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It had been a couple of years since my last major riding trip, and I was beginning to feel the itch again. I knew that I wanted to make it another big adventure, but I wasn’t quite sure of where this would take me. At some point I started to think about heading south to Mexico, but it was mostly just an idea, without much of a plan for a specific type of riding or particular destinations that I would seek out. I had already traveled some of Mexico’s rural areas in previous trips by car, so the thought of adding an entirely different and much more intimate dimension to the trip was exciting. I started to spend a bit of time looking at the map, and decided that the Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico, and the adjacent areas would be a great destination to explore and experience for this trip. This mountain range stretches over 600 miles from the Rio Grande to northern Puebla, and is separated from the western mountain chain, the Sierra Madre Occidental, by the Central Mexican Plateau, which includes the Chihuahuan Desert to the north.
In order to prepare an itinerary, I dove into the literature and started reading anything that I thought could be helpful in preparing for this trip. It was only at that point that I learned that there was a very small but dedicated group of U.S. motorcyclists who had significant amounts of riding experience in various parts of Mexico, and their ride reports sounded incredible. The only problem was—they always seemed to be on dual sport or adventure bikes, and none of the horses in my stable fit that bill. My memories of getting a van stuck in a ditch in western Durango after sliding off a super-slick road following heavy rains a few years back certainly supported the idea that offroad-capabilities would be a neat little asset to have in Mexico. Of course, the sensible option was to wait until that empty garage slot could be filled with the right horse, but that would take more money and—worst of all—time. Instead, I decided to live by the old Chinese proverb of “run what ya brung,” (actually, I’m hazy on the origin—perhaps it is Roman after all…?) and use my trusty C-14 for the trip. The advantages were that she was reliable, comfortable, and always up for an adventure. The potential disadvantages were that she was big, [strike]top heavy[/strike] voluptuous, and a real drag to wrench on, but I figured that with the right amount of preparation and planning, those were aspects that I would be able to manage for the duration of the trip. The caveat was that she is also a real pavement princess and essentially utterly useless when it comes to offroad capability. This meant that I had to pay particular attention to staying on roads that were of reasonable (such a flexible term...) condition.
After several weeks of developing my basic itinerary, I finally arrived at what I thought was a solid main structure for this adventure: The trip would last up to two weeks, and would entail a combination of riding the mountain and desert roads of eastern and central Mexico, as well as visiting some of the more interesting towns and places nearby. The next aspect that needed to be managed was obviously safety. News clips of mass executions by rival drug cartels have successfully produced exactly the impact that the cartels aimed to achieve, by terrorizing and intimidating people on both sides of the border. As a consequence, the reactions that I received by my friends while planning this trip were consistently of two different types: either an expression of excitement and adventurism or one of disbelief and an immediate concern for the state of my mental health. In order to alleviate some of those concerns, I once again stuck my nose into the literature, and read everything from travel accounts on local and regional travel forums to books about the narco culture. Having been fed mostly the same sensationalist news that are routinely released about the drug wars in Mexico, this actually turned out to be a fascinating road to discovery of facts in itself.
Day 1: Fort Worth to Mercedes, TX (approximately 507 miles)
Finally the day of departure arrived, and the C-14 was packed and ready to go. I generally tend to lean more toward a minimalist approach, and ended up packing just the two luggage cases, plus a medium-sized tank bag. This included clothes, rain gear, tools & tire kit, travel toiletries & meds, and some water in the bags, plus the travel documents, electronics, and maps in the tank bag.
It just so happened by sheer coincidence that there was a small group of other TWT riders that were heading to northern Mexico for a weekend around the same time, so I decided to meet up and ride with them for the first day, since their destination was also to be my first stopping point: Galeana, a small town in the state of Nuevo León that is renowned for having plenty of spectacular offroad riding in its vicinity. We decided to meet up in Mercedes, TX, which is right at the border and part of the McAllen-Reynosa metropolitan area. Getting out of Texas is usually the toughest part of any road trip, and there weren’t a whole lot of options as far as the route was concerned. I opted to take I-35 W South from Fort Worth to Waco, then switched to US-77 South to avoid the Austin/Houston/San Antonio metropolitan areas and went past Corpus Christi into Harlingen, and finally headed west on I-2/US-83 into Mercedes. I had woken up to a massive rain storm that morning, and spent at least 70% of that day in nasty, rainy conditions. At some point during the day, the rain had stopped and the temperatures were beginning to climb back up. I was sweating bullets in the rain gear and after a period of about an hour without a single drop of rain, I decided to roll the dice by taking off my rain gear—much to the apparent delight of Murphy, who opened up the sky no more than five minutes later, instantly soaking me to the bones and showering me with hail and brief conditions of next to zero visibility. Good times. At least I still had several hours to dry off in the wind…*sigh*
When I pulled in at the hotel, the majority of the other guys had already arrived. They were clearly smarter than I was, as they had all decided to trailer their bikes to the border. That evening, we all crossed the border on foot to take care of the paperwork ahead of our departure the next day. Our first attempt turned out to be a failure, as the Instituto Nacional de Migración on the Mexican side at the Progreso International Bridge held banker’s hours (8am-5pm), and had already closed for the day. Back to the U.S., and off we went to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, where the Migración office was open 24-hours. It took about an hour for everyone to get the FMM (tourist card; around $25 and valid for up to 180 days) and our TVIP (temporary vehicle import permit; around $55 plus a $200-400 deposit that is refunded upon cancelling the TVIP when returning). Once that was out of the way, we headed back to the U.S. side yet again, and grabbed some beers and dinner to get ready for the next day.
Arrival at the hotel in Mercedes. Smarter guys had trailered their bikes to the border.
Carrying guns and/or ammo across the border is a quick way to do some serious time in a Mexican prison.
Day 2: Mercedes, TX to Galeana, Nuevo Leon (approximately 296 miles)
After breakfast, we picked up another local rider from his house and got ready to head across the border with our paperwork already in hand. We crossed at Anzaldúas International Bridge, which connects Mission, TX to Reynosa, Tamaulipas. The crossing was uneventful, and everyone in the group was excited to finally be on our way. Anzaldúas spits you out onto Mexico-40, which we took to head SW toward Monterrey, crossing from Tamaulipas into Nuevo León after about 20 miles or so. We stopped for lunch in General Bravo, and grabbed some excellent tacos at a small restaurant called Los Ahijados ("Is everybody okay with Mexican food?"), where one member of our group ran into some former neighbors of his (small world!). Then we continued on to China, and took Mex-35 southwest past General Terán and Montemorelos.
Ready for departure in Mercedes, TX. Most of those guys look like they're ready for an adventure, but somehow I seem to look like I'm on my way to work...
Bienvenido a México! Clearly they're letting ANYONE in here...
Lunch stop at Los Ahijados in General Bravo, Nuevo León.
Tacos de pollo (chicken tacos).
In Mexico (and throughout Latin America as a whole), small-displacement bikes are the norm. Italika is the leading motorcycle brand in Mexico, and produces primarily models in the 90-250 cc range. The small size of the bike obviously has no effect on the maximum trunk volume, which simultaneously serves as a wheelie bar.
The plan of the other riders was to head up the mountain to Rayones, and to then take a roughly 17-mile gravel road to Galeana. While I was restricted to pavement on the C-14, I figured that I could still ride with them up to Rayones, then turn around and take the paved road to Galeana. After a few minor interruptions that involved a melting fairing and a dislodged tool pack from a couple of the other bikes, we were eventually on our way up the mountain. The road leading up to Rayones is one that I won’t forget for some time. It has all the hallmarks of a fantastic motorcycling road—it consists of a sheer endless number of curves, winding their way up and around the mountain with spectacular views. The caveat to this was that the road conditions were among the most inconsistent that I have encountered in a long time, with great surface quality being alternated with mediocre and downright dangerous conditions without warning, sometimes right at or just past the apex. At one point, half of the road was covered by a landslide, and at another part, a huge chunk of road was simply missing. Based on the unpredictablility of the road conditions and its ability to give you alternating feelings of delight and sheer terror, I decided to call this road the “Tail of the Coyote.”
A torn strap caused a melting fairing issue on one of the dual sports, which was quickly remedied by another strap.
You can see the mountains of the Sierra Madre from afar.
On our way up the mountain.
The road to Rayones is a beautifully winding road up the mountain with sometimes great road surface quality that just tempts you to do some "spirited" riding...
...until there is a section of road that is just unavailable from a recent landslide...
...or a piece of road is essentially just missing. A few rocks and branches within a few feet of the affected section of road are all the warning you're going to get.
There goes the neighborhood: The thumpers on the way to Rayones.
Amazing scenery in the mountains near Rayones.
Just before we reached Rayones, we arrived at a river crossing where the bridge was currently under construction. The dual sport guys were all excited to cross, but this time common sense was telling me that crossing that on a 615-lb (plus fluids, luggage, and rider) C-14 would be crossing the line between courageous and stupid a bit too blatantly, so I decided to turn around and begin to head back down the mountain and ride to Galeana as planned via the paved roads. I was about to leave, when one of the construction workers who were working on the bridge adamantly suggested that said bridge was perfectly fine for me to use. I tried to turn down this adventurous offer, but he was so insistent on me using the bridge that I eventually nodded and rode up the dirt mount to the bridge. Once there, I was staring at what must have been a solid 2-ft concrete ledge that I somehow needed to climb in order to be able to attempt to use the bridge. “No es un problema,” he yelled, as he grabbed a nearby 2x4 and quickly tossed it against the ledge, looking at me expectantly. Yeeah, ok. This was clearly the perfect stage for a YouTube-moment in the making, so I explained to him that my final destination was Galeana, not just Rayones (which was just ahead). After answering a bunch of questions about the C-14, I was finally off back down the mountain to try and get to Galeana before nightfall.
So close and yet so far. There was not enough tequila in my system to attempt that water crossing on a C-14...
A group of local students was delighted by the presence of our motorcycles.
I took Mex-85 South past Palomas and into Linares, stopping there briefly to gas up. Then I took Mex-58 West back up the mountain. This turned out to be a wonderful road with beautiful mountain scenery and largely great road conditions, especially westbound. This was one of the few stretches of roads that could be used for spirited riding, without it turning into a game of Mexican roulette at the apex of every blind turn. I reached Galeana right at dusk, and after nearly twelve hours of being on the bike, I was quite happy to get my gear off. The other guys were already gone for dinner, but were quickly tracked down at one of the few local restaurants, a cozy little place called La cazona del General. I don’t think anyone had any trouble sleeping that night.
Day 3: Galeana, Nuevo Leon to Tula, Tamaulipas (approximately 227 miles)
The next morning we woke up and bought some breakfast from a local boy who was selling breakfast tacos. I was ready to head further south, so it was time to bid farewell to the dual sport crew, which was staying in the Galeana area to do some offroad riding. I took Mex-58 east back to Linares, enjoying that wonderful twisty road one more time, before jumping onto Mex-85 South along the eastern foot of the Sierra Madre back into Tamaulipas. I rode into Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, and stopped there at an Oxxo to grab a bite for lunch. Oxxo is a chain of Mexican convenience stores that are often found near Pemex gas station. The Oxxo employees were very interested in the C-14, and I spent about an hour answering questions on anything from displacement size to top speed, which was followed by a discussion on current UEFA Champion's League matchups...
Leaving Galeana and heading back down the mountain toward Linares.
Beautiful scenery on the way down the mountain.
Because life is too short not to do this!
Pemex is the only type of gas station in Mexico, and full-service is the only option. I was a bit surprised that I had no trouble finding 92-octane gas, even in relatively rural areas. There was only a single gas stop on the entire trip, at which I had no choice but to opt for 87-octane instead.
I decided to take the old, more western highway (Mex-101) southwestwards, which beautifully winds its way through the mountains with some long sweepers. Unsurprisingly, this was the first time that I encountered some Mexican riders who were doing recreational riding, rather than commuting. This was also the scene of a police chase that had both chaser and chasee zip past me at a pretty good pace. A few hours later, I arrived at Tula, Tamaulipas, a small town of under 30,000 at the western foot of the Sierra Madre. Tula was founded in the early 17th century by a Franciscan monk, and is often considered to be the oldest town in Tamaulipas. The town has a very western feel to it, with the houses being block-shaped at varying sizes, often with plain wooden doors. As I entered town, I encountered a sizable procession of men on horseback, many of whom were fascinated by the C-14 that had just shown up in town. I wasn’t really interested in shopping for lodging, so I went with a place called Hotel Tula, just a block or so northeast of the plaza. The place initially looked abandoned, but then someone showed up from across the street and was glad to rent me a room for the night. For 230 pesos (roughly $15) I received an adventurous accommodation that included a room in an otherwise entirely empty building with two beds, two television sets, a healthy arthropod population, and a very microbiologically active bathroom. Secure bike parking was available in a separate gated courtyard, next to an old hot dog stand and an even older bike, which was in a condition that only Craigslist would likely consider as “good condition, needs cosmetic parts.”
A procession of riders upon my arrival at Tula, likely in preparation for a rodeo.
Welcome to Hotel Tula, where we aim to test you. Or something...
Well...maybe I can hold out for another day.
"Secure parking." Well, it is true that the bike is unlikely to be stolen from there.
As I was walking around Tula to explore the town for cultural gems and ice cream shops, the air suddenly became filled with the sound of a bunch of noisy aftermarket mufflers, and much to my amazement there was a group of five gringos who had entered town and appeared to be searching for their hotel. I was able to track them down a couple of blocks away, and it turned out to be another group of TWT riders that were on a mission to explore the dirt roads of the Sierra Gorda! Running into these guys in Tula, Tamaulipas—what were the odds of that?! That evening, we all went for some dinner at a local restaurant and shared plans and stories over some beers and good food.
The plaza in Tula. As in just about all Latin American towns, this is the social center of the community, and usually the location of the local cathedral/church.
The Church of San Antonio de Padua at the town center.
This building was particularly photogenic, but its significance eluded me.
It seems I'm not the only one with a habit of seeking out ice cream shops after dinner. This one had a particularly interesting selection of ice creams that included cactus fruit.
Day 4: Tula, Tamaulipas to Xilitla, San Luis Potosi (approximately 250 miles)
The next day I woke up to a flat rear tire. I found the puncture (but not the culprit), and was able to plug it fairly quickly. I had hoped to avoid punctures early on in the trip, but at least I was able to deal with it in-town at comfortable morning-hour temperatures. I took Mex-101 southwest past Miguel Hidalgo and into the state of San Luis Potosi, which was a very desolate stretch of road. I then took Mex-85 East through Ciudad del Maiz, after which the road suddenly went from just scenic to fantastic, winding its way across the Sierra Madre past El Naranjo and back into Tamaulipas. In Antiguo Morelos I turned southward onto Mex-85 back into San Luis Potosi yet again and into Ciudad Valles. I took a lunch break at one of the countless comedores on the outskirts of town, before continuing south through the valley and then back up the mountain, taking Mex-120 West into Xilitla. This is quite a fascinating place that sits on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Gorda at an elevation of roughly 676 metres (2,218 ft). Some of the roads in town are pretty steep, and were a bit adventurous to ascend on the ever-voluptuous C-14. One of these roads up into town started as steep, only to further increase its slope right before the next crossroad up top. Good times.
I stayed in Xilitla with a couchsurfing host, who had a place not far from the town center. He was originally from West Virginia, but had been living in Xilitla for over ten years, working for an NGO. This particular town may have also been responsible for starting what became a minor addiction to aqua de horchata, which is a sweet drink with a taste of rice, cinnamon, and a hint of vanilla. Not exactly in line with my race diet, but delicious.
The C-14 always had a lot of fans anywhere I went, and test sitting was always encouraged. This guy in Tula was all smiles.
Mexico is full of beautiful churches. This small chapel was located about 13 miles east of La Hincada, San Luis Potosi.
The road from Tula south into San Luis Potosi was pretty desolate at times. This was about 17 miles northwest of Ciudad del Maiz on Mex-80.
Entering Ciudad del Maiz, San Luis Potosi.
Mex-80 East across the Sierra Madre is fantastic. This picture was taken about 4.5 miles northeast of Ciudad del Maiz, near the village of Magdeleno Cedillo, San Luis Potosi.
Alongside the road ran a creek with crystal-clear water. This was about 2 miles west of El Naranjo, San Luis Potosi.
I stopped for a lunch break at a comedor near Ciudad Valle.
Enchiladas de pollo con cecina (chicken enchiladas with cecina, salted beef or pork that is sundried).
The flora always became more tropical on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre. This photo was taken about 10 miles north of Xilitla, near the village of La Pimienta, San Luis Potosi.
Xilitla, San Luis Potosi: a scenic town with a rugged landscape and largely indigenous culture. The colorful architecture and steep roads make this place exceptionally photogenic.
There are steep roads everywhere in Xilitla, often made of cobblestone.
Riding up roads like this one made me feel like I was trying to engage in a hillclimbing event on the back of a hippo...And I do mean that in a loving way.
The church in Xilitla is particularly beautiful--definitely one of my favorites from this trip.
I stayed with a couchsurfing host in the barely-visible light green building near the top left of this street. You probably need a trials bike to get up there.
I opted for sleeping on the balcony that night, and--thanks to a rain storm--slept like a baby.
Day 5: Xilitla, San Luis Potosi to Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo (approximately 72 miles)
I really wanted to spend a bit of time exploring the roads around Tamazunchale, which was my planned destination for this day. I had a few different routes in mind that I could ride, but wasn't really 100% set on any one in particular--I figured I would just ride into the area and play it by ear. I took Mex-120 northeast to Mex-85 South into Tamazunchale. Once there, I wasn't all that impressed with the town itself, and decided to head elsewhere to throw my anchor for the night. My goal was to ride the roads to the southeast (Mex-102) and southwest (Mex-85) of Tamazunchale, and I decided to head southeast that day, aiming for the town of Huejutla de Reyes in Hidalgo, but not before making a wrong turn and accidentally heading north toward the town of St. Martin. There happened to be a comedor on the side of the road near the village of La Chuchilla, so I decided that it was the perfect time for a quick water break. The lady who ran the place and her teenage daughter thought it was hilarious that I had accidentally turned onto that road when I was really trying to get to Huejutla. It was as if I had climbed a tree in search of the restroom. A small bottle of cane-sugar Coca Cola later I was back on track and took Mex-102 East into Hidalgo. The road started out pretty well, but once I got closer to Huejutla de Reyes, it turned into all concrete with a downright obscene amount of topes. For a while it was as though I would never see third gear again. I finally entered Huejutla de Reyes right at rush hour, and was a bit surprised at the amount of traffic for that size of town (population: 115,000). I pulled into Hotel Oviedo near the plaza, and was immediately positively surprised by the quality of the accommodation, which was basically tourist class for a mere 230 pesos (just under $15). I took a nice shower, cranked up the a/c, relaxed for a bit, and then decided to explore the town, rather than the surrounding roads that day.
My pre-departure breakfast in Xilitla. Tasty as always.
This was the comedor near the village of La Chuchilla. It looks dark in there because it was. Dark as the humor of the mother-daughter duo who ran the place.
Topes are such a major factor of riding in Mexico that they just about deserve their own "chapter." Topes come in a variety of forms: some are tall, some are nearly completely ground down by thousands of cars running over them. Some are metal, others made of concrete; some are marked, others are more of a surprise.
Topes may look fairly innocuous from these pictures, but the first time you unexpectedly encounter one at a decent speed, they do a number on your heart rate.
And another type of tope. If you do any amount of road riding in Mexico, you will be earning a degree in topeology. Well, let's call it an associate's degree. From the University of Phoenix...
The courtyard at Hotel Oviedo in Huejutla de Reyes. I was able to park the bike right outside my room, and the courtyard itself was gated as well.
The rooms at Hotel Oviedo did not disappoint either--an actual tourist class hotel for a a whopping $15/night.
The plaza at Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo. You could rent toys and other entertainment for your kids.
My nose for ice cream shops never lets me down. This town had some of the best aqua de horchata that I had on the entire trip!
What were the odds that I would track down a motorcycle gear shop in Huejutla de Reyes? High, of course! And made a couple of new two-wheeled friends in the process. If you're ever in that region and need some replacement gear, Tienda De Accesorios De Motocicleta Excalibur will set you right up!
Day 6: Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo to Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro (approximately 170 miles)
The next morning, I got up early and decided to take Mex-85 from Tamazunchale southwest. Of course, that meant that I had to go through the ridiculous number of topes again, which were on Mex-102 west of Huejutla de Reyes. Mex-85 SW of Tamzunchale was a nice road, beautifully winding through the mountains with the occasional heart stoppers in the shape of an unmarked tope or menacingly oversized pothole. At one point I was stuck behind a mini truck that was loaded with farm hands, going up the mountain at the speed of fart. When we finally hit a mini straight (which barely deserved that designation to begin with), the people in the truck waved me on to go ahead and pass. This had to happen quickly because the next blind turn was just ahead, so I gave it a good bit of throttle. At the precise moment that I was exactly next to this truck, I realized that I was about to hit a HUGE pothole about the size of Canada that was now impossible for me to evade. I shaved off some speed, then got back on the gas and yanked on the bars as hard as I could just as I hit the pothole. The impact was hard, but the bike made it and didn't incur any damages, so all was well. That one woke me up!
Just south of Huejutla de Reyes, heading back into the Sierra Madre.
A little while later I came across a couple of the usual small-displacement bikes, this time with some of the local teenagers on them. One of these bikes had a rider and two passengers on it, and immediately engaged me in a bit of play race. The two girl passengers were hooting and hollering, and afterwards we all pulled over to exchange some laughs and take some pictures. This was just northeast of the town of Santa Ana de Allende, and was a good turnaround spot for me. Ironically, that ginormous crater of a Canadian pothole nearly got me a second time on my way back. I stayed on Mex-85 northbound, then went southwest on Mex-120 into the state of Querétaro. At that point of the trip, the bike started to act funny, bogging heavily when hard on the throttle. The symptoms disappeared when I filled up the tank, which eased my concerns a bit (for now). I eventually arrived at Jalpan de Serra, where I had another couchsurfing host. That host turned out to be a very nice lady and her family, who ran a local clinic. Jalpan sits right at the heart of the Sierra Gorda, and contains a Franciscan mission that has been declared a World Heritage site. Its a vibrant town that is surrounded by a rugged, hilly landscape that includes a major biosphere reserve. Since I was now close to the half-way point of my journey, I had planned to take a couple of days to explore the surrounding area. My host owned a another, separate house on the outskirts of town that would probably qualify as a hacienda. The setting was beautifully wild, despite its proximity to town, and brought about some good memories of Bolivia.
My new racing buddies Miguel, Vanessa, and Guadalupe, near the town of Santa Ana de Allende.
They looked to be enjoying the test sitting of the C-14.
In the Sierra Madre near the town of Ahuacatlán, which is about 5.5 miles southwest of Xilitla.
This little blue chapel was located in the village of El Madroño, which is about 6 miles east of El Aguacate, Querétaro.
Subtropical flora just north of Chapulhuacán, Hidalgo.
I ran into this group of Mexican bikers just north of El Aguacate. These guys couldn't believe that I was on a C-14 riding through Mexico!
Nora's hacienda. I need to [strike]retire[/strike] live there!
Day 7: Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro to Puente de Dios, Querétaro (by Jeep—no riding)
This was the half-way point of my trip, so I decided to take the day off and explore the area around Jalpan. My partner in crime was my couchsurfing host, Nora, who was nice enough to take me to what turned out to be an amazing little local gem by the name of El Puente de Dios near the village of Rio Escanela for some hiking. To do this, we borrowed her brother's Jeep and off we went down the rugged dirt roads.
My "other bike" turned out to be a Jeep. No complaints here!
The area around Puente de Dios reminded me a bit of the Smoky Mountains.
What a beautiful day in the Sierra Gorda!
The entire area was just breathtakingly gorgeous.
The area was originally the site of a mining operation.
The mining operation has long since ceased, and is now closed off.
Inside the mine it looked like the perfect setting for an Indiana Jones-movie (just kidding, Disney, we don't need another bad sequel!).
A kid at the local store with some very big, curious eyes.
Day 8: Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato (approximately 199 miles)
Day 8 marked the beginning of a three-day tour through the "Golden Triangle," which was to include San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Dolores Hidalgo. I left Jalpan early that morning and headed southwest on a very scenic stretch of Mex-120, down the western slopes of the Sierra Madre, and then east to San Joaquín, which was equally scenic. I grabbed breakfast at a "Colombian" restaurant by the name of El Rincón. They were serving mystery meat tacos, which was good enough to satisfy my appetite.
This was about 6 miles southwest of Jalpan, and just 1.5 miles south of the village Escanelilla.
Phenomenal twisty roads and scenery were standard in the Sierra. This is just south of the turnoff to Puente de Dios.
San Joaquín is an interesting little town that even has an archeological site.
This Colombian restaurant seemed to call my name for some good breakfast. I was starving and ready to eat a horse! Well, a small horse.
As it turned out, the only thing available was tacos. "What kind of tacos?", I asked. "Tacos de carne" (meat tacos), was the response. Mystery meat--my favorite! One order, please.
Tacos de carne. Tasty enough, whatever that was.
On the way back down the mountain, I stopped to snap a quick photo. As I was standing next to the bike, it suddenly rolled off the kickstand and tried hard to piss me off. Thanks to my catlike reflexes and willingness to sacrifice my own health for the well-being of my bike, it didn't fall over or roll down the mountain. Close call. Above is the picture that triggered this: not really worth it, but was going to be included here, even if the entire thing was blurry.
I came across a market in the town of San Javier, which is located about 7 miles northwest of Cadereyta de Montes.
You could buy anything from fruits to bolts at this market. The bolts and other hardware were "gently used."
The church at San Javier, Querétaro.
I kept going westbound on Mex-120 until Ezequiel Montes, and then cut across to Mex-100, which I followed until El Paraiso. From there I took Mex-57D northwest until Mex-111, which led me northwest into the state of Guanajuato and finally into San Miguel de Allende. This is the birthplace of Ignacio Allende, a Lieutenant General in the Mexican Independence movement, and the first municipality that was declared independent of Spanish rule. Today the town is a cultural center in the region, and draws lots of artists and expatriates from all over. To me the town had a vibe similar to that of Santa Fe, NM. I had planned to stay at Hotel Posada El Mayorazgo, which was listed by Sjoerd Bakker (2014), but it no longer existed. There were lots of (pricey) options to pick from, but I had no desire to waste the little time I had for shopping for lodging. After a little bit of reconnaissance, I opted for Hotel Allende, which was in the city center, yet still priced within reason (350 pesos = $22.50/night). The downside was that there was no secure parking available for the bike, so I had to pay a separate parking garage, which was another 200 pesos or so. The one aspect that made San Miguel de Allende less attractive for me was the fact that it was a tourist town. Not only does that tend to make things pricey, but it also has tendency to dilute the local culture a bit, and make people a bit less likely to engage in genuine interactions. Aside from that, it is a beautiful colonial town.
San Miguel de Allende is a vibrant colonial town with beautiful, colorful architecture.
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the parish church of San Miguel.
Templo San Rafael, built in 1564.
This statue of a bull was made by sculptor David Kestenbaum, and it is located at the cultural center Ignacio Ramirez in San Miguel de Allende.
Hotel Allende was located at the city center and still somewhat reasonable. The amount of tourism that this town receives has done quite a job on the prices there.
Day 9: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato to Guanajuato, Guanajuato (approximately 47 miles)
For the short ride to Guanajuato, I decided to take the southern route via GTO-67 and Mex-110 into the city center. This town of roughly 170,000 is an old mining town that was founded in the 16th century, and is geographically situated in a narrow valley. As a result, the town layout as a whole is very narrow--there simply is no space. Many of the streets are both steep and narrow, and the layout overall was quite difficult to navigate in. Because of its history of being a mining town, the entire city is inundated by mining tunnels, which makes driving there both fascinating and challenging, as the signage is pretty vague and the tunnels at times split somewhat unexpectedly. I had a couchsurfing host near the city center, but finding and then getting to the right street turned out to be rather challenging. Guanajuato was a very dynamic, vibrant town, and I almost immediately fell in love with it. If San Miguel de Allende was like Santa Fe, then Guanajuato was the closest thing to New Orleans that I had yet to encounter in Mexico. A friendly, cultural town that was not too shy to celebrate life and itself.
At one point I was getting a wild hair, and decided to explore this road to the East of San Martín del Terrero. I got over the wild hair after a few miles.
At the city center of Guanajuato.
La Catedral de Guanajuato.
Part of the University of Guanajuato.
Dia de los muertos-decor at Casa Ofelia, a small restaurant, where I had something other than Mexican food for the first time on this trip. Pasta!
More decor at Casa Ofelia.
The mining tunnels in Guanajuato were a mixed bag--I loved the idea, but found them pretty challenging to navigate at times.
Many of the streets in Guanajuato were incredibly narrow. Some of them were too narrow to fit both a car and a pedestrian. I presume that the law of tonnage prevails.
Bike night at Guanajuato--one of those bikes is not like the others...
My couchsurfing host Rebeca and her friends gave me a sample of Guanajuato's night life. What a great group!
This is mezcal flavored with peanuts and other things. Some of these were surprisingly good.
Guanajuato at night: even better than during the day!
"Getting another drink" invariably meant getting another shot of mezcal. I must remember this fine, but critical detail!
I had an absolute blast that night! Thanks to Rebeca, Victor, and everyone else for making that one especially memorable!
Day 10: Guanajuato, Guanajuato to Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato (approximately 35 miles)
The next morning, I looked a bit groggier than usually...
Yes, I decided to recover from the debauchery of the previous night at the mummy museum, which seemed fitting.
The mummies on display at the mummy museum were exhumed in the 19th and 20th century due to a burial tax that was charged for perpetual burial. If the burial tax wasn't paid, then the bodies were exhumed, and some of them turned out to have been mummified.
There is something very cool and fascinating about the process of mummification.
This one shall haunt you in your sleep!
Every time someone shows me baby pictures, this is about what I see.
I absolutely loved Guanajuato and will definitely be back!
Later that day it was time to head toward the final stop within the golden triangle--the town of Dolores Hidalgo. That town was a mere 35 miles to the East of Guanajuato, and the hardest part was getting out of Guanajuato, without getting lost in the maze of tunnels, hills, and narrow one-way/one-vehicle streets. I eventually made it out of there and cruised up the very scenic but heavily graded Mex-101 northeast into Dolores Hidalgo, or Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, as the full name goes in Spanish. This town of about 55,000 people is famous for being the place where Miguel Hidalgo produced his Grito de Dolores in 1810 in front of the parish church. That outcry marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Colonial Spain. I stayed at the Hotel La Ribera, which was still within walking distance from the plaza and had secure, gated parking. The price was 350 pesos ($23 dollars), which was still within reason.
Dolores is a small but friendly town and sits just north of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.
The large statue of Miguel Hidalgo at the town center in celebration of his Grito de Dolores.
The Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows is the oldest religious building in Dolores Hidalgo. It was closed in 1755.
There was a wedding at the cathedral at Dolores Hidalgo.
Beautiful architecture adjacent to the plaza. This looked to be a building of the municipal government.
It was election time, so the plaza was bustling with a campaign event.
A motorcycle cop in Dolores Hidalgo. While I was taking this picture, his colleagues were busy teasing him for now being "Mr. Official."
This small restaurant at the plaza fit the bill for dinner.
The hand-written menu. Remember, prices are in pesos (15 pesos = approx. USD $1)
I went with the enchiladas verdes. Delicious!
They didn't have my aqua de horchata, so I had to go with aqua de Jamaica (a sort of hibiscus punch) instead. It reminded me a bit of Hawaiian Punch.
Hotel La Ribera in Dolores Hidalgo.
Secure, gated, covered hotel parking.
The room was clean, but where is the bathroom? All I see is a closet.
Ah, a secret bathroom, disguised as a closet. Clever.
In order to prepare an itinerary, I dove into the literature and started reading anything that I thought could be helpful in preparing for this trip. It was only at that point that I learned that there was a very small but dedicated group of U.S. motorcyclists who had significant amounts of riding experience in various parts of Mexico, and their ride reports sounded incredible. The only problem was—they always seemed to be on dual sport or adventure bikes, and none of the horses in my stable fit that bill. My memories of getting a van stuck in a ditch in western Durango after sliding off a super-slick road following heavy rains a few years back certainly supported the idea that offroad-capabilities would be a neat little asset to have in Mexico. Of course, the sensible option was to wait until that empty garage slot could be filled with the right horse, but that would take more money and—worst of all—time. Instead, I decided to live by the old Chinese proverb of “run what ya brung,” (actually, I’m hazy on the origin—perhaps it is Roman after all…?) and use my trusty C-14 for the trip. The advantages were that she was reliable, comfortable, and always up for an adventure. The potential disadvantages were that she was big, [strike]top heavy[/strike] voluptuous, and a real drag to wrench on, but I figured that with the right amount of preparation and planning, those were aspects that I would be able to manage for the duration of the trip. The caveat was that she is also a real pavement princess and essentially utterly useless when it comes to offroad capability. This meant that I had to pay particular attention to staying on roads that were of reasonable (such a flexible term...) condition.
After several weeks of developing my basic itinerary, I finally arrived at what I thought was a solid main structure for this adventure: The trip would last up to two weeks, and would entail a combination of riding the mountain and desert roads of eastern and central Mexico, as well as visiting some of the more interesting towns and places nearby. The next aspect that needed to be managed was obviously safety. News clips of mass executions by rival drug cartels have successfully produced exactly the impact that the cartels aimed to achieve, by terrorizing and intimidating people on both sides of the border. As a consequence, the reactions that I received by my friends while planning this trip were consistently of two different types: either an expression of excitement and adventurism or one of disbelief and an immediate concern for the state of my mental health. In order to alleviate some of those concerns, I once again stuck my nose into the literature, and read everything from travel accounts on local and regional travel forums to books about the narco culture. Having been fed mostly the same sensationalist news that are routinely released about the drug wars in Mexico, this actually turned out to be a fascinating road to discovery of facts in itself.
Day 1: Fort Worth to Mercedes, TX (approximately 507 miles)
Finally the day of departure arrived, and the C-14 was packed and ready to go. I generally tend to lean more toward a minimalist approach, and ended up packing just the two luggage cases, plus a medium-sized tank bag. This included clothes, rain gear, tools & tire kit, travel toiletries & meds, and some water in the bags, plus the travel documents, electronics, and maps in the tank bag.
It just so happened by sheer coincidence that there was a small group of other TWT riders that were heading to northern Mexico for a weekend around the same time, so I decided to meet up and ride with them for the first day, since their destination was also to be my first stopping point: Galeana, a small town in the state of Nuevo León that is renowned for having plenty of spectacular offroad riding in its vicinity. We decided to meet up in Mercedes, TX, which is right at the border and part of the McAllen-Reynosa metropolitan area. Getting out of Texas is usually the toughest part of any road trip, and there weren’t a whole lot of options as far as the route was concerned. I opted to take I-35 W South from Fort Worth to Waco, then switched to US-77 South to avoid the Austin/Houston/San Antonio metropolitan areas and went past Corpus Christi into Harlingen, and finally headed west on I-2/US-83 into Mercedes. I had woken up to a massive rain storm that morning, and spent at least 70% of that day in nasty, rainy conditions. At some point during the day, the rain had stopped and the temperatures were beginning to climb back up. I was sweating bullets in the rain gear and after a period of about an hour without a single drop of rain, I decided to roll the dice by taking off my rain gear—much to the apparent delight of Murphy, who opened up the sky no more than five minutes later, instantly soaking me to the bones and showering me with hail and brief conditions of next to zero visibility. Good times. At least I still had several hours to dry off in the wind…*sigh*
When I pulled in at the hotel, the majority of the other guys had already arrived. They were clearly smarter than I was, as they had all decided to trailer their bikes to the border. That evening, we all crossed the border on foot to take care of the paperwork ahead of our departure the next day. Our first attempt turned out to be a failure, as the Instituto Nacional de Migración on the Mexican side at the Progreso International Bridge held banker’s hours (8am-5pm), and had already closed for the day. Back to the U.S., and off we went to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, where the Migración office was open 24-hours. It took about an hour for everyone to get the FMM (tourist card; around $25 and valid for up to 180 days) and our TVIP (temporary vehicle import permit; around $55 plus a $200-400 deposit that is refunded upon cancelling the TVIP when returning). Once that was out of the way, we headed back to the U.S. side yet again, and grabbed some beers and dinner to get ready for the next day.
Arrival at the hotel in Mercedes. Smarter guys had trailered their bikes to the border.
Carrying guns and/or ammo across the border is a quick way to do some serious time in a Mexican prison.
Day 2: Mercedes, TX to Galeana, Nuevo Leon (approximately 296 miles)
After breakfast, we picked up another local rider from his house and got ready to head across the border with our paperwork already in hand. We crossed at Anzaldúas International Bridge, which connects Mission, TX to Reynosa, Tamaulipas. The crossing was uneventful, and everyone in the group was excited to finally be on our way. Anzaldúas spits you out onto Mexico-40, which we took to head SW toward Monterrey, crossing from Tamaulipas into Nuevo León after about 20 miles or so. We stopped for lunch in General Bravo, and grabbed some excellent tacos at a small restaurant called Los Ahijados ("Is everybody okay with Mexican food?"), where one member of our group ran into some former neighbors of his (small world!). Then we continued on to China, and took Mex-35 southwest past General Terán and Montemorelos.
Ready for departure in Mercedes, TX. Most of those guys look like they're ready for an adventure, but somehow I seem to look like I'm on my way to work...
Bienvenido a México! Clearly they're letting ANYONE in here...
Lunch stop at Los Ahijados in General Bravo, Nuevo León.
Tacos de pollo (chicken tacos).
In Mexico (and throughout Latin America as a whole), small-displacement bikes are the norm. Italika is the leading motorcycle brand in Mexico, and produces primarily models in the 90-250 cc range. The small size of the bike obviously has no effect on the maximum trunk volume, which simultaneously serves as a wheelie bar.
The plan of the other riders was to head up the mountain to Rayones, and to then take a roughly 17-mile gravel road to Galeana. While I was restricted to pavement on the C-14, I figured that I could still ride with them up to Rayones, then turn around and take the paved road to Galeana. After a few minor interruptions that involved a melting fairing and a dislodged tool pack from a couple of the other bikes, we were eventually on our way up the mountain. The road leading up to Rayones is one that I won’t forget for some time. It has all the hallmarks of a fantastic motorcycling road—it consists of a sheer endless number of curves, winding their way up and around the mountain with spectacular views. The caveat to this was that the road conditions were among the most inconsistent that I have encountered in a long time, with great surface quality being alternated with mediocre and downright dangerous conditions without warning, sometimes right at or just past the apex. At one point, half of the road was covered by a landslide, and at another part, a huge chunk of road was simply missing. Based on the unpredictablility of the road conditions and its ability to give you alternating feelings of delight and sheer terror, I decided to call this road the “Tail of the Coyote.”
A torn strap caused a melting fairing issue on one of the dual sports, which was quickly remedied by another strap.
You can see the mountains of the Sierra Madre from afar.
On our way up the mountain.
The road to Rayones is a beautifully winding road up the mountain with sometimes great road surface quality that just tempts you to do some "spirited" riding...
...until there is a section of road that is just unavailable from a recent landslide...
...or a piece of road is essentially just missing. A few rocks and branches within a few feet of the affected section of road are all the warning you're going to get.
There goes the neighborhood: The thumpers on the way to Rayones.
Amazing scenery in the mountains near Rayones.
Just before we reached Rayones, we arrived at a river crossing where the bridge was currently under construction. The dual sport guys were all excited to cross, but this time common sense was telling me that crossing that on a 615-lb (plus fluids, luggage, and rider) C-14 would be crossing the line between courageous and stupid a bit too blatantly, so I decided to turn around and begin to head back down the mountain and ride to Galeana as planned via the paved roads. I was about to leave, when one of the construction workers who were working on the bridge adamantly suggested that said bridge was perfectly fine for me to use. I tried to turn down this adventurous offer, but he was so insistent on me using the bridge that I eventually nodded and rode up the dirt mount to the bridge. Once there, I was staring at what must have been a solid 2-ft concrete ledge that I somehow needed to climb in order to be able to attempt to use the bridge. “No es un problema,” he yelled, as he grabbed a nearby 2x4 and quickly tossed it against the ledge, looking at me expectantly. Yeeah, ok. This was clearly the perfect stage for a YouTube-moment in the making, so I explained to him that my final destination was Galeana, not just Rayones (which was just ahead). After answering a bunch of questions about the C-14, I was finally off back down the mountain to try and get to Galeana before nightfall.
So close and yet so far. There was not enough tequila in my system to attempt that water crossing on a C-14...
A group of local students was delighted by the presence of our motorcycles.
I took Mex-85 South past Palomas and into Linares, stopping there briefly to gas up. Then I took Mex-58 West back up the mountain. This turned out to be a wonderful road with beautiful mountain scenery and largely great road conditions, especially westbound. This was one of the few stretches of roads that could be used for spirited riding, without it turning into a game of Mexican roulette at the apex of every blind turn. I reached Galeana right at dusk, and after nearly twelve hours of being on the bike, I was quite happy to get my gear off. The other guys were already gone for dinner, but were quickly tracked down at one of the few local restaurants, a cozy little place called La cazona del General. I don’t think anyone had any trouble sleeping that night.
Day 3: Galeana, Nuevo Leon to Tula, Tamaulipas (approximately 227 miles)
The next morning we woke up and bought some breakfast from a local boy who was selling breakfast tacos. I was ready to head further south, so it was time to bid farewell to the dual sport crew, which was staying in the Galeana area to do some offroad riding. I took Mex-58 east back to Linares, enjoying that wonderful twisty road one more time, before jumping onto Mex-85 South along the eastern foot of the Sierra Madre back into Tamaulipas. I rode into Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, and stopped there at an Oxxo to grab a bite for lunch. Oxxo is a chain of Mexican convenience stores that are often found near Pemex gas station. The Oxxo employees were very interested in the C-14, and I spent about an hour answering questions on anything from displacement size to top speed, which was followed by a discussion on current UEFA Champion's League matchups...
Leaving Galeana and heading back down the mountain toward Linares.
Beautiful scenery on the way down the mountain.
Because life is too short not to do this!
Pemex is the only type of gas station in Mexico, and full-service is the only option. I was a bit surprised that I had no trouble finding 92-octane gas, even in relatively rural areas. There was only a single gas stop on the entire trip, at which I had no choice but to opt for 87-octane instead.
I decided to take the old, more western highway (Mex-101) southwestwards, which beautifully winds its way through the mountains with some long sweepers. Unsurprisingly, this was the first time that I encountered some Mexican riders who were doing recreational riding, rather than commuting. This was also the scene of a police chase that had both chaser and chasee zip past me at a pretty good pace. A few hours later, I arrived at Tula, Tamaulipas, a small town of under 30,000 at the western foot of the Sierra Madre. Tula was founded in the early 17th century by a Franciscan monk, and is often considered to be the oldest town in Tamaulipas. The town has a very western feel to it, with the houses being block-shaped at varying sizes, often with plain wooden doors. As I entered town, I encountered a sizable procession of men on horseback, many of whom were fascinated by the C-14 that had just shown up in town. I wasn’t really interested in shopping for lodging, so I went with a place called Hotel Tula, just a block or so northeast of the plaza. The place initially looked abandoned, but then someone showed up from across the street and was glad to rent me a room for the night. For 230 pesos (roughly $15) I received an adventurous accommodation that included a room in an otherwise entirely empty building with two beds, two television sets, a healthy arthropod population, and a very microbiologically active bathroom. Secure bike parking was available in a separate gated courtyard, next to an old hot dog stand and an even older bike, which was in a condition that only Craigslist would likely consider as “good condition, needs cosmetic parts.”
A procession of riders upon my arrival at Tula, likely in preparation for a rodeo.
Welcome to Hotel Tula, where we aim to test you. Or something...
Well...maybe I can hold out for another day.
"Secure parking." Well, it is true that the bike is unlikely to be stolen from there.
As I was walking around Tula to explore the town for cultural gems and ice cream shops, the air suddenly became filled with the sound of a bunch of noisy aftermarket mufflers, and much to my amazement there was a group of five gringos who had entered town and appeared to be searching for their hotel. I was able to track them down a couple of blocks away, and it turned out to be another group of TWT riders that were on a mission to explore the dirt roads of the Sierra Gorda! Running into these guys in Tula, Tamaulipas—what were the odds of that?! That evening, we all went for some dinner at a local restaurant and shared plans and stories over some beers and good food.
The plaza in Tula. As in just about all Latin American towns, this is the social center of the community, and usually the location of the local cathedral/church.
The Church of San Antonio de Padua at the town center.
This building was particularly photogenic, but its significance eluded me.
It seems I'm not the only one with a habit of seeking out ice cream shops after dinner. This one had a particularly interesting selection of ice creams that included cactus fruit.
Day 4: Tula, Tamaulipas to Xilitla, San Luis Potosi (approximately 250 miles)
The next day I woke up to a flat rear tire. I found the puncture (but not the culprit), and was able to plug it fairly quickly. I had hoped to avoid punctures early on in the trip, but at least I was able to deal with it in-town at comfortable morning-hour temperatures. I took Mex-101 southwest past Miguel Hidalgo and into the state of San Luis Potosi, which was a very desolate stretch of road. I then took Mex-85 East through Ciudad del Maiz, after which the road suddenly went from just scenic to fantastic, winding its way across the Sierra Madre past El Naranjo and back into Tamaulipas. In Antiguo Morelos I turned southward onto Mex-85 back into San Luis Potosi yet again and into Ciudad Valles. I took a lunch break at one of the countless comedores on the outskirts of town, before continuing south through the valley and then back up the mountain, taking Mex-120 West into Xilitla. This is quite a fascinating place that sits on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Gorda at an elevation of roughly 676 metres (2,218 ft). Some of the roads in town are pretty steep, and were a bit adventurous to ascend on the ever-voluptuous C-14. One of these roads up into town started as steep, only to further increase its slope right before the next crossroad up top. Good times.
I stayed in Xilitla with a couchsurfing host, who had a place not far from the town center. He was originally from West Virginia, but had been living in Xilitla for over ten years, working for an NGO. This particular town may have also been responsible for starting what became a minor addiction to aqua de horchata, which is a sweet drink with a taste of rice, cinnamon, and a hint of vanilla. Not exactly in line with my race diet, but delicious.
The C-14 always had a lot of fans anywhere I went, and test sitting was always encouraged. This guy in Tula was all smiles.
Mexico is full of beautiful churches. This small chapel was located about 13 miles east of La Hincada, San Luis Potosi.
The road from Tula south into San Luis Potosi was pretty desolate at times. This was about 17 miles northwest of Ciudad del Maiz on Mex-80.
Entering Ciudad del Maiz, San Luis Potosi.
Mex-80 East across the Sierra Madre is fantastic. This picture was taken about 4.5 miles northeast of Ciudad del Maiz, near the village of Magdeleno Cedillo, San Luis Potosi.
Alongside the road ran a creek with crystal-clear water. This was about 2 miles west of El Naranjo, San Luis Potosi.
I stopped for a lunch break at a comedor near Ciudad Valle.
Enchiladas de pollo con cecina (chicken enchiladas with cecina, salted beef or pork that is sundried).
The flora always became more tropical on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre. This photo was taken about 10 miles north of Xilitla, near the village of La Pimienta, San Luis Potosi.
Xilitla, San Luis Potosi: a scenic town with a rugged landscape and largely indigenous culture. The colorful architecture and steep roads make this place exceptionally photogenic.
There are steep roads everywhere in Xilitla, often made of cobblestone.
Riding up roads like this one made me feel like I was trying to engage in a hillclimbing event on the back of a hippo...And I do mean that in a loving way.
The church in Xilitla is particularly beautiful--definitely one of my favorites from this trip.
I stayed with a couchsurfing host in the barely-visible light green building near the top left of this street. You probably need a trials bike to get up there.
I opted for sleeping on the balcony that night, and--thanks to a rain storm--slept like a baby.
Day 5: Xilitla, San Luis Potosi to Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo (approximately 72 miles)
I really wanted to spend a bit of time exploring the roads around Tamazunchale, which was my planned destination for this day. I had a few different routes in mind that I could ride, but wasn't really 100% set on any one in particular--I figured I would just ride into the area and play it by ear. I took Mex-120 northeast to Mex-85 South into Tamazunchale. Once there, I wasn't all that impressed with the town itself, and decided to head elsewhere to throw my anchor for the night. My goal was to ride the roads to the southeast (Mex-102) and southwest (Mex-85) of Tamazunchale, and I decided to head southeast that day, aiming for the town of Huejutla de Reyes in Hidalgo, but not before making a wrong turn and accidentally heading north toward the town of St. Martin. There happened to be a comedor on the side of the road near the village of La Chuchilla, so I decided that it was the perfect time for a quick water break. The lady who ran the place and her teenage daughter thought it was hilarious that I had accidentally turned onto that road when I was really trying to get to Huejutla. It was as if I had climbed a tree in search of the restroom. A small bottle of cane-sugar Coca Cola later I was back on track and took Mex-102 East into Hidalgo. The road started out pretty well, but once I got closer to Huejutla de Reyes, it turned into all concrete with a downright obscene amount of topes. For a while it was as though I would never see third gear again. I finally entered Huejutla de Reyes right at rush hour, and was a bit surprised at the amount of traffic for that size of town (population: 115,000). I pulled into Hotel Oviedo near the plaza, and was immediately positively surprised by the quality of the accommodation, which was basically tourist class for a mere 230 pesos (just under $15). I took a nice shower, cranked up the a/c, relaxed for a bit, and then decided to explore the town, rather than the surrounding roads that day.
My pre-departure breakfast in Xilitla. Tasty as always.
This was the comedor near the village of La Chuchilla. It looks dark in there because it was. Dark as the humor of the mother-daughter duo who ran the place.
Topes are such a major factor of riding in Mexico that they just about deserve their own "chapter." Topes come in a variety of forms: some are tall, some are nearly completely ground down by thousands of cars running over them. Some are metal, others made of concrete; some are marked, others are more of a surprise.
Topes may look fairly innocuous from these pictures, but the first time you unexpectedly encounter one at a decent speed, they do a number on your heart rate.
And another type of tope. If you do any amount of road riding in Mexico, you will be earning a degree in topeology. Well, let's call it an associate's degree. From the University of Phoenix...
The courtyard at Hotel Oviedo in Huejutla de Reyes. I was able to park the bike right outside my room, and the courtyard itself was gated as well.
The rooms at Hotel Oviedo did not disappoint either--an actual tourist class hotel for a a whopping $15/night.
The plaza at Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo. You could rent toys and other entertainment for your kids.
My nose for ice cream shops never lets me down. This town had some of the best aqua de horchata that I had on the entire trip!
What were the odds that I would track down a motorcycle gear shop in Huejutla de Reyes? High, of course! And made a couple of new two-wheeled friends in the process. If you're ever in that region and need some replacement gear, Tienda De Accesorios De Motocicleta Excalibur will set you right up!
Day 6: Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo to Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro (approximately 170 miles)
The next morning, I got up early and decided to take Mex-85 from Tamazunchale southwest. Of course, that meant that I had to go through the ridiculous number of topes again, which were on Mex-102 west of Huejutla de Reyes. Mex-85 SW of Tamzunchale was a nice road, beautifully winding through the mountains with the occasional heart stoppers in the shape of an unmarked tope or menacingly oversized pothole. At one point I was stuck behind a mini truck that was loaded with farm hands, going up the mountain at the speed of fart. When we finally hit a mini straight (which barely deserved that designation to begin with), the people in the truck waved me on to go ahead and pass. This had to happen quickly because the next blind turn was just ahead, so I gave it a good bit of throttle. At the precise moment that I was exactly next to this truck, I realized that I was about to hit a HUGE pothole about the size of Canada that was now impossible for me to evade. I shaved off some speed, then got back on the gas and yanked on the bars as hard as I could just as I hit the pothole. The impact was hard, but the bike made it and didn't incur any damages, so all was well. That one woke me up!
Just south of Huejutla de Reyes, heading back into the Sierra Madre.
A little while later I came across a couple of the usual small-displacement bikes, this time with some of the local teenagers on them. One of these bikes had a rider and two passengers on it, and immediately engaged me in a bit of play race. The two girl passengers were hooting and hollering, and afterwards we all pulled over to exchange some laughs and take some pictures. This was just northeast of the town of Santa Ana de Allende, and was a good turnaround spot for me. Ironically, that ginormous crater of a Canadian pothole nearly got me a second time on my way back. I stayed on Mex-85 northbound, then went southwest on Mex-120 into the state of Querétaro. At that point of the trip, the bike started to act funny, bogging heavily when hard on the throttle. The symptoms disappeared when I filled up the tank, which eased my concerns a bit (for now). I eventually arrived at Jalpan de Serra, where I had another couchsurfing host. That host turned out to be a very nice lady and her family, who ran a local clinic. Jalpan sits right at the heart of the Sierra Gorda, and contains a Franciscan mission that has been declared a World Heritage site. Its a vibrant town that is surrounded by a rugged, hilly landscape that includes a major biosphere reserve. Since I was now close to the half-way point of my journey, I had planned to take a couple of days to explore the surrounding area. My host owned a another, separate house on the outskirts of town that would probably qualify as a hacienda. The setting was beautifully wild, despite its proximity to town, and brought about some good memories of Bolivia.
My new racing buddies Miguel, Vanessa, and Guadalupe, near the town of Santa Ana de Allende.
They looked to be enjoying the test sitting of the C-14.
In the Sierra Madre near the town of Ahuacatlán, which is about 5.5 miles southwest of Xilitla.
This little blue chapel was located in the village of El Madroño, which is about 6 miles east of El Aguacate, Querétaro.
Subtropical flora just north of Chapulhuacán, Hidalgo.
I ran into this group of Mexican bikers just north of El Aguacate. These guys couldn't believe that I was on a C-14 riding through Mexico!
Nora's hacienda. I need to [strike]retire[/strike] live there!
Day 7: Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro to Puente de Dios, Querétaro (by Jeep—no riding)
This was the half-way point of my trip, so I decided to take the day off and explore the area around Jalpan. My partner in crime was my couchsurfing host, Nora, who was nice enough to take me to what turned out to be an amazing little local gem by the name of El Puente de Dios near the village of Rio Escanela for some hiking. To do this, we borrowed her brother's Jeep and off we went down the rugged dirt roads.
My "other bike" turned out to be a Jeep. No complaints here!
The area around Puente de Dios reminded me a bit of the Smoky Mountains.
What a beautiful day in the Sierra Gorda!
The entire area was just breathtakingly gorgeous.
The area was originally the site of a mining operation.
The mining operation has long since ceased, and is now closed off.
Inside the mine it looked like the perfect setting for an Indiana Jones-movie (just kidding, Disney, we don't need another bad sequel!).
A kid at the local store with some very big, curious eyes.
Day 8: Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato (approximately 199 miles)
Day 8 marked the beginning of a three-day tour through the "Golden Triangle," which was to include San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Dolores Hidalgo. I left Jalpan early that morning and headed southwest on a very scenic stretch of Mex-120, down the western slopes of the Sierra Madre, and then east to San Joaquín, which was equally scenic. I grabbed breakfast at a "Colombian" restaurant by the name of El Rincón. They were serving mystery meat tacos, which was good enough to satisfy my appetite.
This was about 6 miles southwest of Jalpan, and just 1.5 miles south of the village Escanelilla.
Phenomenal twisty roads and scenery were standard in the Sierra. This is just south of the turnoff to Puente de Dios.
San Joaquín is an interesting little town that even has an archeological site.
This Colombian restaurant seemed to call my name for some good breakfast. I was starving and ready to eat a horse! Well, a small horse.
As it turned out, the only thing available was tacos. "What kind of tacos?", I asked. "Tacos de carne" (meat tacos), was the response. Mystery meat--my favorite! One order, please.
Tacos de carne. Tasty enough, whatever that was.
On the way back down the mountain, I stopped to snap a quick photo. As I was standing next to the bike, it suddenly rolled off the kickstand and tried hard to piss me off. Thanks to my catlike reflexes and willingness to sacrifice my own health for the well-being of my bike, it didn't fall over or roll down the mountain. Close call. Above is the picture that triggered this: not really worth it, but was going to be included here, even if the entire thing was blurry.
I came across a market in the town of San Javier, which is located about 7 miles northwest of Cadereyta de Montes.
You could buy anything from fruits to bolts at this market. The bolts and other hardware were "gently used."
The church at San Javier, Querétaro.
I kept going westbound on Mex-120 until Ezequiel Montes, and then cut across to Mex-100, which I followed until El Paraiso. From there I took Mex-57D northwest until Mex-111, which led me northwest into the state of Guanajuato and finally into San Miguel de Allende. This is the birthplace of Ignacio Allende, a Lieutenant General in the Mexican Independence movement, and the first municipality that was declared independent of Spanish rule. Today the town is a cultural center in the region, and draws lots of artists and expatriates from all over. To me the town had a vibe similar to that of Santa Fe, NM. I had planned to stay at Hotel Posada El Mayorazgo, which was listed by Sjoerd Bakker (2014), but it no longer existed. There were lots of (pricey) options to pick from, but I had no desire to waste the little time I had for shopping for lodging. After a little bit of reconnaissance, I opted for Hotel Allende, which was in the city center, yet still priced within reason (350 pesos = $22.50/night). The downside was that there was no secure parking available for the bike, so I had to pay a separate parking garage, which was another 200 pesos or so. The one aspect that made San Miguel de Allende less attractive for me was the fact that it was a tourist town. Not only does that tend to make things pricey, but it also has tendency to dilute the local culture a bit, and make people a bit less likely to engage in genuine interactions. Aside from that, it is a beautiful colonial town.
San Miguel de Allende is a vibrant colonial town with beautiful, colorful architecture.
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the parish church of San Miguel.
Templo San Rafael, built in 1564.
This statue of a bull was made by sculptor David Kestenbaum, and it is located at the cultural center Ignacio Ramirez in San Miguel de Allende.
Hotel Allende was located at the city center and still somewhat reasonable. The amount of tourism that this town receives has done quite a job on the prices there.
Day 9: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato to Guanajuato, Guanajuato (approximately 47 miles)
For the short ride to Guanajuato, I decided to take the southern route via GTO-67 and Mex-110 into the city center. This town of roughly 170,000 is an old mining town that was founded in the 16th century, and is geographically situated in a narrow valley. As a result, the town layout as a whole is very narrow--there simply is no space. Many of the streets are both steep and narrow, and the layout overall was quite difficult to navigate in. Because of its history of being a mining town, the entire city is inundated by mining tunnels, which makes driving there both fascinating and challenging, as the signage is pretty vague and the tunnels at times split somewhat unexpectedly. I had a couchsurfing host near the city center, but finding and then getting to the right street turned out to be rather challenging. Guanajuato was a very dynamic, vibrant town, and I almost immediately fell in love with it. If San Miguel de Allende was like Santa Fe, then Guanajuato was the closest thing to New Orleans that I had yet to encounter in Mexico. A friendly, cultural town that was not too shy to celebrate life and itself.
At one point I was getting a wild hair, and decided to explore this road to the East of San Martín del Terrero. I got over the wild hair after a few miles.
At the city center of Guanajuato.
La Catedral de Guanajuato.
Part of the University of Guanajuato.
Dia de los muertos-decor at Casa Ofelia, a small restaurant, where I had something other than Mexican food for the first time on this trip. Pasta!
More decor at Casa Ofelia.
The mining tunnels in Guanajuato were a mixed bag--I loved the idea, but found them pretty challenging to navigate at times.
Many of the streets in Guanajuato were incredibly narrow. Some of them were too narrow to fit both a car and a pedestrian. I presume that the law of tonnage prevails.
Bike night at Guanajuato--one of those bikes is not like the others...
My couchsurfing host Rebeca and her friends gave me a sample of Guanajuato's night life. What a great group!
This is mezcal flavored with peanuts and other things. Some of these were surprisingly good.
Guanajuato at night: even better than during the day!
"Getting another drink" invariably meant getting another shot of mezcal. I must remember this fine, but critical detail!
I had an absolute blast that night! Thanks to Rebeca, Victor, and everyone else for making that one especially memorable!
Day 10: Guanajuato, Guanajuato to Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato (approximately 35 miles)
The next morning, I looked a bit groggier than usually...
Yes, I decided to recover from the debauchery of the previous night at the mummy museum, which seemed fitting.
The mummies on display at the mummy museum were exhumed in the 19th and 20th century due to a burial tax that was charged for perpetual burial. If the burial tax wasn't paid, then the bodies were exhumed, and some of them turned out to have been mummified.
There is something very cool and fascinating about the process of mummification.
This one shall haunt you in your sleep!
Every time someone shows me baby pictures, this is about what I see.
I absolutely loved Guanajuato and will definitely be back!
Later that day it was time to head toward the final stop within the golden triangle--the town of Dolores Hidalgo. That town was a mere 35 miles to the East of Guanajuato, and the hardest part was getting out of Guanajuato, without getting lost in the maze of tunnels, hills, and narrow one-way/one-vehicle streets. I eventually made it out of there and cruised up the very scenic but heavily graded Mex-101 northeast into Dolores Hidalgo, or Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, as the full name goes in Spanish. This town of about 55,000 people is famous for being the place where Miguel Hidalgo produced his Grito de Dolores in 1810 in front of the parish church. That outcry marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Colonial Spain. I stayed at the Hotel La Ribera, which was still within walking distance from the plaza and had secure, gated parking. The price was 350 pesos ($23 dollars), which was still within reason.
Dolores is a small but friendly town and sits just north of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.
The large statue of Miguel Hidalgo at the town center in celebration of his Grito de Dolores.
The Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows is the oldest religious building in Dolores Hidalgo. It was closed in 1755.
There was a wedding at the cathedral at Dolores Hidalgo.
Beautiful architecture adjacent to the plaza. This looked to be a building of the municipal government.
It was election time, so the plaza was bustling with a campaign event.
A motorcycle cop in Dolores Hidalgo. While I was taking this picture, his colleagues were busy teasing him for now being "Mr. Official."
This small restaurant at the plaza fit the bill for dinner.
The hand-written menu. Remember, prices are in pesos (15 pesos = approx. USD $1)
I went with the enchiladas verdes. Delicious!
They didn't have my aqua de horchata, so I had to go with aqua de Jamaica (a sort of hibiscus punch) instead. It reminded me a bit of Hawaiian Punch.
Hotel La Ribera in Dolores Hidalgo.
Secure, gated, covered hotel parking.
The room was clean, but where is the bathroom? All I see is a closet.
Ah, a secret bathroom, disguised as a closet. Clever.
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