No Fixed Address: Estados de Oaxaca y Veracruz

On March 12th I rode out of Puerto Escondido and continued in a southerly direction along highway 200. Within an hour I would exit the highway and ride the 10 Kilometres into the village of Puerto Angel. In this community I would achieve another milestone – this would mark the most southerly point I would reach on this particular journey. From here hence forward all roads lead north. I located a place in the shade – sat back and pondered the moment. Over the past ten months my trusty steed and I have been from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Inuvik in Canada's Northwest Territories and now we sit Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico – truly amazing.

Back on the highway my ride would take me into the communities of Bahia de Huatulco and Salina Cruz. Along this stretch I would once again be stopped at an army check point. These stops are now very common and have become an acceptable norm. I've developed a procedure on how to progress through these checks. If requested to stop - I pull over – shut the engine down – dismount – remove helmet and sunglasses. I look them in the eye and with plenty of smiles and my very poor Spanish I proceed to tell them about my ride. Someone will indicate they want to inspect a box or bag. “Absolutely my friend let have a look”. The young soldier would quickly inspect the box / bag - smile and say “Okay”. At this point the focus of attention becomes the bike and more questions about the journey. By the time I suit-up and ride off the mood is very relaxed – another pleasant encounter.

This days ride would end in Santo Domingo Tehuantepec but before I would arrive in this city I would have to seek directions. This route I was riding don't appear to correspond with my map – At the first opportunity I stopped at a gas station / restaurant service area. There I encountered two heavily armed uniformed guards. I assumed they were posted there to keep some of the locals honest. With map in-hand I approached one of them. A very friendly individual he was – I was informed I had missed a turn 20 Kilometres from where I come. I then retraced my tracks and eventually made my way to Santo Domingo Tehuantepec. I booked a room at the Hotel Guiexhoba. The cool air conditioned room provided relief from the sweltering heat of the day's ride . That evening I was treated to an excellent meal of fish at the hotel's restaurant at a total cost of $110.00 Pesos / $11.00 Dollars which including two beer.

On March 13th I commenced my trek inland and headed towards the Gulfo de Mexico. This ride will take me through a region known as the Istmo / Isthmus de Tehuantepec. This is a hot low-lying parcel of land where the temperature climbs into the thirties. The route skirted the foot hills of the Seirra Madre Sur where these mountains where seldom out of view throughout this section of Mexico's narrowest point. Foreign visitors are few in this region and locals are curious to see pale skin – fair hair - blue eyed Gringos. The Zapotec culture which has been past down from an ancient civilization is rich in this region. Many woman wear big printed skirts which are embroidered with colorful silk flowers and wear odd headgear. It was not unusual to see farm carts being pulled by teams of oxen as I rode through villages. It was interesting to compare that mode of transportation to that of my trusty steed – a trade I wouldn't entertain. This days ride ended in the town of Catemaco population 25,000. This town is located on the western shore of beautiful Laguna Catemaco a large oval lake approximately 16 kilometres long. The evening breeze from the lake and the higher elevation at 340 metres provided for a very comfortable nighttime temperature. It was very pleasant to sit on the lake facing balcony of my room at Hotel del Brujo and enjoy the beauty of the surrounds. I would remain in this town for the next three days.

From Catemaco I would ride along route 185 to the City of Veracruz (population 600,000). It was a welcoming relief to finally get to ride along the shores of the Gulfo de Mexico and enjoy the freshness of it's sea breeze. This region's landscape is rich and lush in vegetation. This grazing animals along this route appeared to be much better nourished then most I've had observed throughout this country. This rich futile land has supported life in this region for thousands of years. The Olmec, mesoamerica's earlies known civilization built their first great centre around 1200 BC. The Spaniard Hernan Cortes arrived in April 1519 - within two years the Ancient civilizations which were nearly 3000 years old was shattered by tiny groups of invaders who destroyed these empire - brought new religion to Mexico and reduced the natives to second class citizens and slaves. Fast forward to today Veracruz is a very modern city - It is Mexico's most important deep water port – handling around 70% of the exports to the Americas and Europe. It is also a centre for manufacturing and the petro-chemical industries.

I would remain in Veracruz for twelve days. During this period my daughter Tania would arrive from Victoria, British Columbia for a six day visit. Also joining us was Tania's childhood friend and travel buddy Julie who arrived from Ottawa. It was a pleasure to spend time with these very accomplished young ladies and season travelers. A wonderful visit we enjoyed - our shared accommodations at the beach resort of Hotel Playa Paraiso provided a great environment to simply kick-back / relax – share some great food – early morning runs with a favorite running partner – sit around the pool & catch-up on some reading – mid afternoon treats & walks on the beach. This six day visit was a great way to wrap my amazing 3.5 months adventure throughout Mexico. Following Tania and Julie's return to Canada I commenced my three day trek north to Brownsville, Texas.