From La Paz we ventured south for the last time on Baja. We were unimpressed with Cabo which was busy, touristy and expensive and having heard that there were more problems with the ferry to Mazatlan, we decided to leg it back to La Paz on the bus! We stayed with the warm showers hosts Tuly and Jesus (a common name here but pronounced hezuz) and arrived to find Anya and Radko along with a Korean couple already there. It is common for Tuly to have this many cyclists staying – she once had eleven in one night. Not only does she provide beds and showers but also delicious home cooked food in abundance – a legend in cycle touring circles. The Korean couple are travelling North on a tandem and have been travelling on and off by bike for 9 years, they have written 3 books and are celebrities in Korea – incredible.
The ferry to Mazatlan was cancelled so we changed our tickets to go to Topolobampo with Anya and Radko, sharing the cost of the cabin for the overnight crossing and feeling safer to be travelling as a four to an apparently dodgy area. From Topolobampo we cycled to Los Mochis where we caught a bus to Mazatlan, managing to persuade the driver to carry us, all four bikes and twenty two bags! Mazatlan was buzzing with carnival fever. We arrived in the chaotic darkness…cars and people everywhere. Despite the hour there was a marked humidity that we hadn’t felt before…a taste of things to come!
After a few days in Mazatlan enjoying the attractive city, the carnival and the hostel’s rooftop terrace, we said adios to Anya and Radko and set off to the bus station once more. Catching the bus rather than cycling to Tepic due to a tight schedule to meet Toity (my aunt) and Barney in three days time. We were hosted in Tepic by Alex, a Mexican cycle touring enthusiast who has travelled all over Mexico by bike. He gave us some useful advice and a safe place to camp in his garden, nestled between the coconut and avocado trees. On Alex’s advice we set off on a quieter road to Chapala – Tepic is already at 3000ft and we were heading for the coast so we had an incredible ride through the mountains on a quiet road with lots of awesome winding downhill. It is much more verdant and lush here, everything is green and we passed through as many bustling towns and villages in one day as we would in a week on Baja.
Our phones are confused because we are so close to the border between time zones, so they regularly wake us up an hour early. Due to this we have actually been leaving in decent time in the mornings – essential in the heat. The 50 miles from Chapala to Nueva Vallarta were tough, the road was busy with trucks, buses and cars and wound dangerously round steep corners and up and down hills. The heat was energy sapping and I became overheated quickly. We had to stop for longer than usual just to bring the body temperature back down in order to continue. However, we successfully made it to meet Toity and Barney at an apartment by the beach and had a lovely couple of days catching up, relaxing and travelling by car to see things – novel! Toity joined Sam and rode Bertie from Nueva Vallarta to Sayulita, Barney and I followed in the car with all the luggage. Toity got a taste of what we do most days and I got an extended rest! Now for a few more days rest before heading inland towards Guadalajara and hopefully cooler climate!
Out for a Spin 