Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride
 

Follow us on our travels, adventures, and misadventures as we go out there to see what there is to see. Check out our blog posts, photo stream and youtube channels. You can sign up to follow our trip. We have information on our bikes, gear, and route maps.


Find us here: Cross country bike ride | Adventure touring by motorcycle | World Wide Ride

Sara & Daniel Pedersen

Vancouver to Inuvik, Alaska, Alberta, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ide-ride-65365

Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi,Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-2

USA border to Mexico City http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-3

Mexico City, Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-4

Palenque, Calakmul, Belize, Cichen Itza, Uxmal http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-5

Tabasco, Puebla, Morelia, Monarchs, Guatemala, Sumec Champey http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-6

Guatemala http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-7

Guatemala, El Salvador http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-8

El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-ride-65365-9

Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-10

Panama, Bocas Del Toro, Home to work after 10 months http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-11

Gear review, Shipping the Darien, Bogota http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-12

Colombia & Ecuador http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-13

Ecuador & Galapagos http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-14

Coast of Peru and Chile http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-15

Chile, Argentina, & Dakar http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-16

Ruta 40, El Calafate, El Chaiten, Ushuaia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-17

Antarctica http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-18

Antarctica, Torres del Pines, Ruta 40, Caraterra Austral http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-19

Isla Chiloe, Mendoza wine festival, Santiago, Easter Island http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-20

Easter Island, Cordoba, Moto GP, Alta Plana and Antafogasta de la Sierra http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-21

Antafogasta, Northern Argentina, Salta, Bolivia, Salar de Uyuni http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-22

Bolivia, Potosi, Sucre http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-23

Peru Cusco Machu Picchu http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-24

Peru Sacred Valley, Mountains, and Canyon del Pato http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-25

Peru Canyon del Pato, Arequipa, Colca canyon http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-26

Bolivia La Paz, the death Road, South to Purmamarca http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-27

Buenos Aires, El Salvador, and home after another 10 months http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-28

El Salvador, Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-29

Brazil mountain and Canyons http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-30

Uruguay http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-40

Spain http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-41

Morocco http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-44

Portugal http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-50

Britain http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-51

Ireland Isle of Man http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-53

Scotland http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ride-65365-54

Netherlands http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-56

Germany http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-57

Iceland http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-57

Faroe Islands http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-62

Sweden http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-63

Norway http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-64

Nord Capp http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-66

Finland http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-67

Estonia Latvia Lithuania http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-68

Sweden http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-68

Denmark http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-69

Germany http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-70

Belgium http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-71

Luxembourg http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-71

Germany http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-72

Rizlern and Oktoberfest http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-74

Italy Passes http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-75

Lichtenstein Switzerland http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-76

France http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-77

Spain http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-81

France Monaco http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-82

Italy http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-83

Corsica http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-86

Sardinia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-87

Sicily http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-88

Albania http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-90

Greece http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-91

Macedonia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-92

Bulgaria Serbia Montenegro http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-93

Croatia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-94

Austria http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-96

Slovenia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-96

Hungary http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-97

Romania http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-98

Slovakia http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-99

Ukraine http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-100

Poland http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-101

Czech Republic http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-103

Germany 2017 http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365-103

And so it begins!
 

FINALLY we are on the road…..and now for our first blog post. The trip started well with a night at Thom’s in Kamloops. Delicious.. I know I said I was not going to post what I had for breakfast. We headed off to the Two Dude Ranch to drop off the truck and more stuff. We have had two fantastic days of mostly sunny and very scenic riding. We stayed on Lac La Hache last night and then just north of Vanderhoof tonight. To those that scoffed that I brought suture material…..didn’t make it 1 day and I already needed it. Thank you so much to all of you that have supported us in pursuit of this dream!

Shame on us.....and maybe you too??
 

How is it possible that we have never been to northern BC and the Yukon! This land is massive and spectacular. We followed the Gold Rush trail thru 100 mile, Burns Lake, and Dease Lake. The highlight has been the ride into Stewart, BC with the valley dripping in green and dotted with dozens of waterfalls streaming down the steep sides. The Bear glacier comes down to meet you at the bottom of WINDY hill. We visited Hyder, Alaska at mile zero then headed north to the Yukon. We were lucky with timing and met up with Deb Hewson as we passed through Marsh lake going in opposite directions. Stay tuned for the next Fishy post!

A fishy tale
 

We set out from Whitehorse on a three- hour tour………well we drove 90 minutes with a stop at Jake’s Crossing for lunch and a bear encounter. Trolling on the Teslin River for the “big one”, Daniel landed an almost 20 pound trout. We headed for the shore where our master guide/chef Uncle Bruce whipped us up a 5 star meal over an open fire. With the stunning Midnight sun still shining, we had time for some target practice. Leaving the comfort and hospitality of Whitehorse behind we headed north to the frontier town of Dawson City.

Dawson, the frontier town
 

Dawson city did not disappoint! We loved this friendly gold rush town. The buildings are as colorfully painted as the characters that live here. This place is very biker friendly. We toured the engineering marvel the Dredge #4, panned for gold, and ate Canada Day hotdogs. We stayed at the hostel across the river and used the free ferry to commute. Sara led a historic walking tour of the old town. We met up with fellow travelers Miquel (retracing the path of the great Spanish explorers) and Alicia (Attempting to be the first Spanish woman to circumnavigate the globe by motorbike). Now we are off to conquer the mighty Dempster.

From Hell to Heaven on the Dempster Highway
 

The Mighty Dempster

Sara: It was all smiles and sunshine as we started out from the mile zero sign up to Tombstone. We had an amazing view from the campsite. We hiked up the Klondike river trail to see the ice still on the river. There will be no photos from the day up to Eagle Plains because it poured rain all day. The riding was challenging at best. The mud was 4 inches thick for several hours and was like trying to drive in peanut butter. Thank goodness for our rain over suits!

Daniel: A little note about Sara is in order here. Wow was the mud bad. Like hardcore for the big guy bad. Like OMG we may not make it and why are we doing this stupid Dempster highway bad. Okay with this in mind picture tiny Sara on a very big machine, loaded to the max and weighing over five hundred pounds. Wow what a trooper. My wife is officially a hardcore adventure rider forged out of the mud of the Dempster at its very worst.

Sara: Eagle Plains “lodge” is quite the place as some of you will know. The locals say being stuck here is like being stuck in a dentists chair. The sun was finally out though and shining almost 24 hours a day. The first big landmark of the trip was crossing the Arctic circle . 50 km further north we entered the NWT. We included a photo of the “good mud”. We had 2 ferry crossings. Finally we arrived in Inuvik! We checked into the Arctic Chalets and the owner Olaf gave us his truck to get to the North Mart before it closed. There was so much mud on the bikes that both fans were so clogged they were not working. Thanks again to Olaf and his power washer. We toured the town sights, including the igloo church, the visitor’s center, and the Jak’s tower look-out. We went to the cloud 9 at the airport for musk-ox chili and dipped our toes in the Mackenzie River at the east channel. We had dinner at the Mackenzie Hotel. We set off early to get on the road while the sun was still shining. Stopping for a snack we took in the glory of the vista. Having travelled over 900 kilometers so far on the Dempster we had only happened upon six small rabbits. Disappointing to say the least. Just when we thought the northern highway was not going to reveal its wild inhabitants wow did we get treated to an arctic spectacle. Fifty kilometers north of the Arctic Circle in the gleaming sun and green tundra we happened upon a massive herd of Caribou. This day was adventure riding at its very best.

Dempster Humor

1 km = 1.6 Dempster kms
hitting the pavement in Inuvik = your first kiss

The Great North....Yukon and Alaska
 

Done with THE DEMPSTER, we were over The Top of The World! We had a well-deserved spa treatment at the Chena Hot Springs. This 90 km side trek provided 90% of the wildlife we saw in Alaska. There was no more stopping for photos after the 7 th moose. Denali National Park was a bit too “Disneyland” like for us, but our riverside tent cabin at the Grizzly Bear Resort did not disappoint. Arriving at Talkeeetna Air taxi at 104 pm to enquire about “flightseeing”. They said be ready at 1:15!!! We were so lucky as it was an amazing sunny flight with breathtaking views of Denali just before the clouds rolled in. The landing on the glacier was surreal. The town of Talkeetna is full of charm and lots of colorful locals.

During a 700 km ride to Valdez, there was 100 km with gusting wind blowing us sideways and 100 km in the pouring rain. That did not diminish the spectacular trip there over the high mountain plateau. What a gem this place is. We had an incredible day on the Lu Lu Belle seeing sea otters, seals, sea lions, puffins, Dall’s porpoise, and Humpback whales. The highlight was the masses of ice flow and the huge icebergs. A whole week in Alaska and we did not see a bear of ANY color. Thanks to advice from Anja and Torsten we found the Eagle’s rest motorcycle campground in Tok.

We had incredible hospitality from Cecile, Doug, Paulie, and Kelly at Kluane B&B! Rabbit (Snowshoe hare) is delicious. What an amazing wilderness setting with all the comforts of home. The museum at Burwash Landing has the “largest gold pan in the world” and an incredible natural history display. We ran into the crazy Spaniards again there too. The new visitor’s centre in Haines junction is WOW! We stopped there also for the “Village Bakery” and a photo op at “the Muffin”.

On the way to Haines, Alaska we finally saw a small brown bear. The drive there is also over a high pass and then meanders along the Chilkoot River. Haines is a very quaint town with a charming old Seward Fort area. After 3 weeks in remote wilderness areas finally a Grizzly….on the beach 2 km from the ferry dock. The trip from Haines to Skagway is just 15 miles, but takes 4 hours including the pre-boarding checks, security, 1 hour cruise time, and complex loading and unloading of huge motor homes thru the side of the ship. They actually drive in and turn around inside and exit thru the same door. This town is tourist central with 4 huge cruise ships docked in the harbor. Now back to civilization for a few days of R&R in Whitehorse.

Heading South
 

Daniel did a major bike cleaning and maintenance and changed the oil. We were then ready to head south from Whitehorse. We stopped at Watson Lake for the obligatory photo at the sign Forrest. Liard Hot spring was nice, but the mozzies were voracious. Thanks Barbara for the bug jacket. Muncho Lake Provincial Park is teaming with wildlife. We saw moose and lots of Bison. The mile zero sign is in Dawson Creek, BC. There will be no photos from the day we road to Jasper since it poured for 7 hours. Luckily it cleared up that evening and we had some nice views of the mountains. The Elk here just walk thru town. We toured the sights at Maligne Canyon, Athabaska Falls, and the Columbia Ice fields. We hiked up onto the glacier and had lunch. Camped by the Bow River we were lulled to sleep by the rushing water. The route south thru Kananaskis and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is incredible. Here we saw Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep and mountain goats. Our first UNESCO world heritage site was Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Thanks so much to Stan and Shelly Davey for the 5 star hospitality at the Broken Rail Ranch! We headed for Montana at Chief Mountain. We were sitting in the sun at our campsite when ash began raining down on us. There was a huge brush fire near by requiring a visit from the St Mary volunteer fire department. The next day we were lucky to have a sunny day and a totally unimpeded ride on the Road To The Sun. We were disappointed to learn that bikers are not welcome at the National Bison Range. They told us bikes are not allowed because they have unpaved roads……do they know about the Dempster?

G'day guys
 

Have just read your full posting ,the photo's are great,I worked in canada many years ago and have visited a few of the places you have visited.will follow your trip with interest.Noel:thumbup1:

Thanks Noel!!! Sara

:D

Heading South Part 2
 

A few more pictures

Idaho...More thn just Spuds
 

If you’ve never been to Coeur d’Alene in August you should. This place is stunning. We had a work conference to attend, but this did have the perk of a very nice hotel room and time to spend with old friends. Silverwood’s Amusement park in Athol (don’t say that too fast) is a great way to spend a hot summer day.

We needed to have our new sprockets and DIG chains mounted. We can’t say enough about the service we had from the Honda dealership in Coeur d’Alene. Thanks Randy (ex BMW master) for your help!

It was enough of luxuries and was now time for some back roads and gravel on our way to Moscow! The winding highway 12 follows the raging rivers and takes you thru Lewiston then east to Kamiah. The Old Spiral Highway outside of Lewiston is like driving down a corkscrew. We then followed the river south thru Grangeville to the rafting Mecca of Riggins. We needed our cooling gel neck wraps and a swim in the river to beat the 36-degree heat.

Heading south from here we started to see the smoke of the many fires burning in the state. Several roads were closed, but luckily none on our route. There were active fires in Boise National Forrest, but fortunately highway 21 had opened to get us to Stanley and Red Fish Lake. We did get to see the famous Sawtooth mountains, but thru a smoky haze. The high here was 32 but the low2.

We were heading south- east to Arco and the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Following the Peaks to Craters Scenic byway we arrived in Salmon. Thanks Joe for the tip on Syringa lodge! FYI the Junkyard Bistro there is awesome. No more messing about…. Off to Montana and the Gravelly Range Road!

Idaho part 2
 

We just can't seem to leave Idaho!

Montana and the Gravelly Range Road
 

Welcome to the BIG SKY of Montana! We followed the old west trail to Ennis. This might be the perfect town for Daniel they have auto parts and ice cream in one location. We spent the day swimming and sunning at the lake. We wondered into a dive bar and were surprised to find the most delicious best rib eye ever.

Following the Varney road to the Gravelly Range we passed thru forests and alpine meadows. There were stunning views of the grassy valley and the Black Butte. We saw several herds of Pronghorn. We camped at the Eureka Basin Road junction. I was worried about bears bothering us, but I really should have been more concerned about the cows tripping over the tent. The sunset was stunning. The ride continued down the Continental divide road to end near Spencer, ID.

More of the Gravelly Range
 

A few more pics

Wyoming and the Beartooth....WOW
 

Jackson WY is a quaint touristy town at the gate to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. We had a great camp spot near the river at Gros Ventre. We met Marshall this amazing motorcycle traveler (he should write a book for sure). The smoke from Idaho fires was still there a bit, but we were lucky to get great views of the Tetons at sunset and the next day. The visitor center here is incredible. There are very picturesque views along the Jenny Lake scenic drive.

Then it was on to the famous Yellowstone Park to see the geysers, boiling pools, and mud pots. The upper falls were very impressive. We had several “wildlife jams” from wondering bison, but the best was the Bison pace car that luckily for us was in the oncoming lane as there were at least 50 cars and motor homes behind him.

This led us up thru the north east part of the park to Cooke City, MT and the AWSOME Beartooth Scenic Byway. We met Robert “the Scot” at the summit. The route ended at Cody with a stay in a Teepee and an oil change in the Walmart parking lot. The Buffalo Bill Center is well worth the admission and plan to spend half a day here.

Next for a close encounter with the Devil’s Tower. We played the music and brought mashed potatoes, but still no aliens. We came upon a huge mine with shovels so big you can drive onto them and the biggest dump trucks in the world.

The Beartooth pass
 

This is a DO NOT MISS RIDE!!

Cody Wyoming
 

After your ride on the Beartooth (worth doing it twice) you arrive in Cody for a dose of the wild west.

Devil's Tower
 

If you are already in Cody on your way to the Blackhills you'll have a close encounter with the Devil's tower.

South Dakota
 

You could spends weeks riding in the Blackhills of SD. There are lots of off road routes too (though we almost were killed by some moron going 100 km in his Subaru on the Nemo road). The town of Deadwood is a bit too Vegas for us and there were over 20,000 people there for Hot Deadwood nights. Mount Rushmore is worth the visit for sure. The film and museum should not be missed. The ride from the monument south thru Custer State Park is AWESOME! Wind Cave National Park lives up to it’s name with the big gusting winds especially in the afternoon.

Colorado...not just a winter wonderland.
 

We were in Nebraska Sylvia, but only for 3 hours and nowhere near Omaha. Welcome to Colorful Colorado! We had so much scenic driving here. Each road seemed better than the last. We headed out down a dreaded interstate 25 in super windy conditions, but luckily we headed west on 34 thru Rocky Mountain National Park. The Bighorn pass is incredibly stunning high mountain route. The town of Granby is super cute and the food at the local bar is very good.

It was then west on the 40 to go south on the 9 thru Silverthorne, Breckenridge, and Fairplay. Then we rode on down the 285 south to Beuna Vista and east on the 50 to Montrose. This is where they have one of the original Mc Donalds with only 1 golden arch. We stayed at the KOA and had a great evening with the RV’ers Ula and Karl (Thanks for the beer and snacks). It was all good until the automatic sprinklers turned on FULL force for 45 min at 3 am. Our tent is waterproof, but not if the sprinkler head is shooting up under the fly.

The Black Rock National Park here is beautiful and there is a VERY steep VERY windy 5 -mile paved road from the rim to the bottom of the canyon. We had heard about the scenic drive to telluride so we jumped at the chance to change up the route to Moab. At the end of Telluride town there is a steep and windy gravel route up to the falls and the old lodge. Utah here we come!

A few more pics
 

South to Telluride

Nice! all the best!

Utah…Arches, Bridges, and Canyons
 

We set up camp at the Moab KOA and met up with Deb Hewson again. She showed up and cooked us up an amazing gourmet meal including smoked Cornish game hen, Morel mushroom risotto, and rose hip panacotta. The camper in the next site Calvin is a very cool dude so we asked him to join our BMW commune.

It is pretty hot here after 11 am so we hit Arches National Park at 7 am for an 11.6 km hike to the double O arch. Then we had some time to tour the other sites including the delicate arch, balanced rock, and double arch. Dan and Calvin did a little off roading on the slick rock.
Tamara at the visitor’s center told us how great the sunrise was thru the Mesa arch at Canyonlands, so I managed to convince everyone to get up at 5 am to see it. There was a full moon setting just before the sun -rise too. It was worth it for sure.

Dan did a bit of diagnostics on the bikes and the boys did some bodge jobs to fix up some issues on Deb’s bike. One of the most scenic Byways in the USA is the Colorado Canyon from Moab north to the Interstate.

Deb joined us on the tour of the Utah parks…..Natural bridges (not worth the effort), Capital Reef ( very cool rocks and pioneer relics), Bryce Canyon ( wow the hoodoos are so cool), and Zion (most amazing park ever including a 1.1 mile tunnel thru the mountain). Now for the GRAND CANYON!

Now onto the Tour of the parks.

Arizona ....not just a desert
 

What’s surprising about Arizona is how green it is. When you are driving down to the North rim of THE Canyon there are forests and meadows right up to the rim. If you have only a short time choose the south rim for sure. We spent a very sketchy night camped at the Quality Inn “campground” in Tuba city. Then we parted ways with Deb so she could run for the border before her visa expired. We toured the South rim on the bikes and via the shuttles to hermit’s rest. Luckily we arrived after the labor -day weekend so it was not mobbed and we camped at Mather point.

Flagstaff is a nice town and Dan found the perfect hotel. First the price was an amazing deal and then across the street was Walmart, a huge Laundromat, a self car wash with air-dry wand, a jiffy lube for the oil drop, and a tripadvisor 5 star Indian restaurant. We hung out here to rest up and regroup. We rode to the Montezuma Castle thru Sedona and the Red rock Scenic byway.

We had a long drive today, but still managed a loop thru the Petrified Forrest National Park. The tail end of the hurricane made this day long windy and rainy at times.

Now we are off to New Mexico for some bike service and new tires at Sandia BMW in Albuquerque.

Check out our episode 1 video : Vancouver to Inuvik
 

New Mexico....TEX/MEX
 

The Welcome to New Mexico sign says it all. On the way to Albuquerque we took a detour thru the Zuni Nation to take in the Petrified Forrest National Park. There were some cool petroglyphs there too.

Lucky for us we booked some service at Sandia BMW on the day they had a big event on. The local university students let us try out their formula 1 car. The dealership also had Chris “Teach” Mc Neil there putting on stunt riding shows and he even signed my bike “when in doubt throttle out”.
Taking the scenic route from Albuquerque to Santa Fe over the Jemez Mountains we stopped at the Bandelier National Monument. They had had a huge flash flood last year and there were a lot of sand bags still there. In Santa Fe there were celebrating the 300th Fiesta with music, dancing, a parade, and tons of food vendors.

Now we are off to chase the Dragon.

New Mexico....TEX/MEX
 

A few more pics.

Riding in search of the Dragon
 

We headed east from Santa Fe to get to The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. This involved fighting horrific gusting winds for 3 days across the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. We then had much more scenic riding in Mississippi and Alabama.

We lived it up in Amarillo at the Big Texan Steak Ranch with Bill and Graham from NYC. In Oklahoma the wind was so strong we were too tired to take any pictures other than of the welcome sign. Wow it is flat here and the only “sights” are the wind farms. We stopped in the childhood home of Bill Clinton at Hot Springs Arkansas. This town was the center of healing Spas in the 40’s and 50’s and was especially popular with baseball players.

We crossed the mighty Mississippi River. In Corinth Alabama we visited the Civil War Interpretive center and learned about the strategic importance of the region in the war. We also learned what a “dry county” means. Resting up in Scottsboro Alabama we had our sights finally on the Dragon’s tail at Deals Gap.

Almost there
 

A few more pics.

Chasing the Dragon thru the Smoky Mountains
 

We LOVED the roads in Tennessee. The Dragon though the most famous is far from the only beautiful curvy scenic drive. There are stunning views of the Smoky Mountains from the parkways. Professional photographers wait along the Dragon ready to snap your picture in one of the 318 curves in the 11 miles. The Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort is located at the heart of the Dragon. There is a lot of Testosterone there. We met quite a few fellow Canadians there also. I noted that were no BMW parts on the tree of shame. Now we head south to The Big Easy.

The deep South.....Not what you'd expect at all.
 

Heading South from Tennessee we landed in Hattiesburg MS. We got into the Southern spirit by having Alligator gumbo for dinner. This town has a very cute downtown core. Our preconception was that Alabama and Mississippi would be vast fields of cotton and Tobacco and that Louisiana would be a big swamp. Wow, were we wrong. These states are lush and green and covered with trees. The biggest crop in Louisiana is not seafood, soybeans or rice, but trees!
Arriving at the gulf coast we were greeted by a cooling salt breeze. Sara invented a fix for the heat transfer from the bike engines thru the gel seats…Self- adhesive pipe tape.

New Orleans also really surprised us. The French Quarter is so quaint. The architecture is a mix of French and Spanish styles. We did a lot of walking around the narrow streets and along the Mississippi River Walk. We came across the oldest bar in the US, which was originally a blacksmith shop. Bourbon Street is certainly a different place before and after dusk! There are all kinds of people in wild costumes.

The hotel was near the Cathedral, which when lit at night is stunning. Heading out on the water we learned the difference between a Swamp and a Bayou. We found out what Creole life on the river was like. There were a whole lot of Gators too.

Daniel had to sample several types of famous Pralines. On the waterfront we checked out the last paddle wheel steam ship still on the river and all kind of street music.

There are three types of Plantations and we visited the Laura Creole Plantation. The docent we had was very good and her heavy accent made the stories she told so much better. The house has been restored and is surrounded by 200-year-old live Oak trees. The rest of the grounds contain as yet un-restored out buildings including slave houses. There were three rows of these stretching 3 miles into the sugar cane fields. The memoir of the great granddaughter of the original owners is what spurred on the restoration. There are photos of her from 3 months old until 103 on the walls.

We spent a day exploring the city on foot and by streetcar. This gave us a taste of the very old cemeteries that dot the city. There was even a grave of the supposed Voodoo Queen. We also wandered thru the Garden district to admire the beautiful antebellum homes, including that of Anne Rice. The Canal streetcar took us to City Park for a pleasant walk thru the huge Oaks. Now it’s time for us to make a run for the border.

New Orleans
 

More pics!!

Laura A Creole Plantation
 

Some more photos

Exploring New Orleans
 

We walked and took streetcars to explore the city.

Hey Sara - great to see that you have hit the road. I´ve just been catching up with your blog - one of the many I need to follow now I´m back home again.

I can´t believe we must have been in Dawson City at pretty much the same time!! I´ve still got a few more episodes to load up on my story, but it was all a bit of a rush at the end.

But I look forward to lots of words and photos from your expereinces!

Have fun out there, and stay safe. :D
Pat

Glad you had a safe trip! we are just over 100 days on the road now. We have been following your posts too! Sara

Bad BMW service in Houston
 

Long painful story yet to conclude. DO NOT HAVE BIKE SERVICE at Gulf BMW in Houston!!

Run for the Border
 

We rode from New Orleans along the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is amazing to see how much damage has been done by the hurricanes. We had to wait out another storm ourselves on Galveston Island, but we used the time to rest and enjoy some great ice cream at Rita's. There were also a few ferry crossings. Thanks so much to Arturo Torre for rescuing us from the HELL of Gulf Coast BMW. He hosted us at his home and toured us around Houston.

Hondo Texas to Monclova Mexico
 

It was with some trepidation and anxiety that we set off from Hondo this morning. The was dense fog which leant an eerie feel to the day too. We rode the 110 miles to Eagle Pass to cross the border. We paid our 5 USD toll and waited in the 30 degree heat to get to the Aduana or customs building only to find the official for the import permit was on holiday. This meant we had to convince them to let us return so we had to pay the 5 USD toll to cross back into the US. Then it was to the American customs officers whom we had to explain why we were back in the US so soon. Lets try this agin....we find bridge number 2 which is the truck crossing and just like at home there was no line. We had some help from the friendly locals and customs officials. Ultimately we obtained our tourist Visas and an escorted ride to find the fast route to the vehicle Import office by the head of border services! Dan managed to get our bikes imported and our permits affixed. Now for the ride to Monclova! We passed thru several police and military check points, but were stopped at only one where he really just wanted to check out the bikes. By the time we arrived at the hotel it was 4 pm and 38 degrees. Luckily we head into the mountains to cool off tomorrow.

Monclova to Saltillo Mexico
 

Today we left our new friend Dominique in Monclova and headed south east to Saltillo. This was a nice short 200 km day. We only had one stop at a military check point....Again he wanted to see the bikes and was very curious to see our camping gear. We bought our first Mexican gas from Francisco and met some fellow riders headed to a rally in Saltillo.

We have a very cute hotel in the historic district very near the Cathedral de Saltillo and a short walk to the Alameda Zaragoza Park with a lake in the shape of the Mexican republic

Saltillo
 

We walked around the town ate Tacos with a cipro chaser for lunch. The shops are full of fancy ball gowns, cowboy hats, and very high heel shoes. Dan found a great Pollo Restaurant where we had dinner for 2 with beer for 9$.Daniel has discovered "MUI Natural" which is a delicious yogurt sundae shop. We went there twice today. There was a great punk rock band playing up the street with an amazing horn section.

Saltillo
 

On our second day here we again walked about the town. We strolled the park where Dan tried some Zumba. They have dies the water in the fountains all kinds of bright colours. We were allowed to climb the bell tower and explore the roof of the Cathedral de Saltillo. There is a small hole in one of the shutters in the tower and this produces a pin hole colour camera effect on the walls of the tower room. From the roof you can see the whole city. Then of course more Tacos, we are in mexico after all. Tomorrow to Zacatecas

Lovely - keep em coming!

Zacatecas
 

The 350 km from Satillo to Zacatecas in straight as an arrow but smooth as silk. Thank goodness for GPS or finding our hotel in the warren of narrow cobblestone streets would have been a nightmare. We are 2 blocks from the Cathedral in the cultural center. We spent a lot of time just walking around since there was a new stunning sight around almost every corner.

Zacatecas
 

We came across a processional of dancers in traditional dress. The Torta Chirizo at Betty’s Lonchueria were delicious. The Museo Rafael Coronel is a must see. It is located in a partially restored ruin and houses an incredible collection of traditional masks. We also visited several of the other major churches including the Tempo de Santa Domingo and Tempo Jesus.

Zacatecas
 

more pics

Zacatecas
 

There is a Festival de Teatro with venues all over town and we took in a Cirque like show. We walked up the hill from the hotel to take the cable car across the valley to the summit. The gorditas at Donna Julia and as advertised….delicious

San Luis de Potosi
 

It was 190 km to SL de Potosi again on a good road without any checkpoints. The temperature was great for riding at 24 and partly cloudy. We again have a hotel on the edge of the Zona Historica. There are dozens of Churches here including the Iglasia del Carmen and the Cathedral de San Luis de Potosi and most have beautiful squares out front. The police here ride bikes, motor bikes, and Segways thru the narrow streets.

European feel
 

We strolled along the ancient pedestrian avenue to visit the Tempo of the Virgin of Guadalupe. We also visited the San Franciscan Convent and the Plaza Aranzazu. We had amazing tacos, gringas, and beers for 9$. You feel like you are in a European city here with the beautiful architecture, music, food, and people out having a good time.

Jalpan de Serra
 

Starting out from SLP we had our first rain in weeks, but it was very short lived. (read rain suits on then off). Daniel found us a nice secondary road to get us from the city and out into the country towards Rio Verde. Then we had 100 km of steep windy mountain roads to Jalpan de Serra. The locals are driving 80 km in a 40 and passing on the corners. You know there is good motorcycling here when you arrive at your hotel and there are a bunch of bikes parked out front. This is a quaint mountain town situated around one of the five 350 year old Franciscan Monasteries located in this area

Jalpan de Serra
 

We travelled east to the Valee de Tilaca with the amazing view of the valley from the top of the pass. Here we visited the San Francisco monastery. On our return to Jalpan we stopped at our third mission Santa Maria del Agua de Landa. The main square was full of activity at night with vendors and families having a good time.

San Miguel de Allende
 

Now for adventure…..we planned a route not on the map or the GPS. It was epic however. We had almost 200 km of twisty curved road. The first part was well travelled and we saw many guys on crotch rockets. It was like the dragon but ten times longer and there were the donkeys on the road for an added thrill. The second half was on a road not on the map and on which we did not even see another car during 100 km of curves. We were a tiny bit concerned at one point that the amount of rock fall on the right side of the road and absence of traffic might mean an impassible washout was up ahead, but no such adventure was found.

San Miguel de Allende
 

Arriving in San Miguel de Allende we met the steepest cobble stone street ever, thank goodness for the knobby tires. The B&B is off on a quiet side street with a lovely courtyard. It is just a 5 min walk to the central square and all the action. There is so much to explore here. There a many beautiful churches and squares. We wondered the side streets to admire the beautiful doors and windows. There are lush courtyards behind many of the doorways

Toluca
 

We were sad to leave San Miquel de Allende, but south we went. After paying our first ever cuota or toll on the Mexico 55 we found that the road surface is not only not better it is much worse than the libre (free) roads. The trip to Mexico City area is however MUCH too long if you do not use the toll roads. The driving on these roads can be a little nerve racking however since the locals drive at about twice the limit.

This place is famous for one of our favorite foods Chorizo and we had the most fantastic tacos here near the Opera house. The other spicy thing we see a lot of is the weather girls.

Luckily Garry Dymond had suggested that we visit the Cosmovitral, which is a stained glass mural and botanical garden. So we found a hotel near by which turned out to be a great location for the city. We were very near the Cathedral and the Mercado.

Toluca
 

The gardens are very peaceful and the walls and ceiling are made of amazing stained glass. The theme depicted by the windows centers on the struggle between life and death, good and evil, day and night and creation and destruction, all shown in continuum.

In Mexico they are getting ready for the Day of the Dead, which is a celebration focusing on the remembering of friends and family members who have died. It takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts

Waiting for Stator
 

Well we are hanging out in Mexico City while we wait for the new stator for the 800 to arrive. Daniel had gone 30 km out to Yamaha to buy oil, but luckily the bike did not die until he was 4 blocks from our place. Phew! Fortunately too we have friends flying in from seattle tomorrow who are bring us the new parts. We are having the old stator rewound here also so we will have a spare for the 650 (hope not). Should then be off to Oaxaca for day of the dead.

Hello Im kevin from montevideo uruguay me and my father we travelled all across southamerica many times also we have a workshop I if want to visit there is no problem also we are offering bike storage in uruguay customs give you one year to leave the bike anything contact at lemes54@hotmail.com ride safely

Mexico City….Don’t be so scared you miss out!
 

Garry Dymond kindly met us at Lerma BMW to guide us back to his home in Chamontoya, Álvaro Obregón, Ciudad de México. Garry and Ivonne settled us in and were amazing hosts! We may never want to leave “Garry Hostel”.

We ventured out (yes in MC and on our own) to meet up with some fellow BMW riders we had happened to meet at a Pemex on the way from Jalpan to San Miquel de Allende. Diana and Frederick invited us to the Moto Expo. They also introduced us to many of their friends including Juan. We managed to find our way “home” in the dark without needing to make one of the famous “we found 2 of your lost Gringo” calls to Ivonne. Then we had our first of several late night visits to SUPER TACO. Plus to our delight Grandma had made us a delicious flan for dessert!

Mexico City….a walk in the Zocolo
 

After a delicious breakfast by chef Garry we set off for downtown by bus and Metro. We arrived in the Zocolo to find a huge book fair and writers expo. The Cathedral was crowded with a special celebration with live music and singing. The National Palace houses the spectacular murals of Diego Rivera and several permanent and temporary art exhibits. After everyone has told us we would be ripped off, robbed, and possibly killed for sure in Mexico we are happy to report, that except for their driving we have felt totally safe here. Waiting in line at the bank machine we found an elderly man had left his card by accident. Sara chased him down to return it. When we left we found Javier had come all the way back to the bank and insisted on giving her a gift.

Mexico City exploring
 

Walking down Reforma to the Plaza of the republic, there were several interesting churches including the Cathedral of San Francisco Grande where there were massive paintings on canvas. We wandered around the Zona Rosa and again made it easily home if a bit late. Luckily not to late for super taco!

On Saturday after Ivonne's amazing chilaquiles we set out for the Museum of Anthropology, which is a must see if you visit the city.

Mexico City Dance of the flyers & the Alebrije
 

The Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers) is an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony that consists of a dance and the climbing of a 30 meter pole from which four of the five participants then launch themselves tied with ropes to “fly” to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum.

The Mexico City Alebrije Parade is an annual event to honor Mexican handcrafts and folk art, especially a hard kind of papier-mâché called “cartonería” and the creation of fantastic figures with it called “alebrijes.” They are chimera-like creatures painted in bright colors. They are up to four meters in height and three meters in width. The parade begins at the Zocolo or historic center of Mexico City and travels down the Paseo de la Reforma to the Angel de la Independencia. There were musicians, clowns, and people with costumes and on stilts accompanying the parade of giant creatures.

Mexico City...Pyramids
 

Garry and Ivonne took us to the historic area of Coyacan to experience the festive weekend atmosphere and taste some of the delicious street foods. Sunday we had the deluxe tour of the pyramids at Teotihuacan by Garry, including amazing lamb soup and tacos on the way. He took us to all the places the Gringos never experience, including the shaved ice man. We met up again with our BMW friends for an evening bike tour of the city and dinner with a lovely view of the Zocolo.

More of the Pyramids
 

Pyramids at Teotihuacan.

Still here in Mexico City
 

We met up again with our BMW friends for an evening bike tour of the city and dinner with a lovely view of the Zocolo.

Well we thought we were off to Oaxaca. Unfortunately Daniel's bike died, but luckily only 2 blocks from Garry’s and not 20 km away at Yamaha where he went to buy oil. They diagnosed the issue as the alternator, which we can get rewound here for about 500 Pesos. Again we were so fortunate that we had friends coming from Seattle to bring us the parts we needed.

We visited the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadeloupe. The ancient church is so lopsided you can feel it when you walk inside and from the picture you can see how much it is leaning over.

New Stator and on our way!
 

Daniel spent his birthday installing the new stator. We were very happy when the bike was finally working again. Now off to Oaxaca.

Oaxaca for Day of the Dead
 

We finally made it to “Southern Command” just north of Oaxaca city and we were grateful for the chicken Mole dinner with a Birthday cake made by our friend Deb (last seen in Moab). We had a week to spend with friend here for the Dias de Muertos. Iwona whipped us up some Delicious Pan Francais with crème fresh.

Oaxaca City
 

The gang headed into the city and stopped at the Mirador to overlook Oaxaca and view Monte Alban. We toured the Church of Santa Domingo, which has one of the most ornate interiors. Located next door in the ex-convent is the museum of Culture that houses many of the relics from the ruins at Monte Alban.

Oaxaca City
 

We wandered thru the downtown center and the Zocolo. There where several marching bands following groups of children in costumes.

Mercado Juarez
 

We explored the Zocolo and the Juarez Mercado. Later at the church there was a very festive atmosphere with food, music, and dancing. The local young people had a street dance and offered us Tequila and Squirt!

Monte Alban
 

Riding up to the parking lot at Monte Alban we met our first over-landers, Ulrich and Michael from Germany. This is an impressive site perched atop the mountain.

Monte Alban
 

A few more pictures.

Zaachila, Cuilapan, and Arrazola
 

We explored some of the local Villages. In Zaachila the market was full of very decorated breads, flowers, and candles. Next we rode to Cuilapan to visit the never finished convent. Late in the day we made it to Arrazola where they were having a big party in the square. We made friend with some of the kids. There was a family dressed in amazing zombie costumes.

Ocotlan de Morales and San Martin Tilcajete
 

We ventured farther from town to Ocotlan de Morales where there is a lovely church and a museum in the ex monastery next door. Next we headed to San Martín Tilcajete where they craft the colorful alebreje.

San Agustine Etla
 

We really got into the spirit of the day of the dead with a visit to San Agustine Etla cemetery. They have a massive battle of the band here where they wander from town to town and play all night long.

San Agustine Etla
 

There are lots of people in amazing costumes. We had some great tacos with cervesas. They have several very cool murals here too.

San Cristobal de Las Casas
 

There are not too many interesting sights on the 2- day drive from Oaxaca to San Cristobal except several in the Valley itself. We decided on a visit to the Zapotec ruins at Mitla. The buildings are covered with mosaic patterns of stones. There are several tombs that you can climb down into. Much of the rock and other building materials were pillaged to build the Cathedral also located at the site. The huge one -piece door lintels were mined in the mountain near here and somehow transported here intact.

Chiapis
 

On Day 2 we set out early to beat the heat, but it was already 28 c at 8 am. Mid morning we ran into a road blockade caused by protesting taxi drivers. Luckily Daniel found a way for us to weave thru some of the cars and then off the road thru a construction site to bypass the road -block. There was a massive back up and we could have been help up there most or all of the day. The scenery here in Chiapis is spectacular. There are high mountain passes covered with green vines or cultivated with corn. The indigenous people here wear beautiful woven clothing.

San Cristobal de Las Casas
 

San Cristobal de Las Casas is located in a region that is mostly made up of mountainous terrain, but the city itself sits in a small valley surrounded by hills. The city’s center maintains its Spanish colonial layout and much of its architecture, with red tile roofs, cobblestone streets and wrought iron balconies often with flowers. We enjoyed the several pedestrian only streets that criss-cross the downtown. There are a number of very nice bakery/cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy here. We had a hotel on the Zocolo so we were near all the action.

San Cristobal de Las Casas
 

This is a very colorful city from the buildings to the signage. We walked up the long staircase to the Iglesia Guadaloupe and toured the main Cathedral as well. Having breakfast on our first morning here there was a 7.4 earthquake to shake things up a bit.

Exploring the mountain villages around the town we ended up in Zinacantan, which is know for it’s beautiful weaving and the interesting fusion Catholic/indigenous church located there. We met a local man, Alan, who is about to set of riding his bike to Ushuaia too. Next we were off to visit San Juan Chamula, which is the site of the famous indigenous church with the pine needle floor. They believe that the camera can steel your sole and NO PHOTOS are allowed. We set off up a mountain road to end up in the remote village of San Andes Larrainzar where there are stunning panoramic views.

Palenque
 

The drive over the mountains from San Critobal to Santo Domingo de Palenque is under 250 km, but takes almost 5 hours because of the curvy road and the hundreds of topes. The town of Palenque was fairly quiet, but there was a traditional dance competition one night in the main square.

The Archaeologic zone is a 7 km ride up the mountain from the town. Palenque was a Mayan city whose ruins date back to 226 BC. It was abandoned around 1123 AD and it was overtaken rapidly by the jungle. Most of the site has been excavated and much of it has been restored.

Palenque is a medium-sized compared to its rival city Tikal, but it contains some really nice architecture, sculpture, and carvings. Much of the history of Palenque has been reconstructed from reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on many of the monuments.

We were a bit disappointed by the number of vendors inside and the extent of the Disney-like manicuring of the park which both detracted from the magic of the site. The lower less visited part of the park contains several clusters of unrestored ruins.This also leads to the museum which is very well done.

Palenque
 

More pics!

I'm enjoying seeing all the pictures. It immediately transports me back to my own trip over two years ago. It looks like you'll be in Guatemala before too long. If you're going to the market in Chichicastenango, make sure to go right into the core of it. Right into the central building and tents. That's where the non-tourist part of the market is. I also enjoyed Fuentes Georgina just south of Quetzaltenango.


Buen Viaje
...Michelle

Thanks Michelle
 

We will visit there for sure then!! We will actually be in Belize for a week and then return to Mexico. We will tour up around the Yucatan and then go from Villahermosa back to see the monarchs in early December. We hope to be at Atitlan for Christmas. Thanks so much for your support and advice. Sp

When you're in Belize I HIGHLY recommend riding down to Caracol. It's 80km's on a bumpy but very passable dirt road. I camped inside an abandoned screened in building at Douglas D'Silva, an almost abandoned settlement which used to be a forestry camp. That's about half way to Caracol from the highway. There are no hotels there. The closest would be along the main highway to Guatemala.

On the way to Douglas D'Silva there are the Rio On Pools, a great place to stop and splash in the water on a hot day. Popular with the local families on weekends.

In the morning I rode to Caracol before the optional military escort so I wouldn't be in a cloud of dust and amongst a gaggle of turistus autobus. But the "buses" are actually small vans. So even if you go with them, it's won't be anything like Tikal or Palenque, etc.

The site is quite small compared to Tikal, Palenque, etc but the feel is amazing if you have it to yourself ...and you will if you leave before the military escort. I wandered around by myself for 1 1/2 hours just listening to the jungle sounds and came across the escorted vans on the way back out.

Also, Caye Caulker is a nice low key place to chill for a few days.

...Michelle

Campeche and the Mayan ruins of Calakmul
 

We loved the drive into the state of Campeche because there are very few tope and they kindly fill the holes in the highway with white stones so you can see them from a long way off. The Calakmul Bioreserve is a huge area of land in south west part of the state of Campeche....read few towns, hotels, or Pemex stations. The Hotel Calakmul is described as nearby, but it is in the town of Xpuhil which is 48 km from the entry gate to the park.

The adventure to visit the ruins of the Mayan City of Calakmul began with the 48 km drive on the highway west of Xpuhil. There are signs marking the bat migration path. Next there was the 23 km drive down a curvy road thru the jungle to the Calakmul museum. Finally there is a futher 40 km thru the jungle to the archaeological zone.

Calakmul
 

The core of the site of Calakmul covers an area of approximately 2 square km and contains almost 1000 structures. The well marked path winds thru the site so you get to experience the entire area without missing anything. The periphery of the zone is occupied by over 6000 smaller structures and covers an area of more than 20 square km. Calakmul matches the great city of Tikal in size and an estimated population of around 50,000. The city is located on a limestone dome rising above a large swamp. Structure II is a massive pyramid/temple, one of the largest in the Maya world. This site is unique for the huge number of engraved Stella many of which are disintegrating since they are made of limestone.

There were only about a dozen visitor in the entire site. The main plazas are still covered with trees. There has been some reconstruction of the major structures, but the magic and "Indiana Jones" quality has been preserved. From the main acropolis we climbed up and were treated to a 360 panorama of the site with various large temples jutting out from the dense surrounding jungle. We saw lots of spider monkeys playing in the canopy above us and heard a many howler monkeys.

Calakmul
 

A few more pictures.

Quintana Roo/Chetumal
 

We had a short 120 km drive to Chetumal Bay on the Caribbean Sea. This is a very nice little town unlike most port/border towns. This is a multicultural place with lots of ethnic restaurants. We saw our first Bubble tea shop since leaving Vancouver. English is widely spoken here since it borders Belize. There is a fantastic museum here of the Culture of the Maya. It was actually closed as they are just completing renovations, but the director was fetched and she said that we could tour the museum as we had come from so far. It is set up on three levels with the daily life of the Maya described in the middle, the life of the Gods and the stars at the top, and the underworld located below.

Bacalar
 

30 km from Chetumal is the Laguna de Bacalar, which is actually a huge lake. We spent a lovely day here on the dock and swimming in the crystal clear blue water. It is a great place to make a pit stop on your way to Cancun or Playa del Carmen.

Belize
 

We hemmed and hawed about whether the hassles to get there were worth the trip. In the end Daniel won out since he has never been to the Caribbean before. We chose to make for Ambergris Caye and Tio Pil’s on the beach. Getting there is a bit like trains, planes, and automobiles. Finally after a 90 min ferry crossing we arrived if a bit late.

This is a very laid back place. People walk around without shoes and drive golf carts in town. This is a fab spot for enjoying rum punch and a lot of hammock time.

The big event of the island week is the “Chicken drop” on Thursday night. You buy a numbered square on the board of 100 squares for 1 Bz= .50$US and you wait for the chicken to “drop”.

We joined the local and rented a golf cart for the afternoon to explore as far north and south as we could go. The road is paved for about 1 km in each direction then its off roading in a golf cart. It had rained heavily the day before so there was some adventure for sure. The big highlight for us was a day sailing to the even more laid back island of Caye Caulker with stops to snorkel the reef and at shark ray alley.

Belize
 

A few more pics.

Check out our youtube video too.

Swimming with Sharks San Pedro, Belize - YouTube

Playa del Carmen/Cancun/Cozumel
 

We drove north up the coast to Playa del Carmen for some relaxation on the Beach. The sand is white and the ocean is azure blue. We frequented our favorite place El Fogan for amazing tacos. Daniel's cousin and her husband are living on Isla Mujeres so they met us for lunch in Cancun.

Our Mexico City BMW club friend Fred was in the ironman Cozumel so we took the ferry over to cheer him on and got wrapped up in the excitement and energy of the event.

The new Xplor park is a great way to spend a day. They have off road vehicles, 14 zip lines, and swimming and rafting in rivers running in underground caves. They also have beaches and hammocks to rest up on. Video pending :)

Chichen Itza
 

Leaving Playa we headed back towards Tulum and then on to the cute litte village of Piste in the central Yucatan. People are super friendly here. Looking at their signs you can see their sense of humor. We had some great meals at a small restaurant near the main square.

The main attraction here is the nearby ruins of the mayan city of Chichen Itza. This is on e of the most visited Mayan sites in Mexico. We luckily got there at 8 when it opened. This was before it got very hot and absolutely mobbed with people. We did find a German bike parked beside us, but we unfortunately never saw the rider.

Merida the Capital of the Yucatan
 

Driving thru the jungle from Piste to Merida we hardly saw another vehicle and luckily very few tope. This is a lovely small city with several nice squares and churches. This is the first place we have seen free public wifi in all of the parks. There is also free entrance to a number of museums and galleries. The Cathedral is all lite up at night and with the full moon it was spectacular.

30,000 Pink Flamingos
 

After leaving Merida we rode west to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico at Celustun. It is famous for Octopus hunting and the almost 30,000 pink flamingos that flock here. We saw a few birds from the bridge, but hired a boat for an hour tour of the estuary. This got us up close to the flamingos as well as herons, and huge Canadian pelicans. We also toured thru the mangrove forrest. The town itself has a chain of restaurants along the white sand beach where we had amazing prawns and ceviche.

Uxmal ruins
 

We rode south and west again to Uxmal. Travelling on the back roads involved some pot hole dodging. Got to love an amazing drive thru the jungle on an almost deserted road. Dan was very uncharacteristically swerving on the road and it was not until he stopped a few minutes later that I found he got stung on the face by a bee that came thru the crack his viser was open. We managed to get a super deal at the Hacienda Uxmal which is located just outside the park. The next closest town is 14 km away, but there is a great little B&B there, the Pickled Onion run by Valerie a transplanted Brit. We had dinner there and enjoyed a traditional Yucatan meal Poc chuc or grilled pork steak with pickled onions of course. The ruins here are really amazing with very detailed facades. It was cool hiking thru the restored and unrestored parts of the site.You can even crawl into the pyramids to see the layers of building underneath. There was a huge number of very big iguanas all over too. After the moring in the hot sun, the best part was arriving back to the hotel and being treated to a cold limeade and a ice cold scented towel to freshen up with.

Campeche City
 

It was a short but fun drive to Campeche City the capital of the state.This place has a very European feel especially inside the ancient stone city walls where the building are all painted bright colours. It is also famous for amazing seafood. There are ruins of a number of the forts that defended the city. We visited the Fuerto San Miguel. We visited the lovely 17 th century Cathedral as well as a number of other churches in the city.

Campeche City
 

The remains of the old walls include the "Sea Gate" and the "Land Gate".The waterfront has a 3 km long walking, running, biking path along the sea shore.