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Around the world on a pair of Australia Post Honda CT110's.
Hey all. We are part way through our trek across the globe on our little posty bikes. I don't know why we haven't posted up on here but I would like to start to share our trip with you all. I wont post up the past stuff, but please do feel free to head on over to our blog at overyondaonahonda.com to check out what we have been up to.
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T - We accidentally stumbled across this campsite late last night.. I had a glimpse of the word ‘camping’ as we zipped down a canyon in southern Colorado. Turns out that it is a good campsite! Right next to the highway, but sheltered enough by bushes and large rocky outcrops, and situated right on the banks of a fast flowing river! Plus as an added bonus, the early morning sun is shining right on the tent. What a nice way to wake up.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04795.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04796.jpg Today we are trying to cross into New Mexico. It is some 200 km’s south of us but we have a few errands to run in a town first plus a heap of blog to catch up on. We packed up the camp and headed on out. The highway was reasonably quiet but soon we were turning off and down a much quieter county road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00123.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00127.jpg The road was pretty rough with large cracks right across it. They were about 2 inches deep and 6 inches across and spaced every 5 meters down the road. This makes for some interesting albeit uncomfortable riding. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00127.jpg We pulled into the small town of Westcliffe where we stocked up on some food and topped up on some gas. Then we were off again. Direction, south. C – Not too far out of Westcliffe we saw someone walking along the road, pushing a cart with the sign ‘Walk Across America’. Of course, we stopped to chat with him. Felipe is a super inspiring guy, who was previously living in a city and felt like he was in a rut. He got inspired to experience all that America has to offer, so he left his city and started walking. He told us his friends think he is crazy!!! He was truly a shining light and I encourage others to check out his Facebook page – ‘I am Felipe Gonzalez’. He makes origami in his down time and gave us a lovely crane with a really kind and thoughtful note. What a super guy!!! It is people like Felipe that change our world for the better. Goodluck on your adventure Felipe!!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00130.jpg T - The ride was pretty uneventful. Just a slog along a bitumen road. Some pretty mountains were extending away in every direction but they all had thick black clouds gathering over them. We both hoped we might out run the rain that we could see advancing across the plains towards us. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04798.jpg We passed through some small towns and eventually set our sights on a camp just 90 kms up the road. We were both pretty tired and looking forward to camp. Chantelles rear tyre was shagged completely and she had started to notice it moving around like a flat tyre a bit. So tonight we will change it. We found our camp hidden away in a canyon. There were a few nodding donkeys around silently pumping up oil from deep in the earth and a few other campers too. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00136.jpg C – The camp was in a State Wildlife Refuge and although not well maintained, was a lovely spot. The peace and quiet was interrupted when a family arrived mid-evening and decided that every vehicle they bought with them needed to be tuned and serviced right then. I think at one point there was two pickups, two side by sides and two four wheelers running. Oh, plus the generator to run the trailer!!!!! Thankfully this didnt keep us awake as we were both exhausted tonight!!! We set up our tent and settled down our usual ritual of dinner and some tv before it was lights out. I never changed Chantelles tyre out. Simply because I am tired. Maybe tomorrow? Tomorrow we hope to cross into New Mexico somewhere around Trinidad area. Update : As I sit here in Trinidad library I also am trying to work out how to fix Chantelles bike. The weaving she has been feeling turns out to be 7 broken rear spokes....We have 6 that we can replace them with. |
2 August 2016
C – We woke early and went through our usual routine. Whilst Todd packed away the camping gear inside of the tent, I made coffee, tea and porridge. We got packed away quickly and hit the road, very keen to make it to New Mexico today. We are both pining for the desert and every fibre of my being wants some warm sunshine on my skin!!! We have had some amazing weather more recently, but Colorado has turned on the grey skies and rain for us and it’s been quite chilly.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04803.jpg We ventured 6km back down a rough, corrugated dirt road and followed the GPS instructions. Only 70km to go until we cross the border. We got within 40km, on a lovely gravel County Road which weaved through beautiful ranch land. There were many, many keep out/no trespassing/posted private property signs along the way on the fences. It all ended with a very strong gate with three padlocks blocking the County Road. Say what?!?!? We pulled out the map book, double checked the GPS – the road definitely existed, was definitely a named and numbered county road. A vehicle arrived and the ranch workers explained that the road still does go through, but is now gated and padlocked at each end. The worker told us where the owner lived and said we could go and ask for permission to cross, but he was not at all confident that the rancher would say yes. I am assuming some money changing has occurred with the local county here. This is not the first time we have seen mapped county roads blocked off as private property. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04812.jpg T – It was a strange thing. There were still county road signs at the gate and even speed limit signs a little ways in. A bit of a shame for us really as this was a gorgeous bit of road! C - After backtracking and then turning east again we ended up in Trinidad. Going at slow speeds through town looking for the library, Rosie had a definite wiggle going on. Like the front tyre was flat, but I could see it wasn’t. She had this same feeling yesterday afternoon at slow speeds, but I thought nothing more of it once Todd had checked the tyre. When we pulled up at the library I said to Todd that something was definitely going on and suggested he take Rosie for a spin. He didn’t need to go far – yep, something is definitely wrong with her. After a very quick inspection we discovered broken spokes. Seven of them. SEVEN! We only have six spares...... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00150.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00149.jpg T – Bloody Rosie. She has given me many headaches with her rear wheel. 16 gazillion punctures, two broken spokes previous, a bent rim, and now this little nugget! She better watch her little red ass or she may find it in the sin bin. C - You may remember I hit a cattle guard rather hard back in Montana and whilst Todd had straightened the rim the best he could, the rim is still not perfect. We figure it must be due to the rim not being true anymore. After faffing around in the library, we pulled the bikes onto the kerb in the shade and commenced work. We managed to find a repair shop who advertises helping Trans American Trail riders with repairs, so ventured in there. Topar were fantastic, checking the rim and telling us that Todd did a wonderful job, the rim is very close to true and they wouldn’t recommend fiddling with it anymore. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00148.jpg As we need to order spokes, we decided to get them locally so that they would there to meet us in Roswell in a few days. We will need to be careful till then though – no rough tracks till we have some spares! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04813.jpg T – Seeing as we didn’t have enough spokes to suite we ended up having to rob two spokes from our front wheels. One from Rosie and poor old Mabel even gave one up for the cause. Gotta love that Mabel, who by the way has been performing flawlessly over the last 15 thousand km’s. Though I am not surprised that there are some cracks appearing in the bikes armour now. We have pushed them hard. Down crap rough roads and just the other day we did three massive mountain passes in one day. One of those passes topped out at 3899 meters above sea level and the other two at just over 3000 meters each. We will need to get some spokes now and I am thinking of having the rear rims of both bikes respoked in LA with some nice fat spokes. If anyone can recommend someone let us know! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04816.jpg C - We left town really late, it probably wasn’t our smartest idea. It was 5.40pm and we ventured out towards Branson. We pushed on passed Branson, crossing the New Mexico border. The sky around us was all storm cells, with rain pouring down in all directions. We got nice and wet along the way, but found a lovely camp site in a road side pullout. No ‘no camping’ signs so we decided this was it. There was a shelter there, which looks like it used to house a picnic table, so we set up under the shelter, cooked dinner in the dark and fell into a deep deep sleep! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04817.jpg Onwards towards Roswell tomorrow – the weather forecast is promising me 99 degrees Fahrenheit ... fingers crossed!!! |
3 August 2016
T - Man did it bloody rain last night! I am glad we were under that old shelter. It absolutely bucketed down! Thankfully Mabel stayed nice and dry. That’s the main thing!
This morning though we were greeted by screaming blue skies and a soft warm breeze as we crawled from our tent. It’s always nice to cross into a new place even if it is just a new state! Already the people here are waving at us as they drive past our camp. Friendly lot these New Mexicans! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04818.jpg We packed up camp and then we checked Rosies spokes, again, before heading out. I have placed some zip ties around the crossover points of the spokes in the hopes of minimising any more breakages. We zipped down the road when Rosie started making a tick tick tick sound from her back wheel. I groaned. Another spoke Rosie? Already? But it was just a zip tie end that had gotten caught in the spokes and was flapping against the swing arm. Lucky Rosie, Chantelle was threatening to dump her in the ditch. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00154.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00151.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00153.jpg C – I am so annoyed about this spoke situation. We had no problems prior to me slamming into that cattle grid. All could have been avoided if I had avoided that big bump! Poor Rosie. I was determined to not put her under any more pressure and avoid the dirt roads. At least on the bitumen you are much more likely to spot uneven surfaces and avoid big potholes and bumps. T - We have decided to avoid the dirt roads for now until we can either get the spokes sorted or at least have a big handful of spares. We have ordered some and should have them in hand in Roswell. Hopefully! We were cruising along a mostly deserted highway today, which was very pleasant. We passed through some tiny little villages some with nothing more than just a post office and some falling down old timber homes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04821.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04823.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04824.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04826.jpg We had a short pitstop at a tiny little mercantile where I had a Billy the Kid Sarsaparilla! Nom nom! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04828.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04832.jpg Then it was onwards to our camp site. Reluctantly we had chosen this one as it was the only one near us out here but it was 12 km’s down a dirt road. Normally not a problem at all! But with Rosies rear rim being an unknown worry we were very wary. But in we went anyways! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04830.jpg The ride was gorgeous! We turned off the bitumen at a little ghost town looking placed called Mills and headed into Mills Canyon. The road was relatively smooth for the most part and it wasn’t long before we turned down into the canyon for one of the two camps here. Then the road got rough. It wound steeply down the face of the canyon, large rocks sticking up out of the road, massive washouts cutting across in front of us. Then the inevitable. It happened. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04838.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04840.jpg C – We had two choices here. One was a camp set up for horses on the rim of the canyon, and the other down in the canyon. We both much preferred to camp in the bottom in, but I instantly regretted it the moment we choose that fork in the road. I should of spoke up, but decided if I took it really really slow, we would be fine. I crawled along in first gear, avoiding every single rock, rut and bump I could. Those I couldn’t, I walked her over, worrying about how we were going to get her out the steep climb slowly after camping. T - PING! Rosie snapped a spoke. Damn you Rosie. Chantelle and I stood there. Both of us thinking of tossing Rosie and her stupid rear wheel off of the canyon rim. We turned around and I hopped on Rosie so I could get off and push her up the steeper rougher sections of the road. There was a horse camp at the top of the canyon and we both knew we should have stopped there. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04843.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04845.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04841.jpg We slowly trudged back up the hill. Me pushing like mad to get Rosie over the rocky stuff. Then Chantelle dropped Mabel. Poor little Mabel. This was becoming a bit of an effort, but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the silliness of it all! C – I was annoyed at myself for putting Rosie in this situation, knowing her rear wheel was not up to this and with no spare outer spokes, it was a stupid thing to do. I was fuming at myself about this when I lost momentum on a steep section, went to put my feet down and a rut was there, meaning poor Mable was leaning heavily by the time I got my foot down. I couldn’t hold her and had to let her fall. I then spent the rest of ride up even more annoyed at myself for making such a silly mistake and dropping Todds bike. T - Finally we rolled into camp. Rosie sulking like mad about her broken bum and Mabel sulking about her little fall. I pulled Rosies rims off and stole one final spoke from her front wheel. I wasn’t too happy about this but I knew that if we rode her with one broken rear spoke, we would have 7 broken ones by tomorrow afternoon. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04847.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04849.jpg With Rosie repaired and back together we watched as a nice electrical storm scooted right over us and then we retreated into the tent before the rain came down. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8031716125.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8031716124.jpg What a day. New Mexico is beautiful, Mabel is amazing, Rosie is a hag. C – Poor Rosie, sulking, sitting in the electrical storm getting rained on. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day right?!?!?!?!?! Tomorrow we continue south to Roswell. Hopefully we should be there in 2 days. It’s only 400 km’s. |
Damn posties, can't kill 'em :rofl::scooter:
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4 August 2016
C – We packed up camp and were on the road by 8.30am, both of us looking forward to pushing forth to Roswell. We rode through small country towns, some looking a little down on their luck.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00161.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00163.jpg T – It seems that the Interstate Highways have bypassed alot of small towns and they have all suffered for it. From boarded up homes to gas stations with holes where the pumps used to be. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04857.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04859.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04861.jpg C - The scenery was quite beautiful, but I was surprised at how green it was. I had envisaged New Mexico as being much more ‘deserty’. Then we came to a sign that indicated a steep descent was ahead. As we rounded the corner the steep descent was an amazing stretch of road which wound down off a plateau onto the lower plains. As we rounded the crest we both gasped. My, oh my, it was just beautiful. The nothingness stretched off way into the horizon, with bright red cliffs in the distance and a real desert feel. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04858.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04874.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04867.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04864.jpg As we descended, the heat turned up. We discussed how much it felt like we were riding through outback South Australia, with the ranch lands looking so much like the farming lands there. We were already pretty impressed by New Mexico, but that view just sealed it. New Mexico – you rock!!! On top of this, every car was still waving. The train drivers we passed today all leaned out the window and waved, with one even giving us a ‘toot’. Todd was very impressed and reverted to being a 7 year old boy for a little bit. We rolled into the town of Tucumcarri, looking for a library to do some wifi tasks. We were both surprised to see the Route 66 sign!! Wowsers – we had stumble on the classic American route accidently and both were wonderfully impressed with the kitsch Route 66 signs and memorabilia. What a wonderful piece of iconic American history!!! We loved the old motels and diners and were enjoyed our short time in Tucumcarri. T – Route 66! Route 66!!!!! I said ROUTE 66!!! I was very excited! The big old motel signs with the old fashioned lightbulbs! I loved it! We were only passing through this town but doing some of Route 66 was definitely on my bucket list! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04872.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04873.jpg C - We found a free camp on the outskirts of Fort Sumner, so set our sights on reaching this today. It was a warm afternoon, with a temperature display in Tucumcarri tell us it was 106. New Mexico – you know the way to my heart!!!! We gave the girls a few rest stops on the way to camp, allowing them to cool down before continuing into the hot head wind. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04869.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04871.jpg On our way to camp, we passed the sign lighting the way to Billy the Kid’s grave stone. We had to venture there today!!! Off we went and it was pretty cool to see the old cemetery and the graves there, with Billy the Kids being the most prominent. It was interesting to see that they have it well and truly locked down due to the headstone being stolen numerous times through the years. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04877.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04880.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00167.jpg We then found the Bosque Redondo Lake area campground and picked a spot in the shade. The feeling in the air was amazing as storms moved around us, the air building up humidity. It was warm and sticky when we ventured into the tent to sleep and after an attempt to get out of the tent for a toilet stop, I quickly changed my mind. Mossies everywhere. Millions of them. I ended up letting in about a colonys worth and then spent the next hour committing genocide. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04884.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04885.jpg Tomorrow, I want to see the Bosque Redondo Memorial and we may just visit the Billy the Kid museum before high tailing it to Roswell! |
6 August 2016
6 August 2016
T - What an awesome day! Firstly I woke up in a bed. A super comfy bed! I am sure I must have rattled this house with my snoring last night. I slept so deeply and so well. The sun streaming in through the windows woke me up and I watched bleary eyed as the clouds scudding across the sky turned deep orange as the sun climbed up. Not a bad way to start the day!Chantelle and I were feeling rather lazy this morning and thought it might be nice to have breakfast in town. We convinced Sam that this was a good idea and that he should come along too! Lucky for Chantelle that he did. Rosie decided she didn’t want to ride today and went out in protest with a flat front tyre. Sigh. So we all piled into Sams Toyota and headed to the Cowboy cafe. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04930.jpg C – My poor girl. I couldn’t believe yet another flat! Oh well, we will fix that later. It was definitely time for breakfast! I have decided that we must of camped somewhere cursed and this cursed has passed onto Rosie. Her wheels just don’t want to keep rolling! T - These Americans sure know how to feed a man! I ordered a breakfast feast consisting of pancakes and sausage and poached eggs. What came out was two enormous fat fluffy pancakes the size of a dinner plate! I struggled through one and took the other away in a box for later. Oh and I hear there is an Ihop here. I desperately want to go there. So maybe I will treat myself on Monday.We waddled from there back to the car and went to the post office to pick up the new spokes that had arrived for little Miss Thing and then tackled the UFO museum. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04931.jpg It was really interesting reading about the events of mid 1947 that changed the face of this town. On June 14, 1947, William Brazel, a foreman working on the Foster homestead, noticed clusters of debris around 50 km’s north of Roswell, New Mexico. Thus began the series of UFO stories involving cover ups, autopsies and alien craft. Whether you believe it was aliens or a weather balloon, it is one hell of a story and has certainly spawned an incredible tourism industry here. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04932.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04934.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04938.jpg C – The first part of the museum was fantastic. Displayed in chronological order, outlining the events of that time. Fascinating stuff!!! The second part of the museum is about UFO sightings and although it was still interesting, it was a bit of information overload! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04941.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04943.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04944.jpg T - After we had a wander through the museum we headed back to meet Karen at her place before jumping into Sams car and driving off to Lincoln. We were going to check out some of the Billy the Kid show that was going on there this weekend.On the way we stopped in at a place I had only dreamed about seeing. An abandoned Atlas Missile silo! I almost hit the ground running when I got out of the car and I was so excited to check this thing out that I may have peed a little. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04946.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04948.jpg These nuclear missile silos were created in the Roswell area in the 1960s in answer to ongoing sabre rattling between the US and Russia. They were manned around the clock by a 5 man crew, just waiting for the call to launch. However due to several accidents during fuelling exercises, the Atlas missile program was deactivated, the silos stripped of their missiles and any valuable steel before being handed back to the owners of the land they were installed upon. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05020.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05019.jpg We wandered down the entrance stairs and into darkness. Bats squeaking and flitting about. It was amazing. This one had no water in it which meant we could explore all the levels and tunnels. I loved it! I didn’t want to leave and being there bought back all the desires I once had to buy one of these and turn it into a home. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05015.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05018.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05008.jpg C – The missile silo was really interesting, and Todd was acting like our own personal tour guide, spieling out information about each room we went into. Karen, Sam and I were blown away by Todds knowledge about this! When we ventured into the missile silo, Karen, Sam and I lingered back – man, it was a long way down! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05003.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05010.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05010.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04994.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04969.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04962.jpg T - I ventured down to the very bottom of the massive missile silo itself. It was pretty rusty down there and I was a bit worried about the ladders and stairwells not holding up to my weight. But it was worth it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04961.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04974.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00179.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04963.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC04980.jpg After spending a nice amount of time underground we carried onto Lincoln.Lincoln is a very cool historic little town with heaps of 1800’s buildings and we had a nice wander up and down the street poking around the shops and chatting to the people there. We watched a re-enactment of a shootout before trying something called Indian fry bread. Like a taco but deep fried. So good. C – Lincoln was a very cool little western town, with an authentic feel to it. We saw the courthouse where Billy the Kid escaped which was really cool! I love outlaw stories!!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05034.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05043.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05036.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05044.jpg T - Then it was back to Karens where we had a relaxing evening, after fixing Rosies flat and Mabel insisting on taking Sam for a hoon up the road. C – I must mention here that Rosie’s tube showed no signs of leaking whatsoever. We were both a little confused and figured maybe the valve wasn’t put back in quite rightly. Poor Rosie – another flat that wasn’t her fault!!!! T - We have a few errands we want to do tomorrow, such as some laundry and shopping and haven’t really made much of a plan as to what we are going to do. But come Monday, we shall be back on the road and heading for Arizona! |
7 August 2016
T - We didn’t have too much planned for today. We are both feeling a bit tired and have decided it might be nice to have a day of leisure.
Karen had suggested a nice Mexican place in town for lunch so we knew that come lunch time we were going there! I wandered outside to pump up Rosie’s front tyre which seems to have a slow leak. Yay. Maybe I’ll take it off tonight and fix it. About 2 seconds after I pumped it up it was dead flat again. Oh well. Karen kindly leant us one of her bikes so we could go into town. So we both hopped on and went in search of lunch! It was quite odd to be riding a big powerful bike again. Plus this one was shaft driven vs our chain driven bikes and I really noticed the way it pulled slightly to one side as the throttle was opened up. We cruised into Roswell and plopped ourselves down in the restaurant. Chantelle ordered a burrito and I opted for the cheese quesadillas. The serves when they came out were huge! But we were both starving and soon my tum was expanding outwards at an alarming rate. Bliss! I washed it all down with a nice cold Millers and a Dr Pepper! Healthy right? Then it was back to Karens where I had a fiddle with one of her bikes that wasn’t quite happy. I suspect some bad fuel and perhaps even a blockage in the carbs. But I ended up getting it to run smoothly and the flat spot in the throttle almost tuned out. If I get time I will take it for a good run up the road. C – After the amazing lunch, I managed to get all of our washing done and drying in the hot, New Mexican breeze. Then it was definitely time to tackle Rosie’s leaking tube. Luckily for me, Todd decided today was the day that I would be mechanic and he would be the lackey. Until now, I had managed to get out of actually changing a tube or tyre. Anyway, I have been Todd’s assistant a million times, so only needed minimal supervision. I was actually surprised that I managed it all without too much difficulty. Unfortunately, I think all my excuses for future tyre/tube changing events are gone now. Both of us searched and searched for the leak in the tube I took out, with neither of us being able to find it all. Oh well, another day maybe?!?!?! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05049.jpg Whilst I was changing my front tyre tube, Todd reinspected the rear wheel and bugger – he found two more broken spokes. It is the old spokes that are breaking thankfully. The ones we have already replaced seem ok, but the wheel definitely has some movement still. After watching copious amounts of Youtube videos, Todd had a go at straightening it out and re-tensioning the spokes. By the time he had finished, the wheel actually looked much better, with a much less pronounced wiggle. We have however, decided to head into Tuscon, Arizona, as there is an adventure bike builder there who is confident he can help us out with Rosie’s problem. T - We just lounged about for the rest of the day. There was a lovely young couple from England that came in to stay later in the evening and we stayed up til after midnight chatting. A nice relaxing day today. Tomorrow we shall make moves to head west towards Tucson. |
8 August 2016
T - We were off today! It is always nice to stop and rest, but also really good to get going again and scratch my itchy feet.
We had to get some groceries and some oil in town before we left and also I wanted to try Ihop for breakfast! The couple who came in last night, Nomi and Ryan, were also quite keen to join us. So we hopped onto our packed bikes and the other two followed us into town. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05050.jpg Ihop. It was everything I dreamed of! Pancakes are my favourite breakfast food! EVER. I read and reread the menu. Unable to decide which decadent thing I would order. In the end I opted for the New York Pancake Stack which was full of New York Cheese cake bits! It was amazing! Super sweet but OMG. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05051.jpg C – Pancakes are not something I normally choose to eat, so I opted for the Breakfast Sampler. After chewing on some tasty bacon, sausages and eggs, I tried the buttermilk pancakes. I was very impressed! They were actually really yummy! But boy was I full. We had a great time hanging out with Nomi and Ryan, chatting about all sorts of travel things and learning more about England. T - We went to Walmart to stock up our pantry and Oreillys to grab some oil. We said a goodbye to Nomi and Ryan as they were staying here for a couple of week. See you guys! Have a great trip! We went in search of Karens work as we really wanted to see where she worked and what she did. But do you think we could remember how to get there? We rolled around for a while but by the time it hit 3pm we figured we either had to leave or head back to Karens and stay another night. We convinced ourselves to head west. Not an Easy decision. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05068.jpg C – I must admit it would of been very easy to slip in comfortableness at Karens! I could easily have chosen to head there for another night. But, on on!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05053.jpg T - Thanks Karen for having us the last 3 nights. We have really enjoyed hanging out with you in your beautiful home. Make sure you count your cats, as I may have wanted to sneak Traveller into my luggage! We hit a small back road that kept us off of the major highway right through to a place called Capitan. As we rocked up into town the thunder heads started to roll in. It was pretty hot out so we stopped for a quick cold drink before heading to our camp just up the road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05060.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05054.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05066.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05072.jpg We set up our tent in a small flat area over looking a lake in the Smoky Bear State Park. We sat down and ate our dinner as we watched storms raging 360 degrees around us! It was insane! And so so beautiful. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05076.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05059.jpg C – The summer storms around us where phenomenal! I couldn’t believe that we didnt get any rain until nearly nightfall, with constant rain all around us. The storms looked really close and although I love to watch a brilliant summer storm, I do feel like a sitting duck in the tent when the lightening gets a little too close!!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05079.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...81826051-1.jpg T - As night time fell we started making moves towards the tent. The lightening flickering and flashing for quite some time before we switched of Everyone Loves Raymond and went to bed. After it got dark this place got a real creepy eerie feel and my skin was covered in goosebumps and all the hairs on my neck were stood up. Not a nice place for some reason. But only once it got dark. I daren’t tell Chantelle this just in case I freaked her out, but I couldn’t wait for sunrise..... C – It was so weird that Todd told me this morning, as I felt a bit creeped out at this camp all night long. But only after it was dark. I didn’t say anything to him as it was already dark and we were in the tent. Weird! T - Tomorrow we head for Arizona. Not sure we will make it, and I would like to stop and see the VLA satellite array associated with SETI. Heres a short video from last nights camp showing the gloriousness of it all! |
9 August 2016
T - I was awake before the sun came up today. I must say that I was pretty damn keen to pack up the tent and move on. I didn’t sleep too much last night!
We sat in the early morning sun and cooked ourselves some brekky and had a nice cup of tea while we decided what we wanted to do today. Rosie seems to have finished her spoke breaking episode, for now, but we are still wary of too much offroading until she gets the all clear. There was a geocache nearby so we thought we would try to find it on the way out. After about 30 minutes of looking we never found it and gave up. Still have yet to find one in North America. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05081.jpg Then it was onwards. We had 3 turns to make today and that includes the one into our camp! The road out was quite nice and soon we were heading downwards from the mountains we camped and across military bombing ranges. There was a big section we passed through called the valley of fire. It looked as though the whole place had in fact been burnt at some time, but it was just the massive lava flows that had once spread through this area. The black rock stretching for miles in every direction. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00193.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05082.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05083.jpg Then it was just slog out some bitumen for a while until we got to the town of Soccoro where we filled the bikes, updated the blog and turned west. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05085.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05086.jpg C – We were both super excited about getting to the National Radio Astronomy Observation centre to check out the VLA – Very Large Array. We first spotted one of the dishes as we rounded a corner. The road then became straight as we headed towards the dishes, with more and more slowly coming in to view. We both got more and more excited the closer we appeared to get, but really, it felt like it took FOREVER! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05087.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05089.jpg T - I had only ever seen it used in Jodie Fosters Contact movie and was well and truly impressed when I saw the large dishes spread out in every direction across the plains! Even more so when we got there and we were allowed to roam for free because the ticket office was closing! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05092.jpg It was quite interesting reading about the astronomy projects that go on here and the uses of the VLA. It was quite in depth and certainly way over my head! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05104.jpg C – We checked out the visitors centre then did the self guided walking tour, which basically walks you through how it all works. I find this field fascinating and although I can understand the concepts theoretically, the practical implications and nature of the science are waaaaaaaay out of my realm!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05098.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05099.jpg T - From there we raced towards gaps in the brewing storms that lay to the west of us. Thick black clouds hanging ominously over towering mountains while flashes of lightning chased us down the road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05105.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05107.jpg It soon got to a point where we had to don our wet weather gear. Which just happened to be near a sign that proclaimed some ranchers love for the Obama team in Washington. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05108.jpg Lucky that we did put the wet weather gear on as it was soon bucketing down heavily. I enjoyed splashing Mabel through the puddles and washing all the mud and dust off of her undersides! Im sure she didnt enjoy it as much as me though. Then the leaks started and soon my manhood was tea bagging the pool of icy cold water collecting in my crotch. Very unpleasant, but it certainly made me sit up and wake up a little! By the time we rolled into camp the rain had almost fizzled out. Just leaving crashing thunder and the odd bolt of lightning to keep us company. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05110.jpg Tomorrow we should get into Arizona quite easily! |
Uh hah, now I've worked it out doh
I just spotted Scarlet and thinking, where have I seen her before ? Traced it out through Jax/ScooterGal writings. Call me slooooow :rofl: Enjoying your write up & travels T&C :thumbup1: |
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10 August 2016
What a lovely little camp spot we had last night. Also as an added bonus we ended up being the only ones there!
Both of us were up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning and the packing up of our camp seemed to go exceedingly smoothly. By the time the tea was boiling I had the tent shoved into its dry bag and the oils checked on the bikes. There was a nice twisty looking road in our map book just inside the Arizona border and both of us were keen to check it out. It looks as though we may have fixed Rosies broken spokes issue, as this morning she didn’t have a single busted one! That makes me happy too! The road this morning was so quiet. Hardly any traffic at all, and the few cars that did pass us were extremely well behaved, giving us a heap of room when passing and pretty well all of them waved hello. New Mexico is such a friendly place! We both really loved it. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05111.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05117.jpg Then we were into Arizona! A new state! At first we started to climb. Back up to nearly 3000 meters. And then we started seeing sign warning of the road to come. It made us both yell and scream in delight. No vehicles longer than 40 foot, 10 mph for the next 11 miles due to curves. Woohoo! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05121.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05119.jpg What a ride! What a road! Mabel was cornering so hard at speed that she constantly had a peg gouging into the bitumen. At times the sides of my panniers dragged on the road. What a blast! One corner ended just as the next one began. It was glorious! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05139.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05145.jpg Then the corners straightened out through gorgeous red rock canyon that eventually ended in a massive massive massive open pit mine. I couldn’t believe the size of this thing. It was so ugly but so amazing all at once. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05159.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05161.jpg We stopped in town for a bite to eat and to let the bikes cool down for a bit as it was over 40 degrees and the poor little things had been working hard. We are loving this heat and our skin is just soaking it up. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05140.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05133.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05132.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05137.jpg Once we had eaten and the bikes had cooled down we pushed on. We had a camp a fair way off and we were getting sore asses and both of us were keen to get there. The ride from here just became a slog on a highway. We had some backroad dirt options but we still weren’t convinced about this rear wheel of Rosies yet and so thought we would play it safe until we could get it looked at by someone who knows what they are doing. We rode and rode. Then the camp I had picked out came up. Down a very rutted, narrow, rocky, fenced off track. Dammit. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00211.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00206.jpg With no other option but to carry on towards Tucson we kept riding. Eventually, just as it was getting dark, we stumbled across a free camp next to the highway. Good enough! We threw the tent up, scoffed some pasta and exhausted, crawled into bed. Tomorrow Tucson! We are going to get this wheel checked out and a couple have contacted us through ADVrider and want to meet up! Should be a blast! |
11 August 2016
Sorry for the absolute lack of photos today. But we have good reason.
We woke up to the sound of thunder and some light rain this morning. We had set the camp up under a nice group of trees so it wasn’t getting to wet which was good. We hurriedly packed up camp and opted to go to the nearby town of Winkleman for a diner breakfast today. Sometimes its nice to have a breakfast out right? We strapped the bikes up with all our gear and checked the oils and started them up. While they were warming up Chantelle did a quick recce on Rosies rear wheel to make sure it was holding up well. Which it...... Wasn’t. F bomb right there. 5 effin broken spokes. We were both fuming. We had 7 spares left that were all too thin and too long. But I knew we couldn’t make it all the way into Tucson, some 120 km’s away, without breaking a heap more like this. So we stripped the stupid wheel out, took the bloody tyre of again, fitted all the spokes and tightened them up, all in the rain which had decided to pour down the moment I got out the tools. NOT HAPPY JAN!! With the new spokes in place I had to go and find either a rancher or into town to find a mechanic to grind down the long bits that were sticking out of the rim. I rode up the road to Winkleman in the thundering rain. Water pooled up on the road everywhere. The traffic whizzed by so fast and so close at times that I was constantly being showered with grit and water from their tyres. It’s fair to say that I was pretty unhappy at this point. After some kind guys at a tyre shop took pity on me I turned tail and raced back to camp where I found Chantelle shivering and cold beneath the trees. We quickly put Rosie back together and raced off down the road where we found a diner and had a hot breakfast of eggs and toast with a side of hot coffee. Then we slogged out the road into Tucson and the sun came out and dried up all the rain and dried us out too. This was better. We set the GPS to take us straight to the bike mechanic that we had been recommended to through ADVrider. Here we met Frank. Owner of ZMW Adventures. We whipped Rosies rear wheel off, again, and he chucked it onto a rim truing stand. The rim ran nice and true. But it had a definite dump and a dip in it. After looking at our broken spokes Frank decided that the wheel really needed to be relaced, true and tensioned correctly which is what we all figured was doing the damage. So with nothing for it we got in touch with Mike from Lambda Motorcycles back in Australia who immediately chucked a whole new set of spokes into an airbag and express posted it to Arizona. Hopefully they should be here Monday or Tuesday. We had lined up a place to stay for a couple of nights here in Tuscon through Motostays. So we set off to find our hosts house. Frank kindly leant us his spare car for the night so we could at least get around. Our host Eva was fantastic and told us we could stay as long as we needed to! Her house is right in downtown Tucson. We had a few cold beers and sat around chatting before a quick midnight swim in her pool. Then it was time for bed. Its been a long long day and I need a good sleep! |
12 August 2016
We weren’t planning to do much today.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05167.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05170.jpg After a very restless sleep, thanks to the onset of man flu over night, we woke up and said goodbye to Eva who had to go to work. We didn’t have much on the agenda today, just some fooling around in town until tonight. We were going to dinner with a lovely couple from ADVrider who have been following us along on our trip! We are both very excited to meet them! We did a little lounging around and then went to REI to look at some tents. Ours is starting to show the strain of 5 months on the road with poles snapping weekly and holes appearing in the rain fly and the inner tent. Then we got ourselves cleaned up and we were off to meet Stephen and Katrina. We enjoyed a lovely cold beer at their house before we followed them to an amazing restaurant that specialised in wings! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05172.jpg OMG. The food was incredible! Both of us stuffed full to the gills! Stepehn and Katrina were great company and we swapped stories and had a heap of laughs. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was just great to hang out with these guys! Stephen has had one of the most interesting jobs I have ever known and I could have asked him a million questions about it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05174.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05175.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05178.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05179.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05180.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05181.jpg After a great night of great food and cold beer all washed down with heaps of laughs it was time to part ways for now and head home to bed. We are planning on catching up with these guys before we leave town as I would like them to meet our little bikes. Plus we may also pass Stephen in Baja in Mexico. Actually he will probably pass us, lets be honest. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05177.jpg Thanks for the wonderful night out guys! We really do appreciate it! Tomorrow, well who knows really! I think we are going to hang out with Eva for a bit and maybe have a few hours of slothing about. |
13 14 15 16 August
This isn’t going to be the normal way of writing our blog up! So apologies for the several days rolled into one. We have had a heap of downtime while we wait for Rosie to get her wheel fixed and we thought maybe us writing 2 lines each day saying that we were laying in the pool drinking beers and talking to parrots wouldn’t be that exciting! So I shall try to make up for it with a heap of photos.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05188.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05184.jpg So basically we have done some relaxing and haven’t even been near the bikes. Which has been nice in a way. Both of us have been exhausted and we think it is because this is the first time we have really stopped for an extended time. Our Motostays host, Eva, has made life here so easy for us and we have been so lucky. She has an amazing home with a gorgeous pool and we have also had the luxury of being able to borrow her car. Thanks so much Eva! It is going to be tough to leave from here tomorrow! So on Saturday we went out to one of Eva’s friends houses to meet him and check out his art. He makes sculptures out of motorcycle parts and they are very cool! He has football players, owls and turkeys! Plus he has a few bikes including a couple of Mad Max looking ones. We did give him a bit of a telling off when he told us he likes to ride at over 180 mile an hour. Thats over 300 km/hr! Naughty boy! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05185.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05186.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05187.jpg Then it was time for another swim and more beers while the temperature climbed into the 40’s. Bloody blissful! Tucson is almost some type of paradise with this weather! Frank from ZMW Adventures invited us around to his place for dinner and we were quite happy to eat his salmon steaks and polenta followed by Klondike bars. Sunday was a nice late sleep in followed by some wandering around town. Eva introduced us to a great shop called Trader Joes where I discovered a big bowl of triple ginger cookies, and then promptly ate the lot! That was the extent of our days effort and we were soon back in the pool with cold beers! Lazy day or what? http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05216.jpg Eva had this whole week off of work so there was a few errands she wanted done around the place. We gave her a hand on Monday morning to shop for a new coffee table top and then spent the rest of the day swimming and eating. Told you this blog stuff might have been boring! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05205.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05199.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05207.jpg Tuesday came and we decided we really should get out and see some of the stuff in Tucson. I was keen to hit the Titan Museum so Eva lent us her truck and we took off. First though I had the GPS coordinates for an abandoned Titan Missile Silo in the desert that just maybe had an entrance broken through by vandals. So we trundled out of town to check it out. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05224.jpg The site was covered in gorgeous cacti and some concrete pads. I could see where there had once been some access holes but they were all concreted up and the old original entrance portal was long ago imploded. A bit of a bugger really as I would have liked to have seen inside a dismantled one. If anyone reading this knows of one I could have a look in then please let me know! We then headed off to the Titan Museum. What a place. What an amazingly preserved piece of history. It was really cool to be inside one of these cold war silos that still had floors, the old computers, blast doors, lighting, and even a missile! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05228.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05233.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05232.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05240.jpg Though I must say I physically took a step back in horror when the guide told us that the warhead that used to sit in this missile had the explosive power of 9 000 000 ton of TNT. Yes that 9 MILLION! Holy crap. Enough, we were told, to level a city the size of Los Angeles. It would have created a crater 400 feet deep and a mile wide and everything, EVERYTHING, in that crater would have been instantly vapourised. That’s from one bomb. They had over 50 of these things ready to go at a moments notice. From activation to launch and the missile leaving the silo, 58 seconds. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05242.jpg We know this part is true because Chantelle got to sit in the Captains chair and turn the key. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05245.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05248.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05249.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05251.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05253.jpg Scary stuff. The guys at the museum were super informative and I learnt a lot and asked a heap of questions. Like could they let me have this silo so I could live in it! For some reason they said unfortunately no. The thing I liked most about it was the guide who showed Chantelle how to launch the missile used to work in both the Atlas F sites, which I love, and the Titan sites. Such a cool guy! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05252.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05261.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05264.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05256.jpg Then it was back to ZMW where we watched as a guy called Rob pulled Rosies rim apart and threaded new spokes for it. There is a definite process to this and I had quite clearly cocked it up when I was reassembling the broken spokes. Hopefully this time there will be no more broken spokes! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05268.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05270.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05272.jpg Thanks Frank and Rob for sorting this bloody thing out for us! Then it was back to Eva’s place for fish fingers and potato gems for dinner. We shall go and pick the bikes up tomorrow and we are going to be back on the road on Thursday and heading for Utah! |
wow now that,s different, I just can,t handle riding at 80ks all day long, understand, going slower you see more, but on the over hand longer to get a beer. maybe I still like going quicker cheers guys, stay upright and safe
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17 August 2016
This morning was set to be an exciting morning. We were due to head out to some shopping with Eva and pick up the bikes!!! We were both super excited to have our girls back!!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05283.jpg After hitting some cool stores with Eva, we headed to Franks. The girls were ready to rock and in no time we had said our thanks and goodbyes and headed back to Eva’s with the girls. Rosie was purring like a little kitten and felt stable with her now repaired (fingers crossed) rear wheel. We headed out with Eva to see some more camping and motorcycle gear stores and ventured into REI. What a store! We ended up purchasing a new REI brand tent to replace our now very deteriorated Vango tent. We also purchased a multi fuel MSR stove, which are both very excited about!! Eva’s friend Randall met us there and after a walk around and immature giggles in the toilet section, we headed to La Indita for dinner. OMG! What a Mexican feast. The food was amazing and very much coma inducing! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05291.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05290.jpg T – Thanks so much Randall for taking us out for dinner! Please slow down and stop doing 180mph on your bike!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05293.jpg Tomorrow, we have to say goodbye to Tucson and the wonderful Eva and continue our journey. |
18 August 2016
C – After a relaxed pace pack up, we had to say our goodbye to Eva and the beautiful Piewhacket. We have had such an amazing week with Eva, who kindly let us crash her week of leave from work and hang out. We cannot thank you enough Eva for your kindness, hospitality and fascinating conversations!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05296.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05295.jpg We headed to the coffee roasters where we had arranged to meet Stephen, and in true Todd and Chantelle style, neither of us had looked at the street number. So, we arrived very late after having to ask a stranger to access the internet on his phone! All too soon it was time to hit the road though. We said goodbye to Stephen and turned out onto the road. We spied a gas station within a few minutes and pulled in to give the girls a nice drink. After paying, I noticed that Mabel had liquid dripping off the tank and onto the engine. We soon discovered it was fuel and Todd soon found a larger-than-you-want hole in his fuel tank. He rubbed some soap around the area and we planned to head to an auto store to purchase a tank repair kit. Alas, it was not meant to be. Within a few minutes, the soap trick was no longer working and Mabel sat at the traffic lights dripping fuel onto her rapidly warming engine. Oh dear!!! As soon as we got around the lights we pulled into a car park and ripped her tank off. We soon discovered nothing we had was enough to temporarily block the leak and unfortunately had to sacrifice most of the tank of fuel. I had a funny feeling Mabel wanted to return to Eva’s to play with Eva’s Zero Whisper some more! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05297.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05298.jpg T – Mabel was feeling a bit neglected after Rosie got fitted up with nice shiny new spokes. She was acting out like the little rat bag she is! I was a bit unhappy watching some 6 litres of fuel gush from her broken tank onto the ground. Seems like such a waste, and more than that, the environmental side of things. Still at least I didn’t do it on purpose I guess. It was great to catch up with Stephen again and I wished we had a bit more time to have spent getting to know him and his other half, Katrina, a little better. Hopefully though we will cross paths down in Mexico in the not too distant future! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05306.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05312.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05314.jpg C - We finally got out of Tucson after purchasing a fuel tank repair kit. We slogged out some highway before the GPS told us we could take a route through a National Forest. Perfect! We had been avoiding dirt since the great Spoke Incident of 2016, but it was now time to try some gravel and test out that rear wheel. The road was stunning and really not far from the highway. After about 10km, the GPS suddenly lost the trail and couldn’t find a way through, telling us to make a u-turn. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05322.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05315.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05316.jpg We decided to go another kilometre and see if it re-routed. Which it did. Beautiful! And we were only 3kms from the town of Superior, which we knew we had to go through. However, this 3km started with a massive washout and looked much more like a riverbed. Oh well Rosie, time to test that wheel!!! We got some momentum and bounced and bumped our way up about 1km of the track in no time. But then...... the road deteriorated further and further, becoming just wide enough to drive a small 4wd along it. The drop offs were massive and I was hugging the other side of the track as much as I could. It was rough, rocky and slippery and lined with cacti. I came around a bend and glancing at the GPS missed seeing a big rock, which promptly deposited Rosie on her left side, leaving me standing above her. Oooppssss. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05319.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05320.jpg As we rounded a bend, the track became even narrower with a sharp right bend. The track had been washed out and was on a sharp angle straight into the gully below. Nope, not for me. Todd isn’t afraid of heights, so he happily road both bikes through whilst I carefully walked, hugging the cliff!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05324.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05327.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05329.jpg Then it was time to come done. It was an 800mtr descent and it was steep, slippery, rocky and seriously tough. I was getting tired by this time and really struggled with this. I dropped Rosie again and that was it, confidence gone. I felt I couldn’t possibly do it. I was too tired to concentrate properly and after dropping her twice, my confidence had taken a massive dive. I then began to feel anxious about it and well you know, by then, it was basically over. Todd went in front so I could follow his path exactly and we ended up paddling the girls down the descent. It was not a pleasant experience. We could see the road smooth out to a proper gravel road when we got halfway down and this kept me going. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05330.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05331.jpg T – What a track. This was pretty fun, although we were maybe tackling something that was bigger than our bikes could handle. With rocks the size of our heads rolling around under our wheels it made for some sphincter clenching fun! I was pretty glad to get to the bottom though. I could see Chantelle was struggling as the last of her strength sapped away. Still, once we were on the flat and graded road we only had about 600 meters to the town. I could see it. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05333.jpg C – But, again, it was not meant to be. We reached the corner and there was a big, barbed wire fence stating ‘Private Property, Keep Out; Trepassers Will Be Criminally Prosecuted’. I wont repeat the exchange between Todd and I at this point. I had no clue how on earth we would get back up that hill – I was so exhausted and felt there was no way I could face it. So I sat down, had a little cry, drank an awful lot of water and bucked up. I rode her up as far as I was comfortable, about 100mtrs and then stopped at the tough bit. Todd kindly stopped Mabel and walked back down to help me get Rosie over the really tough bits. We got up quite quickly considering and were treated to a magnificent desert sunset. It was beautiful and daunting all the same time. I have decided that the GPS can no longer be trusted!!! After backtracking, we were suddenly and very quickly, deposited at the highway. But this was a completely different way to the way we had come in. Neither of us could figure it out. We hadn’t passed the nearby factory at all on the way in before, yet the GPS ‘bread crumbs’ feature showed our track as the same, but then the one we came on in suddenly stopped. It was super weird. T – It was quite strange. There was no other track in or out. But we must have been on a different road right? We both felt a bit spooked out by the whole thing as there definitely was no other track! C - We got to a gas station and filled up the girls and had a big drink and a sit down whilst we decided whether we could face 70km in the dark to the camp we had picked. After some kindness from the attendant and then a random stranger approaching us and giving us a dollar, we felt alert enough to continue on. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05340.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05343.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05344.jpg The ride on the highway to camp was simply amazing. We never ride at night, and the desert is really beautiful then. It was a full moon, the air was warm and the night was calm. Sensational! We reached camp at 10pm and were too exhausted by then to do anything but set up the new tent and crawl in. We were both super impressed when we had it up in less than 2 minutes (without the rain fly) and within 5 minutes, we were both crashed on our mats, looking up through the mesh at the stars and the moon. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05353.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05354.jpg There was two RV’s there also, who obviously needed to run their AC all night, so we were also treated to the sound of generators all night long. Perfect.... T – What a day. What a ride! Even if we only managed 250kms for the whole day. Tomorrow we shall make up some miles and try to get with striking distance of Utah! |
:rofl:
I've also experienced a GPS taking you down some road and then suddenly wanting to reroute you because it lost it way. But then, it does add some adventure to one's traveling. :D Good luck and drive save. |
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19 August 2016
T - Last night was gorgeous! It was quite still and sheltered in the little canyon where we had camped. We slept with the fly off of the new tent and it was lovely to wake up in the middle of the night and gaze up at the stars while being protected from the bloody sucking nasties that zoomed around outside.
We were woken up nice and early by the droning of the neighbours generator. Well the screaming rattling banshee noise of the ancient old thing to be exact. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05355.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05356.jpg We packed up camp quickly and headed back up the canyon road to the overlook for the dam wall. As it was very early we pretty well had the place to ourselves. So we cooked up a feast of scrambled eggs, jalapenos, spinach and mushrooms and fixed Mabels fuel tank with some fang dangled repair kit. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05358.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05360.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05357.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00231.jpg C – The air was beginning to warm up and we could tell it was going to be a warm one today. We wanted to get out some miles before it got too hot, so the girls could rest during the hottest part of the day. T - Then it was time to knock out some miles. Our vague direction being north. I filled up Mabels tank slowly, checking for any leaks around the newly repaired section. There was none!! Woohoo!!!!! We slowly scooted north. Sticking more or less to the paved sections of road so we could make some good distance. The only problem with this, it wasn’t a terribly exciting ride. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05362.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05363.jpg C – By the afternoon we started to climb in elevation. We knew this would be the case as we headed north of Phoenix towards Flagstaff. The desert giving way to alpine flora. One thing I was not expecting though – to go from being warm and sticky on the bike to shivering my butt off. It was really getting quite cold as we climbed in elevation and by the time we reached a National Forest camping area, we were well and truly ready to warm up. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00228.jpg T - We slogged out the miles on busy roads towards a camp we had picked. The going today felt super super slow and we only managed 240kms before calling it a day and pitching our tent under the canopy of some towering pine trees. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05364.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05366.jpg C – We were hoping to sleep without the fly again, but with the chill at 2400mtrs, we decided it definitely had to go on! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05368.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00229.jpg T- It was a pretty uneventful day. Just ride ride ride. Tomorrow we should manage to cross into Utah easily enough and we should get to see some of the Grand Canyon. |
20 August 2016
T- Another nice camp, another squadron of generators to keep us company. It must be hunting season or something up this way as there seems to be a heap of campers all through the national forests up here and our closest neighbours passed our camp this morning all decked out in their camo gear.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05372.jpg We hit the road nice and early today. Partly to get a good run at the border and partly to beat the heat. We knew we would be working our little bikes hard over the next few days so we wanted to try to make it a little easier on them. C – I felt 100 years old this morning. Two nights of poor sleep don’t bring out the best in me. Poor Todd ended up standing around waiting for me to get my stuff in order. It was one of those mornings when I just couldn’t think and get my act together! Still, we managed to get on the road by 8am. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05373.jpg T - We had been climbing yesterday for about 107 kms, a big chunk of which was in third gear for little old Mabel. So it was nice to start out on some downhill action! We zipped and zoomed along the highway descending at a dizzying rate of 70 km/hr. Both of the girls were singing along quite happily! Then the scenery started to change. The alpine type trees slowly gave way to scrub and then to grasslands. Massive red cliffs suddenly thrust up out of the ground in front of us and we raced across the hot ground towards them. We were in canyon country now! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05375.jpg The views were just stunning. Even the busy strip of tarmac looked awesome with this backdrop. But boy was it warming up now! C – Wow. The canyon lands were just sensational http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05376.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05379.jpg C - And the air began to warm, with Todd and I relishing the warmth from the sun. We were conscious though that the girls don’t like the heat as much as we do and we were trying to be cautious with how much we pushed them. T - We raced on. Throttles pinned wide open. Our eyes soaking up the views, our bikes soaking up the heat. We rested the bikes occasionally to give them a 5 minute break and a quick cooling off. One time, as we were pulling off of the road, a car didnt see two bikes braking and indicating for the last 50 meters and narrowly missed ramming into Chantelle at highway speeds. What a moron. I flipped him off and screamed a pile of obscenities his way, but he wasn’t too bothered and just drove off with one hand resting on the wheel and one arm hanging out the window. Tosser. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05383.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05384.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05387.jpg C – I couldn’t believe it. We had three vehicles catch up to us in the space of about one minute and we could see a turn out about 500mtrs up the road. So, we started to indicate to give the cars behind plenty of time to slow down, or choose to overtake us. The guy behind was not paying any attention at all and I could see how quickly he was catching me. I had slowed to about 40km/hr as I was just about ready to turn. I had no time to turn, with him sitting basically a meter from my left hand pannier. I accelerated as hard as poor little Rosie would go and he missed me by about a foot, swerving suddenly into the other lane at the last minute. After I pulled over I spent some time ranting and raving whilst the adrenaline wore off, hoping I would see him up ahead so I could explain the concept of indicators and brake lights to him. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05388.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05390.jpg T - We dropped lower and lower before crossing the Colorado River over a short bridge. The canyon below us. Even though this was a very shallow, very narrow section of the whole thing it was still terribly beautiful. From the bridge we turned west following the highway along the base of the soaring bright red cliffs. We passed stand after stand selling knick knacks to the tourists. But there were no customers, just bored looking sales folk who waved as we zipped by. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05389.jpg The road started to climb almost straight up from the desert floor. Winding back and forth around hairpin bends. Back to second gear in places. Mabel screaming her lungs out. Up and over we went passing 9000 feet and then the fast descent back down to the desert on the other side. Mabel now screaming flat biccies as she flogged around curves! It was quite a lovely ride and it wasn’t too long before we flashed by the signs that said we were in Utah. And boy did we know it! The red and orange hued rocks that we had seen in photos were every where. Full of beautiful folds and hollows. Stunning! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05394.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05395.jpg C – It was amazing how the scenery just changed the minute we crossed that state line. Dramatic rocks and beautiful, bright red sand. As it was late in the afternoon, the light from the setting sun created the most beautiful effects on the rocks and we rode along in complete awe. Utah was already living up to its reputation! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05402.jpg T - We turned for Red Canyon where our camp was for the day, the road here cut through the rocks in big arches and short tunnels, while behind us the sun started to set, casting a brilliant red orange glow across the entire place. The magic hour in the photography world. It certainly was the magic hour in postie bike world too! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05397.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05398.jpg Finally we pulled into our camp and set up our tent. Both of us quite tired and ready for sleep. We managed some 300 kms today and we felt every one of those km. My ass hurt, my knees ached and my shoulders screamed. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05404.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05396.jpg Tomorrow we shall push on towards Salt Lake City. Our time in the US slowly coming to an end. Chantelles parents only 2 weeks away now and we have a lot of riding to go yet. |
21 August 2016
T - No one had generators here last night. In fact there was only one other person camping within cooee of us and I think they were in bed before we were! I had gotten up in the night for a pee break and ended up standing outside staring up into the sky at the millions of twinkling stars. It was a damn good camp spot.
C – What a beautiful, quiet and peaceful night. A perfect nights sleep! Oh, except for the mouse that scared the bejeezers out of me in the middle of night! I woke up and directly above my head on the mesh of the tent was a mouse, staring back at me. I did not expect that and jumped, scaring the poor little thing who then ran up and over the tent and out between the mesh and the rain fly. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00238.jpg T - After the usual eat, pack scenario we continued on our way down through the Red Canyon. We had been given a route to Salt lake City from here that took us through all the scenic roads and avoided the busy ones. It meant a longer distance, but we were happy to not be caught up in too much traffic. C – We camped quite high (again at 2400mtrs) and it was really quite chilly this morning. We both chose to keep our thermals on and as soon as we hit the road, we were both extremely glad of us! T - We crossed through typical Utah scenery of dramatic rock formations and deep gorges. The road we were following winding back and forth up and down. It was very pretty! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05406.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05407.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05409.jpg We stopped at an overlook and had a gentleman come over to us to enquire about the bikes and what we were doing. It started with the normal questions of how far, how long, how big are the bikes and how fast they go. When we told him what we were doing and how far we were going and the speed we did it at he laughed at us and then just walked away. It was weird and both of us felt a little miffed and insulted. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05412.jpg C – By this point I couldn’t feel my hands and so opted to dig out my beautiful, amazing winter gloves. The elevations keeping the air a chilly temperature. T - So we rolled on. Climbing another mountain. And then another and another. In fact today we ended up summiting 6 mountains all around 2700 meters! Our bikes worked super hard. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05414.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05416.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05418.jpg We passed through hot, beautiful landscapes. Utah is sure gorgeous. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05422.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05419.jpg We rode alot. We rode far. Then we rode a little more. Eventually stopping in a little town called Duchense for some dinner and a beer. We used their wifi to pick a camp just up the road. Well another 85 km’s up the road to be precise. By the time we ate and left the diner it was already pushing 7pm. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05428.jpg We rode up another pass. The temperature plummeted as did the sun. We climbed and climbed and finally turned into the camp site we had picked. At over 2700 meters it was damn cold up there. Freezing cold. I had lost my jumper along the way and with my sleeping mat now refusing to hold any air, I knew I wouldn’t be getting a good sleep up there. So we made the decision to push on and camp a little bit further down the mountain. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05423.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05424.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05426.jpg So on we raced. Into the growing darkness. Our one candle power headlights lighting up, well nothing really. We found a small turn out and pulled in to see if there was a flat place to pitch our tent. Nope. Not here. Onwards!!! C – I think we were both really enjoying the riding and that affected our decision making on when to camp. We kept making excuses about the elevation and the cold. T - About 10 minutes up the road my gut told me we should turn around and go back to that turn out. That we had stuffed up and were looking at no camping possibilities between here and Salt Lake City. I ignored my gut instinct. Thinking that we would find something. We always do. T - We didnt. In fact we couldn’t even find a hotel to stay in. With nothing but to ride some more we set the GPS for Salt Lake City. Which is where we ended up at midnight. Some 640 kms from where we had started this morning. 15 hours of riding time under our belts for the day. C – When we arrived in Kamas we conceded we might need to find a hotel. We discovered that there were none in town, confirmed by a couple at a gas station. They recommended we push on to Park City, 13 miles. Whats another 13miles at this point? We arrived in Park City to find it a very expensive place – no cheap hotels here, just big fancy resorts. We stopped at a few places but it was just too much. We found a cheap Super 8 hotel and called it a night. Im sure I was asleep before my face even touched the pillow. Tomorrow we are off to stay with some people that Chantelle knows from a womens adventure riders group on facebook. |
640 clicks on an overloaded postie in one day doh
you guys need therapy :rofl:bier |
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22 August 2016
T – I slept so damn well last night! After we pulled into the hotel and threw our stuff on the floor I had a nice hot shower and by the time my face hit the pillow I am sure I was already snoring and drooling.
There was a free breakfast on offer with our room and I was up nice and early, 630 am, to make sure I didn’t miss out on it! This is where I make up for the cost of the room. They had cereal which is something I really relish these days, being that cereal doesn’t seem to survive too well on the bikes. So I had a few ginourmous servings of the stuff plus a few gallons of apple juice. Mmm mmmm. C – I was not as excited as Todd about breakfast, particularly at 0630 when breakfast didn’t actually finish until 9am. I managed to crawl out of bed as Todd promised me lots of coffee and we made it down to breakfast for 7.30. Todd was in heaven as he poured copious amounts of fresh milk on his cereal. I was just very happy to pour fresh, full fat milk into my precious coffee!!! T - We then lounged around in the room for a bit, writing the blog and just chilling out. We had a check out time of 1200pm and we were determined to check out at the last possible minute. It was great and yes it was terribly lazy of us. C – I had been in touch with our host, Jude, over Facebook and suddenly my computer was making a noise I hadn’t heard before and telling me Jude was calling. How?!?!?! I am not good with technology beyond the use of Microsoft Office for boring work tasks and I had no idea before this that Facebook Messenger has a call function! We arranged to meet Jude for Thai in the city and eagerly packed our bikes with our tummies making loud requests for food. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05430.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05429.jpg C - I was really excited to meet Jude, and to be honest, she was our main motivation for heading to Salt Lake City. Jude is the administrator of a Facebook site call Women Adventure Riders and the group is full of incredibly talented woman who are super supportive of each other. Jude has managed to foster such a wonderful culture in this online group and there was no way I could be in Utah and not meet her! I encourage any motorcycling ladies out there to join the group and experience the wonderfulness that is Women Adventure Riders! T - Both bikes seemed to be running really well. Which made me happy, considering the punishment they had the day before. There were some parts of the mountains yesterday that had us both back to first gear. C – We were both somewhat apprehensive about checking the girls over after yesterday, but surprisingly they both survived full of oil and ready for the new day! T - It was great to catch up with Jude after having heard about her so much from Chantelle. We enjoyed a great chat and an amazing lunch and the conversation flowed as though we were all old mates from way back! It’s always nice when it is so easy like this, and in fact it has been with everyone we have stayed with so far! After lunch, thanks Jude for taking us out, we decided to go into the city centre and check out the big complex that belonged to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was massive. There were some gorgeous features of the old buildings and the engineering that went into was truly impressive. We finished off our tour by being taken to the rooftop of one of the towers there which gave us some great views out over Salt Lake City. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05432.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05433.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00243.jpg T - Then I had a massive icecream. Because why not! Choc chip mint and vanilla praline or some such thing. So good! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05437.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05439.jpg C – Whilst Todd had craving for icecream, I was craving ice coffee! After Todd enjoyed his large serving, we ventured off to find a coffee roasters. We stumbled across the Raw Bean and had a truly wonderful ice latte... mmmmmmmmmmm T - We cruised through the streets for a short while, enjoying being on our little bikes. We both have developed some very strong bonds with these tough little machines. We eventually wound our way through some back streets to Jude and Andreas’ house. It was such a gorgeous home. Full of delightful woodwork and so much character. These below pictures were taken by Jude and Andreas. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...97671437_o.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...32427597_n.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...10344818_o.jpgo C – As usual, the evening turned into a yack fest and we thoroughly enjoyed Jude and Andreas’ company. Such a wonderful people! We must admit to also getting a bit gaga over their beautiful dog, Sadie. Such a sweetheart. T - I hung out in the workshop with Andreas and his mate Bruce for a bit while they worked on Andreas V-Strom which was so pleasant. It’s always nice to hang out with bike minded people and pick their brains about where to ride and what to ride. T - Way too soon it was dinner time and bed. I was totalled and was looking forward to a comfy nights sleep. T - Tomorrow we are going to pick up a few items in town and do a little maintenance on the bikes. We plan on doing the old Pony Express Route from here through to Nevada starting on Wednesday, but we have a heap of research to do in regards to the length of it, the availability of fuel and whether the roads are all open. |
23 August 2016
T - What a great sleep! Two nights in a row of amazing sleeping. I think I really needed it! We woke to the smell of fresh hot brewed coffee. Not a bad way to wake up at all! It was so quiet here last nice that you could have heard a pin drop! We had a great little spot in the basement and I was in my element! In case you hadn’t noticed I really like being below ground for some reason, so for me this was a perfect place to be sleeping!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05440.jpg We wandered up to the kitchen where we were greeted by cups of coffee and a breakfast feast! Cereal was on offer here and I was only too happy to do my part with emptying the cereal box! Give me an underground home and an endless supply of cereal and milk and I’m yours! We eventually dragged our lazy asses out to the bikes and went off in search of a Walmart, which we hate and love all at once, to find some fresh batteries for our GPS. This tiny little endeavour managed to take up our whole morning and then we went to have lunch with Jude at her work. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...04394385_n.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...12506998_n.jpg C – I am really not too sure what happened this morning, but it seems a quick trip to Walmart for batteries and the neighbouring auto store for a fresh supply of oil took us all morning! We then set the GPS for Jude’s work and cruised through the streets of SLC, admiring the feel and layout of the city. We feasted on Vietnamese Banh Mi and again managed to talk up a storm!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...11855376_n.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...98202006_n.jpg T - Wow. Jude has such an interesting job! She is a research scientist at a cancer research center here in the city. When she offered to show us into the lab where she works we both got really excited! This trip is bringing us into contact with some amazing people from places we would never have imagined we would have met. From people working in cancer research, to in flight refuelling boom operators, to hunting guides and even an ex flight forward controller who worked at, of all places, Nevadas Groom Lake (otherwise known as Area 51). We are truly lucky! After seeing and hearing what Jude does every day, working with DNA and building genes so bloody cool, we had another crack at finishing our errands. Finally we pulled back up at Jude and Andreas’ place where I removed a link from Mabel and Rosie’s stretched chains, noted the unusual and heavy wear of my rear sprocket, cleaned and rebuilt Rosies carby, adjust clutches and did a general check over of the bikes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05443.jpg Then Andreas cooked up some heavenly burgers and salad for dinner and we sat around laughing and chatting and trying to work out a route for us on the Pony Express. It will be cool for us to take our little mail man motorcycles down the same route that horse riders used to race along with their mail! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05441.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05444.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05448.jpg Then it was time for bed. We have some more research to do on tomorrows potential route and it will involve us needing to carry extra gas and water as the miles between fuel stops is too close to our range to be comfortable. Tomorrow we deliver mail on the old mail route! Probably.... |
24 August 2016
T - Another day, another goodbye. We hate this part. Having to say goodbyes to the lovely people we meet really does suck. But onwards we must go! We dragged our asses out of bed and upstairs today. Jude and Andreas were already up and ready to tackle the day! We said our goodbyes to Jude who had to go to work and then began the steady process of our packing up.
Andreas was amazing and made sure we had everything we needed to keep us comfortably on the road for the next little while. Thanks guys so much for having us stay and for feeding us and keeping us entertained! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05450.jpg C – It was definitely sad to say goodbye to Jude and Andreas, such lovely and wonderful people. We were both looking forward to the next part of our journey though, which, all going well, we would travel the Pony Express trail from Vernon, Utah into Ely, Nevada. After contacting the White Pine County roads department in Nevada, we confirmed that the Nevada side of the trail was also open and driveable. From what I can understand, part of the Pony Express trail was also used to create the first highway crossing America and was called the US50 Lincoln Highway, or the Lonely Highway. So we would also get to traverse some of this historic route as well. Time to hit the road! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05451.jpg T - We waved goodbye to Andreas and headed off for Walmart. We needed to grab a few extra bits and pieces plus we wanted to grab some small jerry cans to carry a little bit of extra fuel. Chantelle had worked out that the distance between our last fuel stop here in Utah and our first one over in Nevada was around 400 kms. Right on the edge of our safe fuel range. So long as we didn’t backtrack, work the bikes hard, or get lost we would make it. So we thought it was a smart idea to grab a little bit extra. New cans strapped down and filled with fuel and we were heading for the town of Vernon. The last fuel stop and the beginning, for us, of the Pony Express route in this area. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05453.jpg It wasn’t too long and we had covered our first 100 km’s to Vernon. We topped off our tanks and rode on out of town. We had to take our postie bikes down the old postie route! C – It was such an exciting moment leaving the Silver Sage cafe in Vernon. The rush of the knowing there is nothing out here but desert basically all the way to Ely. We expected the cafe to have some Pony Express maps, after we saw a sign advertising this, but they didn’t have any info. It appears it isn’t as popular as I thought the route would of been! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05458.jpg T - The road was a little rocky and slippery in places but otherwise quite nice. We rode along towards a set of mountains. The road climbing slowly. White dust pouring from our tyres, coating everything instantly in a talcum powder. Then suddenly... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8241043061.jpg BOOOOOOOOM!!!! Chantelle came over the intercom saying “Shit shit shit shit what do I do? Help!” Uh oh... That didn’t sound good...... Turns out that Rosie blew her rear tyre out in a big way! The sudden deflation of which caused Chantelle to be taken for a wild sliding side to side ride as she coasted to a stop. Well this was a good start to this road! We had built this section of our trip up to be such a big thing in our minds, and both of us had some doubts as to whether we would make it on fuel, on our bikes, or even because of the road conditions. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00244.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05461.jpg C – I wasn’t very articulate at the time, but what I meant to be asking Todd was how quickly can you brake when your rear tyre does this? Rosie was swinging wildly from side to side, although I seemed to be able to keep her front end straight on the gravel if I didn’t brake too hard. So I figured it was better to coast and gently brake to a stop, rather than trying to stop the wild ride quicker. T - We stripped Rosie down and pulled her tube out. Two holes. Something had gone through the side of the tread and sliced a 2 cm gash into the tyre, then pierced the tube from one side straight through to the other. I walked back down the road to where Rosie had started sliding around. There I found the broken remains of some type of animal and a heap of sharp jagged bones sticking up in the air. That’ll do it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00247.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00250.jpg We put Rosie back together and after we were certain she was holding air again got ready to meander on. Our total distance so far down this road... 2 km’s... 398 to go.... As we were about to leave a fellow pulled up in his car and asked where we were going, where we were coming from, and if we were ok or if we needed nay help. He really wasn’t too happy when we told him of our plan to cross through into Nevada on the Pony Express. He shook his head a lot, told us it was a very long way, that there was no services out here, no mobile reception, and mostly no water. He looked very unhappy as he drove away. Now we did have some doubts and agreed that should we have any more bike issues in the next 20 km that we would take it as a sign and turn around. Well needless to say there were no more issues. We rode along this stunning and iconic road which also followed, in part, the Old Lincoln Highway. Which we learned was Americas very first cross country highway. Well before Route 66 even! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00255.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05462.jpg C – The road was actually a maintained gravel road and in reasonable condition. There were sections of road which had recently been graded and this slowed us down a little, as the gravel became a bit loose and soft in these sections. We both certainly noticed the extra 5.5kg we were each carrying in fuel and water, with the girls feeling like they had extra super duper power steering! As we came to the first stop on this section of the travel, Simpson Springs, we saw three beautiful mustangs standing just off the road side grazing. They threw their heads up proudly as we passed slowly and we could see their muscles twitching as they readied themselves to flee. They were simply the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00251.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05466.jpg T - The road dipped and curved down and around a huge salt lake. The Dugway Proving Grounds which the military used for all types of military things. The road was recently graded which gave us a few sphincter clenching moments as we skated off of the marble type rock strewn across the road and into the deep soft sandy stuff that was spread on the shoulders. And every centimetre of it spewed out this fine white dust that just hung in the air. Filling our helmets, our jackets and our bags with the stuff. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05471.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05472.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05468.jpg It was so beautiful out here. Just stunning. We stopped at an old mine tunnel for a bum break and I ventured a little ways inside. Not too far. As much as I wanted too. We set our next stop on Ibapah. It was at Ibapah that we didn’t know the road conditions etc. We had only heard about people getting there and then turning north to Wendover. We wanted to go south to Ely and the ET Highway. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05481.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05478.jpg We finally pulled in Ibapah. A small town way out here in the middle of nowhere. There are no services here. No gas, no food, nothing. We had used barely half of our long range tank of fuel to get this far but decided to top it up with our gas cans. We were about two thirds of the way across. We picked up the Pony Express trail again and headed back out into flat grasslands towards some distant mountains. The dirt road here was ungraded, very hard, and very smooth. We flew along it! Our dust rising high into the still air. The sun beginning its downward arc in front of us and really lighting up the golden coloured grass and hills around us. It was just amazing. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05490.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05487.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05485.jpg Seeing as we were on BLM land we found a narrow track that lead off towards some hills where we found a flat grassy area to pitch our tent. We checked the bikes over and gave the chains a lube. Mabels rear sprocket is wearing terribly. Super fast. While Rosies still looks like brand new. Weird. They both have the same chains, same engines, same miles on them, we ride in a similar fashion and apart from weight differences they are basically loaded the same. Hopefully Mabel can get me to LA where I will have a new rear sprocket waiting for me. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05495.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05491.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05496.jpg C – No more broken spokes. Are we declaring this incident officially over yet??? Thanks so much to Frank from ZMW Adventures in Tucson for getting this sorted for us!!! The view from our tent was mangificant and we watched the colours change across the valley and the mountain as the sun made its final descent and darkness began to come over us. The most wonderful thing about the desert at night is the sky, especially when you are far away from any light pollution. It did not disappoint tonight, with the sky completely covered with bright stars. It was calm and quiet and a wonderful camp spot! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05504.jpg T - Tomorrow we head for the ET highway after we traverse the last section of this trail. |
25 August 2016
T - I was up just moments before the sun popped up over the horizon this morning. So I sat outside in my chair, typed up yesterdays blog entry and enjoyed welcoming a new day. Out here in the desert I always find the sunsets and sunrises are just spectacular. Maybe it is because of the dust that lingers in the air or the fact that there is no pollution around, or maybe I am just a soppy weirdo!
C – I vaguely remember Totti suggesting coffee at some point. All I could muster was a half hearted wave. I couldn’t even open my eyes, so I just rolled over and drifted back into blissful sleep. Some point later I awoke to a stunning morning. The sun was beaming through the tent and warming it up nicely. T - Eventually Chantelle joined me and we had a nice coffee and some breakfast. We only had about 85 km’s to go before we hit the major town of Ely where we could refuel the bikes and work out a plan for todays jaunt. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00259.jpg We zoomed down the smooth hard dirt road, both of us resembling ghosts such was the thickness of the white dust that now covered us and the bikes. Then just like that the dirt ended and the bitumen began. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00267.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05511.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05512.jpg What a ride what a road! All the trepidations we had about it amounted to naught. As I suspect these things often do. I would highly encourage people to ride this road. Just make sure you carry enough fuel and water as there really is nothing much out there. C – It was such an amazing thing to ride that section of the Pony Express and part of the old Lincoln Highway, both being important trails in American history. This section is maintained gravel and dirt roads and was definitely worth the trip for both the history and the views. Sensational! T - As we rode along the GPS decided to route us through a mountain range to join us across to Highway 93. Now we haven’t had much luck with the mapping on this thing as of late, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and follow its directions. So glad we did too! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05515.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05516.jpg The new track took us away from our nice smooth bitumen and onto a single lane, rutted, rocky, sandy dirt track. We wound through some sensational national forest, through a small canyon, across a small stream and then started to climb a very steep hill. So steep in fact that we were back to first gear and the switch backs were packed in so tightly against one another that they were almost on top of each other on the GPS screen back and forth we went always climbing. The valley below us opening up the higher we went. The views seemingly going on forever. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05518.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05519.jpg C – The Kalamazoo Road (which we admit we mostly agreed to follow the GPS because of the road name) was a great ride and suitable for even beginner off road riders. Its always good to practice slow speed control riding and this track was not at all challenging, but super fun with the switchbacks and the views. The GPS promised us the road would emerge on US93 at McGill and when we turned onto the road, the National Forest made the same promise, in 26 miles. So, we went for it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00263.jpg T - Then we popped over the top and had the same insane switchbacks heading down hill. So much fun! The road finally running out of turns and zipping off along narrow ridges between hills before depositing us out onto Highway 93 just 25 km out of Ely. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05523.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05522.jpg We went into town and wandered into the library to update the blog and let Jude know we had made it safely. We must have looked a right state. Covered head to toe in white dust, smelly and sweaty, Chantelles jeans stained in oil and grease from her tyre change. We didn’t care though! You stop caring about things like that when you’re on the road. Blog updated we sat in the park and had some lunch before we fuelled up and headed for our next camp. We were only travelling about 150km’s further up the road to a place called Lunar Crater. There is some free camps there and we want to bag one! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05524.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05527.jpg The GPS took us out of town about 10 km and directly into a closed road through an active mine. Sigh. So back we went to Ely and took another route out the back of town. We were basically stuck on the bitumen highway now, no back roads existing out there for us. Trucks and cars flew by us constantly until we hit the turn for Las Vegas. Then we had the road to ourselves. We meandered along, crossing a huge flat prairie. The road just stretched straight out in front of us, disappearing into a haze miles and miles distant. It felt like an age before we reached that haze, only to see the road stretch on again into another haze. Wow. This was a straight bit of road! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05529.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00273.jpg C – We passed a large oil field and processing plant along the way. It was a bit stinky I have to say!!! T - Eventually our turn off came up and we followed a hard fast dirt road into Lunar Crater. It was a gorgeous place too. Just a thumping great hole in the ground! We rode around the crater rim and just pitched our tent right on the edge of it at the end of the road. What a place to camp! We were the only ones here! The views around us were staggering. Photos do it no justice. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05533.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05531.jpg We climbed a nearby hill to get a better view of our camp and the canyon. The rolling hills stretching away forever in every direction. So beautiful it hurt. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05539.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05543.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05538.jpg We sat on the crater rim and watched the sun set over the crater, as the sun went down the temperature dropped. And so soon we were crawling into the tent wrapped up into our sleeping bags and watching an episode of Raymond. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05550.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05549.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00280.jpg Tomorrow we head for the little town of Rachel and the Little A’Le’inn. Plus we are going to visit a very famous mail box for our friend Jax. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05552.jpg |
26 August 2016
T - It got bloody cold last night. I had to get up at some god awful hour of the morning and have a piddle. It was pitch black and bitingly cold. Especially when I was wandering around the edge of the crater in my undies looking for a suitable pee spot.
As the sun hit the tent this morning I laid there and stared out the door at the bright new cloudless day. It was promising to be a glorious one already! The valley around the crater lit up in spectacular fashion. I could certainly have laid there and stared at it for hours! But we had some exciting places to ride to today and laying in the dirt wasn’t going to get us there! So we stuffed our faces with warm porridge, and left over brownie cake, and raced off down the dirt track and back to the highway. C – Whilst making my coffee, I managed to spill the whole cup in my lap. Thankfully, it had been brewing in the press for a few minutes so wasn’t burning hot. But I did have the pleasure of having wet jeans whilst we packed up... that stained nicely brown around the crotch and down my left leg once it dried. Oh, I must of looked a treat today! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05583.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00285.jpg T - It was at this point I had a real profound moment. Riding this particular track at this exact moment. It was a moment of pure joy. Right then and there was the best moment of the trip, the best riding moment, the absolute best. I have no idea why. We have ridden through some incredible scenery, seen some amazing places, but this moment was the absolute best. I just rode in silence and relished it. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05584.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00286.jpg C – As we were riding out, we rode in silence. I didn’t realise that Todd was thinking exactly what I was thinking until we were out on the bitumen. I can not explain it, but the view of the desert on the way out from the crater was simply the most exquisitely beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. It was a phenomenal moment. T - Then we hit the bitumen and turned south. Towards the beginning of the Extra Terrestrial Highway! I had read about this road and the places along it many many times over the years, and now to be actually heading there, well it felt weird and not real. Strange that! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00289.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05585.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05586.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05589.jpg There wasn’t much traffic on the road which was great! Just us and our little red demons. The mountains stretched away before us and the ribbon of road faded away into infinity in the distance. Truly this is a beautiful bit of the world. We rode along chatting away, both of us in very high spirits today. Though we usually are to be honest! The road was so devoid of traffic out here that I stopped and parked in the middle of it while I wandered around with my camera. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05588.jpg C – We managed to make up a conspiracy story for every little thing we saw along the way. We laughed a lot as each story got story got crazier and crazier! T - Then Rachel came into view. Just a small shiny shimmer on the far horizon. 25 km’s away. Yep we could see that far! We stopped at the ET Highway sign, which was so covered in stickers and crap that we almost couldn’t read it. So we added our sticker to it as well. When in Rome... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05591.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00290.jpg T - We pulled up at the Little A’Le’Inn which was a blast! There was a UFO hanging off the back of a tow truck and all!! We went in and ordered some food. I grabbed an Alien Burger and Chantelle opted for the Hot Wings. Which were hot she assures me. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05595.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05600.jpg C – The Inn was certainly a very cool place, obviously all decked out in alien related paraphernalia. It was a hoot!! They had signed prints on the walls from Simon Pegg and co from when they filmed ‘Paul’ out here – we had both forgotten about that!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05597.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05596.jpg T - We grabbed a few souvenirs and a special ‘map’ of the local area. The lady that served us gave us some directions on how to get to a place just up the road along with some very stern warnings. Don’t cross any gates, don’t park in the way of the gates, if you do cross the gates you will be arrested and deported and not allowed back into the US for 25 years. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05598.jpg Where were we headed? Area 51 of course!! Oh my god. Area 51 Channy!!!!! I couldn’t believe we were really going to drive up to one of the entrance gates to this extraordinary place. A place talked about on every conspiracy website. Where alien bodies, live aliens, UFO’s and reverse engineered alien technology abounds! And we were going there! Alien technology abounds! And we were going there! Can you tell that I was excited? We rode a short ways out of town before heading down a dirt road. We skipped along this very wide smooth road for about 10 km’s before it suddenly became tarmac. We followed the sealed road all the way up to a set of gates set in the middle of nowhere. The entrance to this secretive place. We couldn’t see anything of the actually Groom Lake site, obviously, but it was super cool to ride up to the gates, do a Uturn and park right there! We saw movement in the guard hut as security people moved about checking us out. But I am sure they get people like us out here a lot. We grabbed a few pics and then left. What with photographing missile sites and secret government installations, well I didn’t want to push our luck too far... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05601.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05603.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05605.jpg C – It was completely ridiculous how excited we were to be going to the home of conspiracy theories! Honestly, if the area had devices that could hear the conversation over the communicators I am sure the ‘camo’ security guards would have been calling for some serious mental health professions to take us away! T - We rode back to the highway and continued on towards our next destination. Las Vegas. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05608.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05609.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05612.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05594.jpg The road was super quiet right up until we hit the main south bound highway. Then it became a mad race of big trucks, huge cars, and a narrow shoulder strewn with junk to ride on. Oh joy. Eventually it happened. Mabel picked up a massive 3 inch long nail in her rear tyre. It totally destroyed the tube. Tearing holes all through it and splitting it wide open. Damn it. Mabel always gets flats on the side of super busy highways, while Rosie always gets them in remote areas. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC00298.jpg Not to worry. We have this rear wheel repair thing down pat now and soon had a new tube in and the tyre back on the bike. Then it was a slog down the highway and the back roads into Las Vegas. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05618.jpg What a place. We were here 8 years ago and it doesn’t look like much has changed. Though we were saddened and shocked at the amount of homeless sleeping on the sides of the road just blocks away from the glitz and glamour of the strip itself. We eventually found a cheap and clean hotel to stay in and went out for a wander which lasted well into the night. We wandered down old Fremont mall and watched as people ziplined overhead. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05630.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05632.jpg C – This city of sin is such an intriguing place. On the surface, its fun and lighthearted, with copious amounts of food, alcohol and adult entertainment. But there is always a flip side... its hard to ignore that people are exploiting themselves for other peoples entertainment in order to make money. That this one strip is full of excess when no matter which direction you seem to look away from The Strip poverty reigns king. Last time we flew in and missed everything away from the few miles of the strip and the Freemont mall. Driving in this time though, we saw outside of the adults play area. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05639.jpg Todd and I both commented about how different the vibe of the strip feels compared to our last Las Vegas experience. On our last visit, we saw a lot of glitz and glamour, including super expensive cars, whereas this time it felt cheaper somehow. Perhaps its got to do with the fact that I didn’t consume one drop of alcohol.. hhmmm that was also very different to last time!!!! T - Its a funny old place for sure and tomorrow night we shall get out and have a good wander though some of the more famous Vegas landmarks. Plus I want a photo of Mabel at the Bellagio fountains and the Vegas sign! |
27 August 2016
T - It is always nice to sleep in a proper bed! I crashed last night and slept like a bay. Though I did have some weird dreams. Too much cheese with my nachos last night perhaps? Got to love those cheese dreams.
We decided to take our time in getting up and about this morning. No particular reason. Just that we had no where to be so why rush! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05642.jpg Chantelle had chosen one of the strips cheapest breakfast buffets for us to go to this morning. And cheap it was. But bloody hell was there some food on offer! Anything I could have wanted, from cereal right through to Chinese food and cakes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05653.jpg C – Todd had been talking eating at a buffet since we arrived in the US, so I figured now was as good a time as any. I found a highly recommend one at a casino quite close to us, hoping it was going to be decent food. But then, for $11.99 for all you eat champagne breakfast..... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05644.jpg T - I had a selection of stuff. And finished it up with some cake. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with the waitress over what we wanted to drink and we ended up with 4 small glasses of free champagne. Ok... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05643.jpg Feeling terribly full and sick we wandered out to the strip and caught the bus down to the big casino district. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05654.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05658.jpg We had a wander through a few but neither of us felt the vibe of the place that we had all those years ago. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05667.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05666.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05671.jpg I was quite conflicted with the masses of homeless begging for money. I know we are on this amazing world trip, and maybe my opinion shouldn’t count, but I was totally saddened that these people had given up to the point that they were standing on the side of the footpath with a cardboard sign saying ‘Veteran needs money’, or ‘Homeless, anything will help’. It was so constantly in my face that I found I quickly began to ignore them. Not even bothering to read their signs. And I didn’t like that I was like that. I wish I could help them all out. I really do. But I don’t know that just giving them money is the answer. For me the lowest moment was when a fellow was using a very disabled and seemingly drunk lady in a wheel chair to get money from tourists in Fremont Mall. I didn’t feel he was there for her, only for himself. How do we let this happen? Where is the help that that lady needs? What is wrong with us wealthy Westerners that we are so focussed on money and ourselves that we can’t help these people? And therein lies my conflict. I have to look after me and mine. Because but for a fine line I too could be holding up that sign. Plying tourists for a dollar. Very sad. And then like a shining light was a man in the middle of Fremont Mall. A man by the name of Constant. A self described warrior and survivor. He had no use of his legs whatsoever. But he had a message of hope written on his placard. That he wanted to show others who were down on their luck that there were other options. He had an act and he used it to get the crowd in. For some reason this one man and his simple message and actions really inspired me. I wanted to empty my already empty wallet into his case. So I gave him what I could. I felt it was the least I could offer him. Then we wandered the mall a little more while I thought about Constant. I don’t know what it was but he really struck a cord in me. We had a small dinner and then wandered back to the hotel. I was tired. Vegas had worn me out. Maybe I am too old for this place. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05675.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05676.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05683.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05690.jpg C – Interesting how things change over time, although its not Vegas that has changed. We have changed. We have travelled so much since our last visit here 8 years and our attitude towards life has changed. T - Tomorrow we get back onto our little bikes and head out of this place and towards Death Valley. And I would be lying if I said I was sad to leave Vegas this time around. |
Wonderful adventure. bier
Begging can be big business in the states and Vegas is no exception. When you mentioned the guy with an act and a sign, well you Likely nailed it, almost nothing is real, please never give money to a beggar. I remember seeing a very destitute you man on the bridge between the excalibur and the New York New York. He was very convincing and lots of people were dropping money to him. About 1am he stood up, took off his dirty cloths and tucked them in his back pack, underneath he had a nice silk shirt and slacks, off he went to gamble. Now off strip, not far away things can be as they seem. Pay sucks for most in a city that never recovered from the crash in 08. Lots of homeless, most of whom are crazy. Sad really murica needs to address this and is seemingly incapable. Make sure you tour the Hoover damn, absolutely amazing. |
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We did a helicopter flight out over Hoover when we were here last time! It was pretty awesome! Chantelles parents will likely want to come to Vegas in a couple of weeks when they get here so we might take them out there too! We are heading into Death Valley today and I am pretty excited about seeing that! |
Death Valley is Amazing and I hope you plan on spending a few days, it is Immense and takes time. I had only planned to ride through and ended up spending three days toodling around :P
Spring is actually the best time, and once every 11 years or so it has a super bloom and the valley is carpeted with flowers. It was a to do thing and I managed to drag a cranky pregnant wife and our toddler through during the last super bloom this year :P Thoughts of the Ages: Death Valley Super Bloom, cross one more off the bucket list. It will be crazy hot as it is summer so be super careful, not a good time to be on bikes going through there. While in Vegas make sure you take a ride through red rock canyon as well, there are wild burros which are often alongside the road. And Hoover damn you HAVE to see on the inside, soo grand. |
28 August 2016
T - We had some laundry to do today. It has been a while since we did any and our clean clothes had run out. So we packed up our room and packed the bikes up. There was a laundomat just up the road from our hotel, and while we in theory could have walked there, we chose not too! No point in overdoing things right? I have worked too hard at drinking too much beer to get this sexy gut of mine. No way am I going to exercise and get rid of it!
It didn’t take us too long to have our clothes washed, dried and packed away again. Both of us now sporting clean smelling, if not clean looking, clothes, we headed off in search of an Ihop. Mm pancakes. My second favourite meal! Next to cereal drowned in cold, full fat milk! C – Thankfully the lovely brown coffee stain came out of my jeans, although the grease is now a permanent fixture.. it adds character, right?!?!? Todd was super excited about pancakes. I think he thought all his Christmas’ had come at once – a buffet breakfast one day, followed by Ihop the next! T - Alas this was not meant to be. We ended up stuck in traffic for mile after mile and when we rocked up at Ihop on our overheated bikes we were greeted by a long line of people waiting for a seat. We decided to not line up and instead start the trek out of the city. We had a brief chat with a few people in the car park who were interested in Mabel and Rosie before striking back into the slow moving molasses that was the snarl of traffic today. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05694.jpg C – We had planned to take a few photos of the girls along the strip today, but after battling the traffic one way down the Strip, there was no way we were backtracking to reach our chosen photo spot! Both of us were reaching stages of ‘hangry’ by now and there may, or may not, have been muttered derogatory comments about the skills of other drivers.. Sorry people. T - Finally we broke free of the slow moving mess and struck out on a back road and away from the city. We had a stop for a quick bite to eat and to grab some fresh oil for the bikes. We were heading into Death Valley today and I wanted to make sure that the girls were filled with nice fresh thick oil in order to handle the crazily high temperatures in the valley. C – We found what appeared to be a diner and pulled in. I think it actually might have been a chain, but the food was surprisingly good. Although I am sure we both would have eaten raw dog by this point, as it was 1pm and we hadn’t eaten or consumed coffee by this point. T - We had no option here but to slog out some highway miles. Nevada is strikingly beautiful. It is proper hot desert out there and we loved every minute of it. Even the busy highway didn’t take away from the amazing scenery. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05697.jpg We turned off and headed down towards Death Valley. The vegetation becoming sparser and more sickly and stunted as we descended. The temperature rose and rose and I began to become a little worried about our hard working bikes. C – We had stopped to look at a free camp site not long after the start of the descent, but it was 5pm, very hot and with no shade. We decided to keep going slowly and wait until the sun had began its descent to get through the valley, figuring it would be cooler for the girls. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05715.jpg T - We pulled over at a place called Furnace Creek Inn where we rested the bikes in the shade and watched as both bikes dripped hot oil onto the ground from their various leaks and engine breathers. When they leak like that we know they are warm! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05698.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05700.jpg C – We drank a bunch of lovely, hot water from our water bottles and filled them up from a tap.. which turned out to be hotter than the water in our bottles! Just like straight out of a hot tap!!! Turns out this doesn’t taste so nice when mixed with a rehydration tablet! T - We had a good half hour rest and then set off again. The shadows on the road starting to lengthen as the sun dropped down into its resting place. I could feel the subtle drop in temperature too and I stopped worrying about the bikes so much. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05701.jpg Turns out though we wouldn’t have been the hottest people out there today. We saw a guy sitting on the side of the road right in the bottom of the valley. He was mending a puncture on his hand cart that he was pushing, yes PUSHING, through this hellishly hot landscape. We stopped to see if we could help him or offer him some water. But he wanted no help, no company and no conversation so we bid him good luck on his crazy walk and moved on. C – As hot as it was, with a furnace like wind hitting straight into us, the landscape was beautiful and the ride was worth it. There was just absolutely nothing on the valley floor. Nothing – not a scrap of life to be seen. Nothing, nought, nada, zip, zilch nuttin’. It was beautiful and daunting. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05702.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05704.jpg T - It wasn’t long before we passed by some sand dunes and started the long slow ascent up and out of the valley. We decided to have another pitstop as it was still very warm and we felt like a cold drink. So we pulled into another place called Stovepipe Wells. We went in and I got an icy cold Gatorade from a soda fountain and Chantelle being the healthy one opted for icy water. When we went to pay for our drinks Chantelle informed the gentleman behind the counter that she only had water if that mattered to the price. Not that it mattered to us. Out here they could charge whatever they liked for the stuff! He looked at Chantelle. Pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Not uttering a word. He was being openly rude to us. Well. Chantelles blood boiled on the spot. I took a step back as her eyes flashed from bright blue to dark grey and lasers shot out of each one. The guy behind the counter was vapourised on the spot. Nothing left but some hot ash floating in the breeze kicked up by the air conditioning. We left the money for the drinks on the counter and fled outside. The guy was an ass. No need to be so rude. Customer service seems to be going out the window here as much as it has back home in Australia. And it sucks to see it like that. C – Seriously, I couldn’t believe that someone could be so rude. I had no problem paying for the water at all... there are still costs with providing ice water (power, cups, straws) and especially when you are running a business in such a remote and desolate area. But seriously, there is nothing wrong with a simple, ‘no, we charge the same price’. I was very close to speaking to my mind when he gave me ‘the look’, but decided to keep my mouth shut. Then I was furious about it, but I realised I was furious at myself for not saying something. So here I am going to say something – please, if you are going to Death Valley, do not stop at Stovepipe Wells. Businesses like that don’t deserve to be patronised. Rant over. T - We slurped our drinks and cooled down while our bikes cooled off around the corner in the parking lot. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05705.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05707.jpg Sufficiently enraged and watered, Chantelle and I decided to ride on some more. There was a camp ground here behind the shop, but no way were we paying another cent into this guys pocket. Even though the camp ground was probably a National Parks one. Turns out that just up the road was a free camp for tenters only! It had toilets and running drinking water. So we were set! We put the tent up in the empty camp ground and left the rain fly off. It was warm enough and the sky promised an amazingly clear nights view of the gazillion stars above. We ate some dinner, drank some hot water from the tap and settled down to watch Top Gears Vietnam Special. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05709.jpg C – The heat began to dissipate as soon as soon as the sun began to disappear below the hills around the valley. The evening was very pleasant despite drinking more hot water!! T - Tomorrow we shall head for..well we don’t really know to be honest. Lets make it up tomorrow! |
Loving the report & pics T&C :thumbup1:bier
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29 August 2016
T - So while we ate some weird tasting breakfast and packed up our camp this morning we decided we would head towards Panamint Springs where we would veer off and head south and east. We are keen to meet a member of a Honda CT forum who we have heard some really great things about and figure we can take a couple of days to get there.
We were on the road nice and early which was good as it was quite cool for the final climb out of Death Valley. I really like riding at this time of the morning and later in the arvo just before it gets dark. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05713.jpg We climbed the mountains that ring Death Valley before we zoomed down a fun bit of road that zipped back and forth all the way into Panamint Valley where it then shot out across the valley floor, arrow straight and into Panamint Springs. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC00308.jpg It was a fun ride down and we both clutched our bikes in for a bit. Mabel reaching a dizzying 95km/hr! We shot out into the valley and cruised slowly up into Panamint Springs. We had picked a road here that turned left and ran across beautiful nothingness in southerly direction before it joined back up with some major highways. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05711.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05714.jpg It was very pretty out here. I love this desert stuff! We passed through a town that looked as though it used to be a prosperous little place but was now full of boarded up, burnt down, and smashed in homes and businesses. There was a large factory here that belched out nasty chemical smells and we just rode straight on through. Our noses stinging and our eyes streaming from the stench. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05717.jpg Eventually we hit the town of Kramer. We decided to turn east from here and head for a place called Amboy. This dot on the map was situated along a stretch of old Route 66 and we were both keen to ride a decent section of it. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05720.jpg Well ‘decent’ is the wrong word for it! The poor old Mother Road was in such bad shape along here. The road torn up with craters and cracks all through it. We tried to grab a photo that showed the state of it, but I am sure there are better parts of the road for that and we shall visit some more of it with Chantelles parents in a week or so. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05724.jpg We finally pulled into Amboy as the sun set on a very warm day. Both of our bikes sat in the driveway of Roys Cafe, ticking and groaning in the heat. Both leaving little oil stains on the dry ground beneath them. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05729.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05734.jpg We had a cold drink and enjoyed the air conditioning in the cafe and admired the old diner. The owner chatted to us about the place and told us he did quite well out here from the tourism trade. He then asked us if we wanted to camp behind the old hanger out the back of the cafe as the place we wanted to camp, Amboy Crater, was frequented by BLM staff who kicked campers out. So we set up our tent on a bit of ground littered with broken glass and bits of Route 66’s past and crawled into bed. We left the rain fly off as it was very warm and left the sleeping bags packed away on the bikes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05741.jpg Tomorrow we shall head into Joshua Tree and meet up with our friend. Both of us are in need of a shower to wash away the sweat from the last two days of gloriously warm riding. |
30 August 2016
T - Not too many pictures today. It was a short riding day for us.
Neither of us managed to sleep well last night. The ground out there in Amboy held onto the fierce heat of the day and then radiated it up through our sleeping mats all night. It became a very warm sticky uncomfortable night thats for sure! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05753.jpg We were up and packed very early this morning. Our intention to be over the next set of mountains before the sun got up any heat. Any little bit we can do to help our girls! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05755.jpg We just flew across the landscape today. Straight up and over the mountains and zipped down the other side. It was a very short ride and then we were pulling into 29 Palms. We decided to go and look for a diner for some breakfast. A can of mozzie repellent had decided to empty its contents into our food box just the other day and now everything we had in there tasted like deet. Not so pleasant! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC00311.jpg So we filled ourselves up on Dennys pancakes and burritos before heading a short distance up the road to our stay for the next day. The GPS seemed to be a little confused as to where we should really turn and took us partway up a sandy road before we realised we were headed in the wrong direction. At which point Rosie decided it was time she let all the air out of her rear tyre via a nice little hole. Again. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC00309.jpg Well I have lost count of the amount of times I have had the rear tyres off on these bikes, but suffice to say I can now change a tyre and tube in less than 10 minutes. Even in the hot sun, in the hot sand, on the side of a busy road. Soon enough we had the tyre fixed and the GPS rerouted and we were pulling up at Craigs house. We had a lovely chat and a couple of cold beers and had a great time. Eventually time came for us to go to bed. My eyes felt like they were hanging out of my head on stalks and had been rolled around in a kitty litter tray. I was so tired. I flopped onto the bed and I could hear myself snorting and snoring like an old bull before I even hit the mattress. |
31 August 2016
We didn’t have too much planned today. Which was lovely! Craig invited us to stay another night if we wished and we gratefully accepted. He then decided to take us out to see Joshua Tree National park.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05756.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05760.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05761.jpg We had seen some amazing photos that Craigs wife had taken around the place and we were very excited to visit the places she had been. After an awesome breakfast of cereal and blueberries drowning in milk we piled into the car and went for a drive. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05765.jpg Joshua Tree is stunning. The rocks everywhere are just so damn beautiful. I was so distracted by staring at them that I forgot I had my camera in hand! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05766.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05771.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05775.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05781.jpg Craig showed us through the camps and then took us up to the lookout spot where we could see the San Andreas fault running through the valley below us! Very cool! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05782.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05786.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05789.jpg Then we went for a quick spin through town before going back to Craigs and spending the evening chilling out and chatting. It was a great way to spend the day as even though we have had a few breaks lately, Chantelle and I are feeling a little weary. We have three weeks off of the bikes coming up and we both know that we shall miss the girls terribly, but it will recharge our batteries before we head south into Mexico! Which we are both getting very excited about! The day was topped off by Craig cooking us some incredible ribs smothered in herbs and sauce. They were divine and the meat just fell off the bones! I stuffed myself silly and then out came the icecream. Oh my. I may never leave the couch! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05790.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05791.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05794.jpg We chilled out on the lounge and watched a show about tiny houses. They look like a great idea and maybe its something to put in the memory bank for when we eventually get back to Australia. Tomorrow we are going to head for LA. Both of us have a yearning to see the coast and the sea. Though I am not looking forward to the LA traffic I must say.... It looks as though we may have a few free days inn the city, so if anyone can suggest some must do, and cheap or free, things to see then please let us know! |
1 September 2016
T - After another amazing sleep last night it was time to pack up and head for the big city. We decided last night to get up reasonably early and get going through the desert while it was still cool. Mabel has developed quite the leak from her kick start oil seal and when its hot she only needs a few minutes while she is stopped to end up with a nice little puddle of oil underneath her. It’s nothing major as yet, but it’s there and needs to be fixed...at some point.
C – We were up just as the light was starting shine across the desert and it was an absolutely exquisite morning. The desert is certainly at its best at this time of day. We went about packing the bikes up, knowing that the Palm Springs area would rise to higher temperatures today and we wanted to get our girls closer to the coast before the heat got too far over 100! T - We said farewell to Craig, who has looked after us so well. It has been a difficult past 2 months for Craig and we are so grateful to him for having us over during this time. His wife Ellie is an amazingly talented photographer and we feel blessed to have been able to see her work. Craig gave us some of her photos printed into postcards and we shall carry them with us on our trip. You’re an amazing man Craig and your strength and resolve shall carry you through. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05796.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05797.jpg It was such a beautiful morning for riding. There wasn’t too much traffic on the road and both bikes seemed to be singing along. Riding bliss! We passed through Palm Springs and from there on it seemed as though we were pretty well into the suburbia that sprawls out from LA. We took highway 74 which wound up into some hills. The road full of tight fast turns and dips and rises. Even on a small underpowered and overloaded bike these roads are a blast! We pulled over often to let the much fast moving traffic pass us and which also meant we had a heap of free road to ourselves. C – The ride through the Santa Rosa National Forest was beautiful and so much fun. These little bikes love the twisty roads and we actually managed to keep up the traffic for a while! T - We could tell we were into the city surrounds proper when we started to ride on 3 and 4 lane highways. Traffic was fast moving and we stuck to the shoulder, dodging bits of tyre and screws. I would risk a hundred flat tyres rather than a distracted speeding driver smashing into us at full pelt. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...8/DSC05132.jpg C – We had been warned a lot about LA traffic and the tone was set as were coming in. We witnessed a large suburban car decide that they didnt need to stop for red lights. They aggressively changed lanes from behind a car who was stopping for the red light, darted in front of us and just drove through the red light. Todd and I were completely speechless! T - We had lined up a Motostay for tonight and the GPS did a sterling job of taking us straight to the front door without us having to ride on any Interstate or major highway. Good job Garmin! Alisa and Edward welcomed us into their home and introduced us to their cat, Mr Purr! I was smitten with Purr instantly, but she was quite aloof, as cats often are when you try to give them some love! We settled in nicely and it wasn’t long before we were immersed in the pool with a few cold beers. Ahhh. Such a hard life... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05806.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05809.jpg We had an absolute ball with these guys and we were so impressed with all the bikes and bike gear they had! It was like a bikers paradise! Right down to the Ducati parked in the house! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05802.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05799.jpg C – It was so wonderful to meet Alisa. I am always inspired by women who work hard to empower other women and Alisa is certainly one these gals! Alisa led a group of women on the Sisters Centenary ride across the USA, following the Van Buren sisters original route... so very cool!!! Alisa has done some amazing ride, including the Trans America Trail and a solo trip to Argentina – you can check out her adventures at motoadventuregal.com. T - We were treated to a feast of Tri-tip. A cut of meat we had never heard of! Edward was a master BBQer and the meat was soooo good! This pic I stole from Edward....I was too busy shovelling food into my mouth to go and get my camera! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...pswkjytri9.jpg We sat around a chimnea for a little while after dinner and sank a few more beers before my eyes began closing. I was off to bed before I fell asleep in the chair outside. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC05808.jpg Tomorrow we shall have another day off the bikes. They both need a little maintenance and Chantelles parents are bringing a heap of parts over to the US with them. Mabels rear sprocket is now so bad that the tops of the teeth are starting to shear off, meaning I don’t want to ride her too far or too hard until I can fit new sprockets and chain! Unless there’s a big mountain nearby to climb..... |
So we are having 3 weeks off of the bikes while Chantelles parents are here. We are happy to post up our uodates as we travel about in the RV if you lot are interested! Let us know! Otherwise in 3 weeks time we will continue on with our bikes and prep them for the jaunt southwards into Mexico and beyond.
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29 September 2016
T- Well it’s time to get this little postie bike show back on the road!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06437.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06423.jpg So we said our farewells to mum and dad and started to sort our bikes out for the next leg of the trip. Rosies Lifan has covered over 30 000 hard km’s and was just starting to develop a knock in the clutch/bearing area during idle. Seeing as these little engines are so cheap we figure it’s almost not worth the time, effort and parts to rebuild them. So we ordered a new one for her and some maintenance parts for Mabel. The lovely couple we had stayed with previously in LA, Edward and Alisa, had invited us to stay with them again if we wanted and had also said we could have all our new bits sent to their place! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06434.jpg Waking up bright and early today, well early anyway, we set off to meet Edward at his office at Scorpion motorcycle apparel. We had decided to buy some new lids as Chantelles was 3 years old, and mine had a crack in it from slapping the bitumen during my last crash. We had tried on and really like the new Scorpion AT-950 dual sport modular helmet! Yay new things! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06454.jpg After cruising through rush hour traffic and picking the new helmets up we headed back to Edward and Alisa’s place. We took our time and 30 km’s took us about 2 hours. Sloooowwwww! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06425.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06424.jpg C – I knew my Shark helmet was in need of replacement, but I was horrified at how much the inner layers had deteriorated!! Definitely glad the Scorpion guys could help us out with these helmets! I felt a bit sentimental about my Shark helmet, as it once held Charlie Boormans signature (it is now a very faded black mark on the helmet!) so it was a bit sad to ditch it, but riding with a new snug helmet with zero wind noise is very lovely! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06436.jpg T - We pulled into the garage and carted all the new parts out and unwrapped them all. So many shiny things lay spread out all through the garage. First item on the agenda was a cam chain into Mabels engine. She has a bit of chain slap going on so this will fix that. Ed March and Rachel Lasham had both recommended we use Honda chains as they were good quality. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06438.jpg What a pain in the neck that little job was! Four hours, several bruised and bloodied knuckles later on and the chain was in and everything was lined up. I hope I never have to do that again! Though I must say we did do it without taking the head of the motor off... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06444.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06445.jpg Then we put new chain and sprockets plush new cush drive rubbers on and Mabel was done! I took her for a spin up the road and she ran sweet and her drive felt smooth and new again! Woohoo! Fingers crossed I did it right! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06446.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06441.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06443.jpg Then it was Rosies turn. Her old engine was soon sitting on the floor and her new one was lined up and ready to go in. Edward helped out with the electrics and ensured some trouble free motoring by soldering all her new wires in and the covering them with shrinkwrap! Very fancy pants for our little bikes! Usually I just twitch the wires together and wrap some old greasy electrical tape around them! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06450.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06449.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06451.jpg Once the motor was in, we tightened the bolts up and kicked her in the guts. She fired right up and apart from now needing a carby tune she seemed to be running sweetly. Just her new chain and sprockets to go on, plus a few odds and ends and Rosie shall be ready to rumble down into Mexico. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06439.jpg By this time I was hanging out for a few dozen cold beers so I hopped on Mabes and shot off down to the shops. Mabels engine was purring like a kitten and there was no sound of chain slap going on. Though I do think she needs a clutch adjustment and a valve adjustment next. Sigh. It just never ends with these bikes! But we love them anyways! C – What a day! It felt like we had been going hard all day and I was exhausted. We were both in need of good scrub and the beers were a welcome end to the day. T - After a few beers and some amazing smoked pork dinner it was off to bed. I ached all over from laying on the garage floor and I was extremely happy to roll into bed and sleep it off. Tomorrow I shall finish putting Rosies bits on and then we shall do some last minute bits and pieces before we head out on Saturday. We have an invite to stay down in San Diego and from there we intend to be over into Baja Mexico on Sunday morning. |
30 September 2016
T – I was up early and ready to go this morning. Generally when I start working on a bike I like to get the job finished and will stay up all night doing so. Last night though I felt like being a social butterfly and really we aren’t in any kind of rush! So into the garage I went this morning to finish putting Rosie back together.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06453.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...9/DSC06452.jpg It wasn’t long before she had her crash bars on and her new chain and sprockets fitted. Then all I needed was for Chantelle to crawl out of bed and take Rosie for a test ride. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06457.jpg C – GREAT start to the day!! I slept in, undisturbed, until 9am. Then, after getting coffee, ventured out into the garage, where TADA! Rosie was all finished and put back together! T - Eventually, at just after 9am, Chantelle ventured out with coffee and we soon had Rosie backed out into the driveway and purring away like a little kitten. So Chantelle jumped on and off she went. C – For some reason, I was attached to my little grey engine and I was really worried the engine swap was going to effect to Rosies ‘heart’ somehow. I took her for a short spin and she definitely rides differently... but really, she is just the same old Rosie, right???? The engine certainly purred along and I know that I have to be patient and let it run in before passing judgement!!!! T - She came back a few minutes later and announced all was well and Rosie felt and rode great! Woohoo. Another successful engine swap! Then it was time to sit in front of the computers and relax. We had to sort out our Mexican auto insurance plus work out where we were going to actually cross and so on. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06458.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06459.jpg C – Alisa gave us a great contact to help us decide which bike insurance company to go with, and we managed to get all the administration stuff sorted. We are both VERY excited about getting across the border and trying out our virtually non-existent Spanish skills. I taught Todd one sentence, which he spurts out at random moments ‘el oso bebe leche’.. I wonder how helpful this will be?!?!?! T - So now we have everything in order plus a list of documents we need to go and print out and have laminated tomorrow. Then, fingers crossed, we should have everything we need! Once Edward came home we sat around the pool and sunk a few beers with him and Alisa and just chatted and shared some laughs. These two are very chilled out and it was so easy to just relax. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06470.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06471.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06476.jpg Dinner tonight was Korean BBQ! Yum!!! Followed by a sit around a glowing chimnea. Very nice. A good way to end our day. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06484.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06485.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06479.jpg Tomorrow we are heading south to stay in San Clemente for the night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06489.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06497.jpg |
1 October 2106
T - It was another goodbye today. It was time for us to begin our journey to the border so we packed up our stuff and then ran a few errands with Alisa and Edward. We had heard that it can sometimes be easier to cross borders if you are in possession of copies of your paperwork etc already rather than racing around trying to find a copy shop. So off to Staples we went to do that. Then we had one last scrummy meal at In-N-Out Burger. Boy am I going to miss the US burgers!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06500.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06502.jpg C – Seriously, In-N-Out Burger is such a fantastic burger joint and it was so fun to share our last USA Burger experience at this place with Alisa and Edward. T - After a quick trip back to Staples, someone had left our drivers licences still in one of the copy machines, we cruised back to Alisa and Ed's place where we finished our packing and gave the bikes a quick once over and a wash with a pressure cleaner. Then it was really time to say goodbye and head out. Thanks Alisa and Edward! You pair are such an amazing couple and we have been so lucky to have been able to share some time with you both. It was hard to leave but the adventure must go on! Australia is still a long way away yet! C – Thanks for all the interesting conversations, amazing food and laughs. It really was a pleasure to spend time with you both and learn about your adventures, past and planned! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06498.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06505.jpg T - We set our GPS for an address in San Clemente where we had an offer for a place to stay for the night. We had met our new host, James, when he was cycling across the States and we were temporary neighbours in a camp in Gillette Wyoming. We seemed to make no headway at all in the crazy traffic. Constantly waiting at red lights for what seemed eternity. The distance we had to ride was just 110 km's, but it took 5 hours to get there. With just one short fuel and drink break. Unreal! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06506.jpg C – I will admit to finding the LA traffic very frustrating today. The endless traffic lights, all red of course, and the endless four way stops. A consequence of avoiding the mass of freeways that seamlessly delivers travellers to their destinations. It really felt like we were making no progress and my itchy feet where not happy with this! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06507.jpg T - Finally though we pulled up in James and Chris' driveway and soon we were settled into our room and had an icy cold beer in hand to wash away the traffic dirt. Their house is simply gorgeous, with beautiful wood panelling, a penny coin floor, and character up the wahzoo! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06510.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06508.jpg James cooked up a feast of ribs for us. Once again we were being spoilt by our hosts! We love it and appreciate it so much every time! We know that once we get back into tenting it that we will be back to our camp food diet. And unfortunately such things as ribs, tri-tip, pancakes, korean BBQ and so many others just wont feature to heavily on our menu! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06511.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06514.jpg We had a great evening of chatting and hanging out with these guys and I even had the chance to take a friend of James and Chris', Jakes, 300cc Vespa for a spin around the block! What a fun little bike! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06516.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06513.jpg C – Chris’ mum was also there with her beautiful Golden Lab, Marley, and another friend of theirs, Gina. Everyone was super welcoming and it was so interesting to hear everyone stories. I was excited to learn that Gina had been seriously considering getting her motorcycle license, so of course, I did my best to encourage her and told her about all the amazing ADV women out there. T - Eventually I couldn't stay awake much longer and had to go to bed. It is possibly going to be a big day tomorrow, if we can cross the border and I need my beauty sleep! |
2 Octobr 2016
T - Well I slept like a log last night. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow I am sure! I was up around 5 am this morning and put it down to the excitement of being through to Mexico today. Hopefully! I tried to wake Chantelle up by continuously poking her in the head and then tapping her on the shoulder. For some reason she didn’t seem to like that...
So eventually when Chantelle decided she had had enough and would get up we wandered out into the kitchen where James greeted us with hot fresh coffee and some tasty breakfast! We sat for a while and chatted before finally we figured we really should get a wriggle on. It was around 140km’s today for us to get the Otay Mesa border crossing and both of us knew that it would take ages, possibly that we may even decide to not do it today depending on the time we got there. We said goodbye to James and Chris and kicked our bikes into gear. It was time to get on the road! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06518.jpg C – A big thanks to James and Chris for their amazing hospitality and wonderful conversation. Meeting people like you has became the focus of our trip and we so enjoying hearing about other peoples adventures and life choices. T - Well, the ride was long. Very long. We ended up stuck on a section of the I5 interstate. Which sucked balls! We rode over on the shoulder for 20 km’s. Dodging bits of tyre, wire, bolts, steel plate, dead animals, and various other pieces of junk. Finally we picked the right place to exit, every other exit had lead us into a Marine Corp base, and soon we were coasting along at a sedate pace along the sea side. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06519.jpg I am still quite surprised at the masses of traffic on the road here in California. The state must never sleep!! So we sat surrounded by hot cars and texting drivers all the way down into downtown San Diego, the GPS having decided we should go that way, and out the other side before coming to the border town of Otay Mesa. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06520.jpg C – The ride was indeed long, with most of our journey once again through streets packed with red lights and stop signs. It did give me a good chance though to run Rosie’s new engine through its paces, up the gears, down the gears, so hopefully it is now well and truly worn in! She is running like a dream and is starting to feel like Rosie again, that ol’ pluckiness coming back in droves! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06521.jpg T - It was quite late by now, 3pm, and we thought it best to wait until the morning before we cross as we weren’t sure how long the paperwork for our visa and bikes might take, plus we also then wanted to ride to Ensenada to a camp we had picked out there. So tonight we hotel it! Tomorrow we shall hit the border nice and early, hopefully, and get under way. So America, you have to put up with us for one more night! |
3 October 2016
T - I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited. Mexico was so close that I could have reached out and touched it. I was so keen to be there!
I fidgeted and rolled around this morning and managed to not wake Chantelle up until 630. But then I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to get moving. The lights came on and I threw my clothes on. Chantelle grizzled and glared at me from under the blankets. Clearly she wasn’t in the mood for my energy at that moment. C – I didnt get too much sleep either and it felt like I had just fallen asleep when Todd decided it was time to wake up! We did want to get going early, in case of any delays at the border or obtaining our vehicle permits, so I did get up as quickly as I could and get moving. T - Eventually we were ready to go and we packed up our bikes for the last time in the States. Then we had a bite of breakfast, mmm cornflakes were on offer today, before finally we climbed on and headed for Mexico. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06522.jpg We zipped down the road and pulled up in a long line of cars waiting to cross over. We figured that it may take an hour or two, but a car pulled in behind us and beeped at us and the driver waved her arms at us, telling us to cut out of line and just go for it. So we did. And 2 minutes later we were pulled up on the side of the road at the entrance to the highway, in Mexico. Where the hell was the border crossing? No customs? No immigration????? We sat there wondering how we managed to get through the border without even having to stop. We knew we at least had to get some tourist visa’s so Chantelle went off in search of the immigracion building. She returned 5 minutes later grinning. We had indeed missed it. But the extremely helpful Mexican border guards soon had us heading in the right direction and a heap of smiles and $25 later and we each had our tourist visas for the next 180 days. This seemed to easy. C – When I left Todd with the bikes to go and see if I could find a passport control, I found a guard and said ‘buenas dias’ to which he replied something that I didn’t understand. Not one bit. Not one word. Ok, maybe I didn’t learn enough Spanish?!?!?!?!?!? After a few of these interactions, I found where we meant to stop. The whole Otay Mesa border crossing is under a lot of construction, especially on the Mexican side, hence our confusion! It took us all of five minutes to get our six month visa! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06531.jpg T - We wandered back to the bikes, scratching our heads and grinning at each other. Is this the easiest border crossing in the world or what? Then it was time to sort out the bikes. To ride here legally we need to temporarily import the bikes into Mexico and purchase a permit for them. So armed with some information courtesy of Rachel Lasham of wanderonahonda.com we were soon walking into the correct building in the correct part of town. We were the only people in there and the lovely man behind the counter soon had us processed and we had our permits in hand plus a $200 deposit paid, which we get back when we leave Mexico, and we were back on our way. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06523.jpg C – Another easy, peasy bureaucratic process done and dusted. Is Mexico really this easy? I have never been in an immigration or government official building which had such a calm feel to it. The staff were relaxed and happy. We returned to our now legal motorcycles and set the GPS for Ensenada, on the coast. We thought we would have a slow day, travelling less than a 100km, then camping in Ensenada to check it out. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06523.jpg T - I had been led to believe that we needed to ride aggressively in Mexico to ensure we could safely ride on the road here. But the drivers were courteous and allowed us to slot in and change lanes whenever we needed too. The amazing thing with Mexico that we noticed straight away today is how incredibly relaxed the whole place feels. There is no edginess to it here, even in Tijuana! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06530.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06524.jpg We set our GPS for the libre, or free, road and soon we were cruising down a stunning coast line towards Ensenada. There was a toll road that ran right beside us for most of the way before we eventually veered inland and crossed a small hilly section. Then it was back to the coast for more stunning scenery before we landed in Ensenada. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06525.jpg Talk about tourist town! There were people everywhere! This place reminds me so much of Phuket in Thailand. It had a similar energy too. So here we changed the last of our USD to Peso’s and did a little shopping, and bought a sim card, before a quick ride around and headed south a little more for a camp site. But first we had to eat. So we headed away from the tourists and found a little Taco shop on a corner. We both ordered some ‘tacos de perscado’, fish tacos. Which were freaking damn amazing by the way! So we had two each! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06527.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06529.jpg We have had so many people wave and say hello to us today. It has been a great transition to a new country, a new culture and a new language. People shake our hands, pull up next to us in traffic to exchange a greeting, mostly in Spanish. Just lovely. And every where there is life and smiles. I am ashamed to say that I had already formed an opinion of Mexico and especially Tijuana before I even left the US. And my thinking was wrong. So wrong. This is an amazing place already and I can not wait to see more of it! C – Leaving Ensenada and the tourist stuff behind, we headed south along highway 1, turning out on to the headland and travelling on the BC23. As we rode, the views were quite sensational, looking back across the bay to Ensenada. We drove right to the end, before turning around to pick one of the many ‘tourist’ camps we had spied along the way. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06526.jpg T - Our camp tonight was out on a headland near Ensenada at a town called La Bufadora. It is costing us $4.50 for the both of us to camp in a ‘palapa’ which is a shelter covered in palm fronds. We were told to drive our bikes right inside where we had access to power and had shelter from the wind. Love it! So we setup our.. well nothing really as we will just sleep straight on the floor, and sat down for a cup of tea and stared out at the view. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06532.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06534.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06537.jpg We were in Vietnam a while back and I loved how we could ride our scooters straight into our hotel rooms each night! So now Mabel will be all cosy and can sleep next to me! Tomorrow we might head south a little more and maybe sleep on a beach. |
Enjoying the trip folks, keep it coming
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4 October 2016
T - As the sun peeped over the horizon I crawled out of the tent to welcome our first full day in Mexico. It alternated between freezing cold and bloody hot last night. We were originally going to sleep on the floor of the palapa but as it chilled off over the evening we decided it would be warmer for us if we set the tent up and slept inside it. There was a fair old breeze blowing in off of the ocean and even though we were hidden away inside the little thatched hut, the cold managed to work its way in.
At some time during the night the breeze had dissipated and that’s when it warmed up nicely. We both ended up kicking our sleeping bags off until early this morning when it cooled off again. C – I was awoken last night by the chattering calls of a number of coyotes. I was laying in the dark, smiling to myself, listening to their amazing noise. Their calls were interspersed by a dog barking, who sounded as though he was either hanging out with coyotes or chasing them. It was really cool to lay there and track their movements by the chattering and barking and I made up a lovely story about how they were all friends and just out having a good ol’ time together!! When I first woke up in the morning light, they were back again, this time with no barking dog, but I surprised to hear them so close to the settlement in the day light. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06552.jpg T - We packed up the tent and stuff while we decided what we might like to do today. Ensenada was a bit touristy for us so we thought we might continue southwards. So we had our breakfast while we stared out at the amazing beach view. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00352.jpg We headed back for the main road. Well the only road really! There seems to be one road that cuts south with side roads coming off of it that head out to the beaches and little towns. There was a little traffic on the road but nothing too bad and people just breezed by us quite happily. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06553.jpg C – I have always enjoyed riding and driving in non western countries. The road rules are similar, but different. The roads in Mexico have been so calm so far. The driving very unaggressive, with drivers picking the best moment to overtake, and then just doing it. The drivers are also giving us a lot of room, sitting well back when they are waiting to pass and passing nice and wide. We didn’t really have this experience in the US of A, when drivers seemed to hesitate on when to pass and then pick the worst possible moment. T - The road climbed and wound through some lovely hills and soon we came to a cross road. We decided to follow it out to the coast and see where it went, and hopefully to find some more amazing tacos..... C – We had our first experience of road works in Mexico, cruising through two long stretches where the roads had been completely ripped up, with a temporary dirt road put in for vehicles. We giggled a lot riding down these ‘roads’, bumping and bouncing along with dirt flying everywhere! We got lots of whistles, waves and ‘hola’s as we road through too! Everyone seems so friendly here!!! T - The road wandered west for around 20km’s throwing a big heap of topes, nasty huge speed bumps like I have never seen before, out in front of us. These behemoths force us back into second gear so we just crawl over them. It is quite easy to see where so many people before us have hit them a bit too hard and there are masses of deep gouges out of them. I hit one on Mabel that was so well camouflaged that the only time I knew it was there was when Mabel and I were flung into the air! Sorry Mabel. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06556.jpg The road petered out and became a rocky, corrugated, sandy mess and we followed that along for a little bit. There was a few signs for a bar at the end of the road and we thought maybe we could get some food there. All along the edge of this road was a small cliff that dropped straight down into the sea. It was so beautiful! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06555.jpg C – It was wonderful to get back on some dirt again, and even more wonderful that not once did I feel any trepidation about this. Sometimes I get some nerves when first getting back onto dirt if I haven’t ridden off road for a while. But I was pleased this wasn’t the case yesterday. I am really starting to feel more confident in my abilities and Rosies too. T - Well there was no food at the end of this road so we turned tail and headed back for the main road and continued south. We were now getting into more rural Baja and this was the Mexico I was hoping for! Small colourful towns full of people going about their business. Old trucks and cars belching smoke and loaded to the gills. Bliss! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06554.jpg We found a cool little taco stop and sat down for some lunch. The smell of cooking food for the last 10 km’s had been driving us both crazy and we just had to eat! The lady here was obviously used to gringos turning up who didn’t speak much Spanish as she just said ‘Tacos?’ to which we replied ‘Si cuatro tacos por favor!’ See we are learning! The tacos were again just freaking amazing and we scoffed them down! 4 tacos for lunch stuffed full of pork and fresh salsa for $5! It was hard to not have another 2 but we both held back as we were just being greedy! We continued on. Not knowing where we would end up today. Eventually we decided we had to make a plan as to where we might stop for the night. So we had a google search and found a camp spot another hour up the road where we could pitch our tent for $5. Plus there they had a bar! I feel like a beer! We found our camp spot just a short walk from the beach, around 2km’s, and setup our tent in the howling wind. Then we headed over to the bar for a cerveza. We had drunk two beers each when we were then invited to a table of Americans. We chatted the night away and they kept buying us beers. I’m going to be unwell tomorrow I suspect... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06558.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06559.jpg C – I managed to sneak one of my beers in front of Todd, so he ended up drinking an extra. Still, I was given a freaking amazing margharita, which was super strong, so I managed to stick that under Tottis nose and so had half of that too! Finally I couldn’t drink anymore and had to go to bed. C – But first we did need to eat something, so we quickly whipped up some rice and mushrooms, scoffed and fell into a tipsy slumber. T - Tomorrow we shall continue on southwards. We are having a dilemma. We think we should stop and enjoy some days off but we are enjoying being back on the bikes. Plus we like to keep moving. There is just too much to see! |
5 October 2016
T - Alcohol makes for a fast easy sleep. But with it comes weird dreams! So I spent most of the night either deeply asleep or wide eyed awake wondering what the hell was that dream about! But in the end we both woke up as the sun rose feeling nicely refreshed although a little fuzzy brained.
We cooked up a breakfast of porridge and strawberries before packing up and heading out. We had no destination in mind today but we were mindful that we wanted to be off the road by dusk before all the crazy drivers came out. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00353.jpg We stopped and topped up our fuel and had a chat to the lady at the bowser, fuel here comes with service, which gave us a chance to practise our very limited spanglish. Then it was back onto the main road and south! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06560.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06561.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06565.jpg C – I was so proud of myself this morning, as I managed to say to the lady at the fuel station ‘Good Morning, please fill it up’ and then managed to understand and answer some of her questions in espanol! Woohoo! She was very surprised when I told her ‘yes, it is my motorbike and yes, me and my moto come from Australia’ Success! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06569.jpg T - It was a nice ride to start with and we cruised through a few small towns. At one of them we decided to stop and buy some groceries. So while Chantelle went and looked for ‘proper food’ I went and checked out the selection of sweet treats! And subsequently ended up with a yummy donut like thing covered in cinnamon sugar and a little bottle of chocolate milk! Yummmmmmm! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00357.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00358.jpg C – I just love cruising around grocery stores in other countries. So many interesting things!!! The selection of bean mixes was amazing and after selecting a few and some fresh fruit it was time to practice some more Spanish with the checkout lady!! T - We continued on our southerly course as the road curved further inland and soon the villages stopped and the scenery changed. Gigantic cacti towered above us and the ground was covered in massive smooth boulders. It was oh so beautiful! The road curved up high and some of our views went on forever. We both got excited every time we saw the sign that said ‘Curvas Peligrosa’ because we knew it meant dangerous curves! That can only equal fun on these bikes! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06570.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06572.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06575.jpg C – The ride was simply stunning. Up, down, around to the left, around to the right. It was perfect riding and perfect riding weather. Very mild and the bikes were loving this cooler weather. The scenery was just spectactular and changed throughout the day from complete nothingness, to forests of cacti and massive rocks as far as you could see. What a road!!!! Highway 1 is in pretty good condition really, on par with most US minor roads really. We had a few moments of wondering which lanes trucks wanted to drive in, as they often drive in the middle when there are no vehicles coming the other way. This makes for a few moments ‘are they going to move’!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06577.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06578.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06582.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06573.jpg T - We had a couple of military check points that we passed through and the young soldiers were very friendly and we were only stopped for a very short time before we rode onwards. C – At our second checkpoint, the soldiers asked if they could inspect our bikes. So, we jumped off of the bikes and they began their very cursory search. The gentleman searching my bike asked me to open my pannier which contains my clothes. He spotted my underwear bag and very quickly looked away, indicating that he was satisfied with that pannier! T - Then Rosie decided it was time for a flat tyre. So we spent half an hour getting reacquainted with our tyre irons and Rosies rear end. This flat tyre must be putting us close to 20 flats so far. Crazy! The majority of those have been on Rosie. We patched the tiny little pinprick hole in her tube and soon had her back on the road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06587.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00359.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06588.jpg There was absolutely nothing out here on this stretch of the road. Just the odd cactus and rolling hills. Absolutely stunning! Every now and then we would pass a ute on the side of the road selling gasolina out of some jerry cans. There hadn’t been a fuel station for a little while. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06598.jpg We decided it was time to start thinking about where to camp. The sun was sinking and the chill was coming up. So we headed for a town called Santa Rosaliita. There was a sign on the main road indicating that there was camping there. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06596.jpg When we rolled into town it looked deserted. And there was clearly no campgrounds here that we could see! So Chantelle went into a shop and in spanglish she managed to ask for camp grounds. The lady in the shop said we could basically camp anywhere we liked in town. While we were sitting outside wondering if we should chance riding onto the next town or camp in town two cars turned up to say hello. Three young smiling faces greeted us from the VW camper and Toyota Landcruiser. They were also looking for a camp and knew of one up the track a bit and invited us along with them. We were basically right on the end of our fuel range with Chantelle already onto her reserve tank but we thought stuff it and followed them anyway. C –We are both a little perplexed about Rosies fuel situation... I normally switch to reserve around the 300km mark, but yesterday I had only done 230km. Mabel still has the expected amount of fuel left. We need to investigate and work out why. The concern now is that I usually get at least 150km out of my reserve. Right now, we don’t know what I am going to get out of it and if its less than 120km, I may well run out before we find gas! T - After a ride down a super rough track and through some beach sand we turned up at a camp with some palapas right on the beach! It was a gorgeous spot and we got to see the sun set over the sea. Bliss! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06599.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06600.jpg C - We were really glad to have met these wonderful, three young gentleman from California. They are all adventuring about Mexico, with plans to head to Patagonia. We enjoyed chatting with them immensely, and it was clear that they were super lovely, intelligent guys.. and funny!!! And, thankfully, one of them has extra fuel and has offered to give me some! T - We sat around and chatted for a while before having dinner and heading to bed. Tomorrow we might have a shorter day. Guerrero Negro is our next destination and it is only 120 km’s away. Chantelle has about 100k’s of fuel left...... |
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Loving the reports and pics guys :thumbup1: |
6 October 2016
T - It was lovely sleeping right on the edge of the beach. The sound of the surf helped to send me to sleep. Being an Aussie and having spent 90% of my life living on or near the coast means that I find the sea very soothing and comforting.
We rose just as the sun did and set about making a cuppa and some breaky. The guys next door were also up and we wandered over to chat to them while we ate. They were also leaving the beach today and even though they were heading in the same direction as us they would probably go a little further than we would. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06606.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06604.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06607.jpg Lucky for us one of them, Josh, very kindly gave us a bit of fuel for Rosie. Which meant we would pretty much make it to the next fuel stop. Thanks Josh! C – After a very relaxing evening and watching a beautiful sunset over the ocean, it was time to head off again. We were both keen to reach the Sea of Cortez on the eastern side of the Baja California, as everyone kept telling us it was warm and not windy over there. The temperatures had been quite chilly over this side and every time we got near the ocean the wind was strong and gusty. T - Then we packed up and after some goodbyes we rode down the nasty rough sandy track that bought us all the way in last night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06614.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06611.jpg We made good time and eventually, running on nothing but fumes, we coasted into a Pemex gas stop. Phew. Lesson learnt! Fill up at every available stop! With full tanks we pointed our bikes towards the town of San Ignacio. The road taking us down to a place called Guerrero Negro and then right across the peninsula and onto the coast of Cortez del mar. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06618.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06617.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06616.jpg C – We passed more military checkpoints, each time being waved past. We seem to be passing through one every day, sometimes they stop and ask us some cursory questions, but mostly we get waved through. T - We rode through the coastal town of Guerrero Negro (try to say that because we cant) where we contemplated stopping for the day. But it was fairly early on and we decided to have some lunch at a taco stand and then head further on. It was here we were ripped off for the first time! The tacos came to $20MEX each but as we left we saw they were meant to be $15MEX each. Well that’s another lesson learned! As travellers we have come to accept that we will be ripped off occasionally. It’s the nature of the beast. But from now on we will ask for the prices first! The road from Guerrero Negro to San Ignacio was flat and sandy and pretty much uneventful. We rode and rode for what felt like forever. The kilometres on Mabel’s odometer seemed to be frozen in place! C – It really felt like we would never reach San Ignacio this afternoon.. the road just kept going and going. I was completely surprised when we rounded a corner and saw a gathering of palm trees amongst the desert. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06620.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06625.jpg T - But eventually we were there. Palm trees greeted us in this desert like area and lush greenery was everywhere! It was truly unexpected and very very beautiful to see. So we checked into a hotel that also allowed camping in its grounds. We paid $150MEX which was a tad pricey, but also only equal to about $10 Aussie dollars, which gave us wifi, a pool, showers and power. C – The Rice and Beans hotel was actually quite nice, and the restaurant/bar smelled like it served pretty good food. The promise of a swim in a cold pool and a hot shower were enough to sell us on paying the $150MEX to pitch our tent! T - We setup camp and dashed off to the local mercado, market, where we grabbed a beer each and some chips to enjoy while sticking our feet in the pool. After which I decided I might like to take a nice hot shower to wash some of the road grime off. Well, the first shower room I went into had no hot water tap. I became suspicious immediately of the likelihood of a ‘hot’ shower. The second door was locked shut and finally when I was in the third stall I did in fact discover that the water was hot. Well it would have been if it was in actual fact hot. But it wasn’t. No worries. I had a cold shower which was quite refreshing, even if my nipples were so hard from the cold that they could have cut glass. I had a giggle to myself as I remembered being in Vietnam and parts of Africa where a hot shower may mean anything but! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06627.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06631.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06632.jpg It was a nice relaxing afternoon lounging about and watching the world go by. We cooked a nice dinner of pasta and beans and then it was time to crawl into the tent for some sleep time. Tomorrow we head to the town of Santa Rosalia which is on the east coast of the Baja. Both of us are hoping for some more beach camping! |
7 October 2016
T - The sun on the tent woke us up today. Plus there was some roosters crowing away in the distance. It was a pretty good place to camp and even though we were right on the highway most of the traffic had stopped by about 10pm.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00365.jpg While Chantelle cooked up some breakfast I set about putting our camp away and checking the bikes over. One of Mabel’s valves is a bit noisy so one of these days I will actually tend to that. I had only just checked them a few days ago and her exhaust valve had been way out, but I suspect her intake one also needs looking at again. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06638.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06640.jpg We thought we might have a ride into the town before we left and have a look around. I am glad we did. San Ignacio has a beautiful little town square where some young kids were singing softly and playing music. There was a gorgeous old mission there too and we both stuck our heads inside the old sagging wooden doors to have a bo-peep at the beautiful carvings and architecture of the place. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06639.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06645.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06642.jpg We had a chat, and by we I mean Chantelle, to a couple of lovely gentlemen who were interested in our bikes. They both rode too and one of them proudly showed us his neat little Yamaha XT250. Quite a bit bigger than our little bikes. After our bit of Spanish ran out and we said adios before riding down a few backroads to see what life looked like here. Very beautiful it turned out! Then it was back onto the road and across some mountains before we eventually saw the Sea of Cortez. C – The ride out of San Ignacio was just as beautiful as the town. The desert turned to green scrub and it seemed to became more lush as we cruised along mountainous roads towards the coast. I was very excited as I began to feel the temperature warm. The slight increase in humidity was very welcome also! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06647.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06649.jpg T - The beautiful blue of the ocean looked so striking against the brilliant bright green of the land, even through the smoke of several garbage burning fires. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06651.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06650.jpg We had a little ride up and down the streets of Santa Rosalia before I said lets head out for somewhere to camp along the coast. I totally forgot that Chantelle had wanted to spend the night there in town. About 10 km’s up the road I was insisting we go back as I felt pretty guilty about it all. But Chantelle had spied the Bay of Conception a little further up the road and was happy to stay there on a beach for the night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06653.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06657.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06655.jpg Along the way we stopped into the town of Mulege to have a bit of a gander and ended up totally confused as we became more and more ensconced into the weird one way traffic system of the town. Lanes would switch from the left hand side of the road to the right and become one way all of a sudden with out warning. At one stage I had to swing a u-turn and go back down the road as I was going the wrong way which in turn meant Chantelle had to swing back suddenly too and almost into the path of an oncoming car. It was mayhem and we soon were racing out of there! Fearful for our lives and our sanity! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06660.jpg C – The roads were very confusing in Mulege indeed, but it was my fault I didn’t see the car behind. It was one of those ‘Oh shit’ moments when I knew I was in the wrong. The poor local lady must of thought ‘bloody tourists’. The town was very beautiful though! T - Further along the highway we stopped for lunch at a little roadside stall. Today we were determined to try something other than tacos. So Chantelle enquired about the price of a burrito, $16mex, and we tried some of them. I had two fish ones and Chantelle had two pulled beef ones. OMG. They were amazing! So fresh and tasty! I then got a little greedy, and in the poorest spanglish ever asked for two empanadas. The poor lady who bought them to our table was feverishly trying to ask me a question and was using her hands to get her point across. I think she wanted to know if we wanted sugar on them, or if we wanted them warmed up, or if we were Italian racing car drivers, or what our take was on the theory of localisation of global warming in Eastern European nations. In the end I had so say sorry but I am pathetic at speaking Espanol and she grinned and said ‘Ok’ and left me with two very tasty strawberry and apple, we think, empanadas. Nom nom! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06661.jpg After that we continued on and the gorgeous Bay of Conception was soon upon us. Wow. What a glittering magnificent little jewel it was too! And we had our pick of many stunning sheltered beaches with vacant palapa shelters on them. In the end we elected for a beach called Playa de Requeson. C – We selected this beach because it was the only one without anyone else there. It was beautiful and calm, protected by a small island right across from the beach. The palapas were old and in need of some repair, but we knew it would be a cheap camp for such a beautiful spot. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06665.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00377.jpg We selected a palapa to set up our camp in and soon both of us were enjoying a swim in the warm water and little fish were nipping the dead skin off of my hands. Very nice! We had some company on the beach. A lovely little dog that we named Lola. She was so friendly and happy to have company and it broke both our hearts to have to think about leaving her here alone in the morning. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00371.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06675.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06667.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06668.jpg C – Little Lola was very sweet and was very excited to play with us. She didn’t leave our side all afternoon, even hanging out in the water with us. She did desert us everytime another car pulled in – I suspect this is how she survives, by checking out every tourist that comes by and seeing what treats they have on offer. She certainly didn’t belong to the people who managed the camp area.. poor little lonely Lola! We were approached by two guys as the sun was setting, trying to sell us a whole range of items, from fresh clams to silver rings, earrings and blankets. We managed to get rid them of them pretty quickly, as one was so intoxicated he could hardly stand. Lola didn’t like them either, barking alot, and Todd asked who she belonged to and they replied ‘Oh, she is the fisher dog’. We weren’t really sure what that meant! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06685.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06687.jpg T - So we enjoyed our time on the beach and swam and played with Lola. We were the only people there and I managed to sneak in a quick nudie swim! It was a great way to end the day and by the time the sun had set we were both ready to hit the sack. |
8 October 2016
T - I cant believe that we had the whole beach to ourselves last night. It was so quiet and I had a great sleep. I did get up in the night to take some photos, or try to, of the stars that were out in force. It was such a brilliantly clear night!
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06697.jpg Lola had befriended Chantelle yesterday and slept on Chantelles side of the tent all night, pressed hard up against the fabric in fact. She seems to be a lonely little soul and Chantelle had trouble sleeping all night knowing that we were almost abandoning Lola here today. I felt very sad about it too. I had prepared myself mentally for the animal side of things for places such as this, but it still left me a little broken hearted to see this beautiful dog who just wanted to love someone and be loved back. Chantelle however had not prepared herself at all and I could see that she will struggle greatly on this trip in regards to the animal side of things. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00385.jpg We had a very fond and prolonged goodbye to Lola and rode away. We had poured all of our water into a bowl for her as there was none around that we could see. She ran after us down the beach and along the road for a little and I had to tell Chantelle not to look in the mirror. Bye Lola. If we could take you we would. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06700.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06710.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06708.jpg C – It broke my heart to leave her like that. She has injured herself at some point and struggles badly with her hips and one her back legs. I was so sad that I couldn’t get her fixed and make sure she had a home where she was loved every night. I had a few tears as we rode away, knowing she was trying to chase us down the beach with her injured hind legs. We did think we discovered why the guys called her the ‘fisher dog’. We watched this morning as she excitedly dug a deep hole, then flicked out a crab and munched it down. She then stood dead still in the water and was just using her peripheral vision to watch the numerous fish swimming by. Maybe she survives on fish?!?!? T - The road wound from our little beach up into some mountains that could have been lifted straight out of Jurassic Park. There were some wisps of clouds clinging to the highest slopes and the whole picture was stunning. The east coast of the Baja kicks the west coasts ass! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06711.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06714.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06715.jpg We wound along a heap of sharp curves, dodging oncoming traffic and zipped through clouds of butterflies! The things were everywhere! Bright yellows and golds, they filled the bushes and unfortunately some of them tried to fill my helmet. But they only got as far as my visor. It was quite incredible to see so many of them fluttering across the road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06718.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06720.jpg C – We rode through the stunning scenery into the town of Loreto. The town looked more American than a lot we have seen and it was then noticed it was a very popular town with tourists. We did some grocery shopping, got some fuel and topped up our phone credit. The town had a seediness to it though. It felt like a town where you wouldn’t get away without being ripped off at least once. It was certainly not a place I wanted to stay, so we pushed on, thinking we would ride a further 120km to Ciudad Insurgente. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06717.jpg We climbed more mountains, thoroughly enjoying the curvey, mountain road as we climbed in elevation to 350mtrs. Soon enough, we were cruising into Ciudad Insurgente. We stopped for lunch and then decided to push onto Ciudad Constitucion. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06721.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06722.jpg T - We decided to stop for the day and get a hotel in the town of Cuidad Constitucion. We are both in need of a laundry and a shower. It’s quite warm out at the moment and I have been sweating up a storm. So we shall do our laundry and by some oil for our bikes while we are stopped for the day. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06724.jpg Then tomorrow we shall probably get to La Paz. There are some bikers behind us that we have had some contact with on the internet and we are hoping to catch up with them before they get onto the ferry to Mazatlan. |
9 October 2016
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T - The hotel was really quite busy last night. By the time we woke up today the carpark was totally full. We sat on the floor of our room and ate some tortillas smeared with peanut butter. We didn’t want to start up our camping stove in our room in case we set of a fire alarm, so instead we settled on the tortillas. We left the hotel and headed further south. Our next port of call today was in La Paz. It was only a short 210km ride away. C – I thought a lot about Lola again last night. The instant connection I had with her was really intense and a little weird. She is such a special little dog... really, there is something magical about that dog. T - The road there was fairly straight and not terribly exciting though. Plus it was quite warm. We were both starting to feel quite bored as we rode along and then Chantelle did something stupid! She asked Rosie to give her some entertainment as she was bored. So Rosie did exactly that. Less that 30 seconds later. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06728.jpg C – Seriously... Rosie obeyed me instantly the little witch. I realise it was my fault for tempting fate but the ride was really, really boring! I started to feel the now VERY familiar sway in the back end..... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06732.jpg T - Another flat tyre. Sigh. We pulled off the road and put another patched tube in. We are getting to the point where we need new tubes now. Hopefully we can find some in La Paz. After fixing Rosies tyre under a baking hot sun we set off again. For 2 more km. Then Rosie had another flat. I was fuming now. This wasn’t fun any more. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06732.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00387.jpg C – Thats it, I declared! That devil tube is going in the bin. The tube we put in after the first flat this morning has let us down every single time we have used it. We find the leaks and patch it, but the damn thing still lets us down every time. We re-test it, re-patch it, but next time it does the exact same thing. DEVIL tube! T - I pulled off the wheel and put another tube in. Not even bothering to fix the one that was in there. Eventually, soaked in sweat, we had Rosie back on the road. However my socket ratchet had fallen apart into the dirt, probably from overuse, so I hope we don’t get any more flats between here and La Paz. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00386.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06727.jpg C – By this time it was heading on for 1pm, we were both hot, hot, hot and sweating buckets. I day dreamed about lunch and icy cold water for the rest of the ride. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06731.jpg T - We rode through masses of roadworks. The sandy dusty roads throwing up huge clouds of fine dust as trucks rumbled along it. The dust stuck to us and it managed to get into everything. So much for having been clean and freshly laundered! Finally we made it into La Paz. We wanted to stay in a hotel again. Both of us were exhausted. We need some new tubes, some new tools and to do some bike maintenance. Mabel has been making a tapping noise on startup for the couple of months and at first I suspected the cam chain. But upon replacing that it still is there. Only when she is cold though. Not when she is warm. I suspect some piston slap. We will see. C – As we rolled into town, we saw the dreaded Walmart. We quickly stopped, as we able to park in the shade. Looking like something a dust storm had spewed up, we dragged ourselves into the air conditioning and found sushi, icy cold beverages and even some flan! We sat in the shade next to the bikes and slowly began to perk up whilst we downed our lunch. We also managed to provide entertainment for numerous families as they went about their Walmart experience. Perhaps we will be the ‘people of Walmart’ in Mexico! We found a cheap hotel on line and set the GPS. The hotel turned out to be really lovely, with a super lovely gentleman behind the desk. I was excited by the prospect of a nice shower and had a giggle to myself. At last nights cheap hotel, we had hot showers but the wifi didnt actually work. Tonight, we get great wifi, but cold showers! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06733.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06734.jpg After freshening up and chilling out for a while, we ventured further into the city to find some dinner. We found a roadside cafe where we had our first taste of tostadas with carne asada. AMAZING. I think I enjoyed these more than anything else I have eaten in Mexico! YUM YUM! Dinner cost us the massive sum of $97MEX (which is about $5US). http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00397.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00398.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00395.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00394.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00400.jpg Today felt like a massive day for me, I don’t think I drank enough water. I was very glad when it was time to snuggle down into bed and get to sleep! T - Tomorrow we are going to head down towards Cabo San Lucas on the southern point of the Baja. |
10 October 2016
T - Today we were heading for the very bottom of the Baja. Cabo San Lucas. I had a vision in my head of it looking very much like Phuket. Full of westerners and towering resort blocks. But we both want to do the loop down and check out the ride.
Firstly though we had to buy some bibs and bobs in town. So off to the Honda shop we went. It is time for us to buy some new tubes as ours are patched like mad. Getting flats is a way of life when you spend 90% of your time riding on the shoulder! It was already warming up by the time we had the bikes packed up and were heading into town. It promised to be a warm one! If we stopped in traffic for any length of time I would break out into an awesome sweat. We found the Honda shop but unfortunately they didn’t have any tubes in the size we needed. So they sent us a few blocks away where we would get some. On the way there we took wrong turns, rode the wrong way down one way streets, stopped at traffic lights halfway across intersections and generally just stuffed it all up. The roads and signals here were so confusing. But nobody seemed to pay us any attention. Bloody tourists hey! Tubes in hand we again made a mess of our riding as we headed to Walmart to grab some bananas for lunch and a heap of water to carry on our bikes. Water is the one thing we are always careful to carry. Living in Australia does that to us! C – The most surprising thing about this visit to Walmart was that we went in a different entrance to last time and noticed they sell motorbikes!! What??!?!? We had a chat to a guy who said they are Chinese manufactured bikes, but assembled in Mexico, and yep, sold by Walmart! Weird! After spending the whopping sum of $77MEX (about $5AUD) on six litres of water, six bananas, two fresh rolls and a empanada (for Todd of course!!) we ventured back out into the warm day. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06736.jpg T - We headed out of the city and after getting lost a few times and riding in circles we were finally free of La Paz, for now. We were going to be back possibly tomorrow as we want to get ready to catch the ferry over to mainland Mexico. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06735.jpg The ride down to Cabo was pretty, but damn it was hot! Riding into some of the valleys was like riding into a furnace and we made sure to stop and give our bikes a chance to cool down. We had a pit stop for lunch in a partially abandoned Pemex station where we ate an amazing banana sandwich. Mmmmm mmm! Fresh sliced banana into a freshly baked roll! So good!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06737.jpg As we cruised along a bit further we hit a big heap of curves. We raced around them, laying the bikes over. So much fun! The road was beating heat back up at us and the slight wind had also warmed right up. Then it was Mabels turn. I rounded a corner and her bum slid out. Not because I was going too fast, or because there was crap on the road. She had a flat. We had nowhere to fix it on the side of the road as there was no shoulder at that particular point. Now Mabel generally has a reason for her flats. Three inch nails, wood staples, you know, that kind of stuff. C – We ended up having to ride down a vegetated embankment to get off the road in order to suss out Mabels tyre. I am sure cars going past where wondering how on earth we ended up down there! There was a few choice words said when we realised Mabel had a flat. No shade, in the heat, with nowhere to stop. Completely Mabels style! She always picks the busiest road with the least amount of shoulder to play silly games!!! Although I couldn’t be too tough on her after Rosies little episode yesterday! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06741.jpg T - When we pulled the tube out I could barely hang onto it. The tube was red hot to touch. The leak was from an old patch on the tube that had come apart. It looked as though the glue had just melted off! Not to worry though, we had new tubes and I put one straight back in. Eventually we hit suburbia. It got really really busy. Then we started to see the resorts. Oh no. There were so many new hotels being built that I lost count. And we weren’t even in Cabo proper yet! The resorts lined the beachside and soon we could see three massive cruise ships laying at anchor just off of the coast. We were in Cabo. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06743.jpg C – We were sure Cabo San Lucas was not what we were looking for in our Mexico experience, but I also didn't want to leave the Baja without at least seeing it. I had planned to camp up before or after we reached Cabo, to avoid staying in the most expensive town on the Baja. The coast was stunning and I can see why so many tourists are attracted to visiting San Juan del Cabo, Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas. There is an abundance of hotels, beautiful beaches and lots of western oriented shops and experiences. The ride actually reminded me a lot of the drive between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles on Highway 1. T - It didn’t seem like our kind of place so we skirted the city centre and headed for the next town along. A place called Todos Santos. Which was about halfway back to La Paz. We pulled into a gas station to use the phone and see if we could find some where to camp between Cabo and Todos. There was a surf camp which looked pretty good but after seeing they charged $10US per person to pitch a tent we decided to hotel it instead. We found a cheap hotel in Cabo that came with a pool and breakfast so that’s where we ended up. C – We decided if we were going to pay $20US to pitch a tent, another hour up the road, we might as well pay an extra $10US and stay in a hotel in Cabo. It was already 5.30pm and it didn't take much to convince me once I found out breakfast and parking was included for the price! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06745.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06747.jpg T - We had a short, very short, wander around the neighbourhood while we looked for some dinner. We found a cheaper place that sold 3 tacos and a beer for $8US. Ouch! But it was the best we could find. The food was very ho hum and I missed the fresh tasty stuff we had been eating from the roadside stalls. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00402.jpg C – I had read about restaurants in Cabo charging US prices for meals, but most of the places we wandered past in the short distance were all charging $30US or more for a meal. Wow! This was more than I had seen in mid range restaurants in the US. Not that we really frequented anything other than diners. I was amazed to see food and beer was significantly more experience in Cabo than the US. It surprised me a lot. I couldn’t help but wonder if the high prices charged for everything in Cabo equated to higher wages for the locals who work in these businesses. T - We like to do the resort thing in Phuket, but this trip wasn’t about coming to Mexico to do that, so we shall head back to La Paz tomorrow where we have booked our ferry across to the mainland for Thursday. |
Thanks you two. I really enjoy reading about your adventure
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11 October 2016
T - Today it was back to La Paz. We had booked our ferry ride, all 15 odd hours of it, for Thursday. So we figured on a nice easy ride back to the city and then a day relaxing in a hotel. Rooms are cheap enough here that we can build the cost into our budget. Although we will plan to keep camping as much as possible.
Chantelle had found us a place to stay right in downtown La Paz just a few streets back from the waterfront for $36 for the two nights. Cheap! C – I am excited to spend some time exploring La Paz. And the hotel has surprisingly good reviews for such a cheap hotel. Fingers crossed!!! The air was hot and sticky as we packed up the bikes and got excited about our free breakfast. We munched on really yummy muesli, fresh fruit, yoghurt, eggs and chorizo, and of course, beans. It was very obvious it was going to be a warm ride, and from what a local guy had told us, the ride back to La Paz via Todos Santos was a boring ride through desert. Thankfully it was only about 170km, so not far. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06749.jpg After getting our girls a nice drink of fuel, we rode out onto Mexico 19. Once out of Cabo San Lucas, I was surprised at the view. The air got noticeably cooler as the road curved its way along the coast. We could spy millions (ok, maybe thats an exaggeration) of expensive looking yachts and power boats out on the water, cruising back and forth. They all looked like they were going and coming from the same place. It did look like a lovely day on the water!!! We stopped in at Todos Santos, about half way, for a little break in the shade of a tree. I do love a good people watching session and we were provided entertainment by a couple of guys trying to hitchhike. It looked as though they would have no luck here!! A friendly gentleman tried to engage us in conversation, but my very limited espanol and his non-existent english it wasn’t meant to be. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06751.jpg I am missing the interactions with locals and curse myself for not putting in more effort to learn espanol before coming here. I get so much out of interacting with locals and its disappointing to miss out on that. I am determined to do a course whilst we are here, and have found one in Guatamala that has fantastic reviews. So... until then we will stumble though! I try to learn one new word each day that I can use in everyday sentence. T - The ride out of Cabo and back to La Paz was pretty uneventful. We just followed a dual lane highway all the way back. The closer we got to La Paz the hotter the air got. So we stopped in a small town and sat in the shade of a beautiful big tree and watched the world rumble on by. Big lorries screamed by, spewing forth large plumes of thick sooty smoke, cars missing mufflers and sometimes missing whole front ends raced by, loaded with laughing smiling people. We were joined on our bench by an elderly gentleman who asked us where we were going and pointed out a nice hotel just nearby if we wanted. We had a good rest and then carried on with the last 70 km’s of our ride. By the time we rode into La Paz I was sweating buckets and the heat radiating up off of Mabel and the road was intense! I was looking forward to collapsing into the Air conditioned room of our hotel for sure! After getting a little lost in the downtown area and riding in a circle we soon found the hidden entry to the hotel. It was so pretty. The wrought iron gates opening into a gorgeous little courtyard full of green plants. The guy who checked us in told us to bring our bikes straight inside and park them where they would be safe. We turned up the air con and then I jumped in and had a nice cool shower. I was definitely overheating today. Then we had a wander of the nearby streets and went in search of cold drinks. The water front area was stunning. The water so clear that we could see fish skipping around. Very pretty. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06752.jpg C – I was super impressed with the La Paz malecon (waterfront area). Beautiful statues, lovely clear water and even palapas providing shade on the beach areas. It was one of the nicest waterfronts I have seen anywhere. Simple yet beautiful and useable. It would certainly add to the liveability of La Paz. I made Todd purchase an icecream so we could enjoy the view a little longer, by taking a seat at the stall, which had ample shade and a cool breeze blowing through. We sat a while so I could immerse myself in the view and Todd could immerse himself in a double scoop cookies n crème icecream! I am sure Todd was disappointed in having to take one for the team on this occasion! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06754.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06755.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06757.jpg T - Then it was time to head off for dinner. We found a taco stand just near our hotel which served us up two amazing tacos de carne asada! Best beef tacos we have had yet. I will be going back there tomorrow night for dinner too! After that we went back to our room where we laid on our beds and surfed the web for a while before watching a couple of episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond. Tomorrow we shall have a lazy day. We want to go for a wander in the morning and will retreat back to our room when it gets warm for a few hours. Not long left on the Baja now. We are both looking forward to experiencing mainland Mexico! Heres a snapshot of our Baja trip. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont.../Capture-1.png |
For some reason ? I always thought the brand Tecate was advertising for a fuel company doh
That, or you've got a drinking problem jeiger:rofl: Enjoying the report as always guys :thumbup1: |
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Its damn good, and cheap, beer!!! |
La Paz 2 Mazatlan
I did the La Paz to Mazatlan ferry ride 25 years ago , looking forward to hearing about what it is like now :thumbup1: .
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12 October 2016
T - We both crashed out in bed last night. It was a warm day yesterday and the heat seemed to have sapped the last of our strength by the time we switched out the lights. I managed to sleep the whole night through which for me is a rarity.
Bushy tailed and bright eyed we strode from our room and down towards the waterfront. We were keen to sit down there somewhere for breakfast and just watch the world go by. As we strolled along the water we checked out some of the menus of the little cafes that dotted the roadside. Too pricey here, too western there, way too pricey there. Finally we gave in and just picked one at random and sat down without even looking at the menu. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00404.jpg C – The malecon (waterfront) in La Paz is really lovely and it was so nice just walking along, watching the world go by. We knew everything would be pricier down here, but the draw of the water was too much for us to avoid! Soon though, it was our tummies telling us it was time to eat, now please! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00408.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00406.jpg T - We decided that we would just have whatever was available and be done, otherwise we knew that in 10 blocks time we still wouldn’t have found something. We ended having a ham and cheese croissant. Which was nice, but after waiting just over an hour for it to arrive I was a little miffed and wished we had of just gone to the local market instead! Oh well! C – It was a bit of hungry, painful wait for our breakfast, but still, we had a super lovely view of the water and it was interesting listening in on conversations I had no hope of ever understanding. So instead, I just made it up.... I am sure the group of men next to us were plotting some drug cartel warlord overthrow..... T - After a feed we went in search of a coffee for Chantelle. We found another very quaint little cafe tucked away down a little alley. Chantelle bought herself a cappuccino and I had a very tasty hot chocolate. Nom nom! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00410.jpg We wandered back slowly towards our room as the heat of the day started to climb. Boy was it going to be a warm one today! We strolled through a cool little market selling fresh fish and meat plus some stunningly made leather gear. I wanted to buy Chantelle a nice belt but then I let her talk me out of it. I would have also liked to have bought myself one of the cowboy hats on display. They were only $15 and I’m sure I could have strapped it to Mabel somehow! C – The market was a feast for the senses!!! It was bright, colourful, stinking like fish and meat, sweaty and hot as we wandered through, trying to be polite to the vendors who were talking at us quickly in Spanish! T - From there we went back to our room to hide in the aircon while the city baked away quietly. By mid afternoon Chantelle had started to turn a little green looking and rumblings and pains from her tummy told us that she had a little bit of Baja Belly coming on! Oh no!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00411.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00412.jpg We stayed in the room right up until dinner time that night which ended up of a hastily bought bag of chips and a small cake. Chantelle had to run back to our room where she alternated between groaning in agony on the toilet or groaning in agony on the bed. And I must say, the walls in our room weren’t exactly thick and I could hear every nasty thing going on. C – At first I thought, oh... upset tummy. It will be fine. But alas, as the day wore on, the worse I felt. It was unpleasant, but I knew it wasn’t anything more sinister than some travellers belly. It wasn’t too pleasant for me, or Todd! Todd managed to eat his chips and cake for dinner though, whilst I stuck my head down the toilet. T - We put it down to the coffee this morning as we figure the water possibly wasn’t boiled totally. Lesson learned! We shall make our own coffee from our bottled water from now on! We accept that on this trip, or most other trips to foreign places for that matter, that we will at some point suffer from upset tummys. C – I am usually very careful of coffee and tea, as in Asia this is the predominant reason people get sick there when travelling. The water never boils, especially a barista made coffee. Oh well, the coffee tasted good. Although I think, just maybe, my addiction to coffee may be in remission! T - So it was off to bed early. If Chantelle is still unwell tomorrow morning I shall go to the Chemist and get her some drugs! We have a ferry to catch tomorrow evening but we may have to change our plans on that one. I am excited to get to mainland Mexico but I am not sure that travelling on a boat for 12 hours or more with a sick tummy would be a nice thing for Chantelle. |
13 October 2016
T - Chantelle had to get up several times in the night and do the mad rush to the toilet. 20 times in fact! Not good! So as soon as the chemist opened its shutters I was inside and buying some Imodium pills. Chantelle couldn’t move and we contemplated staying here until the next ferry to Mazatlan, which was on Sunday.
C – I woke up feeling somewhat better, but not really better. I was appreciative of the fact that our hotel room had two beds as I asked Todd to sleep in the other one. It meant he could have a somewhat more restful sleep. Todd went to the pharmacy and came back with Imodium, which is obviously very helpful, but I knew this would only treat the symptoms, not the cause. I figured I could get something for bacterial infection a bit later. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06763.jpg T - We ummed and ahhed for a few hours until our checkout time came. At which point we thought we might try for the ferry after all. First we had a few things to do in town and as Chantelle was feeling quite hungry, a good sign, we headed of to find her some nice safe food. In this case she was craving some Maccas fries all covered in salt. We scoffed some food there and headed off to Walmart to pick up some last minute items. We needed some new GO Pro stickies for our helmets plus some basic food stuffs to eat on the ferry. About 2 minutes after we left Maccas Chantelle started feeling very unwell again. So she rested in Walmarts aircon while I went and found the stuff we needed. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06764.jpg C – I was really, really feeling like salty, salty Maccas fries... perhaps it was too soon though!!! The fries certainly perked me up a bit, after not eating for over 24hrs. T - By the time I had done the little bit of shopping Chantelle had taken a turn for the worse. We decided to see the chemist in Walmart to see if they had something else that might help the gut infection that she was battling. Armed with some new pills we went and sat outside and discussed what our options were and what we should do. To be honest I was really keen to get on the boat. And the prospect of another 4 days until we left wasn’t ideal. BUT, Chantelle was really sick and I had to work hard to convince her that maybe she should spend some time here in a hotel. Chantelle was convinced that she would be able to lay down on the boat and be fine but soon we were checking into a room at a cheap hotel. Less than 10 minutes later we were checking back out again. For us to get a refund or change our ferry tickets looked to be almost impossible due to our poor Spanish skills and to get our travel insurance to cover it meant trips to a doctor, documents to prove we had tried to change our booking etc etc. It became to much for Chantelle and she ended up just deciding that we would take the ferry as planned. C – The key for me was that I knew I was going to feel this way for a short time longer, whether I was on the boat, or in a hotel room. So I was happy to suck it up for a while, knowing by tomorrow I would feel much better. T - We rode out to the terminal with the idea that Chantelle could lay on a bench somewhere for a few hours until we could board and that we would splurge and book a cabin with its own toilet for the night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06766.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...DSC06767-1.jpg Not long after we arrived at the terminal we were sent through customs who checked our paperwork and nothing else, then onto a weigh bridge which cost us 88 peso’s each, and then finally to a ticket office where we picked up our boarding passes. It was at this point that Maccas decided to make a fast exit out of Chantelles tummy and she hurried around the back of the little building to vomit. So now we have left groinal water in the US and splattered MacDonalds fries all over the ground behind a ticket building in Mexico! Sorry Canada but I think we only left Mabels oily innards scattered through you! C – Oh yes, sorry about that La Paz ferry terminal building. But, I did cover it up with dirt and man did I feel heaps better! I think the fries assisted whatever was left in my body to get out quickly!!! We also managed to get a private cabin, which was more than we have paid for a hotel room yet, but we both knew it would be worth it. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06765.jpg T - Finally we made it into the terminal where Chantelle declared herself feeling much better for getting the ‘Demon’ out of her stomach. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06769.jpg All of a sudden we were asked to board. 3 hours before departure. It was great! We had access to our room straight away and spent the next few hours laying about and reading as Chantelle steadily improved. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06771.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06773.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06777.jpg C – The ferry was much more modern than I expected and it was actually super lovely. Our cabin was lovely and comfortable and even had a window and a shower! After drinking lots of water and having a lie down I was certainly feeling much better!! T - We ventured outside and met up with some fellow bikers who were also heading south. We had a great chat and continued our conversation over dinner which was included in our boarding fee! Bonus!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06776.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06784.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06796.jpg Chantelle was much perked up by now and after she ate some dinner she went off to bed to sleep off the exhaustion of the tummy bug blues. I also followed her up to the room and spent an hour or so watching Everyone Loves Raymond until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Tomorrow we shall be in Mazatlan where we have booked an Air bnb room for the night. Then the day after we will tackle the road called Diablos something or rather or The Spine of the Devil. |
14 October 2016
T - It is such a lovely feeling when you get to sleep on a boat. Well I think so anyway. The gentle swaying and the dull thrumming of the engines always help me to sleep soundly and deeply. Though I did wake up a few times when there was a particularly decent sway occasionally which had me worrying about the bikes. The place we had been directed to park in had no spots to tie down to so our bikes were just propped up on the centre stands and help in place by some mucky greasy water that dribbled across the floor under them. I had visions of them pirouetting quite elegantly across the slimy steel decks in the hold, bouncing off of other peoples cars and causing mayhem and destruction as they went. Either that or they would just be flopped over on their sides slaloming about in the greasy puddle of water. Just how Mabel likes it I suspect...
C – Such a wonderful, wonderful nights sleep! The room was a great temperature, the bed was super comfortable and I woke up still feeling exhausted, but much more alive! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06797.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06802.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06807.jpg T - I wandered out onto the back decks and joined the handful of other people gathered out there and watched the sun rise over the water. It was absolutely spectacular and somehow I felt that this sunrise heralded a new beginning for us on this trip. I know it sounds weird but I didn’t feel as if I was in Mexico on the Baja. Now I felt like I was really heading for Mexico! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06813.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06825.jpg We spent a while chatting to another couple who had ridden down from Alaska. One of them was riding my all time favourite bike. An XT660Z Tenere. I had one and LOVED it, so I was quite keen to hear what she had to say about hers. It seemed that she didn’t enjoy it as much as me. The bike was too tall and too heavy for her for their trip. Which must suck?! I offered, half joking and half hoping, to swap Mabel for the Tenere, but she didn’t seem to find that such a great deal. I was only joking Mabel! I wouldn’t trade you in. Yet..... http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06829.jpg C – It always lovely to meet to other travellers and we spent some time talking about everyones routes. Like us, most people really don’t know where they are going to head tomorrow, its all about focusing on today. And I love that so much, the focus on staying in the present and not looking forward or back. T - As the ferry docked we all stood around waiting to get off. This is the most painful part of any trip. The waiting to disembark. Wether it be on a plane or a boat. Just let us off already! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06830.jpg Finally we were reunited with our upright bikes still in the same place we had left them. Phew. We said our farewells to the bikers we had met and hope to run into the as we head down the road over the next few weeks and months. Rick had a bike that I was quite taken with, after the Tenere and Mabel of course. It is a Moto Guzzi V7 and what a gorgeous machine it is! I will be following him on his trip over on ADVrider for sure! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06832.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06833.jpg We pushed our way into the line of trucks that were heading down the off ramp and soon we were free into the traffic of Mazatlan! We were in Mexico baby! Everything felt different. The pace was slower, the smells were incredible, the colours were a visual feast! Woohoo! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06836.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06840.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06843.jpg We couldn’t check in to our room until 3 so we busied ourselves by riding around the city centre, down little one way alleys and then north along the coast. It was damn hot here but it did cool off as we moved along the water a little. C – It was exciting to ‘feel’ Mexico. As Todd said, the Baja seems to be a bit of in between place, so we were both looking forward to the mainland. Matazlan looks to be a wonderful city and despite the heat, it was lovely to ride around in the relatively sedate traffic. There was a definite feel of ‘slowing down’ here. T - Eventually we booked into our room and plan on doing some laundry, because I have no clean clothes left and I friggin smell bad right now. I must have stuck the entire boat out. Even Chantelle commented on my stink today. Sorry to everyone on the boat! Just my little gift to you all! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06847.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06847.jpg So that’s where I am right now as I write this. Laying on a comfortable bed, in a gorgeous home, staring out the open door across the street at a bright blue house and just loving life! Smells and all! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06848.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00416.jpg Tomorrow we head inland towards Durango on the free road of curvey curves. I had a look at our GPS today and the route we are going is just a scrambled spaghetified mess! Cant wait!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06839.jpg |
Ferry
Well T&C , seems your ferry ride was much smoother than the one I had back in December 1991 , I spent the whole night rolling from one side of my bunk to the other and then back again , didn't sleep a wink !
A good omen for the remainder of your trip hopefully :thumbup1: . |
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15 October 2016
T - Todays ride promised to be amazing. We had been told by travellers before us who had recently rode this section of Highway 40 between Mazatlan and Durango, that it was gorgeous and curvy and amazing! So we had high hopes!
I also had some very small nerves in the back of my mind. For this was the same area that last year two Australians were killed on. However I am sure we will both be fine and we also knew another rider who was heading the same way today with us. Safety in numbers and all that! C – We were both sweating long before we even got close to getting on the bikes. That nice sweaty sweat you get from humidity! We both had enjoyed our short time in Mazatlan – it is a pretty cool city, with lovely humidity, warm temps and a beautiful sea breeze. The thrill of the watching the thunderstorm come last night was just amazing. The build of intensity in the air, then the massive relief in the atmosphere as mother nature puts on her show. I slept so, so well last night, I think catching up after my fun bout of Baja Belly and after 10 uninterrupted hours of sleep I was raring to go! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00420.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06851.jpg T - We said good bye to Le-An who was the lovely lady’s who’s house we stayed in last night and cruised on out. Our destination for today was around 220km’s up the road at a small town called El Salto just 150km’s to the west of Durango. The traffic was heavy but well behaved and we had many people wave at us and beep to say hello. All day in fact! We made our turn off the main highway and down the Libre 40. There is a toll road that runs right along beside the free one and if it wasn’t for the promise of tight curves and scenic vistas then we would have taken it. It is apparently an engineering marvel with something like 62 tunnels and numerous massive bridges! C – The scale of the engineering on the toll road intrigued us both, but really, as bikers, there was just no other way to go other than straight up the El Espinazo Del Diablo – or the Spine of the Devil. Local legend has it that when the Archangel Michael tossed out the devil from heaven and he landed here on earth and his backbone formed the rugged ridges of the Sierra Madres across which this road runs. The minute we reached the outer limits of Mazatlan the feel of the air began to change. The humidity began to drop and a slight chill wafted us occasionally. Rosie was very much enjoying the cooler air, but we both knew at the end of this climb we would hoping for some heat again! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06852.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06854.jpg T - Our road led us straight up and into the mountains. The views started almost straight away with mountains fading out into the distance. All ensconced in a blue haze similar to the mountains near Sydney back home. Every curve on the road led us to more amazing scenery. It was frigging breathtaking! The road hugged cliffs, skirted across ridgelines and cut through pine forests. It was just wow. What a road. And the corners just never stopped. As soon as we left one turn the next would be upon us instantly. Mabel was singing/screaming in delight/pain and I was grinning like mad! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06855.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06856.jpg C – The scenery was so different from what we had witnessed along the Baja. As the city disappeared into the distance, the vegetation turned a luscious green with beautiful bright flowers and butterflys the size of small birds flying about. I had one of those moments where you can’t quite believe something can be so beautiful, where you feel like a part of the environment. We were not on the road very long when we were passed by a few big BMW motorcycles. I am sure everyone of them was having just as much fun as we were. This road is truly a bikers heaven. It is one constant corner – left, right, left, right, left, right! Mucho curva peligrosa!!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06857.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06858.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06859.jpg T - As we rose higher and higher the bikes begun to run worse and worse. Popping and farting their way up to over 2700 meters. Every time we would pull up to a stop one or both of them would chug and die. They were both running rich and ragged. Time for a tune up and a carby rebuild girls! We met up with a lovely chap we met on the ferry, Rick, on his gorgeous MotoGuzzi V7. Gee that bike is lovely and I think I might get one when we get home. We sat behind him for a while as he was plonking along at our postie pace. The wash of deep throbbing noise coming back at us from his twin mufflers was almost as good as the scenery around us. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06862.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06863.jpg Eventually we passed him as he stopped for a photo. Hope to see you again on the road Rick! Chantelle and I both had the tummy grumbles, of the good variety, and it was well after lunchtime. So we picked a roadside restaurant where we tried Queso Gorditas. A type of tortilla stuffed with cheese and then cooked on a hot pan. Bloody hell. Call me Shirley and spank my bottom. They were damn amazing! If I was a greedier bastard I would have had a second one! Lunch today cost us $4 and consisted of two goditas, a soda, and two sweet chocolate cakes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06868.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00422.jpg C – The gorditas were yummo and it was amazing that the lady made them from scratch, right in front of us!! Talk about fresh!!! T - We saw Rick pass by as we were stuffing our faces and then another biker on a yellow 650 BMW pulled up next door. So naturally we wanted to go say g’day. We had been playing tag with this rider for the best part of the day. He would pass us when we stopped for a photo and then vice versa. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06872.jpg His name is Ken and though he is deaf we had a nice chat via text on his phone. He too is headed for Durango and ultimately for Argentina. Lovely to have met you Ken and we hope to see you further along too! C – We headed out of the small pueblo where we ate lunch, both grinning by the thrill of the ride but starting to succumb to the shivers. It was getting very cold at this height and obviously we were dressed for the heat. The fact that we were sweltering in La Paz didnt make the cold any easier to deal with!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06866.jpg T - From here our ride took a downhill turn. In fact to begin with we were actually skipping downhill. Losing altitude and gaining some warmth. Then it started to rain. Just a few spots so we carried on. It got a little heavier, but not enough for us to break out the dreaded wet weather gear. Then suddenly it was bucketing down and we were drenched in seconds. We pulled into an abandoned taco stall and pulled our wet weathers on. Ken went sailing by in his nice textile all weather riding gear. Probably thinking “look at these bloody morons”. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06873.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06874.jpg We carried on in the wet. Shivering our tits off. In a short time though the rain cleared and we descended up El Salto. We needed a hotel and it looked as though we only had two options here. One that looked really dodgey and murky and one that looked expensive. We picked expensive. It cost us the equivalent of $35 for the night. Ouchies! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06875.jpg C – I was a bit disappointed at having to pay so much for a hotel room... but then I guess in the scheme of things, it really isn’t that much and after we rode past the cheap option, we were both very glad we chose the expensive one! We are both really missing camping though. There is something so special about being outdoors, being vulnerable and exposed to the elements. Whilst I might complain about being cold and wet, it is all experiences that you just don’t get sitting in a warm, comfy hotel room. Which I do enjoy, but it is so much more enjoyable when it is on occasion, rather than the room. Hopefully once we get through this area, which we are assured is drug Cartel territory, we will be able to camp more. T - We unpacked the bikes and took a ride down the main thoroughfare in town. The road was narrow and one way and crammed with cars, dogs, pedestrians, boozers, and all manner of merchandise. We rode down one side and back up the next. It seemed like this was about all there was in this town and we made our way back to the hotel for dinner and some TV. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06876.jpg C – Highway 40 through El Salto was not much to look at it at all, but when we ventured into town it didn’t really seem to improve either. El Salto feels like a town which has not benefited from prosperity over the years. T - Tomorrow we continue along to a place south of Durango. We like to just turn up in a place and sort out a hotel on the spot, but this is not working to well for us at the moment. So we have picked a town and a hotel for $17 and that’s where we shall go. |
16 October 2016
T - It seems the parking lot for our hotel doubles as the local hang out spot for drunk locals who like listening to loud Mexican music from 3am through til 7 in the morning! Crazy! So we didnt get too much sleep last night. Never the less we both were up early and sat snuggled into the blankets in bed and watched a few episodes of Everyone Loves Raymond.
C – It was still pitch black outside and very, very chilly when we finally gave in to the sleep idea at 6.30am. We decided that we weren’t moving anywhere too soon, given the sun was yet to peak over the horizon, so I made tea and snuggled back into the blankets. T - We packed up in the slightly chilly air outside and it wasn’t long before we had fuelled up our bikes and were on the road. We had decided to travel only as far as Durango today. We were keen to hang out with Rick whom we had first met on the ferry to Mazatlan. C – As we were packing up the bikes, the last of the long standing drunkards drove off (yes, thats right – drove off in his pickup truck), leaving a trail of beer cans littered throughout the car park, which some poor employee had to come along and pick up. Terrible!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06878.jpg We had some giggles whilst we sitting in bed last night watching some tele – firstly, how did two Australians on posties bikes end up sitting in a hotel in a seedy Mexican town, where apparently the cartel are present. And secondly – just in the morning we were sweating in the humidity and then sleeping in thermals and three blankets!!! One venture outside and we both decided it was time to leave on the thermals under our riding gear today! We could see fog settling over the valley as we packed up and it looked quite pretty, but as we rode out, we realised it was just diesel fumes and smoke from every ones fires!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06894.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06879.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06882.jpg T - The ride was pretty and we cruised along enjoying the scenery and the cool air. As we got closer to Durango the traffic began to increase and we saw some wild overtaking manoeuvres. One of them put the wind up us for sure with a bus missing us by mere inches! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06888.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06893.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06895.jpg In the end we sailed smoothly into Durango. A city we were almost going to bypass. We followed our GPS which led us down narrow streets and one way alleys until we were in the centre of town. We struggled to locate our hotel and did quite a few laps of the block. But we made it and soon our bikes were parked next to Ricks (mine really) and we were settling down into our room. What a lovely hotel! We rode our bikes straight through the entrance way and parked inside.dsc06896 We hooked up with Rick and headed off on foot to grab some food. Which as always was pretty damn great! Then we checked out a local car show and wandered up through a market and followed the crowd as we checked out one of the centers main streets. The architecture and colours here are so beautiful. I was totally transfixed by this place. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06896.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06907.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06915.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06918.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06927.jpg C – From the minute we rode into Durango, I was taken with the place. The centro area is just simply beautiful, with amazing architecture and a really wonderful feel to the place. So alive and vibrant! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06930.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06937.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06926.jpg T - After a break back at the room we wandered out again in search of more food and ended up back in the main street. Boy was it bustling! There was music and dancing and kids playing with inflatable rockets. It was so lively and fun and had such a great atmosphere. We sat and people watched as we ate dinner and I asked Rick all about his old job working in a nuclear power station. Man we meet some interesting people on this trip! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06953.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06962.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06963.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06971.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06982.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06978.jpg After dinner and an icecream we strolled through the plaza before heading back to the hotel. I had a message on ADVrider from another couple who were in town also and so we arranged to meet them too. We spent the next hour or so chatting to them before we called it a night. C – By the time we got to our room we were both really taken with Durango. What a beautiful, wonderful, lovely city!!! T - Tomorrow we head for Zacatecas. After breakfast of course! I really like Durango. It has such a great vibe and such a safe feeling. Probably my most favourite city ever! |
17 October 2016
C – After quite a nice lay in, we met Rick, Mark and Kate (the ADVRider couple we met last night) for breakfast at La Tostada and enjoyed a nice breakfast and chat fest before we all went our separate ways.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06988.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06989.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06990.jpg After struggling to find a reasonable price hotel in Zacatecas centro historic, we booked an AirBnB just out of the centre, near Guadalupe. So, after waving ‘Adios’ to Rick at the hotel, we headed out towards our destination. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06991.jpg Once out of the city, the highway took us through agricultural land. We felt as though we could be riding through any farming land in any country.. it was familiar and beautiful. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06993.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06994.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00431.jpg I had read about the small village of Sombrerete and was keen to stop in on our way past. We followed the signs and were soon in a mass of small alleyways with stone streets, with colours and people everywhere. It was a really beautiful and vibrant and I am sure had we not had something booked, we could of easily stayed the night and spent the day wandering the alleys. ‘Pueblo magico’ indeed! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06992.jpg T – Somberete was just beautiful. We had originally planned to stop here for the night instead of going to Durango. But now we had a place booked in Guadaloupe so we had to carry on. I really loved all the little single lane, one way alleys that crossed the older part of this town. C - Back on the road, we stuck to the libre road, which cut away from the toll road and through quite a few small, bustling villages. Some were very industrial, others appearing to be in need of better times. We went through a police checkpoint and were somewhat confused by the interaction. The policeman (with the big gun) asked us where we were from and after our response, just stared at us. After an uncomfortable period of time, he said ‘come on.... go’.. so that we did! A weird interaction! T – It was weird. Especially as he just stared at us for what seemed an age. But he had a really big gun and I wasn’t going to argue with that! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06996.jpg C - After some 270km, the road became busier as we entered the city. After accidently getting separated when Todd exited the freeway and I didnt, we managed to find our AirBnb. Our hosts were super lovely, as was our room! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC06997.jpg We spent the evening walking through the beautiful centre of Guadalupe, checking out the cathedral and the square. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07001.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07002.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00433.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07013.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07019.jpg Tomorrow, we shall check out Zacatecas and then look to head further south. We may stay the night if we feel the desire! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07017.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07025.jpg |
18 October 2016
T - So we had no real plans for today. Just that it might be nice to check out Zacatecas before we continued on our journey. We have been told just how amazing Zacatecas was and so our expectations were quite high!
We said goodbye to our Airbnb hosts who were just lovely. We were even given a little gift of a day of the dead skull printed on their 3D printer. We rode the total distance of about 6 kms into Zactecas’ main historic center. By the time we had made it part way in we both had decided we needed to spend the whole day and a night here. The place was incredible. So many narrow cobbled little alleyways running off in all directions. Some of the narrow streets climbed quite steeply and I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to ride on them in the wet! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07026.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07027.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07029.jpg We decided to check out a few hostels and hotels near to the centro part of the city. But all of the ones in our budget didn’t have off street parking. Every single hotel was absolutely adamant though that our bikes would be safe on the street over night. In the end we found a little hotel tucked away down an alley that dated back from 1500’s. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07032.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07033.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07035.jpg C – I certainly got some Espanol practice in, asking quite a few hotels for prices and the parking options. We were both uncertain about the parking situation, but with such a large police presence, decided to chance it and leave the girls parked on the street. They were parked in front of the 24hr reception, so that gave us some comfort. I knew which hotel I wanted to stay in the minute I walked into the Casa Santo Domingo.. it was absolutely beautiful and I was amazed that it was in our price range! T - What a hotel! It was right at the top end of our budget but it was worth every cent. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07044.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07045.jpg We chucked our stuff into the room and headed into town where we walked for a few hours up and down the streets. We poked our noses into the various shops and markets and ooh and ahhed over some beautiful leather boots. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07051.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07054.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07053.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07057.jpg After a filling lunch of gorditas and icecream we returned to our room for a rest. The amazing guy we had been catching up with, Rick, was due to arrive into Zacatecas today as well so we told him all about our hotel and that he should think about joining us there. Which he did! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07070.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07090.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07092.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07099.jpg The three of us had a great evening out in the city together looking at the sights and then wandered off to find dinner. Which again was tasty and cheap and plentiful. Plus I got to have another helping or three of icecream on the way back to the room. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07109.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07106.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07117.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07133.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00442.jpgdsc00442 C – It was such a wonderful day, just meandering through the old streets and checking out all the old buildings. Zacatecas was settled around 1546 so the architecture and street layouts are just beautiful. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07104.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07105.jpg T - Another great day! I am really enjoying hanging out with Rick and hope he doesn’t get too sick of us! Tomorrow the three of us are heading towards Guadalajara. Its a fair hike so we may not go all the way. |
19 October 2016
T - Rick was our guide out of the city this morning. It looks to be an easy place to end up lost in if you are not careful. So many tiny one way streets that meander in all directions. Rick did a sterling job though and soon had us heading away from the city and into the country. He decided to try to ride at our speed today and happily sat behind us on the road at 65 km/hr.
C – It was fun to have Rick riding along at postie pace, but we did think at some point the Guzzi would ache to take flight. But he stuck with us and definitely seemed to enjoy the slow motion travel! The morning passed in a blissful blear, with the girls just purring along, the air somewhat fresh and the sky beautiful and clear. The only disruption to this bliss was Todds singing... he made up several new songs along the way... none of them too pleasant on the ears I might add!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07140.jpg T - We passed through much farming land and the highway dwindled from dual lane divided to one lane each way. The road was so pretty and fairly quiet. We passed through some gorgeous little villages. Each one seeming to have a massive cathedral or two at its centre and the massive spires towered over them. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07141.jpg Rick had been told of a great little food stop in one of the towns along the way and we pulled in there to eat a heap of gorditas. The lady who was cooking them was so sweet and seemed genuinely happy that we were enjoying her cooking. The gorditas were freaking amazing! We had 8 of them between us and the cost was only 70 pesos. Just around $5. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07144.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07145.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07145.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07151.jpg We continued along the highway which soon became snakey and curvey as we got closer to Guadalajara. Mabel was on song, well downhill anyway, and she went screaming through the corners like a rocket. It was a lovely stretch of road and the air was filled with butterflies and the smells of a million blooming flowers. So good! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00450.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07147.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00448.jpg C – The twisties were indeed a lot of fun, made even more challenging by the game of find of the pothole, miss the topes and navigate the rough undulating surface. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07152.jpg T - When we got close to the city Rick again took over as navigator and into the mess of Mexican city traffic we went. It was a hell of an adrenaline rush! Cars pressing all around, seeming no lanes marked out, broken cars and trucks parked on the shoulders. We cut and dived and weaved into the traffic, our little posties working hard to keep up with the might Guzzi. So much fun and we were soon at our hotel and the bikes ticking and cooling in a secure parking compound for the night. They even have their own shotgun toting guard to watch over them. C – Wowsers... boy I am glad that Rick navigated us into here!! It was all just a little bit chaotic and insane! It was so much less stressful to just play follow the leader rather than have to try to watch the traffic, the road and the GPS! T - We wandered a few blocks after having showered and changed where we found some more tasty food. I had some amazing chicken mole, which is my favourite Mexican dish, followed by a egg custard desert. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00456.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00454.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00458.jpg Then it was a hike back to the hotel and ready for bed. Tomorrow we are heading for Tequila but as yet haven’t planned on staying the night or not. We want to do a tequila distillery tour, obviously, so we may not be in a fit state to drive anyways! |
20 October 2016
T - Today we were heading to the town of Tequila. To drink tequila. It wasn’t far and looked to be an easy ride. And it was! We followed the Moto Guzzi out of the city and soon we were on the right road to Tequila.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07153.jpg We had picked a hotel in the town centre and soon we were pulling up into the courtyard and parking our bikes for the day. Our ride today hit a grand total of 56 km’s! These long days are tough I tell ya. C – The ride was uneventful, even the ride out of Guadalajara! The route we took was the Ruta de Tequila and soon we were passing tequila distilleries and some pueblos with lots of tourist stalls – selling all things tequila and some lovely pottery. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07154.jpg T - We unpacked and changed before wandering into town. There was a distillery nearby and we were keen to take a tour. Tequila has some neat little alleyways and colourful homes and shops lining them. So beautiful! The town square was really neat with a ring of shops surrounding it and park benches running up and down the centre. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07157.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07156.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07160.jpg We decided that it might be a good idea to eat some food before we tackled the distillery. So the three of us sat on a bench in the square and did some people watching while we lined our tummys with chips, biscuits, sodas and chocolate cake! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07163.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07164.jpg The tour was Jose Cuervos’ and is one of the oldest distillery’s of tequila. It wasn’t long into the tour before we were offered our first taste. Uncut tequila at 55% was just mean! Then the tastings continued. Always we were told to have more if we wanted it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07165.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07168.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07174.jpg C – Whilst I am not really a tequila fan (one night of drinking cheap tequila, many years ago, has equalled a life of no more tequila drinking!!), the tour was really great. We saw the whole process and even tasted some of the oven baked agave. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07179.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07181.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07184.jpg After the first taste of the initial tequila, we got to taste a 6mth and 18mth aged tequila and finally, their finest white or silver tequila. The guide kept offering more and more! By this stage, I was already starting to feel ‘happy’. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07188.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07196.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07200.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07201.jpg T - Finally our tour ended with a proper tasting. It was just the three of us in the room with our guide which was pretty special! We really like hanging out with Rick and being able to share these moments with him! We were shown how to swirl the tequila, smell it and how to reset our nose and our palette. Very cool! We also drank alot. Nearly too much. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07206.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07207.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07208.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07210.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07212.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07213.jpg C – The final tasting consisted of the full four different times of tequila – and I can assure you, they were little sips in the bottom of a glass, but what you would expect on to be given on a paid wine tasting... thats a lot of tequila folks!!!! The guide also showed us the proper way to sip tequila – breathing in first, then breathing out after you swallow. The final one of the four, the extra aged, was simply devine and I was surprised by how easy it was to drink! Apparently, when you drink ‘proper’ tequila, it is actually a sipping drink and quite lovely – like a fine whiskey! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07209.jpg T - We all left the distillery with a slight buzz on and re-entered the oddly tilted world. The tour was a blast and worth every cent. Then it was back to the hotel and time to walk off the booze. After which I did some maintenance on the bikes. Rosie finally got her carby rebuild and Mabel got her intake valve adjusted. C – After copious amounts of water and some more chips, it was siesta time for this little black duck!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07218.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07217.jpg T - We took it easy for the rest of the day which was nice. Last nights hotel was a bit noisey and I don’t think any of us slept to well. Tomorrow we are heading around the southern part of Lagos de Chapala and skirting underneath the big city of Guadalajara. |
Hi Todd & Chantelle
Well that's been some journey so far no not yours mine its taken me a good few hours of reading your reports to catch up with you both. I am ready for a cup of tea now. But more importantly lets get back to your journey and what a trip its ben so far. The last and in fact the only other Postie Bike motorcycle trip I have read about was Nathan Millwards and his in comparison to yours so far seems to have been a lot less complicated. Not saying that Nats was easy though and still some achievement. Met him a couple times and a nice fella. Rather than tempt fate I will just say I am glad you seem to have overcome that particular problem as I was tearing my hair out just reading about it. With regard to another regular issue you have been having I have offered up a prayer to the *P - fairy so everything should be ok from now on. Apart from motorcycling I also cycle so I am often over on the CGOAB Forum reading about some of the cyclist adventures and I have often thought it would be so much easier if they used mopeds or low powered scooters because they would see as much but without having to put so much energy in to doing so. What you all have in common though is that you meet far more nice people than nasty even in places that some would say you should avoid. Mexico going by your photos looks to be far more beautiful than I imagined it would be. Also pleased to read Chantelle that it didn't take too long to get over your dicky tummy. Well that's it for now I look forward to reading of your progress and viewing some more great photos. Oh and to the girls " look after them both " Regards Ted |
Thank you so much for the kind words! Im glad you enjoy our babblings! Nathan Millward is a fantastic guy and we hope we get the chance to buy him a beer one day! His story inspired us to do this on the posties!
Mexico is an incredible country. The media would have you believe some pretty awful things about places like this. But we have encountered nothing but friendly happy and extremely helpful people. But we are also avoiding the known "hot spots". The city we are currently in has topped even Durango (which I had previously declared the most beautiful city in the world). The colours and architecture and people oh my its just amazing! The challenges we have faced along this trip have not been bad. Sure they get annoying but they also help make the trip what it is. And generally they have all been issues we have managed to create for ourselves, such as Mabels engine seizing because I didnt do the sump plug up, or Rosies spokes snapping constantly because Chantelle smashed into a huge concrete edge at 35 mph! Glad to have you along on this trip and I hope you enjoyed your cuppa! I feel like one myself! |
21 October 2016
T - Not a very big post today. It was just a day of busy roads.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00467.jpg Today we said goodbye to Rick as our paths take us in different directions. We have had a blast hanging out with you Rick and hope we can stay in touch! Enjoy your ride and stay safe. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07226.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07225.jpg For us the journey continues on. I am keen to get to the Caribbean coast so we can start camping on the beach again. Today though we had picked a route that looked as though it may take us down some quiet back roads. C – I was looking forward to some nice quiet back roads, after spending so much time on busy highways. We deliberately set our route to take in as many of minor roads as we could, whilst skirting around Lake Chappala. It was sad to say goodbye to Rick, we have had such a blast hanging out with him! Take care Rick!! T - We couldn’t have been further from the truth. The roads were jam packed full of traffic. Large slow moving trucks had us trapped while they spewed out thick black exhaust fumes. Most of the roads were dual lane divided highways and there was just tons of traffic. Still we plodded on. The beauty of Mexican traffic is that they are used to slow moving traffic on their roads which means we feel totally safe on the road. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07227.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07229.jpg We skirted past the lake which was choppy and murky. There was quite a wind today and the skies were very overcast. C – The mood of the road was that of the sky.. grey. It wasn’t a particularly fun ride today and we were both eager to just make our destination. At one point, just before lunch, I was eager for a drink of water and a break off of the bike. We pulled off the road and I hit a deep pile of gravel, spectacularly dismounting in front of a taco stand. Lucky for me though, everyone saw and then spent the next 5 minutes starting at me. It was not exactly the break off of the bike I was hoping for. We stopped in a small pueblo for lunch and were absolutely delighted to have a torta filled with carnita (slow cooked pork basically).. it was absolutely amazing!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07228.jpg T - We set the GPS for our hotel. We didn’t have to far to go and soon enough we were there. C – As we arrived at the hotel, Mabel decided she was completely done for the day. Todd put her on her centre stand, but nope, she wasn’t having a bar of it.. straight down she went and proceeded to sulk whilst Todd made her stand upright again. T - It was a funky little hotel with bright colours on the outside and each room had its own large mural painted above the bed. Our room had a very stern looking Jesus looking down on us all night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07230.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07232.jpg Tomorrow we head for Guanajato, around 250 km’s away. We have found some nice twisty back roads on Google Earth so we shall check them out. |
22 October 2016
T - Another short entry today. We packed up our bikes at the early hour of 830am, and headed out of town and on towards Guanajuato. The hotel we stayed in last night was really funky and some of the artwork adorning the walls was quite fun! Chantelle really liked the fat mermaid on the wall in the passage! Not that we got a photo of it!
We had picked a road with a few bends in it that would lead us down into Guanajuato but first we had to ride 200km’s to get to there. We basically ended up on another busy road and spent our time dodging stray dogs and cyclists. C – We were a bit disappointed with sitting on a busy highway yet again, but were looking forward to the road later in the day, which the GPS promised us was full of twisties! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07233.jpg T - My poor tum has been feeling a bit unwell lately and I have been developing quite a nasty headache. I hope its nothing too serious! We stopped at a gas station which had a convenience store attached. We were feeling a bit peckish so we bought ourselves some plain chippies and some biccies. Mmm mm. The lunch of champions! As we were coming out of the store an unmarked white van pulled up next to the bikes and a police man got out and stood nearby, his finger resting on the trigger of the massive gun strapped to his chest! He watched us for a second before wandering off and standing in the middle of the car park. The driver of the van then started asking us a heap of questions. First it started with the usual, where are we from, where are we going, what types of bikes. Then he started asking about money. Chantelle and I immediately both got the heebie jeebies. He wanted to know how much we had spent, how much we had allowed etc etc. I down played it as much as possible even trying to joke my way out of it. It was very uncomfortable but they soon packed up and left. Then another heap of police pulled into the parking lot. As we were finishing our food and talking about our weird interaction with the policeman suddenly he was back. He had circled back around the block and had parked up behind us. He came over and asked if he could take our photos before shaking our hands and leaving. It was weird, mainly so because not once did he smile or show any emotion. We felt the police were looking for something but clearly it wasn’t us. C – The questioning from the policeman was a little weird, particularly given the other policeman didnt get back in the van, but stood behind our bikes, with his hand firmly on his gun. He really wanted to know who was funding our trip, like there should of been another answer that wasn’t ‘us’. It was all a bit weird and I felt really weird about him taking our picture with the bikes on his phone... anyway... it was definitely time to leave! T - As we were packing up and getting ready to ride one of the gas attendants came over and repeated almost the exact same questions. He had been sent over by another policeman to speak to us because he could speak english. We decided it was time for us to leave. On the way up the road we passed through several large police road blocks. I mean huge! Not once did they look at us or stop us though and we put our feelings of unease at the gas station down to paranoia. C - I have never seen so many police in one hour. It was incredible. The police seemed to be looking for something, with some pretty thorough searches of vehicles going on as we just sailed on by! T - We finally made it to the windy road and followed it up the side of a mountain as it changed from bitumen to cobblestone. What a shaky rattly ride that was! I’m sure we will have a few loose bolts on the bikes after that! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07237.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07239.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07239.jpg C – The road wound itself back and forth, climbing about 600mtrs in elevation. We weaved our way around buses and through small pueblos, following two very full military vehicles all the way to the top. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07244.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07246.jpg T - At the top of the mountain there was a giant Jesus statue. So we decided to go up there as we figured there would be an amazing view out over the valley. Sure enough there was! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07249.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07254.jpg From there the road wound back down and into the city of Guanajuato. What a city. Even from a distance it looked amazing. Brightly coloured houses stacked on the hillsides surrounding the ancient parts of the city. Gorgeous! We rode in hoping to find a cheap hotel. But there was a festival on and everything was booked solid. Unless we wanted to pay $20US to pitch a tent on a patch of concrete. No thanks! So we had a quick ride through the city, including riding through the incredible maze of old mining and drainage tunnels under the city, before heading back the way we had come to the small town of Silao. C – The city was absolute chaos, with people, cars, police and buses going everywhere. It soon became clear we were not going to find a room. After learning that the festival was on its second last day, we figured we might be able to book a room for tomorrow night and come back tomorrow. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07255.jpg T - We found a cheap hotel with secure parking and called it a day. I wasn’t feeling too well and after a quick shower I was ready to sleep. Which was not to be unfortunately. I ended up making several trips to the toilet where I emptied my stomach numerous times before almost passing out in the shower. What a horrible night made even worse by being in this awful hotel. No seat on the toilet, the upstairs plumbing leaked and ran down our bathroom window making our room smell like stale urine and cockroaches came out in droves. A real dive. Spewing my guts up in a stinking room, into a seatless dirty toilet, with cockroaches running over my legs was not fun. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07257.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07258.jpg Tomorrow we shall try to find a hotel in Guanajuato that’s in our budget. It looks like an amazing place to walk around for a few hours. |
23 October 2016
T - Off to Guanajuato today. Neither of us slept well so we are both keen to stay in a quiet hotel somewhere tucked away. And it just so happens we found it! Even if it cost us a whole days budget it is still worth it!
The ride into Guanajuato was pretty uneventful. Our GPS did a sterling job of navigating us through miles of tunnels and one way, narrow alleys and bought us right to the door of the Hotel Casa Del Sol. The bonus of this hotel is that it is at the end of a dead end alley, and about 50 meters from centro! Very happy! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00477.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00474.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07269.jpg We were a bit early to check in to our room but the hotel was happy to store our gear and park our bikes, so we wandered off in search of some tunnels to walk through, and the mummy museum. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07261.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07262.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07260.jpg We wandered past a myriad of food stalls selling anything from chocolate skulls to tacos and hamburgers. The crowded streets were swollen with people but in a good way. Everyone was smiling and seemed happy. It gave the city a beautiful vibrancy and we soaked it all in. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07267.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00489.jpg We found a stair case leading into the dark damp depths of the earth and so we descended down it to see what was on offer. We popped out into the middle of a lengthy tunnel that must have been ancient. There were massive brick arches and bricked ceilings galore! I loved it!!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00473.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07272.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07279.jpg We followed the tunnels along for a while until the smell of car exhaust became too much and we climbed back up onto the streets just blocks away from the museum. There was quite the line to get in so we joined onto the tail end of it. Once inside we watched a short video in Spanish on how the mummies came to be, well we think thats what it was, before we headed into the museum proper. There were mummies lined up down the sides of the passage way. They were both morbid and incredible. Some fully dressed in suits still and some completely naked. They were in amazing shape with many of them still having hair and dried up eyes. I enjoyed trying to capture some Walking Dead style shots of them. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07290.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07289.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07296.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07298.jpg Then we wandered back to our hotel and checked in. I needed a shower and a rest. I feel better today but have very little energy. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07282.jpg After a few hours lounging about we went back into the city for some dinner and a wander down the streets. Boy was it crowded now! The streets were full to bursting with crowds. We spent most of our time walking on the street, dodging busses and motorcycles. So awesome! I love this place! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07315.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07314.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07320.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07322.jpg Our dinner tonight was pretty boring. Chicken burgers and chips. I need something plain and boring in my tum today. Then it was back to hotel. I am buggered and am feeling quite out of breathe. Stupid man flu. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07323.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07325.jpg We have planned a route that will take us from here across some mountainous areas full of winding roads and down to the east coast over the next three days or so. |
24 October 2016
T - There was so much going on around here last night. It sounded like fireworks and singing and clapping and so so much laughter! Seems like the festival was an absolute hit!
We were up and about at the reasonable hour of 9am today. There was breakfast on offer included with our room and we sat out on a little balcony that overlooked the street. It was a beautiful little spot and we people watched as we ate, and waved and said hello alot! We packed our bikes and set the GPS to take us out of the city and to a small village called Colon about 190 kms away. We set it to avoid all highways, major roads, interstates and toll roads. Which it did! In a very short amount of time we were crawling in second and then first gear up a steep dusty and rocky road that slowly disintegrated into a rutted track. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07332.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07331.jpg C – We did have some reservations about this, as the routing through these back roads is only as good as the mapping. We had some experiences through Canada and the US where the GPS would attempt to get us places, but we would end up at a dead end as things on the ground had changed since the maps were last updated. Still, we were both sick of the highways and missing riding off riding, so thought we would give it a go! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07337.jpg T - We passed through little towns and crossed a few streams before we were confronted by a set of steel gates and a security guard. Bugger. Our GPS wanted us to go straight through what appeared to be an active mine site. We spoke briefly to the security guard and he confirmed our fears. We couldn’t go this way. But he pointed us off to a side road and we assumed that it would curl back on itself and rejoin the road on the other side of the mine. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07338.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07339.jpg C – At this point, we decided to just give it a go and see what happened. There were a few vehicles coming from that direction, so we figured the road must go somewhere, despite the GPS insisting it dead ended at a church. T - We followed this track along for a while and soon we were crawling and bumping our little overworked bikes up a narrow, very high, rock strewn goat track. It was quite a struggle to get up this part even in first gear. Finally though we did it! Sweating buckets on our over heated bikes we had a little cheer and carried on. For about 30 meters. Where the road just ended. Well it did continue on but we would have had to pass through a barbed wired fence and onto what we could only assume was private property. So we turned the bikes around. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07340.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07342.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07341.jpg C – I quite enjoy challenging myself to get up these steep, rocky climbs. What I do not enjoy as much, is coming back down them. I find it much more difficult to keep up the momentum whilst sliding down steep rocky hills, despite the fact that some momentum is important for keeping the bike upright. Of course I got down without any trouble, but, maybe one day these steep rocky descents wont scare the crap out of me! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07343.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07344.jpg T - It took us two hours to reach this point and the only way back was to go all the way back to Guanajuato and then take a highway road out. This wasn’t a bad thing though. We had both been missing our offroading and so we were absolutely relishing this ride. So instead of setting our sights on Colon, we instead headed for San Miguel De Allende which was about 60 km’s or so from Guanajuato. C – We picked San Miguel as a destination because we were being too lazy to get out the map and pick another one.. and we both knew this town was close. We also knew that San Miguel has a large expat community and would be an expensive destination for the evening. But, laziness prevailed! T - After a fairly quick ride back to the city we were soon racing down the highway. It was quite a nice ride and the air was refreshing cool for both us and the bikes. We made it to SM De Allende and soon we found a hotel that was slightly expensive but still the cheapest we could be bothered finding. It seems that something we have eaten or drunk in the past day or so wants to make us unhappy again. We might go to a pharmacy and get some doxy we think. Good for malaria and helps to keep stomach bugs at bay. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07345.jpg Tomorrow we are heading due east and have found some more dirt winding roads that lead us through some spectacular looking country. I’ve checked them on Google maps and assume, a very dangerous thing, that the roads go through because there is Google street view of them! |
25 October 2016
T - Oh god. If I have to ride over another speed bump I am going to lose my mind!
Today we were headed for the town of Ixmiquilpan. I don’t even know how to pronounce that! The distance was approximately 250km’s and would get us a little under halfway to the coast. We set the GPS for a hotel we had picked out and off we went. As we were leaving the gas station in San Miguel a nice chap came over to chat to us. Turns out he was the president of the BMW Motorrad club here in San Miguel. He kindly invited us to stay the night with him and if we hadn’t of already booked and paid for our hotel in Ixmiquilpan then we would have said yes! C – We headed back to Bogar’s shop for a quick chat and he kindly provided us some guidance on our route, and his favourite places in Mexico! We were disappointed that we had already paid for the accommodation. We normally don’t do that, but we had found a hotel with a great discount so had decided to book it. We promised Bogar we would stay if we came back via this way again though. It would of been lovely to meet his wife and family! T - We headed out of town via some back alleys and cobbled steep streets before bouncing over a few topes and then we were on our way! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07346.jpg Now for some reason our GPS has gotten it into its little electronic brain that we like to drive over topes. Well thats what we think. Every road we took, no matter whether we were in a town or on a highway, we were presented with endless speed bumps. 12 going into town, 12 in the middle of town, 12 going out of town and then a few camouflaged ones along the highway for good measure. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07349.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07350.jpgdsc07350 C – We ventured in and out of small villages all day and became intimately familiar with all of their topes. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07352.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07347.jpg T - It would have been a pretty uneventful ride otherwise. We cruised along all day and eventually found our way via another 600000000000000000000000000000000000000 speed bumps to our hotel for the night. My ass took a pounding today. I think I might have to dunk it into an ice cold bath. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07348.jpg We had a wander down the street for some dinner but it seemed we were in an industrial area so we had to settle for a cheapo bag of crisps and a bottle of soda. Neither of us could face a ride into town with more topes! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07353.jpg Tomorrow we head over some mountains on a very windy road! |
26 October 2016
T - We were up early today and ready to ride. The road we had picked looked to be a dirt one so we weren’t too sure as to how long it may take us to get through it.
We fueled up, bought our selves a yoghurt for breakfast and then climbed on the bikes and immediately became lost. We were riding down alleys and one way streets that didnt even appear on our GPS. So around and around we went eventually circling the main square twice before somehow we fluked the exit and we were out of there! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00494.jpg C – We were both excited about the ride today. Dirt roads, through the mountains, on roads that didnt appear on our GPS! We could see on Google Earth the road existed and got confirmation from ADVRider that road at least existed! T - It was a lovely cool morning and the bikes were humming along nicely, as usual really! We started to climb slowly as we headed for the town of Tolatongo. The road we had picked for today is called the Lib. Al Cardonal. We couldn’t find much information on it other than it was ‘a bit rough’. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07363.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07362.jpg As we got to the beginning of the mountains we were met with some of the most incredible views. Mountains just pushing up so steeply from the ground, full of deep valleys and tiny tracks criss crossing them everywhere! Wowsers! C – The views were simply breathtaking and the riding was superb. So far, it had all been bitumen and in relatively good condition. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07367.jpg T - We followed along the road and soon began a series of steep down hill switchbacks. The corners curved back so tightly on each other. What a ride! We were so excited to have a day of this! Then we realised we had missed our turn. Way back at the top of the mountain and now we were on a deadend road to nowhere. So we swung around and began the gruelling 2nd gear climb back up to the top. Poor Mabel. C – There was a construction crew working on this section of the road, transforming it from dirt to concrete. They were busily working on one lane, which left us riding down the wrong side, with no traffic control in site. We passed quite a few cars on the lane bit and thankfully didnt have to find out how we would go trying to pass a car on the single lane in the construction zone! T - Once at the top we used the phones GPS, as ours appears to not have any maps of this area, and we soon found the start of the actual road we wanted. It deteriorated rapidly from smooth hard dirt to rocky washouts and eventually turned into someones driveway. Errr... Again we had taken a wrong turn and had to back track over some fairly mean ground. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00493.jpg C – Despite the wrong turns and incredibly rough terrain, all the wrong turns led us to some amazing views. Definitely some of the best wrong turns we have made yet!! T - Finally, and this time we had it right, we found the proper road. It climbed up and over a hill and then we were in the valleys of the mountains. Our road stretched away beneath us, draped like a piece of limp spaghetti across the mountain side. Curving back and forth all the way down into the distant valley floor. No guard rails, just a very long plummet down. It was brilliant! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07373.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07372.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07374.jpg C – The road was rough, but easily rideable and again, gave us some spectacular views. There were a few moments were we stopped and looked at the drop offs with a ‘wooahh’! Vertigo inducing! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07378.jpg T - We curved back and forth slowly as we headed down. There was evidence in some spots of fairly recent landslides and the road was rocky and slippery. We hit the bottom and passed through a beautiful quaint little village before we began our climb up the other side. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07379.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07386.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00498.jpg Then it was down that set of mountains and into one of the most fertile and lush valleys I have ever seen. From above we were greeted with a patchwork of greens and browns from the farmed land. It was damn gorgeous. C – The greenness of the valley is indescribable... just beautiful. The fields were full of workers, performing manual labour tasks. Everyone stopped and stared at us for a moment, then came the big waves and the massive smiles! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07393.jpg We noticed what we thought were spider webs in the trees. On closer inspection, we saw millions of caterpillars in these webs. Some kind of silk worms maybe? http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07399.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07388.jpg T - We stopped in the little village in the valley for some tortas. OMFG! The best tortas we have had and possibly the best food we have had in Mexico yet! These puppies were huge, and stuffed full of pork, egg, cheese, avocado and jalapenos! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07402.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07404.jpg From there our quiet slow ride ended and we were back onto some major and very busy highways all the way through to our end point of Huauchinango. By the time we got there we had donned our wet weather gear and we rode down into the city in thick fog and drizzling rain! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07409.jpg Tomorrow we should hit the coast! Woohoo and hopefully we will find some nice camping spots. |
27 October 2016
T - After yesterdays amazing ride we knew today wouldn’t be anywhere near as exciting. It would be hard to top it really! We had our route planned that would take us through to the Gulf of Mexico where we both had high hopes of camping on the beach.
C – Our real goal here was to skirt around Mexico City... both of us are keen to avoid accidently ending up in the middle of chaotic traffic there!! T - We followed the highway out of town and surprisingly the road started of bending and skating back and forth as it wound down off of the mountains. Even though there was a bit of traffic we managed to get away from it for short stints which meant we could really get the bikes leaning over. It was great fun and we both were grinning like morons! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07414.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC00501.jpg We passed through a few villages. Each one colourful and lively and our little bikes got a heap of attention. This is a very picturesque part of the world and we were really enjoying it. C – We decided to stop for some lunch in one of the larger villages, so we visited a grocery store and emerged with bananas, fresh rolls and Todds new favourite Mexican treat – Pinguiinos. We enjoyed sitting on the kerb at the grocery store, watching masses and masses of traffic slowly drift past. We also managed to provide entertainment for a lot of people! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07411.jpg T - We hit the edge of quite a large town and then we were spat out onto another major highway which took us straight to the coast. Yay! We caught our first glimpses of the Gulf through gaps in buildings. The whole coast here was built up. Heaps of hotels and houses almost blocked the entire beach from the road. C – As we glimpsed the ocean we saw the dark coloured sand and the roughness of the ocean. The swell and waves stirred up the silt and sand and the ocean was a very uninviting greenish/brown. Still, it was the ocean and we always enjoy that first hit of sticky, salty air that licks at your skin as you near the coast. T - We spied a few hotels that advertised camping in the town of Casitas so we wandered in to check them out. And left rather quickly after being told it was $AUD20 for the night to pitch our tent!! WOW. No thankyou! We continued our search and finally found a place that would let us camp for $AUD10. The water was dark and rough and thunder heads were building up in the distance. We set the tent up as the wind started up. C – I was excited to be spending the night in the tent. The tent now feels like ‘home’ and I have been missing it staying in so many hotels. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07421.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07420.jpg T - Then it was time to chill out before dinner. As we got back from dinner the rain started to come down and there was lightning and thunder crashing all around. We picked a good night for camping! So we lay in the tent and watch Everyone Loves Raymond(will this show ever end) until the battery in the laptop gave out. Tomorrow we are heading for Veracruz. |
28 October 2016
T - It absolutely bucketed down last night! Our tent was drenched and there was huge puddles everywhere outside. We packed up and set our sights on Veracruz. It was only 150 odd k’s away so it should make for an easy ride.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07426.jpg And it was. Within 3 hours we were pulling into the crazy mad bustling streets of the port city. We were whisked along with the flow of buses, trucks, taxis and cars. It was pure mayhem! Sometimes there was three lanes when there should have been two, sometimes it squeezed out to four lanes. Taxis pushed each other and us out of the way, usually into the path of other cars or buses. We got the hell out of there quick smart!!! C – Veracruz was really as expected - A bustling city that has a very large working port. As we drove in, we saw mountains and mountains of containers ready for shipping and big cargo ships everywhere. The city had a gritty feel to it and we both quickly decided not to stay here. It was only lunch time and too early to stop. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07428.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07413.jpg T - After a very fast tour of Veracruzs water front we raced for the outskirts of the city. We both missed the small quiet country towns. The GPS for some reason soon had us heading for the gates of a toll road. No GPS this isn’t where we want to be! So we looped back and found a smaller highway and continued on our way. We made it to a town called Tierra Blanca where we found a ‘love’ motel for the night. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07416.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...0/DSC07418.jpg Not too many photos today as we were just stuck on busy roads all day! We have decided to move away from the coast now as it was crazily expensive and instead will take an inland route around to Palenque and up into the Yucatan. |
29 October 2016
T - After a very decent nights sleep in a very large bed we packed up late and headed on out of town. Our destination today was a city down on the south called Juchitan De Zaragoza.
It was a day of quiet highways for us. Our GPS’s maps seem so unreliable here that we are a little reluctant to take the ‘backtracks’ as we seem to always run into dead ends! But thankfully we had a fairly pleasant, if uneventful meander southwards. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00510.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00519.jpg The road was full of curves and dips and was in pretty good shape. We passed through a few small villages where there seemed to be a lot of men lounging around in the shade and watching us. In fact I have found that the men in this part of Mexico openly stare at us. It is becoming quite unnerving actually and I am going to learn how to say ‘Excuse me but it is quite rude to stare’. The women on the other hand don’t seem to pay us much mind at all. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07434.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07431.jpg The scenery today changed from thick tropical jungle to much more of the scrubby stuff as we rode south. The smaller villages gave way to bigger and bigger ones and the traffic started to build. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07429.jpg Then we popped out of a cut through a hillside and we were greeted by the site of hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines. As far as we could see in all directions. These things spun away silently. It was quite a sight and totally unexpected! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07439.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07438.jpg Once we were down onto the open plain on which all the turbines were installed it became apparent why they were put there. We spent the next 30 minutes battling against incredibly strong side winds as we rode into our destination for the day. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07437.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00516.jpg We managed to score a gorgeous little hotel for the night that had locked gates and secure parking for our bikes. Tomorrow we head eastwards where we think we will stop and have a day off of the bikes. Both of us are feeling a little tired and could do with a break. |
30 October 2016
T - We took advantage of the laundry service at our hotel. For $4 they washed dried and folded all of our very stinky and dirty clothes for us! Poor buggers. I feel sorry for the person that was ‘volunteered’ for that job!
We got away late today, as is becoming our custom now, and headed back out into the windfarms. The wind this morning was brutal and we wobbled and weaved down the shoulder of the highway while trucks blasted past us. It was quite funny riding behind Chantelle as she looked like a drunk person trying to ride down the ride! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07440.jpg C – Riding in this strong, strong wind was just no fun at all, poor Rosie is pretty light in the scheme of things and we get shoved and pushed in all directions by buffeting winds. It was unpleasant getting overtaken by the bigger trucks this morning, with the buffeting increasing just as they passed us. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07446.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07443.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07444.jpg Despite riding in the wind, it was magnificent to see this massive wind farm is. I must admit I do not really know what I expected of Mexico, but for some reason a massive wind farm was not in my expectations! It has been wonderful to see so many wind farms of this scale on our trip so far. T - We saw a very sad thing happen today on this part of the road. There were a few cows on the side of the road at one point and a large calf had wandered into the road and was standing on the centre line. We and all the cars around us slowed down as we went past so we didnt spook the calf and cause it to run into oncoming traffic. However the absolute dick head who zipped past us heading the opposite way didn’t. The calf was spooked and turned and ran away and straight into the front of a semi trailer. The little thing went under the truck. We were horrified. What and absolute asshole. There was no need for the driver of the car to drive like that. If he had of just slowed down and waited a minute the calf would have probably just stood where it was until the traffic passed by. We were so mad. It seemed to be such a senseless thing, and for what? That cow was someones livelihood. Disgusting. C – It was so ridiculously avoidable. The truck was already moving quite slowly, but surely people who reside in rural areas understand that if two vehicles pass an animal on either side, effectively trapping it, it will run and hit one of the vehicles. Common sense. I couldn’t believe that neither the truck behind us, nor the guy going in the opposite direction, considered the calf to be a hazard on the road. And really, despite what your individual opinions are on the value of life of animals, needlessly killing someones livelihood is just not ok. These cows were in very good condition and obviously belonged to one of the farms along that stretch of road. I was so saddened by this.. I have been dreading the day that I have to witness an inconsiderate driver hitting one of the millions of stray dogs here. T - We rode along in silence for a while after that. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07449.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07451.jpg Soon we branched off of the main highway and took the free road that was much quieter. It wound up into the mountains that we had been riding behind and with the height came some nice coolness and some respite from the relentless winds of the plains. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07450.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07452.jpg C – As we climbed into the mountains, came the corners... and who doesn’t love twisties! We were whizzing (as much as one can ‘whizz’ on a postie bike) left, right, left, right.. what fun!!! We were giggling along as each corner our panniers came closer to kissing the ground. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07453.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07455.jpg T - We warily watched some big dark clouds forming up ahead of us and when the first few spots of rain came down we both refused to admit it was raining and therefore not put on our wet weather gear. A very dangerous game right? http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07458.jpg In the end we rolled into the town of Tuxtla Gutierrez without being rained on too much and soon we were ensconced into our nice little room with our bikes locked away in the courtyard out the back! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07462.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07463.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07464.jpg We are going to rest up here for a day or two. I have some stupid flu thing that won’t go away and we are both a little fatigued. There’s quite a few places to explore in the local area so we may do some slow moving over the next few days. |
hi guys, I,m impressed, how well you guys are going, even more how well the bikes are performing with all the gear you have, got some great photo,s keep them coming, stay safe, and upright cheers roger
:scooter: |
31 October 2016
I have a bit of catching up to do on this write up! Please accept my apologies! I have 11 days worth to load up!
T - Nothing much to write about today. We spent a little time wandering some back alleys and checking out some of the local markets. There’s always so much colour and life in these little markets. I love it! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07475.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07474.jpg C – We devoured a very yummy breakfast at a local cafe, for the grand sum of $2 each. The markets were lively and bustling, with so many flowers being sold – bright colours and pleasant (and unpleasant) odours were in the air and it was fun to walk amongst the bustling bodies. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07476.jpg Todd really needed to rest though, so mid-morning we ventured back to the hotel so he rest up. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07473.jpg T - Then we spent much of the day lounging around and relaxing. I even enjoyed a mid day nap which is a very unusual thing for me! We went out for some shopping, donuts and bananas, and managed to find ourselves some mexico flag stickers for our bikes! Now I just need a patch for my jacket! Then it was out and about for dinner where I found a place that served my favourite dish, chicken mole. Mmm mm. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07479.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07480.jpg C - After a dinner we wandered through the square, which was quite busy with vendors and street performers. Then it was time for bed! T - Tomorrow we are going to go and check out a local zoo. Now normally I don’t like zoos, at all, but this one is supposed to be excellently done and comes highly recommended through Lonely Planet. So we shall see. After which we are going to meander just 80 km’s up the road to San Cristobal. |
1 November 2016
T - We were both really excited to get to San Cristobal. We have read and heard so many amazing things about this little gem of a place up in the mountains, set in a small valley and surrounded by Mayan villages! Sounds amazing! It wasn’t too far to ride today which gave us some time to go and have a look at the Zoomat here in Tuxtla before we headed out. Not being much of a fan of zoo’s I was in two minds about this but when in Rome and all that! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07485.jpg C – We generally avoid zoos and animal based tourism, but we were interested in seeing a jaguar and the reviews pointed to the zoo being set in a somewhat natural environment. After navigating traffic for 30 mins, we ended up on the right road. The drive in showed natural jungle on both sides of the road, which pleased us. T - Well it turns out we weren’t allowed in anyway. As we rode up to the gate, in a long line of taxis and other cars, the guy on the front gate signalled to us to pull off to one side. He then firmly planted himself in front of me and started to give us directions on going around to the side and up another street. We were a little confused but we swung around and off we went, following his directions.We ended up at a dead end. Something was weird. C – I had the feeling that he thought maybe we wanted to meet up with the highway, which was on the other side of the zoo. So I said to Todd perhaps it was all lost in translation and I would go and try to talk to him again. T - So we swung back and Chantelle went back to the main gate again. He was still firm in that there was no way we were going in. Even though streams of vehicles were pouring through the gates we weren’t allowed. We never did understand why but in the end Chantelle thanked him for his help and we rode out of town. C – We were both a little confused about the whole thing as plenty of people entered the zoo whilst we were there. Neither of us were particularly disappointed though – another win to not spending our money in an industry which makes us uncomfortable. T - We were soon free of the city traffic and heading upwards into the mountains. We climbed and climbed and climbed before eventually we were flagged down at a military checkpoint where for the first time so far we were properly inspected. Obviously we had nothing exciting on board our already overloaded bikes and soon they were helping us repack our panniers and waving goodbye as we continued our climb. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07486.jpg The road weaved back and forth and climbed higher and higher until eventually we were enveloped in fast moving clouds. It was so beautiful up there with huge crops of what looked like passionfruit vines clinging to the steep hillsides and loaded with fat purple fruit. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07481.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07483.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07482.jpg C – The ride was particularly stunning and with each incline and corner we would drift in and out of the clouds. We noticed a change in the villages too, particularly with the clothing and colours. The Mayan woman looked beautiful in their traditional dress, made with brilliantly coloured fabrics. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07490.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07489.jpg T - Eventually we popped out over a ridge and below us was the city of San Cristobal. We raced down the winding road and soon we were lost in the one way streets and alleys of the city. We were both a bit peckish and upon spying a torta place we pulled up and soon had a huge, and I mean HUGE torta Cubana sitting on the table. What a feast! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07492.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07491.jpg Then we went in search of a hotel in the city centre and soon had a gorgeous room and secure parking all sorted out thus freeing us up to wander the centro hisotrico. San Cristobal is a very laid back andfun place. The bonus for us was the huge celebrations that started up as the sun went down for the Day of the Dead. It was brilliant! Mums, Dads and kiddies all dressed up and singing for candy. Bikers in full costume were riding through the crowds and handing out lollies. What a fun thing! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07526.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07530.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07531.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07533.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07545.jpg Then we discovered the amazing food on a stick. Corn on the cob, slathered in mayo, liberally coated with cheese and all dusted off with a bit of chilli stuff. For less than 60cents it was a hell of a good dinner! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07536.jpg C – The atmosphere was addictive and we soon found ourselves engaging with the trick or treaters, with lots of laughter to be had. Todd played trucks with a small boy who made a very half hearted effort of selling us some handicrafts, before plonking himself down at our table and pulling out his toy trucks. We had noticed that the children were singing in exchange for candy and we both excited to get in on the action (and perhaps eat a few pieces for ourselves!!!). T - We went and bought some lollies so we could get a little involved in the festivities and soon we had hordes of kids singing at us and exhausting our lolly supplies within minutes! We had a ball and it is one of the first times in our lives we have interacted with children like this. What a great day. An awesome night. We are going to be stopped here for a few days while we relax and get the most out of this area. C - The city was electric and alive and there were people everywhere. It was a truly memorable experience! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07524.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07518.jpg T - As a side note, Mexico is incredible. For every reason over the last 6 months that we were given as to why we shouldn’t travel to Mexico we can give twenty reasons as to why you SHOULD travel to Mexico. The kindness and generosity the Mexican people show to us and each other blows us away and touches our hearts every day. They look after the people less fortunate in the streets, they look out for each other’s kids, people always seem to have a handful of candy in their pockets to hand out to children. They are such a kind and beautiful people with such a polite and warm culture. If you ever get the chance, come to Mexico. |
2 November 2016
T - We had arranged to meet up for breakfast with an English chap who we knew was here in the city. Some guy called Ed March.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07547.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07548.jpg It wasn’t long and we were soon chatting up a storm while I devoured my chocolate cake, yes I had that for breakfast. Time soon disappeared and it wasn’t long before lunch time was upon us. Ed recommended a great little Thai place that did some amazing curry and so of we all set. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07550.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07552.jpg We chatted a little more and after stuffing our faces with some incredible Thai food, sounds like we are cheating by not eating Mexican I know, we ambled off to the pub for a few beers. It was great to chat to Ed about riding the globe.but I have to admit it was also nice to be able to chat about things other than the trip. We talked about all kinds of things, some we had differing views on and some just for laughs. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07553.jpg It was a great day full of laughs and conversation and at the end of it we shared some really not terribly nice cakes before shaking hands and heading our separate ways. Hopefully we will get a chance to catch up again over the course of the next leg of the trip and we both would love to meet Rach as well if we cross paths with her. Tomorrow we are going to visit a couple of museums and probably just do a heap of walking. |
3 November 2016
C - I awoke this morning to a grumbling tummy and so our first mission was to go in search of a nice, big breakfast. As we wandered towards to the centre square, we watched the clouds drift over the mountains surrounding the town and then shivered as the drizzle began to fall. We settled on a little cafe which served a lovely, cheap breakfast and warmed up with a lovely cup of Chiapa coffee.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07556.jpg Our plan for today was to go and visit a few of the villages in the hills surrounding San Cristobal. These villages are Tzotzil and Tzeltal Mayan villages. However, by the time we were finished breakfast we had decided to spend the day in town, rather than venturing out on the bikes in the drizzly, cold weather. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07554.jpg We walked to the north of the centro historico and found the local municipal mercado that we had read about. It was a fascinating market, free from tourists, with the locals just going about their daily business. You can seriously buy anything at that market! The fresh produce all looked amazing, particularly the cuts of beef. We also had a little drool over the copious amounts of perfectly crackled pork crackling, but we did manage to resist buying any!! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07559.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07560.jpg What we had really come to this ‘locals’ area of town to see was the Mayan traditional medicine centre and museum. The museum was tastefully done and it was super interesting to see how the traditional Mayan belief system has melded with Catholicism. The museum introduced to the different types of Mayan healers, the variety of plants and animals used in healing ceremonies and yearly traditions that are aimed at warding off evil spirits and illness. Particularly interesting was the video on prenatal, birth and postnatal women's health - with many practices which challenges the ways of the west. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07567.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07562.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07565.jpg After checking out the herb garden and the purification steam bath, we walked back into town and ventured to the eastern part of town for a look see. We ended up visiting Na-Bolom (house of the jaguar in the local Mayan language) a very well regarded Mayan cultural centre. We both found this interesting, particularly as the founder of Na-Bolom was a photographer and her photos of traditional Mayan life are on display. T - There was a gorgeous tiny little cat there and I wanted to take her home! I got my fix of kitty cuddles though as she was a real smoocher! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07579.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07574.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07585.jpg Then it was time for me to find a barber. I haven't had a haircut since Februaury and it was just starting to drive nuts! Plus I looked stupid everytime the humidity went up as I ended up looking some giant fluffball with legs. $2 got me sorted though! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07569.jpg C - After yet more wandering, we ended back in Centro Historico for dinner and then back to the hotel, both feeling a little worn out! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07588.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07587.jpg The weather forecast looks the same for tomorrow, but the draw of the Maya villages is strong and we will be heading there regardless… Hopefully we won't have to drag the wet weather gear!! |
4 November 2016
C - We had decided to visit the Mayan villages of Tenejapa and San Juan Chamul today, regardless of what the weather threw at us.
We ventured out to find breakfast, and found a lovely little courtyard cafe which served us lovely scrambled eggs with chorizo and coffee. T - Good coffee. Amazing eggs! The serving size was massive too which is always a winner in my book! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00536.jpg C - By the time we had finished breakfast, it was obvious the day was not going to clear and we were set to ride to Tenejapa in grey clouds and drizzle. Nevertheless, we were defiant and refused to put on our wet weather. Which clearly the rain gods took as a challenge! Within 10kms, we were pulled over on the road side, giving the local children a display in putting on wet weather gain in the rain. The cloud descended on the road and we spent quite a bit of time riding around the twisty mountain side with very poor visibility. There was definitly an unexpected tope or two! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07591.jpg T - It was bloody freezing! The slight wind from our very slow speed riding was managing to whistle its way right up my kilt! Every extremity of my body was shrivelling and coiling up on itself so fast! But we had our wet weather gear which is very helpful in just funnel all the cold wet water into our crotch areas. Very unpleasant! C - Tenejapa is set in a little valley and as we glided down into the valley, we came out of the cloud and the drizzle. It was obvious it had rained quite a bit there, with the roads running with water. We spent some time riding around the town, checking out the town square and the cathedral also. We dont have any photos as we were determined to be respectful of the Mayan culture. We were lucky enough to see many of the locals wandering the town in their traditional dress, which is so bright and colourful. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07589.jpg After a wet, cold ride back to San Cristobal, we ventured to the much closer and more touristed San Juan Chamul, which is popular due to its unique cathedral. After finding a spot to park, we again provided much entertainment for some locals, who spent some time simply standing and watching us. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07590.jpg We paid our entrance fee and ventured into the cathedral, after being told numerous times that no photos are allowed. The cathedral floor is covered in pine needles and there were many locals praying by lit candles in front of alters. It was really beautiful inside. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07592.jpg We had received a message from a couple, Michelle and Adam, who were also in San Cristobal, so we arrived to meet them for dinner. It was such a pleasant evening, interacting with two bright and positive bikers, who were venturing from their home town of Las Vegas to Ushuaia. We chatted the night away until it was time to hit the sack! T - I really enjoyed catching up with these guys. They were so excited and passionate about what they were doing on this trip. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07594.jpg C - Tomorrow, we shall aim for the Tonina ruins near Ocosingo, where their is a campground right near the entrance. |
5 November 2016
C - After a ridiculously cheap and amazing breakfast, we picked up some groceries and our now clean laundry. We headed back to the hotel to pack the bikes and hit the road.
http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07595.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07596.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07600.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07601.jpg T - We spent a little bit of time sitting on the steps of the cathedral in the main square and just people watched. It was really cool and we got a few laughs as tourists were trapped by groups of small kids selling their knick knacks! Nearly every tourist we saw ended up buying something before they scurried into the safety of the church doors clutching at their newly purchased doodahs. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07605.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07606.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07608.jpg C - It was about 12.30 before we got on the road today, but we didn't have far to go. Michelle and Adam had told us about an app called ‘iOverlander’ and we had found that there was a campsite right near the Tonina ruins. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07609.jpg T - What a great app! We have become a bit soft with the camping stuff. Hotels have been cheap enough for us to use every night, but we are both really missing the camping side of our trip and this app will get us back into it easily! C - We left San Cristobal with mixed feelings - it was nice to be on the road again, but it was sad to leave.. Just a beautiful place. T - San Cristobal is a gorgeous little city and I can see how it would be easy to just stay there forever. It has such a relaxed atmosphere and every night there seems to be something happening in the square. The city is full of music and smiles and it is a very special place. C - Today we gave in to the rain gods and donned our wet weather pants before we even left the hotel. And thankfully we did, as although it didn't really rain, we rode through the clouds for much of the ride which was very damp indeed! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07610.jpg We wound up and down in elevation, driving over only about a bazillion topes. At one point, we reminisced about the days we could drive over a tope without groaning. Eventually, we wound down to under 1000mts and we stopped briefly in Ocosingo to search for vino tinto - red wine! It had been quite a cold ride and we were both keen on warming up! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07613.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07614.jpg Our camp was only 10km from town, and so in no time at all we arrived. For a measly $50 pesos each, we have a lovely little camp site under a palapa to protect us from the rain which we can see all around us. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07616.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07611.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07619.jpg Tomorrow, we plan to check out the Tonina ruins and then head to El Chiflon waterfall, near the Guatemalan border. We wont be crossing just yet though - too much of Chiapas and Yucatan to see yet! |
6 November 2016
C - We both slept very well last night, it was wonderfully quiet and dark and so lovely to be back in the tent again! Cacooned in my sleeping bag it was comfy, toasty and warm. We ate breakfast whilst we watched the valley slowly clear of the low cloud, and reveal its brilliant colours of all varieties of green. It was a beautiful, peaceful morning. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00542.jpg We were only about 100mts from the entrance to Tonina ruins, so after pack up we moved the bikes to the parking and ventured in. We were both surprised it was free and we were confident to leave our helmets on the bikes, with a policeman watching over them. After a short walk in, we reached a museum, which was completely unexpected. We looked through and managed to glean quite a bit of information from the spanish signs. There were some very cool artifacts in the museum, and although we couldn't understand everything, it was quite amazing! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07627.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07623.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07626.jpg We ventured further down the track, about 1km, where we skidded down a slippery slope and across a very old wooden bridge, when the ruins came into view. What a spectacular site - the colours of the rocks contrasted beautifully with the vibrant green of the glass and the grey of the sky. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07634.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07688.jpg We spent the next few hours clambering all over the ruins, making our way to the very top of the acropolis. Boy, what a steep, steep climb on VERY narrow steps. I can not believe how fit the Maya people who lived here must of been - that is no easy climb! All us Westerners there were using our hands and climbing as you would a ladder, it was that steep! But the reward was the sensational view from the top…. Magnificent beauty! I am very excited to learn more about the Maya culture and am keen on visiting more ruins as we move through this area! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07655.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07638.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07677.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07672.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07682.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07684.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07696.jpg Back at the motos, we hit the road. Our route today was going to take us to El Chiflon, a massive waterfall we have heard good things about. We decided to take the back route from Ocosingo to Comitan, and then onto the falls. It was lovely riding through small, rural villages and were clearly off the tourist trail now. It was a relatively easy ride, although the road deteriorated significantly in some spots so we were at 100% concentration all day. Lots of potholes and what were once potholes, but were now just massive gaps in bitumen. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07701.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07699.jpg T - At one point the road had become so slippery that a semi trailer had jack knifed and slid down and across the road blocking it completely! At this point it paid to be on our small posties as, with the help of a few bystanders, we were able to drag the bikes into a ditch and under the rear of the trailer before riding merrily away. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07704.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1061039121.jpg C - It was a cold and damp ride again, and were both looking forward to the elevation drop we would experience at the falls. After stopping for lunch in Comitan, we took to the road which would drop us 1000mt in elevation down to the falls. This road was in poor condition with no bitumen left at all and we experienced a fun moment of being the passers, not the passee’s, as the cars had to drive slower and slower whilst Mable and Rosie were in their element! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07706.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07705.jpg The views over the valley were sensational, with dark clouds threatening rain and golden shafts of sunshine breaking through, shining down over the large lake below us. We paid our entry to the falls ($25 pesos) and then went to look at the camping. Neither of us were keen on the walk in camping, which would require us to lug our camping gear and also leave the girls alone in the carpark all night. Not an attractive option. After some negotiation, the staff agreed we could camp in the lower lot, for $25 pesos each! So cheap! Walking up to the falls was stunning, with three smaller falls appearing as we ventured up, up, up. The water was a milky blue and icy cold. We were both sweating and hot by the time we reached the top and it was lovely to walk right up to the massive falls and catch the cool spray coming off the rapids. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07716.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07723.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07733.jpg We found ourselves a lovely, hidden spot right on the front of the river to pitch the tent and enjoyed a cold cerveza as we silently watched the river tumble past. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07735.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07729.jpg Tomorrow, we will ride along the border road and then cut back North through some small villages on a rural route. We will probably stop in a border town, en route to Palenque. |
7 November 2016
C - Another blissful night of camping! We packed up quite quickly this morning and again, we were on the road by 8.30. We knew we had to climb back up the 1000mt of elevation and figured it would be quite slow. Surprisingly, the trucks were getting up slower than us, so we had some overtaking fun again! In no time, we were back in Comitan and we turned south. The road was relatively quiet and it was no time before we pulling over to put on extra layers. It was cold at these elevations and with a breeze blowing, it was time to add in the thermal layers and put on the wet weather pants for warmth! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00573.jpg We witnessed a lot of rock falls and land slides, and a lot of sections where the road had simply collapsed and fallen to some depths below. Slowly, we rode down, down, down, back to below 200mts in elevation. We witnessed the changing of the vegetation, as the green became even more vibrant and the pine trees gave way to proper jungle. It was lovely to see this tropical jungle again, and feel the stickiness in the warm air. http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC00576.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07738.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07739.jpg We passed through two military checkpoints beforing turning off onto the rural road. This has to be one of my favourite roads so far in Mexico. It was devoid of traffic for most it, and took us through very small villages and rural farming land. The road was in bad condition, with many sections just hardened mud and nothing but potholes. But it was so beautiful! http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07742.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07743.jpg http://overyondaonahonda.com/wp-cont...1/DSC07736.jpg Eventually, we reached the border town of Benemerito de las Americas. The town wasnt particularly appealing, but we had both had enough for the day and were not entirely sure how far the next town was. So we found a hotel, had some dinner and then chilled out for the evening. Tomorrow, I am keen to visit some not-so-touristy ruins at Bonampak on our way to Palenque. |
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So much so, I even went to work for a while :rofl: Next time, please bring a late note :nono: Keep up the great RR & travel safe guys bier |
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