Velowander

Jen made it back to CA, 2 hours late

2007-09-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

Jen's flight was delayed 2 hours because of the computer problem but she made it back that night. She didn't have to stay the night at Seatac as she feared might happen.

Took Jen to airport for flight home but flight delayed

2007-09-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jen and I rode the 194 bus to Sea-tac so she could catch her flight. As I was returning home on the bus, she said that there was a problem with the airline computer system so the flight was delayed as a result. I haven't heard from her since so I assume that the airline straightened things out.

San Juan island tour: highlights

2007-09-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

Highlights:
* Super abundant blackberries end of summer (look for ones on the roadside rather than going onto people's property if possible)
* Very nice campgrounds with hiker/biker rates - go midweek and/or after Labor Day if possible
* Excellent express buses, ferries and free Whidbey Island transit - but beware that most do not run on Sunday. Also free island shuttle on San Juan (didn't ride it)
* Cute Lopez Village with organic/hippie shops
* Shark Reef park with potential for whale/seal/shark reviewing
* Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor very nice though watch out they are pricey.
* Deception Pass bridge, very high.

Watch out:
* Can get cold at night; it is a bit colder than Seattle. I didn't bring enough bedclothes in the interest of travelling light.
* It is easy to spend lots of money especially in Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor which are geared to tourists.

Back @ home

2007-09-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

We rode the Interurban trail from near Everett Station to Lynnwood Transit Center. By that time we were getting tired and we still had a long way to go before sundown so we took the 511 bus to downtown Seattle and we're @ home.

On free bus south thru Whidbey

2007-09-07T15:02:00.001-07:00

We're on the free island transit bus which we are taking all the way from Oak Harbor south on highway 20 to the Clinton ferry terminal. I recommend the Island Transit to travelling cyclists but be aware it doesn't run on Sunday nor do most of the rural routes. This bus has a 3 bike capacity. Jen and I aren't getting along too well and being in Seattle today gives Jen plenty of time to catch her flight tomorrow night. The ferry from Clinton to Mukilteo runs every half hour so we won't have long to wait.

Oak Harbor

2007-09-07T13:49:00.001-07:00

Hi we're in Oak Harbor, we're going to catch the bus to the ferry terminal and then go most of the way back to Seattle by bus. We should be in Seattle tonight.

Arrival Deception Pass, bumbling in dark

2007-09-06T21:37:00.001-07:00

The east bound ferry made arrived in Anacortes at 1825. We stopped at safeway to get food for camping tonight but we had to hurry to reach Deception pass before nightfall. We were both aching, tired, and hungry. Many times i have fondly remembered my now sold recumbent's cruising comfort. We did make it as the sun was setting and took a few quick pictures. When we arrived at the state park around 2030 the office was open so we paid $14 for a biker campsite. It took us a while to find the place as we were getting lost in the dark but we made it and now we're cooking food. We will continue south tomorrow possibly be back on capitol hill tomorrow.

English camp, Roche harbor, ferry

2007-09-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

We checked out English camp occupying much of the northern part of San Juan, which garrisoned the British forces in their territorial dispute with the US in the so called 'pig war'. There are about 5 intact buildings and a good hike up Young Hill takes you to the British cemetery where there are 5 historic graves and a scenic lookout. Several of the graves refer to drowning accidents which I think means they died trying to flee a tough life in the early camp. After that we had lunch in the upscale Roche harbor with prices geared to tourists buying $1 million vacation homes. After that we rushed to town and Jen did some shopping at the lavender store and caught the 1700 ferry to Anacortes where we will head south toward Seattle through Whidbey island. Jen's plane is at roughly 1900 on Saturday. We hope to camp at Deception pass tonight.

Riding north County park, Alpaca farm

2007-09-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

A fox tried to steal our food last night at camp and made off with the shredded coconut but I have chase and got it back though there was a hole in the bag. The deer featured in the photo was quite tame. We missed the lavender farm yesterday because it was closed when we went by but we did get to see Krystal Acres alpaca farm. Those guys are so cute as you can see in the picture. There are many items for sale at the farm plus they have a store in Friday Harbor.

Friday Harbor - checking out city before exploring San Juan

2007-09-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

We passed the night uneventfully while stealth camping. This morning we've been checking out the actual town of Friday Harbor on San Juan island. We were thinking of going to Sidney BC but I think our plate is full since we haven't seen anything on San Juan yet and we're planning to cycle some on Whidbey island and see Deception Pass.

I stuffed myself with a 3 piece fish and chips, I can't recall the name. They were quite good but I feel gorged now since Jen got fries and didn't eat them I ate them all.

So we'll be checking out the rest of the island today like the Alpaca farm and Lavender farm, etc.

In comparison with Lopez, San Juan is much more built-up and touristy. Fortunately most of the tourists have gone since it is after labor day. Jen noted that there were more organic/healthy eating options in Lopez Village than here.

Camping at San Juan county park

2007-09-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jen got mad at me because I left her camera at the Friday Harbor library so she wasn't talking with me for much of the afternoon. Fortunately we spoke with the library staff and they have the camera so we can pick it up later. Having spent much of the day in Friday Harbor we didn't have that much time for cycling but we went to the American Camp historical site for the conflict with the British located on the south of the island. We rode around the coast on West Side road which offered a beautiful view of the Haro Strait and cliffs but we didn't see any whales. We are camping at San juan county park ($6 per cyclist) next to the water. The Ranger Eugene told me about the mad rush of tourists in the small park in July and August. There were kayaks everywhere in the tourist season like the invasion of Troy but now there is plenty of space.

Friday Harbor (San Juan island)

2007-09-04T20:19:00.001-07:00

Jen treated me to dinner at the excellent Golden Dragon thai restaurant in Friday Harbor($35 for 2, with tax and tip).

After dinner we were making our way out of Friday Harbor to San Juan county park at the other end of the island, when I spied an opening into a clearing off Beaverton Valley Drive. It didn't appear to encroach anyone's property so we decided to camp here.

Morning in Lopez village 2

2007-09-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

After angry clouds in the sky fortunately the weather cleared and warmed. The only settlement with services on Lopez Is. is the Village. It has some nice shops including organic food. Jen recommends Vortex juice bar. Allow several hours to see the shops. We had seen the major rural routes the previous day so we decided to take the 1550 ferry to Friday Harbor. Note that you pay only once at Anacortes for the ferry (about $15 with bikes) then you can travel at will for free within the us, excluding British Columbia.

Morning in Lopez Village 1

2007-09-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

It isn't raining as much as we thought and should clear up later in the week. Today we will explore Lopez Village and probably take the ferry to San Juan island.

Camping @ Spencer's Pit

2007-09-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

We're camping at Spencer's Pit ($14 hiker/biker). Jen took a wrong turn going into the campground and I didn't know where she was for more than a half hour. Fortunately we got the tent up before it started raining again.

Rural lopez, rain

2007-09-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

(photo: picking abundant blackberries on Lopez. Some locals say blackberries are fair game, but be wary of infringing on people's property all the same. One property owner seemed disgruntled that we were picking blackberries)

We're actually seeing most of the island in just one day; we won't get over to the SE corner of the island because we know a storm is coming.

The traffic is extremely sparse so usually we ride abreast, moving to single file for the rare passing of cars. Presumably there would be more traffic if we were here earlier in the season.

It started raining so we're hauling ass to get to Spencer Pit state park where we will camp tonight.

Lopez Island: Shark Reef Bee Attack

2007-09-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Shark Reef is one of the natural attractions on Lopez, so named because of the sharks attracted by all the seals. We didn't see any Sharks but there were yapping seals in abundance. A 10-minute walk leads down to the water and then along the water to the rocks where the seals hang out.

Unfortunately, I must have angered some bees because I was stung 2 or 3 times on my ankles, which swelled a bit.

Tour de Lopez

2007-09-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to skip seeing Lopez village today and concentrate on touring the island itself, because of the storm forecast. Likely tomorrow (Sept 4) we will be seeing Lopez village and we might go to San Juan village; it makes more sense given our limited time to focus on seeing the cities when it is cold and rainy.

Odlin Park camping

2007-09-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

We're camping @ Odlin Park it is pretty nice ($10 for 2). Fortunately since we are here at the end of the season just about everybody has cleared out.

Mt Vernon to San Juans

2007-09-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today we took the Sound Transit 510 bus from Downtown Seattle to Everett then another to Smokey Point and then Stanwood. We had to take all these buses because the Everett to Mt Vernon commuter bus doesn't operate on Sunday. Now we're in Mt Vernon and we hope to make it to Anacortes ferry terminal.

Hoovering McNuggets in Stanwood

2007-09-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here I am hoovering 4 McNuggets in the Stanwood McDonalds.

Jen arrives from Berkeley

2007-09-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Jen arrived from Berkeley, CA (her plane touched down @ Seatac about 4:10 PM).

We're rushing to get all our stuff ready for our biking trip to the San Juans tomorrow. Since I no longer have the V-rex recumbent I'll be riding the Bike Friday folder, and Jen will be riding my Dad's Novara city bike. The city bike isn't aerodynamic but it has plenty of low gears for the hills on the islands.

Sold V-Rex recumbent

2007-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, I sold my trusty V-Rex recumbent ($500). That has been a good bike but I've been looking at getting a Bacchetta Giro 26/26.

Signing off for now

2007-02-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm back in Seattle and I'll be staying here for a while getting my life in order. After that, I'm not sure if I'll remain here, meet Jen in Emeryville or what.

I'll be signing off this blog for now.

Seattle, Jen arrives back in Emeryville

2007-02-27T23:38:00.000-08:00

Quite a shock, going from Acapulco at about 32C being inside some strange noisy contraption and hours later it is just above freezing.

My bike and all my gear seem OK. I tried to get all my stuff together as quickly as possible but I just missed the 23:00 174 bus, so I took the next one half an hour later. My Dad met me downtown and drove me to his place.

I just spoke to Jen; she arrived safely in Emeryville by taxi.

Houston, Texas

2007-02-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jen and I are in Houston. We both came together on Continental 885. Now we part; I go to Sea-Tac and Jen to Oakland. Unfortunately, she has a nearly 4 hour layover in Houston so she will arrive very late and then have to take a taxi.

Catching flight today at 14:45 PM

2007-02-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

Were wrapping up everything so we can get to the airport at around noon and box up our bikes and get out of here. We ran into a couple living in Acapulco who offered us a place to stay but of course we told them we are flying out today. I took an outdoor shower using a bucket to try and get the sand and grime off me for a more comfortable flight.

Diamante, last day waiting for plane

2007-02-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

We´re OK. We left Acapulco and climbed over the mountain again to the south. We will spend our last day near the airport on the beach, etc. Jen is making arrangements to get home to Emeryville from Oakland aiport when she arrives late tomorrow on Tuesday.

Leaving Acapulco

2007-02-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jen and I are trying to treasure our last few days in Mèxico before we catch our flight. We are going to climb the hill to get out of Acapulco Bay early this evening, when the heat will be less intense, then stay on the beach. We will be staying pretty close to the airport.

More fighting with Jen

2007-02-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

Jen had a good time last night at the 2 movies, Children of Man and The Holiday, but then she felt sick after that because she hasn´t been eating well. Unfortunately, she was fighting with me this morning so I went off on my own to be in peace.

Acapulco: 2 more movies @ Cinemahorro

2007-02-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

We saw 2 more movies (15 pesos per person), A UK film called ¨Niños del hombre¨ (Children of Man) about a bleak future of a war on immigrants by the British homeland security and total human infertility, and a lighter movie, El Descanso ¨The rest¨ about 2 ladies, an L.A. film producer and a British editor who swap houses. I recommend both.

23 Febrero - Acapulco Hot

2007-02-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you´ll see people pushing orange juice in the streets, they sell a whole liter of fresh squeezed for 10 pesos, flagging down cars, etc. You get about twice the juice for the same price compared with a regular store.

After 2 nights in the tourist zone we rode back to the old town to stay at the Hotel Acapulco (150 pesos for 2). It is very hot so we are hiding in air conditioned places trying not to overheat.

22 Febrero - Acapulco

2007-02-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Jen is sticking around with me.

We found a theater called Cinemaahorro (Cinema savings) that at ticket prices of $15 is much cheaper than even discount Wednesdays at the fancy new Cinèpolis theaters. The movie we saw, La Criatura called Creep in English was a UK/German horror film. I was pretty scared although some others were laughing in the movie. You can´t go too wrong for $15.00.

We´re staying for the 2nd night at Hotel Bora Bora (200 pesos for 2). I think all the hotels have high vacancies during the low season. The problem is that the flunkies at the front desk don´t seem to be able to negotiate the price, unlike the way Mexicans negotiate the prices on many other items at the flea markets.

Wednesday (bargain) night at Cinèpolis

2007-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

We´re seeing ¨Busca la Felicidad¨ (in search of happiness) at one of the Acapulco fancy Cinèpolis theaters. They are more expensive than the older theaters, though they are nice quality. On Wednesdays it is a reduced price of $29 per ticket.

21 Febrero - back in Acapulco in hotel zone

2007-02-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

We´re back in Acapulco for the 2nd time. Admittedly, I like it more this time than the previous time when we were staying in the old downtown. The party the previous time at Hotel Acapulco was so loud we couldn´t sleep and the traffic is very congested and crazy with taxis weaving and buses not to mention private cars.

It is so hot during the day that we aren´t riding. Even walking I´m sweating like crazy. Jen gets frustrated because she is an outdoor person but it is so hot and humid between 10 am and about 430 pm. It will be quite an adjustment for me going to Seattle where it is 5C or so, compared with 32C or so here (some of you don´t think 32C with humidity is hot).

21 Febrero - Bahìa de Acapulco

2007-02-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Acapulco is a Bay, not open water. This makes it safe for swimming although it is less interesting without the big waves.

20 Febrero - Barra Vieja

2007-02-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Jen rode about 20km to the next village, then 20km back to see me. It seems that we´ll be hanging around together for the remainder of our time in Mèxico.

Genarita & her husband, the proprietors of the Puesto del Sol restaurant in Barra Vieja south of Acapulco. This is like many other low key restaurants on the beach, with tons of beachfront and few clients during the low season. We were their only clients during a whole 2 day period. They have a pool and open beach front - be very careful about swimming sometimes the waves and currents are strong.

One of the villagers has a pig farm, and the pigs run free, either playing or foraging for food. They seem quite intelligent and are more active than dogs during the day.

Genarita´s son, a fisherman, caught this flat fish to dry and sell to tourists as a mask. It does look like a human face.

20 February - Jen just walked in

2007-02-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Jen just walked in the little internet cafe at Barra Vieja so she hasnt left the area at least. Ill talk to her later.

20 Febrary - Barra Vieja, Gro. Stress, fight, Jen leaves

2007-02-20T11:59:00.000-08:00

We have been staying at one of the many low key beach restaurants called Puesta del Sol. The proprietress, Genarita has been very nice to us and we camped last night.

Although both Jen and I have learned a lot, and this has been one of Jen's few travel experiences outside the US, it has been hard for her at times having to adapt to so many things like a different language, food, and customs and she's finally worn down and wants to return to the SF Bay area. Ever since the noise and chaos of Acapulco she has been restless.

For example, this morning I realized the nylon bag was missing and conjectured that dogs had taken it. We disagreed on the seriousness of losing a nylon bag, with her saying that she couldnt trust me and criticizing me for leaving it outside the tent where dogs could get it. I couldnt understand how she could be so upset about a nylon bag. I realize that she is just tired and ready to go home and she doesnt have a lot of energy left.

I know from experience that I need to give Jen space when she is a bad mood and that chasing after her accomplishes nothing except make her more angry. Around noon today she left, saying that she would see me at the airport (referring to our flight on the 27th, one week from today).

Ill be staying at the Puesta del Sol restaurant again tonight, camping there in case Jen returns. Tomorrow I plan to go in the direction of Acapulco and get a hotel room so I can see movies on Wednesday, the discount day.

I dont have a mobile anymore, so there is no easy way for Jen to reunite with me after tomorrow when I leave Barra Vieja. Jen doesnt have camping gear so she cant camp really although she could lie on the ground with her clothes on and she would be warm enough. She could also get a hotel room if she wanted. I think that people will help her and some will speak English if she decides to remain on her own during our remaining week in México. I hope she does return but I am at peace with her decision.

19 Febrero - Difficulties getting box for continental flight

2007-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

For now, any other plans for our remaining time here in Mèxico have been put on hold. To my amazement, we called the Mexican Continental helpline and they told us that boxes are required for bikes but they don´t have any and can´t get any. In effect, we wouldn´t be able to bring our bikes on the plane unless we had our own box. We have been scouring various stores like costco, etc. for boxes and we have found some in parking lots but the best we can do is try to build our own franken box out of pieces of smaller boxes.

The continental desk was closed yesterday so we couldn´t talk to them in person at the Acapulco airport. Today on Monday they should be open so we will talk to them. We need to know that they will accept an improvised box, can supply a real box, or we´ll have to take the bus instead.

My bee-stung hand is doing better and my cold seems to have disappeared.

19 Febrary - Acapulco airport, Diamante no problem with bike box

2007-02-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

South of Acapulco, the Diamante neighborhood is like US suburbia. Big box stores have mostly taken over, displacing the small family stores. Costco, Sams Club, etc. are there.

We returned to the airport to talk to a Continental airline representative in person. Recall that the telephone client service rep I spoke with earlier said that, in effect, we would be denied taking our bikes on the planes because boxes are required and they dont have them.

Fortunately, we were very relieved to find a helpful manager in the backoffice who said it was no problem because there was plenty of space on the plane. They would use garment boxes and we could partially disassemble our bikes when we arrive at the airport, and pay $100. Once again, a person who is willing to help makes all the problems go away.

18 febrero - shipping bikes will be hard, chaos & noise in Acapulco

2007-02-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

There was a birthday party near Hotel Acapulco where we were staying last night from about 8 PM until about 2 or so in the morning. It was extremely noisy and Jen got pretty grumpy. Also, traffic is heavy and the exhaust fumes are disagreeable. Although Acapulco is not without charms, it seems to be following the standard developing city model of being destroyed by smog, noise, and cars.

In addition, shipping the bikes seems like it could be difficult. Continental charges $100 for bikes but they don´t have boxes, and bike shops at least the ones open on Sunday don´t have boxes either (bike shops receive their bikes in plastic bags). We will try to look for boxes at Office Depot. My challenge is greater since I have a recumbent bike, and recumbent bikes and airplanes don´t go together very well since recumbents are so bulky when shipped. Jen and I have decided that we will sell our bikes if we can get a reasonable offer to avoid having to ship them.

Lots of Mexicans are interested in my recumbent bike, although of course many of them don´t have much money so I don´t know if I´ll be able to sell it.

The noise, stress, and dirt has been getting to Jen and me today. We`re trying to get out of this city after figuring out what to do with our bikes. (I´ll be travelling with my folding Bike Friday in future)

17 febrero - Acapulco, Gro. Chaotic and noisy!

2007-02-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Getting into Acapulco from the north was stressful, with climbs in the heat, and a very narrow road with buses belching hot diesel fumes right in my face. At least we found a decent room at a reasonable price. Hotel Acapulco downtown near the water in the Col. Centro, with private bath for 150 pesos per night. We did have to carry our bikes up stairs.

The many mountains of plastic garbage we have seen in Mèxico. Plastics in the developing world especially have been a disaster. Soon the government will need to get involved to preserve the beaches and tourism, I´m not sure what they will do.

The bay of Acapulco.

16 febrero - Bicimotos Xavier de Tecpan, cyclist Damien

2007-02-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Xavier of Bicimotos Xavier in Tecpan de Galeana, Guerrero. He provides hospitality for travelling cyclists and hopes to tour himself soon.

Javier is building his own custom bike to sell at amusement parks in the US. It will have 4 wheels.

Javier (spelling inconsistent) is trying to undercut the existing Rhodes car which sells for about $1,500 in the US.

Xavier has a ready supply of discarded bikes from which to salvage parts, though many of his sales are new bikes.

Damien, a touring cyclist from France we met at Javier´s place.

15 febrero - Hacienda de Cabaña beach that requires crossing lagoon

2007-02-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

The boat passage costs 10 pesos per person each way.

Getting our loaded bikes in the little launches wasn`t easy.

14 febrero - San Luis de la Loma

2007-02-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

I feel a bit better after resting, I was able to cycle 50 km. We decided to stay at the beach here in San Luis de la Loma, Gro so I don´t need to push it. We try to get to a beach well before sunset at 1900 central time to give us time to set up camp. I´m not sure in my condition I could have made it in time to the next beach access.

14 Febrero - playa near Papanoa, Gro

2007-02-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

I´ve been pretty out of it. Unlike Jen, who cycles vigorously even when she´s sick, my temperature goes up and I´m pretty out of it. I´ve been getting some rest and taking it easy. We´re in no rush at this point.

Oh, the photo is from Jen´s viewpoint on the rocks.

13 Febrero - Roberto the sculptor

2007-02-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

This eccentric fellow Roberto was a mechanic in Vernon B.C. Canada but has lived in Mèxico for 33 years. He makes a living carving statues until his pension kicks in. He told us about the beautiful 35 year old Mexican woman who´s heart he is pursuing from a village about an hour bus ride away (he is 60). Las Barritas, the beach where we will camp is about 20 minutes away so we will have no problem reaching there before nightfall.

13 febrero - Zihuatanejo Guerrero

2007-02-13T08:58:00.001-08:00

Jen are doing OK. I seem to have a slight cold but so far it isnt bad. We are in Zihuatanejo, we stayed in a room near the Pollo Feliz restaurant for 150 pesos. Since this is a swanky, touristy place accomodation is a bit more expensive. Jen thinks this city seems more modern than many where we have been. We try to watch our stuff in cities, usually we lose at least some small item. Generally we try to get our supplies and get out of the city since there is a lot of traffic so we can return to the many beaches.

We have our flight booked from Acapulco on Feb 27. We will arrive in Acapulco in a few days so we will probably continue down the coast perhaps as far as Puerto Escondido and then take the bus back.

I have never put my recumbent on a place but I will go to a bike shop in Acapulco for assistance breaking it down and getting it in a box. They charge $95 extra for bikes and I hope I can get my recumbent small enough so there are no charges beyond that.

Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

12 febrero - Our first time surfing at Los Llanos beach Guerrero

2007-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Los Llanos by reputation is one of the best places around for beginning surfers, because the waves are fairly predictable and not too big. The experienced surfers are out there at about 730, but only a few remain when the winds kick up around 1100 because the surfing isnt too good by then.

I didn´t really manage to stand up on the board on a wave but I do understand the procedure better than I did. I have to paddle like crazy downwave then hop on and turn the board across the wave. It is much easier said than done.

The board rental is 50 pesos per hour, 200 pesos per day, or 500 per week. I couldnt surf more than 1 hour, and indeed Jen & I shared just a half hour. It is pretty tiring with all the rowing to catch the waves not to mention getting beat up when the board flies away (it was attached to my ankle with a lanyard). I disregarded the advice to stay near shore and went where the waves were a bit bigger, near where the more experience surfers were. Timing is very important.

Jen did a bit better than I did, at least she could surf a bit on her belly even though she couldn´t stand. I took this photo through Jens binoculars which is why it is rather blurry.

11 Febrero - leaving Zihuat. Guerrero

2007-02-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes even when we are leaving the city, friendly Mexicans want a photo op.

11 febrero - Làzaro Michoacàn no dental work now

2007-02-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

I went for a follow up visit to a lady dentist here in Làzaro, expecting to get 4 more resin treatments. Her opinion was these other 4 cavities are very small, and I could go many years without them becoming more serious so I shouldn´t get them treated now. She did charge me 50 pesos to resurface the silver-mercury filling that Dr. Alvarado in Vizaino, Baja California did a month and a half ago. Imaging getting anything from a dentist in the states for less than 5 bucks!

11 Febrero, more on situation in Michoacan

2007-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

From what we´ve heard, the situation in Michoacàn was pretty unstable about 6 months ago, presumably before the military convoys started arriving in force. There were burning vehicles in the streets and so forth, though I don´t think many people were killed. Now that the military is here it is pretty tranquil and locked down, I guess not many drug lords want to take on trucks of 40 soldiers with assault rifles. These soldiers look like 19 year old kids, perhaps similar to many US service troops heading to Iraq, and carry presumably fully auto assault rifles that look huge and very menacing.

If anything, I think the presence of the soldiers makes it quite safe for us here so you shouldn´t worry.

Possibly the recent instability in Michocàn is partly responsible for the low numbers of tourists we have seen, although local vendors for example Nacho´s mom in Playa Azul where we stayed said this is pretty typical. I think Americans don´t have time to see all these other beaches, they fly into a major resort like Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta for a few days and then leave. The tourist we do see are mostly surfers from California, Canadians, and Europeans with longer holidays.

11 febrero, arranging tickets to San Fran / Seattle for end february, lost mobile

2007-02-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Jen is starting work at the beginning of March & I´m planning to visit my Dad in Seattle. We´re researching flights from Acapulco (ACA) to Oakland, CA (OAK) and Seattle-Tacoma airport (SEA) respectively for each of us, for roughly the 26th or 27th of February.

I lost my mobile, since we don´t have that much time left here I´ll wait until I´m in the States to get another. Jen still has her mobile but it won´t activate from seasonal standby until February 24th, and she won´t start actually using it, listening to voicemails etc. until she is within US borders though you can leave a voicemail from the 24th.

10 febrero - Làzaro Cardenas, Michoacan

2007-02-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

The central municipal market, which most cities have. Prices for basic goods, foods both raw and cooked are often better than in other markets. The catch is that the markets usually close in the early afternoon, though this one is open until 8 pm.

Roast chicken, one of our mainstay meals which we have with the included tortillas & salsa plus vegetables which we buy at other stores so it is fairly healthy. Buying individual tacos even at street vendors would be a much more expensive way to stay fed.

Jen got a free vision examination. She wasn´t necessarily impressed with the results but at least it was an interesting experience.

9 febrero - Acalpican, night @ Playa Azul Michoacan

2007-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Passing the time with our new friends Mariano and Saul in Acalpican, from their story one of the pivotal battle sites in the rebellion against the Spanish.

Nacho, pictured here with his mother, offered us a secure place to stay at his place in Playa Azul. Outside of the major tourist areas with airports, these beaches are nearly deserted outside of Christmas time and Semana Santa. Nacho is a fisherman but his parents make tourist knicknacks out of shells during the slow times and sell them during the busy season.

8 febrero - Caleta de Campos

2007-02-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

Caleta de Campos, one of many mostly empty beach towns (except for locals). They see substantial tourist activity only during xmas and Semana Santa. At other times there aren´t enough tourists to fill the beaches.

I finally got my haircut for 30 pesos. Jen cut it in at her place in Emeryville the last time. It is so hot during the day (cycling) that I just needed to do it.

In Caleta de Campos, Michoacán

2007-02-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Were OK in the small but charming beach town of Caleta de Campos, Michoacán. South of Maruata the road becomes very challenging with steep grades and declines plus it is quite hot. I sweat like crazy without even moving in this heat. Most of the state along the coast is quite rural and the villages are small. It is full of pristine beaches which are cleaner than those in Puerto Vallarta because the government does not allow dumping of sewage as elsewhere.

This town has only dialup internet and no antivirus so we couldnt post any photos. The city of Lázaro Cardenas is much bigger so we can use internet there and post photos. I am still looking for another dentist to fill my remaining 4 mini cavities. I will try to do that in Lázaro.

Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast
with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.

7 febrero Maruata Michoacan

2007-02-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

My apologies with the orientation on the photos...

There are many government military vehicles on the roads, going to fight the drug lords. Apparently the northern cartel is trying to take over the south´s territory. Fortunately, the drug people do not attack tourists or Mexicans not involved in the drug trade, though the possibility of accidental casualties exists. We have seen no evidence that our safety is at risk due to drug activity.

They grow marijuana in Michoacan and we saw it for sale aggressively in Maruata.

German cyclist Marcus who was cycling who knows how far south, we think into central america (?)

Mike and his friend Pixel were trying a cycling snowbird itinerary in Mexico, staying for 6 days in Maruata when we came across them.

Apiza

2007-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

This pig can have his fill from the garbage. There was a big 3 day weekend so the Mexicans were up partying late.

Sunset

A tarantula in grave danger of being mushed on the road. We moved him off the road, for his safety.

4 febrero in Tecomàn Colima

2007-02-04T14:29:00.001-08:00

Jen and I are in Tecomàn, Colima. It is nice riding here, though it is hot during the day. Today we went to the turtle sanctuary (20 pesos each). The blogger interface isn`t responding so I am posting by email. I will post photos later.

TV dinner still cooling?
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.

4 febrero Huge waves Cuyatlan, Colima & Turtle Sanctuary

2007-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

For 20 pesos each we bought tickets for the Turtle Sanctuary in Cuyatlan. It was like a small resort, with its own (salt water, we think) pool for guests and access to the beach with huge waves. The turtles are endangered in the wild, and hunting them or selling any part of them is prohibited but it still takes place. The sanctuary raises the turtles and releases them into the wild to help repopulate them.

3 Febrero - need dry bags

2007-02-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

We need some way of carrying our valuables with us while we are wading or swimming at the beach. It is a drag if one of us has to stay on the beach while the other swims. I think maybe a sports store will have something waterproof we can wear.

3 Febrero - Pulling out of Manzanillo

2007-02-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

One of many skinny dogs we see all over the place. They greedily eat any baked goods we toss, usually because they looked good but then we realized they are too sweet.

We are planning to head south of Manzanillo tonight although we might end up getting an inexpensive place in town. We try to get places around the 100 peso range, this usually includes a private bathroom.

3 Febrero - heavy traffic from Santiago to Manzanillo

2007-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

It was horrendous getting from Santiago around Manzanillo´s port to the downtown. There are several lanes of busy traffic and as usual no shoulder. We were occasionally tempted to ride on the sidewalk but the sidewalk ends here and there unexpectedly so I didn´t do that much. We survived, at least.

2 Febrero - Ride to Santiago / Manzanillo

2007-02-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Unusual for Mèxico, we enjoyed a generously sized shoulder for the ride south into Manzanillo, Colima.

Bananas are cheap here, around 6 pesos per kilo. You can see why with the large banana plantations.

A motorist from Guadalajara with his family at a small store insisted on buying us 2 coconuts to try, normally 5 pesos each.

At the beach in Santiago, Colima near Manzanillo Jen was wading in the water and was hit by surprise by a large wave. She lost her expensive glasses in the water. I thought they were gone for good but she put on her swim goggles and found them about 10 meters off shore. I was amazed, as were the nearby RVers.

The Mexican government to its credit seems to be spending quite a bit of effort and money improving its road network. Some of these roads even have shoulders.

2 Febrero - Casa de Huespedes Mike´s in Santiago

2007-02-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

A French Canadian lady RVer told us we were in Manzanillo but instead we were in Santiago, so we quit riding about 20km early. We found a nice room with private bath at Casa de Huespedes Mike´s. The manager initially wanted 200 pesos but I talked her down to 100. The water wasn´t hot but at that price in a touristy area I didn´t worry about it.

1 febrero - Katadyn Vario water filter cracks

2007-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

I noticed that the Katadyn Vario water filter we have been using has 2 cracks in the spindle that holds the pump handle. For now, I have bypassed the ceramic prefilter which prevents water spraying all over the place but the filter cartridge wears out faster. That doesn´t matter now because Jen will return the filter to REI when she returns to the states. It did have a number of innovative features, like pumping on the upstroke and downstroke and the combination ceramic and glass filters. Unfortunately, the design was not robust enough for our purposes.

Recent weather - hotter

2007-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to have a break from the hot weather while we were in PV. Since then, we have had some clear days and it has been quite hot. We are trying to get up a bit earlier and take a siesta in the middle of the day like Mexicans do to avoid the heat. Of course, it would be much hotter outside of winter.

1 febrero - Telaque

2007-02-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

Telaque Jalisco is a pleasant town, though not undiscovered by tourists. It is much safer and saner for biking than Puerto Vallarta.

We have been eating well and at a reasonable price in Mèxico, because we are eating locally grown and produced items. Imported items, like nuts and grapes are expensive. Oranges, Mandarin Oranges, Avocados, Bananas, Papayas are cheap. It is easy to boil shrimp with a small stove which makes some nice tacos, although taking the shells of is labor intensive.

31 enero - playa Tenacatita, noche @ Boca de Iguana

2007-01-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

Tenacatita was about 10km from the main highway 200 between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. It has a number of cabana style restaurants. Since there aren´t that many tourists, there were quite a few walking vendors.

We stayed here for a few hours, then we cycled out and encountered some friends we met previously from New Hampshire who have bike toured in the past but were travelling now by rental car. More on them if we see them in Manzanillo.

We camped at Boca De Iguana, a less developed beach with one small convenience store. A large inn restaurant complex was already underway.

30 enero - Plaza Careyes

2007-01-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

We accidentally rode by the town of Chamela and we were both getting tired. Finally, we could go no further so we rested and ate some food before continuing to Playa Careyes, a fishing beach.

Playa Careyes. South of Puerto Vallarta there is no shortage of nice beaches, even with the many tourists who flock south. There was a security station protecting the nearby private residence, so presumably this makes camping on the beach a bit safer. It is wise to choose a camping location away from unsecured touristy areas because of the so called banditos.

OK slow internet no photos, in El Tuito

2007-01-29T15:29:00.001-08:00

My flash drive came under attack by viruses from unprotected internet
cafe computers. I finally got the viruses off but it is read only
seemingly permanently so I cant put photos on it.

We stayed last night in the new botanical garden south of PV which has
been open a year, hosted by Bob the curator and his family (dad: add
to PV notes). There is a bus from the central PV to the gardens for
about 10 pesos but of course we took our bikes.

Now we are in the town of El Tuito heading south. The other internet
cafe in this town infected by second flash drive which Jen was using
but fortunately we cured the viruses using Norton. This internet
connection is unbelievably slow, a dialup shared among many users so I
wont do much.

It is pretty sparsely populated until Manzanillo Colima so I dont know
when you will hear from us again or see photos, perhaps 2 or 3 days.
It is hilly terrain but fortunately the traffic is greatly reduced.

28 enero - Jardìn Botànico

2007-01-28T23:28:00.000-08:00

Highly recommended about 25 km south of Puerto Vallarta is the new Botanical Garden, which has been open just over a year. The entrance fee is 50 pesos, but they give you a restaurant credit of the same amount.

28 enero - Maria the housekeeper, local Aramara knife sharpener

2007-01-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

Maria takes care of my Dad´s house and readies it for guests.

This man sharpens knives, walking down the street whistling to let people know he is around. He sharpened our knife for free, but we insisted that he take 5 pesos.

27 enero - Miguel cooking fish

2007-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Miguel, the husband of my Dad´s housekeeper Maria, catches his own fish out in the Bahìa de Banderas (the bay of Puerto Vallarta) and cooks them fresh. He was nice enough to offer one each for Jen & me.

Getting really comfortable in Aramara (PV), maybe too comfortable

2007-01-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

We have been having a good time hanging in Aramara / PV. It was nice that Jen could see the place where I would vacation with my Dad as a boy. Unfortunately, he didn't come for significant periods of time so I missed an opportunity to be bilingual at an early age. I have been practicing my Spanish a lot since we crossed the border in Tijuana on 18 Dec 2006, although even my Spanish practice has slowed in PV since it is not an unfamiliar environment and thus less challenging.

Buying local food like tropical fruits, oranges, bananas, and seafood like shrimp, one can eat very well here at a modest price. Jen will write an article on the food when she has time.

I think Jens health has been improving as she recovers from the turista and or dehydration, but she can talk about that now that she is blogging herself.

Although we are partly tempted to stay here and relax for a bit longer, our adventurous selves are calling us back to the road. We are hoping that if we depart tomorrow on Saturday traffic out of PV southbound on 200 should be lighter and we wont be white knuckling it all the way to Manzanillo, Colima. My Dad says that that road is boring, although that was years ago when he last drove it.

Another rainy day in PV

2007-01-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

Jen is wondering if every day in the subtropics is rainy. I have tried to assure her this is not the case... I went in the water anyway.

Dancing at the Zoo

2007-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

After our 3 movie marathon, we decided that we had to go out on the town, which we really hadnt done since leaving Berkeley. We had a good time dancing to mostly 80s music at zoo, there was no cover and we didnt have to get any drinks.

3 movie marathon

2007-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are the cheap movie nights in Mexico. We saw a triple feature of Friends with Money, Night at the museum, and Invincible for $25 pesos. Well, it was the usual making our way surreptitiously from theater to theater, and there seemed to be a fair number of others doing the same thing. In fact, its possible that they dont even care since there is nobody monitoring this.

At the beach, Rio Cuale

2007-01-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

If you can ignore the hordes trying to sell you tourist trinkets and the tourist shops that prevent even seeing the river, it is quite nice. Actually there are fewer tourists than I remember from future trips. Im not sure if this is a post 9/11 thing or because the weather has been overcast / rainy for the past week. This is a good break for me because I have had fairly intense sun nearly every day since about the middle of June 2006.

Recommended restaurant Le Fabula Pizza Pitillal, Jal

2007-01-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

On Wednesdays, Le Fabula Pizza on the road between Aramara and Pitillal has a 2 for 1 special. It is about a block away from the central square.

23 enero - staying in PV

2007-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Jen is still hurting from the turista / dehydration but we think she's getting better with time.

We´re staying in Puerto Vallarta for a few more days. Today is 2 for 1 pizza day at a place in Pitillal and Wednesday is discount movie day ($25 pesos at the Cine de Bahía in town and $34 at the new fancy Cinépolis near Pitillal).

I'll be meeting with Maria's husband Miguel about some of the house repairs.

22 enero - night on the town PV curtailed

2007-01-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

We walked along the beach all the way from Playa de Oro near the Cruise ship terminal, where you arrive at the beach walking from my Dads place in Aramara, to downtown. Our intent was to go dancing at one of the clubs but after all the walking we were tired so we took the bus home. There is a new bus route which was faster to Pitillal but then we had to walk more to Aramara.

arriving in the mainland-From Jen

2007-01-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

I knew from all the conversations with locals that the traffic would be greatly increased on the mainland, but you really can´t imagine how scary it can be until you are riding the small (sometimes no) shoulder that is constructed for traffic to pull of the road and yes for crazy cyclist to ride on.

The buses are like the big greyhound ones in the US and pass by every 5 to 10 minutes. They are usually accompanied by a semi trailer that is pulling a double semi, so just when you think the semi has passed the doulble trailer starts (this is when you really want to hang on and stay the white line, to right of it if their is any right). The best shoulder(about 1/2 to a foot) in general is where you need it on the up hills and the curves, so thank goodness for them. I have only had to jump off my bike twice in the mainland because of the shoulder ending while a semi was beside me. In Baja the traffic was so light that their was not usually on-coming traffic at the same time, this is not true of the mainland. It is very nice to be resting in PV for a couple of days. Thank you JM!

Dads house in Aramara near Puerto Vallarta, Jal deferred maintenance

2007-01-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

My Dad has had his hands full working in Seattle on apartment stuff and keeping up with his symphony, ballet, and sail racing obligations so he hasnt been here to maintain his house for a few years. Jen and I have been talking with Maria to take care of maintenance like a broken window, peeling paint, damaged door, and some ceiling damage. Maria's husband Miguel can do all the work but I need to make the arrangements.

Ceiling damage photo 1 in Dining room.

Ceiling damage photo 2 in Dining room.

Jen inspects missing bricks in chimney like structure on the roof.

Jen to start writing blog articles

2007-01-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

When we are in a city at an internet café, I am usually working quickly to upload photos and write captions, whereas Jen has hardly anything to do. So, I suggested that she write articles of interest to her.

The blogger program has the capability to allow additional authors or administrators to write and edit content. Expect Jen to publish her first article today.

Pitillal, Jalisco near PV

2007-01-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Pitillal is a nice smaller city inland from Puerto Vallarta in my opinion in many ways superior to Puerto Vallarta as long as you dont want to do anything beach or water related. We havent been to Puerto Vallarta yet (at least on this trip for me). I suspect that most food and lodging is considerably cheaper here in Pitillal than in Puerto Vallarta.

Jen and I share a nice 10 peso ice cream cone.

My Dad has a house in PV that he had built in 1974. Unfortunately I never learned much Spanish as a child but I am doing much better as an adult. When my Dad and I would come I would often eat corn flakes in the mornings. So I decided to get this huge box of corn flakes from the huge new Soriana store in Pitillal since we will be here for several days.

Sayulita Nayarit - not sleepy anymore

2007-01-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

We passed through Sayulita while making our way south to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. It is a far cry from the sleepy deserted beach I remember from years ago. There are lots of tourists there and the corresponding support staff and accomodation. It was nice but we didnt need to spend more than a night there.

They do have camping for something like 5 bucks a person per night, or 3 per person per night if you stay a week. We didnt want to camp on the beach because we heard the banditos raided and cleared everything out so we went inland and free camped. It was nice and quite though we did let some sort of bug inside the tent which was apparently biting me.

19 enero

2007-01-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

Compostela, Nayarit is a nice small city in Nayarit near the water. Although, I preferred Acaponeta a bit because there were so many Mexican cyclists there. I think small cities are excellent in Mexico because they are large enough to have something happening but not big enough to have all the cars and affluenza diseases as in the US.

We had a nice half chicken dinner with tortillas and salsa for 32 pesos. Dolores of Grilos Pollos prepares the tortillas by hand using a press, which are thicker and tastier than machine made ones.

Lenin, lead singer of the band Escorpión, chatted with us as we were leaving Compostela. He often plays in Puerto Vallarta and in other places around México. His music is banda, an offshoot of mariachi. Salsa is unknown on the pacific coast but is popular on the atlantic coast near the caribbean.

Tepic, Nayarit

2007-01-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

When we arrived in Tepic yesterday, a city of some 300,000 I was as usual dismayed by all the cars, noise and traffic although people werent aggressive. Although many Mexicans have few material possessions, we havent seen much grinding poverty here certainly not enough to motivate Mexicans to head north on the dangerous journey to sneak across the US border. Our conclusion is that the people doing this live to the south or in the interior of the country. The Mexicans here not just in touristy areas but in general seem quite prosperous.

We have been staying in hotels in major cities. Here we were initially seeing hotels in the 270-350 peso range for 2. I recommend the Hotel Pasadena which is walking distance of the central plazas and is 100 pesos for 2, with private bathroom and television. I think the rooms without bath are downstairs, we ended up carrying our bikes up to the first floor. Note that rooms are available for 2 hour rental for half the regular rate, you can guess what that means.

This morning, we have had time to explore the central plazas which are quite nice and see the Governors Palace, etc. I have a better impression of it now although as a visitor I still prefer smaller places like Acaponeta, Nayarit. It is worth stopping here though one night was enough.

18 enero Acaponeta Nayarit

2007-01-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

Both Jen & I really like Acaponeta. It is a relaxed city of 35,000 or so with everything you need. In comparison with Baja, bikes are everywhere and people are more fit than in Baja as a result of the riding and biking. I recommend the excellent Hotel Casablanca right on the square, 140 pesos for a simple and nice room with nice bathroom and hot water, probably the best room we have had thus far.

A reasonable breakfast of Huevos a la Mexicana (eggs with veggies) for 20 pesos in the mercado municipal. Prices seem to be lower in the mainland at least outside touristy areas than Baja.

17 enero - Acaponeta, Nayarit: Jen suffers heatstroke, treated in urgent clinic

2007-01-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

You may recall several weeks ago, when we had been in Mexico about a week and we were in the northern part of Baja, I came down with Turista. We anticipated this might happen and figured it was the price of living as the locals do and eating their food, and that I would recover and henceforth would be relatively immune therafter. That was true in my case.

About a week and a half ago, Jen came down with something similar. Unfortunately, her condition took a turn for the worse several days ago and she was in pain much of the time. She just didn't seem to be getting better. After riding 90 km from El Rosario, Sinaloa to Acaponeta, Nayarit I talked her into making an appointment for the clinic. I tried a couple of places, and the staff agreed that being in near continuous pain was justification for going to the urgent clinic.

We paid the 100 pesos, a bit over US $9 and the doctor saw us almost immediately. The diagnosis was turista, with complications from heatstroke and dehydration. They injected her with a rehydration solution and prescribed an electrolyte drink and a few other medicines.

Jen has been making sure she drinks more and seems to be getting better now. We were both impressed that she could get in to see the doctor right away for only $9. I shudder to think how much an urgent clinic visit would cost in the US.

17 enero - highway of death between Mazatlan and Tepic

2007-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

I recommend riding the toll autopistas whenever possible because they have a shoulder and traffic is less because, presumably, most Mexicans don't want to pay the toll. The authorities may want you to get off to autopista, reactions will depend on the specific officer so always be courteous. We have not been asked to pay a toll on hwy 1D between Tijuana and Ensenada and 15D between Mazatlan and Semblas, short of Acaponeta, Nayarit.

South of Mazatlan, the autopista 15D goes only as far as El Rosario, Sinaloa. Fortunately, there is a new section of 15D under construction between El Rosario and just short of Acaponeta, Nayarit. There was almost no traffic so we had a whole highway with shoulders to ride on, it was very nice. We did have to navigate some obstacles, like a bridge under construction with the rebar exposed and various roadblocks.

When we did have to merge back onto hwy 15 short of Acaponeta, its reputation among cyclists as being the deadliest section between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego is deserved. There were semis passing other semis, blasting air in our faces as they passed us a few decimeters away going the other direction. Fortunately, we only had to ride about 10 km on this deadly road.

We don't plan to continue on hwy 15 to Tepic on our bicycles so we will hitch or take a bus if possible.

16 enero - Mazatlan, Sinaloa, journey to El Rosario Sinaloa

2007-01-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Last photo: Jen picks up a chile that fell on the highway from a passing truck. There were more chiles than we could carry.

On our second night in Mazatlan we decided to be like regular tourists and see a movie. We went to a double feature of "Eragon" and "Casino Royale" at the Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) theater for 38 pesos each. Actually, it wasn't officially a double feature but there was hardly anyone there and nobody seemed to care what we were doing.

We stayed at the Hotel Venados (80 pesos, considerably cheaper than the 220 pesos we had paid in the old town Hotel Vialta). It wasn't too nice with dust and dirt on the walls and a complimentary nudie picture in the bathroom but it had a private bathroom with warmer than freezing water and it was a place to stay.

18 enero - autobus del Rosario a Tepic

2007-01-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Our own private highway under construction, 15D, seemed to come to an end. We had to ride for about 10 km to get into el Rosario and it was pretty hairy just as other cyclists had reported with many semis and buses and no shoulder. We decided to take the bus to Tepic for 90 pesos each. We were lucky, the bus had lots of capacity below in the hold for our bikes and we didnt have to dissassemble them. We saw glimpses of a deserted new looking road during our ride which might have been 15D but we werent sure.

15 enero - Mazatlan, Sinaloa

2007-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

We are staying with adventure tourists, John, Nancy and their sons David & Daryl at the Hotel Vialta in old town Mazatlan (220 pesos for 2). The room rate is more the 150 pesos or so we pay for a decent room with private bath but we're in Mazatlan.

Mazatlan sprawls on the water; it is worth it to take the express bus for 8 pesos to the Zona Dorada or 4.50 pesos for the slow bus rather than walk. I can appreciate that Mazatlan is a cheaper beach holiday than Puerto Vallarta. Here in Mazatlan there are seemingly decent hotels on the water in the 300 pesos range, you definitely couldn't touch that in PV.

Other than respecting Mazatlan's marketing position I don't like it that much. But I'm glad I saw it. Maybe it is because the weather was cloudy so we couldn't swim in the water. The presence of tourists isn't crushing but there are just so many cars and it is quite noisy and busy. It is fun walking along the beach.

14 enero - la tierra continental Mazatlàn

2007-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

We took the ferry yesterday at 1530 (the departure time of 1700 I previously posted was inaccurate even though it was printed on the window at the Baja Ferry office in downtown La Paz on 5 de febrero street). Fortunately, we arrived in time to take the ferry despite not knowing about the early departure. On the plus side, the price for bikes is 150 per bike, not 300. 1 basic dinner and 1 basic breakfast are included, which may remind you of the school lunches of your youth.

The journey lasted 18 hours; we arrived in Mazatlan around 0900. We met a couple travelling with a triple bike (husband John & 2 boys) and the wife (Nancy) had her own mountain bike. The triple tows a bob trailer. It is so long that it is very difficult to manuever in city and it won't fit in many hotel rooms. They have a website but I don't know the address right now. I will post the URL later.

We are staying at hotel Vialta in the old town center (180 for 2 people, John & Nancy are paying 220 for 2 adults and 2 children in a 2 bed room). It is well located to explore the old town.

So far Mazatlan seems pretty nice though we aren't doing too much regular tourist sightseeing of cities. We have been to the nice central market and seen the Cathedral, which has mass in progress. Fortunately, the stores selling tourist wares and not aggressive and brushing them off hasn't been a constant chore.

We checked in early so we have the full day to see Mazatlan and tomorrow until checkout which I believe is 1300. Then we ride south in the direction of Tepic. We have heard that part of the road between Mazatlan and Tepic is two lane very heavy traffic and nearly suicidal to ride on, so say cyclists who have done the entire Pan American cycle odyssey from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Likely we will ride only the portion which is 4 lane then hitch the rest of the way to Tepic, avoiding this dangerous section in the name of discretion.

13 enero - nos quedamos un poco màs a La Paz

2007-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

The blog will remain in English for the time being due to popular request.

After spending so much time in the country and villages being in the ¨big city¨ of 300,000 in La Paz took us by surprise and we were not fully prepared. Pension California is a decent place but less interesting for me because it is full of Caucasian backpackers with limited Spanish.

The sastre (seamster) did a nice job resewing my whole silk sheet for 30 pesos. I still have to retrieve my biking sandals at 1 pm today (60 pesos). I have been walking around barefoot and in an extra pair of ladies sandals that Jen has. My feet got extremely dirty walking around on the street.

A few of my teeth are aching, presumably the 2 filling I got from Dr. Alvarado in Vizaino are holding but I have 4 more to get in the next month.

12 enero - Pensiòn California La Paz

2007-01-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

We are staying at the Pensiòn California in downtown La Paz (price dependent on number of people, 220 pesos for 2) today, to take care of errands like repairing my bicycle sandals (60 pesos) and reinforcing my silk sleep sheet (30 pesos). Our intent is to take the ferry to Mazatlàn at 1700 tomorrow (770 pesos per person, 300 additional per bicycle, 18 hour trip).