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FROM CUERNAVACA, MEXICO

Me at home before leaving

 March 19, 2003, I finally got to take a serious trip on the bike that I picked up in Texas the year before.  The plan was to cruise through Chiapas, arriving via Oaxaca and returning through the states of Tabasco, Veracruz and Puebla.  I was feeling as though I had suffered one delay after another ever since I got my first bike four years earlier.  I had been waiting for for someone to go with, I needed to get the bike's papers fixed up, I was worried about break-downs and getting time off work but now I was ready!

About 7:30 a.m. I pulled away from the house, gassed up and left Cuernavaca, east-bound towards Tepoztlan.

I'd done the first part of the trip before: through Tepoztlan (Caseta Oacalco $21), Izucar de Matamoros and into Oaxaca.  Before entering the state of Oaxaca it's not very exciting, mostly straight and flat.  Once into Oaxaca you start to climb into the low mountains and find some curves.  The scenery is a lot better too.  All through the Spanish occupation of Mexico, the Cathlic missionaries founded churchs, some of them quite large considering they are in the middle of nowhere.  Then there was this cute little blue church.  It's probably a couple of kilometers outside of the nearest town, up on a hill so you can see it from 20 miles away.

I followed the road through Acatlán (where I stopped for lunch), Huahuapan de Leon and joined the main highway about 30 km before Oaxaca city, arriving a little after 3:00 p.m.  I like Acatlán.  It's famous for the local pottery and the people are really friendly.

I think 4 out of 5 people I ask say that Oaxaca City is their favorite place to visit in all Mexico.  It's pretty, quiet, colorful, good food and nice people.  The zocalo is lined with side-walk cafes.  I had a bite and turned in early.

Oaxaca City zocalo

The next morning, 7:00 a.m. I was into new territory heading down to the coast at Puerto Angel.  The highway swept south out of town and rose up into some medium sized mountians.  There was moderate traffic and it was a little chilly.  I figured that this was going to be the longest leg of the trip so I wanted to make good time in the morning but before I knew it I was rolling into Miacatlan, the half way point. I was so suprised to see it I actually asked a kid on the street where I was.  It was only 9:00 in the morning!

There's not much to say about that morning.  The road was quite nice, hilly, some curves, lots of small towns, not too many topes (speed bumps).  Nothing to say about Miacatlan either.  It was a Wednesday but it could have been Sunday.  I did a couple of laps around the center but I couldn't even find a good place to park, never mind a place I wanted to stop and eat.  I got some gas and headed south again.

Vally of Oaxaca

Now the road got interesting!  It took 4 1/2 hours to travel the 100 miles to Pueto Angel, including 1/2 for lunch.  Beautiful sweeping curves, surrounded by pine forests, no traffic, only the occasional small town glued to the side or top of a mountian peak.  The road peaked at about 2800 meters altitude, then plunged the last 40 miles or so to the coast.  This was the best piece of road I'd ever seen, hands down!

Imagine trying to build a road through these mountains!

I pulled in to Puerto Angel at 1:25 p.m. and started looking for a hotel.  There are lots of nice places, ranging in price from $120 peso to probably $1000 pesos per night.  I wanted a cheap place that had a good parking spot for the bike.  Nothing really jumped out and it was early, so I thought I might as well see what else there was along the road that followed the beach.  Damn good thing I did too!  I'd forgotten about Zipolite!

On to Zipolite