Bikepacking Mexico: Crossing to the Mainland. Mazatlan to Aguascalientes

Bikepacking Mexico: Crossing to the Mainland. Mazatlan to Aguascalientes

*Written by Neon*

Heading out of La Paz, we were able to follow this bike path about half way to the ferry dock.

 

Arriving a the ferry dock just after sunset, we were confused because it was nearly deserted. It turns out most people had shown up earlier and were already aboard the ship.

 

Heading toward the massive ferry while the trucks were being loaded.

 

We thought there would be a specific place for our bikes. We were led to the side of the vehicle parking area and told we could put them wherever. I chose to lock my bike to a couple of pipes so it wouldn’t fall over.

 

Fidgit and Fuzz/Birdie unlocking their bikes after our 12-hour ferry crossing.

 

From Mazatlan proper, we took one more (much smaller) boat across to a small peninsula that had far less traffic.

 

Fidgit ‘catching a ride’ on a tourist vehicle that turned soon after this photo was taken.

 

After a good night’s rest, we began our ascent into the Sierra Madre Occidental Range.

 

A common lunch break sight- the local animals trying to sneak closer in case we drop anything. We try to share our leftovers, if we have any.

 

Fidgit spoke of Alberto in last week’s blog. He and his kindness was a welcome respite from our continued uphill trajectory.

 

Shortly after leaving Alberto’s, we crossed the Tropic of Cancer. Fidgit and I reminisced about the Tropic of Capricorn for a few hours after.

 

After an enjoyable chunk of downhill cruising and refrescos, we continued up. The new toll road (the far-off bridge in this photo) avoids the descents and ascents via a network of bridges and tunnels.

 

Mid-day, we reached Durango state, leaving Sinaloa state behind yet continuing to ascend toward the mesa top.

 

Grateful for the views and the cooler temperatures as we ascended.

 

This section of road is known as ‘La Espina del Diablo’ because of its sinuous nature.

 

Regular water breaks were a necessity- even though the temps were cooler, it was quite humid and still in the 70s during the day.

 

Along this section, we discovered ‘gorditas’, another tasty pocket food. These were a mix of fillings, including potato, chicken, and pork.

 

The area outside of Durango city has many ‘resort’ areas with cabanas. They’re set up for tourism, though talking with some of the cabin owners, it sounds like most of their tourism comes from within country.

 

Once up on the mesa, we were seeing the logging we had only heard of on the way up. Thick forested areas were rife with trucks full of wood in all forms chugging past us on.

 

About an hour outside of Durango city, Fidgit had the ‘honor’ of getting our team’s first mainland flat. Thankfully, it was fixable with some of the new supplies we had picked up.

 

We made it into Durango just as evening was setting in!

 

Fidgit and I were able to do some touristing in Durango. Here she is in front of one of the city’s museums.

 

Durango’s main Cathedral

 

Inside Durango’s main Cathedral

 

Leaving Durango, we were able to quickly get onto dirt track.

 

I noticed spring was coming out en masse. Every tree and flower was blooming as we pedaled past.

 

Cycling into the town of ‘Nombre de Dios’, a pueblo magico according to the Mexico’s Tourism Board. According to this welcome sign, Nombre de Dios is “Tierra del Mestizaje y Buen Mezcal” (Land of mixed cultures/mestizos and good mezcal/tequila)

 

Enjoying the festivities in Vincente Guerrero on our way through. It would seem there are multiple towns named after this Mexican revolutionary throughout the Mexico, and he also has a state named after him.

 

I was lagging behind Fidgit and Fuzz/Birdie as we made our way through a small town. As I was trying to avoid being bit by the large aggressive dogs of the town, I lost sight of my compatriots. I had just gotten lost and then back on track as a large black truck with heavily tinted windows and a giant pit bull mix in the truck bed pulled over ahead of me. A muscular guy got out of the driver’s door and stretched. Having trained myself to avoid interactions with males, especially while alone, I nearly biked past him before I noticed that he was holding something out to me with a friendly smile. I quickly hit my brakes and smiled back as he handed me the electrolyte drink he had been holding out. Once stopped, he asked me my name and where I was going while we shook hands. I answered, and said thank you. He then told me to be careful, and I responded that I’d do my best. The man then held my handshake a bit longer, reiterating that I need to be careful in this area. I picked up on the subtle hint, and smiled another grateful thank you before pedaling off the find Fidgit and Fuzz/Birdie.

 

Where the state changes, the road also changes.

 

Sometimes (thankfully very rarely) we ride on train tracks. It’s terrible.

 

Following route along this field’s edge was an adventure, though it got us quickly between roads.

 

We met Manny in the small town of San Jose de Mesillas. He invited us into his family compound for the night, sharing stories of past visitors and encouraging us to spread the word about his hospitality. The town seemed mostly abandoned, he said that’s because most people work elsewhere and only come back certain times of year. Much of his own family is off working in the larger cities of Mexico and the U.S., so he enjoys the company/stories of the strangers that pass through.

 

A few of Manny’s dozens of Chihuahua pups in his family compound

 

Another long, sweaty ascent led us up into some beautiful and very dry mountains. Notice the truck bed full of people behind Fuzz/Birdie- they’re on their way somewhere.

 

So much arid-ness behind/around me!

 

Some traffic before we descended to a long valley plateau. These folks were out collecting firewood.

 

More small towns dotted the valley floor- this guy was heading out to the fields with his sheep.

 

The amount of stone walls here tells me what their soil is likely made up of.

 

Riding and appreciating the clouds before Zacatecas.

 

More abandoned towns on the way into the city. One house looked lived in, all the others had trees and shrubs growing out of the un-roofed stone walls.

 

Touristing around Zacatecas. The little girl in the cathedral’s doorway caught my eye. She looks so bored, while her brother is obviously posing for a photo to the right.

 

Interior of Zacatecas’ main Cathedral

 

Fidgit and I at the main plaza.

 

On our way back to where we were staying, we came upon this Jesuit church. The church had been shut for a long time when the jesuits were forced out of the city, so it had an amazingly well-preserved interior.

 

Walking through Zacatecas, we were definitely seeing more masks and fewer people, though it felt like everyone was still generally living like Corona Virus didn’t effect them. It was in this city, we got news from the US state department that Guatemala and Honduras had shut their borders and closed down flights in/out of the country.

 

Speaking with our medical advisor answered many of our questions, and Fuzz/Birdie decided to head back to the US.

 

Fidgit and I got some chocolate from a local chocolate maker as we talked over options and thoughts for our trip from here on out.

 

The chocolates were amazing!

 

Knowing we would be in Aguascalientes and near Fidgit’s extended family soon, we decided to push on.

 

Watching a train with a few train hoppers go past, it seemed like life as usual was happening in most of Mexico.

 

A traffic jam outside of Zacatecas.

 

I hit a berm on the highway wrong, and slid across a couple lanes of traffic. Thankfully, no one was coming. After I got up and ran with my bike off the road, caught my breath and congratulated myself for not dying, I rode on to catch up with Fidgit. A few pedals in, a guy along the road  (Who I assumed had seen the whole thing) yelled, in english, “Have a nice trip!” I yelled “Thank you!”, while internally laughing at his odd timing and poor choice of encouraging words. After catching up to Fidgit (who had turned around to check on me) I was able to clean and treat the wounds at a nearby shop.

 

Last sunset before Aguascalientes.

 

As we neared Aguascalientes, Fidgit’s tire started to go flat again. Thankfully, with a few stops to pump it up, we made it into the city.

 

In Aguascalientes, we got an email from the US state department that stated we shouldn’t be traveling and if we were, to either make immediate plans to return home or shelter in place for an undetermined amount of time. We had another team discussion and decided it would be best to head home for the duration of the Corona Virus Pandemic.

 

We bought our flights back to the US- me to Tijuana and crossing into San Diego, Fidgit to Montana. On our last night in Aguascalientes, we savored the city centro’s vibe and talked about how this pandemic will eventually effect Mexico and all the other countries we have traveled through. It is a sobering thought, though we know humans are resilient in ways they may not even know yet.

 

We were able to leave our bikes with Fidgit’s extended family. Until we return, they are in good hands.
Posted in Bikepacking, Her Odyssey, International Travel, Neon, Other, Women's Empowerment
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Her Odyssey

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