Climbs and heat…

11.03.09

Mitla – El Camaron

97,7 km, 6h25min, Ø 15,2 km/h, 1126hm

 

I got up at 7:45am, had a tuna-avocado-sandwich for breakfast and bought some water. At 9 am Wayne and me were on our way. To El Camaron, our destination for the day I expected a lot of climbing. This being only the 2nd cycling day after more than 3 weeks of being lazy, I wasn‘ t sure if I could make it, but I knew that there would be a hotel after 60 km – another option.

 

Just outside Mitla we met Lars and Jonathan, two cyclists who started in Virginia and are going to Paraguay. They had a lot less gear on their bikes and after a short chat I saw them disappear in the distance.

 

Already at the first climb it was obvious that Wayne was going uphill a lot faster as I could. And since there were a lot more climbs to come we both went on at our own speed. It was very hot, around 40 degrees, and there was hardly any shade. The first climb was followed by a great downhill ride. We cycled from 1900m down to about 900 meters above sea-level.

 

Up and down, up and down, it just went on like that. Some time a guy stopped his car, talked to me and gave me a bottle of water. Though I didn‘ t need it by then I took it because he insisted on it. Well, 1 kg more doesn‘ t “make the cabbage fat” I thought. Around 2pm, after 75km, I stopped in San Juan in the shade in front of a small store and enjoyed a cold coke. I was already getting tired, pretty close to getting cramps in my legs and considered stopping at the Hotel there. But since it was still early I ignored the signals my body sent me and kept going after I chatted with 3 girls (about 12 years old) for a while.

Leaving town I could already see another climb that waited for me…

Since complaining doesn‘ t help I just kept pedaling, but my breaks, though just for a minute or so, kept becoming more frequently.

Amazingly it happened so many times on this trip that something happens to motivate me when I‘ m about to throw the towel. And today was not any different… After 90 km a pick-up loaded with melons past me. I just thought how nice it would be to have one of those when the driver pulled over. He got out, grabbed 2 melons and asked me in english, “Do you want more weight?”. And I actually did. We talked for a while, he wished me good luck on my trip and left. Oaxaca State is a very poor region of Mexico. And it‘ s just so amazing how generous and friendly the people here are. We all can learn a lot from them!!!

 

Around 4:30pm I reached El Camaron (which is named after the river in which there are – or were? – plenty of shrimps) and got a hotel-room for 100 Pesos. Wayne is staying at the room next to me. Later that evening Lars and Jonathan looked us up and we had dinner at a close by restaurant.

I enjoyed meeting and talking to some other cyclists, but didn‘ t have too much to say because I was too tired!

The destination for tomorrow is Teuantepec, it‘ s 118 km away though – and seems out of reach for me.

Good night

Anja

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.