2-6-06
We awaken in San Cristobal. Art with delight and satisfaction, I with a bit of frustration. It seems we ride only 1 of every 3 miles and hitchike the rest. As we sit with our backs to the truck cabs, the wonderful roads and scenery fall away from us, never to be biked.
When we rode out of Tapanatepec, we had been fortified by a breakfast prepared by the sand 13 km of switchbacks. And then the wind: such ferocity it blew us off the road two times! We had to stop. Art had to lean over the front to hold the bike down and we would just hang on, facing into the onslaught with sand stinging our legs. As the gusts calmed, we would ride. Since the road followed up the mountain, in and out of canyons, there were areas calmer and areas we could not ride. Finally, we broached the crest and rode slightly flat through a high valley with the storm driving the winds and rain toward us. We stopped for lunch, served by a toothless gentleman that got very close to us to show us how to eat each of the foods his wife prepared for us. He was a delight, so proud and pleased to feed us!
We attempted the road again, but the rain finally arrived, blowing over us, so Art stuck out his thumb and we got a ride all the way to Tuxla – about 55 kim. The road was wonderful until the other highway from the coast connected and then it was pandemoniu,: TRAFFIC, road construction and wash-outs. Generally a mess – so glad we weren’t riding.
Out of Tuxla, we knew San Cristobal would be a major climg. Off we went onto the new toll road – understanding that it was less curvy and wider than the free road. After about 26km, there was a detour – the bridge washed out during the hurrican and rains that hit Cancun and Chiapa last fall. Of course, none of the numerous people we asked about the road told us about it. But this detour – WOW – NEVER have we ever ridden such steep, twisty, narrow roads in our lives! Along with all the other diverted traffic, this little detour (10km) took us to the free road and then all the traffic from both roads, including the 18 wheelers now shared the winding highway up to San Cristobal.
We were whipped and the ascent was relentless. So, at about 3pm we stopped and Art put out his thumb. I wanted to pitch a tent, after all we were more than half the way and I wanted to ride to San Cristobal.
We stood for over an hour waiting for a good soul to pick us up. In that time I was able to observe and interact a little with the Indian cutlture, there. Gentle people, all dressed in traditional garb. The women and girls wore dark skirts that looked like oblong pieces of cloth wrapped to the front with a sash. The tops were predominantly black with sewn designs that matched a band design in the skirt- Some were very elaborate with shawls-head pieces glittery and embroidered and tasseled. I did not want to offend them by asking for a picture, although I admired their clothes and we all laughed at my “traditional” bike clothes.
Today I saw several other indigenous costumes and am trying to learn which areas they come from. Tomorrow we have an appointment to see a collection of native costumes.
2-9-06
We did see the costumes and met the most interesting man who helps the Indians to grow profitable crops and to treat the many terrible burns the Indians acquire as they huddle too close to fires to keep warm at night.
We also spent a day taking a tour to Palenque, Agua Azul and Misal-Ha. We left at 6am and returned at 9:30pm, exhausted and car sick, but so happy to have seen these wonderful areas. I have not been able to convince Art that riding through the Yucatan would be a great experience, although the weather is unseasonably cool this year, but he did agree to this excursion. The whole thing was a total transport of the senses. San Cristobal is in the evergreen, piney forests and Palenque was deep in the jungles. It took 4 hours of driving on a windy, washed-out road, past never-ending pueblos filled with indigenous peoples dressed in traditional clothing.
Palenque was the Mayanan center during about 600 AD, tucked into the jungle hillside with the flat Yucatan stretching out below it. It is amazing how much is preserved despite the tropical, wet weather and many years buried under jungle growth.
The two water falls: Agua Azul and Misal-Ha were both stunning and different. This first was a wide cascade and the second a long, thin drop. We planned to swim, but the weather was not warm enough to enjoy swimming in either!
The jungle foliage was what intrigued me: trees full of bromeliads and tillandsias, dipping with philodendrens, snarreled in ropes hundreds of feet long. The birds screech and scream and we even heard howler monkeys. This was a little taste of what we expect to find in Costa Rica. We will see.
We are enjoying the town of San Cristobal very much. It is very clean, filled with indigenous people; lively, colorful markets; good food selections in both restaurants and stores; and interesting travelers to visit with. We compared notes with a Swiss couple who have ridden their bikes from Alaska to here in eight months. We hope to meet up with them again before they leave home on a banana boat from Panama.
In a few more days we will head south and into Guatemala.
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