Coming up to two months in Mexico now, I feel that I've got a pretty good handle on the country. I've had lots of homestays, tried countless different dishes, visited festivals and museums, improved my Spanish, and, biking across this vast country, experienced a range of stunning landscapes.
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!
Kashgar - China, Varanasi - India, Peshawar - Pakistan, and now Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Mexico. All places where I've experienced food poisoning. I'll spare you the more intimate details, they need to stay in the baño, and I'm glad to have put this nasty episode behind me. After a sleepless night and countless dashes to the toilet, I was forced to stay on in Tuxtla for an extra day to rest up and regain some strength. Fortunately my Iranian dorm mate was a sympathetic soul and Facebook messages/e-mails cheered me up. Thank you!
The next day, I was still not that well, lacking energy as I was unable to eat much, but I decided to press on. I was desperate to reach San Cristobal de las Casas, an attractive town in the mountains, for a proper break. Only 38 miles to cover, a short distance, but this involved a climb of 6000 ft. Ouch! It was hard work, not an enjoyable ride but I made it by early afternoon after a 6am start. On arrival I went straight to bed!
It's not been an active four days in Las Casas, the priority has been to rest and get over the sickness. Nevertheless, in its own quiet way, my stay here has been one of the highlights of the trip. It's fascinating to just walk the streets people watching. Everywhere, all times of day, women from local indigenous groups peddle their wares to the visitors; Mexican tourists and foreigners appear to be here in equal measures. 
Up in the m ountains tthe climate is pleasantly chilly. I have been enjoying the lower temperatures knowing that soon I will be enduring the heat and humidity of the Yucatán penisula.
More street scenes. Any moments of self pity about feeling ill are quickly banished by a walk in the streets. Though Mexico is far from the poorest country I've ever visited you do see a lot of kids working informally in the streets selling gum, cigarettes or shining shoes. That seems more unjust to me than having to endure a stomachache.
My bike relaxing in the hostel gardens. Beautiful little hostel - Los Camellos - with a very laid back, hippy vibe. This is the low season so not many visitors and the hostel has been blissfully quiet. Truly my mountain retreat!
Markets full of local handicrafts. I would have loved to pick up a few things but it's not really practical to carry stuff on my bike and I'm not sure how much I trust the postal service. Anyway, my focus in this trip/life is more a passport full of stamps than a house full of things. 
The town has a very prominent left field, alternative culture with, for example, meditation/Buddhist centres....
...and a grassroots biking community.
Yet more street scenes, more street hawkers. 
May not pass a British MOT....
Purposeful Sunday morning at the hostel - shaved as best I can with blunt razor, washed (freshened up) some laundry, cleaned my chain, and listened to some podcasts. My appetite is now whetted to discover the Mayan ruins of the Yucatán, a culture quite separate and distinct from the Central Mexican Aztecs.
This is the home of a Danish explorer/archaeologist , Hans Blom, who mapped the jungle of the local area in his search for Mayan ruins and a better understanding of modern Mayan culture. Working in the 1950s, the groups he encountered were living very primitive lifestyles, untouched by the modern world. Since then the usual suspects have wreaked havoc - logging, agriculture and tourism. 
After a few days of gentler eating my appetite is coming back and I think I will ride on tomorrow (Monday). Next destination - Palenque, two days downhill through the jungle. Getting sick was a bit of a 'trough' in the trip, so what comes next must be a 'peak'!
My next big destination is San Cristobal de las Casas, six days ride ahead. A descent through the mountains, a day on the flat, then rising back through the mountains again - the Sierra Madre del Sur. Leaving Oaxaca I passed through a major Mezcal producing area. I don´t have a particularly refined palate when it comes to Mexican liqour but for me it´s similar to tequila. I didn´t try it on the road, it wouldn´t have been conducive to progress.
Mescal producer and funeral parlour - a mutually beneficial partnership.
Though I was descending through the mountains on this day there were a few rises to tackle as well. As you can see from the picture, the road hugged the hillsides, snaking above and below the contours. I felt pretty good on the ascents, safe in the knowledge there´d be some enjoyable freewheeling down the other side.
Travelling through Mexico by bike is a pretty cheap undertaking and I´m not having to make a particular effort to save money and keep to a budget. I´m certainly not spending more than 100 pounds a week. So when I have been wild camping it´s more to inject a sense of adventure into the trip, create a memorable experience, than penny pinching.
Quite rightly, the farmer whose land I was trespassing on gave me quite a grilling - who was I? What did I want? How did I get over the fence? But he was also incredibly reasonable and when I explained that I was simply looking for a place to camp he immediately consented. It was a lovely spot and, though it took a while for the night air to cool, I eventually had a sound nights sleep.
This was probably my best camp food yet! Left over pasta I´d cooked in the hostel with tasty Oaxacan cheese, fresh bread and some guayaba fruit for dessert. I´m trying hard to use up my fuel as, with only six camps in two months in Mexico, I´m just carrying it around as extra weight. I´ve even taken to cooking porridge in hotel rooms for breakfast!
The second day out of Oaxaca was a long one, 83 miles, but mostly downhill. The hillsides were checkerboarded with agave plantations, used to make mezcal.
