Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding...
- Thread starter Lightcycle
- Start date
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/74.html
Leaving Oaxaca, we are heading further east by the southern coast. The road takes us through some fantastic winding mountain roads and we have a lot of fun throwing the bikes around the tight curves, while constantly vigilant for oncoming trucks that stray into our lanes. The temperature climbs past 30C and the humidity soars. We're having a lot of fun!
Taking in the awesome mountain roads and views
At over 600 kms, this is probably the longest ride we've done in a while, and we arrive in San Cristobal in the dark. Neda has been amazing finding us affordable accommodations, and she zeros in on a hotel not too far from the heart of the historic centre. The town is very pretty, more colonial-style architecture and plenty of cafes and restaurants to while away the day. We've spent quite some time in the Colonial Highlands of Mexico, so we treat San Cristobal as a temporary rest stop as we forge further ahead.
Walking the historic centre of San Cristobal
Colours in Mexico are so vibrant
Reminds me of Tibetan prayer flags in the Himalayas
Dancing in the streets!
Our next stop is in Palenque, a bit further north. Although only a couple hundred kms away, it winds through some fantastic jungle scenery. And it is very hot and humid!
View from the top of one of the mountain roads
Big leafy trees dominate the tropical scenery
Food cart in Palenque
Palenque is not as scenic or touristy as the Colonial Highlands, but the reason we've stopped here for the day is to visit the ruins just outside of town.
Lots of temples scattered throughout the site
In the time of the Mayas, Palenque was one of the largest cities with 6,000 inhabitants, but they abandoned the site in the 1100s because of overcrowding and depletion of resources in the area. Seems like this is quite a common theme throughout human history.
This one is called Temple of the Lost Ark
We liked the Palenque ruins because of the remoteness of the site. Nestled right in the heart of the jungle and surrounded by lush tropical trees, it reminded me of the old Indiana Jones movies. Minus all the vendors selling crafts and trinkets, of course...
Thulsa Doom!
Neda casts an odd shadow
Vendors selling clothing and trinkets
We've visited several ruins now and at every one, there are vendors selling a whistle that when blown, sounds like (or is supposed to sound like) a jaguar. It's a very annoying sound and the vendors use it all the time to catch your attention. I don't know why anyone would want to buy something like this...
Waiting for a giant ball to come crashing down on us while being shot at by poisonous blow darts
Mayan Astronaut
The Mayan culture has really sparked a lot of old childhood memories of TV shows I used to watch. One of them was called Ancient Astronauts, and with such phenomenon like the Nazca Lines, proposed extra-terrestrial involvement with these old civilizations. One of the "proof points" was the cover of the tomb of Pacal, right here in Palenque. Inscribed on the tomb was what looked like an astronaut reclined in the launch position inside a space ship, all the complex instrumentation around him. Stars and constellations surround the tomb and plumes of flames underneath to signify propulsion. Neda is holding a reproduction of that inscription above, and I felt such a wave of nostalgia listening to the vendor recount the tale of the Mayan Astronaut.
No, we didn't buy the parchment...
Temple of Doom
Temple of the Holy Grail
These were Neda's favorite Mayan ruins
Sunlight filters through the jungle
Leaving Oaxaca, we are heading further east by the southern coast. The road takes us through some fantastic winding mountain roads and we have a lot of fun throwing the bikes around the tight curves, while constantly vigilant for oncoming trucks that stray into our lanes. The temperature climbs past 30C and the humidity soars. We're having a lot of fun!
Taking in the awesome mountain roads and views
At over 600 kms, this is probably the longest ride we've done in a while, and we arrive in San Cristobal in the dark. Neda has been amazing finding us affordable accommodations, and she zeros in on a hotel not too far from the heart of the historic centre. The town is very pretty, more colonial-style architecture and plenty of cafes and restaurants to while away the day. We've spent quite some time in the Colonial Highlands of Mexico, so we treat San Cristobal as a temporary rest stop as we forge further ahead.
Walking the historic centre of San Cristobal
Colours in Mexico are so vibrant
Reminds me of Tibetan prayer flags in the Himalayas
Dancing in the streets!
Our next stop is in Palenque, a bit further north. Although only a couple hundred kms away, it winds through some fantastic jungle scenery. And it is very hot and humid!
View from the top of one of the mountain roads
Big leafy trees dominate the tropical scenery
Food cart in Palenque
Palenque is not as scenic or touristy as the Colonial Highlands, but the reason we've stopped here for the day is to visit the ruins just outside of town.
Lots of temples scattered throughout the site
In the time of the Mayas, Palenque was one of the largest cities with 6,000 inhabitants, but they abandoned the site in the 1100s because of overcrowding and depletion of resources in the area. Seems like this is quite a common theme throughout human history.
This one is called Temple of the Lost Ark
We liked the Palenque ruins because of the remoteness of the site. Nestled right in the heart of the jungle and surrounded by lush tropical trees, it reminded me of the old Indiana Jones movies. Minus all the vendors selling crafts and trinkets, of course...
Thulsa Doom!
Neda casts an odd shadow
Vendors selling clothing and trinkets
We've visited several ruins now and at every one, there are vendors selling a whistle that when blown, sounds like (or is supposed to sound like) a jaguar. It's a very annoying sound and the vendors use it all the time to catch your attention. I don't know why anyone would want to buy something like this...
Waiting for a giant ball to come crashing down on us while being shot at by poisonous blow darts
Mayan Astronaut
The Mayan culture has really sparked a lot of old childhood memories of TV shows I used to watch. One of them was called Ancient Astronauts, and with such phenomenon like the Nazca Lines, proposed extra-terrestrial involvement with these old civilizations. One of the "proof points" was the cover of the tomb of Pacal, right here in Palenque. Inscribed on the tomb was what looked like an astronaut reclined in the launch position inside a space ship, all the complex instrumentation around him. Stars and constellations surround the tomb and plumes of flames underneath to signify propulsion. Neda is holding a reproduction of that inscription above, and I felt such a wave of nostalgia listening to the vendor recount the tale of the Mayan Astronaut.
No, we didn't buy the parchment...
Temple of Doom
Temple of the Holy Grail
These were Neda's favorite Mayan ruins
Sunlight filters through the jungle
I think the Arenal volcano is accessible in Costa Rica.
That one has gone quiet now....I looked recently as I was going to take a vacation there come April. Good volcanoes that are reasonably accessible are ones in El Salvador, the Santa Anna volcano is one that tours visit. Last time I was there though it was cordonned off as it was getting a bit pissy and throwing rocks everywhere.
Great ideas for volcanoes, thanks guys!
Thank you for the inspiration!
My hubby & I are entering our 2nd season as dual sport riders. A 3 week ride along the Trans Lab Hwy to Labrador & Newfoundland will be our big adventure this summer. The goal is to enjoy longer and longer trips.
Thank you for sharing your life so the rest of us can be so inspired.
My hubby & I are entering our 2nd season as dual sport riders. A 3 week ride along the Trans Lab Hwy to Labrador & Newfoundland will be our big adventure this summer. The goal is to enjoy longer and longer trips.
Thank you for sharing your life so the rest of us can be so inspired.
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/75.html
We're headed to the Yucatan Peninsula, which is one of our must-sees on our travel list, with the promise of lots of Mayan ruins, sunny weather and great food.
Our bikes resting in Palenque
As we were getting ready to leave, John from Valladolid chatted with us. He sent us this pic later that day!
We rode up the western part of the peninsula and arrived late in Merida. While looking for a place to stay, we talked to a few of indigenous Mayan people who were admiring our bikes. Their Spanish was very hard to understand, since they spoke it with a different accent. When we told them we were from Canada, it seems that it's a popular place to find work, more so than the US these days.
There are actually dozens of different indigenous tribes living in the Yucatan, all of them have their own distinct culture and language!
Neda is hoping to see some flamingos
While in Merida, we made a side-trip west to the coast to visit the Flamingo Sanctuary in Celestun. It's a small fishing village with great beaches and excellent seafood, and we rented a boat to take us out to the flamingo colonies.
Ducks hop and skip across the waters
Flamingos are a deep pink because of the crustaceans they eat off the sea bottom
Neda is quite a bird-enthusiast and one of her wishes was to see a flamingo live. Ever since she saw Miami Vice, actually...
In the distance, we saw what looked like a line of pink buoys, but as we got closer, they were flamingos all lined up in the water! Neda was ecstatic and going crazy with the camera!
Such funny-looking birds
They look like road runners when they land on the water
Neda is a wealth of information, she says that flamingos like to congregate where there is a mixture of salt and fresh water, which creates an ideal habitat for them. When they're born, they are white in colour, but slowly turn pink because of their seafood diet. Which makes me think of my own Mexican diet and then I realize I'm not really tanned, I'm taco-coloured...
The boat takes us through a Mangrove forest
Reminds us of the Florida Everglades. All we need is an fanboat...
Flamingos aren't the only birds living here, pelicans hang out on the treetops
The wingspan on these birds are huge!
Hooligan pelicans hang out in groups of 5 and 6
I think the term "Flamenco Line" comes from flamingos...
We're headed to the Yucatan Peninsula, which is one of our must-sees on our travel list, with the promise of lots of Mayan ruins, sunny weather and great food.
Our bikes resting in Palenque
As we were getting ready to leave, John from Valladolid chatted with us. He sent us this pic later that day!
We rode up the western part of the peninsula and arrived late in Merida. While looking for a place to stay, we talked to a few of indigenous Mayan people who were admiring our bikes. Their Spanish was very hard to understand, since they spoke it with a different accent. When we told them we were from Canada, it seems that it's a popular place to find work, more so than the US these days.
There are actually dozens of different indigenous tribes living in the Yucatan, all of them have their own distinct culture and language!
Neda is hoping to see some flamingos
While in Merida, we made a side-trip west to the coast to visit the Flamingo Sanctuary in Celestun. It's a small fishing village with great beaches and excellent seafood, and we rented a boat to take us out to the flamingo colonies.
Ducks hop and skip across the waters
Flamingos are a deep pink because of the crustaceans they eat off the sea bottom
Neda is quite a bird-enthusiast and one of her wishes was to see a flamingo live. Ever since she saw Miami Vice, actually...
In the distance, we saw what looked like a line of pink buoys, but as we got closer, they were flamingos all lined up in the water! Neda was ecstatic and going crazy with the camera!
Such funny-looking birds
They look like road runners when they land on the water
Neda is a wealth of information, she says that flamingos like to congregate where there is a mixture of salt and fresh water, which creates an ideal habitat for them. When they're born, they are white in colour, but slowly turn pink because of their seafood diet. Which makes me think of my own Mexican diet and then I realize I'm not really tanned, I'm taco-coloured...
The boat takes us through a Mangrove forest
Reminds us of the Florida Everglades. All we need is an fanboat...
Flamingos aren't the only birds living here, pelicans hang out on the treetops
The wingspan on these birds are huge!
Hooligan pelicans hang out in groups of 5 and 6
I think the term "Flamenco Line" comes from flamingos...
Neda goes looking for birds in a fresh-water spring
The boat lets us off at a spot called Ojo de Agua, where an underground spring flows fresh-water into the sea. The water is cool and refreshing and Neda takes the opportunity to do some up-close bird-watching.
This Great Egret is not fazed at all, Neda got so close to it!
Birds are vain too...
Our chauffeur taking us back to the mainland
We're staying in Merida for a few days to catch the end of Carnaval, lots of street festivals and parades every day. On the last day of Carnaval, we watched a stage show in the middle of the historic town. The theme of the show was Merida Mistica and featured portrayals of mystical creatures.
Plenty of tourist transportation available on the streets of Merida
Dancer supposed to represent a unicorn
These dancers are supposed to be dragons
More dragon dancers!
lol!
I remember our first summer of riding, we did an overnight trip to Gravenhurst! It seemed like such a long ride back then! :lmao:
Yes, we met Andi and Ellen at the HU meet in California back in October, nice folks. We've been in constant contact over the past few months, but haven't been able to co-ordinate a meetup.
Natfx7
Banned
Ligntcycle, look at these sky dare devils. Watch the video from 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKKTHwRFzY
He chopped the yellow pole with his left arm flying damn close to the ground. He is the real Superman. They swept across through mountains and trees without hitting them in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GASFa7rkLtM
What a narrow escape with adrenaline rush. That is spectacular,awesome. I can only fly that way in my dreams. The mountains and trees are like heaven.
He chopped the yellow pole with his left arm flying damn close to the ground. He is the real Superman. They swept across through mountains and trees without hitting them in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GASFa7rkLtM
What a narrow escape with adrenaline rush. That is spectacular,awesome. I can only fly that way in my dreams. The mountains and trees are like heaven.
Actually, the gear we're wearing is summer-wear. We've got mesh jackets and pants that flow a lot of air and when it gets cooler (under 20C), we need to layer up. Perfectly comfortable at 30C when moving!
I know Neda would pick exactly the same bike. I love my 12GS... when it's upright... Pain in the butt to pick up when it's taking a nap in the sand. If we were barred from the GS-family, I think a KLR650 would be the next best choice. Then after that maybe a DR650.
A cool choice would be an LC4 KTM, but reliability and parts availability would be an issue.
Did I miss a posting of all the gear & equipment u brought along?
I'm also curious how u layered up with differing temps, from Alaska to Mexico
Sent from my Phone, dont judge the grammar
REV'IT Air Jacket
BMW Airflow Jacket
BMW Airflow Pants
BMW All-Round Boots
BMW Rallye Gloves
Dainese AirTex Gloves
Sidi On-Road Goretex Boots
Shoei Neotec Helmet
Schuberth C3 Helmet
Because everything is mesh, we've ridden comfortably in 38C weather in Death Valley. Just wet the T-shirt underneath and the airflow keeps you very cool.
For colder temps, we either layer up with thicker base layers underneath and/or windbreakers/rainsuits overtop. This will work for temps down to 0C.
For extreme cold, we wear Gerbings jacket-liners and electric gloves. We rode in -15C at highway speeds with electrics and a windproof layer overtop. Ironically, not in Alaska, but in Utah...
Thx I will try those next time. I'll ditch the touring jacket & just take a mesh & waterproof layer. Never thought of that
Sent from my tablet using my paws
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/76.html
Neda is not feeling well. She's got a bad case of Montezuma's Revenge and she can't stomach any food. Which is a shame because there is some great Yucatan cuisine in Merida. We end up patronizing a German beerhouse (of all places) across the street from our hotel and I gorge myself on bratwurst and Guiness. There are a lot of foreign tourists wandering around the city and accordingly the prices for food and accommodations have risen. We don't really like that too much.
Opting for a liquid diet
Merida is a very cultured city, lots of art displayed everywhere
Our next destination is directly east across the Yucatan peninsula. The Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza are one of the most famous in Mexico, and this has been on our to-do list from the start. Chichen Itza is only a couple of hours away so we leave early in the afternoon to try the catch the best light at the ruins. We encountered a very gruesome motorcycle accident on our way, which put me in a very sober mood for the rest of the ride, reflecting on all the things that could happen to us while on two wheels.
The Castillo Temple at Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was a very big disappointment. Right from the start, we were charged a hefty admission fee, part of a two-tiered system which made it cheaper for locals than foreign tourists. I can understand a tourist surcharge, we encountered the same thing in India, however what we got in return for that large expense was very underwhelming.
The ruins looked like they were entirely reconstructed on a well-manicured golf course. There was none of the stepped-out-of-a-jungle feel that we had in Palenque, and there were far fewer buildings here than on other ruins we had visited. Bus-loads of tourists from Cancun and Merida were unceremoniously dumped on-site and it felt more like a Disney attraction than an archeological site.
This pretty much summed up our Chichen Itza experience
We opted not to hire a tour guide (more $$$), but we were curious when all the guides had their tour groups clap in front of the Castillo Temple. When we eavesdropped on a tour, we found out that due to the construction of the stairs on the face of the temple, the echo of a clap would make a two-toned sound that would mimic the call of a Quetzal. This is a bird that is commonly found in the jungles around the area, and was also worshiped by the Mayans as the God of the Air.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sHvUQ7DYibk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Might have to turn up the volume a bit
Never having heard what a Quetzal sounds like, we thought at the very least the two-toned echo was neat. Later on, I searched online for a Quetzal call - it sounds NOTHING like the echo. So all those dumb tourists (us included) who clapped in front of the temple were probably being laughed at by every single tour guide...
I think we're done with visiting ruins.
Tourists walking around the ruins
Valladolid is less than an hour away from Chichen Itza, and we stopped there for the night. It recently gained status as a Pueblo Magico, and the government has invested a lot in cleaning up the city and painting all the buildings in the historic downtown. Very pretty town, but since we arrived late in the evening, we only had time for dinner and a quick stroll through the streets.
Impromptu mass in the middle of the street from the back of a truck!
The next day, we rode from Vallodolid to the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. If it seems like we are speeding our way through the area, it's because we are. The Yucatan is packed with foreign tourists and everything is expensive. We were going to stop in Cancun but after doing a search for accommodations, we decided to head towards Tulum instead. It's a much cheaper town to stay at for a couple of nights.
Tulum is packed with sun-seekers and beach-goers who have come here to seek refuge from the over-priced hotels of Cancun. It's a very young crowd and our hostel was full of university students and recent grads from all over the world on their "Gap Year" trip. Our next-door neighbours were two girls from Australia and they told us about a cenote they visited closeby called Dos Ojos. We thanked them for the tip and headed out the very next day!
View from inside one of the "eyes" of Dos Ojos
A cenote is a natural sinkhole or pit that exposes the groundwater underneath. They're found all over the Yucatan Peninsula, and Dos Ojos (Two Eyes) is set a couple of kms into the jungle and boasts one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. We only rented snorkeling equipment so we stayed on the surface of one of the "eyes", but the light flowing from the mouth of the cave through the crystal clear waters was astoundingly beautiful!
Stalactites hang from the ceiling of the cave and dip down into the crystal blue waters
Stalactites break the surface of the waters and everything is surrounded by an unearthly glow
Neda takes in the underwater view
View from above the waters
Same exact view from below the waters
Taking a break from diving
Posing on a rock
More underwater touring
Neda dives to get a better view of the floor
Neda is not feeling well. She's got a bad case of Montezuma's Revenge and she can't stomach any food. Which is a shame because there is some great Yucatan cuisine in Merida. We end up patronizing a German beerhouse (of all places) across the street from our hotel and I gorge myself on bratwurst and Guiness. There are a lot of foreign tourists wandering around the city and accordingly the prices for food and accommodations have risen. We don't really like that too much.
Opting for a liquid diet
Merida is a very cultured city, lots of art displayed everywhere
Our next destination is directly east across the Yucatan peninsula. The Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza are one of the most famous in Mexico, and this has been on our to-do list from the start. Chichen Itza is only a couple of hours away so we leave early in the afternoon to try the catch the best light at the ruins. We encountered a very gruesome motorcycle accident on our way, which put me in a very sober mood for the rest of the ride, reflecting on all the things that could happen to us while on two wheels.
The Castillo Temple at Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was a very big disappointment. Right from the start, we were charged a hefty admission fee, part of a two-tiered system which made it cheaper for locals than foreign tourists. I can understand a tourist surcharge, we encountered the same thing in India, however what we got in return for that large expense was very underwhelming.
The ruins looked like they were entirely reconstructed on a well-manicured golf course. There was none of the stepped-out-of-a-jungle feel that we had in Palenque, and there were far fewer buildings here than on other ruins we had visited. Bus-loads of tourists from Cancun and Merida were unceremoniously dumped on-site and it felt more like a Disney attraction than an archeological site.
This pretty much summed up our Chichen Itza experience
We opted not to hire a tour guide (more $$$), but we were curious when all the guides had their tour groups clap in front of the Castillo Temple. When we eavesdropped on a tour, we found out that due to the construction of the stairs on the face of the temple, the echo of a clap would make a two-toned sound that would mimic the call of a Quetzal. This is a bird that is commonly found in the jungles around the area, and was also worshiped by the Mayans as the God of the Air.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sHvUQ7DYibk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Might have to turn up the volume a bit
Never having heard what a Quetzal sounds like, we thought at the very least the two-toned echo was neat. Later on, I searched online for a Quetzal call - it sounds NOTHING like the echo. So all those dumb tourists (us included) who clapped in front of the temple were probably being laughed at by every single tour guide...
I think we're done with visiting ruins.
Tourists walking around the ruins
Valladolid is less than an hour away from Chichen Itza, and we stopped there for the night. It recently gained status as a Pueblo Magico, and the government has invested a lot in cleaning up the city and painting all the buildings in the historic downtown. Very pretty town, but since we arrived late in the evening, we only had time for dinner and a quick stroll through the streets.
Impromptu mass in the middle of the street from the back of a truck!
The next day, we rode from Vallodolid to the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. If it seems like we are speeding our way through the area, it's because we are. The Yucatan is packed with foreign tourists and everything is expensive. We were going to stop in Cancun but after doing a search for accommodations, we decided to head towards Tulum instead. It's a much cheaper town to stay at for a couple of nights.
Tulum is packed with sun-seekers and beach-goers who have come here to seek refuge from the over-priced hotels of Cancun. It's a very young crowd and our hostel was full of university students and recent grads from all over the world on their "Gap Year" trip. Our next-door neighbours were two girls from Australia and they told us about a cenote they visited closeby called Dos Ojos. We thanked them for the tip and headed out the very next day!
View from inside one of the "eyes" of Dos Ojos
A cenote is a natural sinkhole or pit that exposes the groundwater underneath. They're found all over the Yucatan Peninsula, and Dos Ojos (Two Eyes) is set a couple of kms into the jungle and boasts one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. We only rented snorkeling equipment so we stayed on the surface of one of the "eyes", but the light flowing from the mouth of the cave through the crystal clear waters was astoundingly beautiful!
Stalactites hang from the ceiling of the cave and dip down into the crystal blue waters
Stalactites break the surface of the waters and everything is surrounded by an unearthly glow
Neda takes in the underwater view
View from above the waters
Same exact view from below the waters
Taking a break from diving
Posing on a rock
More underwater touring
Neda dives to get a better view of the floor
