19618 km Mazatlan

Leaving Puebla I anticipated some busy cycling into the metropolis of Ciudad de Mexico. It all turned out to be a lot easier than expected. A highway brought me up to just a kilometer or two from the city center, so getting to my desired hostel was a breeze. You never know what to expect on a bikeride and that’s one of the greatest charms of riding. My stay in Mexico city has been awesome. I had a real nice hostel and even got a view of the main cathdral from my bedroom window. It does not get much better than that. I spend about a week in Mexico city, there is just so much to see and do. The templo Mayor in the city center, Center of Tenochtitlan as Mexico city was called in the Aztec days. The Cathedral and many other beautifull buildings from the Spanish colonial rule. It’s no coincidence these were all build here on top of the Aztec architecture. It was a way to establish dominance and show the indiginous indians, which god now needed to be worshipped. It’s funny to see however that in the cathedral many of the old Aztec rituals are somehow incorporated in the new faith. Similar things could be seen with the Incas in Peru. I guess it does not hurt to be a little pragmatic when you trying to impose your new gods. As beautifull as the cathedral looks however, I can’t help wondering what beautifull Aztec archeological treasures might be found undeneath it’s floor. Maybe, we’ll find out one day.

Off course I could not let a visit of Mexico city go past without visiting Teotihuacan, just a small ride outside of the city center. In it’s heyday, the biggest and most influential town in Meso America. I also visited the basilica de Guadelope and went for cocktails in the latin America tower. All in all, I spend a full week in Mexico city and I was quite sad I had to leave it behind. The legs were getting itchy however and after a week of rest it felt great to do some cycling again.

The next stop of significance was Guadalajara, about 550km northwest of Mexico city. The ride was a bit up and down, but no crazy mountainstages. It’s all pretty easy compared to what I have encountered earlier in Peru. While travelling north you can slowly see the landscape changing. It’s all just a little less green then before. Less broadleaf trees can be seen and the amount of cacti is increasing. I stayed two days in Guadalajara. Did a ‘free walking tour’ as is offered in almost every city I have seen in latin America. These are basicly free tours, often organized by students, that tell you the history and stories relevant for the city as you walk through it. At the end of the tour you give a tip for their time and effort. I like doing these tours to get a first impression of a city and learn a little bit about the background.

After two days I decided to move on again and start the section to Mazatlan. On the way there however, I had to make a stop at the tiny town of Tequila, known for....yeah you guessed it! I made a tour through one of the distilleries, to get a bit more insight on how the ugly looking agave plant is transformed in liquid cold. Mexico would not be Mexico without this plant and the tequila and mezcal that are derived from it. I hardly saw any non-Mexicans in tequila and had quite a great time drinking a few to many with the locals. The next day was as you can imagine, a short one. After just 60km I called it a day, tequila and cycling are not the best of combinations...

I now made my way to Mazatlan. Once again back on the coast with beaches and cocktails around. I will be waiting here for a few days untill my boat leaves to La Paz. From there I will cycle across Baja on my way to the border in the north. Still a good 1500km to go, as I said before, Mexico is huge. It’s a good thing though, cause I really do not mind enjoying the great food, the friendly mexican people and the sunshine just a wee bit longer....

Take care everyone, next post from Baja!