Cycling with Sally

We got on the train, we got on the train!

After far too many nervous minutes, we finally managed to put our tandem bike and trailer on the end carriage of the train, MANY thanks to Eliana and her husband Christian for facilitating this.  It was like human ping pong, watching Eliana bounce from person to person, trying desperately to find someone in charge or anyone who would make the call.  Once on the train we finally were able to relax or for at least for 10 minutes as the conductor told us we should not have our bike in the isle and after taking the front wheel off and placing it on the baggage shelf, everyone was happy.   

Did we make the right choice by heading inland?

The short answer is that it entirely depends on the day.  Having burned ourselves far too many times in the desert sun, we thought a change in scenery, elevation and temperature would be just what the doctor ordered. Well the second day in Creel had us worrying something fierce as it hailed, snowed and sleeted on us the entire day. Needless to say the planned horseback trip was out, as nobody else wanted to brave the conditions. We finally settled on a van tour that took in all the sights of the area. We pretty much jumped out took a photo or two and then jumped back in. Definite highlights would have to include getting to know fellow travelers Daniel, Alejandro, Bernie and three Israeli’s thawing out in front of a wood burning stove, eating at our hostel and a trip down the road for something sweet.

Creel had another nice surprise for us as we met up with Cass, a fellow cyclist who we crossed paths with up in Alaska.  He had teamed up with Jeff and Jason, two brothers who started their tour up in the Artic Circle too.

And the cyclists just kept pouring in….

Later that evening we met another couple of cyclists, Karen and Martin, who again had started their travels in Alaska but had opted for an interior route down through America (The Continental Divide). 

Needless to say there were many farewells leaving the warmth and comfort of Creel.  However, the cycle out of Creel was much easier now that the sun had finally decided to show its self and melt the ice and snow from the previous day. Furthermore, we were joined by Martin and Karen as we made our way up and down, up and down, up and down. We had planned to meet at a school at the junction to Batopilas, but this was nowhere to be seen.

This being Christmas Eve, we began to feel slightly lonely being by ourselves.  Well as chance would have it, we spotted a building a ways off the road and without a sign post. Upon further inspection it turned out to be a hospital for the local Tarahumara people and after enquiring about a place to pitch our tent, we amazingly found ourselves in a birthing unit shelter with a wood burning stove, a shared diner and Christmas carols to boot. How incredible!  How Perfect! Many warm wishes and thanks to Luke, Deb, Abigail, Esther and Asa, for sharing this very special time with us.  We truly feel blessed to have stumbled upon this beautiful home, filled with a delightful family.  

From the Samachique Village, the good times just kept on rolling. The views of the canyon along our nearly 6,000 foot decent were exquisite. Additionally we were joined by our faithful companion ¨Copper¨ a grubby white dog that traveled with us for over 35 km as we slowly meandered up, down and around the steep, rocky and gravel road. After about 10 to 15 km we started to feel pretty guilty and provided Copper with some scraps and drink. Maybe this was the point of no return. He just kept on charging behind us on the descents and plunging himself into puddles and streams on the assents cooling off as he kindly waited for us.

Towards the end of the day our friend was getting very tired and could be heard barking at us. By the time we reached Batoplias, Copper was nowhere to be seen.  Both of us had a lack luster sleep as we worried about our friend who tried so valiantly to keep up. At one point we even tried to put him on the back of our trailer, but this lasted about 2 seconds. The next day our spirits grew immensely as we were informed that Copper was indeed alright and was seen, with his tail wagging, happily making his back up the road towards his home.

Well after a few days of hard climbing, a lazy morning followed in Hotel Palmeria (a real score at 150 pesos for two nights accommodation), consisting of sleeping, washing, playing cards and most importantly eating. The 8km walk to the Cathedral Perdida in Satevo seemed like the perfect afternoon thing to do. During our walk we even managed to sneak in a quick game of soccer with some local kids, but the ball kept going down the cliff into the river!

The next day we tried to hitch hike back up to the junction, but after six hours of trying we finally gave up!  During this time we did have the pleasure of meeting Carlos, who was in Batopilas visiting his Grandmother.  He kindly invited us to stay in their home, which was a real treat as this was the first time for us staying in a Mexican´s home.  We hope to meet Carlos again in Mexico City where he resides.  We also got to play some pool, take in the Hacienda San Miguel ruins and participate in a celebration of two girls’ Baptism day. 

We were up before the crack of dawn the next day to get the bus back to Napuchi.  After securing our bike to the top of the bus we made the slow grind back up out of the canyon.  It felt like a real treat to be cycling back on paved road again but it wasn’t long before we were forced to come to a stand still.  We noticed our bike was feeling floppy so we checked the tires but they were ok.  On closer inspection the frame near the rear wheel broke off so it was back to thumbing a ride again.  We managed to get a ride from Alvin and his wife into the town of Guachochi where he drove us from mechanic to mechanic.  During this time, Alvin´s axis literally snapped so he too was in need of a mechanic!  We then had another small scare as one mechanic told us our bike frame was aluminum but fortunately he was mistaken.  We got the piece welded back together and now Big Bird has a pretty awesome scar to show for it.   Cycling through the town in preparation to cycle again we got talking to Moses who owns a restaurant.  He wanted to talk with us so invited us in for a free meal that tasted so very good.  We’ve been eating a lot of tortillas and refried beans so chicken and salad was a real treat.  We had a lovely time conversing (well trying anyway) with Moses and his family and then continued on our way.  However, the next time we stepped outside the weather had changed and began to snow!  We set up camp off the road just outside of town and lay in our tent listening to the snow settle. 

So this morning we get up and are surprised it’s not too cold even though there’s snow everywhere and we set off ready for two days of solid cycling to get us into Hidalgo de Parral.  However, something more did happen because we are writing this today in Parral!  About 20kms into our cycle we hit some ice and low and behold we find ourselves skidding out and falling off our bike.  Unfortunately, Roland took most of Belinda’s fall and so has some pretty awesome grazes to show for it.  Turns out the conditions weren´t the greatest for us to be cycling in!  However, we did get a ride almost immediately and tried to keep warm in the back of a truck to Parral.  Big Bird managed to hold up OK but has some cosmetic damage.  So now we find ourselves in Parral, enjoying the comforts of a warmer, bigger city and taking some respite.

 It’s been a rather eventful week, jam packed full of wonderful highs and more trying times – makes for a good read though and juicy stories to tell our grandchildren!  However, in saying that, a major topic of conversation between us recently has been how fortunate and blessed we feel to be having these experiences, meeting such generous, kind and interesting people and knowing we have such wonderful family and friends back  home (New Zealand and Canada) that love us too!

Our plan now in to head to Durango, which is about four days cycle away where we’ll rest and get our bike checked out.  We also are very eager to get Spanish lessons and hope that will be a reality in the next couple of weeks as conversing like Cave People is becoming very tiresome........ "Me hungry", "toilet", "Uga buga buga" etc. 


Tortillas eaten since arriving into Mexico
331

Military Check Points
8

Crib Score
Roland 92
Belinda 55

After getting through one desert we were back into another after Guerrero Negro.  However, we did pass through a quaint oasis town called San Ignacio that has a lake and is surrounded by palm trees.  Speeding down a crazy steep hill into Santa Rosalia we had a first glimpse of the Sea of Cortez.  That night we managed to stay in a hotel room with Meaghan and Alisha for a total of 150 pesos ($15) at Hotel San Victor which was a super bargain.  Next we found ourselves in Mulege, where we stayed with Bill through Warm Showers.  You could definitely see the evidence of the hurricane that stormed through back in October.  Many roads were destroyed and a lot of rebuilding was going on.  Bill lived up a small hill so managed to escape the water but was stranded in his home for several days.  We were treated to a tour around town in his truck, which included a restaurant right on the beach and an ice cream stop.  Unfortunately, this was where we had to say goodbye to the two sisters.  We ended up spending seven days with them, which is the longest we’ve cycled with anyone.  They were going to enjoy a well deserved few days off at the beach before making the trek home to Vancouver, B.C.  We miss you, Meaghan and Alisha, please keep in touch!

 

After cycling down Bahia Concepción, which showcases some beautiful sandy white beaches, we primitive camped amongst the cacti.  We then found ourselves in Loreto, where we meet two other cyclists, Tom and Hayley, who (surprise, surprise) live in Vancouver, B.C!  In the heat of the day we chilled out on the groomed beach lined with palm umbrellas and then continued onto El Juncalito, 24 km’s south of Loreto.  This was our favourite beach in the Baja.  It was just a small quiet bay with a mix of American and Mexicans living together, mostly in Palapas set back off the beach.  We got to stay in a trailer, where we enjoyed a day off and also got thrashed at the game Upwords by Roberta.  While Roland had a relaxing morning I joined Roberta in a small baking class where some friends where learning how to make 90 minutes cinnamon rolls.  In the afternoon Roland and I took a walk around the bay to a sandy beach that had views of a marina.  In the evening we had a feast at Tay and Bill’s house with other friends of Roberta’s and also three other cyclists: Marion and Andi from Switzerland (who started in Argentina and going to Alaska) and Uli from Germany (who we meet a few days earlier and is also going south).  We enjoyed a pot luck meal with fresh fish (Doraldo) that Bill had caught and freshly baked bread that Roberta made.  It was sooo good!

 

The cinnamon bread French toast Roberta made us on the morning we left must have had something magical added because we powered up a long and steep mountain and then got up to 50kms per hour on straights.  We did almost one hundred kilometres before stopping for our first break.  This is where we met Byron (another Canadian!) and agreed to meet up later that day to primitive camp together.  After doing a total of 160kms and getting a bit burnt we joined Byron who had found a primo spot to camp for the night.  The following day we meet up with Hayley and Tom again so the five of us camped together the next night.  In the morning Roland and I parted with our camping buddies and busted it to La Paz.  We stopped in a taco stand for breakfast where we met two local guys who wanted to welcome us to Mexico and paid for our breakfast!  It was such a lovely surprise and made us feel really good as we’d just had a harassed ride with the trucks passing us and honking incessantly.

 

It turned out we didn’t have a place to stay in La Paz so we decided to just cycle straight to the ferry terminal and head to Mainland Mexico.  In all the cyclists we’ve meet recently, no one was going to Los Mochis but heading south to Mazatlán.  So I guess we are the only crazy ones going up into the mountains where it is cooler and also a big detour north again.  After watching The Dark Knight in Spanish and trying to stay occupied during the 6 hour boat ride, we arrived into Topolobampo (say that 10 times quickly) at 10pm at night and found a hidden spot to camp for the night.  Packing up the tent the following morning, a tarantula crawled onto our ground sheet, the first live one we’ve seen so far.  It was a tad creepy though! 

 

Today is our third day off in Los Mochis which has been a perfect place to rest.  Of the 17 days we had in Baja, we cycled 15 of them so it’s really great to be having a break.  People in Los Mochis appear to be relatively well off, especially compared to what we saw in the Baja.  We have met a great guy through SERVAS here who also has some very lovely friends.  Dan works at the Arizona English College and so our first day here we attended some of the classes where the students could practice their English by asking us questions and hearing about our trip.  Also some of his colleagues live in an apartment block which one of them is empty right now.  Once again, arrangements have just fallen into place and we have felt very blessed with having a ´free´ space to ourselves and being in the presence of some good company.  Jeremy, our next door neighbour, is from the England and also has a good command of the Spanish language.  We’ve been hanging out with him a lot and he has also been helping us with errands and chores we’ve had to do.  As well as catching up on sleep, we’ve been enjoying afternoon beers on the balcony, checking out Los Mochis nightlife, watching movies, enjoying Thai and Colombian meals prepared by Jeremy, getting our bike serviced by some really great guys who also gave Roland lunch (Big Birds the cleanest it’s looked in a long time), and enjoying the shade of the local plaza and parks.

 

Tomorrow we head into the Copper Canyon by train.  Roland and Jeremy are out buying the tickets right now and finding out if we can get our bike on there too.  We heard from some other cycling friends they had to beg the conductor to get their bikes on so we’ll see how that one goes.  If we can’t take Big Bird on, we’ll still go and leave our bike here in Los Mochis.

 

We can’t believe Christmas is only four days away.  I think it’s going to be a pretty quiet Christmas for us this year as we’ll be up in mountainous terrain which is a lot less populated.  We hope everyone has a special Christmas.  We are sorry not to be with our families!  FELIZ NAVIDAD!




Tortillas eaten since arriving into Mexico
169

Did you know?
Tequila is made from the juice of a particular type of Cactus plant.

Crib Score
Roland 68
Belinda 47

New Spanish word invented by Belinda:
"Skunkericka"
English translation: Skunk
This word is vital in Roland and Belinda´s daily diction as they are cribbage playing maniacs.  It was only two days ago when this word was first put to use, on a balmy Baja afternoon under the shade of a bus stop, when Belinda very skillfully ´skunkericked´ Roland..... however, she continues to lag behind on the scoreboard!