Mexico City to Oaxaca Ride Day 2

Last Sunday I left my home and Tuesday we traveled to Mexico City. We’ve had one day of non riding since then. Today is Sunday.

Chingar should be included on any list of the most important words in the Mexican language; as it’s also very well used and good for all sorts of things, like when you miss your turn, I (chingar) I missed my turn; or I chingar I missed it again, and so on.

At one point this morning Joey the Lord got us so lost that I stopped looking at the time and started looking at the temperature rising from 53 degrees up to 63 degrees; I chingar, I now smell the breakfast burritos as we again pass by for the 12th time. Getting out of Mexico City can be tough work.

Ahh chingar now I smell lunch; or the best one yet, last night our small group of four gringos ate at La Fuente Restaurant, next door to the AC Marriott hotel and we got chingared with the bill.

They charged us for two bottles of wine when we only consumed one. It was a lovely 3,550 pesos bottle. Each sip was so ever tasteful; and the food was made for the gods; we would’ve gladly given up all our pesos but, don’t chingar me hombre!

OK enough of anything negative my friends because today were it not for our little mishaps, including leaving at 0800 vs the planned 0700; we actually enjoyed the Mexican city tour.

They were gearing up for a bicycle race as we rode by so, all the police were out in force with blue lights flashing; in a welcome to Mexico City sort of way.

We love their police and a cuota (toll) road that masquerades as a motorcycle track. We never saw so many sport, Harley, you name it; the bikes numbered in the 100’s. The police never bothered to slow or stop anyone on a motorcycle. They only were present when it was time to pick up the carnage. We saw two such accidents.

At times we felt like celebrities as photographers were stationed at most every turn. Our KTM Alaskan Todd used up most of his brakes today as we were now on a Mexican autobahn style speedway. And some of us raced sport and super bikes. 145 mph is not an exaggeration, not me but, a KTM 1290 Adventure bike.

We were going so fast on this autobahn that everyone blew by our exit. Todd was now on his own and so was I but, somehow we all wound up taking a u turn and coming back together.

From there it just got better and better and so did my personal best riding. I am now a no-fear rider being one with the bike thanks to my riding brothers. Right now my right hand is calloused and blistered but, I can’t wait till tomorrow when we ride to the ocean. Our mileage today was over 300 miles and tomorrow around 200 miles.

Today we rode out of Mexico City towards Oaxaca and it was a 333 mile day. The rest of the group of guys and gals that I first met yesterday, left at 0700, so as to beat the city traffic.

We are basically four groups with anyone free to choose their poison. That is, if anything or anyone offends your ride style in any way, you can easily ingratiate yourself into another group but first, you should pay a “mordito”.

The mordito can be satisfied by paying for lunch, dinner or drinks. One of our riders, who shall remain anonymous, from another group, miscalculated instructions at the toll booth so, when he went, the toll booth pole came flat down on his head, ah chingar!

We on the other hand left at 0800 so as to add to our adventures; and we did, chingar.

This morning while we were lost I observed many industrious Mexican people doing everything at work and play; from scissors sharpening to broom making; all done manually. And today is Sunday, supposed to be a day of rest but, many were doing things we take for granted back home like planned events.

So, do you know much about Mexico? You probably already know that Mexico touches the US on its southern border and that people here speak Spanish. And you also may have heard of dangerous cartels everywhere. We haven’t felt unsafe at anytime. The most unsafe I felt was on my own doing on the twisties road; yet, to me I felt like I was at a riding clinic. I should be paying Joey, Todd and Chris for the lessons.

And if you didn’t catch up from a previous story some of the peoples around the places we travel to have ancestors who were able to develop governments, make awesome astronomical discoveries and even come up with their very own writing system.

These people were so smart that they grew corn capable of feeding their entire population. They even had rubber trees. Today we observed Mexican people within the last three hundred miles traveling on anything from foot, burro, bicycle, Italika, and even super bikes.

The town of Oaxaca is worth a visit. If you’ve been to Key West and to watch the sunset; they have something similar here with the street performers in the town square. Sorry, I didn’t get any pictures.

Pleasant dreams as we just got back to our hotel and it’s now nearly midnight.

Trawlercat