Elation after frustration

From Mainland MEX

It´s amazing and slightly pathetic how easily our moods are affected by the amount of traffic and the feeling of solitude we get on this trip. A couple of weeks ago, we were fed up with riding in mainland Mex. Entering and leaving Guadalajara was pure hell. A 6 lane highway with speeding traffic and cars leaving exits is a recipe for cycling unhappiness that we presribed for ourselves. Riding through a heavily populated farming area before and after Los Reyes had us huffing fumes from fires that farmers set in every valley. The rain and chilly descents on the way to Morelia and lightning worries...blah blah blah.

From Mainland MEX

and then we see things like this;

From Mainland MEX

Recently though, there has been no negative side. We delt with one day of rain leaving Morelia, hiding under bus stops frequently, and the rest has been gravy. Quiet roads. Lots of big climbs, lots of big descents. With the ascending comes large trees, thick forests, and clean air. We´ve been fortunate enough to spend days on end staring at large snow-capped volcanoes in the distance. Lucky to have our minds blown while staring at millions of butterflies awaken, and then surround us. Most recetly we went into an enormous cave system outside of Taxco.

From Mainland MEX

Again, we were required to go on part of a guided tour. This tour had a slightly cheesy feel to it, but it was worth it to see what we saw. The stalactites and stalagmites were unbelievable. The national park had done a nice job lighting up the cave and putting a sidewalk and stairs through the thang! High cathedral ceilings. Crystals glinting in the stalactites. Cave paintings. The experience was nearly the complete opposite from the Monarch Reserve (dark and still), but was equally amazing.

From Mainland MEX

From Mainland MEX

From Mainland MEX

Yesterday we rode into Taxco after some climbing to get a good view of Mexico´s largest peak. Orizaba is the 3rd largest peak in North America, and it dominated the sky with it´s glaciers reminscent of the way Ranier dominates so much of Washington. We dropped down and were staring at Taxco, clinging to a steep hillside. Every road seems to go steeply up or steeply down. Never before have we seen a road like this, or a town like this. Taxco is considered the first mining town in North America, so naturally there are loads of old and preserved buildings. The church was built in 1543, and the carvings inside are all covered in 23.5 karat gold...a sign of the money this town had at the time. Walking around town is a test of fitness since you are always ascending or descending. We found amazing quesedillas and gorditas stuffed with any meat imaiginable for $.50 USD. We repeated this food for lunch today...

From Mainland MEX

...and now we leave.

From Mainland MEX

We´ve come up with a challenging route to reach the state and capital of Oaxaca. We´ll have a day or two that will be easy, then possibly around a week cutting through the mountains that drop all the way to the coast, the Sierra Madre de Sur. We know it´ll be beautiful. After a few days in Oaxaca, if we´re feeling up to it, we´ll climb out of those legendary valleys and back into the mountains to drop down to the Pacific and follow that to the state of Chiapas. We´re now in our 8th mexican state, with quite a few to go. Quite a few mountains to climb, beaches to snorkle on, local grown cafe to sip on, and Mayan ruins to climb.

From Mainland MEX

mexican roads have tons of obstacles;

From Mainland MEX

From Mainland MEX