Day 581
Desert to jungle
Whilst in Tula I had fitted Tom a new pair of pedals as the old ones had developed a click, bearings going we thought! We thought wrong, the click was from his bottom bracket. Now it had done less than 3,000 miles and were expecting it to last another 3,000, but no it was on its last legs. Fortunately Adventure Bikes in Xalapa had the part and could fit it, the question was could Tom's bike make the 210 miles?
We decided to just push on and get the miles done. Out went endless dirt tracks and big hills and in came bigger roads and more tarmac. The views weren’t the most stunning and one busy section of road was hell, fortunately at one really awful bit a wonderful man in a truck, stuck his hazard lights on and drove at bike pace behind us, thumbs up to yet another wonderful Mexican driver.
Day one we managed 60 miles, leaving 140 which we planned to do in two days. I struggle to eat much when cycling and this means I can easily get exhausted, so today I forgot all about healthy eating and stuffed myself with chocolate bars and donuts. Felt fantastic! 70 miles done, no problem!
Our last day promised to be easier. Most of the hills were in the bag, we hoped, by setting of extra early to beat most of the awful head wind that had been in our faces since leaving Puerto Vallarta. Didn’t work, the wind just got up with us. We had a few miles on road then it was dirt for us. As well as slowing us down it’s dam painful at times but we pushed on. Finally just 20 miles to go and downhill apart from one little tiny hill, hardly worth mentioning, I thought!
The downhill actually proved to be a downhill, it was fantastic, we had to slow a bit for the endless speed bumps that are everywhere in Mexico, then avoid all the various food sellers who wander into the traffic as it slows over the bumps, but we kept on going. Finally just 4 miles or so to go Komoot said turn right away from the lovely smooth tarmac. Tom explained this diversion saved miles and brought us to the right side of the steep hills in the city. It wasn’t too bad, a rough chalky road, then beep from my Garmin! Take the muddy track uphill, the one next to a mud bath. I protested but Tom said it’s going to be ok. We pushed on up, it was too steep to ride, we appeared to be heading into a jungle, then beep again. We were on the wrong track, we should have taken the very muddy one which led deep downhill into that jungle. We both agreed it wasn’t a great idea so returned to the chalky road. Not as direct but rideable. We were worried it would lead us up into the mountains but no , well apart from one hill that was ‘on the edge’ of what we could ride it was all downhill. Get in! We’d made it. Back on tarmac we re-joined our Komoot route. Will we never learn. A steep downhill led us to what I presume was the remains of an avalanche some years back. A solid wall of vegetation, we would have to turn round. Except Tom’s not for turning! Over the years the locals and the rain have made a narrow deeply rutted track and on it we went. There may have been a few expletives but finally, looking a bit like we’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, we arrived in civilization! Xalapa we have arrived!
