Today started out early. I had been talking to Kyle (my facebook friend in Chiapas) and realized that he lived REALLY far away from Tezpotlan. He also lived REALLY far from Belice, so I needed to make a decision. In the end, this trip is more about people and experiences rather than only focusing on the sites, so I decided to give Belice the Axe and headed to Chiapas to see Kyle and his family!
The map estimated the ride to be about 12 hours, but my goal was to knock about an hour off of that if possible and get there prior to dusk. I snapped a couple of photos in Tezpotlan and I was off.
Traffic was unusually busy I thought for being that far away from the city, but I really dont know anything at all about what is normal because it is Mexico and I have never been here.
Traffic was unusually busy I thought for being that far away from the city, but I really dont know anything at all about what is normal because it is Mexico and I have never been here.
It was pretty daunting riding that long in a day after already having so many long days, but I like to ride the bike a lot and I think that is what makes it fun for me. I sometimes get in this bad habit of trying to cut time off the expected arrival on my maps. A minute here and there adds up, but it also leads to me never stopping and almost never having lunch. It works out lol.
I rode and rode. I would pass cars, trucks, etc. Moving along making progress. I moved at a good speed and was still able to see the beautiful country. I was surprised at how clean and beautiful it was. I rode towards Veracruz before heading south to Chiapas. As I was leaving I passed a large mountain that looks like a gorilla head, I didnt take a picture, but I do have videos from that section of the ride. I also passed a lot of signs that said they do photo radar/ tickets, but I never once saw a camera in place. I kind of think they paid the money for the signs but not the equipment. They also do cut outs of police cars so people think they are doing radar checks.
Shortly after seeing the gorilla mountain, I noticed the other mountains had snow on them, so I pulled over for a picture of that. Luckily I pulled over just before a speed trap where an officer was out with his radar. I have never seen them pursue anyone though, so maybe he was doing it for science? Who knows?
Further down the road I saw a really cool bridge that had orange cables for the suspension cables. I wanted to pull over and get a good shot, but was unsure if the road would give me the angle. I told myself I wouldnt stop unless I could get a good picture. I saw an exit and took a chance. It turned out that there was a nice little view point down below, so I ended up getting a picture.
I rode and rode. I would pass cars, trucks, etc. Moving along making progress. I moved at a good speed and was still able to see the beautiful country. I was surprised at how clean and beautiful it was. I rode towards Veracruz before heading south to Chiapas. As I was leaving I passed a large mountain that looks like a gorilla head, I didnt take a picture, but I do have videos from that section of the ride. I also passed a lot of signs that said they do photo radar/ tickets, but I never once saw a camera in place. I kind of think they paid the money for the signs but not the equipment. They also do cut outs of police cars so people think they are doing radar checks.
Shortly after seeing the gorilla mountain, I noticed the other mountains had snow on them, so I pulled over for a picture of that. Luckily I pulled over just before a speed trap where an officer was out with his radar. I have never seen them pursue anyone though, so maybe he was doing it for science? Who knows?
Further down the road I saw a really cool bridge that had orange cables for the suspension cables. I wanted to pull over and get a good shot, but was unsure if the road would give me the angle. I told myself I wouldnt stop unless I could get a good picture. I saw an exit and took a chance. It turned out that there was a nice little view point down below, so I ended up getting a picture.
After that I rode and rode. I got some great videos riding into/ through Chiapas, and some even more amazing videos riding around San Cristobal.
Finally I made it to Kyle's house. Kyle and his wife have been running an orphanage here in town and are basically the good Samaritans of Mexico. They have taken care of many children, and even though they kids keep their hands full, they still invite travelers (like me) into their home to recover from the long journey. Kyle invited me to dinner when I arrived, so we went for Lebanese food. As he drove me around the city he explained to me how San Cristobal has become a food capital for Mexico. They have so many incredible places to eat.
Once we finished with our food we headed back and Kyle let me sit around while he did an oil change on my bike! It blew my mind away how kind he was! I would recommend him to all of you weary travelers, but it sounds like he just found a new job back in America, so they are getting ready to move home with all of their kids!
I am very grateful for people like Kyle and his family. They are the reason that I love to travel and meet people. Their kindness helps so many people, and they do it without expectation of any type of recompense.
Alright, well my 11 hours of riding plus hanging out with an amazing family here in Chiapas has gotten the best of me. Bed time.
Finally I made it to Kyle's house. Kyle and his wife have been running an orphanage here in town and are basically the good Samaritans of Mexico. They have taken care of many children, and even though they kids keep their hands full, they still invite travelers (like me) into their home to recover from the long journey. Kyle invited me to dinner when I arrived, so we went for Lebanese food. As he drove me around the city he explained to me how San Cristobal has become a food capital for Mexico. They have so many incredible places to eat.
Once we finished with our food we headed back and Kyle let me sit around while he did an oil change on my bike! It blew my mind away how kind he was! I would recommend him to all of you weary travelers, but it sounds like he just found a new job back in America, so they are getting ready to move home with all of their kids!
I am very grateful for people like Kyle and his family. They are the reason that I love to travel and meet people. Their kindness helps so many people, and they do it without expectation of any type of recompense.
Alright, well my 11 hours of riding plus hanging out with an amazing family here in Chiapas has gotten the best of me. Bed time.
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