My final objective of my time in Mexico is to discover the ruins of the pre-Hispanic civilisations. First stop Teotihuacan, Aztec pyramids located a few miles to the north east of Mexico City. I arrived early in the morning to avoid the hoardes of tourists that are inevitably delivered en-masse by coach.
I have to confess that I didn't read up on the history of this site too much but, even in ignorance, I enjoyed the spectacle and scale of the site. The size of the pyramids is truly impressive and clambering up and down them was simply good fun.
Moving on from Teotihuacan, my next destination was Luebla, a highly regarded colonial town to the south east of Mexico City. Very pleasant it was too but, having had my fill of colonial cities, I only stayed one night before pushing on south again. Around Puebla, the countryside had feint echoes of autumnal England. Let me just wipe a nostalgic tear from my eye.
I got to see this landscape in more detail than I wanted as, for the first time on this trip, I was kicked off the toll road meaning I was denied the quick route to Puebla. I did argue my case and was on the verge of getting stroppy but decided to leave the argument behind and ride on on the libre (free road). Slower, a little more dangerous to ride but usually better views and more village life along the way.
Leaving Puebla, for the first time in a number of days, the clouds and gloom lifted in a crisp and clear day. Riding out of town I was desperate to get a glimpse of Popocatepetl but just could not see it. Until I stopped to take off some layers when I realised it was directly behind me! A geographer's dream, what a sight! 
One of the local towns had its saint's day; one of the forms of celebration was a group bike ride. Across the day they passed me and I passed them a number of times. Friendly bunch and it's good to see that biking is gaining a foothold in Mexico as a popular pastime.
In Tehuacuan I stayed over with Reyna for one night. Fascinating host, she works as an activist promoting the rights and status of women and indigenous communities in the local area. Her group are virtually unfunded , they work from their own resources so Reyna supplements her income by making handicrafts.
I was really glad to stay with Reyna as talking with her provided a really important counterpoint to a lot of the experiences I'd had before. Yes, Mexico is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture and a proud history but there are many social challenges which, as a tourist, it would be easy to overlook. Though I've been out of the UK for a while now I'm not oblivious to the challenges our society faces but, compared to Mexico, we are well ahead in areas such as women's rights, access to healthcare/decent livelihoods, LGBT issues.
Asking for directions is getting trickier as the majority of towns use pre-Hispanic names which are quite distinct from Spanish. I do know that Oaxaca is pronounced WA HA KA though. That'll do me for the moment.
Wonderful ride into the Sierra Madre del Sur towards Oaxaca. A tough ride was well overdue and, despite the hardship, I welcomed it. Not an early start, but still I managed to cover 68 miles including 6500 ft of climbing. Unperturbed by being kicked off the toll road a couple of days ago, Reyna recommended I ride it as, for once, it offered better views than the libre. I was waved through the toll booths with smiles for the next two days, usual service resumed! 
No Dan, it's not a mirage, it really is another cycle tourist! I couldn't believe my eyes when this Spaniard came coasting down the hill towards me. Only the second encounter I've had with cycle tourists in the last two months, it was a real pleasure to chat for a few moments with someone who could genuinely empathise with what I was doing. 'El Supertramp de la Ribera' (look him up on Facebook) has been on the road for a year and seven months, I was envious of his complete freedom, my time allocation of a year seems huge but I feel the need to manage my time wisely to get the most from the experience. Hence the push south. 
Not a bad view for a lunch stop! 
This bleak and desolate atmosphere lends the landscape a raw beauty. At times I felt a little isolated and exposed, and bemoaned the challenge of the ride. And then reminded myself that this was exactly the tough kind of experience I had been relishing for the last two years. Look up, take in the landscape, focus on pedalling, forget the bigger picture just enjoy the moment; the power of positive thinking has proved to be a valuable resource on this trip.
Humble lodgings this night. The sun had long gone down and it was nearly dark when I rode up to this farm to ask for a space to camp. They seemed a little nervous and suspicious of me at first but I convinced them I only had good intentions and they let me camp in their field next to the road. The lorry traffic did not abate overnight but I slept easier knowing that I had permission to camp for once. Stealth camping can be quite exhilarating but the stress of 'being found' always hangs over you.
Riding into Oaxaca the relative poverty of the south of Mexico compared to the north is all apparent- harvesting corn by hand. 
I started riding just before 7am for the ride into Oaxaca and was delighted, if a little weary, to have made it into town just before midday. 62 miles covered. Oaxaca is an absolute delight of a town and, importantly, uses chocolate in many of its dishes. More from here in the next blog!
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