Cycling from Alaska to Argentina

The going was pretty good today, with the terrain generally flat. I passed through lots of small settlements filled with waves and smiles, as I cycled ever southwards. Cycling between 08.00 and 10.00 is no problems at all, its at 11.00 the heat and humidity start to become unbearable. I stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant, and managed to drink two coconuts with my meal.

A cold coconut really is the perfect combination of nature at her finest, combined with mankinds most underrated invention - the refrigerator. The meal was ridiculously good as well, and all for 60 pesos.
From the restaurant, it was barely 10 kms to the transport hub town of Pochutla, the centre of which was a few K off the main highway. I found a simple, but adequate room in Hotel Santa Cruz, and opposite was a Mercado, where I bought produce from a wide selection of fruits and vegetables. Also on the same street was an internet café, and a general store. A good day, although I planned a much earlier start for the next.

The plan to get an earlier start worked well, and I was on the road for 07.00. It was just as well, because it turned out to be a long, challenging day. The whole 120 kms was filled with constant climbing and descents - not bad at first, but pretty gruelling after the 80 km mark. I came across an Oxxo shop early on, and to me, these places really are a most welcome oasis. Out on the highway, they are occasionally positioned with a Pemex station, but not at everyone. They have a wide range of cold drinks, coffee, snacks, and are air conditioned. Its hard to express the joy I feel upon seeing one!

Anyhow, after a half hour break, it was back to the road once more. As well as the constant climbing, only to lose what I had gained (repeat all day), most of the way was tree lined, and afforded no views spectacular or otherwise. Not for the first time, I could see why many cyclists who cycle the Pan American highway take rides through parts of Mexico. Its not the hills, the traffic or the heat, but the sheer monotony of it all. Once you’ve seen one Mexican village complete with goats, chickens, hammocks, palapas etc, you’ve pretty much seen them all, and only a masochist could take joy from gaining height, only to lose it all again for no reward. (Although, clearly I am some sort of masochist, as I continue to do it!!). The road did, however, give me a chance to think about my trip in general and the route ahead, and I came to a new decision.
I had been planning to get into Guatemala as quickly as possible, and continue heading south in the same manner, potentially reaching the southern most tip of Argentina in July. I’ve change my mind over this now for several reasons, and instead, will head to San Cristobal de las Casas, and from there northwards to Palenque, from where I will then cut across to Guatemala using a little cycled, albeit potentially dodgy road. The reasons for this are as follows…

1. San Cristobal de las Casas, which is high up in the mountains, is generally colder than the rest of Mexico, and much colder at night…. This is something I am really looking forwards too!
2. I can’t remember the last time I said ‘Wow’ about anything in Mexico. I have been to Palenque before, and know that it is stunning. It would be a great spirit lifter.
3. With a potential emergency loan sorted out, I am not so much in a rush to finish as soon as possible now, and it would make a great deal more sense, and be easier to cycle through Patagonia sometime from mid October onwards.
4. At San Cristobal de las Casas, as well as enjoying some cooler weather, I will re-equip the bike. The tyres have been on since Alaska, and these need replacing, although I have a feeling I am going to have to arrange for decent ones to be delivered from the UK.
5. Although the crossing I intend to make into Guatemala is a tough one, it will be more exciting than sticking to the same ribbon of tarmac.

So there we go. Decision made!
Anyhow, I finished the day in Santiago Astata where a room was 200 pesos. Its unbelievably hot here. When you are wearing just a pair of boxer shorts (calm down ladies - private pictures can be arranged on demand!), and sweat just filtering water, its not right!
Hoping for another early start tomorrow, if I can actually get any sleep at all in this sweat box that is.
Additional - I am really missing an MP3 player on some of these duller stretches of road - I will add that to the shopping list for San Cristobal de las Casas !

I shouldn’t have worried about getting to sleep in the sweat box, although whether passing out through fatigue is a good thing is questionable. I was looking forwards to a nice, easy day today, but alas it was not meant to be. In fact, if anything, the first 70 kms was even worse than yesterday. More constant ascents and descents, with the additional soul destroying aspect of being able to catch glimpses of the ocean. Why soul destroying ? Because I could now see just how little overall height I was achieving for all my efforts. I don’t think at any individual point I topped 300 metres, and yet I gained altitude of over 4 or 5 times that.

So, another hot and sweaty day, which made me more determined than ever to reach San Cristobel and take a few days off in the cooler climate there. Along the roadside, I found a straw Sombrero (no not one of those ridiculous huge round things), which is far better for cycling in than my baseball cap. The baseball cap always makes me overheat more, and leaves my right ear to burn and peel in the sun (the sun is always on my right hand side during the hotter parts of the day). The new find should solve this.

I was pretty shattered upon reaching Salina Cruz, and I had half a mind to stay there for the night, so I stopped off at an Oxxo to rehydrate and think about it. Over the next half an hour, I downed more than two litres of water, so I was clearly thirsty! Whilst standing outside, I got chatting to a truck driver, who said that he had passed me for two days running. We had a bit of a natter, and he bought me another bottle of water - cheers mate! Rehydrated and feeling a little better, I decided to push on the extra 15 kms to Tehuantepec. I located Hotel Oasis, and took a room which unfortunately was on the third floor. Carrying the bike up three flights of stairs is not ideal after a 90km bike ride over tough terrain! After a much needed shower, I went for a wander around the town centre to buy supplies and use the internet. On checking my email, I found that Carmen of Animal Environments had transferred some money to me… Thank you very much Carmen !!

When I woke up in the morning, I knew I wasn't going anywhere. My legs felt like lead, and I was thirsty, despite drinking litres of water the previous night. There's not much too Tehuantepec, so once I had been around the market, and walked a few streets, there wasn't a lot to do but use the internet and watch a couple of films.

Tomorrow, I set off towards San cristobel, which I hope to reach in 3 days time.