We met in Kansas, and accidentally again in Sinaloa

Nick splashed out of a tunnel.  

I climbed out of Sinaloa state along Carretera 40 Libre. This road used to be the primary interstate highway. Now there is a new highway, so the old highway is great for biking. 

I approached two other travelling cyclists:

Hola

¿De dónde eres?

Estados Unidos, Oregon

Y tú?

Estados Unidos también

Ah so you speak English

The other rider turns around.

Oh, we met in Kansas!

Indeed we had met at a gas station in Kansas last August. Nick had been riding towards Arizona as Elijah and I traveled east. 

Pros of making your own bike route:

-Learn the geography very well

-Local people are very surprised because they never see foreigner bike travellers

-The satisfaction of doing it yourself

Pros of following a bike route someone else has shared online:

-Don't have to spend time making your own route

-Less backtracking

-Meet other cyclists more frequently

-Usually it's a very good route

Gorditos.

Nick and Emily and I traveled together for a few weeks.

Nick is from Pennsylvania and has a degree in horticulture. He owned a landscaping business. Nick is 26 years, likes farming, and helped build the Arizona Trail last summer.

Once, Nick cut his leg with a pull-saw. 

"I saw my femur"

"It could have been worse"

-Nick

Emily just turned 28. Referring to her Spanish comprehension, Nick said she "Understands what's going on pretty much 100% of the time". Emily is a baker from Georgia. She told me how cheese is made:

1. Warm up milk

2. Add an acid (typically rennet, from lamb stomach, but could be lemon juice). The milk reacts and the curds precipitate out from the whey. 

3. Strain out the curds. How the curds are strained partially dictates the cheese type. 

4. Add something else?? 

5. Maybe let it age??

Following the 9/11 attacks, Emily's family lived in Egypt for several years to build Christain/Muslim relations. She was 8-11 years old and hasn't returned since, although she knows some Arabic. 

Camped before Durango.

The city of Durango.

Ray and I shared a hotel room in Durango. 250MXN or 14USD per night total.

Durango.

Este perro habló toda la noche. Pude dormir pero Ray no pudo. El perro no pudo dormir tampoco. 

After Durango, Nick and Emily and I were invited to a party. It was the celebration of a saint, and it was also for someone's mother. The music was drums only. It sounded simple at first, but when I listened closely, it was very complex. The time signature were constantly changing, the rhythm very difficult to follow. Dancers wore feather headdresses, leather, face paint, and catholic imagery. They fed us and showed us hot springs, where we camped.

Some cattle grates here are difficult to cross by bicycle:

In Zacatecas I accidentally met a Warm Showers host. Here is Zacatecas as viewed from his rooftop terrace.

Boxing match in Zacatecas.

Zacatecas during the day.

Zacatecas at night.

Zacatecas during the day.