Cycling again

I am in Oaxaca. But I suppose a re-cap on how I got here is in order, as recently I only posted photos.

day 1   80km (leave Acapulco)
day 2   120 km
day 3    130-140 km
day 4    60 km (arrive Puerto Escondido)
day 5    20 km then I hopped a bus

The first day I bought a new camera. Another cannon, but the next level up and this one works way better then the last one. I also had a great breakfast of mexican eggs that my CS host Michelle made me. I had a late start and got on the road at around 1. I think I wrote a bit about this. That night I slept by the side of a dirt road near los Vigas Caridad (I think).  I did have the famer drive by at night waking me up and scaring me silly, I thought I was going to be run over. Of course I was not in the road, but when you wake up suddenly, these things are not apparent.

The next day I rode 120 km. I stopped in Marquellia on the way, used the internet and went to the beach. I had a nice swim in the Ocean and then met a group of people who were hanging out there for the day. The rasafarian guy thought I was very cute, and tried to talk to me, though he didn´t speak a word of english. One of the girls there did, she is also starting to learn french and was excited that I spoke some. From there I cycled to Cuajinicuilapa (crazy long names), which is a moerdate sized town/ small city. After I set up my tent in the main square, the police came by and told me to move it a few meters and up to the top of the pagoda (Most small city squares have one) for saftey. Of course this was great until some time in the night/ early morning when the guard chnaged and the new guys woke me up and wanted to know about me. I believe I told them I was Canadian and headed to Puerto Escondido before rolling over and putting an end to further conversation.

The next day was a hard one. It started off with some good climbs and I had to stop way sooner then I planned because I had hit a wall. After an internet break, I started again. I still wasn´t so happy, but about 1km in I found myself another mango tree! Huzzah! And then finally a breeze (wind) kicked in. Some of it was headwind, but as it cooled me down some, I did not mind. I then climbed my last big hill of the day into the town of Santiago Jamiltepec. This was where I had intended on having my mid-day rest / interest use. I stopped for water and quite a few pictures because it was a really cute town. It appareared to be fairly wealthy too, I am not sure why, sitting at the top of a big hill like that. I ended my day, pushing myself to cycle 130ish km to find myself at a beach in a national park Chacahua. I went for an ocean swim right at dusk, which was when I arrived. I then went and bought dinner at a taco place, as there only small store in town was closed. It was really cheap anyhow. Well the food was cheap, the mosquito bites I aquired in those 10-20 minutes have cost a fair bit in sleep loss and anti-itchying cream

The next morning I woke up and went for a swim, then packed up. Just as I was getting ready to head out, I met a guy named Brook from Oregon. He is currently living with a family in the village and fishing, when not surfing. He invited me back to the families house for fish and torillias. The biggest corn tortillas I have yet eaten. I am the biggest fool for not having taen any pictures. They had dogs and chickens running around wild, a rustic house and a nice outdoor kitchen set up. I then headed out for what should have been an easy day. But I was tired, and waas staring to get a sore throat. When I got to Puerto Escondido, I jumped straight into the ocean and would have fallen alseep there if I could have. I got ahold of my CS host, ate some Tamales and then tried to go to bed early. Only I didn´t sleep until maybe 2am or later, as I was so itchy. It was warm too, but just lying there, not scratching and being itchy was too much stimuli to allow me to sleep.

The next morning I headed out after a breakfast of fried bananas. I had bought the large bananas the day before and discovered they weren´t that great raw. I started out on what I knew was going to be a good climb. I found my road, though I discovered I had the distance incorrect. Not that there was a sign, but in Mexico, the km markers count down one way, and up the other, so rather then being 200km, it was 240. I had planned on a two day cycle, yes I knew it was going to be a good climb, but I figured if I needed to take a bus the last 40km or so it would be fine. I had planned on making it in two days. I start out and the going is tough. Making the 10km marker was a lot of work. But I was optomistic, it was only one sixth or one eighth (I cut down my distance ideal) of what I needed to make. By the 20km the reality had hit, I was dead tired and going way too slow. I had to convince myself I was feeling sick and not chichening out on hills, as I am all too apt to do (Just ask my mother). I took a local openback truck conviance to the next town and from there I caught a minivan bus to Oaxaca. What I cluded into was that my last host drank the tap water in Puerto Escondido, which I did as well. The fact that after buying and drinking 3/4 of an ice tea, I could not stomach any more for the next 3-4 hours lead me to the belief I had also been making myself somewhat sick from my damned water.

But in the eand it was a great idea to take the bus. The road was mostly terrible and is there ever mountains. I think getting down might actually take me 3 days. At first there was tropical rainforrect climate, then it turned to arid weather with lots of ponderosa pine trees. The road was curves alsmost the whole way.  When I got to Oaxaca in the evening, I called my couch surfing (CS) host who was willing to have me a day early. I really need to go as he is showing me atround town and it the tour is great!