What a great first day in Guatemala!
I must admit to feeling a bit of trepidation last night and this morning. The Guatemalan borders are renowned for being burocratic and the necessity for bribes. Also in recent years there have been a high number of armed robberies on some of the roads around the popular tourist areas. So although this is one of the countries I'd been really looking forward to on this trip my excitement had been tempered slightly. This day has allayed that.
I got a reasonably early start to the border and in no time at all I was done with the formalities and on my way cycling down Guatemalan Highway 2. This was the quickest and easiest crossing I've had and if the 20 pesos I did pay for the privilege of my 90 day visa was a bribe it's the best one ever as that's less than one pound and significantly less than the 20 dollars for the US or Mexico. The most difficult thing was convincing the emigration officers that I didn't need them to give me free water and drinks :)
The people here have continued the open curiosity and friendliness I'd come to expect in Mexico Almost everyone I pass on the road gives me a wave or a word of welcome and when I stop there's always someone to ask where I'm going, where I've come from and so on. Tomorrow I turn inland and head into the mountains to Quetzaltenango and then spend the next few days heading through the highlands on my way to Antigua.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Friday, 21 August 2009
Border Time
It feels a world ago that I crossed the US border into Mexico at Tijuana and the time has come for my next border transit - into Guatemala. I'm sitting in an internet cafe no more than 200 meters from the border so if all goes well I'll make a speedy crossing in the morning and be on my way into the Guatemalan mountains. I don't mean this to sound negative towards Mexico, but I'm happy to be moving on. Mexico has been an amazing experience, but it's been a very long one, acounting for not far off half of the total trip distance, so I feel ready to move on to the next place.
My last two weeks in Mexico have been the best I've spent here. To get to Oaxaca I had a few days of hellish cycling. Temperatures were into the 40s, there was a strong headwind and the terrain was my least favourite - big hills and valleys. Don't mistake me, I don't mind going uphill and quite enjoy a big climb (I've got some monsters coming in the next few days), but it's really sapping both physically and mentally when you spend all day climbing 100m to 200m hills, one after another after another after another with no flat ground to recover on and the knowledge that at the speed your going you'll not make it to where you need to be before dark without really thrashing yourself. To put it into perspective, the highest building in the UK, the Canary Wharf Tower is 235m from top to bottom. So its like climbing slowly up that, then getting the lift down only to start climbing again and doing that for a whole day. On the nice hills you'd only have to climb half of it. And at the end of it all you're still at the same altitude so don't have any big fun downhill to get excited about. But, anyway, it was worth it because I spent a few great days in Oaxaca and as you'll see from some of the pictures it's a really pretty city with lots of colonial architecture and a really nice laid back feel to it.
So fresh from four days of rest and having lightened my bike by 8kg by shipping home my camping gear and a few other things that hadn't seen enough use to justify being carried I came across the best road I've ridden in Mexico, and some of the best scenery, which has brought me to the border. I was planning to write more and might add to this in the next few days, but it's getting late and I'm hungry so I'm off to find what treats this town has to offer (unfortunately I suspect the answer is few).
My last two weeks in Mexico have been the best I've spent here. To get to Oaxaca I had a few days of hellish cycling. Temperatures were into the 40s, there was a strong headwind and the terrain was my least favourite - big hills and valleys. Don't mistake me, I don't mind going uphill and quite enjoy a big climb (I've got some monsters coming in the next few days), but it's really sapping both physically and mentally when you spend all day climbing 100m to 200m hills, one after another after another after another with no flat ground to recover on and the knowledge that at the speed your going you'll not make it to where you need to be before dark without really thrashing yourself. To put it into perspective, the highest building in the UK, the Canary Wharf Tower is 235m from top to bottom. So its like climbing slowly up that, then getting the lift down only to start climbing again and doing that for a whole day. On the nice hills you'd only have to climb half of it. And at the end of it all you're still at the same altitude so don't have any big fun downhill to get excited about. But, anyway, it was worth it because I spent a few great days in Oaxaca and as you'll see from some of the pictures it's a really pretty city with lots of colonial architecture and a really nice laid back feel to it.
So fresh from four days of rest and having lightened my bike by 8kg by shipping home my camping gear and a few other things that hadn't seen enough use to justify being carried I came across the best road I've ridden in Mexico, and some of the best scenery, which has brought me to the border. I was planning to write more and might add to this in the next few days, but it's getting late and I'm hungry so I'm off to find what treats this town has to offer (unfortunately I suspect the answer is few).
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Rolling With the Mexican Punches
When I was planning this trip I did so with a pretty high expectation that at some point along the way I'd have some of my stuff stolen and, unfortunately, a week ago I was proved right.What I hope is that I've now got a tick in the 'have something stolen' box and it's not big enough to fit two ticks. Basically, I lost a bit of cash and some of my electronics. The biggest ache it's caused is I've lost all my photo's south of the US border including the Baja ones. That's a real pain because there's little chance that I'm going to cycle across a desert again to take any more!
My phone was also taken, so if anyone tried to get in touch with me over the last week and didn't got a response don't worry, there's a chance that it's not because you're on the blacklist ;) I've got a mexican number, which is the only one I'll have now for the rest of the trip. The number is +52 7531 206595. Also, I've lost most peoples numbers until I get back to the UK so please send me your number if you can.
I'm still cruising down the Mexican coast and for the last week have been passing through some really undeveloped and beautiful coast. Think big pacific breakers rolling onto white sand beaches backed by coconut palms and the imposing bulk of the Sierra Madre mountain range. To change it up I was in manic Acapulco for the last couple of days and I'm on my way to Oaxaca which is a much older, something of a cultural centre and known throughout Mexico for the quality of its food. I'm also looking forward to Oaxaca as it's inland, in the mountains so I'm hoping will give me a break from the heat and humidity and a different type of scenery.
I've also now managed to upload some Mexico photo's from my new camera. Happy days...
Friday, 24 July 2009
Many Milestones
It seems that with trip milestones, when it rains it pours. In the last few days I've finished the ride down Baja California, posted my biggest daily distance at 200km, crossed the Tropic of Cancer, crossed over to mainland Mexico and cycled more than 5,000 km. All of these add up to make one very happy Ant.
I'm happiest about having cycled through Baja and being on the mainland. I covered the 1,550 km of Baja in exactly two weeks and posted my biggest day of the trip on my way to my final stop in Baja, La Paz. La Paz is a lovely city that sits on a large sheltered bay over which the sun sets each night. With a poulation of 170,000 it's big by Baja standards and comparatively quite cosmopolitan. I think it had the first coffee shops I'd seen in Baja.
I got on the ferry from La Paz on Sunday evening and woke up on Monday morning in Mazatlan (well, I should say the last time I woke up on Monday morning I was in Mazatlan. A combination of thrift and the beautiful night sky meant I decided to sleep on the deck of the ferry rather than get a cabin. Problem is mexican ferry employees aren't shy and many of them, on realising it was a gringo asleep on the deck, decided to wake me up to practice their english and tell me thier life stories).
Anyway, the difference between Baja and the mainland is dramatic and was imediately striking. Everywhere you look here there is verdant greenery. On every hill, mountain and in every valley there's a deep blanket of trees, palms, bushes and grass and the river beds actually have water in them! When I look around at this landscape it says to me "Look at all the life I support". When I looked at the barren rocks and cactus fields of the Baja desert it would say to me "Be very careful Ant. Be very, very careful. If you slip up and get this wrong I'll have to properly f you up". I'm not denying the desert has it's beauty. It certainly does, but it was just a very difficult thing to cycle across and getting into a different climate has really highlighted that to me.
Not that the climate here is all that good for cycling - the temperatures are in the mid 30s and the humidity is high so it's very sweaty work - but it doesn't have the debilitating effect that the midday desert sun did. Another significant factor here is the population density is greater so there are more towns and cities and therefore the logistics of food, water and accomodation are that much easier. Overall, I'm really enjoying travelling through here. The scenery is beautiful, the food is excellent and the poeple are just fantastic.
Having cycled 5,000 km is also a big milestone, because it means I've crossed the halfway point of this trip. I expect to do a total of somewhere between 9,500 and 10,000 km: another 2,200 odd in Mexico and the remainder in the rest of Central America.
Still not having much luck uploading photos, but will keep trying.
I'm happiest about having cycled through Baja and being on the mainland. I covered the 1,550 km of Baja in exactly two weeks and posted my biggest day of the trip on my way to my final stop in Baja, La Paz. La Paz is a lovely city that sits on a large sheltered bay over which the sun sets each night. With a poulation of 170,000 it's big by Baja standards and comparatively quite cosmopolitan. I think it had the first coffee shops I'd seen in Baja.
I got on the ferry from La Paz on Sunday evening and woke up on Monday morning in Mazatlan (well, I should say the last time I woke up on Monday morning I was in Mazatlan. A combination of thrift and the beautiful night sky meant I decided to sleep on the deck of the ferry rather than get a cabin. Problem is mexican ferry employees aren't shy and many of them, on realising it was a gringo asleep on the deck, decided to wake me up to practice their english and tell me thier life stories).
Anyway, the difference between Baja and the mainland is dramatic and was imediately striking. Everywhere you look here there is verdant greenery. On every hill, mountain and in every valley there's a deep blanket of trees, palms, bushes and grass and the river beds actually have water in them! When I look around at this landscape it says to me "Look at all the life I support". When I looked at the barren rocks and cactus fields of the Baja desert it would say to me "Be very careful Ant. Be very, very careful. If you slip up and get this wrong I'll have to properly f you up". I'm not denying the desert has it's beauty. It certainly does, but it was just a very difficult thing to cycle across and getting into a different climate has really highlighted that to me.
Not that the climate here is all that good for cycling - the temperatures are in the mid 30s and the humidity is high so it's very sweaty work - but it doesn't have the debilitating effect that the midday desert sun did. Another significant factor here is the population density is greater so there are more towns and cities and therefore the logistics of food, water and accomodation are that much easier. Overall, I'm really enjoying travelling through here. The scenery is beautiful, the food is excellent and the poeple are just fantastic.
Having cycled 5,000 km is also a big milestone, because it means I've crossed the halfway point of this trip. I expect to do a total of somewhere between 9,500 and 10,000 km: another 2,200 odd in Mexico and the remainder in the rest of Central America.
Still not having much luck uploading photos, but will keep trying.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Bienvenidos a Mexico!
What a crazy place! And not for any of the reasons people told me it would be. I had no probems getting through Tijuana, the drivers have been excellent and given me loads of space on the road, I've met no corrupt policemen or soldiers and can't imagine anyone here getting worked up enough to make me feel threatend.
No, this is crazy because of the terrain and the weather. As I write this my thermometer is hovering around 40C and this isn't the peak heat of the day. I crossed the border early on the 4th July and for the first night I stayed at Ensenada which is on the coast and so a bit more temperate, but since then I've spent the rest of the week cycling through desert. Strangely, the heat isn't the worst thing on the bike. You obviously need to keep drinking to stay hydrated (and although places to stock up can be far between I can carry enough when needed). The the worst thing is on the bike you're in the open all day so you're exposed to the intensity of the sun which can be brutal, especially in the early afternoon. So I've modified my cycling tactics: I aim to set off around 6am each day and cycle hard to get where I want to be before the sun really kicks in and if I can't get there in time then find a shady spot to sit out the hottest part of the day and wait for it to cool down into the low 30s before finishing off.
But despite the weather and hilly terrain this I've been making good progress - I've covered 900km of the Baja peninsular in the last eight days and I'm now in the verdant oasis town of San Ignacio. In fact, it's probably because of the weather as I'm not all that inclined to hang around. Also, this is perhaps the first pretty town I've been through. Most are just a half shanty type sprawl along the main road, but San Ignacio has a lot more character and still retains some of the original town built by the Spanish Jesuit and then Dominican missionaries around 200 years ago. It's also very green and shady with date palms everywhere, which makes a nice chage to cacti. I can't upload photos easily here, but will put some on to give you an idea in the next major town I pass through.
So, although I'm not inclined to linger in Baja, overall I'm enjoying the experience of cycling here and I'm settling into the Mexico leg of the trip.
No, this is crazy because of the terrain and the weather. As I write this my thermometer is hovering around 40C and this isn't the peak heat of the day. I crossed the border early on the 4th July and for the first night I stayed at Ensenada which is on the coast and so a bit more temperate, but since then I've spent the rest of the week cycling through desert. Strangely, the heat isn't the worst thing on the bike. You obviously need to keep drinking to stay hydrated (and although places to stock up can be far between I can carry enough when needed). The the worst thing is on the bike you're in the open all day so you're exposed to the intensity of the sun which can be brutal, especially in the early afternoon. So I've modified my cycling tactics: I aim to set off around 6am each day and cycle hard to get where I want to be before the sun really kicks in and if I can't get there in time then find a shady spot to sit out the hottest part of the day and wait for it to cool down into the low 30s before finishing off.
But despite the weather and hilly terrain this I've been making good progress - I've covered 900km of the Baja peninsular in the last eight days and I'm now in the verdant oasis town of San Ignacio. In fact, it's probably because of the weather as I'm not all that inclined to hang around. Also, this is perhaps the first pretty town I've been through. Most are just a half shanty type sprawl along the main road, but San Ignacio has a lot more character and still retains some of the original town built by the Spanish Jesuit and then Dominican missionaries around 200 years ago. It's also very green and shady with date palms everywhere, which makes a nice chage to cacti. I can't upload photos easily here, but will put some on to give you an idea in the next major town I pass through.
So, although I'm not inclined to linger in Baja, overall I'm enjoying the experience of cycling here and I'm settling into the Mexico leg of the trip.
Adios USA
I spent my last two weeks in the USA with a week of surfing in San Diego and then a road trip through inland California to spend a few days at Yosemite national park. In San Diego I stayed at Pacific Beach in a hotel with a balcony overlooking the ocean, the beach and the amazing spectacle that is the boardwalk. This is one massive parade of beautiful people all trying to draw attention to themselves, but whilst trying to portray the image that they are in no way interested in anyone's attention. Quite a challenge, eh? I was definitely the odd one out with the intentionally scruffy beard and shaggy hair I'm trying to cultivate (so I look poor and not worth robbing in Central America). The surfing there was great though and after seeing so many people in the water all along the coast it was great to finally get a good board and join them for a few waves.
So, it's time to leave the US. In total I cycled 3200km through Canada and the USA in 40 days. In many ways I'm sad to be leaving. It's been an amazing experience - I've seen so much beauty and met so many great people all along the way, but the essence of travel is to keep the memories and move on to the next destination. And for me that next destination is a very exciting one - Mexico! I'm really looking forward to the culture change and can't wait to get into spanish speaking territorry...
(The picture shows local Carnies working hard on Pacific Beach a little bit more impressive than what I managed with a bottle of stove fuel, but not as impressive as what Leigh managed when he accidentally set a whole 6 foot by 3 foot camp table on fire :)
Friday, 19 June 2009
California
I've been on the road now for one month and one week and have cycled 3,000 km, which means the US leg of the trip is nearly over. I'm in LA at the moment and will be heading down to San Diego, which is my last port of call in the US, in the next few days.The journey through California has been astounding. It's a big state (about 1000 miles from the north to the south) and the terrain and landscape is accordingly diverse. Every day there's been something new to take my breath away, be it the giant redwoods in the north, the wildflower meadows in Mendocino, the rugged coastline of Big Sur, the palm trees and golden beaches of the south or the warmth and hospitality of the people I meet each day. I could go on, but you'll get a better idea from the pictures.
I spent three days in San Francisco, which was a real highlight. Portland and Seattle were both very nice cities, but of all the major ones I've passed through San Francisco has been my favourite as it's got such a chilled out atmosphere. My next stop was Santa Barbara and then Ventura, where I stopped for my first day of Californian surfing. The further south you get the better the surfing becomes so I can't wait to get to San Diego where I plan to spend a few days catching some waves. I'm also toying with the idea of somehow gerry-rigging a surfboard onto my touring rig and taking it with me as I head south. There are only 2 issues with this: 1) how to do it; 2) given I'm unemployed and technically I'm also homeless if I do something crazy like cycling with a surfboard I think that puts me firmly into hobo territory. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for that yet...
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