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chin up & motor on ......
Quote "The incident seemed to take even more wind out of our already leaky sails and we began entertaining thoughts of possibly not continuing past Mexico. We wondered if any of the other travellers had ever experienced some sort of culture shock or been irresolute about carrying on.
On a positive note we had a very delicious 4 course dinner at the restaurant downstairs. The Plaza Don Gabino hotel itself had a very rustic and authentic Mexican feel to it." end quote Hi Mark Lori, wow that was a bummer, but on the bright side no one was hurt & tiger is oke. Culture shock hits us all, wondering why & if we should carry on as well. It will get easier with time. I travel a lot (motor cycle low budget) in Asia, Europe & Morocco & have experienced culture shock. When it happens I look for a nice place to hole up with tourists around, some nice familiar food & get over it. The desire to travel takes over again. Think that you could be sorry if you give up now. You can't change the world, but in so called poverty there is a richness that we have lost, openness, friendliness, willing to help. You don't have to be rich, own a car, tv etc to be happy. You also can make a difference, sometimes just by supporting businesses with you custom, talking to the locals etc etc. One thing you are never alone. Witness the people that helped you pick up & dust off the bike. I seem to experience culture shock when I return to Western Europe to work. My advice for what its worth is to give each other a big cuddle, sit back relax & chat to each other & people around. beer :D That has happened to me as well, fully loaded bike. :oops2: Now I keep her in gear when I stop on a steep hill, use the engine as a back break, if need be hit the kill switch. So my advice ..... keepcalm and :Beach: then jeiger and have loads of :clap: So go for it ...... chances are few & far between Best wishes Vince |
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Not to get too far ahead but our culture shock is done and over with. We took some time off and seemed to have acclimated to everything nicely. The people here in Mexico are nothing but friendly and helpful that's for sure and we're enjoying the country very much!:D |
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
Back when we visited the Geo Centre in St John’s, Newfoundland, we saw Flight of the Butterflies, a fantastic 3D movie about the Monarch butterflies and their migration from eastern Canada and the US all the way down to Mexico. Canadian zoologist and Scarborough (Ontario) resident Fred Urquhart, discovered that the Monarch butterflies migrate all the way down to Mexico for the winter by tagging them. Angagueo just happens to be located a short ride from the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve where the Monarchs migrate to. Coincidence? Naw. We made up our minds about coming here back in Newfoundland and it’s exactly where we headed next. Of course it wasn’t long before we had another gravitational incident with our bike.
One of the downsides of travelling by motorcycle is the lack of ability to lock things up securely, especially when travelling 2up. There’s just no free space to be able to store our helmets and jackets inside our panniers and leaving our gear on the bike is always one of those uncomfortable things that I would rather not to do. Our preferred method is to leave all of our stuff at the hotel but we were carrying on today so we had to bring everything with us. In those rare times that we leave our gear on the bike, we weave a steel cable through our jacket arms & helmets, lock it all to the bike with a heavy duty lock, then cover everything with a bike cover. What do butterflies and locking your gear on the bike have in common? We were putting the cover on the bike in the grass parking lot at the Biosphere Reserve when I asked Lori to tug on the right side so I could reach the little hook underneath the bike and fasten the cover. Well tug she did, maybe a little too well. I really didn’t think the bike was all that precariously parked but never the less over it went glancing off Lori’s already injured arm as she scrambled out of the way. Of course I reached out and grabbed the first thing I could to stop the fall. Just for the record, you can not stop a falling motorcycle by grabbing the kickstand. “Well at least it’s the other side” Lori said. Another Good Samaritan ran over to help us right the bike, cover and all. No damage other than Lori’s arm, again. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-9XHkFb7-L.jpg We rode in to the butterfly area on horseback but had regretted it within a few minutes. The horses looked malnourished and didn’t seem to be doing too well going up the rocky hills. Once at the top we said we would walk back instead, much to the disappointment of the guy leading the horses as we just cut his fare in half. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-T36h7Nw-L.jpg The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Millions of butterflies call this preserve their home from October to March every year. Today turned out to be a crappy day to visit because of the weather. It was overcast and never got above 15 Celsius while we were there. As a result all the butterflies were dormant, some were moving around but very few were actually flying around. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-b76jzQZ-L.jpg What appears to be brownish leaves at the end of the branches, is actually thousands of butterflies huddling together to preserve heat. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-Z6vvsPL-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-PBbvJm9-L.jpg Of all the places to run into a news crew. These guys were doing a piece on the Monarch Biosphere and wanted to interview some of the people there. Our second interview in Mexico. No idea what ever became of this one since we never even grabbed a card or anything. Probably left on the cutting room floor, or maybe we’re famous in the Mexican butterfly world… http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-MqfP89f-L.jpg Lori found other things to take pics of on the way back to our bike. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-s9LcVZF-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-gx3pDWh-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-sqmXVKs-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-DctDVKZ-L.jpg This kid was hanging around us when we first arrived and then ran across the hill to our bike once he spotted us coming back, no doubt to let us know he had been watching it all along. We wanted to give him some money (even though he never asked) but didn’t have any small bills so we offered him a Cliff bar instead. |
Not every road is paved with gold
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In the hope that some sun and beach time would lift our spirits we booked an ocean front condo in the Yucatán over Christmas and spent the next few days motoring east. Something we would later come to regret, not only because we blew through 8 states in such a short time, but also because we missed some of the spots we planned on seeing. Not to mention the small fortune we spent on tolls as we mainly stuck to the cuota covering over 1400 km’s over 4 days. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-dXsmMZR-L.png We came across a couple of noteworthy (token) runaway ramps along this very twisty stretch of highway in the mountains heading towards Córdoba. The first ramp was all downhill and had a couple hundred feet of gravel just before coming to an abrupt stop at the face of the mountain. Guaranteed to stop any vehicle from any speed I suppose. The second one had an even shorter gravel section resembling the end of a ski jump ramp aimed directly out over the edge of the mountain. Past the ramp was a several thousand foot drop to the bottom of the valley. I called them token ramps, because really, who’s going to use them? The climate went from cold to hot and humid in a span of a few minutes as we left the mountains behind. Fitting I thought as we entered Tabasco later that day. The stretch of cuota highway from Córdoba all the way to the Tabasco state line was just brutal. I'm not exactly sure where all that toll money is going to, but I can assure you it's not road maintenance. Littered with pothole after pothole it more resembled an obstacle course than highway. Potholes deserving of names such as "bus-eater" and “moon-crater”, it made the topes seem like a welcome break. Traffic was just insane as we pulled into downtown Villahermosa just before sunset. We watched as an elderly man got hit by a bus. The bus was barely moving but the guy fell over backwards striking the back of his head. I don't know if the bus driver didn't notice or didn't care but he just kept going, barely missing driving over the mans legs as he lay there in the middle of the intersection. Before we could stop and get off the bike someone had already gone over to help the man. You’d think with all the chaos on the roads there’d be more accidents but this was the first one we came across while in Mexico. We ended up staying in a sketchy (or so it seemed) part of downtown in Villahermosa but we didn’t care. Between the all day obstacle course, the heat, and the traffic in town, we were totally exhausted. It was also dark by the time we found something reasonable. $35 for the night & secure parking - good enough for us. After killing a couple dozen mosquitos in our tiny room and a refreshing shower we went out in search of something to eat for dinner. Much like the roads, the foot traffic was just as insane. It was busy and loud, the sidewalks packed with street vendors and people. We ducked into the first place we found that had food and other people eating. Chinese food it is! Maybe we were just giddy from the long day I’m not sure, but we thought it was funny ordering Chinese food in Spanish and had a giggle at our language barrier. We could tell we were getting into a more touristy area as we arrived in Campeche the next day. Not only was the temperature on the rise but so were the prices for everything. I mean c’mon, $3 for a beer? Sheesh! How is one supposed to survive around here? On a positive note our hotel upgraded us to a suite free of charge. The place was quite the contrast to our previous days accommodations. Too bad we only booked the place for 1 night. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-cx4VjvF-L.jpg Our suite had a sweet view... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-xDCxHsT-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-kCJsPc8-L.jpg |
Happy Holidays
We’ve mentioned a couple of times that we had hit a low spot on our travels. I’m not going to belabour the low points though because we’ve already kind of flogged that horse. We have been overwhelmed with the positive energy, comments and votes of confidence we have received from far and wide. Our intention in posting about the downside of our trip wasn’t to garner support or attention but to document both the ups and downs of our longterm travels. Life just isn’t perfect either at home or away. We want to remember this when we are old and sitting in our rocking chairs looking back on all we’ve experienced. We also want anyone who cares to know we are aware there isn’t a perfect life, or trip. I remember that before we started out we both read many trip reports and blogs. The one thing we didn’t see in most of them was anything negative. I’m sure that’s got something to do with people wanting to remember the good times and forget about the bad, but I believe the bad times make the good that much more special and we shouldn't be afraid to experience them or talk about them. Suffice it to say since our first post about things not being wonderful we have truly fallen in love with Mexico, the culture, the people and all the things we first found uncomfortable. We will be very sad to leave.
Now back to the regularly scheduled program. Looking back we probably made our biggest mistake of our travels so far by deciding we wanted to spend Christmas by the ocean. Being by the water is familiar and we’ve always had good times when there so we pushed ahead and rushed our way to the beach. We arrived in the tiny town of Chelem on December 20th. We had found a small apartment through an online website (VRBO.com) which we’ve used extensively for previous vacation spots. The apartment was right on the ocean, it had a small but functional kitchen, laundry facilities and a pool. It was really quite nice. So where’s the mistake in this? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-X2rCMxm-L.jpg The town was a very sleepy little place. Most of the homes in the area where we stayed were empty either because they were unliveable or because they were holiday homes. There was really very little for us to do. Downtime is good, resting is awesome but we would have benefited from some activities to keep our minds off our dour moods. We spent a significant amount of time cooking, watching movies, playing cards and daydreaming of the turkey dinner with all the trimmings that would be going on at home. On the very positive side of things we were able to spend literally hours on Christmas Day with family in a virtual way because we had good wifi. That was by far the best Christmas present either of us has ever had. We also got to experience our first Norte which is the strong wind that comes down the Gulf of Mexico during the winter season. It was truly impressive in it’s power. I love beach combing so the day after the Norte blew itself out I was able to find a plethora of souvenirs to squirrel away in the bottom of a pannier. Shhh don’t tell Mark. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-WncFqph-L.jpg Mark making a grocery run. Unfortunately the owner (a Canadian by coincidence) of the property we were staying at seemed a little shifty to us and also to the local restaurant owner. We didn't feel comfortable with both of us leaving as there was no way to lock the apartment with all our stuff inside. It was probably just as well as Mark was riding during the Norte on sand. I think having me on the back may not have helped too much. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-kZzsBk2-L.jpg It’s an awesome feeling to cook a real meal on an actual stove. A fridge? Pure heaven! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-vC7L5z3-L.jpg We can get you a good deal on waterfront property if you want. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-BVC7G6J-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-ZBDDqmr-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-kThLFMG-L.jpg This place is actually owned by some people from Saskatchewan. The food was fantastic but every person inside was Canadian or American. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-cDk3Mcp-L.jpg Where old adventure bikes retire? Again I say what was the mistake in this? Well, we rushed to get to Chelem and bypassed so many wonderful places and sites in our desire to get to the water. If we were doing it again we would not have booked anything and just taken it one day at a time enjoying all the towns and cities on the way. It seems we had this problem once before rushing to BC and decided never again. Well I guess never can sneak up on you when you least expect it. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-8Jbcpq9-L.jpg They don't weigh too much honey, really. ~Lori |
Happy Holidays II
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So with a few shells, some photos and an abundance of mosquito and ant bites we hit the road again. Just wanted to point out that we got more skeeter bites here than Newfoundland and Alaska combined O_o ! Moving inland we had an exhausting 30 minute ride to Merida on perfect roads. Feeling we needed a break from our break we decided to spend some significant time in the big city. We found a decent deal online again and decided to stay for 10 days over the New Year’s holiday. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-kpDQdTK-L.jpg Ummm…this was not the deal but it was right across the street from our hotel. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-KvRvJ2T-L.jpg This was the place. No secure parking although we had no issues with leaving the bike covered up in the parking lot. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-BzGN2MV-L.jpg The inner courtyard area, pretty swanky place actually. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-qj3N3kj-L.jpg These guys were nesting right outside our room. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-GrscPzf-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-7b9nWQh-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-SfMPS4B-L.jpg We took the time to regroup and relearn what this adventure was all about. Why were we doing this trip in the first place? What did we give up to be here? What are our goals? These were all discussion topics we talked about at length. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-MQj2QFj-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-hxm878t-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-QnBJGRx-L.jpg Cathedral de San Ildefonso, built using stones from ruined Mayan pyramids and temples, it was completed in 1598, making it the oldest cathedral on the continent. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-QJZfx33-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-ztS6msH-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-brwBSJt-L.jpg Peeking inside the cathedral. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-NPQvWk7-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-CRF5V3B-L.jpg Some of the 5-0 were riding bigger bikes. Out with the old, in with the new! A new generation V-Strom 1k next to an older one. Nice! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-xKVN6nV-L.jpg There's a real interesting mixture of buildings on any given street. Some are just old, some uninhabited, some brand new looking. You can find the full spectrum by just walking down one street. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-6jnd7MG-L.jpg This was only a few doors down from the pic above. It's not like back home where neighbourhoods seem to dictate the class of homes you will find or vice versa. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-nJgQTjx-L.jpg There's no such thing as cookie-cutter. Everything has incredible character here, even something as simple as a door. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-qMshHc8-L.jpg Let the show begin! One of the roads around Plaza Independencia was closed on Sunday while performers entertain the crowd. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-SwHsVMt-L.jpg This little tyke was entertaining himself. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-RnJGtsn-L.jpg Stunning entrance to Casa de Montejo, built in 1549, today it houses a bank and a museum. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-8zghVkK-L.jpg I absolutely loved Merida. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-bTx4wsX-L.jpg Even Kermit loves Merida. Mark was a little less excited by the big city. I think for me it just felt more familiar and comfortable. This made it easier to feel the excitement of traveling again. Of course by the end of 10 days we were both getting very itchy to move on. We finally had a plan again. Our goals were reborn and we were looking forward to continuing our adventure. ~Lori |
Uxmal Ruins
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We've gone from 1400km's in 4 days to about 200km's in nearly 3 weeks. Taking this “slow” thing to a new level, we put down another exhausting day riding a whopping 83km’s from Merida to Uxmal (pronounced oosh-mahl). Lori found another excellent deal online at a hotel only 2km’s away from the Uxmal ruins and out of uncertainty of where to go next, we checked in for few days. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-6FwrTkL-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-DqqcqRs-L.jpg I know what you're thinking. A few days at this place? Yeah, that’s gotta be tough. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-7cmp6xf-L.jpg The next morning we found a path right at the back of the hotel property that would lead us to the Uxmal ruins. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-TNh82NH-L.jpg Playing a little Mexican heavy metal just before entering the ruins, these guys sounded a bit tinny to me. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-mrH85FR-L.jpg This the largest of the pyramids here is called Casa el Adivino or Pyramid of the Magician. There's another name that it goes by, Pyramid of the Dwarf but that name involves a story of witch and a dwarf being hatched from an egg. The dwarf eventually challenged the Mayan King to a test of strength and after passing several of the King's challenges, the King instructed the dwarf to build a house bigger than any other in Uxmal or he would be executed the next morning. The dwarf ran back to the witch who told him not to worry about it. The next morning the king awoke to find this pyramid. Enraged he challenged the dwarf to one final test, they would break wood over each others heads. The King went first but after exhausting his bundle of wood, the dwarf was still standing there. He was of course protected by a magical tortilla the witch had him place on his head. The King knew he couldn't bow out of the challenge in front of all the people, so he let the dwarf have his turn. He was of course killed and the dwarf became King. Pffft! Witches, dwarfs being hatched from eggs and magical tortillas? Who believes in such nonsense? Everyone knows that the pyramid was built by aliens. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-jxjMt8f-L.jpg Uxmal was once the capital of the region and dates back to about 600-1000 A.D. It's also considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-xHPxL2V-L.jpg Oh and it's also a UNESCO world heritage site. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-sTLTbnX-L.jpg Speaking of stuff that dates back to a thousand A.D. Ok maybe not, but these guys were everywhere at the ruins. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-pvrTXqd-L.jpg That's quite the mohawk dude! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-qPXBr8s-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-3BvHWnG-L.jpg You can see the group of people in the middle of the pic getting a guided tour of the place. Unfortunately we didn't hire a guide, at about $60 it was a little (ok a lot) over our budget. They charge the same if you're solo or in a group, so it's either $60 for us, or $3 apiece if you're in a group of 20. Oh and that's after paying an admission fee. I still thought it was pretty cool to hear some of the guided tours being conducted in German, Russian and English. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-dcsDtv3-L.jpg Instead of spending our hard earned money, I shall sit here and contemplate life...and eavesdrop on the tour. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-V2L3csh-L.jpg Even without the inside scoop, the place was still very cool. I tried to imagine what life was like back in the day. This main courtyard was dubbed the Nunnery Quadrangle by the Spanish, can't tell you why though, my Russian is a bit weak. I understood something about vodka but I don’t think it was related to the Mayans. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-RsvMGnk-L.jpg No CAD, no lasers, just some dudes carving everything by hand. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-5rSPrTt-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-cjKJzqf-L.jpg Did I mention there were hundred's maybe thousands of these guys? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-3CpnqdN-L.jpg House of the Governor, supposedly where the King lived (you know, before he was beaten to death by a dwarf). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-5zxHL9V-L.jpg Taking a break on the steps of the House of the Governor. No dwarfs in sight to challenge, probably a good thing since I forgot my magic tortilla. Considering when all this was built it's quite impressive. There was so much thought given to the orientation of every building, every stone. For instance the main doorway of the house of the Governor is aligned exactly with the largest structure of the neighboring site of Nohpat (about six kilometers away). This alignment is set up to track Venus's southern most arc rising over the horizon and just above the Nohpat structure. Quite a contrast to how we build our homes these days. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-WnQshrj-L.jpg Front left you can see what was known as the Ballgame Court, an area used to play a ballgame where players struck a 9 lbs ball with only their hips, knees and elbows. Players wore protective clothing made from leather to cushion the impact. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-ZFTZL6q-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-jpHmKNb-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-vbdfW64-L.jpg Ahh, the ancient aluminum ladder. It is rumoured that archeologists spent years uncovering this gem, one step at a time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-nn5L5qG-L.jpg Trying to imagine if this was the living room or perhaps the man cave? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-NKRJ362-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-LC4sPjT-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-4vtj4wK-L.jpg A perfect ending to a perfect day! |
Our photo editing software seems to be acting up. GRRRRR! It has for some strange reason spontaneously deleted all the edits to all photos since we left Merida and we're trying to get back up to speed. Yes we have backups of the photos but it seems to be a little more complicated than that.
In the meantime here's a short little video I forgot to add to the previous post from Uxmal. |
Guatemala or...?
Our visit to Uxmal very much reinvigorated our spirits and recharged our Allspark. But where to next? That’s THE question we keep asking each other lately. How about south into Guatemala…via Merida (yes I know Merida is north of us O_o, and yes, we did just spend 10 days there). Our logic (I use the term logic loosely) was to resupply in Merida and to research which border we wanted to cross.
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-HvpvPSZ-L.jpg Apparently we missed this mall with an indoor ice skating rink during our first stay in Merida. Just goes to show you that no matter how long you visit a place for, you probably won't see everything. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-CNNGkQv-L.jpg Juan the mall cop was keeping all the skaters in line. A couple of days later, instead of heading south we found ourselves booking a hotel off the main strip in Cancun. Yeah, I don’t know what we’re doing either but it sure is fun! We figured since we were so close, why not stop there for a few days…or a week. It seemed fitting to keep the momentum of our lack of momentum going. Or something like that. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-kH6vVCB-L.png Lori once again managed to find us a great deal online at the Holiday Inn Express, and although perhaps not exactly indicative of the typical North American standards for room quality of a HIE, the place was fantastic. What it lacked in room swanki-ness, it made up in amenities. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-ws33BTc-L.jpg A beautiful pool area and a fantastic multi course breakfast served up every day by Armando and his team. The hotel is also away from the main tourist strip, which means that it’s quiet and that we had to walk a few kilometres to get anywhere - something we were both excited about. No really! Riding around on the bike isn’t exactly a high intensity workout so we enjoy every possible opportunity to get some exercise. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-X8BX6Bm-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-VmZtPV3-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-CH4qf8C-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-pPztSKz-L.jpg We found a little public beach just off a parking lot amongst some resorts. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-NscfLDg-L.jpg Let’s be honest though, had the beach been in our backyard like some (or most) of the all-inclusive’s, we may have done zero walking. The first night in town we found this awesome little hole in the wall that served up quesadillas and nothing but quesadillas, all kinds of quesadillas for 12 pesos each (about a $1). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-mqWkKWx-L.jpg Not a bad view from our room. Unfortunately that's mostly all Lori saw for several days after getting sick. We ended up hanging around the hotel and the pool for several days while Lori recuperated. I suppose there are worse places to get sick. We've read about people getting sick in Mexico from eating or drinking the wrong thing, but we were pretty much eating and drinking the same thing so we're not sure what it was. I don't think it was the quesadillas since I essentially lived off of them while Lori was sick and didn't eat anything. It's hard to pass up yummy dinner and a drink for $4. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-t83r6sq-L.jpg While hanging out in Cancun we found out that our friend Tina and her friend had escaped the bitter winter back home and were in nearby Playa Del Carmen on holidays. So we hopped on the bike and made the short trek to PDC to have some dinner together. Small world. The last 2 nights in Cancun we decided to treat ourselves to some better food. Not only because we cheaped out most of the week but Lori was also feeling much better and since she hadn't eaten in like days, we thought it would be a nice treat. We did our usual "let's walk down the road and stop at the first place that has people eating and looks good" bit and came across the Surfin Burrito/Pizza shop. I had probably THE BEST chicken parmesan I've ever had from these guys. Short of having live chickens roaming around in the back, everything was made from scratch while we waited. The portion size was also quite generous and I was almost in tears having to leave what I couldn't finish behind. But with no fridge at the hotel, such goes the travel life. We found ourselves back the following night and both ordered the Mahi Mahi fish & chips. Double WOW! Definitely a place to check out if you ever end up in Cancun. Best fish & chips since that place in Kaslo, B.C. Considering we're not huge fans of super busy touristy places, we had a great time here in Cancun (apart from Lori getting sick of course). |
Palenque Ruins
With bellies still full from the previous two days, we packed up and left Cancun heading south towards Chetumal, which is essentially right on the border with Belize.
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-P62fxn9-L.jpg While making a stop at the Scotiabank in Playa Del Carmen (yes there are Scotiabank branches all over Mexico by the way), this little boy walked past and did a WHOA! when he saw our bike. He looked at his mom and then back at the bike, so of course we offered for him to sit on it which got him super excited. After spending a frustrating hour + trying to change some money over at the bank (things in Mexico have one speed - slow), it was nice to put a huge smile on a child’s face. It totally washed away any frustration we had. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-GRXRXPL-L.jpg We stopped short of Chetumal in Bacalar and found a decent hotel right in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. For 350 pesos and secure parking, it was almost everything we needed. A little tired after our first long ride in a while, we decided we didn’t want to ride anywhere else to look for dinner. Instead we asked the lady at the front desk of the hotel if there was anything around where we were. She pointed us towards a few places and off we went by foot in search of food. Now walking around a strange town in the dark would typically freak us out just a little but for some reason we felt very safe and had no issues, other than the first couple places we were directed to were closed. Actually it seems they hadn't opened yet by 7 pm. We eventually came across what was a grill in front of a house with a couple of plastic tables and chairs, and a man and his wife prepping some food behind the grill. The hand written menu on the wall indicated they had quesadillas and a couple of other items. “Quesadilla con queso por favor”. They had to send their daughter down to the corner store when we asked for some bottled water. We couldn’t help but be in awe of what passes for a restaurant here in Mexico. There is no way anything like this would be allowed to exist back home. It would simply be shut down. Not only are places like these not shut down, they are absolutely everywhere here, and they have fantastic food to boot! The next morning we headed for...well we had actually been discussing the possibility of heading south into Belize before we even left Cancun but at the last moment we decided since we were still in Mexico, we would back track a bit and see some of the things we missed when our (internal) engines got stuck in warp speed before Christmas. So we set a course for Palenque instead! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-GnMhBXP-L.jpg Also I think we may have discovered the real location of the Bat Cave! For obvious reasons we can not disclose its whereabouts here in our report. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-Gdx8pX2-L.png 827 km’s in two days landed us in Palenque where another fantastic archeological site awaited. We were also pretty sore from the ride after essentially a month of zero riding. While asking about a room at the hotel, we hummed and hawed about the parking since it was essentially outside and unsecured. I think the guy at the front desk misunderstood that we were unhappy with the price, so he offered to lower the rate. I forget that everything is negotiable down here. Note to self for future hotel stays. Lori went to take a look at the room and came back with a thumbs up. I was able to park beside the hotel away from the street and essentially in front of our room. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...16-23-04-L.jpg The next morning we awoke to an unfamiliar sound, it took a few moments for it to sink in. It was raining outside. Actually not just raining but a torrential-like dumping of H2O. By mid day our plans to see the ruins were washed away. So what do you wanna do now? Oh I know, wanna see my elephant? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/photo...-pc54T39-L.jpg Or how about my swan(s)? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...11-58-58-L.jpg What? Lucky for us (or maybe you) the rain let up by the following morning and we were able to get out. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-10-19-L.jpg Palenque was once one of the most powerful Mayan cities, back in the day. Its ruins date back to between 226 BC and 800 AD. When we parked the bike a couple of teenagers came over and asked if we wanted them to watch the bike. When I declined they offered to clean the bike. What? No way dudes! I worked hard at getting it this dirty, in fact Tigger hasn't had a bath since California and I have no immediate plans to change that. I was also a little worried what "clean" might mean so I threw the full array of security precautions on the bike before we went inside. Mainly the disc lock and the cloak of invisibility (aka bike cover). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-09-41-L.jpg Palenque is located essentially in the heart of the jungle and is quite different from the Uxmal ruins. While Uxmal is beautiful and very...refined, very clean looking, Palenque has a much more organic & raw feel to it. Both are stunning in their own way. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...12-57-15-L.jpg One thing they both had in common was the pyramids themselves and all the stairs! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...12-57-36-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-10-02-L.jpg It's also another UNESCO World Heritage Site. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-16-05-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-15-34-L.jpg Oh look, more stairs. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-23-48-L.jpg This pyramid was closed off to climbers (I mean tourists). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-56-11-L.jpg I'll just wait down here for you, ok? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-28-59-L.jpg As we hiked deeper into the bowels of the ruins we began hearing the ominous screech of the howler monkey, it’s quite a unique sound and one that doesn’t seem to match their size. Kind of like hearing a Steble horn on a little kids tricycle. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-31-58-L.jpg Something else we didn't see in Uxmal, was all the locals selling trinkets inside the site. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...12-36-16-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...12-34-34-L.jpg Definitely colourful. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-38-10-L.jpg We eventually came across some pretty amazing artwork. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-45-22-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...on%25203-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...14-48-57-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-21-49-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-41-06-L.jpg Tree huggers are everywhere, even at Palenque! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-46-50-L.jpg As are unique plants. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-40-45-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-58-53-L.jpg Lori was happy to find some great deals at the parking lot mercado, while I was happy to find our bike was still there...dirt and all. |
If you love topes, boy do I have a road for you
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...11-47-40-L.jpg
This guy was right next to the hotel entrance in Palenque. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...11-48-22-L.jpg Cool looking entrance. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...11-48-17-L.jpg Hotels and restaurants lining this beautiful stone road in the zona touristica. On our (rain delay) day off here, we took a stroll away from the hotel zone and into town. Wow, as soon as we crossed the bridge it was like a different country. That elegant serpentine stone road gave way to potholes, loud music and all kinds of tienditas (little stores). It’s amazing the contrast between the two areas. I wish we had taken some pics there but of course our small camera is on the fritz and it was raining just a wee bit much for the big one. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...11-48-33-L.jpg At least we managed to get the bike packed before the skies and flood gates opened on us. Rain, and lots of it. Our rain delay the day before last prompted us to try and recall the last time we rode in the rain. None in January so far, December? Nope. November? Nope. October? Think again. We rode through a very light shower on our way to Mariposa in late September but the last time it really rained was back on Vancouver island, September 3 - and it wasn’t what I would call rain. That stuff closer resembled a monsoon! Rumour is Christian Slater and Morgan Freeman were trying to film the sequel to Hard Rain on Vancouver Island that day but had to call it off because it was raining too hard. Ok so I came to learn that my Sidi GoreTex boots were no longer waterproof back in Alaska after intentionally stepping into a creek to gauge it's depth before taking Tigger across. Within seconds my sock was damp, confirming of course that yes, my boot was in fact no longer GoreTex waterproof. When we finally arrived at our hotel in Victoria, BC after our all day slosh fest in September, I had taken off my boot and poured out enough water to sustain an entire garden in the Sahara for weeks. No creek, no river, it was just from sitting on the bike and riding in monsoon type rain all day. Here’s a little fun fact for you kids out there. Did you know you that if you use a hotel hair dryer to dry your clothes and boots for, oh I dunno, say an hour, the hairdryer itself will start to melt? I mean who knew, right? Did anyone else just see that squirrel? Anyway, our dry spell of nearly 5 months would officially come to an end today. Something that turned out to be in fact the good news. The bad news and another fun fact is that there are about 100,000 topes between Palenque and San Cristobal de las Casas. A stretch of road that is about 213km's long and should take about three and a half hours to complete according to Google, took us the entire day in the rain. Admittedly we did take a half hour break in some random town where Lori somehow managed to get talked into teaching a local some English numbers. He was quite enthusiastic and didn't want us to go. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...IMG_0357-L.jpg I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing. Boy that looks like a fun road. Don't let Google deceive you. This fine looking stretch of twisty highway is paved with potholes, washouts, more topes than I could count (hey I wonder if a step counter would work on counting topes?), dogs chasing cars and bikes, cows and goats. I know what else you're thinking. I just described the average road in Mexico. Ok fair enough. But for some reason this one seemed to be the pinnacle of crappy roads. Perhaps our opinion was just dampened by all that rain. Another positive, we discovered our Klim gear really does work to keep us dry and also manages to keep us pretty warm. I was surprised when I noticed the temp had dipped all the way down to 8 as we ascended to 8000 feet. I was only wearing a t-shirt underneath the jacket but felt pretty comfy. Our Klim gear has actually been somewhat of a joke for us, because we haven't seen a drop of rain since getting the stuff back in September. Hey at the very least it's proven to be good insurance. Typically we have a list of at least three hotels that Lori has vetted before we arrive in a new town. For some reason we decided our list of one would be enough for San Cristobal de las Casas. I think maybe we're out of practice because of course our hotel was full, and with darkness falling we found ourselves riding around town looking for something else suitable. Now there's definitely no shortage of hotels in San Cristobal, you can easily find something really nice in the $100-200/night range. No gracias! Turns out you can also find something in the $40 range with secure parking with just a little bit more work. The next morning we awoke to a spectacular day and hit a cafe at the main plaza for some brekky. Jamon y queso quesadillas for Lori and Pepperoni y dos quesos Crepas for me. Yu-mmy! Lori had also made a list of a few places for us to check out for accommodations, all within walking distance. Our first stop was the Rosco backpackers hostel. True to what Lori had read, they offer a free night in their dorms (or 50% off a private room) to anyone riding a bike. We got a great vibe from everyone there. “Great, we’ll be back in an hour,” we said. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...16-16-35-L.jpg Not only was Jorge the owner super friendly but he also rides, his two GS's proudly parked inside the courtyard. He also spends part of the year living in Quebec but we won't hold that against him. While walking back to our hotel, we quite literally nearly walked into our friends Seb and Kim from wanderingsouls who we met at the HU meeting in Mariposa. At the time they were travelling around Canada and the US in their van that they shipped over from Belgium. Shortly after the HU meeting they decided to go back home and return to North America with their two motorcycles and ride to South America. Neither of us knew we were all in San Cristobal when we just happen to walk down the same street at the same time. C'mon how cool is that? After moving our gear to the hostel, we spent the rest of the day hanging out with Seb & Kim catching up. They talked about riding through snow in Chihuahua, Mexico (yes there is snow in Mexico) while we talked about the heat of Merida. C'mon, what are friends for? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-08-16-L.jpg Seb lining up the shot. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...13-09-49-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-13-56-L.jpg The walkway at the plaza downtown. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...16-16-17-L.jpg While trying to fall asleep back at the hostel that night, we discovered our next door neighbour liked to do impressions of Meg Ryan at a diner. Lucky for us (too bad for her) it was very short lived experience. Other than the nightly entertainment, the hostel also offered on site full service laundry, a nightly bonfire and tours. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-31-43-L.jpg Back at the main plaza. Catedral de San Cristobal in the background. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-32-32-L.jpg Indigenous women selling everything from toys and trinkets to clothing. They can be found all over the downtown core. They typically walk right up to you offering you whatever they have. We find ourselves saying "no gracias" half a dozen times before they move on. Of course I have to keep Lori in check because she doesn't always say no and we only have one bike after all. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...16-25-55-L.jpg How about some ice cream delivered right to you instead? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/R...15-40-10-L.jpg Like a moth to a flame, Lori spotted a market nearby. Fantastic colours! |
Sumidero Canyon
Although we had planned on hitting the road within a few days, our friends Seb and Kim talked us into checking out Sumidero Canyon before we left. When I discovered that the Rosco hostel had a tour bus departing right from the hostel, well that sealed the deal and we decided to stay another night.
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...on%20Map-L.png Sumidero Canyon is located just north of a town called Chiapa de Corzo, about a 60 min ride west of San Cristobal. The decently twisty and scenic mountain road made me wish we had come on the bike instead of the bus, although for a whopping $3 each we got to sit back and play passenger for a change, ok so it was a change for me. Besides, we would have spent more on gas and the toll had we come on the bike. The canyon dates back to about the same time as the Grand Canyon in the states, 35 million years ago - give or take a few thousand years. It was formed by cracks in the earth’s crust and erosion by the Grijalva River which continues to flow here now. The river actually begins all the way in Guatemala, flowing for a total of 766 km. Sumidero Canyon is home to only 13 of those kilometres. Although our tour boat didn’t make it that far upstream, at the north end of the canyon is the Chicoasén Dam which provides 30% of Mexico’s hydroelectric energy. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...08-45-29-L.jpg Stunningly sexy orange vest...check - safety first after all. Oh and by the way, the woman over my left shoulder...is actually standing up. Seriously. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-18-25-L.jpg Heading off into the unknown. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-13-34-L.jpg Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-58-02-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-58-17-L.jpg Cacti growing right out of the mountain here. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-55-01-L.jpg The canyon also plays host to a plethora of wildlife. The Snowy Egret seen here, Blue Herons, cormorants, and many more. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-09-02-L.jpg “Hey do these wings make me look fat?". The black vulture. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-18-39-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-45-56-L.jpg Canyon walls climbing as high as 1000 metres. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-18-39-L.jpg Cueva de colores (cave of colours). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-31-51-L.jpg The various colours are a result of the filtration of magnesium, potassium and other minerals. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-33-06-L.jpg There is of course a sad side to the canyon. Pollution! There is about 5000 tons of solid waste extracted from the river annually. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-43-31-L.jpg There's even a Christmas Tree here (Árbol de Navidad) - no really that's what its called. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-43-55-L.jpg It's actually a waterfall. The branches are made by mineral deposits from the waterfall, which are then naturally covered in moss. It apparently is much more vibrant in the rainy season, we are here in the dry season so it’s a little dull. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-46-57-L.jpg Of course it also looks like that face in the top right corner could step out of the rock formation at any moment and attack the hordes of tourists. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-50-33-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-06-38-L.jpg Geoffroy's spider monkeys. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-06-37-L.jpg Due to habitat loss and being hunted and captured for pets, these guys have made the endangered list. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-13-07-L.jpg Say hello to my leetle friend, the Amercian Crocodile. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-21-17-L.jpg These cuddly little guys can get up to 2000 lbs and 20 feet in length, not to mention they can swim up to 20 mph. Their habitat extends as far north as southern Florida. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-34-51-L.jpg So this dude thinks it’s a good idea to dive into the very same river. Huh! Maybe he’s never been upstream, I dunno. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-51-09-L.jpg After our boat tour we got dropped off back in Chiapa de Corzo to do some sightseeing. The Santo Domingo church here was built in 1554. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-07-21-L.jpg Much more simple looking on the inside, although it still had lots of character. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-12-36-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-53-57-L.jpg Locals set up shop pretty much anywhere and everywhere. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-53-32-L.jpg Absolutely one of my most favourite pics from Mexico. The hat and glasses are so grown up and so is that pensive look on his face. The stuffed toy adds perfect contrast and grounds him to his true age. |
Amazing pictures! Looks like you had (are having?) a wonderful time. Keep living the dream. :thumbup1:
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What's a few more days in San Cristobal de las Casas?
After our Sumidero Canyon excursion we decided to stay another day or two in San Cristobal. We really liked what we had seen of the town so far and wanted to do some more exploring. As much as we really liked the Rosco hostel and the atmosphere there, their private room (without the discount) is as expensive as a nice hotel room so we decided to find some more cost effective accommodations. After checking on some more local hotels, we found one that fit the bill. Clean, secure parking for Tigger and walking distance to the centro, for under $30/night.
So we got our key and began unloading, and this is where our adventure began. Lori left the door to our room unlocked (at least she swears she did) and we went back down to get the rest of our stuff. You might imagine what happened next. We got back upstairs and yup, the door to our room was locked. No problem, the nice young man at the front desk got the spare key and tried to unlock the door - tried! All together he and some of the other staff tried for about a half an hour to get the door open. Seems the door wasn’t locked after all. The room was on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the street and luckily we left the balcony door open. After climbing up a ladder and in to our room, the young man checked on the door from the inside only to discover it truly was broken! Needless to say we ended up with a different room. Now to get our stuff. He began tossing all our gear down to me over the balcony, one item at a time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-57-06-L.jpg Lori helped too, kind of like when Tigger had a dirt nap, Lori helped by taking pictures ;). I got a little nervous when the guy was about to drop our laptop down to me, instead, it along with our helmets, got handed down with the help of another staffer who climbed halfway up the ladder. We had a good chuckle over it afterwards, certainly our most adventurous hotel stay so far. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-58-32-L.jpg We spent the next couple of days soaking up the atmosphere in and around the centro. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-12-14-L.jpg Shoe shine/news stand. There are no less than a dozen shoe shine stands around the main square. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-17-31-L.jpg That’s a mean looking trunk you got there. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_0348-L.jpg We became regulars at Cafe Grano, great coffee and a killer desert menu. It’s also a great place to people watch since it’s right in the main square. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-36-59-L.jpg Lori found a huge and I mean huge, outdoor craft market to explore. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-41-40-L.jpg Hey, whataya think you’re doing? Put that back! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-35-01-L.jpg Iglesia de Santo Domingo, built in the 17th century. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-21-51-L.jpg There are 3 main pedestrian walkways (or andadors) in town. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-23-07-L.jpg All are filled with indigenous people selling their crafts to all the tourists. This entrepreneur not only carries her stock of blankets and sweaters but also her kid. Kid #2 in tow learns the family trade from an early age. That’s one of the things that stands out here in town and Mexico in general. All the kids working in the street. Instead of playing with their friends they are out in the street shining shoes, selling candy, little bracelets and nicknacks. Indigenous women teach their kids the craft from a very early age, every day is bring-your-kid-to-work day for them. It’s just life down here. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-29-58-L.jpg Right in the centro is the Catedral de San Cristobal, built 1528. Beautifully lit up with the setting sun. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-36-18-L.jpg Backside of the catedral. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-30-25-L.jpg There is much to photograph it's easy to hang out here for hours. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-32-11-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-31-02-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-34-19-L.jpg |
At this rate we may never leave San Cristobal
Lately we’ve been changing direction quite a bit. I have to say that I absolutely love the freedom to be able to do that. No timelines or schedules to keep, it’s almost intoxicating. We definitely started out very driven to get to some of the places on our bucket list: from Newfoundland to Alaska, HU meeting in BC, then south to Ushuaia before it gets too cold. But that has changed somewhat. That destination is no longer the driving force being everything. Ever since the HU meeting in BC we decided to slow down and enjoy things more, putting that into practice almost immediately coming down the Pacific coast as we stuck around at various places that we liked, and then in California. I think this adventure was always about the journey in between those destinations and not the destination itself. Maybe it’s just that I have a better understanding of what those words mean now.
Our stay here in San Cristobal seems to have somehow dragged out from one day to another to another. We’re on Guatemala’s doorstep and had full intentions of being there already. First we stayed an extra day for Sumidero Canyon, then we realized that it was the weekend. Now this might seem strange to some, but we rarely have any clue what day of the week it is. Some people lose track of time, we lose track of days & weeks, I’ve even forgot what month it was recently. I blame it on our lack of schedule although to be honest, I kind of like it. What’s the weekend got to do with anything? Nothing really. But my understanding is that the borders are busier on weekends and typically understaffed. So we thought let’s wait till Monday. Prior to arriving in San Cristobal we made the decision we would stop in Antigua, Guatemala to take some Spanish lessons. Now we know that some people say you don’t need to know the language to travel while others say it’s definitely helpful. I realize this is an individual thing, but we feel like we fall into the latter group. Not being able to communicate added to our disconnected feeling during the first few weeks in Mexico. So how’s this for another change of direction? Monday rolled around and by the time I came out of the shower Lori found a Spanish school here in San Cristobal and said “how about taking Spanish lessons right here?” It’s an easy thought to entertain since I really like the town. “Sure,” I said. So after breakfast we headed out to the school where we met one of the teachers and decided we would try it out for a couple of days. If it works out, great, if not, Antigua it is. Our second day of Spanish school and we might be staying a month! No really! School went well both days so we asked if they knew where we could rent something for a week or two. Jose Carlos, the administrative assistant drove us up the road to a place the school rents out and gave us the grand tour. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-24-20-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-24-44-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-24-59-L.jpg I can’t tell you how excited we were about having a full kitchen. This one is even better as it comes with all our stuff already here ;) http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-25-43-L.jpg Tigger has a home, safe and sound. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-14-49-L.jpg And the best part is the view from our huge balcony. Ya this will do! The only question is for how long? We initially decided on two weeks so as not to get too far behind schedule (you know, the schedule we don’t have) but after thinking about it overnight we decided on an entire month. It’s 2000 pesos per week or 5000 for the month, so we thought why not? A month it is. Hopefully we'll know a little more than “cerveza por favor” by then. At the very least, I’ll definitely know more about cervezas. Not sure what this is going to do to our trip as far as timing. I can say with certainty that the light on making it to Ushuaia is pretty dim if we stay here for a month but it feels like the right thing to do. We are super stoked about having our own place for a little while, our own kitchen, even the TV and internet are included - woohoo! |
We've become foster parents!!
We've become foster parents!! We have temporarily adopted a young boy named Billy and his dog Bess from our friends Kim and Seb of Wandering Souls. Billy and Bess are the brainchild and braindog of two great people Beau and Trish from Australia. Billy and Bess are travelling the world and represent the faceless tragedy that are orphans/street kids and abandoned dogs. They represent hope. Check out their Facebook page here
When we took them in we planned on heading south quickly but as is the case with travelling we saw a squirrel and off we went in another direction so Billy and Bess will likely not stay with us for much longer. We definitely love what they stand for and fully support the cause. While we've been in Mexico we have been overwhelmed by the number of street kids and stray dogs and cats we have seen. We know that this isn't even the worst that the world has to offer however the numbers are staggering. I have read that in Mexico City alone there are 20,000 street dogs euthanized every month. That's heartbreaking. What's more heartbreaking is the way in which it is done. I won't say how but it isn't the painless good night that happens in Canada that's for sure. There are some rescues but they don't even make a dent in the numbers. As a complete sucker for anything on four paws I have had a very hard time while in San Cristobal. I have enquired of local people and the consensus is there is no rescue here. We are in a residential neighbourhood and the number of dogs is overwhelming. We watched a pack of about 7 or 8 fighting the other day. Another has had a litter of puppies since we have been here and still more are injured and obviously ill. Apart from staying permanently and setting up our own shelter there is little we can do, but believe me the thought has crossed my mind. We put out food for them and it is gobbled up by morning. That's the least we can do. Don't even get me started about the street kids here selling stuff and offering to shine your shoes. Those are the one's in the tourist area. Elsewhere is a much different and more sad story. I could go on but I'm sure you get the picture. It is much like orphaned and abandoned children anywhere in the world. They do their best to survive, that is all. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's day, just bring awareness to the situation in one part of North America. We often forget that Mexico is part of North America. It gets lumped in with Latin America and Central America but in reality it is our very very poor sibling. Of course we can learn from Mexican people. They have an overwhelming sense of family, they look out for one another. They don't complain. They just do what needs to be done to get by. It's actually quite inspiring. As I've said before we have totally fallen in love with the culture and people of Mexico and believe they should have every opportunity we have. If we can bring any attention to this we will. I'm sure as we travel further into many other countries we will repeat this over and over again. For now Mexico gets our attention and our respect. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-58-53-L.jpg It gets cold here in San Cristobal so we made Billy and Bess some warm accessories. Nobody should have to be cold. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-57-40-L.jpg Billy and Bess come to school with us. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-21-37-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...on%25202-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-02-13-L.jpg A street dog meets a dog with a home. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-19-39-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-03-12-L.jpg Our neighbours yard. They cook, do laundry, play, eat and do pretty much everything in that area. They also have a huge family dinner most weekends. They laugh and listen to music and keep their 5 dogs in the yard where they are safe and fed. ~Lori |
Life in SUN Cristobal
This adventure of ours has gone from having a plan to go here and there in order to see as much as we can, to going somewhere on the spur of the moment. Either because someone suggested something or because we simply felt like it was the right thing to do according to our internal compass. When we arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas, we didn’t know how long we’d be staying for or where exactly we were going to next. We wanted to keep moving south and thought we’d be in somewhere in Guatemala within a few days. Our (very) broad plan was that we’d make it to South America sometime this spring, before possibly taking a break and flying home for the summer.
Suddenly we find ourselves residents of San Cristobal. Although the first order of business should be to re-name the place SUN & Hyde Cristobal. Why? Because it’s pure heaven here when the sun is out. The temp soars to around 30 Celsius with very little humidity, it’s absolutely perfect out. We find ourselves having morning coffee and playing cribbage on our balcony and working on our tans. Of course as I write this I’m buried deep under several layers of blankets because it’s cloudy. Cloudy here means the high is between 13-16 Celsius and unless you have a heater inside your all concrete house, it’s F-F-F-F-F-F-cold. According to the Weather network, it’s always 31C here - NOT! I realize that our friends and family back home are experiencing a typical -30 Celsius winter, so this might all be falling on deaf ears. However, y’all have central heating - something that is seemingly unheard of here in Sun Cristobal even though night time lows are single digits. My new friend the parking lot attendant at the Chadraui told me it snowed the other night. SNOW! We finally broke down and bought a heater, even had to put on socks and start wearing a sweater. Ok I admit it, we’ve become soft http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-15-03-L.jpg Some of our neighbours don't even have windows. Ok I'll stop whining about the cold now. We’re going to school (San Cristobal Language School) three hours a day, five days a week. Seems to be going well although I get a little frustrated sometimes. I guess I expected it to be a little easier considering I already had two other languages under my belt prior to English. Apparently I’m not a kid anymore though *sigh*. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-57-19-L.jpg We change up the scenery once in a while and have our lessons in a cafe. Lori and Lorena studying hard at Cafe Yik. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-57-38-L.jpg There are dozens of little cafes around here although we found ourselves coming back to cafe Yik often. Great coffee and atmosphere. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-44-01-L.jpg Another day, another cafe lesson. Lorena had to leave on some family business so Luz took over for a while. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-15-16-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-31-50-L.jpg We’ve settled into a nice routine of school and rotating between exploring the town and lazying around our casa. Weekends are very busy in the centro and you can’t go more than a few feet without half a dozen indigenous women trying to sell you something. The weird thing is if you buy something from one, three others show up offering you the same thing. Some of the views from our apartment: http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-26-34-L.jpg A typical backyard in this neighbourhood. There is a constant chorus of chickens, roosters, ducks, turkeys and dogs singing "the song of their people" all around our place, not to mention the church bells and vehicles driving past our place that play some catchy tune to identify what service they provide - AGUA or gas or... I can’t believe people have all these animals in their backyards here. At first it was annoying but now it’s all part of the scenery. I have to say I never imagined myself living in a place like this, least of all totally loving it! Ok maybe not the rooster calls that go all through the night - I thought they only did that in the morning? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-39-17-L.jpg So sad, someone hung this guy out to dry. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...08-24-36-L.jpg Hey, where did everybody go? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-01-33-L.jpg I don't think anyone clears their field here in Mexico, they simply burn it. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-59-56-L.jpg Man do we see some mesmerizing sunsets from our place. We have literally dozens of pics just of sunsets, so I'll only bore you with a couple. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-07-39-L.jpg It's typically the cloudy days that bring out the best sunsets here. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-45-37-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-12-54-L.jpg So one day I returned from picking up some groceries and while emptying the side cases I discovered this guy was no longer full - probably something to do with that hole above the 680ml. Hmmm! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-13-14-L.jpg Yup, found the iced tea. Somewhere along the way in Mexico I lost a couple of the rubber covers for the bolts protruding from the bottom of the case which apparently pierced the can. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-57-51-L.jpg You know since I have the case off the bike, might as well try and improve the shape since it still isn't quite right from the accident. Our apartment is located near the top of a very big hill so we’re definitely getting a good workout every time we leave the apartment. Even so I feel kind of guilty for being lazy at times and have started doing the stairs next to our place. If you’re picturing perfectly neat stairs like in a stadium or the Hamilton escarpment for example…don’t. Every step here is uneven, of various height and length and various degrees of angle downwards. Between the doggy treats, dogs themselves and the odd drunk guy laying on the stairs, it’s somewhat of an obstacle course. With visions of doing a few sets the first time out, I barely made it back alive after one, and had a few choice expletives once I caught my breath. 286 stairs round trip, 911 steps = just brutal. Yup, I’m definitely out of shape, Lori scolded me as I lay there on the couch recovering, "you know you're not 20 anymore!" Although in all fairness we’re at 7200 feet and I kind of have one speed - GO! I do have to say that it’s quite humbling seeing a man without a leg going up the same stairs with the help of some crutches. On another day I noticed an older man pulling an ice cream cart up those stairs, just going to work. What I do for exercise, these people do because they need to make a living. Really made me think of how much we take for granted back home and how much we complain about piddly stuff. |
Hey mate, great pictures and stories. Stay safe and have a good time.
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Adios Sun Cristobal - Part I
Drunk on one spectacular sunset after another our month rolled by faster than we wanted so we decided to stay another. We were really enjoying ourselves here and well, South America has been there for a while and will most likely still be there when we get there.
We kept up with the Spanish lessons for part of the second month before taking a break. We still really enjoyed learning the language but going to school every day was becoming a chore somehow, so we took the last two weeks off to you know, unwind. Because we have far too many photos, here are some more sights from San Cris: http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1776-L.jpg Meet Fiona, the Spanish school mascot? She was so excited to see us every morning as we arrived for class. Definitely well taken care of with that manicure. Lori promises she will stop shopping if we can bring her with us instead. I don't think Luis and Silvana (her people) would like that much. On a side note, we really enjoyed our time with both our teachers, Luz and Lorena. They were both fantastic and we can't recommend the school enough. If you're ever thinking of taking some Spanish lessons and are in the area, definitely put San Cristobal Language School on your radar. During our second month here, we managed to meet up with Roel and Azure from MyTicketToRide who were staying at the Rossco hostel. We first met them at the HU meeting in Ontario back in 2013, then again at the HU meeting in California in 2014, and now here. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-18-20-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-57-21-L.jpg Not quite sure if this is a delivery vehicle or… http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1779-L.jpg Speaking of delivery, in a weird way Mexico is not unlike Canada or the US where you never have to leave your house if you don't want to. Back home you can order almost anything online and have it delivered right to your door. Here, the agua-man, gas-man, even fruits and vegetables are delivered right to your door. For instance our 20L jug of Reverse Osmosis water was delivered right to our door within an hour of request, all for the crazy price of 19 pesos (or about $1.50). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-55-35-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...20-15-16-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-18-27-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-21-10-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-43-24-L.jpg UGH! These topes are simply annoying. Now you can try and ride through these on an angle and avoid the pain of having to go over one of them but that always ends up with the rear end of the bike being squirted sideways as the rear tire doesn't exactly fit in between them. Luckily we haven't encountered these while raining, yet. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-46-17-L.jpg The roads in town are anything from dirt to crap to smooth very well worn tile like surface that is slippery to walk on never mind ride on. Kind of reminds me of ice actually. For an added degree of difficulty....just add water. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-55-23-L.jpg Even walking presents its own hazards around here. It’s actually much easier to walk on the streets than it is on the sidewalks believe it or not. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1758-L.jpg Who's an angry whopper? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-46-17-L.jpg Iglesia San Francisco. There are no less than a couple of dozen churches in SC, much like every other city in Mexico. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-07-23-L.jpg Probably my favourite restaurant in SC. They offer a variety of dishes from around the world and live music almost every night. I think Lori was tired of hearing me say "wanna go to Cocoliche for dinner?” http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-07-56-L.jpg I got my Cocoliche once in a while as long as Lori could get what she wanted…SHOPPING! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-08-34-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-27-51-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-21-17-L.jpg Cool bus, these guys came all the way from Argentina and are heading up to Alaska. What started out as a short post has somehow morphed into the biggest and most pic-heavy post yet. So I've decided to split it up into two separate entries. A never ending posts seems kind of appropriate though considering it took us over 2 months to leave town. Stay tuned for part dos. |
Tigger gets fixed up and goes for a ride
Wait! I almost forgot to mention that we went out for a walk the other day and ran into our friend Jorge from the Rossco hostel who was out for a stroll with his wife and their baby. After some chit chat, Jorge said his bike club is going out for a group ride in a few days and asked if I wanted to come. I had every intention of doing some rides around the area while we had all this time here but for some reason never did. In fact I’m still on the same tank of gas 6 weeks later (maybe I should have brought that fuel stabilizer after all). So of course I said yes.
But first I had to fix a couple of issues with the bike. 1. The engine had a very loud knocking noise at start up that eventually improved as the bike warmed up. It had been going on since before we arrived in San Cris but I was never able to figure out the cause. It reminded me of a car without a muffler somewhat, so I thought it might be related to the exhaust. However after checking the exhaust and coming up empty I began to worry that it was actually related to the head replacement that I had done under warranty last July. So I posted a video online and within a few minutes someone noticed I was missing a nut on one of the bolts that attaches the exhaust to the front of the bike. Well DUH! Figures I’d have a loose nut, that would totally cause the problem. Not quite sure how I missed it but I did. Part of the problem is the weekly cleaning Tigger hasn’t been getting. I’ve been keeping the bike somewhat dirty intentionally down here just to try an make it look, well, dirty. I know it’s probably like keeping that red Ferrari dirty, meaning that it’s still going to be a red Ferrari. Regardless, I miss washing the bike every week as it gives me a chance to do a full inspection and possibly notice stuff like that. I also may have noticed that the centre stand was sitting much higher than normal, something Lori had tried to mention a couple of times before. “No honey, I think it’s fine,” I told her. DOH! It would appear that all those big topes we encountered where we had bottomed out the bike, had actually been smacking the centre stand up which squished the little rubber stopper upwards bending the bracket the stopper is attached to. Now for some ridiculous reason, Triumph welded this bracket to a section of the exhaust pipe. So the centre stand was basically sitting against the swing arm/shaft drive and every time I rode over a bump of any kind it would smack against the swing arm loudly. Luckily the only riding I had done over the last 6 weeks was to the supermarket and back. Of course I got the deserved “I told you so” from Lori when she found out. The solution is to try and bend the bracket back or cut and re-weld the thing. I opted for door #1 at least for now, see how long it lasts. If it gets bent back, then I’ll deal with having it re-welded then. Jorge suggested a shop he takes his bike to might be able to help and sure enough they did. I was in and out within a few minutes, we actually spent more time talking about bikes and gear. Centre stand bracket fixed and Tigger has a new nut to hold the exhaust on, sounds much better! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1811-L.jpg Just like the three amigos. Now let’s go for a ride. We all met up the next morning at the mechanic shop and I discovered that this was actually a BMW club that was heading out for a ride. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-07-49-L.jpg One of these things is not like the other… http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-19-45-L.jpg A rose amongst thorns. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-35-16-L.jpg Oh and I think I finally discovered why the Weather Network always says it's 30-somehting Celsius in San Cris. Not even 10 minutes outside of town and the temp just soared. It actually hit 37.5 Celcius (that's 99.5 F) while moving! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...reenshot-L.png We did some off road, some crappy roads and some excellent twisty type roads. I brought the SPOT tracker so I could track where we went but according to the map, there are no roads here. But it looked something like that. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-57-02-L.jpg We stopped somewhere south of Chiapas de Corzo for some lunch only to discover the restaurant was all out of meat. So we rode across the street for something a little different. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-15-05-L.jpg The gang sitting down to lunch. I know what you're wondering, what's for lunch? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1835-L.jpg Boy do I have a fish tale for you... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1836-L.jpg You might lose your head though… After lunch/dinner (lupper) the big group (of 14 or so) split up and our group of four took the uber twisty 190 libre back home at a…very brisk pace let’s say. Got a chance to stretch Tiggers legs a bit after a long rest. Ahhhh! |
Adios Sun Cristobal - Part II
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San Cristobal is a very popular tourist destination and its population swells during Holy week (the week leading up to Easter). Navigating the pedestrian walkways becomes kind of like playing the game Frogger. But take your eyes off the path for one second and you get a shoulder into the abdomen by a young Mexican girl. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-47-25-L.jpg Not only does the visitor count go up, but it seems there are just as many indigenous people on the streets selling stuff. In fact they seem to be carrying at least twice as much stock as normal. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-46-00-L.jpg Some people let the excitement of it all go to their heads... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-43-29-L.jpg Some just like to sit back, relax and read a good book. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-20-22-L.jpg Others like to eat. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-27-01-L.jpg The big mercado isn't quite as busy for some reason. Funny thing is that even though you’re at the market, there are ladies walking around trying to sell you the same things that are at the various booths. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-41-13-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-41-24-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-41-38-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-42-13-L.jpg The place is almost like a maze to me but Lori can literally spend hours walking around here. Somehow I don't think it's because she's lost... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...on%25202-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-53-37-L.jpg I become a basket case after about 10 min here… http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-50-07-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-52-13-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-59-52-L.jpg Girl cops get to ride the fun toys around here. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-02-22-L.jpg We sat down on a park bench for a break and within moments this girl came up to us trying to sell us something. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-13-21-L.jpg Rasta chia pet? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-08-29-L.jpg C'mon, just look at those eyes. Every day on our way down to school we walked past him and he would just stare at us with those incredibly sad eyes. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-20-10-L.jpg So we started to bring food for him everyday. Sometimes some left over chicken, other times some pepperoni. On the way home from school he would always follow us looking for more. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-39-08-L.jpg We caught up with yet another moto rider travelling around the world. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...22-01-55-L.jpg Anna Grechinshkina has been on the road on her own for the last 20 months and is also heading all the way to Argentina. Sorry about the blurry pic, the camera somehow ended up in manual focus mode without us noticing. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-14-48-L.jpg Another boring sunset as our time here comes to a close. It’s been nice Sun Cristobal, we will miss you! |
And then there was one!
And then there was one!
Earlier this afternoon I dropped Lori off at the ADO bus station where she caught a bus that will take her to Cancun. At the moment she’s almost halfway into her 18 hour ride there, a bus ride I would later find out took more like 21 hours. That 219km (139 mile) section between Palenque and San Cristobal that took us about 5 hrs on the bike, took the bus about 7 in a torrential rain and fog. Don’t worry though, this isn’t one of those broken down 30 year old buses missing a wheel and with chickens and goats on the roof. These are brand new luxury buses. She’s then flying out of Cancun the following day and should be home in a jiffy. I’m excited for her as she’s off on her own mini adventure and she’ll get to see the kids in a couple of days. Being away from the kids is one thing that continues to be difficult for her, more so than for me I have to admit. I’m told it’s a mom thing. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-08-09-L.jpg All her bags are packed she’s ready to go… I know we had a rough start here in Mexico but don’t worry, we always intended on returning home for the summer. We have a few family commitments we want to get to, not to mention we miss everyone back home. So after we put it in park for a month here in San Cristobal, it made sense to hang around a little longer instead of pushing further south for a few reasons. Flights out of Cancun are ridiculously cheap and well, Mexico is close enough that we can also ride home - which incidentally is what I’m going to be doing over the next little bit. Technically, I guess I can be home in less than 3 Iron Butt rides from here, but I’m thinking of taking the long way home. Funny enough, getting only as far as Mexico was one of the many plans (or ideas) we had discussed before we started this journey. It’s just that the plan changed about a dozen or two times since then. So while Lori makes her way home the quick way I’m left in unfamiliar territory - all by myself….don’t wanna be… Not to mention I’m left with the daunting task of having to pack the bike all by myself. This may not seem like a big deal, but you’ve never seen me pack. Lori can pack the same amount of stuff in 3/4 of the space that I can. I’m really not that bad at it, it’s just that she’s really that good at it. Then there’s the fact that she does all the legwork in figuring out where we’re going to stay in each town. She’s a vital part of this team and I guess I’m wondering how exactly am I going to get on without her? This is completely uncharted territory for me. You know it’s quite possible I may never leave this place… I had a few days off before leaving town so I did the unthinkable, like hand wash my own laundry and hang it up to dry. The horror continued when I packed up the bike. Actually I had no idea how true that part about me possibly not leaving really was. After getting the bike all packed I had this feeling that I was missing something. MY KEYS! They were nowhere to be found. Well that’s just great! I rummaged through everything that wasn’t already packed, twice, three times, searched the apartment several times too, even checked the bike, maybe I left them in the ignition. Nada! “Could Lori have taken them by accident,” I wondered to myself. That would be a little inconvenient to say the least. Called Lori and told her the good news. She of course searched through everything (twice) she brought home but still nothing. Visions of having to stay here another couple of weeks while Lori couriered the spare keys to me started running through my head. I went back to the bike a dozen or so times wondering if maybe they had fallen down between the crash bars or bash plate or got stuck somewhere, maybe got under the seat somehow…wait a sec…the seat…I pulled something out from under the seat a few days ago. Yup there they are, still in key slot in the back of the bike. Whew! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-04-42-L.jpg I drowned my sorrows in great food. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-23-32-L.jpg And checked out some art. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-25-28-L.jpg I tried to stay entertained. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-32-18-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-29-17-L.jpg We had been carrying a bunch on small things to give away to kids in Central and South America, pens, pencils, small little rubber balls, lollipops, stuff like that. So I put together a little care package and gave it to the kids down below our apartment. No sense of bringing all that back. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_0374-L.jpg Lori got a warm welcome back in Ontario, reaffirming my "take the long way home" approach. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-00-36-L.jpg I sent her some pics in return. What? I was just trying to warm her up a little. And just like that I was outta there heading north-ish! |
Mexico, 4 months or 4 days
We arrived in Mexico on December 6th, and I finally pulled away from what was our home for the past 2 months on April 6. I made one last stop to feed the puppy all the left overs I had at the house before hitting the slippery streets of San Cris. Before I could even leave town, I dumped Tigger on the right side as the car in front of me came to an abrupt and unexpected stop. I grabbed a handful of front brake forgetting how slippery the road gets when wet, and down we went. “Well this isn’t the way to start our solo adventure now is it,” I thought to myself. I quite literally walked away uninjured simply stepping off the bike as it fell under me. I did manage to break one of the tool tubes under the side case, but only the mount at the front. I removed the contents none the less and left the partially broken tube hanging under the case. I just didn’t feel like taking the tool kit that was located at the bottom of the other case out and removing the rest of the tube. Mañana. I was actually happy Lori wasn’t there with me at that moment as she would have probably gone down with Tigger. Even though I had just gone on that group ride the previous week, I felt rusty after our 2 month break. I scolded myself for not paying more attention to the road, turned off the tunes and made a conscious effort to re-focus on the task at hand.
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...%2033hrs-L.png By the time I hit Tuxtla I had started to feel much better and decided what I needed to get back into the swing of things was to twist throttle some more. So I kept it north of 5K RPM’s for the remainder of the day. I ignored both GPS’s which were insisting I take a different way than I had planned out on google maps. I soon discovered the reason for this. Apparently there is no actual ramp off the 145D to the 180, at least not the direction I was heading in. There is a break in the road where the ramp should be and it simply turns to dirt for a couple hundred feet to join the other highway. Hmmm, wasn’t expecting to do off-roading today. It was a very hot 33C most of the day, before finally dropping to 12C as I left Cordoba and snaked my way up a very twisty section of highway past 8000 feet elevation. This part turned out to be the highlight of the day as I got to ride through the clouds that were hugging the mountain. My destination was a hotel in Puebla. Turned out that a kids baseball team had the same destination in mind. Nice that there was a foosball table to keep them occupied till about 1030pm. Not so nice that the foosball table was literally right outside my door. Hmmmm. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-41-21-L.jpg The following morning I had to do a double take over my left shoulder as I took the cuota out of Puebla. That really what I think it is? Funny I don’t remember an active volcano being there when we passed through Puebla on our way south. Maybe it’s be new ;). Turns out Popocatépetl (which means “smoking mountain” in Aztek) is in fact an active volcano. It’s the second highest peak in Mexico at over 18,000 feet and apparently had some significant seismic activity in Feb with 1-2 km ash plumes. Sounds like fun. Oh gee would you look at the time…gotta go. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-10-03-L.jpg It was a hazy morning so the pics didn't turn out too well. Another highlight today was being nearly run over by a transport while cruising down a mountain. I looked at the speedo, I was doing 150km/h (about 93 mph) and Cledus back there was gaining on me. “Okie dokie then,” I thought. Ended up in Guadalajara at the Blue Pepper Youth Hostel. Cheap accommodations and friendly atmosphere, although parking was on the front sidewalk. Staff speak English, or so I’ve read, although we seemed to get by just fine in Espanol. Guadalajara seemed like a very big city, I passed several Starbucks on my way out of town the next day, not to mention they had Stella beer at the local 7-11. I think Lori and I could have enjoyed a few days, maybe a week hanging out here. Day 3 was moto day. Someone I met at one of the stops mentioned there was a huge bike rally happening in Mazatlan starting today. So I thought “hey, it’s on my way, I’ll go check it out”. I passed probably a hundred bikes all day long, all of them heading north. The only one that passed me was a dude on a crotch rocket going what I estimated to be in excess of 200 km/h. And he was 2up to boot. Not only did he pass me once, but 3 times in total. I guess you need to fuel up more often when your purring along at Mach one. Maybe the pillion needed frequent breaks. At least they were in full leathers. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1882-L.jpg Also remembered a (very Canadian?) pub in Mazatlan, Lucky B’s where Lori and I had dinner at one night on our southbound portion of the trip. They had Canadian hockey showing on the TV’s and some pretty awesome food, and you could simply ride the bike up the sidewalk and park right next to your table almost. Gotta love Mexico. So that’s where I headed. Now as good as the food is in Mexico, one thing they don’t do very well is beef. So I've had this crazy craving for beef for the last month. Lucky B’s Mexican Burger did not disappoint. Great beef, chorizo, chihuahua cheese, sautéed onions, red onions, lettuce, tomato, avocado - simply delicious. Only thing better would have been having a frosty beverage to go with that delicious hunk of meat, but since I still had another 2 or so hours to get to Culiacan that day, a lemonade would do. The bike rally thing turned out to be less exciting than I thought, but maybe it hadn't got started yet. Day 4 had me passing hundreds of bikes heading south to Mazatlan (including a total of 6 ST's) while I continued north to Hermosillio. I’m seriously starting to think that the city just doesn’t like us (or maybe just me). On our initial visit, our computer mysteriously died. It seems I would not ride away unscathed this visit either. I pulled into the Starbucks to use their wifi and figure out where I was going to stay the night. Getting off the bike I noticed a oil blotches on rear rim and the back of the shaft. Hmmm! I don't recall installing a ScottOiler on my shaft drive. Seems my final drive had developed a leak somewhere after my last fill up and was oozing out of the rubber boot. Crap! The good news is that I’m about 3hrs away from the states. The bad news...I’m 3 hrs away from the states. How much oil has leaked out? Would I make it? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-05-55-L.jpg The next morning on my way out of town, I passed by a shop that appeared to be selling oil. So I doubled back and inquired about some 75w90, I was doubtful but you never know. Guy brings out a 80W90 but it’s GL-5. WooHoo! So I thought I would top it off before I left the parking lot and hoped I made it across the border. Put the bike on the centre stand, start undo the filler screw at the top aaaand, oil starts pouring out? Huh? Apparently I didn’t lose that much after all. This was very bizarre because I filled the oil myself back in Canada and know for a fact I didn’t over fill it. I guess it looks worse than it really is, much like having a small laceration on your face, it just makes a heck of a mess but you don’t lose that much fluid. I felt better that the final drive wasn’t running dry and I hit the road for the final stretch. A short while later I got pulled over for an inspection at the military check point north of Hermosillio. Now we’ve been through a few of these in Mexico but it’s always been “move along”. Not today. He asked me to open one of the side cases and his nose led him to our first aid kit. Really? “Great, this should be fun” I thought. “What are these pills for?” he asked. “Allergies.” “What about these pills?” “Anti-diarrheal”, of course we never covered this in Spanish school so I had to explain it with some visual cues. “And these ones?” “Nausea” Seriously dude? Of all the luggage on the bike; the tool tubes, the Wolfman bag, the tank bag, the Givi bag….you pick that side case, and then out of all the stuff sacks and bags inside that case, you sniff out and make a b-line for the FA kit? Really? He pretty much went through the entire FA kit, item by item. No strip search so that’s something I guess. Made another quick stop about 20km’s before the border at the Aduana to return my moto paperwork and get a refund for the deposit. Apparently the $ will be returned automatically to the credit card. We shall see… Of course I then managed to pick the slowest lane at the border crossing. The car in front of me got tagged for an inspection, then I did too. Really? Is there a sign on my back? The two guards looked around here and there and we chatted for about 10 min about Mexico. They asked if I felt safe, any problems? It was all pretty friendly actually. Almost hard to believe what took Lori and I four months to do, took just over 4 days to undo. Coming back across Mexico took just 33 hours of riding time and 3123km’s, sticking to toll highways the entire way back. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1884-L.jpg If you’ve ever wondered how expensive the cuota highways in Mexico are, well it cost 1,792 Pesos (or about $143CDN) for my return leg, 41 tolls in total. That's essentially end to end through Mexico. Although that is pretty expensive, taking the Libre roads would have more than doubled my time to get back. Considering that’s also about what I paid for accommodations over the 4 days, I think it would have all been a wash. Besides, I had plans to meet my friend Mike in Arizona. |
I'm baaack, in the USA
First order of business once I got clear of the border was to fuel up the bike. $2.19/gallon - nice! I'm used to paying 13.57 pesos per litre which is about twice the price. I was also able to use up my remaining Pesos to pay for my gas at the Circle K. Speaking of filling up, my insatiable meat craving guided me to the nearest 5 Guys Burger & Fries for lunch. “Is it possible to get extra meat on mine please.” Thought of Denis Leary for some reason.
It felt a little weird being back on the roads in the states, it felt more dangerous somehow. Maybe being passed by someone texting on a cell phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other had something to do with it. Cops everywhere along the highway waiting to pull someone over, just not any of the winners I’ve seen so far apparently. I somehow made it to Needles (unscathed) where I met up with Mike at a campground right along the Colorado River. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-50-19-L.jpg Pretty nice spot. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-52-19-L.jpg Brand new REI Half Dome 2 and Exped SynMat UL 9 waiting for me when I arrived, thanks to Mike who was nice enough to deliver my new gear. That REI dividend and 25% discount code were perfectly timed I gotta say. I know this sounds crazy to some but I was so stoked about sleeping outside again. The sound of water flowing by, just being in nature, comfy bed, no foosball games or screaming kids. Turned out to be the best sleep I had in weeks. Although I did strangely find myself missing being woken up by the sound of roosters crowing in the middle of the night. I’m sure I’ll get used to this tranquility eventually. We made a little detour on our way to Death Valley the next morning that nearly ended in my getting arrested. Ok maybe not exactly, but it was my first brush with the law on this trip. I survived 4 months in Mexico, passing buses and transports and cops, on single yellows, double yellows, in construction zones, around topes, you name it. But park the bike in the wrong spot to take a pic at Hoover Dam and it was almost handcuffs and strip search for me! Have to admit that my usual quick wit was caught off guard by the officers greeting: “What side of the road do you drive on in Canada?” A query that I understood to be in regarding my parking the bike to the left of the oncoming traffic lane or rather the implication that I rode it on the wrong side of the road to get it there. My typical response would be “depends how sober we are” but I was kind of taken aback by the question that I simply asked him to repeat it to verify that yup, he is in fact a dick. My wit eventually caught up with me and I told him I wasn't driving at the moment but I curbed my attitude once he established that this was only “an educational experience”. And that it sure was. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-08-05-L.jpg Since I did pay for these pics with my freedom, I thought I'd show you the place. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-21-34-L.jpg Incredible to see the water line 130 feet lower than what it was in 2000. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-24-01-L.jpg The Transformers made this place look so massive that it was almost underwhelming seeing it in person. Still pretty cool. Mike and I celebrated my freedom with breakfast at a burger joint in Vegas. It had been a few hours since my last feeding after all and the meat level meter was flashing dangerously low. Must have meat! MEAT! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-57-20-L.jpg Our next stop would really heat things up. Death Valley. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-06-59-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-30-51-L.jpg Badwater Basin. Looks like you can just strap on a pair of ice skates and go, although I'm not sure you'd get far on this salt flat. Besides, I did say it was hot. Today's high was a cool 98F (or about 37C). The highest temperature ever recorded on the planet was right here in Death Valley in July, 1913. A toasty 134F (57C). I know what you're thinking, "but it's a dry heat!” I’ve discovered what that really means to me is blowing out bloody crusties from my nose a few times a day. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-20-00-L.jpg At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the Continent. Can you see the "sea level" sign up on the mountain? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_0378-L.jpg All that walking around is exhausting, so we took the rest of the day off at a campground in Furnace Creek. I never thought I could hang a hammock in the dessert. We were really looking forward to our canned beans and tuna for dinner when our camp neighbours came over and invited us for some pasta and sausage. We reluctantly accepted, but only because we didn't want to see them have to throw out all that extra food. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-45-25-L.jpg Even managed to do a little laundry. |
Manzanar, Mono Lake, Bodie...oh my
What do a WWII concentration camp, a 760,000 year old lake and a ghost town have in common? They can all be found in California and be visited in the same day. Oh and there’s also a stunning view of the Sierra’s from each of them. Ok so the Ghost town doesn’t exactly have Sierra views but the road leading up to it sure does.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed we departed Furnace Creek the following morning at 7am to a perfect 20C (68F). We found ourselves puttering along the 190 when a group of BWM touring bikes caught up to us around Panamint Springs. These guys were really moving. As if on cue, the road turned super twisty just beckoning us to gear down and twist the throttle and we found ourselves in the middle of the pack blasting through the curves and s-bends that unfolded before us. Forget morning coffee, you should definitely check out this section of road for that morning pick-me-up. We soon split up as they made the turn to head south while Mike and I continued north. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-02-55-L.jpg A few clicks later we found ourselves pulling into the Manzanar historic site right off the 395 in the Owens Valley. Apparently I don’t know my WWII history well enough because I was unaware this place even existed. Manzanar was one of 10 concentration camps, or “internment camps” as they were called, in the US, where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned without any due process after Pearl Harbour was bombed. The Canadian government followed suit “relocating” 22,000 of its own citizens. These folks were given a few days at most to gather up what belongings they could fit into a suitcase, sell, toss or simply walk away from the rest and off they went. A dark cloud in the history of both countries. Suffice it to say there is quite a bit more to Manzanar and this part of history. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-47-35-L.jpg After breakfast in Bishop we visited one of Mike’s favourite bakeries, Schat’s bakkery in Mammoth Lakes. Cause you know, one can never have too much good food. Definitely a must-stop if you’re ever in the area. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-47-50-L.jpg In case one of the best sandwiches you’ve ever (not) had doesn’t interest you, the chocolates might. On second thought, you might want to skip this place unless you have the will power of a monk. Mike and I were still full from breakfast but being forward thinking sensible adventure riders (with zero will power apparently), we took our sandwiches and baked goodies to go. I know what you're thinking, blah, blah, blah. You're still starring at the pic aren't you? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-48-34-L.jpg Next up, the 760,000 year old Mono Lake. We made a stop at the visitor centre and caught our second short movie of the day. The first was at Manzanar. No popcorn at either one :(. What’s remarkable about Mono Lake is that it has no outlet causing the build up of salts. This in turn causes the water to be very alkaline. It’s surprising to learn that it has a pretty thriving ecosystem. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-15-13-L.jpg Today was about seeing the sights rather than putting huge miles down an we weren’t done yet. We continued north up the 395 before taking a side road which took us east along some über twisty stuff until the pavement ended. A few dirt miles later, we arrived at Bodie, my first ever ghost town. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-44-31-L.jpg Hey I ain't afraid of no ghost! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-31-46-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-35-07-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-42-20-L.jpg Before Tyvek, there were tin cans. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-44-47-L.jpg Sadly they didn’t have Premium on tap. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-44-59-L.jpg Bodie started out as a mining town around 1859 when gold was discovered in the area. It's rumoured to have been one of the largest cities in all of California at one time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-49-47-L.jpg But with 100mph winds and long bitter winters, I can see why people left. Bodie actually rivals Barrow, a small town in Alaska for most nights below freezing annually. Yes we’re still in California. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-50-35-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-04-13-L.jpg I can't even imagine how many horses had to pull this thing here. Let's just say those wheels aren't titanium. With daylight slowly becoming somewhat of a premium, we took off north again to find a camp for the night. Mike’s GPS indicated there was some camping at Twin Lakes but when we arrived, we discovered that unfortunately none of them appeared to be open yet. While entertaining thoughts of doing some stealth camping there, we were warned that the temps would be dropping into the low 20’s (-6C) overnight. Being sensible adventure riders (as Mike called us) and the fact we didn’t want to freeze our butts off, we decided to keep moving north. We found another place to camp at an RV park about 30 min north where it was supposed to be much warmer. But just as we were about to set up, the camp host says, “oh by the way, there’s a weather warning for 60MPH winds tonight.” Clearly we were not meant to camp tonight. We hoisted the white flag and found a motel in town. Manzanar, Mono Lake, Bodie, a side trip to Twin Lakes, and even a couple of short films. That's quite a full day. The following morning we headed across the Sierra’s making a stop at Ali’s Cafe in Markleeville for breaky. A tiny cafe seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but the place instantly felt like home to me. 2 guys, clearly regulars, sitting drinking coffee talking trash about fishing giving the waitress some friendly attitude. The waitress turned out to be the Ali, from the sign out front, and man she was giving it right back to these two characters. Kind of reminded me of the show Cheers. Excellent food and free entertainment, another place I’d happily come back to. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good pucker up moment on the bike. I had one for about an hour straight while crossing the Sierra’s on highway 88. Beautiful sunny morning, great road and definitely beautiful scenery. But a good winter tire would have performed better than my bald, ready-to-be-replaced Heidenau K60 rear on the sections of ice that covered the road. As a bonus the temp dropped to -5C (23F). I tried to focus on just maintaining my speed over the ice and keeping my lean angle as close to zero as I could. Other than some sweaty armpits and numb fingers from the freezing temps, we both made it across just fine. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-16-08-L.jpg |
Another Round in Sunny California
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With the temp soaring back to life on the other side of the Sierra’s, we were pleasantly thawed out by the time we arrived at Mike’s place in San Ramon. First order of business when we got back was FOOD! I translated the growling emanating from within my belly as my stomach’s plea for more MEAT! I can’t explain it but I really did have a serious craving for meat ever since returning to the US. Maybe it’s something in the air, I’m not sure. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1893-L.jpg While I’m happy with a 5 Guys or Habit burger or even a dehydrated Mountain House cuisine when camping (ok so happy might be a strong word for the Mountain House), this was more like a symphony going off in my mouth with every bite. Seriously the best steak I’ve ever had. Mike and Kati were taking better care of me than me. Tigger went in for service at CalMoto the following day leaving me wheel-less :(. I wonder if there’s anything we can do about that? Hmmm…Hey Mike, you got a motorcycle I can borrow? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-23-40-L.jpg Hello sexy!! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-24-01-L.jpg But I said motorcycle. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-24-50-L.jpg This <em>is</em> a motorcycle. No really! While it could have come straight*out of the latest Batman movie, it's actually a*Polaris Slingshot. Let’s see, how about a 2.4L DOHC engine making about 173 HP, weighing about 1750 lbs., 5 speed manual tranny, carbon fibre reinforced belt drive, ABS, traction control, stability control, locking glove box and a back up camera. A BACK UP CAMERA! Oh and this thing will also push 1G around a corner. You’re gonna want one! (said in a Denis Leary voice of course). Wanna know how it rides? Like a jacked up adult Go-Kart, that's how! What’s that? You need a bottle of water from the store? Oh let me go get that, back in 10. 10 min later - What? You need some milk? Sure I’ll be happy to pick that up. 10 min later - oh darn, I forgot the eggs. I’ll be right back. I was actually excited to have some down time after being on the go everyday since leaving San Cristobal, Mexico 9 days ago. You know, relax, maybe catch up on the blog. Mike and Kati’s idea of down time is meeting friends for coffee at 730, come back and make breakfast by 930, spend a few hours renovating their kitchen, lunch, then Mike and I then took the Slingshot to Best Buy and to get some groceries. Man does the Slingshot get a lot of attention on the road. With all the people staring at us, I felt like I was back in Mexico on the bike. After getting back Mike took me for a 22 mile (35KM) bicycle ride. I think he may be trying to break me ;). In fact I had no trouble passing out, I mean going to bed that night by 9pm. These guys are running circles around me. Next day, it's simply rinse and repeat. They are literally the most active 65+ couple that I have ever met. Something to seriously live up to in my opinion. We went to check on Tigger. The seal in the final drive was indeed kaput. No problem, we’ll just replace the seal, right? Only it turns out the drive is non-serviceable. So that $5 seal actually cost $1438 because they had to replace the entire unit instead. Thank you warranty. It would also take several more days, so I thought it would only be fair if I took CalMoto’s brand new BMW GSA out for a spin. Keyless start, on the fly performance settings (rain, dynamic, off-road modes and more), fully adjustable suspension (rider, rider + luggage, rider + pillion, rider + pillion + luggage). All at the push of a button. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1900-L.jpg I wiped the drool off my chin, threw my leg over and took her for a good run. Have to admit, it was a fantastic ride. If only I had 20K+ burning a hole in my pocket. The next day Mike was heading out to fly some RC planes with his buddies and invited me to tag along. “Sure why not,” I said, thinking I’d go watch. But when we arrived, Mike handed me a plane and a remote. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-41-39-L.jpg “You just throw the plane off the cliff and don’t crash. Oh and if you do crash it down by the beach, you have to walk all they way down there to get it.” http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-44-28-L.jpg Nice view, but a long walk down (trust me, I speak from experience). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-49-22-L.jpg I know he said fly but what he really meant was dogfight. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-58-15-L.jpg Bogey 6 o'clock! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-55-10-L.jpg I noticed some dolphins having fun in the surf down below. Mike also wanted to make sure I got the “American Experience”, as he called it, so the following afternoon we stopped by the shooting range. This was the first time I’ve ever fired a weapon and have to admit it was a pretty cool experience. I managed to save an imaginary hostage by emptying a clip into the orange zone (of the bad guys chest), and even killed a zombie trying to steal my pizza. I also learned first hand just how hot the shell casings get as they exit a gun when it’s being fired, when one flew over the stall next to me landing on my neck. It then proceed to squirt down my shirt as I did a little dance trying to get it out. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1897-L.jpg Turns out that I’m actually a decent shot. Who knew? |
California's Pacific Coast Take 2
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With Tigger still in the shop, Mike’s friend Doug was generous enough to lend me his steed; a 2005 BMW GS for a few days and Mike and I were off again. Thank you very much Doug, the bike ran like a champ! We did an encore run down the Pacific coast, just like the 4 of us did last fall. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-56-06-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-57-27-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-25-47-L.jpg We headed up Nacimiento Road. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...17-19-45-L.jpg Just as beautiful as the last time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-00-25-L.jpg We rode through and above the fog line finding a perfect camp spot at the top. Super stoked about being able to use my hammock. Lori shipped me my Underground Quilts underquilt and topquilt so I would be toasty warm. The only question is: do I set up the tarp? Nah! We're not expecting any rain tonight anyway. You probably already know where this is going, right? Well it is, sort of. So I woke up at around 2am to what could have been the scene to a horror movie, fog completely surrounding the mountain and us on it. It was a very eerie yet at the same time cool sight. Thinking I could simply will the fog away I went back to sleep. About an hour later I woke up again, this time to the sound of rain drops falling around me, I could actually hear it coming down on Mike's tent more than anything else. Only it wasn't raining! The fog seemed even thicker than before and now both my (down filled) quilts were starting to feel pretty damp from all the moisture. Great! Down is a fantastic insulator but only if it's dry. Once wet, the stuff is pretty much useless in keeping you warm. I guess I'll set up my tarp after all, something that would have been much easier in the daytime. Doh! A little while later I hear Mike up and giggling away. He was laughing at the fact that it was raining without actually raining and that he was a few feet away from a perfectly dry spot. The fog had completely soaked all the trees around us and they were simply dripping on us. We weren't getting any more sleep at this point so we got up and started breaking camp and making breakfast. While cooking we hear what sounded to be a tank coming up the big hill towards us. A few minutes later with the ground shaking a CAT 325C excavator crawls past our campsite. Good thing we were up. Gotta say, everything is truly an adventure riding with Mike ;). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1915-L.jpg Jetboil eggs and bacon - yummy! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1916-L.jpg Although we did make a stop for second breakfast at the Morro Bay bakery. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-47-54-L.jpg We continued down the coast for a bit, stopping for a short hike up to a waterfall along Highway 1, then checking on the Elephant Seal pups at the Rookery. Did you know Elephant Seals are able to dive to a depth of 5800 feet? For perspective, a White shark can dive to a maximum of 3900 feet. About the only thing that dives deeper is the Sperm Whale at 8200 feet. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-21-48-L.jpg If for some reason the views, waterfalls, Elephants Seals, or many of the other points of interest along Highway 1 don't tickle your fancy, you might want to check your pulse. It's just magnificent out here! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-46-32-L.jpg San Miguel Mission along Highway 101 dates back to 1797. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-49-36-L.jpg San Miguel Mission was part of a network of Christian Missions extending from the southern US south through Mexico and as far as Argentina and Chile. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-00-02-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-13-34-L.jpg We continued east away from the coast, ending up in Fresno at Tim's house for the night. Now Tim is a good friend of Mikes and let's just say that he lives in a very unique neighbourhood. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-02-10-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-09-55-L.jpg Oh...I think this is going to be fun! |
Flying in a Cub, meeting a 3 legged wonder dog and Sequoia NP...the adventure cont.
Tim lives in a very interesting neighbourhood in Fresno. Forget that 3 car garage you’ve always wanted, these guys have hangers for garages. HANGERS! WITH PLANES IN THEM!! I didn’t even know places like this existed.
http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-58-06-L.jpg That's a mighty fine hanger (and plane) you got there. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-57-49-L.jpg But before we go anywhere else, you need to meet Tim's dog, Buddy - the wonder dog. Buddy has only 3 legs due to an unfortunate accident, but man is he just the happiest dog ever. The flight was an absolute thrill! The next morning Mike and I headed to Sequoia National Park. After checking the weather, and because we’re sensible adventure riders, we took the truck instead of the bikes. Perhaps not as tall as the Redwoods, the Sequoia tress are absolutely massive. They can weigh in excess of 2.7 million pounds. Since I don’t know anything that weighs 2.7 million pounds, I can’t even put that in perspective for you. Even a giant Redwood tree only weighs 1.7 million pound. Only - HA! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-02-38-L.jpg Apparently the largest of the Sequoias, the General Sherman Tree. Although I’m not sure how they get it on the scale to check… http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-37-35-L.jpg These guys are simply massive! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-35-18-L.jpg Apparently a Sequoia tree falls only uphill. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-31-29-L.jpg Say, did you know that Donald Duck's ancestors came from California? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-00-35-L.jpg I heard a crack and thought this Sequoia was going to fall over. So I went over and tried to support it as best as I could. I think it did the trick ;). But before we could get back to the truck it began hailing on us. HAIL! Fun-wow. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-31-00-L.jpg We found an opening in the path and made a run for it. Actually we just put our rain jackets on and hiked on. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...16-05-34-L.jpg Hiking up to Moro Rock. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-42-14-L.jpg View wasn't too shabby. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-17-58-L.jpg Oh and the temperature dropped to butt-freezing cold! Back at the parking lot we saw a bunch of teeny-boppers*getting out of a van wearing nothing but cut-off jean shorts and a t-shirt. They were heading up to Moro Rock where we just came from. Mike mentioned they might want to put some more clothing on. The one girl said, “but this is all I brought.” Ahhh, to be young and... |
Flying with the West Coast Raven Formation Team
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The next few days seem almost like a dream. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-55-58-L.jpg Of course there is nothing like a little turbulence or a sharp turn by an expert pilot to wake you up to reality. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-53-35-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-06-12-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-11-14-L.jpg Tim was leading a Formation clinic for about 20 other pilots, so I got to spend the first day up in his plane with him flying formation with several planes. It felt almost surreal to be up there with a plane on either side of us only a few feet away. When it was all said and done, I had been up for 6 flights that day. WOW! I can't even begin to tell you how much fun that was. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-45-27-L.jpg The day capped off by a party back at Tim's house...er hanger. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...20-26-43-L.jpg Celebrating a successful day. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-12-52-L.jpg The next morning we headed back for round 2. Breakfast and a pre-flight meeting at the airport with all the pilots. Today was going to be a big day. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...08-30-48-L.jpg So what's the plan Stan? There is quite a lot to organize and get sorted out before 20 planes go up together. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-22-50-L.jpg New plane for me and a new pilot. I flew with Goose today. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-29-40-L.jpg Goose is his flying alias, but it turned out he had yet another alias: Cabana Boy. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-23-35-L.jpg We checked the weather forecast before heading out. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-29-39-L.jpg 20 planes taxi-ing down the runway. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-39-33-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-42-27-L.jpg Here we go... http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-44-51-L.jpg Getting 20 planes together in the air takes a bit of skill...and patience. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-54-58-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-55-29-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-56-41-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-10-33-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-06-26-L.jpg Catching up to the first big group. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-09-27-L.jpg It was pretty wild to have 20 planes all flying in a tight formation only a few feet away from each other. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-17-58-L.jpg Everyone coming back for a landing. Everyone landing single file even though we took off in finger formation, 4 at a time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-29-45-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...11-57-56-L.jpg The West Coast Raven Formation Team. Thanks everyone for an amazing time over the weekend, it was just amazing to be a part of it all. Ok so I took way more video than I know what to do with over the course of the weekend. Here are a couple of the shorter ones. If you'd like to see the rest, check out our youtube channel Life's 2 Short Short Adventure. |
A near death experience at the Bristlecone Pines
With Tigger already fixed up (actually I snuck back to San Ramon over the weekend to pick up my bike from the dealership before heading back for all that fun in the sky in Fresno), I headed out on my own again for a couple of days. Mike and Kati were heading to Lake Powell the most direct route and I wanted to head over the Sierras.
Mike's expertise of everything California became obvious to me within the first couple of hundred miles as I managed to fill up at the most expensive gas station around. Not to mention I had to pay attention to the GPS again. Sonora Pass was closed the previous week from the winter still, so I was looking forward to taking a new pass over the mountains. It was nice to have Tigger in tip top shape again and fresh rubber on the rear. The previous tire had kept me company for 18,000km's (11,250 miles), and still had some miles left on it. I'm really liking the Heidenau K60's. The front has over 33,000km's (20,625 miles) at this point and I expect it to last to 50,000km's (or about 30,000 miles). As long as you don't need to do a tire change on the road, these things are fantastic. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-06-03-L.jpg Sonora Pass did not disappoint. No vehicles to speak of and as twisty as anything I've ridden in California. Just a blast. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-03-27-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-25-13-L.jpg I really can not get enough of the Sierras. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...07-58-51-L.jpg I ended up camping at Twin Lakes for the night. Beautiful spot with the snow capped mountains acting as a backdrop. As I was setting up my tent, I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to see a deer walking past not 10 feet from me. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-30-24-L.jpg The next day started out by taking my breath away, on more than one occasion actually and for different reasons. It turned out to be a really long day, mostly on account of my own stupidity. After stopping to stare at that scene above for far too long, I continued south along to 395. Of course I just had to turn into Mammoth Lakes when I saw the sign. Y'all know what's in Mammoth Lakes right? Shat's Bakkery of course. Lots of chocolates, mouthwatering sandwiches...you know the place. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_1984-L.jpg They even give you a cookie with your sandwich. Need I say more? http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-47-56-L.jpg Much nicer backdrop for the second half of that sandwich. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-40-05-L.jpg So Mike had mentioned the Bristlecone Pines during a conversation. Some of these trees are 5000 years old. When I saw the sign, I just had to pull in and take a look. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-31-47-L.jpg It was eerily quiet here, I can only describe it as a sound-proof room, only it's outdoors and the views are stunning. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-35-04-L.jpg One of the most unique places I've ever visited. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...14-36-41-L.jpg I saw one person on the trial the entire time. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-01-48-L.jpg So before I left on this little hike, I checked out the sign in the parking lot. It indicated that this hike is pretty strenuous and that it's about an hour long. So I thought nothing of it and took off in my motorcycle pants, moto boots and a t-shirt with camera in hand (for my 1 hr hike). Had I read the rest of the sign clearly I would have caught that the big loop is actually a few hours to hike. So I found myself out there for about 3 hours wondering if I was heading back or heading away on this trail. Not a sole in sight, me with no water, no shade from the sun (have I mentioned it was a beautiful sunny and hot day?), oh and I was at about 10,000 feet. I also didn't bring my phone - so no way to tell the time, no compass. Just me and Stupid along for a hike. The path was full of switchbacks and elevation changes that are not for the faint of heart. I considered turning around and heading back the way I came but really didn't relish the thought of having to climb all those hills again.Luckily enough, and perhaps by design for dumb-asses like me, they built the trail in a loop. So after another half hour, my blistered feet and I found ourselves back at the parking lot downing pretty much all the water I found on the bike. After a brief rest I hit the road again. I didn't intend on spending so much time here and because I was meeting Mike and Kati at Lake Powell the following day, I still had a long way to go today. A quick stop for dinner in Vegas, I finally pulled into a Casino & Hotel in Mesquite AZ by around 9pm. Completely exhausted from my 14 hour day. Had one of those funny but sad chuckles walking to my room. My room was 3 wings over from the lobby and 57 rooms down the hall(s). "Of course" I thought. I've been in smaller airports than this. |
Reflections at Lake Powell
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Needles, Hoover Dam, and now Lake Powell. I was starting to connect the dots along the colorado river. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...15-23-38-L.jpg What another stunning place. Lake Powell is man made and I'm told it has more coastline than all of the United States. It was once a stunning canyon much like the Grand Canyon. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...07-24-07-L.jpg Sunrise from my campsite on the lake. I'd say it's still pretty stunning! http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...07-36-04-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-31-19-L.jpg Mike mentioned that they usually slow down and relax when they come to Lake Powell so I was looking forward to just kicking back. This is us hiking...I mean relaxing up Cookie Jar Rock. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-56-41-L.jpg Long way up. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-00-26-L.jpg The view climbing up was fantastic. You can see Kati in the bottom right of the pic. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-27-43-L.jpg It's pretty cool to see all these tiny eco systems thriving on what is essentially all rock with a little tiny bit of dirt. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-04-52-L.jpg We finally made it to the top. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-06-09-L.jpg http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-06-57-L.jpg Brilliant colours. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...10-12-35-L.jpg Proof I was there ;). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...13-55-06-L.jpg Another first for me - a floating outhouse. It's actually much nicer than just a regular outhouse. You simply dock your vessel and then drop your other vessel at this floating port-o-potty. They keep this place afloat with your donations ;). http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-05-12-L.jpg You'd think a lake this size would add some humidity to the air. Nope. It was what I call stupid-dry out here. Even the falling rain never made it to the ground. It simply evaporated on the way down. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...18-50-30-L.jpg Mike & Kati know all the good spots here. Of course the water level changes so much every year that all the places they know also change. So it's kind of a new adventure every time they come. We had this island oasis all to ourselves one night. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...19-08-46-L.jpg I suffered through another blissful night camping in this Paradise. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...08-45-00-L.jpg The next day we went for another cool hike down a rather large slot canyon http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...09-51-40-L.jpg Amazing stuff to be out here. |
Reflections at Lake Powell
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http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-03-05-L.jpg We kept seeing beaver tracks everywhere and followed the tracks to this guy. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...07-40-08-L.jpg Mike found a really nice spot to stop for the night. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...20-14-10-L.jpg This one was a bit of hike to get to the top, thought the view was worth it. I didn't bring the camera when I came to set up the tent at sunset, much to my regret. I ran back down to the boat but by the time I got back it was all but over. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...20-16-18-L.jpg Another fantastic camp spot.* http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...07-11-00-L.jpg View from the tent in the morning. What an amazing time this past few weeks with Mike & Kati. I dare say the most fun I've had on the entire trip has been out west with them. Lori and I can't thank you guys enough for your hospitality. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_2010-L.jpg As tempting as it was to stay longer, I was missing Lori quite a bit and felt like I should make my way home. Mike and Kati dropped me back off at the marina later that morning and I was off. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_2017-L.jpg Somewhere on the road in Colorado. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_2021-L.jpg 7 degrees Celsius (45F) at 11,000 feet crossing the Continental Divide, with lots of snow behind the sign. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...12-29-25-L.jpg Skirted this pretty large looking cell here. Rain finally caught up with me somewhere through Missouri. http://lifes2short.smugmug.com/RTW/M...IMG_2038-L.jpg Initially I had plans on checking out the North Rim, Bryce and Arches but for some reason when I got back to the bike, I just felt like putting down miles instead of sightseeing. So 3 days and 3254km's (2034 miles) after leaving Page AZ, I was back in Brantford. Home for the summer. |
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