- 04/11/2003 - 73 kms Las Yeskas
Early in the morning, I left Brownsville by the B&M bridge across the Rio Grande into Mexico, the most direct to the route that I intended to follow (route 101)... However, there was no Mexican immigration office at that entry point.. So I had to cycle in Matamoros to the other bridge and when I got there I found that I had to pay for a tourist card, so had to cycle back into the center of Matamoros to find a bank with an ATM and get some pesos and then come back to the immigration office to get my visa... Well, that wasted a couple of hours... Nevertheless, while these formalities where going on, I met with Kenny Murphy, a carpenter who just decided to up and go cycling from Connecticut and is planning to reach Cape Horn as well, so we decided couple up for a while...
With the time we lost at the border, there was no way we could reach San Fernando before night fall. So at about half way, at a little pueblo called Las Yescas, we stopped for a cool drink and asked the people running the tienda if we could camp in their back yard... That was fine with them (a captive clientèle) and it was fine with us (a food store nearby) and the price for the camping was just right... FREE...
- 05/11/2003 - 84 kms San Fernando
Like yesterday, the wind was against us and it was hot and humid... So the cycle was arduous. The road scenery was pretty much like Texas... Huge ranches of low shrubs and grasses with some cactuses... Few trees... The difference with Texas is that the dwellings here are pretty shabby.... But the people are a lot friendlier... Oh, and most of the cattle we've seen are tied to a stake with a leash by the side of the road... I guess it keeps the grass on the side of the road closely cropped while providing low cost hamburger... An all around good deal for the Mexican department of transportation...
The road was mostly flat, but nearing San Fernando it started to get hilly... Upon reaching San Fernando, Murphy got a flat so we lost some time there and decided to spend the night here.
- 06/11/2003 - 134 kms Soto la Marina
It was still hot and humid, but at least the wind had turned... So the cycle was relatively easy. The terrain was getting hillier but the scenery was just more of the same... It was nearly dark when we reached Soto la Marina... the only town in the area of a size to support a hotel... so we decided to crash here... We didn't see much of it because of the dark but the welcome sign at the entrance to the village said "a tourist's heaven"... We got a better look in the morning light and it is a dump.....
- 07/11/2003 - 117 kms Aldama
The cycle that day was again more of the same in more of the same weather (hot and humid) with more of the same scenery... At Aldama, another dumpy little town, we called it a day...
- 08/11/2003 - 122 kms Tampico
Nothing much to say about the cycle this day either, just more of the same... However, Tampico was the first big city on our route through Mexico... And it seemed to take forever to reach the center... The outer periphery is pretty much slummy, then comes a relatively modern section surrounding a really slummy center (centro historico) where we were headed. We found a place to crash and had a quick dinner after walking a bit around the center and quickly scoping the center square, a central market, prostitutes, stores... In the morning light, we would take a bit more time to see the sights...
- 09/11/2003 - 75 kms Ozuluama
In Tampico, the central square is pretty much like those in Europe, stately buildings surrounding a square with trees, benches and a huge central gazebo... The nearby Plaza de los Armas was more colourful, with a central fountain in pastel colours and an old cathedral... The central market reminded me of the Moroccan Medinas, all hustle and bustle, a multitude of colours and smells, narrow alleys... but somehow the arab version seemed cleanlier...
At first we were told that it was impossible to cycle on the bridge leading south of Tampico... But that there was a ferry... Well, when we got there, the ferries were but little rowboats with an engine in the back... I didn't feel too comfortable about lugging by loaded bike from the dock to the boat... So I asked a nearby police if we could cycle the bridge and he said that it would be fine... You have to ask many times to figure the correct way, I guess...
Having left late, we could only get to Ozuluama before dark... The cycle was less hot because of cloud cover, but we had to suffer the occasional little drizzle... In fact they were welcome and quite cooling !
- 10/11/2003 - 131 kms Tuxpan
We passed the Tropics of the Cancer a couple of days ago, but it's only today that it really became apparent... The semi desert vegetation that was evident since Texas has now been replace by a tropical rain forest... Everything's green and lusciously so !
We left early in the morning after a breakfast of huevos con chorizo. The road wasn't bad at first and it wasn't too hot because of the clouds... But then, the road got really awful near Naranjos and stayed periodically awful until Tuxpan... Also, it started drizzling around two and turned to real rain around 3 PM. We didn't really want to camp out in the rain and didn't find any accommodations until Tuxpan, 3 hours later... So, this is why they call it "rain" forest....
- 11/11/2003 - 58 kms Poza Rica
Well, I woke up with the runs, and to top it, it was raining cats and dogs outside... I took an "immodium" pill and Murphy and I went out for breakfast. By the time we got back it had stopped raining and I figured that with the pill I should be able to cycle today...
It was bad... I had no energy... The first 20 kms took an hour and a half and we took a break. I tried drinking a coke, but 5 kms later I had to stop by the road for a dump... The second 20 kms took me 2 hours... All I could do was drink a bit of water... Not much calories for cycling eh ?
Finally we got to Poza Rica and headed for the center. I found a descent but cheap hotel, with a big room and a pretty clean bathroom (very important in my state since I'd be spending a lot of time there for the next few days...).
The next day, I wasn't doing much better so I went to see a doctor who prescribed me antibiotics for my throat infection (candida, which might be related to the diarrea) and antidiurics. In the afternoon we chanced going out to see Totonac ruins at Tajin (which means Place of Thunder in Totonac)... Big mistake... I soiled my pants...
The following day, I was doing better and seemed to be keeping my food (I was in dire need of calories by then...). We spent the day walking around town, and snacking on interesting pastries...
- 14/11/2003 - 123 kms Vega de Alatorre
We got up early, I was feeling better so we left early. I was a bit apprehensive since my stomach was rumbling... But as soon as I started cycling all was well again. As an added bonus, the wind had changed and was at our backs... So though the terrain was rather hilly for most of the first half of the day, the cycle was a breeze.
In the hills, the terrain was mostly small forests and citrus groves. When we reached the coast, it was mostly flat with banana plantations and pastures. We even indulged with a break on a black sand beach.
At Vega the Alatorre, we decided to call it a day. I looked for a cheap hotel and found one, but Murphy preferred to free camp on the beach... At these prices, I don't see the point and prefer to have a bathroom and shower (between $10 and $15 generally). But Murphy spends a lot of money on beer (at least half a dozen per day (large ones at about $2 a piece and doesn't have much money for the trip he is planning, so I guess he's trying to save on accommodations... So we split-up for the night.... Anyways, I'm thinking of splitting up for the rest of the trip as his drinking is increasing and he is becoming obnoxious....
- 15/11/2003 - 103 kms La Antigua
So I left early, alone in the morning... It was good to be alone again, taking breaks when and where I wanted (I was a bit shy of stopping for photos with Murphy since he felt he had to wait...).
At first cycling again through banana plantations, the terrain changed to hilly and then mountainous... No more beaches here, but small mountains falling into the Gulf of Mexico. I also passed a huge nuclear plant surrounded by military... Then the terrain became relatively flat again...
I took a long break around noon at El Viejo talking with locals while sipping a cool juice... After a while, the locals point at the road and I see a pick-up truck with Murphy's bike in the back... Then Murphy gets out of the cab... The driver explains that he saw me pass in front of his house and later saw Murphy... He tried to explain to Murphy that he would never catch up with me (he figured we were together) and offered to drive him up to me... Murphy couldn't understand (he doesn't even make an effort to learn spanish) and figured that he was saying that the road was bad ahead and he would drive him through... Anyways, I thanked the driver profusely (cursing him in my mind)... So Murphy and I left together again...
As we approached Veracruz, the scenery was becoming more commercial and the road traffic denser... I decided to stop at La Antigua, 25 kms short of Veracruz, since I didn't want to enter a large city at this late hour...
Talking with the locals, I found Murphy a place where he could free camp by the river and for myself took a room at a nearby hotel... I had a nice shower and then went walking around the village... There was a neat little square with church and gazebo and ruins that were supposed to be of the house of Cortes when he stayed here to fight and ultimately conquer the Totonac Indians. Later, talking with locals I learned that a pretty nice house with a panoramic view of the river on a 1000 square meter lot on the river was worth about 150,000 pesos (about $15,000). There was electric and phone services along the river but no sewers (sceptic tanks) and clean water was available just 3 meters below the surface of the earth... They also told me that a Canadian woman of about my age had settled down in the village about 2 years ago, but she was way so I couldn't meet here...
Later, I had dinner with Murphy and he was really obnoxious. I'll really have to get rid of him....
- 16/11/2003 - 107 kms Alvarado
In the morning I left early (I really get up around 5 AM every morning and am usually ready around the time the sun is decently up around 7) but Murphy was waiting for me, so we left for Veracruz together. I figured that I could stay in Veracruz for a night (which Murphy couldn't if he wanted to free camp) and that would give Murphy a day head start ahead of me and hence we'd be separated by a 100 kms or so....
Veracruz was big (more than a million people). It had a pretty nice core (touristy though), a beach lined with resort hotels, a huge port and slums around all of this... It really didn't appeal to me and I didn't feel like doing the big city scene... So Murphy and I continued on, but I really pushed on the pace and quickly left him behind.... By the time I got to Alvarado he was nowhere behind to be seen, though our paths will probably cross again... He isn't bad really, but his drinking and the mood he's in when he drank a lot gets on my nerves... and hinders my contacts with the locals.
On one of my breaks today, I was talking with locals while having a cool coke and learned that an unskilled labourer in Mexico earns 45 pesos per day (the minimum salary), someone with some education or skill might earn 450 pesos per day while someone with a university education and a good position might make as much as 1,500 pesos per day, not too much, eh ?
Anyways, in Alvarado, I looked for a cheap hotel and amongst those I surveyed one mentioned that an American cyclist with long hair had just left his place southward bound that morning... I guess it was Doug a day ahead of me...
- 17/11/2003 - 73 kms Santiago Tuxtla
In the morning, as I crossed the bridge south of Alvarado, there was Murphy... So we cycled together, or rather he was in front and I slipped purposefully and progressively farther in the rear, and after he waited for me and started drinking I sped ahead as he slipped further and further back...
The road was uninteresting, flat and dull, save for a few scattered puebloes... until Tapalapa where the road enters the mountains... For the 15 kms before Tapalapa, a couple of Mexican cyclists (afficionadoes I guess since they had multicoloured racing bikes and the tacky jersies and sunglasses) followed in my draft... But when the road started going uphill into the mountains, I was just too slow with all the weight on my bike and the cyclists soon sped forward...
The mountain scenery was just beautiful and I took a break at Tapalapa, chatted with locals and there Murphy caught up with me so we cycled together to Santiago Tuxtla. It was really hot and I was sweating profusely cycling mostly uphill so we took a break here... After sitting a while, I decided to call it quits for the day since I didn't feel like cycling 50 more kms to the next town (with likely accommodations) in the mountains in this afternoon heat... and took a room at the hotel at the center of the town... I really splurged here (250 pesos or about $25) with an air conditioned room on the 6th floor (practically a penthouse) with a great view of the surrounding mountains, a pool, TV in the room, free purified water, etc...
So Murphy cycled on to look for a place to free camp... Hopefully he'll cycled ahead enough to put a half day between us...
- 18/11/2003 - 110 kms Acayucan
I overslept... the hotel was really comfortable... but still managed to be on the road by 8 AM.
Right at the start it was uphill... for 6 kms, then a small drop, and then another 6 kms or so of hard uphill. It was a lot of work (though the scenery pretty, half circling a beautiful big fresh water lake, small forests, pasturelands and fruit groves) and I was glad I had stopped yesterday since these 50 kms would have been murder in the afternoon heat and I woudn't have enjoyed the scenery as much.
I took a break for a cool drink near the lake and was surprised to see Murphy cycling towards me... He had cycled yesterday to the head of the lake, where he camped. So he was 30 kms or so ahead of me... But this morning, he lost a few hours (it takes me less than 30 minutes) to fix a flat... And so got a really late start, which is why he ended up behind me. So we set out together, but he was real slow (having already started to drink beer) and I quickly left him way behind.
After the first 60 kms, the mountains ended and it was mostly flat with a few ripples left over... I stopped for the night at Acayucan, a fairly large city (maybe 200,000 people) but I couldn't find a center square... What I could identify as the center was occupied by a central market... First Mexican town I see like that !
I found a cheap hotel...Well nost so cheap but less expensive than last night... But no air conditioning and no hot water (nor TV)... Got settled down, had a shower and went to walk the town... I found a "Casa the Huespedes" where for 50 pesos (about $5) you had a room with a bed (pretty spartan). Toilets and shower were shared (toilets in a stall, but not the showers...). It seemed all right, no worse than a Youth Hostel... And it seems that most Mexican towns have them... Too bad I only learned about them now, as I'm almost out of Mexico...
- 19/11/2003 - 112 kms Agua Dulce
It took me a while to get out of Acayucan. The town is spread out and I took the wrong roads a couple of times... The cycle was easy as it was mostly flat until Minatitlan, also it was cloudy so I didn't have to bear the heat of the sun which gave a rest to my badly burnt nose...
It seems they talked about my trek on TV last night as I was stopped by three different Mexicans while crossing through Minatitlan. They all asked me if I was the Canadian cyclist from Quebec who was cycling through the Americas... Come to think of it, a few days back, I remember talking with a Mexican who asked me some questions and said that I should go on TV. I had told him that I was shy and shunned publicity... I was doing this mainly for my own enjoyment... He asked me more questions and then I had parted saying that I must continue on... I guess he was a journalist and made a story after all...
After Minatitlan, it got hilly. At 95 kms I came to an intersection... Straight ahead was nothing for another 80 kms, to the left was Agua Dulce, 10 kms away, and to the right was Las Choapas, 15 kms away... So I headed for Agua Dulce. Of the three hotels in town none had hot showers, so I took a room at the cheapest which also had toilet seats...
- 20/11/2003 - 94 kms Cardenas
Got up and didn't take a shower... Cold water's fine after a day of cycling in hot and humid weather, but in the morning, I find it difficult to stomach... I figured I'd get to Villahermosa by this evening (about 135 kms away) and since it was a decent city, the capital of Tabasco, I'd have a good hot shower and a change of cycling clothes as well...
It was cloudy again and I had the wind at my back so the cycling went really well and I felt that I could make Villahermosa by mid-afternoon... In fact, by 10 AM I had already cycled 60 kms. Then the whole situation changed...
At 67 kms east of Agua Dulce, on road 180D, I was pushed of the road (into the tall grasses lining the road) by two mexicans on old bicycles (they seemed to be in their thirties). When I was down, one of them started hitting me hard repeatedly with the flat side of a machete and the other put a revolver to my face screaming for "dineros"... I gave them what little I had in my shirt pocket (about 800 pesos, a C$20 bill and two US$20 traveller's cheques). They tore at my shirt pockets, grabbed my cards (credit, bank, driver's license, medicare, etc...), threw my passport and vaccination certificates on the ground and further tore my shirt oopen to see if I had any money belt... They then took my shoes off to see if anything was hidden there and started hacking and tearing at my bicycles panniers looking for more valuables... Well, these were of though deniers and being fully loaded, the zippers were tight as well as the closing straps so they were having trouble and started hitting me again... So I started opening a couple and showing them that there was no more money there, only clothes and camping gear while saying that I had no more "dineros" all the while fumbling at my bags. They asked for a camera, but I kept fumbling at the bags saying that I had nothing more... As it was taking too long, they decided to flee...
I put my shoes back on and got the bike back on the side of the road and started to secure my bags when I saw two police vehicles coming towards me on the road... I started waving frantically for them to stop, but they just sped by... I saw them stop a car a distance away, so I grabbed my bike and spec towards them but they finished their business and just continued on their way... I was getting really pissed off... I tried stopping a few cars, but none would... So I cycled towards Cardenas, 26 kms away...
On the way, I saw a military encampment and stopped to tell them that I was robbed, but they told me they could do nothing and said that I would find a police station at Cardenas...
At the police station, I told them that I was robbed at gun point and hit with a machete on the road 26 kms back and added that I was angered that two police vehicles wouldn't even stop as I tried to wave them down... So they started a whole big production... THree federal highway police cars, a couple of pick-up trucks with communal vigilantes (like local police but rural), about a dozen men in all and off we went to see where it happened, many questions, stopping Mexicans on bicycles on the way to see if I could identify them... Hell, by this time a couple of hours had passed, the perpetrators were well away... Then we started back towards the station.
One of the policemen, who had been identified as one of those that wouldn't stop when I had tried to wave them down, said that they had tought that I had gone into the tall grasses to defecate and was waving at them that I was OK... and wouldn't I talk to his chief to tell him that it was all a misunderstanding so that he wouldn't get in trouble... Yeah right, with the shirt all but torn off and the bike laying on the shoulder with the panniers in a mess... a misunderstanding...
Back at the station, they told me that a police report would cost me 200 pesos... I had no money and the same policeman that had asked me to talk to his chief offered to pay for the report if I would pay him back once I had the chance to go to a bank. Since it was now dinnertime and I hadn't eaten since morning, he also offered to share his dinner and was then told that banks were closed today since it was a holiday (Independance day for Mexico) and that since I had no money, I could spend the night at the station...
After phoning in (collect) to cancel my cards and cheques that were stolen, I tried to sleep, but in a chair, still shaken up and with police coming and going constantly, it was a pretty bad night...
In preparing for my trip, I had read about such misfortunes in these countries but had figured that these incidents were infrequent with a great many travellers having no problems... But when it happens to you, the situation takes on a new meaning... Also, I'm mostly alone on roads with little traffic (since the vehicles per capita in these countries is fairly low) so the probability of this happening again in Latin and South America grew significantly in my mind as I sat, askew in a chair, sleepless through the night... So I resolved to leave the country as soon as possible and head back home... I don't need this shit, and there are plenty more civilized countries I haven't yet seen to cycle through...
At 8:45 AM I left the police station with my bike since banks were to open at 9. I didn't intend on returning to the station to pay the policeman back for his 200 pesos... So I cycled to the center of Cardenas. There were two banks, but way too many people hanging around and I didn't feel comfortable about leaving my bike outside, so I road around looking for a bank off-center. I found one and felt slightly more comfortable about it, but there was a huge line-up inside and it took me almost 2 hours to exchange a couple of traveller's cheques that the robbers hadn't found. I then went looking for the central bus station and learned that I could take a bus in the afternoon for Brownsville in Texas, a 24 hour ride... I'm on my way home !!!
So, what do I think of Mexico... Hmmm... I guess I should say :"Don't cycle in Mexico alone !!!". You should be at least two, never cycle on roads that don't have adequate continuous traffic... Be wary of any vehicles or other cyclists that seem to be following, overtaking or stopping near you... And finally, investigate other places to cycle through... THere are a lot of safe places in the world, so why expose yourself needlessly...?
Though, honestly, until my misadventure, I felt that cycling in Mexico was a charm... The roads are good (though certain sections, specially where buses & trucks make frequent stops and starts) can be very poor, and are generally low in traffic... The scenery is excellent... Whether cycling through dry semi-desert, luscious tropical rain forest, plain, hilly or rugged mountainous regions, the views are certainly novel for anyone coming from the northern hemisphere... Just listening to the various bird sounds is an experience as they are so weird and varied relative to what we're used to... The people are generally warm and friendly and you're not continuously badgered by the likes of hustlers such as in Morocco, but the locals are certainly open and helpfull, actively seeking out converstions with outsiders simply out of genuine curiosity...
The cycling is also made easy by the fact that services such as food and drink are available everywhere... Even if your map shows a long stretch without anything, you can be sure that there will be little puebloes (or collection of houses) along the way with mini-supers (or small tiendas or stores) selling cold beverages and basic foods (an expression of entrepreneurship in this poor country).
Though dirty and lacking insevices (though not in unwanted guests such as roaches) small inexpensive hotels are everywhere and you can also camp for free anywhere inclusing in people's backyards... (if you ask first you'll likely be permitted with a smile). THere are also lots of bike shops since a lot of locals use bicycles to get around, though the avilable parts are usually of low quality and technology...
Mexico, though it has a lot of oil and some of it's population is quite well-off, is a poor country for most of its population and everything's a mess... At a glance, everything seems to be falling apart, shodilly built and dirty...
But again, I had a great time until I was pushed off the road, beaten with a machete and robbed at gunpoint...
- No more to follow on this trip... I'm going back home.
