USA and Mexico – Renew Ride

And so my adventures in Mexico, my first country outside 'Merica, have come to an end. Three sweet long months in this magical place called Mexico have concluded with a tour of several breathtaking sites of ancient Mayan ruins. For those of you who are interested in Maya ruins, enjoy the photos that follow. For those of you who do not....maybe you should reconsider what is most important in life (family, friends, Mexican ruins...). I mean come on! These people made incrediblevstructures without the wheel or metal tools, they were astronomical geniuses, and they played sports instead of war! Maybe they weren't 100% accurate with the End of the World prediction, but we all get a couple wrong sometimes don't we?

The grand daddy of them all, El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza. The ruins here are named one of the new 7 wonders of the world

Inside El Palacio in the ruins of Palenque

This massive ball court, called El Gran Juego de Pelota, was used to settle disputes, an alternative to battle between Mayan Tribes. The best warriors would wear leather belts and attempt to move 10 pound balls through small stone circles some 20 feet in the air using only their hips. The losers were decapitated. This 135 meter court felt like a mix between a Harry Potter quidditch match and a scene out of the Never Ending Story.

Here is a better look at the stone rings of a smaller Juego de Pelota court at the ruins of Coba

First night camping on the Gulf of Mexico

Pedicab drivers strategically wait for tourists to finish climbing the Pyramids of Coba. Enervated, the tourists happily jump on board these Mexican styled Pedicabs to cruise back to the visitor center.

Waterfalls of Agua Azul in Chiapas, Mexico

Cool street art outside of Chetumal, Mexico

Mexico, te amo. From your butt cracks to your roof top clothes dryers, to your trucks packed with machine gun waving military and little peregrinos alike. I don’t mind that you charge me for water, so long as I share mine too. How simple you are, how tough you are, always finding a way to survive. I can marvel in every corner of you, and learn about the stories behind each. Your people have a warmth that surprised me, and they took care of me and showed me the very best of Mexico, themselves. You are spiritual Mexico, and I still don’t understand you completely, but I thank you. Mexico you are mystical and wonderful, and you quench my thirst for such wonders. I will miss you Mexico, I will miss your tacos, whatever the price may have been. Maybe I will learn to make tortillas one day so I can feel close to you again, and learn to play San Jorocho on a little guitar to share your sounds. Hasta luego Mexico, que lo vaya bien.

Mexicans celebrate Christmas with a big dinner late in the evening on Christmas Eve with everyone in the family. This video shows the family sharing hugs and kisses right after midnight on Christmas morning.

In southeastern Oaxaca you will find a very windy stretch of land between the towns of La Ventoas y La Venta. Mexicans have harnessed the incredible power of the wind with hundreds of wind turbines across several wind farms. I was warned that if I tried to cross this wind zone I would be blown off my bike. And I was, more than once.El Aguacero Waterfall in Chiapas Mexico

El Aguacero waterfall in Chiapas Mexico

A view from one of Mexico's fishing ports, Puerto Angel, as the fishermen come in from a day's work.

I took in the New Year on one of Mexico's nude beaches, Playa Zipolite. While I can't show pictures from during the day... here is a video from some of the evenings festivities!

El Aguacero #2

I arrived at a beach town in Oaxaca one night and met a family (the family in my boat) who was visiting from Mexico City. Within 4 minutes they offered me a cool beverage and invited me to join them on a boat tour looking for crocodiles. We didn't see many crocs but we did spend a pretty evening on the water, spotting iguanas, several species of birds, and enjoying a tasty Oaxacan dinner after. Mexican kindness at its finest.

Oxacans are known for their festive parades through the streets. This was La Calenda parade for La Virgen de la Soledada. The music, dancing, dresses, giant dolls, and religious figures made for the strongest display of culture I have seen so far.

Some of the members of the Oaxaca Night Runners Club after their night run up and down one of Oaxaca's hills

Oaxacans love to make tlayudas with big tortillas, local cheese, and occasionally crickets

View looking down into the Oaxacan valley from one of the taller pueblos, Benito Juarez, over 10k ft

The streets of El Pueblo de Amatlan were filled with signs with short sayings. These read "Only the wise discuss. The rest impose their ideas" and "The only value: respect; and everything would be perfect

Some of the many dancing doll figures in the parade

Los Mexicanos celebrate the 9 days leading up to Christmas with Posadas, big parties with song, prayer, tasty food and the distribution of sweets as shown in the video

View of the impressive Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman in Oaxaca city

Just outside of Oaxaca is one of only two beautiful petrified waterfalls in the world

Detailed designs inside the small ruins of Mitla

El Arbol de Tule has the world's largest tree trunk. They wouldn't let me climb it.

Thank you spring water of Sierra Juarez for being cool and delicious

View from the lovely Sierra Juarez mountains

Ferry pulling into Mazatlan

The Sierra Madre mountain range is filled with dozens of bridges, tunnels, and cool mountain spring water that costs $0 pesos.

My Iphone broke when in the Northern Central Highlands, so I have to borrow this photo. Zacatecas is an enchanting silver mining town filled with culture and a rich history, playing a big role in Mexico's Revolution a couple centuries ago.

I took a Saturday off in Durango, passing the afternoon with some of the local cyclists. 2 points for Jahaziel.

Coconut tastes better when using a machete

This is the Baluarte Bridge in the Sierra Madre Mountain range between Mazatlan and Durango, Mexico. I learned after crossing it that it is the second highest bridge in the world. Yep, It seemed pretty tall when crossing it.

Another borrowed picture, this of the streets of Guanajuato. The beautiful town is filled with colorful narrow streets, and a series of underground tunnels below allows pedestrians to rule the streets day and night.

Xochitl and Guillermo live in Leon, Mexico. They treated me to a fun night out on the town where I tried Guacamayas (fried pork skin and avocado sandwich), and listened to local music.

Potable water is precious in the desert states of Baja California, and we have been drinking roughly 6 liters each day.

A shot from Coco's Corner. Coco lost both of his legs and decided to ride his wheelchair alone for 250 miles into the middle of the desert to find a place to live. He has had many visitors since, including us.

Pascual, a global traveler from Switzerland (ptitb.net).

Most nights in Baja California mean sleeping next to big cacti. Mexico puts the United States to shame when it comes to size and variety of cactus. Come on Arizona, step your cactus game up.

Puertocitos, Baja California

Pascual, Melanie and Vincent, and I after celebrating Pascual's three year anniversary on the road. We celebrated with a tasty fish fry, a series of presents for Pascual, and a night sky filled with shooting stars. I taught them how to make smores for the first time, and I felt American.

I think Corona comes here to film their commercials.

Another Baja morning.

First night sleeping with Los Bomberos (firefighters). We woke up in the middle of the night to their fire alarm, and first thing in the morning to the sound of dance music from their neighbors.

Another Baja evening.

On the 2nd of November, Mexicans celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, a time when families remember their loved ones who have passed away. I did not know what to expect regarding this holiday, but was pleased with what I found. Staying with a family in the small town of San Ignacio, I was invited to an exhibition of several Dia de Los Muertos memorials that the students at the local school arranged. I learned how they take this time to remember those who have passed, preparing memorials with the dead's favorite foods, memorabilia, flowers, and candles. What was particularly interesting was how this was a weaker tradition in Baja California, as Baja is a more touristy area with a greater American and European influence. I listened to the principal of the school encourage all of the students to embrace this great Mexican tradition. And what a great tradition it is. Do you know very much about your great grandparents? I don't. Dia de Los Muertos is a wonderful time to celebrate the life of the deceased in our families, and an opportunity to educate children on the life of their ancestors. Below are a few pictures of the Mexican holiday:

Crossing the border from the USA into Mexico is rather easy. 20$USD ( o $320 pesos mexicanos) and a weird look from a soldier carrying an assault rifle and you are in Mexico! I rode a couple of days on my own before I bumped into Vincent and Melanie, a French couple travelling through the Americas on their bicycles (lasellerit.com). We met at sundown, made small talk, and agreed to meet the following morning to discuss more important matters like biking together. Our formal business meeting lasted roughly 45 seconds when we agreed to bike together for a bit. Melanie just finished her studies in France and is now a Family Doctor, and Vincent is an electrical engineer with experience in both the private and non profit sectors. At the time of writing this, we have biked together over the mountain range of Baja California into San Felipe, Mexico. Our days have consisted of discussing politics, educating one another on Spanish vocabulary and French wine and cheese, and eating delicious tacos at the many taquerias on the penninsula.

I was happy to finally reach Southern California. Mainly to see some family and friends one last time in the States, but also to escape the rain and flat tires that plagued me in Arizona. I first crossed the Mojave Desert, more than 100 miles of absolutely nothing. I would share the poem I wrote about the Mojave, but l left it for lost travelers next to the Iron Mountain World War 2 military training camp. After surviving the desert, I rode along a massive wind farm near North Palm Springs, and through miles of stoplights on my way into Los Angeles. A restful weekend with my big brother in LA meant swimming in the Pacific along the beaches of Malibu, and jumping from a plane at more than 12,000 ft. I then made my way south towards Mexico, but not before seeing a friend who I biked across the country with 4 years ago. Our weekend of fun in San Diego was the perfect ending to a great trip across America.

One morning we were stopped by a couple of starving dogs on the side of the road. We got these little guys, who we named Choco and Peanut, to follow us for a mile into the next town. We bought them food and dug up some ribs and chicken from the grocery dumpster. They were well fed and ready for a home. None of the locals were interested in giving them a home, so we were ready to take them with us. Luckily just before we left, a lady who worked for the local humane society stopped by and offered to take them in. Great to know that we took care of these two, our little brother and sister.

I rolled into Chester IL on the edge of the Mississippi River. Fun fact, Popeye the sailor is from Chester. A couple local fishermen going out for Catfish offered me stinky rotten cheese bait and advised I camp on an embankment next to the river. I voted yes, and so did the sheriff in the local jail when I asked his permission amidst the yelling of inmates. I slept to the quiet sound of barges rolling by, and the noisy sound of dogs barking at me and sniffing my presence. Just as I was about to take off in the morning I saw a man canoeing down the river. Alan Palmer managed to hear me and came over for an hour long conversation. He had been canoeing from Montana since May and was headed towards New Orleans. Crazy to think, life on a canoe, with enough food an water in the boat for days at a time. Alan took off and so did I. After crossing the river I met another couple travellers Naomi and Jaime of trashfreeway.com had been travelling the TransAmerica bike route for almost 40 days from Virginia. They flagged me down as I passed a gas station, we exchanged food and started biking together. A day filled with questions, giggles and breaks led us to Farmington Missouri where they were going to stay at a Bike Hostel. There I met the third member of their team, Rane, a professional saxaphonist and exotic fruit grower from Miami. The evening was fun filled as yet another biker joined us at the hostel. Connor was coming from Washington solo on his way to Maine. We ate, sang, and talked everything life on the road.

South of Louisville Kentucky in the middle of Bourbon country lies a little nugget of heaven: The Abbey of Gethsemani monastery. There is a popular monk there named Brother Paul Quenon. Paul is a published poet, photographer, friend of Thomas Merton, and appointed Uncle in our family. I rode into the monastery in time for Vespers, one of the times of prayer held before dinner. After prayer I ate a potluck dinner with Brother Paul and his local friend Finden Johnson, published author of several books. We ate on the front porch of Thomas Merton's old hermitage. The sun set in the hills of Kentucky as we ate, drank, and talked about the cultivation of marijuana in Kentucky and survival on international roads.

Paul sleeps under an open wood shed (shown below) 365 days a year. So I join him. He wakes up before me for the 3:15 am Vigils prayer. The evenings there in Bardstown Kentucky are filled with fog, intense moonlight, and the howling of dogs looking for late night conversation. Paul and I had a busy day as we hiked up and down the knobs of the Monastery property. In the heat of the afternoon we cooled off by swimming in one of the many small lakes. We felt at peace. After more prayer we ate toasted cheese sandwiches and drank wine overlooking the property. I have yet to find a more peaceful place in this world than the Monastery. Paul is my spiritual guide, and I thank him for his guidance and fun.

Boren Indiana

Shout out to Becky and Terry OConnor who fed me a great dinner and breakfast after meeting them at their bible study in Boren Indiana!

Hoosier Weekend in Indy

After the first two days of biking and 165 miles on the tires, it was time to hang out with my big sis Christine in Indianapolis. The weekend was fun filled with a trip to the Indiana State Fair, a walk along the Indy canal, and a night out in Broad Ripple to watch some stand up comedy. So great hanging out with my sis!

Walk along Indy Canal

BLOG POSTS

Adios Mexico, I’m ruined!

Mexio Love Poem

Feliz Navidad, Naked New Year, and a Wind Farm

A Pilgrimage to La Virgen de Juquila

A Oaxaca

Monte Alban ruins

Mezcal, the Father of Tequila

Veracruz

Offering to the Sleeping Volcano

The Center of the Universe

Adios Baja, Hola Mexico

Baja California

Dia de Los Muertos

French in Baja California

Southern Cali

Arizona

Colorado

Kansas

Taking care of our brother and sister

Missouri- Hot and Hilly

More of Missouri

The Mississippi

Kentucky

A Monastery Visit

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