From the Copper Canyons my next anchor point and place with a Mexican contact was Hidalgo de Parral. Taking a cursory glance at my map I estimated three days to get there. Oh how I underestimated the terrain! While I did get there in three days some of the riding was pretty brutal. Climbs and descents of 1000ft to 2000ft were pretty frequent but, the tougher the terrain, the more spectacular the scenery. My photos don't really do the landscape justice; it was a genuinely exhilarating ride, the best road riding of the trip with very little traffic to contend with for once.
Pushing on, I didn't give myself much time to stop in the villages along the way but I did enjoy the variety they added to the landscape. Especially atmospheric first thing in the morning with mist rising, cockerels crowing, people preparing breakfast, many of these villages seemed rather forgotten by time.
As posted on Facebook, this was not the most salubrious of campsites being just a few metres from the road. However, when you've put in a shift of 92 miles through the mountains, if you've got flat ground you just zip up the tent, close out the world, lie down and sleep. At the very least, my pitch was screened from the road by trees so I felt safe from any unwanted human attention. My phone just ran out of battery before I could take a picture of the previous night's pitch high up on a rocky track above a deep canyon. At night you are serenaded by a marvellous orchestra of insect sounds, chirping rhythmically from all angles. The chorus is most intense just after dark and gradually thins out through the night until, by dawn, it is silent (and time to get up).
Having suffered a bit (a lot) to get Parral I was relieved and in extraordinarily high spirits to arrive here. This is my first stop in a city with significant colonial architecture and such a contrast to the preceding towns and villages which have more of a ranching/farming feel to them. My gallant steed is in the bottom left of the picture; riding fully loaded through a city you attract a bit of attention, all positive, curious and good natured.
My contact in Parral is Aida, who runs a restaurant in town. She likes beer and good food so we've been getting on well! Also, she represents part of a movement that is bringing change to attitudes in Mexico. Though the church dominates many peoples' lives here in a way that it no longer does in the UK, there is a LGBT community across the country that is becoming more visible.
I was honestly so hyperactively excited to be in Parral that I went to bed really late (enjoying the luxury of Wifi and streamed radio) and was up at day break to see the city waking up. Result, the rest of the day I was exhausted and listless, walking around the city like a zombie. Must make better use of rest days and/or don't ride multiple 80+ mile days through the mountains.
Better use of a rest day - proper sleep followed by visiting the local sights such as Palacio Alvarado. This was the home of a wealthy family who owned the local silver mines. They were so rich that they offered to pay Mexico's national debt. Being taken around by a guide in Spanish was a sobering lesson that I still have a long way to go with the language. While I got the gist of the message I am acutely aware that my vocabulary is fairly limited and I will need to be proactive in expanding it.
So I'll be back on the road tomorrow heading in the direction of Durango. To save myself the ignominy of retreating to camp in grotty ditches, if I can pluck up the courage, in the coming days I plan to stop in villages and ask for camping spot with the local people. Given the hospitality I've received so far, and the interest my mode of travelling generates, I can't imagine being turned away. The addition of a Mexican flag to my bike is a shameless and wholely calculated gimmick to try and ingratiate myself with the people I encounter!
From the Copper Canyons my next anchor point and place with a Mexican contact was Hidalgo de Parral. Taking a cursory glance at my map I estimated three days to get there. Oh how I underestimated the terrain! While I did get there in three days some of the riding was pretty brutal. Climbs and descents of 1000ft to 2000ft were pretty frequent but, the tougher the terrain, the more spectacular the scenery. My photos don't really do the landscape justice; it was a genuinely exhilarating ride, the best road riding of the trip with very little traffic to contend with for once.
Pushing on, I didn't give myself much time to stop in the villages along the way but I did enjoy the variety they added to the landscape. Especially atmospheric first thing in the morning with mist rising, cockerels crowing, people preparing breakfast, many of these villages seemed rather forgotten by time.
As posted on Facebook, this was not the most salubrious of campsites being just a few metres from the road. However, when you've put in a shift of 92 miles through the mountains, if you've got flat ground you just zip up the tent, close out the world, lie down and sleep. At the very least, my pitch was screened from the road by trees so I felt safe from any unwanted human attention. My phone just ran out of battery before I could take a picture of the previous night's pitch high up on a rocky track above a deep canyon. At night you are serenaded by a marvellous orchestra of insect sounds, chirping rhythmically from all angles. The chorus is most intense just after dark and gradually thins out through the night until, by dawn, it is silent (and time to get up). 
Having suffered a bit (a lot) to get Parral I was relieved and in extraordinarily high spirits to arrive here. This is my first stop in a city with significant colonial architecture and such a contrast to the preceding towns and villages which have more of a ranching/farming feel to them. My gallant steed is in the bottom left of the picture; riding fully loaded through a city you attract a bit of attention, all positive, curious and good natured. 
My contact in Parral is Aida, who runs a restaurant in town. She likes beer and good food so we've been getting on well! Also, she represents part of a movement that is bringing change to attitudes in Mexico. Though the church dominates many peoples' lives here in a way that it no longer does in the UK, there is a LGBT community across the country that is becoming more visible.
I was honestly so hyperactively excited to be in Parral that I went to bed really late (enjoying the luxury of Wifi and streamed radio) and was up at day break to see the city waking up. Result, the rest of the day I was exhausted and listless, walking around the city like a zombie. Must make better use of rest days and/or don't ride multiple 80+ mile days through the mountains.
Better use of a rest day - proper sleep followed by visiting the local sights such as Palacio Alvarado. This was the home of a wealthy family who owned the local silver mines. They were so rich that they offered to pay Mexico's national debt. Being taken around by a guide in Spanish was a sobering lesson that I still have a long way to go with the language. While I got the gist of the message I am acutely aware that my vocabulary is fairly limited and I will need to be proactive in expanding it.
So I'll be back on the road tomorrow heading in the direction of Durango. To save myself the ignominy of retreating to camp in grotty ditches, if I can pluck up the courage, in the coming days I plan to stop in villages and ask for camping spot with the local people. Given the hospitality I've received so far, and the interest my mode of travelling generates, I can't imagine being turned away. The addition of a Mexican flag to my bike is a shameless and wholely calculated gimmick to try and ingratiate myself with the people I encounter! 
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