Having a sand blast!

Protests in Oaxaca City

 Shane and I were hoping to have a riot on our first day on the road together. We hadn't expected it to materialise within 5 minutes of leaving our hotel room though!

Actually it's not uncommon to find protesters on the road in the Americas. Sometimes you have to gently negotiate your passage through, with people lying in the road, rocks strewn on the tarmac to stop the cars, and fires blazing amongst the banners. Sometimes it can be a little intimidating and sometimes they take some persuading to let you through. This time though, despite the hundreds of riot police at the ready, the teachers union did not appear to be preparing for a battle of the violent sort. The police were pretty relaxed behind their shields and spent much of their time texting or chatting! We got through without confrontation from either side.

Adventure Mexico

Having spent some time chilling at a nudist/hippy beach on the Pacific coast and some time shopping in the city of Oaxaca, I am ready to move on. After a few issues with my hands, wrist and shoulder, I went to see the Doc. He informed me I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as well as a few pulled tendons. Nothing that a bit of rest won't sort out!.........And so, this is my rough route over the next month (give or take a few off road sections where possible)! Let's face it, I don't have a riding buddy very often, so we have to make the most of it right?

Bienvenido a Mexico

The rain mercilessly continued as I headed for the Mexican border. I had 600 miles (and the border) to ride in 2 days if I was to make it to Zipolite in time. The Guatemalan postal system had robbed me of the luxury of waiting for the weather to ease. It was time to zip-up and crack-on. I wrapped my clothing in bin bags before packing them up and hoped that this time, I could avoid the lump of smelly, damp clothing that I had enjoyed upon arrival in Guatemala City a few days earlier. I was optimistic at best.

I had a date in Mexico and I hate being late for anything. It's the British in me (although I don't always join the back of the queue these days and a decent cup of tea is a thing of the past). Shane, who I had met in Australia, and then again in the UK, was flying from Japan to join me in Mexico. He had parked his bike up for the winter and was coming to see what Mexico had to offer for a while, before heading back to Oz. Rhonda and I had arranged to meet him in Zipolite on the Pacific coast -  A place I picked at random off the map.