Mexico

Ola mes amigos, como esta! Buenos días!

So it was a bus trip to Vera Cruz on the East coast of Mexico. The border crossing did not go exactly smoothly - I had booked a bus from Brownsville all the way to Vera Cruz as I didn’t want to have to find my way to the bus terminus in Matamoros. I thought that it was standard procedure for immigration on the US side to board the bus or for the passengers to have to get off and ‘declare’ themselves - for example I had to submit a stapled document in my passport to US immigration upon leaving. But no, the bus sailed through the US side and we were then supposed to go through immigration on the Mexico side. So I had to leave the bus, assemble my bike and kit again and walk back across the Rio Grande to the US side to submit the 'exit' document to prove that I was leaving the US -(otherwise they would have perhaps come ‘looking for me’), walk back across to the Mexican side and then go through the immigration procedure there.

First mistake on the Mexican side was to say that I was in transit to Belize. I should have just said that I was a tourist in Mexico and then going on to Belize. As a transit visitor, you are only given 30 days, but on a tourist entry they will give you 180 days, but for the tourist entry you have to provide evidence of tourist bookings ie. hotel reservations etc. which of course as a ‘camping cyclist’ I had none - just the bus ticket to Vera Cruz. Although Vera Cruz is nearly half way down the country anyway, I wanted to cut inland to visit a Tipi Retreat Centre and Maker about an hour south of Mexico City, near a small mountain village called Tepoztlan, so didn’t think that I would make it back and out of the country in the 30 days. Anyway, after much discussion (and fortunately the Immigration Officer could speak good English!) he decided to give me the 180 days tourist visa. 

So then it was a taxi to the bus station in Matamoros (so dismantle the bike again to get it into the taxi!) and I am sure he ripped me off with the fare.....but c’est la vie. Fortunately, there was a long wait for the bus as it was only scheduled to leave after lunch, so started to brush up on my Spanish from my kindle and check out the Lonely Planet that I had downloaded for Central America. But simple things like going for a pee were a problem especially at a bus station - I could lock the bike but couldn't lock each and every bag to the bike so was a little worried - hold it in until you get on the bus....ahhhhhh! 

Onto the bus, with all the gear no prob and didn’t have to take the wheels off the bike (although when I did get to the other end I found that they loaded other peoples suitcases onto the bike and directly over the rear derailleur so I did wonder if I would ever have any gears again!!!!) But all good when I got it up and running. A pretty uneventful journey except to say that I don’t know how we finally got to our destination - the driving is pretty hairy - overtaking on blind rises in the face of oncoming traffic, but somehow we missed!!! - most of it was done at night anyway, but didn’t get much sleep at all. My ankles and feet had started to swell badly in Brownsville with fluid (don’t really know why - perhaps it was a combination of the heat, lots of fluid or not enough so the kidneys out of synch a bit, coupled with no riding for two days), but after 17 hours on the bus, they looked  as though I had stung by a swarm of bees! Get cycling boy...and quickly.

Day One. Monday June 26th (can't believe we are half way through the year already) - Mexico. Right, find my way out of Vera Cruz - out with the Spanish for directions, and off we go. Now there are three major types of roads in Mexico - Federal Roads, Highways and Autopistas. The Autopistas are toll roads - no bikes allowed, the highways and Federal roads ok for bikes. I realised that the most direct route that I had been planning into central Mexico was on the Autopista, so had to change that very smartly. So a fairly long detour, but was all excited and energised about cycling through a new country. All good as the km started falling behind. Stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant (well I think it was a restaurant - it had a sign up!) and negotiated a meal - spicy tortillas - very tasty although I don’t do spicy so it was glugged down with a large coke. Out with the Spanish and managed a fair conversation. But when I went to pay they wouldn’t charge me - I was so touched.....which lead me to thinking that maybe it wasn’t a restaurant at all!!! Oh well, I left some change on the table. So with a mouth on fire but feeling so humbled, onto the bike again and started climbing......and climbing.......and climbing. Went through some rain but carried on as it was warm enough and seven hours after getting on the bike with darkness enveloping, thought it was time to try and find somewhere to put the head down for the night after climbing for about three hours!!! I had seen a sign for a hotel, but it was just getting too dark and I had had enough so found shelter for the night....an abandoned garage.   

8 hours on the bike and 112km covered.

When I awoke the next day and hopped on the bike, 8 minutes away was the hotel, oh well - but another night free.

As I was drinking my tea (of course!), a Hummingbird flew into the garage - strange as there were no flowers or 'sweetness' there (apart from me - hardly after the previous day!!!), hovered for about 15 secs and then flew out. Thank you Hummingbird!

And then a further few kilometres into Huatusco I realised just how high I had been climbing the day before.

But what a beautiful sight.

So onward and upward to the stars! Really pretty countryside and the people so friendly - I really felt quite safe.

Day two: 5hrs 39mins 80kms. Ankles looking a little more human! Fortunately lots of water around - bottled from the shops - 'agua potable'! Another abandoned 'warehouse' as 'home' for the night with the pigeons, but still had to put up the inner of the tent because of the mozzies.

Day Three: 5hrs - 85km. By day three the hills had taken their toll and I was absolutely scribbled....shattered...history! There was nothing in the legs and the spirit had flown......flown to I don't know where - perhaps to where I was going to put the swimming pool at home in Zimbabwe, or in the arms of a beautiful woman...although I would have had to sleep for a week before anything would have happened!!!! I really had to start digging deep to continue and there was one mountain pass that I just could not get up - it was far too steep and long, even with my new gearing. I reckon I would have battled to get up even if I didn't have a load - I have done two summers cycling in the French Alps and am a fairly strong cyclist, but I have never seen roads as steep as this. I got a lift to the top and ate humble pie!!  But it certainly made me wonder about the Andes if I get there - I may have to loose some weight....from the bike...I am sure that I am as light as I can be now!!! It would be interesting to check my % body fat!! So with a little help from my friends got the top.....(and a little further, but don't tell anyone) and some good info on an easier route to where I was going. Again, an abandoned building site for R and R for the night.

Still put the tent up for the mozzies! Was awoken at 3.30am with heart pounding and a spot light shining into the tent - oh boy here we go!!! Federales - actually thank goodness it was the Federales and not somebody else - well if it was someone else there wouldn't have been a spot light I suppose!! A night in jail? Actually, again in a mixture of Spanish and English, (although at 3.30am and still half asleep every word of Spanish had escaped me momentarily!) I managed to convince them that I was a 'tourist' and heading for Puebla the next day. Ok they said....phew, back to sleep.

Day Four: 5hrs 49mins - 100km. Again feeling completely shattered, with my quads screaming with every pedal (well why don't you rest, you idiot!!!) it was onwards through Puebla - a huge city and thankfully there was a by pass of sorts, although at some stages out of the blue there was sign saying 'no bicycles' so one has to negotiate one's way around on other roads, and again crossing the off ramps is a major mission in judgement control. But I finally got out of Puebla amid a rain storm and filthy dirty from the passing vehicles, having lost a water bottle and my camel bak water container off the back of my pannier bags, but it was Motel night. I just couldn't envision pitching my tent that night. But for the equivalent of $15 a bed and a hot shower, it was worth it.

And another beautiful sight upon awaking...... a lovely town called Atlixco - very much a tourist town, judging by the stalls by the side of the road.

Day Five: I thought I could make it....and I did...just as darkness was settling in and again it was a hotel for the night...and again being a tourist town in the mountains, a bit expensive. 7 hrs 38mins - distance 142km. The last climb was a big one and had to push the bike about 200 meters on one section, but made it to destination...well not quite...just another 12km to the Retreat Centre today.

So just off now to the Retreat Centre - if they have an internet connection there will continue. Speak soon, take care all!

Adios!