two pickups passed me from the other direction and two from my own in the two hours I was bouncing along. I saw some kind of a wild animal, not big, but with massive ears standing straight on its head. No! It wasn't a rabbit!

The landscape was pure desert, sometimes flat & sandy, sometimes covered in scrub. At one stage I did come across a handful of scrawny cattle foraging along the road. God help them but there was very little to eat.

There was a little climbing in there too, but I hardly noticed really, just trying to find the smoothest line along the road.

When I finally made it to the main road I was delighted with myself! It was tough going, but great fun.

Mex 40 was a two lane shoulderless road, fairly heavily populated with big trucks. In the main they gave me lots of room but when two vehicles were coming in opposite directions with me in the middle it wasn't a lot of fun.

Adding to the fun was the fact that the road surface had been laid directly on top of the previous road. There was ample evidence of this at the edge where "my" road surface had broken away and I could see the white line of the "old" surface underneath. In practise, this meant that there was a drop of at least 15-20cm from the side of the road onto whatever happened to be there - sand, scrub, gravel or rocks.

Seeing a roadside restaurant at a small settlement I pulled in for some food.

The food was simple, but great. Tacos with refried beans & beef. The cold coke to wash them down was also good. Since I had joined Mex 40 I was aware that 40D, the toll road was running almost parallel. That, at least, would have a shoulder. Looking at my maps I could see that not too far away there was a slip road joining the toll road - but going in the wrong direction, towards Torreon. Thinking this was strange and noticing the large number of trucks on my road I decided to investigate. There was indeed a slip road like the maps said, but also a slip road off the toll road too. By taking that I could get on the correct side of the road. So I did! It wasn't easy - they actually had two sets of spikes across the road that flipped up if a car crossed in the wrong direction! I also passed a no cycling sign! Apparently, I wasn't the only one with this idea!

I know it sounds dangerous to cycle the wrong way up a slip road onto a motorway but it really wasn't that bad. Visibility was excellent and there was very light traffic. Riding on these toll roads in Mexico is very common according to the blogs I've read.

Once on the road I understood why. It was wonderful cycling! I had a shoulder to myself, traffic was light and respectful, the trucks especially, often pulling into the outer lane to give me maximum space. I got lots of beeps and waves, sometimes from the other side. I could relax and just admire the view. There were even places to stop! Regular lay-bys with bins and containers of water - for engines, not people. I had not a single negative reaction from anyone on the road.

There was regular climbing, then descending, although I was getting higher the further I went. Having the shoulder was great for the climbing. I was about half way to Cuencamé, most on the toll road. I flew along. Coming to the toll booth and exit I pulled into the filling station for a coffee.

Approaching the toll booth I was a little nervous as an older man with a walkie talkie signalled me to stop. He wanted me off the road, onto some grass beside the booth, even helping me to lift the bike over the kerb. Once past the booth I could get back on the road. I'm guessing there's a sensor or similar counting vehicles. My first trip on the toll road was a roaring success!

I immediately missed the road when I saw what was in front of me! A two laner, with a shoulder, that looked like it had been dug up, ploughed, and glued back together by a bunch of anti-car activists! It was brutal! The road was so bad a lot of cars and trucks drove in the shoulder or on the wrong side of the road! There was more climbing too! I was back to bumping along. Then about 15kms from the end the surface improved and I flew into Cuencamé. I passed one of the hotels on the edge of town and located another on the main Street.

After a shower I wandered down the street to a simple restaurant for dinner. A powercut made it more interesting! After dinner I took a walk around the little town. I don't know if it was a late opening night but a lot of the shops were open. It was really nice to wander around. Not for the first time I regretted my lack of Spanish.

I'm about 150km from Durango with a fair bit of climbing thrown in. I'll break that down to two days rather than push it and arrive in the dark in a big city. I might take an extra day in Durango city before tackling the next thing on my list - The Devil's Backbone!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 118, Wednesday, January 08, 2020, Cuencamé to Guadalupe Victoria 68km

Since I'd decided to take two days to cover the 150km odd to Durango I was expecting a nice, relaxed day today.

Ha! Cabrón!

I would have liked to give Durango a shot in one go if I could go the whole way on the toll road. As things stood, though, I either had to go back to where I got off it yesterday, or cycle on another 25km until I could rejoin it. Once on it, there were no services or accommodation until the edge of Durango if things went pear shaped.

In keeping with the theme of a relaxed day I stopped for a wonderful breakfast of yoghurt, fruit & granola with an omelette of chorizo, ham & cheese. Believe it or not, these were served with tortilla chips and two dips - one mild and one fire! For breakfast!!

I think it was almost 10 am when I was hitting the road. A relaxed day, right?

The road split at Cuencamé, me staying on 40 and 47 heading away. I was hoping that the split in roads would split the traffic and it seemed like I was right - leaving Cuencamé I had the road pretty much to myself.

Now, in this case, "road" is a very generous description! "A collection of cracks, potholes and lumps held together with various bonding materials" would be a far more accurate. For the first couple of kms I was bouncing around like I had yesterday then the road settled down into something more normal.

It was pretty cold this morning but it wasn't long until that wasn't an issue. In the first 5.5km I climbed 500 meters! That's a good way to get warmed up, although I nearly cried when I immediately lost most of that gain. To add insult to injury I got the full force of a fairly strong wind on the way down and the long, straight road fading away in the distance faced right into that self same wind!

All of a sudden my relaxing day was being, quite literally, blown away!

Traffic was relatively light in my direction. It seemed most traffic was heading north. As is becoming usual, the truckers were the friendliest of all, giving lots of space, tooting horns & waving. There's something uplifting during a long, hard ascent when an arm comes out a window to wave vigorously at you. A glance at the windscreen rewards you with a smiling face.

In my back pocket I had the option of joining the toll road at Yerbanis. This would mean overshooting my planned stop and having to double back - longer for sure, but probably easier.

I'd expected to reach Yerbanis in about 90 minutes but it was more like 2,5 hours. I stopped to get a cold drink and rest for a few minutes. I was happy enough with the traffic level and the surface seemed ok so I decided to stay on the road I was on. Taking the toll road was another 30km added on to my daily distance.

What followed was a series of dips - steep drops down followed immediately by corresponding climbs with no real altitude gain. Darn! Darn! Darn!

These were energy sapping due to having to battle the wind on the way down and soul sapping due to achieving nothing!

I passed a few small villages & stopped in each one for a few minutes just to rest. It was very hard work.

With about 25km to go, I got hit with a triple whammy - the sun that had been behind cloud for most of the day broke out sending the temperature up, while the traffic level increased and finally there was a marked change in tone of the traffic.

That started leaving the last village when someone screamed at me from a van - that's the first hostility I've suffered in Mexico! It continued with the most close passes since the States. I don't know if it was because it was getting late in the day and everyone was in a hurry but too many times when there was oncoming traffic cars & trucks squeezed between us. It got so bad I started looking for places where I could pull off and I'd wait until the road was clear. It made for a slow, unenjoyable ride. My focus became simple - stay safe & find a hotel.

I arrived, finally, in Guadalupe Victoria, a decent sized town, found a hotel & checked in.

I wasted no time in having a shower and looking for food.

I found a restaurant, ordered some food and had a beer. As I was enjoying my beef tacos I found myself smiling for what seemed like the first time in hours. I could also feel the tension flowing out of my neck and back. I hadn't realised how tense I was.

I wandered around the centre of town on my way back to the hotel, taking a detour through the town park. Again, a lovely civic space but full of birds, all chattering. A wonderful sound right beside the main road that runs right through the centre of town!


Not a bad ending to a tough old day!


Tomorrow is the last run into Durango. I've booked an AirBnB and will stay two nights. I'll be taking the toll road for as long as possible!!

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 119, Thursday, January 09, 2020, Guadalupe Victoria to Durango 84km

Way, way, way back when I was looking at rough plans and thinking of Mexico, Durango was on my list of places to visit. It's one end (the high end) of the "Devil's Backbone" road linking to Mazatlãn. By all accounts it's an interesting city in it's own right, full of early Spanish architecture. So, it's hardly a surprise that I sprung out of bed this morning excited at the prospect of finally reaching here.

I got dressed and went across the road to the Oxxo for a coffee, then sat drinking it in the park watching the town come to life and listening to all the birds in their morning excitement! It was a cool morning and there was a lot of cloud cover. Then it was back to the hotel, load up Roccado and head off!

I stopped on the edge of town for a bite to eat and set off into a wind that was already strong. I had about 10km to cover until I could join the cuota - toll road.

My Lord! The road was bumpy! Seriously bad surface! Progress was slow! Having failed to have my relaxed day yesterday, I was determined to have it today so I was focusing on the smooth, wide shoulder that awaited me further down the road.

In fairness, the traffic was very light and the bonhomie of previous days had returned - lots of space, waves & toots! I was going slow, working hard, but it was enjoyable.

Away to my left the landscape was glorious. There were green hills in the foreground, blue mountains in the background, a patchwork of clouds of different shades and depths in front of a blue background. Photos don't do it justice, but it was beautiful!

I came across a big prison on the left. I'd have taken a photo but they can be fussy about such things. As it turned out, a car was waiting for me alongside the prison. A girl, who did all the talking in Spanish (despite me saying I had no Spanish!) and a guy doing his best to translate. She wanted to make a video of a kind of interview. Sure, what else would I be doing?

Finally I arrived at the turnoff for the cuota and I happily took it. But there was no shoulder! Well, no shoulder that was usable! A kerb on the right, about 30cm wide and with cats eyes down the middle. Disaster!

I stopped, whipped out the phone and checked various points along the route using Google Street View (so handy in cycle.travel). Yep! This was the whole way!

In the time I was doing this one car and one truck had passed me so it was by no means busy. However, this was relatively early in the morning. I had no idea how busy it might be later and I certainly expected it to be busier closer to Durango. While I could take the lane now, there was no guarantee that I could later.

Reluctantly, I turned around and went back up the slip road (the wrong way…..again!!) and rejoined good ol' Mex 40 again.

It's hard to bitch about my enforced return to Mex 40 because it was running through such fantastic country. It's not that there were single interesting views, it was the totality of the view that was so amazing. Apart from the occasional dip in the road I was riding along a great plain with hills and mountains jutting up singly or in lines in the distance. Of course, the plain meant wind and the surface wasn't great, but they were as nothing to where I was and what I was doing!

There were very few places to stop and I did lose some fantastic photo opportunities simply because there was no safe place to pull in.

That didn't stop Poncho, though! He slowed down behind me in his pick up, freaking me out a bit to be honest, then pulled along side me & started asking if there was anything I needed - food, water, anything! I pointed out that a truck was coming towards him so he pulled right off the road so we could have a proper chat.

He'd passed me going the other way, turned around and chased me down. He's a cyclist too and thought what I was doing was great! We connected on Facebook (this is really starting to come in handy!) and by the time of my next stop he'd sent out a post to all his friends explaining who I was, what I was doing and asking them to help me along!! That's the second one of these posts that has been made on my behalf in the past couple of days! Mexico is really amazing!

Of course, the other advantage of Mex 40 is towns, and specifically, food stops! Passing through one small town my nose filled with the most amazing aroma! I had to stop! I have no idea what it was that I ate, but the ladies making it were very nice and the food was delicious! As I was waiting for my food another man approached me speaking English asking all the usual questions. He was very happy that I had such a positive impression of Mexico. After my food he came back with more questions and request for a photo. I was happy to pose and then he called out two of the ladies who made my food. I think he may have owned the place and wanted to use me in an advertising campaign! In any case, I figured out that after 20 years living in the Netherlands, I am finally in a place where I am taller than the average female!

Some of the towns can be very pretty....but the road surfaces are dire!

On the road progress was slow. The surface was rough, sometimes very rough, and the wind was pretty prominent. Most of the traffic and all of the trucks were excellent. However, at times when an oncoming car met an upcoming car at the same time as they all passed me it got pretty hairy. A lot of the time there was a nasty drop from the side of the road - not something you'd want to take at speed - so I'd often estimate a pinch point well in advance and look for a likely bailing point. It meant a lot of standing and waiting for the road to clear, but I was determined to have a relaxing day!

I stopped again for some more food later. These little places along the road are great! I explain I'm hungry, they babble at me, I look blankly and they make me something delicious!! Imagine how good it will be when I can understand them!

The last 25kms into Durango were slow going, mainly due to the wind. When the main road got too busy I took a parallel side street. Then I entered the residential area and progressed steadily. Nearing my AirBnB I pulled into an Oxxo to buy a beer to mark the end of my day. No beer!!! The first Oxxo without beer!

I found the AirBnB easily enough, got settled in and asked if there was anywhere I could buy a beer. The son of the owner walked with me to another Oxxo and success!!

I've sat down in their little garden as the sun is falling to write this, enjoying my beer. They have a wonderful dog who is gentle and playful, but big enough to roughhouse with. There is something so relaxing about rubbing a dog! I've been very fortunate to have been the co-owner of the world's greatest, dumbest, bravest, yet sometimes cowardly, most playful, loyal and downright lovable dog. Damn! I miss him!

Anyways, it feels pretty good to be here! It feels like the end of a stage. The road from Durango to Mazatlãn is well documented. I'm back in the world of other cycle tourists. My adventure of going where not many others have gone has ended!

I'm off to have a well earned shower, throw on some fresh clothes and get something to eat!

Durango!!

Tomorrow I'm going to have a tourist day and wander around the historical centre. That definitely is going to be relaxing day!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 120, Friday, January 10, 2020, Being a tourist in Durango 0km


I had a lovely day wandering around the old city. I hit a couple of museums, but lacking Spanish I missed a lot. I did a lot of sitting and watching people. Had my AirBnb had hot water I'd have been tempted to stay another day.

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/
for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 121, Saturday, January 11, 2020, Durango to El Parador de la Montana 67km Min meters 1871, Max Meters 2360, Total Climb 1272, Total Descent 819

I wasn't up too early today - the mornings are quite cold. Looking at my route last night I realised that my climbing isn't over!! I have another bit to go up before I can go down! With that in mind I'd picked out a possible campground about 65km down the road. A nice easy day!

The climbing began literally out the gate of my Airbnb - a great way to warm up!

Very quickly I was on Mex 40 and had no problems as traffic was very light. I was soon out of the city and at a complicated figure 8 type intersection. No problem! One car passed me!

Straight away there was a police checkpoint but I was just waved through with smiles & cheers.

Then the climbing really began!! Slow & steady was the progress. It was amazing how quickly I was above the city! Traffic was very light and barely an issue.

When the climb levelled off I had a look at Gizmo to see I'd risen 395m in 13 km. That's a good way to get the heart going!

Once levelled off, I was cycling across a wide plain, steady progress being made. Then the descent started!! It's not often I don't enjoy a good descent, but truth be told I'd worked very hard to get up here and I knew as soon as I was down, it was straight back up again!!

What started as a straight road down soon became twisty and a lot more fun! Then I came to the most amazing vista and just had to stop!

As always I reached for my compañero, my bike buddy, Hobbes, to make the picture more personal.

He was gone!

My mind flew back along the road at the speed of light until it landed on the last spot I had him out. I remembered putting him back on the bike, but being distracted and not strapping him on.

I hopped straight back on, turned around and started climbing. I don't think I've ever attacked a hill in my life, but I did today! I attacked everything! I could see the spot in my mind and drove myself towards it. All the time I was scanning the road, both sides. A lot of the scrub on the roadside is burnt a dark orange and there are a lot of orange/brown rocks in this area. Lots of false alarms.

I finally arrived at the last photo spot. In my memory there was no place for cars to stop, but when I arrived I saw that was wrong.

There was no sign of my travelling buddy. I hunted everywhere. Still optimistic, I climbed back on the bike and slowly headed off again. With every km my hope faded.

When I finally arrived back at the vista, 25km along, I was not a happy camper..

Hobbes was specially made for me by a friend in time for my first, self supported bike tour. He's been on every one since - long and short. He's been all over Europe strapped onto a bike and on this trip he's crossed the Atlantic and wandered through eight American States and two Mexican ones. He's been the star in lots and lots of photos.

I'm sure it seems silly to a lot of people, but he is a big loss to me. Other than my Ortliebs, he's the only thing that remains from my first time setting off on an adventure. As great as Ortliebs are, they're not exactly going to liven up any photos!! Bike adventure and Hobbes go hand in hand. It'll take a while to get used to his absence.

Setting off again the descent became more twisty. On another day it would be great fun. The views were spectacular! In all I dropped about 6-700m to a small river and then it was straight back up again!

There were cliffs casting shade which was most welcome as I progressed slowly. There were a lot of blind bends to be careful of. Eventually, the extreme climbing levelled off and I could build up a bit of momentum. Every now and then the road Gods would throw another climb in front of me just for laughs!

I'd been banking on a petrol station further down the road to have a cold drink but when I arrived it was closed.

Feeling really tired I checked Gizmo and saw just how many meters I'd climbed! Going back to look for Hobbes had really increased the altitude!

I came across a cabin rental place and did a quick calculation. The sun was setting, the campground I was aiming for was 16km down the road with a lot of climbing - and I wasn't sure it was even open.

I turned off, tried to get a place to pitch my tent & failed so took a cabin.

I dumped my stuff and wandered back across the road to a restaurant. Run by an elderly couple, I was their only customer at that time. Despite my lack of Spanish and his lack of English I was made to feel most welcome - It's a skill of the great hosts.

Dinner was great and I topped up my water supply before leaving.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

Mi compañero (last pic)

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 122, Sunday, January 12, 2020,El Parador de la Montana to "El Tecúan" Ecological Park 18km
Min meters 2319, Max Meters 2638, Total Climb 357, Total Descent 220

If ever there's a place to forget your troubles and be reminded that people are essentially good and friendly, it's Mexico! But more on that later.

I was in no rush this morning. It's cold in the mornings! I got up and had a leisurely breakfast of porridge & coffee. It was near noon when I was setting off.

It being a Sunday I had been hoping for less trucks but Sunday seems to be just another day for truck drivers here! I could hear them labouring up and down the climbs all morning. Their engines can be very loud! A lot of the trucks are old and sound as if they're being held together with rubber bands and a whole lot of hope!

There was another sound as well - motorcycles! There were more than a few, some really flying up and down the roads. I couldn't really blame them - it must be a fantastic road for a powerful bike!

The day started with a descent, then straight back up again! I'm beginning to understand why the Devil is associated with this road!

There's a real mix and match of roads and scenery. The roads can be straight up or down, or else a series of s bends. The s bends require careful consideration since I'm slow moving and they can be blind. However, oftentimes there is a place to stop, catch a breather and enjoy the view - even if it's on the wrong side of the road. The other thing to keep me on my toes is the surface. Quality can vary, often with no warning. Especially important on the descents.

There's a lot more trees now. Normal height trees! And birds! Yesterday, I saw a little bird, similar size to a Robin, but with the most violent red breast! It was flirting amongst the bushes on the side of the road and was so eye-catching!

The traffic is all very well behaved, even the motorcyclists! Sometimes solo or in pairs and sometimes in big packs. As always, lots of waves and beeps of support!

After a couple of hours I arrived at my destination for yesterday, a National Park. On a whim I pulled in and a man came out of his office/home.

Yes, I could camp - but it was going to be very cold!

No, there was no food, but down the road 2kms there was a restaurant.

I decided to feed myself and think about my options.

Food was simple, but great. Because my Spanish was so poor that I had trouble understanding the food options the lady came out of the kitchen with various pots so I could choose by pointing!

Once fed I decided to have a night camping. I miss the tent and a bit of cold won't kill me. Besides, as friendly as the motorbikers were, it was still a bit unnerving being passed by a line of them moving significantly faster than other traffic. On top of all that, I've been looking forward to this road for quite a while, so, what's the rush?

After food I popped next door to somewhere that looked more like a shop. Another restaurant but I was still able to buy some water for my camp. I got talking to a bunch of people in the restaurant who all came out to look at my bike & wish me well. Photos taken, Facebook connections made and later personal messages offering help and assistance while I'm in Mexico! Once again, Mexico delivers up such a welcoming scene!

I climbed back up to the campground, paid 45 pesos a little over €2 and told to camp where I like!

There's a basic toilet block, picnic tables & fire pits & BBQs.

There's a playground and lots of walks. Trees everywhere. There's another two groups who seem to be here for the day. They bring their own speakers!

This is strange camping for me, going from 30C in the daytime to near freezing at night. Since I'm in the scorpion capital area of Mexico I'll need to make sure all my bags are closed and that I shake out my shoes in the morning!

If I was in any doubt about the scorpions, there's a market in Durango that is full of scorpions! Leather scorpions, wooden ones, scorpions in bottles of booze! The market itself is wonderful - if you can find it! Entry is at the back of some shops in a big block. I was walking around for ages looking for a big door!


It's quite interesting just how powerful the sun is in these parts. Once it hides behind a cloud, or the sunlight is shaded by a tree the temperature drops significantly. Today, when the road was in the shade I would be on the verge of shivering, whereas moments before I was roasting in the sun!


As I was sitting, reading my Kindle, I was approached by a man. He was from one of the other groups in the park and would accept nothing else other than I join them for food! Himself, his wife and two sons were in the park for the day, from Durango. I was served up delicious food, corn cooked over an open fire and a glass of coke - with ice! Communication was very difficult, but I was in no doubt that I was very welcome! I showed the two boys my tent and bike and using Google Translate explained how friendly and welcoming everyone is to me. They were all, father especially, proud that their country was having such a positive impression. Once again Facebook connections were made and once again I have a contact for anything I need while in Mexico!

Today was an 18km day! I think that's one of my shortest ever! I think it's important on a tour to have the flexibility to take a day like today. It doesn't all have to be about big distances and following plans.

I was certainly right - Today was a better day!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 123, Monday, January 13, 2020, "El Tecúan" Ecological Park to El Salto 43km
Min meters 2284, Max Meters 2656, Total Climb 600, Total Descent 554

I may have mentioned before that I'm not really one for looking too much at elevation profiles although that is slowly changing on this trip!

What I'm really not good at is understanding them when I do look at them! For some reason I had it in my head that the worst of the climbing is behind me for this stage!

Ha! Dumbass!

The Devil's Backbone is well named! It's up and down, up and down! And then up and down some more!! There is variety in that the ups and downs can be twisty or straight. In any case, I'm in no rush and happy to meander up and roll down!

Last night was fine - not as cold as I was expecting! In truth, the worst of the cold is with the setting sun, then the temperature can drop very quickly. However, once dressed for it, it's fine.

I had a lovely long evening in my tent reading my book. The last family packed up and headed off at sunset.

During the night there was some animal activity, dogs, or perhaps coyotes, mainly in the distance, but some in the vicinity of the tent. Nothing to worry me though. Also, there was an owl somewhere that was calling out. A wonderful sound!

I was close enough to the road as the crow flies and there were regular trucks passing by, their engines straining. All of this added up to a good night's sleep!

The morning was very fresh so I was slow to get going. I got up, made coffee and had some tortillas with honey - the honey donated to me on the road.

It was about 10:30 when I was hitting the road.

I started off with a quick descent then a long, straightish climb. The land is a bit more agricultural, but there are lots of trees. Think forest with areas cleared out by farmers.

The road was quiet and all the motorcyclists were back at work. The road surface is ok, but prone to sudden drops in quality. Easy enough to keep an eye on on the way up, more critical on the way down.

I came close to the toll road and could see that this one was a two laner with what seemed to be a decent, marked shoulder.

After a couple of hours I came across a roadside restaurant and pulled in for food. I needed fuel and I needed a rest. This is tough work!

Moving on it was more of the same - climb, maybe cycle across a plain, then drop back again. It can be quite frustrating actually, watching your height approach a nice, round number then it falls rapidly before hitting it.

If it sounds boring, it most certainly is not! There are lots and lots of trees and I love cycling in the trees! There are not many photo ops for two reasons - one is safety (there are not many safe places to stop) and two - scale (a better camera is required to fit everything in!).

Accommodation options are pretty much limited to the towns now. I have a few wild camping spots in mind from other sources, but local advice was not to use them. In any case, I'm in no real rush to Mazatlán. Organising the language course is tricky and I won't be starting before next week. Seen as I'm in Mazatlán for a few weeks there's no point in rushing there.

While eating, I'd settled on El Salto as my next overnight stop. A good sized town, a choice of hotels. A chance to wander around another Mexican town.

Approaching the town I saw what I took to be a big hotel resort type place. It was big, bright, clean, lots of cabins and what seemed to be a couple of restaurants. Then I saw the guns! An army barracks! El Salto is in a big dip so I rolled carefully down. As is the case in most Mexican towns the road surface is diabolical, as are the speed bumps. The first hotel I saw was on the edge of town with not many services close by. I checked it out but decided it was too expensive for where it was. The next one was more in the centre so I checked in there. It won't be winning any awards but it's a safe place to rest my head.

There was something off about El Salto from the get go. Apart from the big military base, it's a centre for the lumber industry. I received a lot of sullen stares and no waves or smiles - almost unique in my Mexican experience.

I changed my clothes and went out for food. I had a feeling I didn't want to be out after dark and nothing I experienced convinced me otherwise. It's not that anything bad happened, it was more a lack of the usual friendliness I was used to experiencing. My Spidey senses were tingling. I ate and returned to my room. The promised WiFi was non existent so I couldn't even be productive and update this.

I was feeling a bit down, to be honest. I didn't come to Mexico on my bike to be hiding out in a grotty motel room. At least there was an English language movie on the T.V. It was about a 5-headed shark (yes! 5!! 4 at the front and one where the tail should be!) that was on the rampage. To say it was dire would be unfair to all other dire movies. If it was just a teeny bit worse, it may even have been good!

It was followed by another movie where giant sea worms attack an American flotilla that is trying to rescue the President. Time for sleep!

Tomorrow will be better!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/
for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 124, Tuesday, January 14, 2020, El Salto to Parque Natural Mexiquillo 48km
Min meters 2547, Max Meters 2858, Total Climb 625, Total Descent 607

Did I mention the mornings are cold here?!

I had intended on getting an early, at first, light start, but when I got out of bed and had a look I hopped back in again. Bitterly cold and lots of pickups filled with men driving up and down, presumably off to the forests to chop trees.

I gave it another hour, then hopped up and got rolling.

I was expecting to pass a store on the way out of town, but the few there were were all closed. No coffee!!

Immediately, I was into climbing mode - a great way to warm up.

Despite my poor opinion of El Salto, the drivers were their usual courteous selves.

Once out of the town limits there was a real feeling of being in a forest. The trees seemed taller, deeper and closer. There was hardly any traffic and there was regular silence - except for the birds. I even saw a squirrel! What was so commonplace in America to such a rarity here!

After about an hour I could feel myself flagging without any breakfast. Unfortunately, it seemed like there would be no options for a while.

At one stage my road was split by the toll road, then ran along it for a little while. There was a roadside restaurant along the toll road, but no way for me to get there!!

I had the makings of breakfast with me, but no place to stop and eat it safely. Frustrating!!

Turning away from the toll road I passed through the village of La Adjuntas. Along the road were signs warning that the next fuel, telephone & food was 35km down the road.

Now, I was getting grumpy! My water would need to be rationed. Thankfully, I copped a little store & pulled in buying some water and some gorditas - a bit like pita breads. On the way out of the store into the bright sunlight I was glad I was wearing my helmet when I whacked my head off the low door frame! Mexico is a great place for shortarses to feel good about themselves!

Back on the road I was feeling better even as I recommenced climbing. Since there was a guardrail I pulled in, raided my panniers and had a brunch of gorditas with thick, Mexican honey & some nuts. Now, I was definitely feeling better!

While sitting down eating in the sun I realised that the shady side had lots of snow! This scene was repeated all day wherever there was constant shade.

During that time I was passed by three heavily armoured pick-ups, with several armed men standing in the back. While friendly and full of waves for me, it does remind me that there are certain risks in this region.

Today the roads were much more twisty with many steep drops on either side. Guardrails are on the bends, but that's all. Go off the road and you may never be seen again!

After passing several signs warning of dangerous bends I was bemused to see a bus stop located right on one! Even more bemused to see someone hail the bus as it flew around the bend!

Traffic was light, so light, in fact, that often there was just the sound of the wind in the trees and some birds. When traffic appeared, it tended to come in batches, a line together, unable to overtake. Once,when a truck was coming from behind, I got a shock when one rounded a bend in front of me. There was no room for all three of us! I bailed off the road onto a small patch of gravel and clung on for dear life. There was a drop of about 40meters immediately to my right. Both trucks slowed right down and everything was fine. So, so different from America!

A lot of the trucks on this section are carrying lumber. They are far more considerate than their American brethren!

Like yesterday, it seemed to be constant climbing or descending. The twisty roads were a lot more fun, though!

There are also some interesting rock formations in this area.

Coming close to El Cuidad I had some decisions to make. I could camp or take a hostel there or I could go on. Going on would mean stealth camping and I wasn't sure I wanted to, not at least when there were alternatives. I stopped for some food and decided to check out the Natural Park a few kms down the road. Poncho, who I met on the road to Durango had given me some places to camp and this was one. I stocked up on some water and got ready to head off.

On a whim, I doubled back to the Oxxo store to grab a coffee. While sipping it outside, two young guys pulled up on motorcycles beside me. Motorcycles are quite common transport here, often very old machines and low ccs. These bikes were brand new, powerful, scrambler types and stuck out like the proverbial sore thumbs. They ignored me, yet never took their eyes off me. I was feeling very uncomfortable and also glad that I would soon be off the road.

I took the turn, passed several cabin rental places and finally arrived at the park. Trying to figure out where I should make myself known, a guy came out of a restaurant, charged me 95 pesos and told me to camp where I wanted.

Taking him at his word, I've cycled deep into the park. I was following handmade signs for a lake, but I reckon they mean what used to be a lake! The rock formations are amazing and there's no water to be seen.

I'm not the only camper here. There are also some Germans in a big truck type of thing. It's not a conventional RV, but has big wheels and high suspension. It's green and has quite the military air about it. A drone was buzzing overhead while I was eating, a particularly obnoxious sound. If you come across a German titled YouTube video from Mexiquillo Natural Park look out for the grumpy fecker giving the camera the finger - that'll be me!!

It seems this place is famous for off-roading and quad bikes. I passed a long line of them playing follow the leader on my way in. There's also quite a lot of broken glass in some of the areas which is a real shame. However, I don't think I've ever pitched my tent in such an exotic looking location! I hope it's a clear night tonight - despite the cold - this place will look amazing in the moonlight!

If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/

for comments/questions/discussion.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 125, Wednesday, January 15, 2020, Parque Natural Mexiquillo to Wildcamp 64km
Min meters 1982, Max Meters 2766, Total Climb 727, Total Descent 1211

Mother Nature didn't cooperate last night - the sky was cloudy - nor this morning - a heavy layer of frost everywhere.

I got up slowly and took a wander around the park. There was a fair bit of condensation in the tent, so I placed my sleeping bag & sleeping pad on rocks in the sun, moved the tent to benefit from the sunlight and ate a banana and orange for breakfast.

I finally set off a little after 10am and bounced my way back to the little town stopping for a coffee & sandwich.

Then it was a straight climb out of town!

If La espinal del diablo has been playing hard to get up until now, well today was the day she donned her finest garments, spritzed herself with a musky scent and thoroughly seduced me!

It started off as yesterday was, climbing slowly on curving roads through forests. I love forests! It's a toss up as to whether I prefer cycling through forests or cycling beside water, especially the sea. Since I am on my way to the Pacific Ocean to cycle along some of that I can't really be complaining about too much forest!

There were trees everywhere! Along the side of the road, below the road, sometimes on cliffs above the road. Occasionally, there were gaps between the trees and I could see way off in the distance, rows and rows of mountains, dark blue in the front, each subsequent row a lighter shade until the very back rows seemed to merge and be lost in the sky! It was simply spectacular!

I was nearing 3000m and that meant that I was peaking soon. It seemed today that the road was never straight, just a series of curves, one after the other. Tough, but pleasant, on the way up, lots of fun on the way down.

I finally got into a steady descent then rounded a corner and was presented with this!

I took loads of photos here, ate my lunch here, walked up and down the road here. I could have stayed here! I really didn't want to leave!

But leave I must, and I continued on.

The road now was effectively running along the outside of the mountains so I was treated to regular, spectacular views over the countryside, or sheer cliffs and still, occasionally, bunches of trees.

It wasn't all downhill, there were some steep climbs too, but the general trajectory was down.

I had to be careful of rockfalls - there was ample evidence on the road. It wasn't unusual to see a football sized rock in the road. Also, there were many, many blind bends that required careful negotiation. Another hazard was cattle! I came across two separate bunches that had obviously been placed on a grassy area at the side of the road to graze!
My ears could be very deceptive. Hearing a vehicle, sometimes it was impossible to determine if it was ahead or behind me such was the elevation drop and the nature of the S bends. But here's the thing - the traffic level was unbelievably low! In fact, for most of the day I had the feeling that I had this wonderful road all to myself!

I stopped frequently, taking lots of pictures, but also just to let the whole experience soak in. This is a once in a lifetime road! I was especially captivated by the rows of blue mountains on one side, fading into the hazy distance. If ever there was a scene that suggested mystery and adventure it was those row upon row of mountains.

The cliffs were amazing too! Sheer and towering above they were incredibly impressive! As I descended, they began to be covered in vegetation, sometimes spectacular in its own right. Often too, little waterfalls were running down the face of the cliff, adding a wonderful sound to an amazing view! On top of that the birdsong was changing. Perhaps it's my overactive imagination but I couldn't help but think that even the birds were sounding more exotic!

I couldn't stop stopping! It seemed like every bend threw up something a little different than before. Traffic was so scarce that when I did stop the only sounds were of the birds and maybe a little stream bubbling below me. There were lots of places for a bike to pull in, sometimes on the wrong side of the road and I availed of just about every one!

My destination for today was vague, to say the least. There were no official options that were in range - or to put it another way - I could be pushing myself to reach a hotel down the road, but what's the point in that, on this road, of all roads?!! I was hoping I'd come across a hotel in one of the small towns.

I think it was after three when I came across my first open roadside restaurant. I pulled in but the cupboards were bare. I ordered three quesadillas (all they had) and devoured them with a coke. I've been craving cheese again! Then I added a packet of biscuits and scoffed them too!

Setting off again I rounded a bend and said goodbye to the state of Durango. I'm now in Sinaloa, another one of those "revise your need to travel" states.

As well as the road surface changing for the worse, there was an immediate little town with two hotels!! Score!!

Unfortunately, both were closed! Heading out of town I now had a bit of a dilemma. It would be getting dark soon, the next town with a hotel was about 60-70km away. There's an app, IOverlander, that shows the locations of unofficial camp sites for RVs as well as tents. I had marked off the locations along the road, in fact I had passed some earlier and had not been impressed. Now, my only option was another site about 10km down the road.

To say I was hesitant was an understatement. This is bandit country and all advice is to be off the roads after dark. I guess that goes for camping as well!
In any case, I rounded a bend and to my left was a relatively open space, dotted with trees and rising above the road. There was no traffic about so I raced in and up until I was sufficiently out of sight of the road. Then I laid the bike down and commenced exploring. I found a place, not the flattest, but out of the line of sight of traffic in both directions. In actual fact, I'm looking down on a bridge on the toll road miles away!

I went back, got the bike and set up camp. I'm as invisible as can be!

I made an extravagant dinner of noodles & tuna as the sun disappeared behind the mountains with the most spectacular light show. Since I'm at a lower altitude than the last few nights it's not as cold. I can hear the occasional rumble of traffic from the toll road way beneath me, the even rarer sound of a vehicle on my road and the random sound of cowbells somewhere below me too! For a wild camping spot, it's not too bad!

I used to make up stories about a bear, Oso, to help an old girlfriend go to sleep (it must be something about my voice!). After today's sights and my camping location tonight there is no shortage of inspiration for more stories! Maybe I should write a book - Oso goes to Mexico!


If you have any questions or comments please fire ahead. For the sake of continuity I've had permission from the mod team to use https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-one-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/
for comments/questions/discussion.