Mexico
Heating up!
Well, we're in Tierra Colorada this afternoon, just 25 miles or so north of Acapulco, but we wonder if we'll get out of here this afternoon. It's really hot.
We had our longest and hottest day so far, 58 miles, leaving Taxco and heading into the desert south of Iguala, finally stopping in a cactus field somewhere south of Iguala. It was so hot in the afternoon that we'd ride 10 minutes and rest for 30 and have a coke or something.
Yesterday and today we got on the toll road, or autopista for the first time, and it's got nice wide shoulders--but you leave Mexico. No more little towns to mosey through. Just miles and miles of asphalt. It's a good way to get places but a bad way to see Mexico.
Maybe today Acapulco, maybe mañana.
Discoveries...
Some of the wonderful things we have discovered could not have been discovered by gringos like us if we were traveling any other way than by bicycling.
Things that we have discovered:
- Markets called mercados. All fresh foods grown in the local farms, picked recently and sold at the markets by mostly women sitting on blankets and 5 gallon paint buckets. (price for lunch about 25 pesos or $2.50)
- Bathroom etiquette in Mexico: Always bring your own TP, do not flush it down the toilet because the systems can not handle it. Instead put it in the bucket next to the toilet and flush (sometimes) by pouring a bucket full of water from the 55 gallon storage barrel. (costs 2 pesos if TP is included and bathroom is tended and clean)
- Showers can be found in many markets. They're called regaderas publicos and can cost 5-8 pesos (50-80 cents US). What a treat to discover these showers when otherwise we have to take a hotel room to get a shower.
- Siestas: Mexican relaxing time between 2:00 and 4:00. Find the centro of town and find a park bench or a slab of concrete somewhere in the shade. (costs nothing and guaranteed to attract every curious kid around to come check out the bike tourist)
- Internet cafes: a great place to be during the hot afternoons or late evening or anytime one does not feel like riding the bike. The cost is about a dollar an hour (10 pesos an hour) and can be found in most towns with 10,000 people or more.
Hidden Village: San Martin del Jovero
Heading down the ultramodern autopista we had to find a quick place to stop for the night, because the sun was about to go down.
Nancy's infallible instincts took us off at a little unmarked dirt road that seemed to lead to a village. We followed it and were uncertain whether to go into the village or just plop down our tent nearer to the autopiista. We kept going toward the village because she was hoping for a beer :-)
What we found was amazing. Before we'd been there for five minutes the entire village had joined us and was studying us. There were at least a dozen young children, and there we were chatting with the whole community as the sun went down.
We thought we'd wandered into a hidden village in Guatemala or something, with the one dirt road leading from the autopista to the village. It turned out that this village was founded maybe 40 years ago by people from the mountains of the southern state of Oaxaca who came looking for land. When they founded it (and until 12 years ago, when the autopista was put in) it was three long hours' walk to get there from Tierra Colorada.
The amazing thing is that they're a seemingly isolated people group - "refugees" from Oaxaca, a little disconnected island of people in the middle of Guerrero state. The older people still speak the mountain language, and all speak with an uncharacteristic accent for the region, setting them off further from their neighbors. read more here... lee mas aquí... »
Beaching it
Well, we got to Pie de la Cuesta (Foot of the sunset) on Wednesday afternoon and have been beaching it since. Pie de la Cuesta is a quiet, simple little village about 15 km outside Acapulco, and we found a little hotel we love. Lots of laying around in hammocks.
Yesterday we blew the whole day on a frustrating search for bike boxes (no chance) and finally got a cab and went to the furniture stores rummaging for boxes and we built our own boxes. We have to have them boxed for Sunday's flight, but it's not as easy as just going to the bike store and asking for one!
Sunday's flight should put us in the Denver airport about 6:20 pm, if all goes well!
Finances: Budget and expenses
Well, here's the financial report on our trip. It was surprisingly inexpensive to live on our trip, and we're pleased with the results.
We spent about $650/person for the entire month in Mexico (which also included $75/person for a deep sea fishing expedition and 4 days on the beach at the end of the trip.). Our airfare was extra - It was about $630 on Mexicana, and well worth it, since they took our bikes for free. (Most airlines wanted $75-100/bike each way. And Mexicana handled our bikes wonderfully in both directions.
Some example prices:
- Hotels cost $15 - $35. We had some really fine places for about $25. All the places we stayed had hot water and a private bathroom. A couple were near-dumps, but much better than some Randy has stayed at some times in the past.
- Donation to Virgin of Guadalupe in Manzanilla: $0.10
- Lunch of 4 tacos and 2 fresh-squozen orange juices: $2.50
- Shower at a hotel (not staying there): $1.50/each
- Shower in the market (cold water): $.50 to $.80
- Postcards: $.50/each. Mailing them: $1.00/each.
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