In this month I made my way across the middle of Mexico stopping in Guanajuato, Cholula, Cordoba, Coatzacoalcos, Palenque and back to Playa del Carmen. Good to return and get my feet under me, see friends and jump on the vball court.
Day 19 Guanajuato (350 km) - Started the day going the wrong way which seemed like the theme for this micro trip. Went South out of Gdl on to marcolibramiento highway which isn't free! ("libra?" 50pesos). C3R8T2V8. Then on to highway 35 to Poncitlan. C2R7T3V6. Second part of hwy 35 up to hwy 15D at Vista Hermosa (should have turned on hwy 110), C3R6T3V6. So on to hwy 15D fought to get on to 37 going North after paying $50p. This miss on to 37 put me in 1 hr of slow construction C2R1T9V3. Not fun!
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| Laguna de Cajititlan on Marcolibramiento |
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| Lots of Tequila plants (agave) |
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| After Vista Hermosa on hwy 15D |
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| A few photo since I paid 50pesos for this road |
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| There must be a trick to get around these? |
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| Bad luck on hwy 37 |
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| Good thing it was an over all short day |
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| May be 35km in 1 hour. |
Finally on to Highway 90 all the way to Guanajuato trying my best not to get stuck on another Cuota/toll road. Used a lot of patience on this day especially around Irapuato. C3R7T3V6.
Incredible arrival in to Guanajuato tunnels...unexpected and super cool although a little nerve-racking with all the traffic and no where to escape on the bike.
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| Could have went to Aguascalientes... |
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| A welcome wide open road, rip it up! |
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| Clearly back on the free roads |
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| Wild...tunnels under the city. |
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| Not a lot of space |
Nice chilly night in Guanajuato all the way down to 3 deg C. Walked around stopping in at "Ski" recommended Tragaluz for 2x1 and a tapa then Nigromente for Colibri and Mezcal with a great view!
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| Hotel Dos Rios - good |
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| quaint, bathroom was tight and chilly |
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Love the "no drinking in room"
and a bottle opener on the door |
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| Really scenic city in the hills |
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In front of Tragaluz in
Plaza San Fernando |
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| View at Nigromente |
Walk around Guanajuato old town
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| Regional Museum |
Day 19 - Cholula (500 km). Early chilly start (8 deg C) up on to highway 110 a very appreciated road to Dolores Hidalgo C7R6T3V8. Then on to San Miguel De Allende C3R7T4V6 which was very San Cristobal like and busy. A long day so kept on keeping on.
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| Great morning ride |
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| Rocky to Desert |
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| Dolores Hidalgo |
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| San Miguel de Allende |
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| Bigger town than expected, red truck in shot |
Some hours in to the day and I ran in to heavy traffic in Queretaro and GPS issues. Ouch. 3 lane highway to Queretaro C2R7T8V5. Through the city was tough.
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| As trapped as I felt |
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| This wasn't the bad, no photos of heavy traffic |
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| Out the other side, with lots of cars |
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| Yes, open road! |
Then on to Highway 45 to Ixmiquilpan C4R8T3-5V7. And on to Pachuca to Highway 88, 136, 190. Topes, topes, topes, towns, cities...uff. C3R7T8V6.
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| Another red truck in my photo! |
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| Bridge leaving Pachuca |
A series of GPS silliness and off the beaten path I finally sifted my way through the outlying area to Cholula with 1% battery on both phones.
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| What is this moto guy doing? Not a highway. |
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| Not really a highway |
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| Looking to one of the surrounding Volcanos |
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Enjoying friendly tacos at "Emmanuel" Taqueria
100 pesos x 5 tacos, free taco, free drink. Nice! |
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Hotel Victorina, $40usd,
Best shower of trip! |
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| Cholula and the Luna |
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| Little touristy |
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| A lovely little town and good pick |
Day 20 - Cordoba (200km). A much warmer start to the day including a hike to the top of the central church "Our Lady of Remedies" and a look at the Tlachihualtepetl ruins from behind fences in Cholula. Happy morning.
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Lovely surrounding to the
central church
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| Back of Tlachihualtepetl ruins |
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| Popocatepetl Volcano |
Climbing to the top of Our Lady of Remedies, amazing experience and views.
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| Front of Ruins |
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| Good morning! |
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| The railway to the centre |
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| Of course there's a market here... |
After a great morning I jumped on Blue Demon and set a course for Cordoba for a reasonably short day on a road I had seen before. Hwy 150 C1R5T6V3, then Hwy 150D (pay road) Tapeaca to Esperanza C1R8T3V7 and finally on to Cordoba C7R8T3V7-8 through glorious mountains and curves.
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| Highway police station, looks impressive |
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| Iztaccihuatl Vulcano |
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Runaway lane always a good indicator of
sweet motorbike road. |
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| Worth the 80 pesos? |
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| 7 pesos because I missed an exit! |
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| Cordoba central plaza |
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| Hotel Suites - $20usd! |
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| El Patio de la Abuela |
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| Tasty lunch at El Patio de la Abuela |
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| Main plaza |
Cumbia in the main plaza
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Beef steak, not bad at
Moctezum |
Day 21 - Coatzacoalcos (320km) A day that had silly and weird moments along with enduring the struggle of traffic while luckily avoiding rain. Highway 150 to La Tinaja at highway 145 C5R5-7T2V5, Sweeps! Hwy 145 to 175, bad. C1R5T7V5.
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| Packed and ready, sort of |
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Finally found someone to give
my airplane chocolate cookie |
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| Unexpected open road to start |
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| calm |
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| Lots of tree filled trucks today |
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Foreshadowing... Hwy 175 to Cosamaloapan
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| C5R5T3V6 along a river |
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| Cosamaloapan was odd |
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yeah, odd. So many of these tree filled tractor
driven trailers. C5R4T7V6 |
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| 5 km side road to sneak on to Hwy 145D |
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| 30 min surprisingly interesting detour |
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| Hwy 145D, C1R7T3V6 |
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| That's the off ramp to avoid the toll roads |
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| Last bit of peace |
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| After town Rodriguez Clara |
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| Rough and traffic filled |
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| Hwy 145, worst traffic, pot holes C2R3-6R7-8V4 |
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| Last 20 km Hwy 185, C1-2R7T3V5-6 |
Stayed at a sex hotel on booking.com, "Priviledge" which was not close to the center, but good to get out of the city the next day. They are always better value than other hotels. Ate at Las Brasas for dinner, which was ok. Great 1 km pier with a eerie calmness. As noted by other Coatzacoalcos is a stop and nothing more.
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| Priviledge Sex Hotel |
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| beers for $30 pesos! |
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| Great tacos next to the Sex Hotel |
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| Moto tour of town |
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| Well appointed pier and seawall |
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| Late day fishermen |
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| Love this shot back towards the city |
Day 22 - Palenque (320km). What should have been a smooth morning exit from Coatzacoalcos was anything but. GPS took me to the sister town via a brand new toll tunnel which I chose not to pay for at 6:30am. Then a series of messy side roads and finally I got on to an incredible foggy morning view on Highway 180 to Villahermosa for the last of the big city traffic which didn't disappoint. C4R8T2-8V7.
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| Morning tunnel detour to Allende |
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| which took me through a lake |
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| cow lined streets |
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| Incredible morning views |
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| Into the foggy sun |
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| In to Tabasco for a few hours |
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| Sign of a busy road ahead |
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| Backed up cars and missed exit in Villahermosa |
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| On to Highway 186 for $0.60 USD to hwy 199. |
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| C2/3R7T3V6 |
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| Highway 199 to Palenque, C4R6T4-5V6 |
Arrived in Palenque and went straight to the Ruins before getting a room at Hotel Naj Kin ($400 pesos, good with parking in the centre). I'd actually been to Palenque before, but never to the Ruins so felt it was a must and a once in a life time to do thingy ($200p). Ate amazing in town at Tropi Tacos and dinner at La Parrilla! A great final day on the road.
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| Just past the centre in route to ruins |
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| Safe enough parking |
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| Map says it all |
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| Tight headroom |
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| Tourism |
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| Worth the hike up |
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| A little Star Trek like? |
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| Now that's a leaning bike |
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| Tropi Tacos, Pastor Score! |
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| Centre plaza full of Haitians... why? |
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| La Parrilla, $300p for all that. |
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| Nice. |
Day 23 (800km). Biggest ride of the trip, in Mexico at least (only bigger was Portland to Yuba City). Google said more than 10.5 hrs and I think I made it in 9.5 hrs or so. Hwy 199 to 186, C4R6T4/5V5. Then hwy 186 to Escarcega, rough parts C1/2R4-6T2V4/5. Continued on Hwy 186 to 307, Xul-Ha. C2R6/7T2/3V4. Highway 307 good up to Tulum, super straight really.C1/2R6/7T2-5V5. Close to coast, but no views of it.
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| Exciting finale |
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| 7am start |
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| Always love how the load is the trailer. |
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| The silliness of Escarcega |
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| Straight straight on 186. |
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| Big pipeline construction happening |
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| Lots of hard working flaggers. Free smiles! |
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| My Home State |
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| Foreshadowing... |
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| Getting close to Playa |
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| A lost screw, the only casualty of the trip |
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| Tulum traffic, that will only get worse |
And that was that...9750km mas o menos beginning back in October in Victoria, British Columbia. A great adventure, lots of nice people, places and good times!
PS. Trying to ride completely free roads all the way I did get tricked and took a few wrong turns adding up to about $20-30 USD of paid roads.
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| Outside Playacar |
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| Proof! |
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| My bike! |
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| Clau and Lalo had a welcome BBQ, Tasty! |
Chia, the cat clearly runs the house. No door can stop her! I thought someone was breaking in to kill me. Enjoy the video.
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| Wake up Brad! |
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| Alex and I on our Motos |
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Ran in to Sarah on a
Tequila Valentine's Night |
A Tequila Valentine's Night turned in to a "Being Kidnapped by the Cops Night". Exactly 30 years ago I spent a sobering night in the tank...Happy Anniversary to me!
Stupid Side Story: Walking back on a well light street around 3am I slapped the green and white awning in the photo below which got the attention of the Popo. I decided that wasn't a crime and they didn't agree so lights out for me, handcuffs and a ride in the back of the truck Mexican Style to the station to sit on the floor for 9 hours sharing a cell with a 6'6" Black dude from Atlanta who was kinda scared. I got him and his wife out, but chose to stay in hoping not to pay $220 USD "fine" for Resisting Arrest which in Canada would be a criminal offence. According to the great Canadian local consular it was the same level as peeing on the beach, simply a money grab which of course you can complain about, but you sure ain't getting your money back. Next time I'll walk home on a Drug Dealer infested dark alley to play it safer, hahahaha.
Mexico can be a real joke for some times like any country.
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That's a guy who hasn't had
water in 9 hrs and just forgot
his belt that he'll never get back. |
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That awning desired it.
Slap! |
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Relaxing with visiting Nathan and family.
Thanks for the care package! |
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| Just relax |
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| Thanks to Clau and Lalo for everything!!! |
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My waiters at a local restaurant who happened
to be in jail the same night as me.
It's all laughable now. Then I found out if I stayed
36 hours behind bars I wouldn't have had to pay! |
Other Stuff
New rental apartment in "Little Argentina". Great 2 bedroom with roof pool to be seen next month.
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| Option 1 building hunting |
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| Option 2 building hunting |
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| Looks slightly dangerous |
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| Should see my Air Canada refund in 2030! |
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