I've only just started this tour and so much has happened already. This ride has been very different from previous tours in a number of ways. First, I decided to trust I would always find a place to stay and chose to not bring a tent. The Yucatan Peninsula, where I'm going to be touring, is always hot. The idea of camping and getting into a sleeping bag with no shower after a day of sweating sounds really awful. I still packed a very lightweight sleeping bag, pad and blow-up pillow for when the hotel bedding is sketchy. But, without the tent, I could eliminate my rear rack bag. Second difference, I'm always very nervous before the start of a tour ... but, inexplicably, not this time. Maybe because I had just had a great time in Mexico for 4 months studying Spanish that I felt like everything was going to be fine. But even still, I'm always anxious about flying especially with my trike. It always feels like there is a lot to keep track of and many opportunities for hiccups. Somehow, this time, I trusted that everything was going to work out and was very relaxed right up until the morning of my flight.
Row to myself
Like I have done many times previous, I made a reservation with a shuttle service to get me and Myrtle to the airport. On the online reservation page I let them know I had extra luggage. I have learned that if I say I'm flying with a tricycle the shuttle people won't understand what that means. It's rare that someone knows what a tricycle is. I always write under special instructions that I have a 3-wheeled mobility device that is folded and I've taken it on the shuttle many times before. This has always worked for me. In the morning of my flight, like at 5 am, I received a text from the shuttle company asking if they could pick me up earlier and to call for confirmation. It's crazy that I was awake but I called right away to say it was fine. While I was on the phone I reminded the dispatcher that I had a 3-wheeled mobility device. When the shuttle arrived, the driver was not only surprised by the trike but annoyed. I helped him lift the trike and he tried to put it in the shuttle in a way that it wouldn't fit. It wasn't hard but I had to show him how it fit. Then he complained that there were 9 people to pick up and how was anyone else's luggage going to fit? I said I was also a customer who had written under special instructions that I had extra luggage. There wasn't anything else I could have done to let the shuttle company know I had extra luggage and I didn't feel bad about the trike occupying a big part of the luggage compartment. He continued to grumble as we drove off. There were 9 total passengers but most had minimal luggage and everything fit just fine. We actually arrived at the airport 45 minutes early. Strangely, the driver dropped me off on the arrivals level instead of departures. He pointed in the direction of an elevator and said it wasn't far. Oh, huh, ok?! The elevator wasn't far and it was huge like a hospital elevator and I rolled Myrtle on easily. When the doors opened on the departures level an airport employee pointed me in the direction of the Interjet ticket counter so I could get Myrtle checked-in. I chose Interjet for a few reasons. They offer direct flights to Cancun, the flights are cheap and they advertise bringing sports equipment even encouraging passengers to bring bicycles. I was very surprised when the ticketing guy gave me grief about checking-in Myrtle. He insisted the trike needed to be in a box. I explained that I have had the trike on over 20 flights, all over the world, and it has never been in a box. He said other airlines have their rules and Interjet requires bikes be in a box. I responded that this isn't a bike, I didn't have a box, there isn't a box for it and the trike is much easier to handle not in box. I showed him how easy it is to roll by lifting the rear wheel. Then an Interjet woman came over and took a picture to send to a baggage handler supervisor for approval. In a few minutes a baggage guy arrived and when he saw the trike he was annoyed. That is until I showed him how easy it is to roll from the rear wheel. His whole demeanor changed. It was like I made his day and he happily rolled the trike away for check in. Interjet is a no frills airline that charges extra for everything (including picking your seat!) and I paid $25 to check-in the trike. I also checked-in my 2 panniers that weighed a whopping 22 lbs. Once the trike was checked-in I could relax. There had been a few hiccups but everything worked out in the end and I was happy to be at the airport early enough that I could enjoy a cup of coffee and play some PokemonGo in the terminal.
Practically an empty flight
Landing in Cancun over a jungle
The flight was uneventful arriving in Cancun around 6 pm. Myrtle and my panniers were waiting in baggage claim and I followed everyone else through customs. Once out of customs, arriving passengers are inundated by taxi companies and time-share hawkers. Taxis wanted a minimum of $42 to drive the short distance into town. I've never had someone invite me to a time-share presentation at the airport but at the Cancun airport there are a lot of sales-people ready to pounce on all the arriving travelers. One guy offered me $150 just to listen to a presentation. Crazy! I explained my situation and after awhile someone actually decided to help me and suggested I get a bus ticket to take me to the bus station. I had heard that hotels were cheaper around the bus station and the cost of the bus was less than $4. A bus employee helped me take Myrtle and my panniers to the ADO bus area and then load it all in the under carriage. The bus ride was about 15 minutes. When I got to the bus station, a bus employee offered to help me roll Myrtle to a hotel. This was all fantastic. It was dark, I had no idea where to go and carrying my panniers on top of the trike is doable but awkward. And I now know enough Spanish to ask for what I need and be understood, hooray! The guy took me to the Hotel Plaza Caribe across the street which turned out to be a very nice place to stay. Spring break season has started in Cancun and the hotel prices are expensive. This hotel was $50 and I felt very lucky.
Myrtle and panniers travelled in the undercarriage of the bus
Juan helped me to the hotel
Javier carried Myrtle with one arm and 2 panniers with the other to my room!
New camera and HP standing aid
I spent the next day getting organized and putting Myrtle together. I have made many changes to my trike for this tour. I now am using a Rohloff internal hub that has 14 gears. This replaces the rear derailleur with a chain tensioner that offers more ground clearance. The gears also never need adjusting. Another change was to my pedals. I switched out the clipless pedals to a platform and strap which has greatly alleviated my toe numbness. Also for this tour I have changed out my Panasonic travel camera with a newly released Removu K1 video camera. It is so new that I only received it a week before my departure. With the idea of taking video hands-free, I have also installed an HP Velotechnik standing aid as an attachment point. I took the trike for a test ride around the hotel to make sure everything was working ok. The roads around the hotel weren't quite cobblestone but they were very old and bumpy. Myrtle rode like a champ but the video I took on this ride using the new camera attached to the standing aid was very shaky and I was disappointed with the results. The standing aid was super difficult to install, even with help, and I'm surprised by how much I love having it. I going to have fun testing out all the changes to my trike.
cacophony of birdsong
The next morning I decided to get an early start. It was still dark when I went out of the hotel to find some breakfast. The birds were shockingly loud. I couldn't see them but it sounded like there were thousands just waking up. I had picked out a 24 hr diner that was only a block away but, wouldn't you know it, this morning they were closed for fumigation. I ended up getting a couple of tacos from a busy street vender and a torta to take for lunch. Breakfast of champions!
Leaving Cancun
The sun was just rising when I got Myrtle packed up and started out, first, on a winding path. On the map the route along the zona hoteles looks beautiful. I thought it looked better than taking the highway and I wanted to see the area that Cancun is famous for. I had been staying in Old Cancun. This area was super busy and not very attractive. The zona hoteles route added 10 miles for the day and, for the most part, it was really terrible. For about 6 miles, there was no shoulder or extra room on the road and the sidewalks didn't have cut-outs. Every time there was a road or a driveway, I had to get off the trike, gently drop it down to the driveway or road, rolling it across and then lifting it to the new sidewalk. Sometimes there were people to help me but lots of times there weren't. I had to get off my trike probably 25 times. This was annoying and exhausting. Finally, the last 3 miles before this route joins the main highway, there was a real cycle path. What a relief!
Lagoon across from Cancun
1st view of the Caribbean
Resorts of Cancun
The highway route is busy and loud but there is a large shoulder and I actually had fun riding. No one has ever seen this type of trike and I got lots of attention from enthusiastic drivers as they passed me. I was apprehensive about how far I would get as this was the 1st day I have cycled since last September when I rode to the Recumbent Retreat on the Oregon coast. To say I am out of shape is an understatement. I knew the ride would be hot but the route would also be flat. I ended up riding 32 miles to my hopeful destination of Puerto Morelos where I found the funky Casita Kinsol guesthouse paying $52 for a very large room. My whole body ached with tiredness and I was very happy to arrive at the reasonable hour of 2 pm to give myself time to wash out my clothes, charge up electronics, eat and then get a good night's rest. I wasn't sure how my body would react to this strenuous 1st day of touring and I wondered how I would feel in the morning.
Yes, I've been deep into studying Spanish while living in Guanajuato, Mexico for the last 4 months. This has truly been an exceptional experience and, to be honest, I'm a little sad to be leaving. Guanajuato is a lovely town and very easy to live in. I've met so many people by now, I think I know more people here than in Portland. Every time I go walking I run into people I know.
Callejoneadas
This is an area full of history and culture. Guanajuato is a UNESCO heritage city high in the mountains of central Mexico. It is well known for where the Mexican War of Independence started, for silver and gold mining, the birthplace of Diego Rivera and lots of music. At one point, silver from local mines accounted for two-thirds of the world's supply. Guanajuato has a population of over 100,000 people and is almost 7,000 ft in elevation. This a colonial city that has always had money because there has always been mining. El Centro de Guanajuato is in the bowl of the Altos de Guanajuato. El centro is the only area of the city that is flat and actually has roads for motor vehicles. From the narrow valley, callejones (alleys), go straight up into the hillsides. There are over 3,000 of these very narrow alleyways and the most famous is the Callejon de Beso, Alley of the Kiss, where two lovers conveniently lived across the alley from one another. Of course, their parents forbid the relationship but the balconies of the 2 bedrooms were only inches apart across the narrow callejon. They swore eternal love from the adjacent balconies and legend says couples who kiss from the 3rd step up on the callejon will also have eternal love. There is always a long line of couples waiting to kiss in the exact promised spot. Another really fun night tour is to follow the minstrel singers, Callejoneadas, as they serenade the crowd with songs and legends of Guanajuato.
Cristo Rey
Aside from the history and being a very beautiful place, the city has a lot to offer culturally. There is a very famous festival called Cervantino for 3 weeks every October and that's when I arrived. The festival was started in the 1970's by students at the University of Guanjuato with productions of plays by Miguel Cervantes who also wrote Don Quixote. The festival grew and the city is now called the Cervantino Capital of the Americas. The festival is world class. Each year, the culture from a state in Mexico and from another country in the world is highlighted. This year was France and Mexico City. The creme de la creme of culture from both places take part. Plays, art, technology, film, food and, of course, musical performances take place all over the city, all day and night. It was fascinating to experience the very best from all over France in this very small city. There was always something interesting to see and I went to many performances. Some needed tickets but many were free.
San Miguel de Allende plaza
With teachers from Escuela Falcon
The real reason I was in Guanajuato was to study Spanish. I got signed up at Escuela Falcon for 4 months of classes. The teachers here are so sweet and make learning fun. Doing home stays, living with a family, is very popular but I chose to have more privacy and rented a room in a house the language school owns. For me, living with a family for 4 months would be too much. Usually, the family provides meals as well and I didn't want to be tied to an eating schedule. I probably would have learned more Spanish quicker staying with a family but the idea of living with other people for so long was more than I could handle.
For the 1st 8 weeks, I took 3 hours of classes 5 days a week. I asked for 1 private and 2 classes but every week I had 3 private classes. It was difficult to be the focus of attention for 3 hours everyday. I learned a ton but after 8 weeks I was exhausted and switched to 2 private classes per day. This has felt more comfortable. The biggest issue with taking private classes is I haven't met as many students as I would have taking classes. The administrators said they couldn't find other students at my level. Apparently, I'm just above beginner but not really intermediate where most students fall. Probably by now, I'm at the intermediate level but I love my teachers and decided to stay with the private lessons for the remainder of my time here.
Plaza de la Paz and the University of Guanajuato
Ex-hacienda San Gabriel de Berera
Learning Spanish has been super fun but much more difficult than I expected. I came to this school at the beginning of last year for 2 months to prepare for walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. While walking, I realized I actually learned more than I thought. I found this so encouraging I decided to return. Maybe because I am taking private lessons it's harder for me to gauge my progress but I feel like I'm as slow at learning Spanish as I am at riding my trike. Maybe I'm just a slow person, haha! For sure, I know much more than I did 4 months ago but where I'm struggling is with speaking. It still take me a long time to think of what to say and then translate it in my head with the correct word order, verb conjugation, gender and corresponding number. It is a lot to keep track of. I've also heard that speaking is the last part of learning a language to come together. I do feel like I have a really good foundation on which to build. I will continue studying, practicing and, poco a poco, I expect to get more comfortable and faster with the speaking part.
2nd Biggest Hot Air Balloon Show in the World, Leon
One of the benefits of studying at a language school while traveling is they usually offer excursions. Escuela Falcon has activities many times a week and sometimes offer trips to neighboring pueblos. I went to San Miguel de Allende a few times, the Corralejo tequila factory, La Gruta hot springs, El Santuario de Atoltonilco, a hot air balloon show in Leon, Delores Hidalgo, Cristo Rey, Santa Rosa and Valenciana. Every Sunday there are also chamber music concerts in the small town of Marfil at an ex-hacienda that are just lovely. I've also enjoyed the symphony concerts in Guanajuato almost every Friday night. I feel like I am busier here in Guanajuato than anywhere else I've ever been.
Afternoon of Chamber Music in Marfil, Mexico
Day trip to San Miguel de Allende
My 1st drone practice park
And, of course, I've been taking a ton of photos and adding videos to my new YouTube channel Travels By Trike. I brought a new DJI Spark drone with me to Guanajuato and have really enjoyed learning how to use it as well. This town is so photogenic it is a perfect place for photography buffs. Figuring out how to tell a story through video was something else I wanted to get comfortable with while I was here in Guanajuato. Taking video is the easy part. Processing, editing and then picking out the music are the tricky parts. My idea is to make very short videos that give a taste of my experiences and I feel like I have a good idea of what and how I want to do that now. I think making videos is going to be fun for my next tours through Latin America.
Music and flowers
Graffiti in a callejon
Narrow Callejon
On my next few tours, I'll have lots of opportunity to practice speaking and learn more Spanish. My main reason for studying Spanish is that I want to spend the next few years traveling and triking through Mexico, Central and South America. Knowing Spanish will make for a much richer and safer experience. I've traveled through many, many countries where I didn't know the language and it certainly can be done. But, unless you are in the cultural centers of a country, it is also a very lonely way to travel. More and more, English is becoming the world's language but being able to converse with locals in the local language will mean meeting more people and experiencing the local culture in a more meaningful way. Spanish is a language I've talked about learning for many, many years and I think this 6 month investment in studying will pay off big time while I'm traveling through Latin America.
Guanajuato, crazy fun town!
Plaza de la Paz
My neighborhood, I'm in the picture on my terraza.
Drone practice
I have a ticket for my flight with Myrtle the Turtle for March 5th to start my next trike tour. I had a few ideas bouncing around for where I wanted to go and have decided to make this a tour of Mayan ruins. It will begin and end in Cancun, Mexico. I'll ride for about 3 months covering something like 2,000 miles. It will be a clockwise circle 1st going to Tulum and then Belize before crossing into Guatemala to visit Tikal. Then I'll cross the border back into Mexico to visit Palenque, Chitzen itza and smaller ruins outside Campeche and Merida.
Route idea for my tour of the Mayan Ruins
Between my walking tours on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and then studying Spanish in Mexico for many months, I'm excited to get back on my trike and start pedaling. Let the adventure begin!! (Once I actually start touring, I'll be updating the blog regularly with photos, videos and Garmin GPS route maps, like usual.)
In this blog post, I discuss all my plans taking shape including some very complicated winter travels coming up!
Video about my winter plans
My summer in Portland finished with 2 of my most favorite cycling events of the year; the Kirke Johnson Memorial Ride on the Banks/Vernonia rail trail and my 12th year riding to the Recumbent Retreat on the Oregon Coast. Kirke Johnson was a wonderful man and this was a ride he lead every Labor Day weekend. He was hit and killed by a delivery truck a few years ago while riding his beloved Fold Rush Easy Racer in Portland. I miss him very much and love that we all get to continue his ride to remember our friend.
At the start of the Kirke Johnson Memorial Ride
Barbara climbing at Stubb Stewart State Park
Kathi on the trail
Video from the Kirke Johnson Memorial Ride with lots of recumbent buddies
The Recumbent Retreat is actually an annual tour for me, and whoever wants to come along. This year a new trike rider, Brandon, joined me. From my house, to ride west towards the coast requires a tough 1000 ft climb and more than an hour's ride. Luckily, my friend Kathi offered to give me a ride over the hill. She has done this for many years now and 'the lift over the hill' makes the 1st day of this coastal tour very manageable. We also picked up Brandon who lives on the way but still far from Banks and the start of the Banks/Vernonia rail trail. This is where I typically start this ride. The ride to the retreat is only a few days after the Kirke Memorial ride and so I get to ride the fabulous Banks/Vernonia rail trail twice in a week's time. The Banks/Vernonia trail is 20 miles long and makes for a delightful start for the ride to the Recumbent Retreat.
Just a small obstacle in our path
Passing deer
This was Brandon's 1st tour and we had a blast riding together. As usual, we camped at Big Eddy State Park after a very nice 35 mile ride stopping in Vernonia for lunch and picking up anything we needed for dinner and the next day. There are some logging trucks on this route but it seems every year there are less and less. After camping at Big Eddy, there aren't any businesses until we reach the coast so we needed to be prepared with snacks and whatever food we wanted for lunch the next day. The 2nd day's ride is incredibly beautiful but is 73 miles and much more demanding than the 1st day. There are a few places to stop for water and bathroom breaks but there are no stores or restaurants along the way. My 1st stop is always the firehouse in Mist to use their bathroom. Even though I only stop in once a year they remember me and are always very nice. From there it's another 20 miles to the Jewell Elk Preserve. There are tons of elk in this area but the only time I've seen them is when the weather is bad. Today's weather was very nice which meant no elk were to be seen. The Jewell Elk Preserve is a sweet place to stop. It has everything a touring cyclist needs. There are picnic tables to make and eat lunch as well as bathrooms to get cleaned up and wash our dirty dishes after making lunch. It's in a perfect place for a break because just a few miles further starts the climb over the coastal range. I'm a really slow climber and this isn't too bad. I think it's about 6 miles and 700 ft to the summit. From there we had a fabulous twisting turning downhill on a freshly paved road through lush forest. Cycle touring doesn't get much better than this. Almost at the bottom of the hill is an active fish hatchery with another perfectly placed bathroom stop. I've never taken the tour but hear it is worth the time. (Unfortunately, I need the whole day to complete the 73 miles to the Recumbent Retreat.) Leaving the fish hatchery begins the hardest part of the ride for me. From here, the next 20 miles have lots of short and steep hills along the Young's Bay River that really slow me down. The views are amazing though. Once we got passed the Warrenton airport it is a simple ride to Ft. Stevens State Park where we met up with everyone already camped. I found my site (many thanks to Greg and Lori for letting me camp) and got set up just as rains started to fall. I had a good time riding with Brandon and expect we will be riding together again next year to the retreat.
Camping at Big Eddy Country park
Just before the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Warrenton
Sasquatch lives at Ft. Stevens!!
The 4 day Recumbent Retreat weekend is put on by OHPV (Oregon Human Powered Vehicle) and they do a fabulous job. The weekend is filled with lots of riding, good food, hanging out and looking for stamps for the treasure hunt. The busiest day of the retreat is Saturday and it is jam packed with activities. The day starts with the photoshoot where over 90 recumbents gathered. This is far from the record but, I think, being the 19th year, lots of riders are over it. Then we all break out for many riding options. Some rides are on the bike paths in Ft. Stevens State Park and other longer rides are out of the park. There was the lunch ride that had over 40 trikers and the sunset ride, both led by Lonnie, out to the Peter Iredale shipwreck. Super fun!The day was colder and there was some rain in the afternoon but it all passed in time for the pot luck. People really put effort into the dishes they serve and we, again, had fabulous food. Then, we all light up our bikes and trikes in preparation of the lighted bikes parade where we ride through all the loops of the campground. Ft Stevens State Park is huge and there are many, many loops. The parade probably lasts about an hour and it is a hoot. Some of the lighted designs are super clever. The lighted bikes parade is legendary and one of my very favorite events of the entire year. It is simply good clean honest fun and this year was no exception. Next year will be the 20th annual Recumbent Retreat and I expect it to be an extra special event. If you are interested in attending, click this link for more info.
Video of the wonderful Recumbent Retreat weekend.
Lunch stop
Official photoshoot photo
Lots of different kinds of recumbents
Peter Iredale shipwreck at sunset
Pic from the trikes ride with 40 trikes!!
Super Duper Fun Lighted Bikes Parade
Fun shot of the lighted bikes
Beautiful Portland
Every year, when I get home from the retreat, it is time to buckle down and get serious about planning my next trike tour. This year I've put together winter plans that are super complicated. Without a doubt, this will be my most complicated winter travels to date. I've already decided I'm going to spend the next few years riding through Central and South America. With this in mind, I've also decided having stronger Spanish language skills will not only be very helpful but actually necessary. So, my plans, at the moment, are to fly with my trike from Portland to Los Angeles. I'll be leaving my trike at my aunt's house while I spend 4 months in Guanajuato, Mexico studying Spanish. Learning Spanish is something I've talked about doing for many, many years. I'm getting to an age where 'if not now, when?'. Throughout the many years I've spent touring, I've been to many countries where I don't speak the language and it, certainly, can be done. Somehow, I always manage to get what I need - no matter what it is. I even found an amazing bike mechanic in Agadir, Morocco! But, that said, not being able to speak to locals is a lonely way to travel. Over the years, I've met a lot of cyclists who say they pick up languages as they go but that doesn't seem to happen with me, at all. I spent 6 months traveling through Mexico on my 1st tour and I wasn't able to speak much more Spanish at the end of the trip than I did at the beginning. I'm not expecting to be fluent, after studying for 4 months, but I think being able to speak somewhat comfortably will make for a much richer experience on my future tours. I also think being able to speak another language will make my life richer.
Another view of Portland
Escuela Falcon in Guanajuato
I'll be returning to the same school, Escuela Falcon, that I went to last January. I had a good time and learned a lot. Even though I'm still very shy to speak and feel like a deer in the headlights whenever I want to say anything, I noticed while walking the Camino de Santiago that the 2 months I spend studying really helped. I was able to have small conversations (very slowly) with other pilgrims and also talk to shopkeepers. It was fun to see the improvement. The teachers at Escuela Falcon are very sweet and incredibly patient with me. And Guanajuato is a fabulous city. The school offers many options for housing and I'll be renting a room in a house they own across the street. The last time I was here, my language skills were next to none. I wasn't able to understand much of what people said to me and, if I did understand, I had no clue how to respond. Speaking Spanish was nerve-wracking enough that I really didn't feel comfortable taking part in a lot of the school excursions. This time I want to be more social to, hopefully, break out of my shyness. I've signed up for 2 group classes and 1 private lesson every day, 5 days a week. Since I've been to this town before I know where everything is. One thing I really liked about my last stay in Guanajuato is I ate really well. There are fantastic, inexpensive restaurants and the house where I'm renting a room has a full kitchen so I can cook and eat how I want. All the time taken to study Spanish this winter means my trike tour will be shorter this year but, over time, I think this investment in learning more Spanish will pay off big dividends and I'm excited to start my classes.
Guanajuato
Another thing recently occurred to me. I have been touring on a trike all over the world for 10 years now and feel like I have a lot of knowledge I could be sharing. With that in mind, I decided to start a new Travels By Trike YouTube channel where I want to make short videos about trike stuff, updates while I'm touring, reviews of gear I use and any other information I think could be of interest. Matt Galat, of the Jayoe Nation, made me a new logo and intro for my videos. The logo is super cute and I love the snappy intro! This was a very thoughtful gift and the new intro is making my videos look much more polished. Aside from learning Spanish, another goal I've set for myself while I'm in Guanajuato is to get more comfortable shooting and editing video. I'll be making short videos about the town, culture and my experiences. I've upgraded to Final Cut Pro for editing and making videos will help me learn that software as well. My idea is to make videos that are less than 5 minutes long giving a taste of my experiences.
Another thing I have been thinking about for a long time is buying a drone to take on my tours. After reading a ton of articles and reviews as well as watching countless hours of YouTube videos, I decided to buy a small DJI Spark to bring with me to Mexico. By buying the drone months before my tour, I can take my time learning how to use it and, hopefully, I'll be comfortable using the drone for my trip through Central America. Guanajuato is delightfully colorful with lots of very beautiful buildings. I think it will be a great town to learn drone video and photography in. Excursions with the language school to visit ruins and historic sights should be very interesting to see from a drone perspective as well. I'm excited!
The Spark drone is so small it fits in my handlebar bag using the case, 3 batteries, an extra set of propellors and the protected RC controller. Nice!
Tentative Trike Tour through Central America
After studying Spanish, I'll return to Los Angeles in February. Then I'll be taking a quick trip to Las Vegas for a college reunion before returning, again, to Los Angeles after a long weekend. From there, I'll fly with Myrtle the Turtle to Cancun Mexico to, finally, start my trike tour of Central America. I don't have an exact route yet but I want to ride from Cancun through Belize, across the southernmost part of Guatemala to El Salvador to ride along the Pacific Coast. From there, I'll ride through a corner of Honduras into Nicaragua and then through Costa Rica before ending in Panama City, Panama. Because I'm spending so much time in Guanajuato this winter studying Spanish, this will be my shortest tour so far. It will cover 2,000 miles in 3 months. If anyone has any 'must see' spots along the way to recommend I'd love to hear from you.
A fun photo I found on Facebook
Aside from regular video updates on my Travels By Trike YouTube channel, I probably won't be updating the blog often until I'm ready to start my tour. As always, thanks for following along the continuing adventures of Myrtle the Turtle! Hasta Luego!!
Leaving Cancun
The highway route is busy and loud but there is a large shoulder and I actually had fun riding. No one has ever seen this type of trike and I got lots of attention from enthusiastic drivers as they passed me. I was apprehensive about how far I would get as this was the 1st day I have cycled since last September when I rode to the Recumbent Retreat on the Oregon coast. To say I am out of shape is an understatement. I knew the ride would be hot but the route would also be flat. I ended up riding 32 miles to my hopeful destination of Puerto Morelos where I found the funky Casita Kinsol guesthouse paying $52 for a very large room. My whole body ached with tiredness and I was very happy to arrive at the reasonable hour of 2 pm to give myself time to wash out my clothes, charge up electronics, eat and then get a good night's rest. I wasn't sure how my body would react to this strenuous 1st day of touring and I wondered how I would feel in the morning.
