A wedding on the road towards Oaxaca

State of Puebla, MX. 

17 May 2023

This is Omar. We met at a bakery where he does private security (guarding the bread). We hung out and walked around the city. 

18 May 2023

Lars, the German living in CDMX who's room I rented, suggested I volunteer at Dr. Cycle Café Taller to practice Spanish.

Here I am with Benjamin, the owner and lead mechanic. I'm holding a bag they gave me.

Benjamin has high standards and attention to detail. I learned about bikes and about the Spanish language. 

I think the low cost of labor in Mexico leads to more reparing and less replacing of things. In the US, the cost of repairing something (replacing tent zipper or rebuilding bike wheels, for example) often exceeds the cost of buying a new one. It's cool and sustainable to repair things, but really unfortunate that people get paid 10-25% in Mexico for the same work. 

19 May 2023

My mom visited the city and I.   

This building was covered in elaborate hand-painted tiles which resembled those in Mia's bathroom in the US. 

Organ grinder.

There are many organ grinders in Mexico City. It's not clear that there is any skill involved, so I hesitate to consider them musicians. They must listen to the same small repitour all day. Some passerbys enjoy their sounds, but if they played in front of my room or storefront all day, I can't imagine wanting to pay them. 

Mexico City center.

22 May 2023

Modern smartphones take good pictures. My DSLR is still much better. Mia brought it from the US. A DSLR is heavy and cumbersome compared to the smartphones we already have. But even my heavy camera only constitutes .5% of the weight I need to carry up a hill. I decided to bike tour with the heavy camera for a while. Taking pictures can be fun, and looking for photo subjects makes me more observant, I think.

Today I left Mexico City in the afternoon and rode two hours to a 'Casa Ciclista' just outside the city. 

A 'Casa Ciclista' is somewhere in between a hostel and a WarmShowers. This is the first I've encountered. Apparently they're common in South America. 

23 May 2023

Alejandro, who operates the Casa Ciclista. Thank you Alejandro. 

Popocatépetl is erupting right now. I wanted to ride to Puebla, Puebla via the Paso de Cortez road to see the volcano up close. Some news reports said the pass was closed. Alejandro thought perhaps there was a perimeter closed around the volcano, but the road itself was still open. Optimistically, I rode towards Paso de Cortez. 

These police officers told me the Paso de Cortez road was closed. 

Reasonable public safety measure got in my way. Alejandro suggested a route south of Popocatépetl. But I decided to take the next road to the north. Along this route was an old highway and a new, bigger one, which reminded me of the Espinazo Del Diablo route in Sinalo and Durango.

This is Christian (left) and his friend Kevin.

Christian has a wife and several daughters in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He hasn't been able to return for three years due to the beauracracy of immigration paperwork. He hopes to return this year. Christain was selling tamales but wouldn't let me pay for mine. Thank you Christian.

I camped near the top of the pass at 3200 meters (10,500ft). Cold and wet. 

Benjamin from the bike shop in CDMX gave me this bag, which I'm using for my camera. Thank you Benjamin. It didn't come with a shoulder strap, so I found this strap on the road and sewed it onto the bag.

24 May 2023

Sharing breakfast in Rio Frío de Juárez.

Rio Frío de Juárez was a pleasant, forested,  high altitude town. 

Today, I arrived in the city of Puebla at Cruz Carrera's house. I met Cruz at the wedding in Tlaxcala (see previous post), and he invited me to stay with him.

25 May 2023

In the morning I rotated my tires. For me, that means swapping the front and rear tires, so they wear out at about the same time. 

Conventional wisdom (Sheldon Brown) recommends moving the front tire to the rear and installing a brand new tire in the front. Because a heavily worn tire is more likely to fail suddenly, and a tire failure in the front is considered more dangerous than in the rear. I personally believe that modern high quality tires are exceedingly unlikely to fail suddenly due to wear. Unless they're worn to the threads. Also, I won't find another Surly Knard 27.5×3" tire in Puebla, MX. 

Rotating tires at a gas station (where I can use an air compressor).

In the afternoon, Cruz and I rode our bikes around Puebla.

Cruz.

Cruz knows Pati, who I met in Baja California, because they both went to physical therapy school here in Puebla. 

Cruz's favorite street in Puebla. 

This sun clock fires a small cannon at noon if there are no clouds. 

Stunning cathedral. Perhaps a good cathedral could instill spiritual feelings in someone of any religious belief. 

History lesson from Cruz:

Cinco de Mayo (1862) celebrates a military defeat of the French, who invaded Mexico via Veracruz, under the premise of collecting debt. The battle took place here in Puebla. It is a significant day to the people of Puebla. 

The 16th (or maybe 28th?) of September (1810) celebrates Mexican independence from Spain. Nationally, this is a much more important day. 

Americans overemphasize the relative significance of Cinco de Mayo. Cruz believes this may be due to extensive migration from Puebla to California and New York. 

The heaviest rain I've seen in my life interrupted our bike ride. 

By the time we found shelter I was already soaked. So I took a shower. 

Cruz's mother made delicious mole for dinner. Thank you. Thank you Cruz for hosting me and showing me around Puebla. 

26 May 2023

Typical looking street in small rural community.

Riding through many agricultural areas to avoid the highway. 

Simpsons.

In the afternoon, I started asking people if they knew where I might be able to camp. 

Eventually I talked to Pedro Silva. Pedro has worked in the US but prefers living here in Mexico.

Pedro and his wife invited me in. 

They provide this delicious spicy food. The spicy makes me hiccup. The hiccups make us laugh. 

The red pump on the left is for a well which provides for 20 people. 

They keep two horses, rabbits, goats, chicken, turkey, and many crops. Thank you very much for the meal and place to sleep. 

I slept in this storage room. 

27 May 2023

At 6am, Pedro left to work the fields with His cart and two horses. I left soon after. 

Quiet agricultural roads.

This nail damaged the tire, which I fixed immediately. It also damaged the rim tape, which I wasn't able to fix for a few days. So I just kept pumping it up twice daily. 

Small town street.

I believe the mountain in the background is Citlaltépetl (5636M/18491ft), the highest peak in Mexico.

I descend 1000M into Acultzingo. Lunch is three small gorditas and an empanada, for $40 (2.28USD). This is considerably cheaper than Mexico City, or other states I've been in. It is delicious.

Then I climb back up 1000M. As I climb, several pickup trucks loaded with dressed-up people pass me. I smile and wave and they smile and wave and laugh. 

Near the top of the climb I see the wedding where they are all headed. It's under the yellow tent.

I watch for a while and laugh at what I've come across in this quiet rural area. Then they invite me.

It is smaller than the wedding in Tlaxcala, but there are some of the same things. Such as a knock-over-the-groom game, cumbia, multiple live music bands.

Many kids excited for a picture, and excited to look at my bike. 

More people I met at the wedding:

Alondra is 19 and would like to go to the US for work and school. She has a horse. 

Jasmine (front) is 18 and is in her last semester of high school (called 'preparatoria').

Cesar (red coat, face not visible) is a very mature 13 year old. He wants to join the military, and also would like to go to the US. His mother Antonia (right) has lived in Acultzingo her entire life. Antonia invited me to her daughter's quinceañera in September, where there will be ~500 people and 4 pigs. I may be in South America then. 

With alcohol, loud music, and a language barrier, conversing is not easy. But for an evening I again have the company of strangers. It is wonderful and a little sad, because I will likely never see these interesting people again in my life. 

I camped in the woods nearby. 

28 May 2023

Yellow tent partially visible as I leave the vicinity of the wedding.

Delicious roast chicken with vegetables.

I've descended down below 1000M now. And it is HOT. 

So I search for shade behind this large rock formation.

And find a wash, which I ride up.

And find a flat campsite.

Hello little insect. 

29 May 2023

Oh what horror. I am awake before 5AM vomiting. The 5:30AM alarm was unnecessary. 

This has happened 3 out of the last 4 times I've eaten the delicious roast chicken. When will I learn? What will I learn?

I am sick, but I ride. For breakfast I eat a single tortilla. By 9AM the temperature is over 30C (86F) and quickly rising. Oh how I feel sick like death.

I enter Oaxaca. 

Beautiful tiles.

By 10AM it is very hot and I give up on riding for today. I write this from a 33°C (92°F) hotel room.