On the road . April 2009 . Mexico
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico,
18-04-09
San José del Progreso to San Cristóbal de las Casas
(10 cycle days;
3 rest days; 717km; 7591m)
San José del Progreso to Puerto Escondido (85 km; 340 m)
Puerto Escondido to San Pedro Pochutla (72 km; 591 m)
San Pedro Pochutla to Santiago Astata (113 km; 1405 m)
Santiago Astata to Salina Cruz (74 km; 903 m)
Salina Cruz to Juchitan de Zaragoza* (36 km; 100 m)
Juchitan de Zaragoza to Niltepec (53 km; 124 m)
Niltepec to Tapanatepec (53 km; 199 m)
Tapanatepec to Cintalapa (81 km; 1293 m)
Cintalapa to Chiapa de Corzo (97 km; 800 m)
Chiapa de Corzo to San Cristóbal de las Casas (53 m; 1836m)
You say goodbye and I say
hello!
April the first and for some reason today
feels like a new day. Green farmland spreads for miles
though the crops haven't changed much from what we have
seen before. Mostly papaya, mangoes, bananas, coconuts,
plenty of cattle, braying donkeys, snorting pigs and
gobbling turkeys too. The morning air is cool even though
the sun is very hot. This has to be the best time to
cycle. Even if there is no breeze, riding creates enough
air flow to lose that...
Tip of the month: Handy velcrose straps
Whatever you call it: velcrose,
rip-zip, or hook and loop, this haberdashery
item is useful in many impromptu and permanent
situations. We always have a supply of it
in the sewing kit.
Most electrical cords come
with a handy strap these days, but if they
don't, it is easy enough to make your own.
Not only this, but it can hold tins tight
or be a temporary fastener if one of your
bag buckles breaks. We have found that the
latter works just as well as the clip and
hence it is now a normal fixture on one
of our Ortlieb back-rollers. Some even use
these straps to tie their brake handles
to the handle bar when parking their bike
on a hill.
San José del Progreso - Palenque (Mexico)
Kilometres: 934 kilometres and 670 metres
Riding days: 13...
Alti meters: 10,387 metres
Weather: April 14: first day with rain
(in San Cristóbal de las Casas) since
El Rosario, Baja California on November 27,
2008 ! This month: from dry storms to thunderous
rainstorms to hot and humid jungle.
Best accommodation: Roberto's Place! Great apartment
with kitchen, living room and separate bedroom
right in the middle of San Cristóbal
de las Casas for 160P !
Special thanks to:
Ursula at Los
Pinguïnos bike tours for showing me where
to find a decent bike shop
in San Cristóbal de las Casas • Paco @ Bicipartes for an exellent job building
a seven speed cassette! • Ron for joining us for the off the beaten track
route into Guatemala.
Breakdowns:
none !
Did have my (Ali's) bike serviced in San Cristóbal
de las Casas:
new crankset, cassette
and chain for the first time since...
Tehran (22,000
km).
