June 12, 2014…Calakmul, Campeche Mexico

"No, we are totally booked for tonight…sorry", was the answer I did not want to hear!  Our pondering decision to stay one more night in Bacalar was made for us.  So we packed up our gear, loaded the bikes and headed into the jungle.

On our way to Calakmul…the Bat Cave is near by!

We are only 11 kilometers from the border of Belize when we make a right turn and head back into the center of Mexico.  We have one last ruin to view, the ancient Maya city of Calakmul.  This important Maya site played a key role in the history of this region for over twelve centuries.  The massive structures are set deep in the tropical forest of the Tierras Bajas of Southern Mexico, making it more difficult to visit.  Because the site was not rediscovered until 1931 and experienced minimal activity until 1993 the authenticity of the site is very high. The hour long windy potholed paved/dirt road off the main highway is tedious and steamy, but, it is well worth trip in.  After parking and another two kilometer hike in through the dense jungle over a very slippery moist mossy clay packed ground Calakmul appears before your eyes.  The well preserved structures, some towering high above the sodden forest canopy peer into neighboring Guatemala, vividly capture and transport you back in time to what must have been an amazing bustling Maya city.  Calakmul culturally dominated from the mid 500's to the late 600's AD.  Maya power was gradually moving north into the Yucatan and by 900 AD, Calakmul was no longer a city of influence.  A very short period of prominence for such an impressive city!  Even so Calakmul City did continue to thrive and survive over the next 12 centuries with the last inhabitants in the area, known as cehaches, descendants of the inhabitants of Calakmul. When the Spanish conquered the area in the 1530's Calakmul was found to be completely abandoned.  Calakmul contains the largest amount of stelae, in their original place.  Stelae are up right stone or slab structures with an inscribed and or sculptured surface used as a monument or commemorative tablet in front of a building, kind of an ancient building marker or directory.  To me, the slabs look very Stonhenge like!  Excavation and exploration is ongoing unearthing impressive tombs, some considered to be royal, along with ritual ceramic vessels, a variety of rich ornaments and a large quantity of jade masks.   

A green tree snake fell out of the over hanging trees above and hit my jacket…gave me a fright!  I managed not to run him over!

Yeah I have a question….Is there a pool inside?

Walking the two kilometers into the site in our boots and riding pants was slow, hot and cumbersome to say the least.  The jungle surrounding us alive with monkey squabbles and howls, screeching birds, and large vibrant butterflies. The jungle banter distracted us from the positively moist, drippy, clammy, and overheating we were experiencing.  I wore my camelback filled with electrolytes and Kev carried water.  It was truly a life saver.  Not much climbing was done today, although Kev climbed to the top of the tallest structure to view Guatemala and the surrounding structures…it almost killed him but it was worth it.  While he climbed, I sat in the shade below listening to the monkeys and watching cutter ants caring jagged pieces of freshly snipped foliage across the earth the foliage many times larger than themselves, it occurred to me that these ancient Maya civilizations with such achievements reminded me of a gigantic ant colony.  Both capable of amazing strength, structure, and sacrifice!

Maya philosophy….the harder, the better, the closer to your Gods!

Looking over the top into Guatemala!

You can almost see Tikal!

Now the descent…go Kev!

Thanks for visiting!

Calakmul was truly a pleasurable and an uninterrupted individual experience.  There were no vendors, tour guides or swarms of bodies, in fact we only saw 2  people there!  We did see…monkeys swinging with playful ease in the jungle canopy above us, some caring babies on their backs.  Several pausing on branches to watch our next moves.  Vibrant almost peacock like colored Ocellated Turkey with their chicks, cross our paths while riding in…but the peace to resistance was the sightings of two Jaguars.  One cat slowly crossed the road in front of us, about 10 kilometers in, while we were entering Calakmul and one cat zoomed across the road, tail completely extended while we were exiting the reserve….WOW, you just don't see that everyday!

June 10 - 11, 2014…Pueblo Magico…Bacalar, Quintana Roo Mexico

Are you ready?….."Listo!", Dan replies excitedly as he pulls the heavy metal hurricane sliders across the glass doors of his living room and securely locks them in place.  "Lets go!"  I follow behind Dan and Pam, 2 up on their BMW G650GS.  I can feel the extra vibration of excitement radiating out from their bones, and smile, what a cool moment!  I feel very privileged to be sharing the energy of the beginnings of their adventure!

Chef Pam & Chef Dan!

Ana & Roberto

We pull up beside a freeway stand not 3 kilometers away from their front door to enjoy an authentic Mexican taco breakfast.  We wait the arrival of Roberto and Ana, another couple ridding 2 up joining Dan and Pam.  Ana is showing the signs of a "Mexican Jumping Bean" as she approaches us with such zest and exuberance, and Roberto is beaming from ear to ear.  The vibe this morning just cannot get any better!  Dan, Pam, Roberto, Ana, Kev and I spread out over several tables depositing our bodies and gear then proceed to the counter to make our tasty taco breakfast choices.  Along with an agua de fresca, fruit water of pineapple completes the perfect tastey start to future adventure travel.  The peppy chatter is mildly silenced while food is being consumed, then ferociously returns.  "Listo?"…….Let's GO!  After some necessary picture documentation we all saddle up and hit the road.

What do you want in your tacos's?

Listo?!

We passed many Maya ruins roadside, along the way today.  What an amazing culture it must have been to still have structures standing today.  It is interesting to see that in some areas somewhat modern-day structures of tin, wood, and concrete, have been erected alongside these ruins.  The ruins themselves are sometimes haphazardly cyclone fenced off, but no the less it is definitely a thought-provoking reminder of Old and New.  

Arriving at Hotel Rancho Encantado

Looking out over Laguna Bacalar.

Bacalar rates up with being one of my most favorite places in Mexico, and has a very interesting background.   B'ak halal, Maya for "Being surrounded by reeds" was a thriving Mayan civilization pre-columbian times,  until it was conquered by Spanish Conquistadors in 1543, and renamed Salamanca de Bacalar.  Yet there was more turmoil to come for this beautiful place.  The 17th century brought ransacking by pirates which lead to a fort being built.  Completed in 1729, the Fortress de San Filipe Bacalar is still standing today, as a reminder of her treasured past.  Surprisingly enough Bacalar still remained under Spanish rule until Mexico reclaimed it in 1902!  All this interest in capturing and conquering this area is totally understandable to me.  Bacalar's alluring lagoons of seven colors not only exudes amazing beauty, but this area for me releases an amazing amount of energy.  I think that it might have something to do with the stromatolites that are living in the lagoon.

Bacalar's amazing alluring colors!

One of the 9 fresh water cenotes feeding Laguna Bacalar.

Rio Chaac

Stromatolites

Prehistoric Stromatolites Laguna Bacalar.

Laguna Bacalar is Mexico's second largest lake. This 42 mile body of fresh water is truly unique in a couple of ways.  One, this lake is constantly fed and replenished by nine cenotes, thought to be the most extensive anywhere in the world.  And two, it's home to giant prehistoric living stromatolites that represent the earliest life form discovered on earth!  Stromatolites to me look like a chalky coral, or huge calcium formation.  These microbialites act as a coral bedrock supporting mangroves and vegetative growth, that in turn house an abundance of birdlife throughout the lake.  The lakes unusual biochemistry has allowed these life forms to flourish in number and size.  We engaged in a 4 hour boating trip around the lake, and were not disappointed.  At the southern end of the lake is Rio Chaac or "rapids" as it is locally known.  Here we were able to  float down the rapids and view these prehistoric giant stromatolites, crazily mind blowing….estimated to be 3.5 billion years old.  As you float down this crystal clear prehistoric rapids you to can feel the rough calcium formations below sometimes scraping your feet then spiky reeds growing amongst the stromatolites tickle your feet.  View lilly pads and flowers, playful whistling birdlife, see small fishes and tiny mussels.  The mussel growth is a threat to the stromatolites, although currently the prehistoric microbialites growth is faster than the mussels and the mussels are being engulfed by their growth!  Our day even included a traditional Maya Mud Spa!

The only foreign thing in Lake Bacalar is this restaurant that never came to be!

June 8 - 9, 2014…Puerto Adventuras, Quintana Roo Mexico

Today we are riding back to Puerto Adventuras to visit new adventure chef/moto friends…Dan and Pam.  Gently pulling back the blackout curtains, that separate us from the reality and brightness of Cancun life and sun, my eyes immediately squint and adjust to the dazzling Cancun gleam.  Yes!!…no rain, at least for now… I think!  Packing, loading and starting your ride in rain is always a grumbly situation…but mother nature is on our side this morning so we get at it.  Today I am excited and relieved to be breaking in 2 fresh whiskery Heidenau tires on dry roads …Mexican roads are slippery enough without the rains! 

It always is a fascinating phenomenon that when you are riding to a place you have already been the ride always seems faster…and before you know it we were pulling up to Dan & Pam's in the Puerto Adventuras Community.  The Mexican Caribbean sun is scathing when it is not behind a cloud and now that we are stopped the intensity triples.  Dan and Pam graciously help us unload and carry our gear into their condominium.   Ahhhhhhh air-conditioning!!!!  After some "reverse thawing" Kev and I have perked back up.  "Have you eaten lunch guys ?", asks Dan.  "No not yet", we reply.  "I know this great spot on the water that serves the best ceviche…are you up to getting back on the bikes?"  "Of course…Let's do it!", we reply!  We ride out to Soliman Bay only a half hour down the road to enjoy a late lunch of ceviche and lobster on the beach.

Awesome lunch overlooking Soliman Bay

Tomorrow Dan and Pam are leaving on their first international motor ride into Belize and Guatemala, I am so glad that we caught them.  They have graciously offered their home to us while they are away… and believe me this is a very tempting offer, but there are still a couple of sites we would like to see in Mexico before we need to exit the country.  Our bikes insurance and visa's only have another week left for authorized travel here in Mexico so we too will depart with Dan and Pam tomorrow.

May 28 - June 7, 2014…What?…Isla Mujeres & Cancun Again!…Quintana Roo Mexico

Sunset over Stahlratte!

Some people would say that we move fairly slowly!  Yes rtwadv has finally learnt how to stop and smell the roses!  Well sometimes anyway!  NO….The truth is rtwadv has actually figured out a formula, for productive travel.  This formula has been scientifically tested within the controls of an adventuresome environment and the conclusion is…rtwadv actually needs 7 stationary days to accomplish building tasks every month.  This just so happens to be a task accomplishing 10 days!  Yes, I know the formula calls for 7 stationary days…you are very observant!  We added 3 extra days to the formula so that we could recover from the rocking motion our bodies were involuntary performing after sailing.  So, what the shell did we do????

Back at El Milargro 

Ixchel…Isla's Goddess of Fertility

Day 1…severe rocking…There is no stopping this…all we can do is pour another Ron;

Day 2…medium rocking…Alternating, Ron and Agua;

Day 3…minimal rocking…Totally off Ron now.

The colorful streets of Isla Mujeres…still rocking and blurred vision!

Packed up and ready to go….Thanks El Milargro!

Waiting to load on the ferry to Cancun

Day 4 - 10…Call our loved ones, I cannot reach my parents which is normal…lol; research possible places to perform a bike service, research and email contacts for a new front Heidenau tire for my bike; research problems with external hard drive on one computer and email possible sources; thoroughly clean bikes; repack and organize bikes; locate possible packing and shipping materials; carefully wrap and pack a box to be shipped; locate DHL and ship box; find several inexpensive accommodations with parking in Cancun; flee Isla Mujeres in a dry break of weather; check out the accommodations in Cancun to find the closest, cleanest and cheapest with parking near where the bikes are to be serviced; quickly unload bikes as it is raining again; ride over to Alecka BMW Cancun to talk to store manager; organize and discuss once again what needs to be done on the bikes, and the possibility of locating a new front Heidenau, as our efforts have lead nowhere; ride back to hotel to pick up the new rear tires we are caring to be installed along with the servicing of the bikes; ride back to Alecka BMW, meet mechanics, Jose the store manager has miraculously tracked down a tire for my bike, pay for the tire, leave the bikes at Alecka; we explain our time and expense limits to Jose, Jose kindly offers his home to us to cut accommodation expenses then drops us off at the bus stop so we can catch a bus back to our hotel; I finally get in contact with my family after leaving messages, running out of money on my phone three times and have a nice chat; work out the public bus system in Cancun, bus around and check it out…get off the bus when we see something cool; celebrate our birthdays on a Pirate Ship; catch the bus and walk to Alecka Motors to collect the bikes…they look marvelous by the way…Thanks Alecka Motors; reload the bikes and ride out of Cancun!

Arrrr matey!  Birthday Celebrations

Thanks Aleka Moto!

April 30 - May 27, 2014… UNDER CONSTRUCTION…Stay tuned

April 22 - 29, 2014…Cancun & Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo Mexico

Now because of our set up, we just so happen not to travel like "regular people".  That is with suitcases!  The most convenient form of luggage containment for us is a cardboard box.  With this stylish system we are easily able to select the correct fibrous container per the specified dimensions which are strictly informed and regulated by the airlines. Another convenience with this system is that the flat surface area easily fits onto a personal weight scale allowing you to pack your container to maximum capacity without exceeding the airlines weight limits.  No luggage tags are required, just sharpie your name and contact number directly onto the container, along with a couple decorative flowers, or branding symbols like YSL, Dior, or Nike if you feel the need to blend in and she is good to go.  Now this system does have a definite draw back…the lack of wheels.  It is possible to tie a rope and configure a handle system for these efficient containers, but lets face it who needs that much of a shoulder and arm workout while maneuvering through a busy airport!  The best way is to seek out loaner wheels in the form of a cart.  All airports have them, it may cost you a couple of bucks but it is overall a very, very cost efficient system.  The best part of all is once unpacked your fibrous container, can be used to warm a room or just simply recycled if you have traveled to a warmer climate.  Now I know what you may be wondering….Sometimes my luggage gets wet!  No problem, just have your box shrink-wrapped in plastic or placed in a giant plastic bag that is generally provided by the airlines for free.  No Drama!

So…. because we do not travel like "normal people", with conventional luggage systems we just so happen to stick out and be a target.  Curious minds want to know…"What is in those boxes?!"  When you answer these questions with "This is our luggage", it is not acceptable.  "What do you mean luggage?", airport officials will respond.  "Our clothing and personal items", we respond.  "Hmmm!"  you can just see the officials minds, working intently, trying to consider this concept.  With our return to Mexico we not only had our fibrous, recyclable luggage containers, but also 2 sets of rear tires for our motorbikes.  It was like we were painted in neon paint.  After explaining ourselves, pretty much how I have outlined it above, it was pointed out to us that we would need to pay a tax on importing 2 motorcycle tires.  We tried to explain that it was for our personal use on bikes that were already cleared for travel in Mexico…but it did not matter.  Tires were not on the O.K. list of non taxable items.  And if it is not on the list there is no getting around it!  We paid the extra $80 to walk out of the airport freely and decided that next time we would pack the tires in a cardboard box!

Cancun…I can't believe that I did not take a picture of our fibrous luggage…dammn

It really was a whirl wind visit to the States, and right now, I am thankful that we made the choice to spend a couple of nights in Cancun before heading over to Isla Mujeres.  We were also thankful that Carol and Pam made the trip up from Puerto Adventuras to deliver our camping gear off the bikes that they had been kindly watching and for us, and for us to off load the items we had collected from the States for them.  It would save us some money, and a trip back and fourth on the ferry.  I have to say that it was a very cumbersome trip across to Isla Mujeres on the passenger ferry with our camping gear, boxes and tires.  We now know how the bikes feel!  Yes wheels, wheels and more wheel would have made this transition much, much easier!  Maybe even a motorbike!…ha ha ha.

Waiting for the ferry

El Milagro Villa 2

Bikes getting a thorough wash at the " lavado de autos"

Changing out my bent  handlebars

We rented another golf cart….Look who we found!…..Ken , where is Carol?

And more Aussies invade Isla Mujeres!

There's Carol!

It was a great feeling to return to the familiarity of El Milargro.  Our bikes were where safe and sound we had left them and our room was ready.  We cut open our luggage, sorted our projects and made a grocery list.  The remainder of our time on Isla Mujeres was spent working on the bikes, cleaning, degreasing, oiling, replacing and basically getting them running like butter, as I say…ready for their next journey, or voyage  may be the correct term here!

Ahoy!

April 14 - 21, 2014…Seattle, Washington USA…on a Blood Moon

Todays date is 14-4-14

Our wake up call is set for 3:33am

Our flight number is 1101

Our total travel  time is 13:13

And tonight a Blood Moon rises……Is that just creepy or what?

Shuffling gear without bikes can be cumbersome when you do not have suitcases! On the passenger ferry crossing over to Cancun.

Our first leg has touched down in Texas and we have 6 hours to squander till our next connection.  As I sit in the airport lounge looking out over the neatly groomed grounds of the Houston Airport…a feeling passes over me now that we are on US soil…Life seems so clean, neatly wrapped and packed here…. Funny…I'm not sure that I like it!  I have to admit that I enjoyed the ease and speed of flight, along with comforts of the inflight entertainment and felt somewhat advantaged to be watching a pretty cool movie in English.  I savored this soothing feeling of appreciation, holding onto it though out the entire movie while realizing at the same time, how very privileged I was to be experiencing this emotion!  Gee…This all sounds so very very deep, maybe it has something to do with waking up at 3:33am?

Here we are in Seattle and I am super excited that we have decided to take this quick break and visit with our family for Easter.  Apart from spending time with family we somehow have a full agenda once again.  We rent a car and set out picking up parts for the bikes, supplies for our travels and supplies for others…and before you can say "Bob's your uncle!" (which he is!).…our week is up and we are heading back to Mexico!

Supplies that have been collected

Feeling spoilt with all the home cooking!  Thanks for everything Karolyn!

This will keep the kids busy for awhile!

April 6 - 12, 2014…Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo Mexico

Although disappointed about leaving we were glad that we decided to head directly to the ferry this morning.  The winds have kicked up and the choppy sea will make for an exciting ferry water crossing today.  Isla Mujeres, the Island of Women, lies 8 miles from Cancun across the Bahia de Mujeres, Bay of Women.  Pre 15th century the island was sacred to Ix Chel, the Maya goddess of childbirth, fertility and medicine. When the Spanish invaded the island many sculpture and figures were found of Ix Chel.  The Spanish renamed the island, Isla Mujeres, the Island of Women.  This paradisiacal island is curiously barracuda fish shaped measuring only 5 miles long and half a mile wide, at it's widest point, surrounded with powdery white sandy beaches.  The tranquil fishing village maintains a relaxed and casual atmosphere, although, constantly abuzz with masses of island circling golf carts that people use to get around in! 

Waiting for the ferry

We rode up and over the ferries rusty, sea swelled moving ramp and onto the slippery deck.  An attended directed us to a clearing behind an old oily black diesel smoke emitting lop sided truck.  There are no hooks or cupplings to secure your bike here…you just had to extend your side stand and hang on.  Kev and I tossed the idea of center standing the bikes, but there was too much water coming over the front and side of the ferry to attempt it on the slippery surface.  Some of the vehicles actually started up their engines, inching backwards to escape the larger swells that were breaking over the platform.  The whole scene was a little unnerving to say the least.  All I could do was keep my right leg firmly planted on the platform and my left leg hooked over the bike while maintaining a solid grip on the handlebars.  It was a tense 30 minute crossing!

Thankful to be off the ferry Kev and I actually circled the Isla twice before recognizing our secured accommodations at El Milagro Marina.  Eric the owner of this very friendly 16 slip marina, welcomed us with great enthusiasm and Inga had kindly stocked the fridge with several cold beers for us to enjoy.  Little did Inga know that we appreciated the beers more than ever today!  We settled in, unloaded the bikes and headed to the grocery store…it is great to have a kitchen once again!  

This is a fantastic, friendly and convenient marina.  A 20 peso, approx. $1.50 cab ride gets you into down town, or to the grocery store.  

El Milagro marina.  El Milagro means "The Miracle"

We actually tried out 3 different rooms while at El Milargro.  This is Caribbean 1

Caribbean 1 bedroom

A weekly feast is arranged to encourageing guests to mingle between the marina and villas

El Milargro's community kitchen

Sea dwellers meet land dwellers!

The sunsets here are always magical!

The best way to see the island is to rent a golf cart for the day…so that is what we did.  Kev and I tooled around visiting places from North Beach to South Point, including Spiral Island and the plastic bottle floating island.  Golf carting is a very fun way to travel…you just gotta slow down to a crawl for the topes!  

Plastic bottle floating island…This private island is made from over 120,000 recycled plastic bottles and is the creation of Rishi.  During construction the bottles are secured in mesh bags which are tied together.  The bags are then covered with soil and eventually mangrove roots firmly bind the whole thing together!

Garrafon Park…snorkeling and zip lines at a price.

An iguana west coast gazing

East coast of the island

Sculpture Park, Punta Sur, South Point

Virgen de Guadalupe church

Kev and I have decided to make a quick trip back to the US to visit our family for Easter and El Milagro has agreed to watch and store our bikes while we are gone!  Thanks a ton guys!  We say goodbye and catch the fast passenger ferry across to the Mexican mainland so that we can spend the night in a Cancun airport hotel.

April 3 - 5, 2014…Puerto Adventuras, Quintana Roo Mexico

Today is probably our shortest ride to date!  We loaded up, geared up, checked out of Hotel Hulku, and rode out of Playa del Carmen….Twenty minutes later we were riding into Puerto Adventuras.  

Puerto Venturas is a very large secure community complex consisting of Hotels, B&B's, condos, private residences, all -inclusives, restaurants, shopping, golf courses, marina's,  gyms…and much much more!

Time to train dolphins, in-between swimming with dolphins.

You can watch the slippery seals perform while sipping a cocktail

You can feed the manatees

Or just watch them while enjoying an espresso

Now why Puerto Adventuras you may be wondering…Well, let me tell you!  Over 2 years ago Kev and I were booking our way up to Daybro Queensland, from Victoria "BMW - style".  Traveling through some nasty weather as I recall, to attend a Horizons Unlimited Adventure Travelers meeting.  All fresh and "gung-ho", little did we know that we would be meeting life changing strangers.  This motley gathering of adventurers, warmly welcomed us into the 2 wheeled adventurous lifestyle, and at the same time literally scared the holy crap out of us!  Like new sponges we soaked in all we could from the season travelers and felt comforted by their enthusiasm, even though deep down we were slightly panicked!  Two couples in particular have had a keen impact on our travels and are staying in the area….so we had to visit!  Ken and Carol Duvall, from Brisbane Australia traveling by bike for 6 years, and Simon and Lisa Thomas, from England traveling by bike for 10!  It was absolutely fabulous to see their bronzed smiling faces again, share glories, frustrations and generally just "shoot the shit"!

It is quite uncanny really…about as rare as Pelicans roosting in trees here in Puerto Adventuras!

"Carol….I don't have a picture of you and Ken on your bike!"…How is that so?

Michelle and Brian were here

Lisa and Simon were here, and Peter…

And we were here

We could have have easily stayed longer within the warm comforts of this friendly grotto visiting with old friends and learning about life experiences of new friends.

Appropriately meeting at Latitude 20….the Lagoon of Dreams!  Thanks for a great time new friends Dan and Pam.

April 1 - 2, 2014…Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo Mexico

It was a lovely smooth and direct ride onto Playa del Carmen this morning, although it did cost us in tolls, 129$ pesos or about $10.75 US per bike. We arrived at our hotel around lunch time and were able to check in, unload the bikes, and get settled before the afternoon heat.  The hotel let us ride the bikes into their courtyard, instead of parking them off site, which was super convenient for unloading and peace of mind.  

An early brekky…then we hit the road!

Either the ruins are getting smaller or our bikes are getting larger!…Great photo op on the road out of Rio!

Playa del Carmen is located within the Riviera Maya, which runs from south of Cancun to Tulum and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.  The area has grown dramatically since we last visited fifteen years ago.  The downtown strip Fifth Avenue, has a Vegas/Venice vibe feel to it; filled night and day with colorful characters.  There are tourists wearing their smart traveling, light, wicking attire; regular Joes in jeans and tee's; hippie throw backs wearing wrap around tie died skirts and MC Hammer balloon pants; young beach bodies in scant bikinis and crocheted coverups; bronzed italian studs in tight short shorts, and native local Mexicans in traditional wear.  It was a blast to peruse the strip lined with restaurants, cafes, parlors, bars, and interesting "chock a block" shopping. 

The beach..still looks the same!

The church…still looks the same

We have a few housekeeping items to attend to here, so we will be running around taking care of necessary business that you cannot escape even when you are on the road!

March 29 - 31, 2014…Rio Lagartos, Yucatan Mexico

Rio Lagartos meaning Alligator River is a small fishing village that is home to the densest concentration of flamingos in Mexico. Here it is believed that there is 2 - 3 flamingos per Mexican!  This mangrove lined estuary also shelters 334 other species of resident and migratory birds, including snowy egrets, red egrets, tiger herons and snowy white ibis along with a small number of once numerous crocodiles that gave the town its name.

Love the pelicans and the paint!

To the Maya this area was known as Holkobén.  The Maya used Holkobén as a rest stop on their travels to Las Coloradas a vast and shallow salty estuary where the Maya extracted the precious salts stretching east to the border of Quintana Roo.  Spanish explorers mistook the narrowing of the ría, estuary for a río, river and the crocs for alligators and so renamed the are Rio Lagartos!

It was a fairly direct ride from Chichen Itza located inland out to the coastal town of Rio Lagartos.  The peeling and patchy turquoise painted town was a pleasant surprise.  This sleepy, salty fishing village has a somewhat retro Miami feel to it.  I think that the turquoise paint and flamingos have something to do with it!  Fishing boats constantly zip up and down the waterfront transporting their catch of the day or other catch of the day…tourists that are enjoying the abundant birdlife.  It takes no effort at all to sit in a waterfront cafe and watch the waterways.  Gazing out across the shimmering waters I felt so privileged to see flamingos in flight.  They are quite a sight and a stunning bird!  Examining these birds as they fly is definitely a joy!  Their long pink necks stiffly stretch out from their soft, pink feathered, puffed bodies, and are pointing intently in their direction of flight.  Their lanky, twiggy, legs extend rigidly from their vivid pink bodies like a stiff leather whip.  And with every long and gracious sweep from their impressive wing span, you will view the pitch black feathers that underline their striking pink wings…It is stunningly beautiful!! And just as you are marveling in this wonderful sight a horrifying, spooky, mud covered tourist who has indulged in a Bano Maya wiz by in a boat on their way to the fresh water hole.  Ha ha ha!  

Our room in Rio

at Villa de Pescadores, translates to Fishing Village

View front

View rear

View rear and below!

Nest of Tiger Herons

Kev and I hired a boat to take us out to a flock of flamingos.  They are even more impressive in a group.  We ventured so close in the shallows that at times the fishing boat bottomed out on sand.  Hmmmm…Getting stuck on sandbars brought back very cumbersome memories of a dramatic childhood boat adventure to Cannons Creek, but that is another story!  We floated in the "Mexican Dead Sea", watched baby Tiger Herons act grown-up in their nest, and alligators sunning their bodies on logs.  I now understand why people stick those plastic flamingos in their lawn.  Once you have seen these wondrous birds in their natural environment, you just get this uncanny urge to buy a plastic one…hoping to savor the memory.  Unfortunately I could not find a small one to place on the bike, but one day when I stop long enough for the grass to grow you can bet your pa-doo-dee, that I'll have a flamingo in it!

Pushing off sand

March 27 -28, 2014…Chichen Itza, Yucatan Mexico

It has been 15 years since we lasted visited Chichen Itza.  I am anxious to see how this area has changed.

Kev and I chose a hotel close to one of the "Seventh Wonders of the New World" so that we would not need to ride or worry about parking the bikes.  By 8 am we were waiting, by the back entrance all coffeeeeed up, ready to go.

It is a beautiful morning….Sneak peak of the temple observatory, El Caracol, from the back entrance.

Wow….I have to say that Chichen Itza has unfortunately turned into an opportunistic, somewhat flea markety tourist trap!  Vendors are densely scattered amongst the still impressive majestic ruins eager to sell their wares.  I previously remembered that the jungle surrounding Chichen Itza being lush and green, now there are dusty pathways leading into the jungle lightly scattered with litter that the vendors use to store their wooden tables, planks and poles for their stalls. It is really quite sad.  All of the pyramids, buildings and structures on the site are roped off now, and the swarm of tourists from all over the world follow the crushed quartz path like sheep.  You will hear this random continuous clapping of hands if you are around the main pyramid.  Tourists veer off the quartz path here, to face the pyramid and clap their hands, listening for the echoed response resinating out from the top of the pyramid.  It is a cool feature!  Fifteen years ago there were no entrance fees, no pathways, no vendors, no cafe's, no bathrooms and none of the ruins were roped off.  

The Castillo Temple….The most recognized temple of Chichen Itza!  Still simply amazing!

Temple de los Guerreros...Temple of the Warriors with Chac Mool.  Chac Mool figures are often associated with sacrificial  stones or thrones.

Impressive rows of warriors guarding the Temple de los Guerreros.  The carving detail has long  eroded away.

The Great Ball Court.  Thirteen ball courts have been identified throughout the site!  This is the largest and most well preserved ball court in ancient Mesoamerica.

The walls are 8 meters/ 26 feet high and 95 meters/ 312 feet long.  A carved ring is set high on each wall in the center of the court.

This is the North Temple, or Temple of the Bearded Man that sits at one end of the Great Ball Court.

TheTzompanti, or Skull Platform

Vendors setting up for their day.

Vendors in front of the Osario

The vendors hand truck everything, set-up and dismantle daily!  

I'm just hoping that there are no ancient blocks securing this stand!

Mayan history starts in the Yucatan around 2600 BC.  The Maya developed astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing. The Maya were also noted for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools They were skilled farmers, weavers and potters and excelled in clearing large sections of jungle to develop extensive trade routes and foster networks with distant people.  

La Iglesia…the Church

Chichen Itza was first occupied between 500 and 900 AD, abandoned around 900 AD, then resettled 100 years later only to be completely vacated around 1300.  Chichen Itza is one of the largest Maya cities and means "At the mouth of the well at the Itza", Itza meaning source.  There are 2 large natural cenotes that supplied water to the area year round making it an attractive site for settlement.  The Cenote Sagrado, Sacred Cenote or Well of Sacrifice was an important place for the Mayans.  Not only a water source but a place of worship for the Maya culture.  Precious objects like jade and pottery were offered to the cenote to appease the Maya Rain God Chaac…the most precious of all being human.  Children and young men were of most interest to Chaac.

Cenote Segrado

March 24 - 26, 2014…Merida, Yucatan Mexico

I woke this morning with a dodgy stomach and was not feeling 100%.  This can be a bit of a bummer on a motorcycle, no pun intended!  I wanted to get on the road before the heat cranked up, because high temperatures just makes things worse when you are feeling crook.  We decided to head directly onto Merida, instead of our intended route to Celestun.  It was a clincher of a ride along the Couta and we arrived Merida in 2 1/2 hours later.  There were many Federal stops along the way.  Many, meaning 4.  We were flagged through 3, but pulled over at one and checking for drugs.  The armed Federal official eyed Kev with his long hair and repeated his questions, he even pulled Kev's hands off the handle bars and looked at his finger tips!  This has been the most intrusive stop to date!  We pulled up in the historical district of Merida looking for a place to stay when we were approached by another adventure rider, Phil, who recommended his hotel.  I was a little green, now overheated and really did not care where we stayed.  We hopped back on the bikes and found the hotel, checked in and I rested while Kev unloaded and secured the bikes.  Later that evening I was doing much better so we hooked up with Phil for a couple of drinks and shared riding stories.  It is always great to hear about other travelers stories!  Phil is also on his way to Argentina.

Phil the Adventurer

Kev and I decided to "cage it" for a day and booked a tour van to drive us out to Celestun's Biosphere Reserve.  Kev and I had a wonderful day experiencing the flamingos, and other birdlife, living in this coastal wetland wildlife refuge.  We also enjoyed chatting and visiting with Tim & Julie the entire trip aboard the van.  Raoul, our van driver explained that Celestun was a very important trading port for the Mayans.  Celestun is Maya, meaning colored or painted stone.  The Mayans had a bustling trade, rich in prestige items that could be used in rituals, as status, or to decorate and adorn their bodies.  Celestun became an important trading port that brought Mayans down the rivers from inland Mexico as well as from from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.  Jade, obsidian, gold, copper, pyrite, bronze and marble were traded here.  

A stubby tailed iguana…obviously escaping narrowly from the jaws of a croc, now spends his time basking safely on the pavement ,waiting for its regrowth?????

The flamingos were a beautiful sight!  I could take pictures of them all day.

An mangrove island of perched and nesting pelicans.  It seemed that each bird spices chose a separate chill'n location.

Look at that face!

Young flamingos that are still grey in color

Love this shot of the flamingos!  Isn't young love beautiful?!

Merida is a very interesting town rich in Maya history, with 60% being of Maya ethnicity.  Merida was actually built on the site of the Maya city named Tho.  The stones from the temples and pyramids of Tho were dismantled and used to build the Spanish colonial buildings still standing today.  On some buildings, and the inside of the main cathedral, you can see the original temple and pyramid stones that were used from Tho.  At the turn of the 20th century Merida was said to have housed more millionaires than any other city in the world!  Kev and I took a horse and carriage through the streets of Merida and were amazed by some of the elaborate homes that lined the streets.  It must have been an amazing town in it's heyday.  Now much of the historical centro area is crumbling in disrepair, although, it is now slowly renovating and regenerating.  Historians believe that Merida is actually the oldest continually occupied city in the Americas.

The Governors mansion, open free to the public.

House of Montejo.  Francisco de Montejo was a spanish conquistador who founded Merdia in 1542.

A building built with the pyramid materials from Tho

Our horse and carriage ride through the streets of Merida, was amazing!  We were a little hesitant because the last horse and carriage ride that Kev and I took went rogue, breaking out into a gallop, running over the curbs, through a light and crashing into a taxi!

Good job Apache!

March 22 - 23, 2014…Campeche, Campeche Mexico

Gathering up my load of the gear, my camelback strap caught the go pro on Kev's helmet and sent it crashing onto the tile floor!  The screw that held the visor and shield broke apart!  Not the greatest way to start off your ride.  The head covering blunders continued as we pulled over 2 more times within the first 5 kilometers due to sombreros flying off the back of Kev's bike.  I was thankful that the car behind me did not run over my sombrero!  As crazy as it is to be caring these hats creatively strapped on Kev's back box, they always come in handy.   Our route takes us over to the Gulf of Mexico today….I cannot wait to see the water!

Loading up

We did get pulled over close to Sabancuy by a Municipal Police stop.  The police wanted to check our bike paperwork and were quite polite.  All was in order and we continued on our way.  The weather is really starting to heat up now and you can smell the ocean.

WOW!!! The first glimpse of the turquoise colored waters was breathtaking!  We followed the coastline all the way to Campeche in the sweltering 40 degrees celsius /104 degrees fahrenheit, heat.  After leaving the comfortable temperatures of the mountain communities we will need a little time to acclimatize to the jump in humidity and heat that we will be facing from now on.

March 19 - 21, 2014…Palenque, Chiapas Mexico

As worn out as we were, we did not sleep all that soundly last night.  After brushing a rather large cockroach off the bed, we slept fully clothed, on top of the bed with the pigtail fluorescent light on.  Cockroaches hate light!  Crazy as it sounds we did sleep some, enough to ride onto Palenque.  There were no signs of cockroaches in the morning just a couple of small frogs with white dots on their heads.  Are they poisonous?

Here are a few fascinating facts about cockroaches:

• Crushed cockroaches when applied to a wound, can help ease the sting;
• Cockroaches have white blood;
• Roaches primarily come out for water, not food;
• Cockroaches can live a month without food, but only a week without water;
• A roach can live a week without a head. It dies after a week due to lack of water;
• Laboratory female roaches are able to reproduce without aid of a male. They produce all female offspring;
• The largest roach in the world is the Macropanesthia rhinocerus from Australia weighing in at up to 50 grams;
• Cockroaches thrive in all conditions and live in the desert as well as the arctic;
• Most roaches have the ability to fly, but not all do.
• Fried Cockroaches are common snacks in Cambodia, as are spiders and rats;

Ok…enough about cockroaches!

We were packed up and cruising 5th gear by 7am!  We arrived at Palenque before 10am, found a hotel with secure parking, had checked in and turned on the air-conditioning just in time for morning tea!

Our room has a balcony where we can see the bikes securely parked behind gates, a ceiling fan, air-conditioning, no cockroaches, only a tiny small gecko with a stubby tail that visits nightly.

Huevos del Sol…Awesome way to start a day!

The ruins at Palenque are fabulous.  We rode the bikes into the archeological park first thing, in the coolness of the morning and paid a mexican to watch over them them while we hiked around for 4 hours. Extortion…really we were paying for him not to steal or tamper with the bikes!

Temple De Las Inscripciones

Palacio with aqueduct 

Area excavated is in the square

Palenque dates back to 226 BC and contains some of the finest Mayan architecture, sculpture and carvings found to date. The area discovered is over one square mile, but only 10% of the city has been explored leaving the remainder engulfed by the lush surrounding jungle.  The buildings that have been excavated consist of, tombs, temples, shrines.  The largest structure is a Palace, featuring large baths and saunas supplied by a fresh water aqueduct system.  I had to wonder as I climbed the steep tall vertical rise of stairs why such a race short in stature would construct the stairs the way they did.  I know one thing is they must have had quads and buns of steel!

Standing at the Templo De La Cruz, to the right the Templo Del Sol, and left Templo De La Cruz Foliada

We immensely enjoyed wandering around the compound wondering what was and hearing the screams of the howler monkeys in the background.  Our bikes were still in one piece, although our transmission channels had been switched…Ahh Haa, still couldn't resist!!! 

Modern day Palenque

One of the many hardware stores

Saddle store

Modern day masks!

March 18, 2014…Tacotalpa, Tabasco Mexico

Riding out on the slippery polished cobbled stones streets of San Cris I was rested, refreshed and a little on edge.  We have heard recent reports of forced robberies on Highway 199, the road between San Cris and Palenque.  Unfortunately, the state of Chiapas is very poor and robberies are common.  Kev and I did not want to miss out on the Palenque ruins…so we decided to take the "long way round" on Highway 195…Sorry, Ewen & Charlie!  

Fried eggs, plantains, black beans and cheese for brekky…Next time I'll take a pic before I take a bite!

Yeah…this is the way!

Stopping for a little blessing is always good!

Damnnnn…..What an amazing day of what I call National Geographic riding!  We rode along the Sierra Los Altos de Chiapas mountain range, rising high enough at times that my ears hurt when they popped, then down into the cool, lush,  jungly valleys.  Our route weaved through many simple, colorful, native communities sometimes connected with a  paved road, and sometimes not.  I will never tire of waiting for goats to clear the road.  I did question Navi's direction choices at times, feeling somewhat vulnerable in the state of Chiapas.  Occasionally the road ahead was a challenge, and being that I did not see a single westerner or traveler while we were out here…kept me alert and slightly on edge.  Frequently on Mexican mountain roads it can be awkward finding a safe place to pull over and snap a picture.  I did finally pull over once to try and capture the surrounding beauty of the area, which, after seeing the photos hardly did it justice….but that is always they way, hey?  As we wove in and out of the small mountain communities it was truly refreshing to see the native men, women and children operate calmly and naturally in their community environment instead of pushing and pestering their wares in the larger town of San Cristobal.  It was truly a beautiful experience!  Really, at times I thought that that Navi was bonkers, but I was wrong.  There was no traffic, just nasty potholes, landslides and cool things to look at.  Awesome flowering trees that I had never seen before, awesome hillside churches, ingenious tree planted farming fence lines and vast mountainous beauty….I have to say that this day ranks up on the top 10!  It was bloody beautiful.  

Stopping for lunch

Finally we can rest…It has been an amazing day!

It was a little grimy on the road today…time for a shower!

We arrived at Tapijulapa, a Pueblo Magico, around 5:30 pm…Yes it had already been a huge huge day, traveling much the time around 40-60 km/hr, stopping only for a half hour for lunch around 2pm, devouring an entire pollo asada, small bbq chicken, between us!  The township was neat, clean and fairly deserted as we stopped in the square to program an address in Navi.  Waiting, I was approached by a fellow who showed me his Pueblo Magico Tourism documentation badge….then he began.  He began to talk in spanish almost without taking a breath for the next 12 minutes…I couldn't interupt him as he was so intent and passionate about who the hell knows he was saying.  I looked forward at Kev who was watching in his rear vision mirror, practically in hysterics.  After he handed me a flyer, I finally removed my helmet to be polite and said "Muchas gracias por la información"!  He smiled and asked me if I wanted to book anything to which I responded no.  We rode around to the hotel in the township and found that there was no secure parking so we decided to check out another place 7 km's out of town.  Now this place looked cool, but we needed to leave the bikes in an upper parking lot, hike down the hillside to the river, then catch the kayak across the river to the bungalows on the other side.  We could always return by a zipline if we wanted to check on the bikes.  Exciting as it all was I just did not have the energy to do this at 6pm at night…so we pulled out the Mexico road directory that has been a life saver for us and looked for the nearest slightly bolder print town.  Kev programed Tacopala in Navi, and bang we had a couple of accommodation hits.  Being only 30 km's away, we might get lucky and make it before dark!  We arrived at a small roadside hotel as the sun set.  Today we have been on the road for 9 1/2 hours!

Interesting choice of bedside reading

March 14 - 17, 2014…Pueblo Magico...San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas Mexico

I was ready to get going by the time 5:30 am rolled around.  It was a crazy night between the wind and sand fleas!  I am always excited to get going in the morning coolness…thankfully the wind is calmer today.  I brew us a nice hot espresso and cook up the 4 eggs. The resident crazy donkey screeches out raspy Eah Oarh's as Kev loads up the bikes.  Leo emerges from the twilight sad we are leaving so soon.  "It is not normally like this", he says!  I fill my camelback with the remainder of the mineral water and toss in a Nuun rehydration tablet.  I program in Oasis for todays ride, buckle up my helmet and start my engine.  Leo videos us as we leave…Cocoleoco is a very chill place, we just happen to hit it at a shitty time!

I really love being on the road early…but it can also make for a long day.  Today turned out to be another very hot and blustery day, although, I was handling the temperatures so much better.  I am thinking that the Nuun tablet in my water has something to do with it!  The 8 hour ride into San Cristobal De Las Casas through the valley of wind farms was challenging, as well.  The road etiquette finally got to me today! I became so fed up with the rudeness of motorists, buses and trucks passing on corners, forcing me off the road, tailgating so close that they could pull my ponytail, and cutting me off.  I was making unsafe decisions to ease my anger. I had hit my limit, and I was just simply OVER MEXICO TRAFFIC!  "Where is the love?" My music was even pissing me off….Drained, Done, Finito!!!!!  Toll roads today ran 85$ pesos, approx $6.60 US per bike.

I pulled into San Cristobal De Las Casas with a chip on my shoulder, which was quickly smoothed over by the kind remarks of interested travelers and a surprise email from a couple we had met in Puerto Escondido, now in San Cris!  Sue and Paul….you guys saved, eased and calmed our minds.  Kev and I so appreciate connecting with open minded "real" worldly travelers that understand, appreciate and offer gracious friendship.  Best of luck to you two and keep in touch!

A night on the town with Paul & Sue.

Streets of San Cris

Love the bugs!

Indoor artesian market.

Native women of San Cris mixing traditional and modern dress.

There are many many young children here out of school peddling their families wares, and they are fierce saleschico's.

A great Argentinian restaurant we ate at.

Through the understanding friendship of travelers Kev and I were able to continue and enjoy our stay in San Cris with a warm heart.  It did take us a couple of days to recover from the previous days of grueling travel….We're probably just getting soft.  Our remaining days here were spent immersed within the San Cristobal township, enjoying the many churches, native arts, and exploring the abundant restaurant choices of the area.  I even visually learnt how to peel and slice up a mango without touching the flesh inside! It was interesting to learn about the Zapatista's, a kind of modern day Robin Hood Clan, now living peacefully in the state of Chiapas.  Although at times, I think some rogue groups emerge from the jungle!  San Cristobal De Las Casas reminds me of a cross between Tapalpa and San Miguel De Allende without attitude.  

Mango lesson!  For 10$ peso's, 0.75 cents US you can get a cup filled with fresh ripe juicy mango.  You may want to add chili sauce and chili  salt, or just have it natural.   Kev and I bought a cup for a young kid hungry after a day selling his wares.  His mango was swimming in chili sauce!

Kev & Ches

Zapatista

March 13, 2014…Playa Bamba Concepcion Bamba, Oaxaca Mexico

Kev and I hesitantly pulled away from our comforts at Puerto Escondido.  Adelina and her brother run a great business and go to great lengths to make sure your stay with them is safe, secure and comfortable.  I'm glad that we happened across these bright young entrepreneurs.

Loaded ready to go!

Our ride south taking us along the coastal Highway 200 was extremely windy.  The temperature rose to 39 celsius, 102 fahrenheit and paired with the high wind, totally zapped my energy levels.  I was thankful that I had filled my camelback with cool water and ice before leaving Puerto.  Even so, I still did begin to suffer from over heating and dehydration experiencing a headache and lightheadedness.  We stopped quickly for a gatorade, which after drinking, I had a hard time keeping down.  I need to get out of this sun!  I spent the balance of the riding kilometers dribbling the water that I continually sucked out of my camelback, from my mouth, down into my jacket to briefly relieve me…I was having a hard time!  

We finally arrived at the dirt road turnoff that we were to follow out towards the beach.  Cocoleoco was the only bungalow/campsite just before the beach.  Sand was whipping fiercely across the bikes and I was anxious to get out of the wind.  Leo the owner had just returned from Puerto Vallarta and greeted us warmly.  He showed us a few camping options.  We decided to take the enclosed bungalow to escape the wind.  Cocoleoco  was not really prepared for anyone.  The restaurant advertised was not operating and there was no food or drinking water so Kev and I wearily walked into the remote sandy village in search of liquid.  A small makeshift concrete cube with a hole cut out in the front of it was the town store.  He did not have any natural water.  He did have 4 small bottles of mineral water and a 3 liter bottle of Pepsi…we purchased both along with a small bag of rice and 4 eggs.  Crickey who buys 3 liters of Pepsi???? We do when there is nothing else!  I have a few cans of tuna and packets of miso soup on the bike, so along with the rice and eggs I'll be able to cook a pretty tasty meal.  After finally rehydrating Kev and I kicked back in the hammocks that Leo had hung for us and fell asleep!

Bikes parked in front of our bungalow at Cocoleoco, Playa Bamba

Loved resting in the hammocks

The bungalow had a double bed with a mozzie net, toilet and cold water shower.

I woke an hour later and the wind was still going like a "bat out of hell".  I closed the shutters in the bungalow, which I should have done earlier, as the inside was now coated in a fine layer of sand.  I set up the stove for cooking.  You could hear the wind squealing and roaring through the valleys only to hit our bungalow moments later with great force.  I had lit the stove when a gust roared by, blew my flame, and, almost caught the makeshift bench on fire.  Quickly scooping up the assembly and relocating it to the sandy floor I started again.  The whisperlite relit easily when another gust whirled by and blew the flame out once again, along with the wooden shutters above me open that were secured with fishing line and a nail!  I reacted to the situation by moving out of the way of the flame and hit my head on the opening shutters….Boy was I over this day!  Time for a break.  I found a couple of packets of powdered gatorade in the kitchen kit so I thought that it would be a good idea to add it to the mineral water…..WRONG!  Did you know that when you add powdered gatorade to mineral water it explodes, showering you with it's sticky bubbly mixture!  I could just scream…I'm really SOOO over this Day!!

Kev and I eventually got to eat, enjoyed our meal while walking along the sandy track towards the surf beach.  As we approached the open beach shore the sand was blasting us like we needed to be repainted.  I could see a very large turtle up on the beach digging a nest and so wanted to get closer, but couldn't.  We returned to the shelter of our bungalow, set our alarm for 5:30am, dumped out the 2.75 liters of remaining Pepsi and called it a night!

There is a turtle digging a nest in the distance…which you can't see.  I so wanted to get across to it but couldn't due to the sand blasting!

March 4 - 12, 2014…Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca Mexico

We exited Oaxaca in the coolness of the morning knowing that we had a 6 hour plus day of riding to get across to the coast and Puerto Escondido.  Originally we had planned a route to visit the area where the Monarch butterflies migrate to, then make our way onto Zihuatenejo, then along the coast to Puerto Escondido….but all that changed when we learned about the turmoil in the neighboring area.  Unfortunately a solo adventure biker has been reported missing on the route we had intended to travel.  So we re-routed ourselves and traveled up, around and over to bypass the area.  

Wild burros

Our ride was an impressive 7 hours of mountain switchbacks covering patchy, potholed, new sections, crappy sections, landslide destroyed sections, sandy corners and drop-offs.  It was incredible!  We stopped somewhere along the mountain terrain for a lunch of fresh chorizo quesadillas cooked over an open flame, and twice after that for water breaks.  There was no need for a banos break as we sweated, intently focusing our pressure and energy on each and every corner!  Today's playlist was the Electric Light Orchestra, a perfect pick!

Lunch break

Lunch was what was available...We ordered a couple of fresh chorizo and queso quesadillas.

Last water break before the coast

"I smell the ocean!", Kev radio's!  Such a wonderful smell I never tire of.  We finally pull up at Villa Lily around 5pm, beat!  Adelina the host and owner graciously helps us unload and secure the bikes.  Adelina directs us to the nearest good restaurant.  We shower, eat a great meal then hit the sack!

Quinta Lily

And the sun sets!

Adelina had a 2 day opening for a room with a spa tub and a view, so we moved to Adelina's other property Villa Lily the next morning

Always take advantage of a tub!

And a lap pool!!!

Puerto is a pretty cool place!  Kev and I have the chance to relax on the beautiful beaches, surf the beginners break, watch experienced surfers do their thing on the experienced breaks known here as the "Mexican Pipeline"…super crazy!!!!  Viewed some of the amazing bird life, swim at night in Manialtepec Lagoon's pitch black brackish cocodrillo waters that surprisingly possess bioluminescence.  There is no need to worry about the croc's we were told as you can see them coming lit up by the bioluminescence! Yeah right! View large pods of frenzied feeding dolphins, and jump in… marvel at graceful whale families, get a fright when flying manta rays burst out of the water in front of you, and see the white necks of the green turtles bobbing in the middle of nowhere…but the peace to resistance is to release baby tortugas, turtles.

There are 5 separate beaches in Puerto, this is Playa Carrizalillo, good for swimming, snorkeling and a beginner surf break. There are 176 steps to get down to the beach!

Playa Zicatela known here as the Mexican Pipeline

You need a new shirt Kev!…Love the beach shopping!

We spent many days at Playa Crrizalillo, swimming, surfing and lounging

Almost ready for Mavericks!!!…Right!

Duckbill Blue Heron…These are very very cool birds that raise there head feathers like a Head Dress worn by a Vegas dancer when doing their courting dance!  Tried to get a pic but had no luck.

We were told that this is the bird that brings a baby….so I'm guessing that it is a Stork!

Stork

The graceful Egret

Waiting for darkness to fall before jumping in to experience the bioluminescence

Thar she blows….maybe just a little too close to this Humpback family!

The dolphin pod was on fire!…The fuel being massive school of sardines!

Kev had to jump in of coarse!

Baby tortugas….The baby with the white strip around it's shell and flippers is a Green Turtle that will grow up to 350 lbs and can develop into a black, green, grey, brown or yellow adults.  The smaller all black baby is the Olive Ridley Turtle that will grow up to 100 lbs and grow into an olive colored shell

I'll chat a little about the turtles.  This humble operation almost entirely funded by donations is such a beautiful example of human devotion and kindness.  Beto spends his days caring for the relocated nests, anticipating their hatch date, and catching up on needed sleep.  His nights are spent riding his quad watching over the beach front waiting for the mother turtles to lay their eggs.  He waits for them to enter the water before disturbing the nest.  He digs, carefully collects the eggs and relocates them in new sand nests within the safe boundaries of his meager compound.  As the eggs mature and near hatching he lays a mosquito net over the mounds so that the vivacious blood sucking insect cannot lay their lava within.  The eggs hatch at all hours of the day and night, and the baby tortugas are ready to go.  Beto tuned into the nest sounds awakes and safely collects the babes once again, placing them in a container ready for a sunset release.  Over 90% of the eggs from each nest hatch!  All of the hatched babes make it to the sea, and from there Mother Nature takes over.  Having the chance to really observe, handle and singularly release each babe, carefully placing them on the sand bank approximately 4 meters from the crashing waves and watch them instinctively and aggressively flipper towards their brave new life was beyond amazing.  There was no hesitation, only excitement.  I'm sure they were all smiling as they tumbled in the frothy, sandy, foamy wash caused by the crashing waves.  I could not help but gasp as I watched their tiny bodies being tossed around, then moments later breathing a sigh of relief when they finally disappeared from the shore they had already imprinted and would return to to lay their eggs years from now.  You could actually see their tiny black heads popping out of the dark ocean, now breaking for air every 5 seconds or so as they braved the next wave.  They will swim their way out fairly close to the surface, having enough sustainance in their bodies to last them 10 - 15 days.  Surviving many predators along with the oceans wrath, it was explained to us that brother and sister turtles in the area will teach them where to dive for fish eggs nestled within the rocks…then they will enjoy their first meal.  

Baby Olive Ridley tortuga

The tortuga nests about to hatch.  Beto has placed mosquito nets over them to prevent the insects from laying lava in the young.

Releasing baby Green and Olive Ridley tortugas

Releasing the smallest baby tortugas…the Olive Ridley.  We returned a second time to the site!  It was such an amazing experience

They are so brave!

It was simply amazing to see their tiny heads pop out of the ocean.

Beto's meager living conditions

Adelina, Kev and I enjoying a diner at  Playa Zicatela

An amazing plate of fresh atun, tuna tostadas, pulpo, octopus sopes and a cameron, prawn paired with a local quseo crown, deep fried.

The free entertainment for the evening

Our last night at Villa Lily…thanks for a fabulous stay!

March 3, 2014…Oaxaca, Oaxaca Mexico

We hit the road just as the morning Mexican air was turning from morning fresh to late morning seasoned exhaust.  I radio to Kev…"Navi always seems to take us the most interesting ways out of town!"  "Yeah, I don't get it, this way is a little bazar", he replies.  As we continue our way through the busy neighborhood streets, me following, I have become pretty darn good at reading bike body language!  This time I can almost see the lightening bolt hit Kev's brain…Ahh I think he has figured it out!  "I'm pulling over baby…I think I know what is wrong with Navi!", Kev states.  I pull in behind Kev, kill the engine and figure that I have a couple of minutes to mess with my music selection for todays ride.  I'm thinking that today is a Dave Matthews kinda day and set my playlist.  My bike ignition is still on, ready to communicate.  "It just hit me", Kev confesses…..Navi was set to avoid toll roads!  I think I programed it that way when we left La Manzanilla, so it would take us the most direct route north!"  Ha ha ha…Now I understand why we have been riding through some pretty out-of-the-way towns.  I don't know if that is always a good thing, anyhow…but the rides have been lovely and toll free! I started the bike, pulled out behind Kev and 4 turns later we were on a freeway!

The roads were wide open, spacious and clean.  Sparkly clean!  Today the Mexican road authority was out pressure washing the highway guard rails.  It was a great riding day, somewhat choppy and that did cost us 79$, approx $6 per bike in tolls.  I was very thankful that we were not un-tolling it.  When you looked out over the impressive vastness of this high desert I was hard to imagine another route.  It was desolate, quite mountainous and tall cigar style lime colored green cactus blanketed the area.  It was a change from the table-tennis paddle type that I had been seeing recently.  We pulled over at a Pemex and saw several bikes parked outside a restaurant there.  A lady from the group approached us…"We saw you two in San Miguel de Allende the day you were leaving!  Come in and meet the group.  Have you had lunch?"   Kev and I entered the restaurant and were kindly greeted by all in the group.  "We were just talking about you guys,…. I could not believe it when you pulled up to the gas station just now!" Carol happily states.  Fancy that!  I love it when these things happen.  I just with that we had met this San Miguel de Allende group when we were there!  Oh well better late than never!  Kev and I enjoyed their conversation, kindness and camaraderie, and ended up tagging behind, following the tail end of their convoy the remainder of the way into Oaxaca.  Keep in touch SMA bikers!

San Miguel de Allende group

Great running into you!  We'll follow you into the outskirts of Oaxaca.

Approaching the central area of Oaxaca, we broke from the San Miguel troop, and continued on.  Something was going on, the main street was completely choked with cars, buses, trucks and taxis.  I just happened to glance over towards the opposite side of the road and viewed a show of Federal Policia all decked out in riot gear… Whoa…immediately my spidey senses were activated!  We continue through the river of steel, weaving our way in and out of people out of their vehicles and avoiding obstacles, following a delivery guy on a moto.  We  arrive at the end of the disruption, it is a strike demonstration.  Semitrailers are parked front to rear blocking access into the centro area of Oaxaca.  "Don't stop Cat!", Kev radios…Kev rides up onto the walkway, and I find a narrow opening behind a semi and barely squeeze by….we are through!

Oaxaca…pronounced Wah - Ha - Ka

Beautiful old buildings

Some of the large old Jackies are still in bloom, it is a pleasure to see.  I could just imagine how spectacular it would be to ride through all the blooming Jackie lined streets!  We check into a friendly hotel with secure underground parking, un-load, clean up and head into the old centro area of Oaxaca hungry for Mole, a regional specialty. 

Oaxaca is known for it's chocolate…so we had to try it!

It was delicious…but funny thing we purchased solid drinking chocolate!  Ha ha….we ate it anyway

Walking back to our room at night