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

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 168-9, Wednesday & Thursday February 26 & 27, 2020, Guadalajara 0 km, Total KM 6127

There aren't many things that I claim to be good at. One thing, though, is that I'm quite good at picking out places to eat when away from home. I don't know if I'm just lucky or if there's something almost instinctive to it, but I'm rarely disappointed in my choices. Last night, though, my choice was bizarre and almost twenty four hours later I'm still trying to figure out if it was a success or not!

Anyways, yesterday evening I checked into my absolutely delightful Airbnb, had a shower and set off on a 90 minute walk to a bike shop to check out tyres. My walk took me through all kinds of neighbourhoods and even a market. When I finally got to the shop they had nothing better than what I had in stock, but would check for me the next day what was possible.

On the walk home I passed a restaurant only to be stalled by the aroma of food. Delicious food! I had planned on eating closer to home, but this seemed too good to pass up. In I went, past the sign saying restaurant alternative, was made most welcome, got a seat where I could watch the people of Guadalajara go by, ordered a beer and perused the menu.
That's when I noticed the part of the sign I should have noticed first - vegetarian!!
I like my meat! I'm probably the greatest friend to vegetables since I hardly ever eat them. I gave serious consideration to moving on, but I'd already ordered a beer, everyone was so friendly and it would just seem rude. All part of the adventure!
I did get excited when I saw something with chorizo, however, a consultation with Google Translate clarified that it was chickpea chorizo - a different kind of animal altogether!
At least they had guacamole and the chips and sauces they served when I sat down were very tasty.
I ordered blind, apart from the guacamole and when it arrived it was like the (green) food of the Gods! I've
had lots of good guacamole here, but this was on another level.
When my main course arrived it wasn't a soup, it wasn't a stew, it was something in between with beans and various mushrooms in a rich sauce that was tasty and subtly spiced. It was pretty darn good! Don't get me wrong, some meat would have improved it no end!

Today then, I took a wander into town. There are churches everywhere here. I zigzagged down the small streets changing direction to reach another spire. They all had people in them praying and all but one had a service taking place. These are working churches, unlike many of the main churches and cathedrals in Europe that seem to be mainly visited by tourists.

Town is busy and an eclectic mix of the old and the new. It's also hot! Guadalajara was one of the first cities to grow under Spanish rule and looking at the many open plazas, the fountains and the old buildings you could easily imagine yourself in Europe. Then you hop down a side street and you're definitely in Mexico! Tiny shops selling all kinds of things (except flags for bikes!), broken pavements, crazy traffic. Truth be told, I far prefer these little streets.
I visited the city museum and the regional museum, missing out a lot in both because pretty much all the information is in Spanish, with very little about the new addition to my vocabulary - chickpea!
However, both buildings were magnificent! The smaller city museum is in a former monastery, a two story building around an open area. Wonderfully cool and with trees and plants growing. I know all this because one of the assistants saw me admiring the building and nothing would stop him from explaining everything. I think I got a good lot of what he said, but fell down badly when he was listing off the different trees and plants. Not a problem - out with his phone and translations and pictures followed. There was no mistaking his pride in this place nor his desire to share that pride.
The regional museum was bigger and covered a lot of the same ground I'd seen in Tepic. They had a mammoth skeleton too! It's hard (for me) to imagine mammoths and rhinos wandering around these parts, but the evidence is there!
Without doubt, my favourite part was this wonderful chessboard!

I ocassionaly make reference to my apalling sense of direction. It reared its head again today, but I wasn't lost wandering around Mexico's second largest city - I was lost in the museums! There's obviously some kind of route to follow but for love nor money I couldn't get it.

The rest of the time I crisscrossed the main areas of the city centre, mainly exploring the exciting side streets. I found a row of shops selling all kinds of pulses, herbs and dried chilis. Tiny shops, barely two meters wide, four or five deep and 12-15 people outside calling out their orders.
There were also rows of shops selling plastic - if it was plastic they had it - from children's toys to buckets.
I even came across a shop selling padded underwear for ladies. I'm aware of padded bras, but have never seen padded underwear in the flesh, so to speak! We live & learn!

While Guadalajara is obviously a wealthy and cosmopolitan city, there is also very evident poverty. People openly begging for money. In other places they will do a little service or sell sweets. Here they ask directly. There's nothing aggressive or intimidating about it, but it is quite common. Sitting down having a coffee I've been cleaned out of my small change!

I've also been nuzzled by a couple of passing dogs! Like elsewhere in Mexico, dogs are wandering freely around, or dozing in quiet places. It seems that even the dogs can tell I'm not from these parts! There's something very comforting about a dog's cool snout nuzzling my leg.

Once out of the immediate centre there is a lot of graffiti on many of the buildings. Just crude "tagging" as opposed to graffiti art, although I did come across a wall yesterday evening with painted posters for upcoming events.

Lui, my amigo from yesterday, was in touch last night offering advice on the next stage. Like I had read, the main road is considered very dangerous because of heavy traffic so I'm looking at alternatives. I think he wants to ride along with me! I've told him I tend to go quite slowly! I'm heading for a lake and might even have the chance to camp again! Yaaay!

I decided to give Guadalajara a second day. Frankly, I wasn't having the experience I had been expecting. It's good, just not "Wow"! I was also rather tired and I needed a bit of time to plan a bit further down the road. The Airbnb was not reserved, so another day off it was.

I also changed around the tyres on my bike. The shop was able to get me Schwalbe Land Cruisers in size 1.75. Not great puncture protection, but certainly better than the Chinese tyre I got. I prefer 2.0 or bigger. I can go up to 2.5. I put the new tyre on the front, replaced the rear with the Mondial from the front (which was itself swapped from the rear previously). I picked up some tubes as well, but these have plastic insulation around the schrader valves and don't want to fit through the rim! Cue a frustrating hour cutting & burning the stuff off.

A lot of my extra day was spent doing chores. I plotted my route out of the city and scoped out a few possibilities of routes for the next week or two. I had finally found some postcards yesterday and visited two post offices today for stamps - no joy - these were only for packets! Aaaargh!

Every account of cycling in Guadalajara I've come across has mentioned the difficulties and stresses of riding here. For that reason I was a bit more particular in checking out my route.

I wasn't really enjoying my time in the big city. I prefer the smaller places, I think. It's easier to feel alone in crowded places and I think that was a part of it. I did go for a long wander around all the back streets. I did enjoy that. Narrow streets with trees growing tall out of the pavement. Sections of path tiled, the next broken beyond all belief. Walking past open doors into people's houses (although a heavy, steel gate locked in front of the door), past dogs too lazy to stir. Some houses operate a kitchen from their hall! I ate at one last night and had a choice of three things. It was delicious! The amount of little plazas is very interesting - invariably near a church or other religious institution. Trees for shade, seats for comfort and sometimes a food stand or two. Older people catching up with each other during the day, kids out playing in the evening. Everybody seems to know everybody else. I like the vibe of these places. Of course, the weather helps!

I'm looking forward to getting back on the road now. Hopefully there will be more camping opportunities. I miss my camping!

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122
Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 170, Friday, February 28, 2020, Guadalajara to Jocotepec 67km, Total KM 6194

Min meters 1521, Max Meters 1653 Total Climb 533 Total Descent 591

My route out of Guadalajara was a dream, sticking to side streets, residential areas, many small plazas and parks. I was missing most of the traffic. It was when I left Guadalajara that I met and mingled with the traffic. I joined 15 again and three lanes of traffic going my way. When there was a shoulder I used it, when there was no shoulder I took the pavement and when there was neither I took the road. It really wasn't that bad. There was one hairy stretch when it went back to a two lane road, no shoulder worth talking about and a winding climb. I did pull in a couple of times for trucks, but that was more for peace of mind than necessity.

I was heading for Lake Chalpa and by taking 15 I was taking the indirect, longer way. The other way was even busier.

I stopped for coffee at an Oxxo, stopped to fill up on some cold water. There was no stopping on the road for photos - just not safe enough.

The great thing about that kind of riding is that time flies! Before I knew it, I was taking the turn off to Jocotepec which sits on the lake. Now, this road was bliss! Four lanes, split and hardly any traffic. The scenery was becoming more interesting then.

I passed a guy and his moped on the side of the road and a little later pulled in myself for some water and a photo. As I was about to set off again, Poncho (for that was his name) was pushing his moped up the hill towards me, waving & beeping his horn. I rolled down to see what was wrong. He had a flat and needed to remove the rear wheel. For that he needed a spanner. I had an adjustable spanner (down at the bottom of a pannier, of course), but with the angle and the condition of the wheel it wasn't working. Poncho took out his phone to call his boss who offered no help. His friends said they'd pick him up. I split my water with him and set off again.

The road was more interesting now, or at least I had the time to look around. Weaving through some hills, a lake or two and the sun shining brightly. It was hitting 40C, but there was a powerful headwind that was lovely and cool.

When the dual carriageway became a two lane road for a few Kms the traffic reacted appropriately. Then, the dual carriageway was back and I cycled happily along through a valley that was full of polythene tunnels for fruit. If it was 40C outside, how hot must it be inside one of those?

Before I even knew it I was on the outskirts of Jocotepec so I turned off looking for some food. I found the main plaza easily enough, beside the most wonderful old church, built out of brown stones. Because of the sun and some trees getting a decent picture is difficult and the doors are closed so I can't get inside.

I had lunch on the plaza, a less flavoursome version of my vegetarian meal in Guadalajara - but with meat. There's a campground nearby and since this little town is so charming I emailed them to make sure they accept tents. Another campground further down don't. I got an affirmative reply so I'll be camping again!

I lazed around the plaza for a while, almost forgetting Mazi on top of the Jocotepec sign! A little girl ran after me to remind me….then hung around for her tip! It's a nice town.

Then I rolled, or rather bumped my way out to the RV park & campground. It's an unusual place in that it's also open to the public - it has a large swimming pool as well as a thermal pool and lots of picnic tables with grills etc. Mexico may not have many campgrounds…..but when they do a good one….they do a good one! This is a fabulous location on the lake and since I'm in a tent I have lots of choice of where to pitch. Since it was too hot to pitch the tent straight away, first order of business was the thermal pool! What a way to finish a day's ride by soaking in a naturally heated pool!

Later, I pitched the tent, cooked dinner and had a relaxing evening wandering around and reading my book. It's good to be back under canvas!

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!
Edited to correct Day number!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 171, Saturday, February 29, 2020, Jocotepec to La Manzanilla De la Paz 54km, Total KM 6248

Min meters 1493, Max Meters 2086 Total Climb 1030 Total Descent 569

They say eaten bread is soon forgotten, but my breakfast today will stay in my memory for a while! It was a little after 10am, I wasn't on the road that long (more later) and at the top of a hill at a speed bump there was a guy cooking chicken over a coal fire. I just had to stop! Since his business was for takeaway, there was a big fuss made to get me to sit down, someone was despatched to buy tortillas and a coke (I could live without the tortillas, but the coke was necessary!). I was served delicious chicken off the grill (a half a chicken!) and some pasta salad from a big (unrefrigerated) bowl. I figured it was early enough in the day so should be safe! Talk about delicious! Slightly sweet chicken, a pasta salad drenched in a chili sauce. Yum! I had to move bike and myself half way through eating because the farmer was herding his cows along the side of the road to be milked! How often do you get to have your breakfast interrupted by meandering cows? 😀

I had set off much later than I had anticipated. I was up before the sun and had coffee made in time for the sunrise over the lake. It was amazing how quickly the sun rose out of the water, the twinkling stars slowly fading then being lost in the pale blue of the dawn sky. All this was accompanied by a cacophony of bird song from the many, many trees in the park. I don't think they were song birds because the sound wasn't particularly melodious, but these birds were in fine voice - alive and apparently very happy to be that way.

Yesterday I'd noticed that on one of my older ortliebs the centre buckle had removed itself. Thankfully, it was attached to my rackbag do it hadn't been lost. I'd planned to fix it in a couple of days, but on closer examination this morning, the pvc material was crumpling badly without the two screws necessary. Leaving it for a few days might not be such a good idea. I carry a packet of spare Ortlieb screws etc. so set about the repair.

Talk about frustrating!! The screw has to go through the plastic frame, then, in order, the PVC material, the material of the pocket inside and into a nut. Except there's a plastic washer in there somewhere too! Lining up all the holes was a real PITA on the first one, even harder on the second since there was less room to work.

Ortliebs are great, but anyone with some, check your screws on a regular basis!

After that, I decided that the location of the hooks might be a bit too close together and that this was adding extra pressure, so I reset the hooks on both Panniers as well as the bottom holding hook. Another frustrating task.

At last I was ready to pack and leave.

I had been looking forward to an early morning dip in the thermal pool, but apparently it gets drained every night! Easy to do, I suppose when there's a constant supply of free hot water!

My destination tonight is another RV campground. Can't make contact with them, but my info is that they take tents. For this reason I'm going by the Southern end of the lake - less well developed than the Northern side.

The road was mainly fine, normally with a shoulder and the landscape was interesting - the lake to my left through the trees, mountains to my right. At some point, I'll have to ride over those mountains! In the meantime it's rolling hills and although the temperature rose quickly to the mid 30sC a strong headwind kept me cool.

After about 30 km I arrived at the town of Tuxcueca and pulled up for a while to drink and rest. It was about 1 pm and the hottest part of the day. No harm to be out of the sun! I can see the road going up along the mountain as I write this!

One of the greatest things about travelling on a bike is that it can be so easy to simply exist in the moment. I think it's incredibly healthy not to be thinking of the past or the future, just concentrating on making the best of now. It took a while for me to learn that and it's not always easy to stay in the moment, especially after a lifetime of constantly looking forwards or behind. The second half of today was one of those days where I began to look into the future and the future wasn't looking good.

After my break I set off and immediately started climbing, almost as steeply as the temp - 40C. I had about 600 meters of a climb, a drop, then I'd to get another 200 meters up. After the last couple of days cycling I was possibly too optimistic and the late start didn't help. As soon as the serious climbing began and I slowed down my mind started to wander from the now. About 4 pm it clouded over with the realisation that I wasn't going to make my target before dark. Hell, I didn't know 100% if the RV park took tents - all I had to go on was the iOverlander app. It could be worse - I could arrive in the dark and be turned away!

The countryside was lovely, I had a good shoulder, all should be right in my world.

When I finally came to the big drop (before the climb back up) I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I should have - I was too busy moaning about my altitude loss. The valley was beautiful (called the Buenos Aires) but I didn't stop for a photo - I didn't want to lose momentum.

A little later I saw a sign for a restaurant and pulled in. I needed a cold drink and was dithering about food. I really didn't have the time.

I was the only customer, but of course they were open! They had menus too! There was something about the old couple running the place that made me slow down so I ordered my food and a coke and took a seat.

While she was busy cooking he brought me over freshly sliced cucumber covered in sea salt and a bottle of fire. So simple, so effective for a sweaty cyclist and just so darn thoughtful. Such a simple thing but it impressed me mightily - the rehydrating snack and the thought behind it. (Try it sometime!)

My food was simple but delicious. While I was eating the couple were sitting down behind their counter laughing at a TV show. On the excuse of ordering another coke I wandered up to see what they were watching - something old in black and white.

It's hard to put my finger on it, but they just seemed so…….contented. It was a very sweet scene.

As I was sitting eating, fretting about whether I wanted to risk heading for an unknown RV park in the dark, I took a lesson from the couple, took a deep breath and concentrated on my food. Delicious!

Then I had a proper look around the restaurant. Outside was a play area, probably older than the couple, that was so simple yet I'm sure gave lots of joy to kids for generations and still does.

All of a sudden I realised I was in a special place, that places like this and the people in it are the very reason I'm on this trip. I stopped worrying about the darkness and just soaked it all up.

I tried & failed to explain how much I enjoyed my meal, but they smiled anyway, that typical Mexican smile that is so bright as to be infectious and wished me a good trip.

A few Kms down the road was the town of La Manzanilla de la Paz, a small town but with a couple of hotels. The first was beautiful, right beside an amazing church but too pricey for me. I found another, further away and the owner offered me a better rate. Done!

I showered and headed straight back to the church. It was relatively simple inside and very peaceful. Some of the churches can have some quite horrific statues!

There was free WiFi in the square so I updated this and watched the Saturday night in the plaza. It was getting cold - I'm higher now and I was just ready to go when a brass band, more enthusiastic than good kicked off a performance right under the first hotel! How glad was I not to be staying there!

I'd have bypassed this little town had I been barreling for my destination. As it turned out it was a delightful little place (if a nightmare to cycle in - not cobblestones so much as rocks) and I felt perfectly at ease sitting in the little plaza watching the world go by.



For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 172, Sunday, March 01, 2020, La Manzanilla De la Paz toValle de Juarez 32km, Total KM 6280

Min meters 1913, Max Meters 2279
Total Climb 649 Total Descent 914

A short day with not a lot to write about!

I was slow to get up, one of the reasons being that my hotel room was internal and had no windows! It wasn't stuffy, but there was a lack of fresh air. The second reason was that I didn't have far to go today due to a lack of accommodation options. Finally, I was dead tired!

I got up and my host offered me coffee which was gratefully accepted, then it was time to pack up and hit the road. I took a little wander around the town, then on the road out stopped for a breakfast of youghurt, a sandwich and coffee at the Oxxo.

It was already hot but the touring Gods were kind and laid on a lovely descent for me. I stopped at a crossroads before the town of Mazamitla for a welcome cold drink and a rest. I could have bypassed the town, but it is something of a tourist attraction so I climbed up to it. It was certainly full of tourists and I was stuck in a traffic jam in the narrow streets. I wandered around as best I could (there were lots and lots of people), got some delicious food and set off again.

The way out of town was brutal!! A descent on cobblerocks! Cobblerocks are like cobblestones but with none of the smoothness of stones. Two kms of this! Boneshaking!

Finally, I was on a secondary road and heading for the town of Valle de Juarez where I hoped to be camping. I should pass the RV campground on my way into town.

Nope!

I turned around and headed back out of town and stopped at a restaurant, the only building around. My phone told me this was the location of the RV park so I wandered in.

There was a bit of friendly confusion and I was told to wait for the owner. While waiting I wandered and saw a field attached with power points for campers.

Sure enough the owner showed up, I was made most welcome and told to take my pick of sites.

There were a lot of cats around, do I dumped my gear and headed up into town for a look around.It was very quiet!

Back at the restaurant I had a fabulous dinner. The waitress came over to me five times after I had ordered with questions about how exactly I wanted my food prepared.

Then it was time for me to pick my spot (away from the cats), pitch the tent and relax.

Later, on my way to the bathroom I took a bit of time to stare at the sky. It was fabulous! Even though the moon was less than a third full it was incredibly bright, blocking out anything close to it, but the rest of the sky was crystal clear and filled with twinkling wonders. It was cool, too!

A good night's sleep was had.



For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 173, Monday, March 02, 2020, Valle de Juarez to Jiquilpan 69km, Total KM 6349

Min meters 1459, Max Meters 2089
Total Climb 748 Total Descent 1218

It's hard to understate just how bad the road surface was for parts of today. It's one of those things that just have to be dealt with, I suppose. I'm not sure how I'd go about finding out in advance, anyways. It's all part of the adventure!

I was up before the sun rose and it was cold!! And wet! A heavy dew was on the ground and on the tent. I was packing up as the sun was rising and what a beautiful morning it was! A heavy mist rising up from the ground, shielding the lower parts of the mountains, hillsides dark one moment, the next illuminated in the gold of dawn. It really was very pretty.

Just when I was ready to go I couldn't find my wallet. A think back and I decided it was likely wrapped up in my sleeping bag. Cue unpacking everything, pulling out said sleeping bag, retrieving wallet and repacking. More fun and games at the gate! Had I been locked in? Thankfully no, it just looked that way.


Once on the road I took the first turn left, avoiding the town and more importantly away from the sun. Early in the morning the sun is blinding when cycling straight into it. On a bike I'd imagine I'm very hard to see. The day began with some gentle climbing through a valley as the sun did its bit in bringing everything to life. Again, very pretty scenery.

I crossed into my newest state, Michoacán and the roads deteriorated immediately. I mean right on the state line. What had been a reasonable chip and seal became craters connected by strips of tar and rock! This was a link road and I was hoping when I got to the mainish road things would improve.

And they did. For about 100 meters! There were regular potholes, cracks and gaps, large bumps where tarmac had been dumped to cover a hole but never flattened. Going up, which is what I was doing was tough, going down, which I'd do later was downright dangerous, especially when shade from trees would effectively hide the booby traps until I was almost on them!

I stopped at the little town at the top of the climb for some delicious quesadillas and a Coke, then set off downhill. The road was crap, but the views were fabulous. The road was narrow and there were no safe places to stop and take photos. I did my best to enjoy the view while hanging on for dear life as I bounced down.

At the bottom of the hill I stuck to the main road and looped around the town of Jiquilpan, only hitting the outskirts before going off course and taking some backroads in an attempt to get onto Highway 15 as I figured that this would be a better option. 15 was, but getting there was a whole lot of fun!

Another cyclist came up behind me and we had a bit of a chat. He said he'd ride with me to my turnoff to make sure I didn't get lost.

I pulled into a little village at about 1:30 to get out of the sun. I'm lower down now and it's feeling very hot. It's difficult to overstate just what an effect the sun and the heat has, especially when combined with climbing. As well as the need to constantly drink, the sun rapidly heats up water in my water bottles. I now carry my main water supply in my panniers - it stays cool longer.

I find myself getting headaches if too long in the sun and sometimes lightheaded. That's not good on a busy road. Concentration can become more difficult too. And then there's the sapping of energy. On the flat it's not too bad, I'm moving at a decent enough pace to generate some wind, but climbing? That's tough!

The other thing about such a bright sun is that it can really mess up photos!

I set off again about 3:30 with about 60-65 km to go. The temperature wasn't helping, stubbornly sticking around 40C and I was beginning to think I'd bitten off more than I could manage today.

Michoacán is another of those states to avoid, according to Government advice. I posted a picture of my new state on Facebook and immediately had a response from a Mexican telling me to be careful! I was heading for a National Park that may not be open when I got there with the distinct possibility of being stuck in the middle of nowhere in the dark.

However, with my recently revitalized "living in the moment" vibe I was happy to push on knowing I'd be passing civilisation before the park so would have other options along the way.

I entered a busy little town where I would finally join up with my planned route. (I had turned off in Jiquilpan to get off the crappy road.)

It looked a nice place and I was tempted to stop, but told myself that it was too early. I picked up my route and meandered out of town….. right back to where I had been a few hours earlier! Somehow, I had managed to do a big circle!

There was nothing to do except laugh! I turned around a rode back into town grinning from ear to ear!

Anyone who knows me in the real world knows just how bad my sense of direction is! I'm only surprised it's taken this long for this to happen on this trip! I checked out a few hotels, picked the cheapest, showered and went for a wander around. I figure if the touring Gods brought me here twice in one day they're trying to tell me something!

At least tomorrow I'll be under no pressure to get to the park!


For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 174, Tuesday, March 03, 2020, Jiquilpan to Lago de Camécuaro,
75km, Total KM 6424

Min meters 1530, Max Meters 1780
Total Climb 1038 Total Descent 1004


Last night was just lovely! I had a wander around, stopped for a good cup of coffee and sat on a terrace watching the world go by. I'm fairly sure the woman making my coffee was flirting with me which was very nice, but my Spanish quickly failed me which was not so nice!

Then I got up for another wander, this time visiting a church where a well attended mass was taking place. This last couple of days the churches are all in built up areas or shielded by trees and getting a decent photo is difficult. In any case, they are all very impressive structures, although this one tonight was in some state of disrepair. I visited another plaza and was amused to notice a significant number of people running laps of it! How they did it with the temptations of food stands and drink stands I have no idea!

Then it was a wander through the side streets and peeking in all the little stores before a bite to eat and more people watching. The plazas here really get a lot of use and are very well respected. Then it was back to the hotel stopping at a shop for a cold drink. In there I was asked if I was American and when I replied in the negative the questions started flying. It turns out my interrogator spoke perfect English, he just wanted to make me sweat! He was amazed that I was on a bike! He works in Nebraska from March to November every year, leaving his wife and kids here. He's just getting ready to go back. He said he loves where he comes from but there are no prospects of a decent living and a chance to set his kids up well. It can't be easy leaving family for that length of time every year.

I really wasn't feeling it this morning and having looked again at routing I decided to throw in a bit of cross country just for the heck of it and to liven things up! I'd enjoyed my country road experience yesterday, so more of that please! In all honesty, it's probably not the best of states to be doing this in, but the regular roads aren't great either!

But…. it was slow going! Lots of fun, but slow! I met a woman herding her cows for milking who studiously ignored me, a young cowboy with a dog who grudgingly acknowledged me and later two guys repairing fences who at least were cheerful! It was getting hot, but there was a lovely cooling breeze coming from the lake I was cycling beside. The best part was that I could stop at will and just look around me. The only noise was of the wind, the occasional tractor way off in the distance and the one pickup I passed. Bliss!

Then it was back onto the main road where I saw a shaded bus stop so pulled in for a rest and a drink. When I got up to go the back wheel was soft! Oh dear! There had been a lot of thorny bushes along my way.

I unpacked, flipped the bike over, got the wheel off, found a tiny pinprick, patched it then hunted in the tyre for the offending item. Nothing. There's a few cracks in the tyre though. It wasn't new when I started. This tyre was on the back when I cycled to Ireland & back last year crossing the Pennines. It's coming to the end of its natural life.

I also made up some wraps with trail mix and Nutella, then packed up and started climbing!

At the moment it's either up or down - there is no flat. Going up is tough in this weather and there are very few places to stop. The road is narrow, there's no shoulder to speak of, there are bends and dips and rises that make visibility difficult. It means I'll stop at every little village or town for a rest and a cold drink. It also means that I get to take relatively few pictures - it's just not safe. Having said that, there were some absolutely stunning vistas today - big, wide, open valleys, surrounded by mountains of green and blue and brown. There's something about these mountains that I can't quite put my finger on. They don't have the size, the grandeur, the immensity of the Alps and their snowy peaks. I found the mountains of Northern Spain to be wild, individual and unique. These seem a bit tame, but with a hidden threat. You can see, especially near the bases where farmers have claimed some of the mountain, and the rest is unthreatening vegetation. Perhaps the hidden threat comes from the volcanic history of this area. In any case, they may not be the most spectacular mountains ever, and I may not be enjoying climbing them, but they are beautiful in their own way. I particularly enjoy seeing a valley open up that appears to be exploited to the max with polythene tunnels everywhere.

I took a few longish breaks rather than one really long one. I figured it was important to keep knocking off the Kms and there was a town every 15kms or so.

The wind was very strong today, coming from the south. It was either a headwind or a sometimes nasty sidewind. A few times I was nearly blown over!

I was pushing it as the sun was going down, worried that I would get to the park and find it closed. The traffic was busy and I had probably my closest pass in Mexico thus far.

Despite the rush and the failing light I just had to stop a couple of times when there was an option to because the sun was making magic on the mountains. Picture the scene…..

There's mountains all around me, the sun is behind me and to my right. The mountains there are a deep, dark, mysterious blue veering towards purple with veins of deeper blue running down through them.

Directly in front of me the setting sun has made the tops of the mountains a magnificent, vibrant gold, ceding to green and brown lower down to finally a dark green at the base where hardly any light is falling.

To my left, the mountains are fully illuminated, green and full of vegetation, fields marked out on the lower slopes. Between those mountains are more faded blue mountains way off in the distance.

To my right, there's a whole range of things going on. The tops are bright with the sun, the rest in shadow of various intensity so some areas are visible and others are spooky dark areas where anything can happen!

It would be perfect if all the damn traffic would just feck off!

I should have had no worries about the park. There's a whole load of stalls outside, all closed when I arrived and a load of activity inside. A security guard told me no problem to camp although I'm not sure where I'm supposed to pay. I followed the signs for the camping area cycling along with some MTBers, two of whom were friendly, the third not do much. I don't think he liked that I sailed past him!

I came across a load of tents pitched beside a little river but continued on. By now it was dark and there didn't seem to be anywhere else so I returned back to the tents where only one man was standing. I cheerfully introduced myself in my best Spanish only to be shushed! There were people in all the tents and silence was necessary as they were doing something spiritual!

I rolled on! I wasn't feeling particularly spiritual and I'm fairly sure my influence wouldn't help them!

I don't really know where I am, but I found a flat place to pitch the tent, there's a picnic table and a little river not too far away. I am home!



For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 175, Wednesday, March 04, 2020, Lago de Camécuaro to Angahuan 56km, Total KM 6480

Min meters 1652, Max Meters 2377
Total Climb 1425 Total Descent 925

There's a lot of trees around me so my view of the sky last night was limited. However, what I could see was spectacular! One of the things I always noticed when I went back to Ireland was the sky! In comparison to NL it was full and clear! Well, this part of the world beats everything so far! I walked around looking up so much I got a literal pain in my neck, then it was back to my tent and my roommate! Yes, I have company tonight - lady company! A ladybird has made their home in my tent and that is one bug I can't throw out!

I slept like the proverbial baby and way past dawn. When I did get up it was already getting warmer and I had a chance to see more of where I was than I could last night. It was certainly pretty, although the fruit farm next door had an industrial look to it. There were several groups of people armed with multiple buckets walking past, presumably on their way to pick fruit. (Later I saw the other side of the park had a fruit farm too).

My picnic table was occupied by someone from the Spiritual group. In fact, a few were up and walking about but avoiding eye contact and not speaking. Some ducks seemed to be annoying the picnic table occupant and they left just as I was about to carry my breakfast stuff to a different, further table. I soon had a big pot of coffee that washed down some bread and the last of my Nutella.
It was nice to be back having a relaxing, self made breakfast!

When I fixed my puncture yesterday I'd noticed how dirty the chain had become in only a few days and late yesterday I had problems trying to get into the smallest front chainring. I gave the chain a good clean, relubed and the gear issue seemed to have resolved itself.

I packed up and took a wander around the park. There were lots of stalls being set up for food, drink and the usual hats and other memorabilia. I also found the "proper" camping area, a field, effectively, with a toilet block beside it.

Then I set off to pay - a challenge in itself. I could find no office or anything official so asked a policeman. He directed me to two guys loading a pickup with chairs who happily told me there was no charge!

I had a last look around and had pangs when I saw a guy setting up his chicken broiler. Beside him was a guy setting up a stall to sell margharitas! How nice would it be to have a lazy day drinking margharitas and eating delicious chicken?!

My destination today is the town of Angahuan, not far from there are the remains of a town swallowed by lava.

I set off up a hill to the nearby town and stopped for a second breakfast of yoghurt and a banana. I gave some serious thought to rolling back down the hill and having another day in the park. There was a sound logic to it. It was already late (coming up to noon), I had a lot of climbing to do, starting with 600 meters straight up and as usual I wasn't too sure on exactly what camping options were open to me when I got there. Over breakfast I'd had a look for any interesting loops I could do but there really weren't any options that weren't longer and higher than where I was going.

I hit the road again, quickly turning off 15 which was a long line of traffic in both directions. I went through the little town, stopping to admire the church and all the activity in the plaza, then started climbing.

I had a whole long piece written about the trials & tribulations of today's cycling. It suffices to say it was tough, very tough. There was a lot of climbing without break, a headwind that was a blessing on the steep climbs but a hindrence on the gentle climbs, few places to safely stop, a lot of pushing, little villages that were sullen and not well equipped for food, and after a few km I had trouble with my granny gear again. The toughest part, without a doubt, was mental. I would have preferred to have stayed another day in the park, relaxed, had a few margheritas (that man looked like he knew what he was doing!) and gorged on BBQ chicken. I'm not sure why I pressed on, but I think one of the reasons was this travelogue and an anxiety of being judged as a lazy git. Well, lesson learned!

As the day wore on it looked more and more likely that I would not get to my destination before nightfall and that added to the general unpleasantness. This is a no-go state, the people I had encountered were generally sullen and uncommunicative. I was moving so slowly and with such difficulty that warnings and dire predictions had no problem keeping up with me, like flies buzzing around my head.

I had used a Komoot route that showed the lowest climbing - when will I ever learn??? It was gone within 5km trying to take me through a locked gate on a backroad that a horse would struggle on. Later it tried to bring me over a wall!

In a better frame of mind it would have been a memorable day for all the right reasons. Some of the scenery was stunning! Mountains near and far in a variety of colours depending on the sunlight. Colourful bushes and plants along the roads. Trees, I'm not sure of which type, in ordered lines on sections of the mountains….it was really very pretty.

This is a hard working area. Fruit farms fill the valley floors. Today, I passed several brick making operations. Making bricks by hand- not work for the faint of heart!

As night was falling I could see Angahuan getting closer on Gizmo, but I wasn't fully confident of reaching it until I finally rolled into town. Now all I had to do was find the Centre de Touristico where I understood I could camp. I was craving food but it was dark, I was in a strange town and I needed to find a place for my tent. I got to the church and plaza, then set off down a cobblerocks street, bouncing around, thanking my lucky stars I had a decent light. I thought I found the place, but it was a tourist office, but the helpful man directed me down the road another km or so, then tried to sell me a tour for tomorrow! On I went, bouncing and bobbling. A pickup stopped and a guy tried to rent me a cabin, then a tour for tomorrow - all I wanted was to get my tent up, eat and sleep!

I turned a corner and saw this:

I'm not ashamed to say that I almost bawled. Some kind of emotional release surged up from deep within me and I gasped and struggled to keep it under control. It was like a sign from the Touring Gods that everything was ok! And yes they were! A couple of hundred meters along I bounced into the tourism centre, met the guard, paid my 50 pesos and got my tent set up. I cooked some noodles, threw in some tuna and had a surprisingly tasty dinner. I got into some warm clothes (it's cool!) and lay down in the tent.

Exhausted, relieved and contented.


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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 176, Thursday, March 05, 2020, Angahuan, Rest day, 0km, Total KM 6480

There's a little spot behind the restaurant at the Centre de Touristico that gives a wonderful view over the lava ravaged valley.

In the foreground to the left is the steeple of the famous church, to the left the volcano that did the damage. Straight in front the sun is sinking, blasting out from a passing bank of cloud. What's west is now all but invisible, wiped out by the power of the sun, but moments before there were ridges of far away mountains, layered one behind the other with a thin mist floating along them, exposing peaks and camouflaging bases. With the sunlight reflecting off the various clouds, the sky full of oranges and golds, highlighting the greys and blues of the far off mountains, or causing layers of greens and blues and blacks on the nearby ones it truly is a special location.

When the sun finally drops behind the furthermost mountains the sky lights up with brilliant and vivid oranges behind the clouds.

Throw in a friendly dog who plonks himself beside me as I soak up this view, his wagging tail slapping off my ankle in a lively, friendly rhythm, and evenings don't get much better than this!

Well, that's not true, but it certainly is a very pleasant ending to a very pleasant day!

I've just realized I haven't explained what I'm doing here!

Back in Mazatlãn I took to asking people where would they go to in Mexico if they had to leave and never come back. This area was one answer due to the ancient Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro, all that remains of a town swallowed by lava after an eruption of the nearby volcano in 1943. Most cyclists stay on the north side of the lake after Guadalajara, but I've ventured a bit off the cyclist's beaten path going this way.

I was in no rush to be getting up, it was cold for one thing!
I got up, brewed coffee and came down to the aforementioned spot with my flask of coffee and just savoured the morning.

After coming all this way I wanted to see the remains of the church. I didn't fancy a guided tour, nor did a horse trip appeal - I spend enough time bouncing up and down on my ass!

It looked like I could make my own way to the church, about 2,5 km away, so I did.

It was mostly downhill, but well manageable. Nearing the church there was a shanty town of food stalls, all but one empty. A few guys standing around with horses tethered offering to take me up to the volcano. Instead I climbed up to the church. Climb is the word. In Europe this would be crisscrossed with wooden walkways up and around the church, in Mexico we climb over the lava. It's certainly interesting. The church, or rather the remains of the church, are all that's left of the town. Given the size of the church, it must have been a fair sized town. Away from the bell tower, at what would be the opposite end of the church is a little altar, still in use and seemingly treated as a shrine. I thought that was the most moving part of the visit.

A couple of young German guys were climbing around the bell tower playing with their go-pro. I'd said a cheery "Hola" to not much of a response. I made my way to the wall between the towers where they were standing but they made no effort to move or even acknowledge my presence so I left them to it and climbed in a big circle around. Occasionally, instead of lava I'd be stepping on the wall of the church, then back onto the lava. It's very hard to imagine what it must have been like but the evidence is all around!

Before heading back I stopped for a cold drink, more as a way of supporting the local business than a need to drink. I wasn't too impressed to be charged 30 pesos for a coke - twice the going rate! The Germans had been drinking beer so I left them off in front of me.

I got back to my campsite and decided that I was done for the day. My next destination isn't too far away, but I'd be cycling in the hottest part of the day and I've enough of that. I brewed up a pot of coffee and set about adjusting my gears until they were running smoothly. Then I toddled up to a shop to get some ingredients for dinner - I fancied cooking tonight. Then a lazy afternoon was had reading my book.

The two Germans were in a campervan and getting ready to leave. One of them used the washbasins at the toilet block to wash up after their food, except he left the sink a total mess. When I saw it later I was so disgusted I got my own cleaning stuff and cleaned it up. He'd even blocked the drain the inconsiderate ******! This is a great spot costing 50 pesos per night - about €2,50. It just seemed an abuse of hospitality to me.

I made a lovely dinner of pasta salad with onions and tomato and avocado with toast & boiled eggs. I had loads of space to prep and cook and it was really nice to have the time. Then a bit more reading and a little walk to watch the sun go down.

A nice relaxing day!

As things turned out, I'd have been far better staying in the National Park for another day, getting an early start and making it here in the early afternoon. Then I'd have had an easier time of the climbing, had time to see the church and moved on the next day! Duh! 😀

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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 177, Friday, March 06, 2020, Angahuan to Wild Camp near Patzcuaro 70km, Total KM 6550

Min meters 1389, Max Meters 2399
Total Climb 1389 Total Descent 1437


Well, I wasn't supposed to be here, the tent hidden in some bushes atop a bank beside the cuota, but I guess that's the nature of adventures - we never know what's around the corner!

The friendly dog who had been tapping my ankles yesterday with his wagging tail hung around the tent all night. He wasn't a problem at all, I like to think he was my own guard dog!

I was up before dawn, brewed coffee and took a wander down to watch the sunrise. It really is a wonderful time of the day, especially when the skies tend to be as clear as they are here. Warm, golden light slowly rolling over the dark countryside bringing life to everything.

Back at the tent I made a leisurely breakfast, hard boiled eggs from last night, freshly fried eggs and (stale) bread fried in olive oil - and more coffee of course!

I was in no particular rush as today's destination was only about 30km away. Not only that, it was a hotel & RV park (that accepted tents) and also had a swimming pool! How's that for luxury?!

I set off, walking the bike through town. I couldn't believe just how bumpy it was and really couldn't believe that I had ridden it in the dark two nights previous.

I stopped to buy a litre of water and started up a hill. My road had a shoulder, traffic was ok, there were some clouds in the sky and all was good in my world. Then things got better with a lovely long descent that had me whizzing and hooping all the way down.

Before I knew it I was nearing Uruapan and my destination. Spying a filling station with supermarket I pulled in planning to stock up with food for a lazy afternoon. Other than snacks they had nothing so I rolled on, down a hill to my hotel. Closed! Uh oh!

I rolled on down to the very busy town and pulled in when I had a chance to figure out what to do. I'd had no internet now for a couple of days so my research options were limited. Another place I'd marked off was only 65km away. It was about 1 pm now, lots of time to get there given that it seemed a flattish route.

I rode through the town, feeling uneasy. Had I liked the place I'd have found a hotel, but there was a vibe from this place that I wanted to get away from. Heading for the cuota I pulled in at an Oxxo for some quick food and to stock up on liquids.

Soon I was on the road, a nice shoulder all to myself, although the road was busy. Then, to my surprise the road dropped and dropped and dropped some more! Great fun!.....except that I knew I'd have to regain that height before Patzcuaro. In all I dropped about 1000 meters, then immediately set about regaining it! This wasn't in my plan!!

Progress was slow. Another factor was that at a lower altitude it was hotter! Double whammy!

Traffic was heavy and a lot used the shoulder as a lane. This cuota is only a two lane so there was a lot of overtaking and vehicles taking the shoulder. Trucks would lumber slowly up behind me in the shoulder, pull out into the lane to overtake me, then pull back in again.

When I saw signs for a toll booth I perked up - cold drink and food! Unlike elsewhere, there were no food stalls, only a couple selling drinks and snacks. I got more water and continued on. Climbing.

By the time 5pm rolled around I knew I wasn't going to make it. I reduced my destination to the next toll booth, hoping to camp there. At least there would be security. By 6pm that was a pipedream. I started scanning the road looking for likely camping spots. I stopped to check out a couple, but the signs were not good or a house was close by. Eventually, I found the almost perfect spot, above the road & behind some bushes. No houses nearby. I'd be almost invisible. Totally invisible when night fell.

I got myself in, the tent out, but not up, then lay down waiting for darkness to fall. I was so tired I dozed for a few minutes. Then when it seemed dark enough, I finished off the tent, hopped in and went to bed. I was too tired to eat, just drank a lot of water & slept surprisingly well given how close I was to the road and how busy it was!

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 178, Saturday, March 07, 2020, Wild Camp near Patzcuaro to Patzcuaro 27km, Total KM 6577

Min meters 2078, Max Meters 2304
Total Climb 384 Total Descent 520


I slept surprisingly well for a stealthy pitch beside a cuota. Traffic was constant through the night but I have a tendency to sleep through anything when I'm tired.

Hearing the traffic going by, listening out for any unusual sounds that might indicate someone pulling in it is interesting to realise that a lot of Mexican vehicles sound nothing like their European counterparts. Squeaks, rattles, grinding gears as well as tarps used to tie down loads all become far more evident to the listener. More than once I've pulled in to the side of the road when there is a loud, unidentified and threatening sound coming up behind me. Normally it's something as simple as a load of plastic wrapped mattresses carried in the back of a pickup, the plastic making a ferocious racket in the wind.

Stealth camping can be tricky and brings out the survivalist in me! I look for nearby habitation and avoid. I look for signs of animals, especially dogs. I want to be as invisible as possible. If I can I'll check a good distance in both directions before choosing a spot. I'll often spend a while in an area before actually setting up, while trying to disguise my intentions to any traffic that might see me.

For example, one spot I rejected looked good but I saw big pawprints in the dirt so wandered down a disused road that looked like it hadn't seen traffic in years. As it turned out, not far as the crow flies was a house of some kind. So that's a no.

My spot last night had a little, seemingly unused lane in the opposite direction to me. A little wander showed someone had recently been sawing trees for firewood here, but I figured no-one would come out at night to saw firewood and I'd be gone in the morning before they arrived.

The other thing with wild camping is the need for water. I can get by with a minimum of one liter, but with three liters I'm very comfortable for eating, drinking and cleaning.

Lighting has to be kept to a minimum, or preferably, not at all. Nothing like a glowing tent to draw attention to yourself.

Finally, an overactive imagination is not a help! Any strange sound can become a nightmare! I find sitting quietly before making camp can be useful in identifying the "usual" sounds, although when darkness falls that brings its own sounds.

I got up, broke down the tent & packed up in record time. I knew I was in for a long climb from the get go - I saw it last night - but decided to skip breakfast as I was low on water.

It actually wasn't too bad. The sun was doing its job of bringing everything back to life, the temperature was cool, although rising, and even though there was a fair amount of traffic I was comfortable in the shoulder.

When I rolled up to the toll booth it was the same as yesterday, only drinks and snacks available. I horsed down some pastries and a Coke, resting for a while in the shade, watching the world go by. Then it was back on the bike and the last short leg to Patzcuaro.

There was a bit of confusion caused by roadworks when I went to get off the cuota, but as I sailed to Patzcuaro my only concern was arriving too early at the campground! Traffic was heavier and the road was poorer, but I was in no rush. Taking side streets through the town I soon arrived in the area of the campground. I stopped for a coffee then proceeded onwards.

The campground is small, but lovely, a small community of "snow birds", people from Canada, mostly, avoiding the cold winter. There was one other tent and as luck would have it, an Irish couple (and their dog) in it!

Home!


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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 179, Sunday, March 08, 2020, Patzcuaro English Speaking Day 😀
0km, Total KM 6577

It really didn't take a lot of thought to stay an extra day! There's a lot to be said for being in an environment that is English speaking with friendly, hospitable folk. The fact that there were dogs everywhere just added to the relaxation.

To ease my cycling conscience I had decided to take a spin up the road to visit some ruins, but when a Canadian couple offered to give me a lift I took it. The Irish couple drove too with their dog, but the dog wasn't allowed in, so we passed on the ruins and visited the town instead. A lovely day wandering around craft stalls and visiting a church and old monastery.

I just love this dining set! Good thing I'm on a bike!

That evening I took some time to plan my run into Morelia. Thankfully, the route was relatively flat and I had a choice of roads. This time I chose the Libre as it was a dual carriageway and I'd have a shoulder of some sort after about 20km. I'd read of one horriffic approach to Morelia and this would avoid that too. Besides, I'd be passing a lot more refreshment places this way.

On a side note, I find myself getting into more detailed planning than ever before. I used never look at elevation charts but the last few weeks have been very tough due to a combination of heat and climbing. I've dealt with both before, but singly, combined they have a serious effect on progress. On top of that, when climbing, a shoulder makes a big difference in terms of having my own space (although I always have to be vigilant for other traffic using the shoulder too).

I've also done something else I've never done before - I downloaded a Lonely Planet for Mexico. I generally don't use these kinds of guidebooks but the Irish couple had one and I had a leaf through. It's worth a shot to use since I am effectively wandering from point to point.

There are loads of interesting stories in the park.

The Irish couple have been on the road for a few months, sleeping in the car or in a tent. Having lived in San Francisco for many years they are on a road trip before going back closer to home. Their dog was a rescue from Florida, after a hurricane. Florida puts stray dogs to sleep so volunteers round up animals after disasters and bring them to more pet friendly environments - even if they are on the other side of the country. Another dog in the park was a rescue from New Orleans after Katrina.

They'd been through the Baja peninsula and met quite a few cyclists, although none, apparently, as heavily loaded as me!

The Canadian couple run a store back in Toronto specialized in Mexican artisan produce. They come down every year after Christmas, spend three months picking up bits and pieces and having a holiday, before loading a truck with their finds and heading back. It seemed a very nice lifestyle!

One of the very few Americans has been coming to the site for decades. He has seen a big drop off in American visitors in the past five years. Whereas before it was 50:50 Americans to Canadians, now it's more like 20:80 in favour of the Canadians. The park was ⅔ full but he said five years ago it wasn't possible to just roll in it was so full. He's aware of the risks of visiting Mexico, but he has never experienced anything bad.

He did make one valid comment, though, and that was in his experience the greatest doom mongers about Mexico were people who had never visited or had only visited resorts that they never left.

One of many frescoes on the wall of the old monastery

For me, it was great to be in an environment where everyone was so positive and not trying to scare the bejaysus out of me with horror stories and the like. All were tremendously excited for me and my adventure.

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

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[HobbesOnTour]

Day 180, Monday, March 09, 2020, Wild Patzcuaro to Morelia 56km, Total KM 6633

Min meters 1978, Max Meters 2153
Total Climb 534 Total Descent 593


It's weird. You roll into one place with certain expectations and leave disappointed, then later you roll into another place thinking "Meh" and are blown away within five minutes of arrival!

Before I go any further a big shout out to Cycle.travel, a bicycle tourer's greatest asset after a bike and a half decent attitude. Here I am way down in Mexico and cycle.travel is still getting me into, out of and around Mexican cities - and it's not supposed to work in Mexico!

Anyways, my plan was to leave right at first light and try to get the first section out of the way before it got too busy. As with most of my plans, there was a certain amount of modification along the way. I was awake at 6 but could already hear lots of traffic on the road so was lazy for a little while. Then I did get up and got ready to roll. The bike packed and me ready to leave I paused to chat with my neighbours, leaving the bike a little too long fully loaded on the clickstand. With the slightly softish ground the stand bent and the bike fell over. No big deal. But my neighbour offered to straighten the bent section and I agreed telling him it was aluminium. Snap! One section gone! Oh well, he was only trying to help.

Getting out of the RV park was a challenge - people up early and wanting to talk but I finally rolled out a little after 8 am.

Traffic was heavy, or at least, heavier than I'd like with no shoulder. The sun was quite low too, so spying an Oxxo after about a half hour I pulled in for coffee. Not a bad call, when I set off again at 9 the sun was higher and the traffic lighter!

After a while I rejoined 14 and had a surprisingly decent shoulder. It was good to be back on the road. It certainly helped that I was in for no climbing surprises today. I was motoring along enjoying the views, enjoying the cycling, enjoying life!

A little after 10 I pulled in for some food, delicious pork tacos and set off again. Unlike yesterday the sky had few clouds and the heat was rising, already 35 at 10:30am!

I plugged in some music and was soon belting out Springsteen at a fairly reasonable volume!

With the exception of one longish climb, ascents were short and invariably followed by a nice descent. So much better than slogging uphill for hours at a time!

It seemed like no time later I climbed a little curving hill to be presented with the sprawl of Morelia stretched out before me! I rolled down towards it but the approach was certainly not bike friendly! My shoulder disappeared and I found myself pulling off the road regularly to let traffic past. I was in no rush.

Then I let cycle.travel's genius have its head and I left the traffic behind and followed wonderfully quiet streets the whole way to the centre. Arriving in the main plaza beside the Cathedral I was just blown away!

This is a UNESCO designated city and it is very, very pretty! I could not stop smiling! I hopped off the bike and just wandered around gobsmacked by the architecture.

I went for a celebratory coffee on a fancy, European style terrace, enquired about an early arrival at my AirBnb and people watched.

Then I took a little cycle tour of the inner city and down to the old aguaduct - amazing. Another park called me in and I sat for a while with a big, freshly squeezed OJ.

I made my way to the Airbnb - a delightfully eccentric building right behind the Cathedral, had a shower, did some laundry and wandered back out to the city.

It's great when a place tickles whatever is the equivalent of taste buds for exploring. There's a real sense of loads to discover and see!

I am not being disappointed!

My first stop was a nearby bike shop. I want to pick up some brake pads and check out the tyre situation. It was open when I cycled by, but closed, for siesta, presumably, when I walked over.

I grabbed a coffee and doughnut and people watched in the park. I was amused by a young guy doing everything he could to get the girl sitting beside him to kiss him. She clearly liked him, but there was no way she was going to be engaging in any public smooching!

Then I took off, taking a wander. Around every corner there is another beautiful building or little plaza. I visited the most wonderful little church. The entire wall behind the altar is of carved wood

Update:

Morelia is like hell on Earth for the tourist!

Walking around after nightfall with the buildings lit up I quickly realised I'd have to explore everything again because it's really like two cities - one in bright sunshine, another in moonlight!

Another day is called for here, at least!

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Days 181-2, Tuesday/Wednesday March 10/11, 2020, Enjoying Morelia 0km, Total KM 6633


What can I say about this town? Words are failing me and no pictures will do the place justice - but you should have a look online anyway. It's another UNESCO world heritage site and it is very easy to see why.

It's funny because one blogger in particular really didn't like the place - he found it too clean and untypical of Mexico. I suppose in many ways he's right - there is no mistaking that this is a European built city. Walking around I could be in Italy or Spain. The people, too, look more European than even Patzcuaro just down the road. This was one of the premier cities of New Spain, was a centre of learning almost from the start and gave Mexico one of its greatest Independence fighters.

But enough of that - it is simply beautiful, wonderfully relaxed and absolutely not overrun with tourists. In fact, it is just a normal city (albeit exceptionally pretty) going about its day to day business. I think that's what speaks to me the most - I can just mingle and observe.

There are so many churches and spires that you need to be an expert in steeple identification to navigate by them! And the plazas! The beating heart of the city. My favourite thing is to grab a coffee and just watch; a couple of old men playing chess beside me, a young couple over there, crazy about each other in the warm afternoon, behind them an old couple sitting in a peaceful silence. Walking by, a couple with their kids. Later some street entertainers will take over a section and take turns doing their acts. In another corner various Superheroes are standing statue still - no easy feat when the little kids edge closer and closer and finally in a fit of courage push one before running screaming and laughing away. In another area kids are practicing stunts on their BMX bikes or skateboards.

These scenes are recreated all through the day and late into the evening. Of course it helps that the weather promotes all this!

There's a calmness too, even moreso than in other Mexican cities. For one the taxis and collectivo minibuses are remarkably quiet - hardly any honking of horns. The narrow streets lead to long traffic jams but most drivers take it all in their stride.

The buildings are unbelievably elegant. The uses may have changed but the facades have stayed the same. And churches? Everywhere! The Cathedral is simply magnificent, inside and out. The paintwork on the ceiling is amazing, detailed and beautiful. The organ is incredible. I felt overwhelmed looking at everything. I think I could spend a whole day in there and not see everything. Yet another church down the road is beautiful in its simplicity. They are all in use. It's not possible to find an empty church. If there is no service there are people praying or having confessions heard. As a tourist that makes me feel a tad uncomfortable, as if I am intruding.

In one church I observed a man, early thirties, deep in prayer near the front. When he had finished, he rose, shuffled to the aisle, genuflected, made the sign of the cross and slowly walked backwards down the aisle never once turning away from the altar. Several times he stopped to genuflect and make the sign of the cross. Such displays of faith are impressive to me.

He's not alone. In just about every church I've been in I've witnessed people deeply committed to their faith, many of them young.

One of the striking things here are the doors! There are some magnificent doors in some of these buildings. They may not be originals (but I think they could well be) but they are certainly in the style expected of those times. Huge, thick, many ornately decorated. It is a little odd to see modern locks inserted in them, but many still have the old locks and handles. It's a lovely way to pass a few hours wandering around looking at these doors - or maybe I'm just a bit odd!

I made an unusual mistake on my first night and chose the wrong place for my food! I knew I'd made a mistake when my pollo (chicken) fajitas were served with chips! The next night I made no such mistake, finding a simple, busy place on a side street. I burned the gob off myself (first time in Mexico!) but the food was still delicious!

I've noticed myself with the salsas (sauces), that at the start I am very stingy but by the end of the meal I am liberally applying spicy salsa everywhere!

There's an old aquaduct here that is just stunning. I visited it twice in two days just because the light falling on it was different. There's also a " El Callejon del Romance", (alley of romance) a tiny street with lovely bushes growing. I'm not sure of the backstory but when I visited there seemed to be a TV crew doing a feature. Since the closest thing to a romantic partner I have is a stuffed tiger I hotfooted it out of there!

The city is surrounded by mountains. I can stand on the main Street and at each end mountains are rising out of the distance. The same applies on some streets running perpendicular. After much wandering I found the perfect junction so that even though I'm in the city centre I can look in any direction and see mountains! Somehow they look much more attractive when I'm not on the bike!

There are a number of museums here. Like Guadalajara there's a regional museum and thanks to the Lonely Planet I could see that it would be a lot of the same stuff that I have already seen. I did, however, pay a visit to the José María Morelos museum. A son of this town he became a priest and then one of the main players in Mexico's first and futile attempt to gain independence.

The history is fascinating since it was less a desire to be independent but more a resistance to the French takeover of the Spanish crown. I have to admit that my knowledge of this period is weak - in Ireland we concentrated a lot on Irish history of that time. J.M. Morelos was quite the character, working from a young age to support his mother after her marriage broke down, becoming a priest, then independently wealthy (yet apparently generous with it), before following his religious mentor into war, becoming a successful leader of men and general waging five successful campaigns against the Royalists before being captured, tried and executed. In between all that he managed to father at least three children with two different women. You've got to admire the Catholic church!

Morelia was named for him. The Spanish called this city Valladolid.

The museum was well put together (in the house he bought for his sister), with a lot of English and in a beautiful building. As always, the staff are very helpful and proud of their subject. One girl followed me up the stairs to the second floor and made sure that I didn't do the upstairs part backwards! Maybe word is spreading through the museums about me and my appalling sense of direction!

The other "tourist" highlight of my day was the University Library. If ever there was a home that showed it valued books this is one! Simply beautiful. It's a working Library and was quite busy (free WiFi I'm sure was a factor) so that I felt like I was in a church - a church of books.

Education has been a big part of this city since its inception and I believe some of the documents here date from those times. For anyone who loves books this is a special place.

On practical stuff, I had a message from the bike shop that they may be able to get my tyres, but won't know until Wednesday. An easy decision was made to stay another day! If I can get the tyres, great, if not, there are far, far worse places to be spending a day.

Since I could have a sleep in I decided to take a late wander in pursuit of a drink. Walking close to the main plaza I could hear some wonderful music and headed towards it but it stopped before I got my bearings. Instead I wandered around but the offerings were rather disappointing until the music started again - on a rooftop! Up I went and had a delicious Margherita looking at the Cathedral opposite the plaza from me. There are moments that will stick in my head from this trip and that is definitely one of them.

My second day in this place of wonder did little to quench my thirst for this place. If anything it was akin to trying to slake my thirst with salty water. The more I see the more I want to see.

I went back to the Cathedral, this time during mass, and sat in for the sermon. Lots of people in attendance, an older priest speaking at length in quite a soothing voice. I hadn't a hope of picking up anything, unfortunately, but people were rapt in their attention.

I took a wander to the Zoo to see some of the wild animals I've missed in the wild. It was better than expected, but a lot of the animals were hiding from the sun. Highlight was definitely the Lion, stretched in the shade less than two meters from me. I've now seen a tarantula and several snakes so hopefully that is it for the rest of the trip!

Then I crossed town heading for the Panteon, the cemetery. Zigzagging through side streets away from the plazas and churches. Passing a bar I heard the sound of a football match so settled in for a cold beer and the drama and excitement of the Liverpool Atletí match.

Four goals later I arrived at the cemetery. This is my first cemetery in Mexico, although I have passed many outside the small towns. A typical characteristic is that they are colourful! The first thing that struck me about this one was chaos! Try to imagine an American city laid out in blocks - the design is a bit like that. But in this city there are no planning controls - massive buildings side by side, then a simple iron cross. There are no headstones as would be typical elsewhere. There are mausoleums instead, some rectangular and flat, others like little houses with photos and memorabilia from the deceased, even a chair for visitors to sit in. There are even bigger ones on two levels! Some are like little houses, while others are more artistically designed - a church, for instance.

The lack of "planning control" is evident because sometimes two structures are not parallel, some have subsided into the ground and some have collapsed. In one case, a mausoleum has extended into the path blocking it completely!

The place is huge. Often just a date of death is given and one spot can be used by several people of the same family. It is really overwhelming.

I came across a burial but didn't get too close. I also passed one little building with the usual - flowers, pictures of the deceased, momentoes. The door was open and music was playing from inside while just outside a lady was sitting alone with her thoughts.

Heading back to the centre I again took lots of narrow back streets. Instead of shops there were many workshops from wood to upholstery to metalwork. Men working in tiny little spaces, piecemeal. It really is interesting to watch these micro businesses in operation. Instead of going to Ikea, people pop down to a furniture maker and he puts together a table or desk or wardrobe for them - sometimes while they wait. He has no space to build up a range of stock.

A couple of days ago the women of Mexico went on strike for the day as a protest against domestic violence against women. Two women die violently every day. I can't say that I was aware of the protest at the time, but a pedestrian street here has a display of pairs of red shoes, each pair signifying a victim. The aquaduct has a name and a picture of a victim on each support. It would take a heart of stone not to be moved by these symbols.

This is a complex place; on the one hand it is very family centric and that is evident everywhere I have been, on the other hand corruption and violence are rife. In some places human life is very cheap. A friend sent me a link about an Irishman working with indigenous people in the north, in cartel country. He does what he can to help people, many illiterate and uneducated, assisting them in their dealings with the government. The biggest challenge is defeating the appeal of the cartels who can offer young men, especially, a livelihood.

In some parts citizens have set up vigilante groups to protect themselves from the Cartels and the police!

Cartel involvement in non-drug businesses is growing. "Taxes" are levied on farmers, illegal logging, fuel theft are all expanding areas of revenue for them. Government is able to do little and in some cases local government is actively involved! It's no wonder people are taking matters into their own hands.

In the end I never heard back from the bike shop. Oh well, I had another wonderful day. It'll be back on the road tomorrow.

For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 183, Thursday March 12, 2020, Morelia to San Juan Benito Juarez 49km, Total KM 6682

Min meters 1844, Max Meters 2304

Total Climb 668 Total Descent 638



A better writer than I would paint Morelia as a refined and beautiful woman, possessing many seductive attributes, most significantly the ability to make her man feel totally comfortable and at ease while still retaining an air of mystery and excitement.

Such a theme would continue when the traveller must move on, with all the gratitude and sadness that ending a brief but powerful affair brings.

It would make a great black and white movie, our hero trying to be strong, our heroine telling him she'll always be right there if he ever returns.

Bittersweet. That would have been the perfect ending to my time in Morelia - but it wasn't!

I was up early and finished my packing. Outside, when loading up the bike I saw one of the bolts securing my rear rack was loose. It's a Tubus rack with a weird head so my multitool doesn't work. I had to unpack my pannier on the street to get my "proper" tools and tighten it.

Job done I set off for one last coffee. I migrated to the main plaza and again just watched the people. I can't emphasise enough how nice it is to be in a "real" place as opposed to a touristy place.

I stocked up on some water at the Oxxo and for the second day in a row the same assistant tried to leave me short 100 pesos. Once can happen, twice is not good. Most unusual I do have to say I find the people refreshingly honest.

I was finding it hard to drum up enthusiasm for the ride ahead. Of all the places so far, Morelia is proving the hardest to leave. I'd even changed my route to drum up some excitement! My next big place is Tula to visit some ruins. It's north of Mexico city. I've let cycle.travel choose all the back roads and I've marked off as many accommodation options as I can. I'll divert to whatever options are closest as I go along. Backroads mean adventure!

Other than trying to cross a six lane dual carriageway in the morning rush hour cycle.travel did a great job of getting me out of town. Morelia has proved the most cycling difficult of all the cities so far in Mexico. But even trying to cross that dual carriageway demonstrated the soul of Mexico.

Traffic is moving slowly, but steadily. There are no stops, just three constant lines of traffic. One driver, in the lane closest to me sees my predicament and stops to let me across. The car in the second lane sees that and stops too! Empathy is contagious! I start to move and then the car in the third lane stops as well! I beam & wave my thanks and it's like a mirror - everybody beaming and waving! The other side is less dense, just faster but I hop across with ease.

A little later I join a main road for a moment, then turn off into the countryside. Morelia is behind me, adventure in front!

This is where we revisit our heroine. Beautiful and sophisticated she may be, but she's also vindictive and has set a trap for our hero.

That trap is a drain in the dusty road, not a lot different from hundreds of drains crossed on this trip. Except this one swallowed my front wheel and sent me flying. Thankfully nothing was behind me. I like to think I floated like a butterfly but I probably more closely resembled a sack of spuds. I was fine, no harm done but my front wheel resembled a Pringle - badly out of shape.

I got off the road and assessed my options. This was a serious buckle. The wheel would not rotate more than half a revolution. A small wobble I think I'm confident enough to fix. This wasn't a small wobble.

I stripped off the bike, upended it and went to work with my spoke tool. It took a while but I finally got it going around without resistance, but there was still a serious wobble. I swapped it for the wheel in the Xtrawheel trailer, repacked the bike and turned back to the scorned Morelia. I knew exactly where I was going. On one of my many wanderings I had come across a little bike repair shop and my casual observation had picked up something special.

The ride back was fine and I pulled up in the shop. My Spanish is nowhere near good enough to explain so I used Google Translate. The answer was a very reassuring "we'll fix it, don't worry". They did and I didn't.

I was witnessing a micro economy in action! A young guy got the wheel ready, removing tyre, tube & liner, then an older man took over. It's a little disturbing to see my lovely wheel lying horizontally over two blocks of wood while a small, wooden railway sleeper is dropped from a height to remove the Pringle shape! Then the smallest wooden chair I've seen is introduced along with a basic truing stand for tightening the spokes.

Job done! I just walked in off the street and within an hour my wheel is spinning perfectly!

I then unpacked the bike...again and fitted the wheel back in its rightful place. I plugged in the dynamo and gave a spin to check. Nada. I tried again. Nada. I plugged my phone into the usb charger and nada.

(In my head I thought I heard a female's voice laughing demonically).

My friend came over to help giving me a light with two loose wires. I held them to the connectors. Nada. I have a spare Shimano connector which I used with his light and nada.

It looks like my dynamo is fecked.

We had a small chat about bikes, my trip and the charger. He was very impressed with it. When I went to pay it was 30 pesos - about €1,50! I thought I had misheard him and asked again. I couldn't pay that after he got me out of such a hole! I have him 100 and my sincere gratitude. Then I was back in the arms of Morelia!

I tried to ignore her charms, I really did! I teased myself by stopping in a different plaza for a cold drink and a snack. But I didn't succumb! I got out of there, admittedly casting many longful glances.

Pretty soon I was back at the adventurous turnoff but at the last minute I stuck to the main road. It was early afternoon and there was a campground about 35 km up the road. At an Oxxo I stopped & called to make sure they were open and continued on.

The road was busy, although I had a shoulder for most of it. When there was no shoulder it was exciting but I've had enough excitement for today.

It was hot, mid 40sC and I stopped often for a drink. About 8km from the campground I stocked up on some food & water. I got my backroad wish - the last 8km were off road. So off-road in fact, that I stopped three times to let people herding cattle past me. I'm glad I did because the last herder, an old gentleman on a donkey, pointed out exactly which gate I needed to go through. Without him I'd have missed it.

There was a brutally steep push for a few hundred meters to get up here. How RVs do it I have no idea.

As it turns out I am the only one here! Well, if you don't count the horses. The owner said the toilet block would be open...but no. This is a relatively new place, pitched as an eco RV park for retirees. It's quite high, overlooking a lake. However, it's right beside a busy road (no access though) and with the monster hill and rough roads it's not exactly easy to get to or to be handy for people to live long term.

I'll see places like this on iOverlander where users will comment how keen and enthusiastic someone is, but others will comment on the problems and the latest one is that it is closed. I'm sure the drop off in US traffic doesn't help at all either.

Anyways, I got the tent up and had my dinner - crispy tortillas with refried beans and guacamole salsa. Not guacamole….fire avacado!! All while the sun was going down and doing its magic on the clouds!

It's surprisingly warm, but windy.

What a day!


For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Day 184,Friday March 13, 2020, San Juan Benito Juarez to Balneario Puesta Del Sol 47km, Total KM 6729

Min meters 1796, Max Meters 1993
Total Climb 504 Total Descent 593

Many, many years ago Weetabix did a promotion whereby collected tokens from boxes could be redeemed for a special kind of book - one where the reader got to choose what happened next. The idea was great but the execution quite poor. I only mention this now because normally over the course of a day an opening for my daily tale from the road forms in my mind. Today was no exception, but things kept happening and new openings sprang to mind. Since I think it would be unfair to choose just one, I'll open today's travelogue with them all….

I'm not the smartest knife in the drawer and struggle, sometimes, to see things that are right in front of me - especially if those things are an inconvenience. Well, after being bombarded by Coronavirus reports for the past couple of weeks it finally dawned on me that maybe heading towards Mexico City, the third largest city in the world and the most densely populated part of Mexico was not perhaps the brightest of ideas!

I love the movie "Carlito's Way". It's about redemption and hope and second chances as well as pettiness and betrayal. An image featuring frequently in the movie is of a rich, golden orange sunset, the sun a circle of light behind a palm tree. Tonight, Mother Nature conspired to recreate that image, complete with a burning circle and a palm tree. She went further though and introduced lighting in huge, multi-pronged forks to liven it up for me!

I'm sure anyone who has been camping has their story or stories of times when the weather was wild and from inside the tent it felt like you were going to take off at any moment. Mine is from a campsite above San Sebastian in Spain when a ferocious thunderstorm lit up the sky while a wild wind tried in vain to flatten my trusty Coleman! But how many of you have stood about six feet from your tent and watched it twist and bend and contort in the middle of a storm? I had that unique (for me) experience tonight. It was exciting if a little nerve-wracking!

I was apparently very tired yesterday and slept well past dawn. When I awoke my mind focused on the aforementioned virus and gave me pause to think again. I brewed up some coffee and sat in the early morning sun with my big map in front of me. The more I looked the more it seemed my plan was a foolish one. Doing effectively a semi circle around a huge mass of people, taking a bus into the city itself and probably using public transport to get around the city itself over a few days and using more hotels than campgrounds. I'm in a strange country, struggling with the language and falling ill is not going to be pleasant. Time to rethink, methinks.

I was very slow to make breakfast and get packed. Just as I was about ready to go Arturo, the campground owner showed up, apologising for not being around earlier to open the bathrooms. I wasn't too bothered but he did ask me to keep my distance because of the virus! Seizing my chance I asked him what the latest situation was here in Mexico. There are no major restrictions (yet) but advice is to cut all unnecessary human contact. He wouldn't charge me for my stay and said I could stay as long as I liked. Having little food or water I needed to move on anyway. But where?

Going south is a lot of mountains. Going west to the coast and south will bring me to Acupulco - and that is currently a danger hotspot. Heading east will bring me to the Gulf coast, another coast to coast and an interesting way south, although probably hotter than it is currently. I really couldn't make up my mind.

In the end I decided to head off and let the ideas filter through my mind as I cycled.

First thing was to get back down the monster hill - no easy task, even walking down.

Then it was bouncing along to the little village where I stocked up on water and fruit before hitting a proper road.

It was already hot because I had had such a slow morning. I'd effectively decided to keep heading towards Tula on the basis that I could either turn south or west from there. Given the accommodation options and the late start I chose the cuota instead of the backroads. The cuota actually ran past the campground and traffic had been light all morning. 11km after leaving the campground I cycled past it! (I'd had a good snoop and there was no way of sneaking in to it).

I would have preferred the adventure of the backroads but the cuota was faster. As things turned out, I got the worst of both worlds! The shoulder was brutal! Rough, potholed, lots of loose gravel, I was bumping around almost as much as I would on a backroad!

But the countryside was good! On the cuota it feels like I'm removed from the environment - everything seems so far away.

There were frequent stops wherever there was shade. There were a lot of descents followed by slow climbs. The heat is really taking it out of me. I've upgraded my water choice because some of the cheaper waters start to taste vile when they warm up. I stopped a couple of times to eat an orange too. After one of these stops the bike felt sluggish when I went to move off. Front wheel flat as a pancake! Bah! I unpacked, flipped the bike over and set about finding the culprit. It wasn't difficult. A nice big thorn right through the tyre! It was too hot and too dangerous to spend any longer than necessary on the side of the road so I used a new tube and got going again.

I became aware of the feeling of being cooked from the inside. By now all my water was warm, but I drank as much as I could. My target was the toll booth where there was bound to be a chance to eat, drink and rest about 20km further. I eventually rolled in and had a choice of places to eat. I chose a restaurant, got a cold drink and some tacos and slowly cooled down. It was a bit early, but there was a thermal bath place just down the road that iOverlander said allowed camping. I thought it was worth a shot so finished up and went to Oxxo to stock up on some food. Outside had changed! First of all it was very humid. Secondly the white clouds had become a bank of grey, ominous clouds. I weaved around the toll booth taking a turnoff from the cuota and rode a couple of km to the place. I was soon made most welcome, got pitched, had a shower and took a dip in the thermal pool. I'll tell you, a swim and a soak in a thermal pool is a great way to finish a day's cycling!

As I was soaking lightning started flashing and thunder rolled closer. I got out, dried off, got dressed just as the heavens opened. I'd pitched in front of a little shop with an overhanging roof and this is where I took shelter. To the west the sky was bright and clear but to the east I could see the bad weather rolling in. And such bad weather!! The wind was ferocious! And soon the rain absolutely lashed down! I was watching the side of my tent cave in then pop back out again. At times it seemed like it must be blown flat but it held up. When I was pegging it out the ground had been roack hard. I was so glad now that I had used a piece of firewood to hammer all the pegs in. There was nothing to do except pull up a chair and watch my tent battle the storm from the relative shelter of the covered area. There were times when I genuinely feared it might blow away but the pegs held. The rain was coming so hard and heavy now that large puddles were forming and little rivers starting to flow. I started having visions of the washout near Tupelo but the rivers were flowing away from the tent.

At a certain point I remembered with a degree of horror that my day clothes (including my wallet & phone) were lying in the vestibule. I braved the rain, grabbed them & checked the damage. The phone was wet - not a good thing.

As well as the rain and wind there was thunder that shook everything - myself included - and fabulous displays of forked lightning!

Most interesting of all was away to the west where the sun, still high in the sky was trying to shine through the murk. As the evening progressed and the sun sank lower the while western sky was lit up in the most fabulous orange, the sun itself a glowing orange circle visible through the wet air. A nearby palm tree finished the beautiful effect. Here I was in the middle of a ferocious storm and to all intents and purposes westwards was a work of art!

The wind changed direction for a while then slowly petered out. The rain fell for longer, dying off until eventually it too gave up.

I cooked up some dinner and checked the tent. Some dampness inside from where the outer had been blown inwards, but pretty good shape overall. I had a look around for a better pitch in case the weather turned bad again, but my pitch was fine. After dinner I lazed around for a while and then went to bed. Within minutes I was sound asleep.


For comments or questions please use the chat thread here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/chat-zone-for-the-big-big-trip-journal.254098/page-12#post-5884122

Thank you!