The path of least resistance

Following an absolutely fantastic stay with Carlos Unda to enjoy the festivities of el día/la noche de muertos I was more reluctant than usual to get back on the bike. But the show must go on and, once in the saddle again, it felt good to be pushing on with the adventure.

My next destination was Mexico City and I wanted to get there for the weekend to spend some time with old friend and ex-Madrid colleague, Helen. Thus would be a three day ride over mountains so I wanted to ride the path of least resistance, which would be the autopista, or toll road. Since first riding these roads I've found out that cyclists are in fact prohibited - the sign makes this pretty clear! Still, I've not been kicked off yet and it seems that the etiquette is to dismount your bike and walk it through the toll booths and you'll be waved on without bother.

The first  leg of the three days was a straightforward 63 mile push to the town of Maravatio where the father of one of Carlos' friends, Ramón, hosted me. What a lovely stay! I'm listening to lots of podcasts along the way hearing of our troubled, divided, untrusting world. So, to be received as a stranger from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, divided by 40 years in age, divided by different languages, yet to be able to pass such a pleasant time together was inspiring and humbling. Ramón opened his home to me, we went out for dinner, went out for ice creams, watched TV together, shared a fantastic breakfast before I carried on riding. 

Don't believe all the bad news in the media, go and travel. You're sure to connect with people and realise there is so much in the world that binds us.

The second day of  the three was tougher,  a 83 mile push with a few more mountains and rain to contend with. I reached the industrial city of Toluca by the end if the day and stayed with Seth and his adorable dog, Manouche. Seth makes panniers and other bike packing equipment, this is his website: Dos Erres

The quality looked good to me, a Mexican rival to Ortlieb.

Final day of the three day push was the shortest, 49 miles, but the toughest. For the first time since leaving the States I climbed to over 10,000ft. This was not the tough part though....

Entering Mexico City, a bit chilly and cloudy up in the mountains.

The difficulty in the ride came when, inadvertently, I entered the city and its maelstrom of unpredictable traffic. Simultaneously stressful and exhilarating, I must have burned a few hundred calories in nervous energy. A few times I simply couldn't get across the carriageway to make turns as the volume and unpredictability of the traffic made it too dangerous. This necessitated replanting my route repeatedly but I refused to get too frustrated as I needed to concentrate on riding (by that I mean staying alive!).

The effort of the three day push has been richly rewarded with time spent with Helen and her Mexican man, Mario. I arrived in time for a BBQ on Saturday afternoon and today, Sunday, we've had a bit of a look around the city centre to whet my appetite for a more in depth exploration in the coming week. This picture shows us having a breakfast of barbacoa in one of the city's markets. Yet more good times in Mexico!