After 2 months without riding I am so happy to be finally going on a trip! Mexico is far, but I want to take the side roads anyway and there is nothing more beautiful than Big sur in a sunny day.
Lovers Point
Lovers Point
Lovers Point
Big Sur
Big Sur
Little Sur River, in Big Sur
Bixby Creek Bridge is hands down one of the iconic locations along the Big Sur drive. At least for the fans of “Big Little Lies” like me
Stan has decided to tag along with me, and take the ferry to La Paz later.
On the road from Mexicali to Puerto Penasco I decide to try a shortcut in the dirt, as the road has not been so far as interesting as expected. Our idea of “Let’s have fun in Mexico” is obviously quite different from the one most people have :)
A bit later that day I notice a few palm trees in a middle of what appears to be a salt lake. We take the small trail towards the lake. With a midday light the view is not as great as I was going for. We decide to push further and adventure ourselves on the salt lake itself, cautiously. It’s slippery but a lot of fun! That's when I discovered what a fantastic picture a drone (Stan's) can take!
We continued along the coast, hitting Puerto Lobos and spending the night in Bahia Kino
Riding on the beach at Puerto Lobos
The ballet of this van taking boats in and out of the water is fascinating! Crazy that it drives 80-100 m from the shore.
Callo-de-hacha (or Ax Callus). The minute I arrived in Bahia de Kino I had a great feeling about it. Far away from tourist towns, we are in the real Mexico now. It’s Sunday and people congregate in small groups and the average folk appear cheerful. The food is out of this world.
Stan riding in a cacti forest. They were present all along the ride.
The road yesterday was pure motorcycle bliss, with hundreds Kilometers of twisty roads in a nice scenery with very little traffic. Tight turn after tight turn, no other choice than focusing on the moment, becoming one with the bike, one with the road. We climbed more and more until the road reached 2300 m (7600 ft) of elevation. And it got cold, very cold. We stopped for the night in a rowdy looking place: Basaseachi. Sub freezing temperatures at night and even in the morning when we rode to The Cascada de Basaseachi, the second tallest waterfall in Mexico
Stan, on a frozen bridge over the Cascada de Basaseachi
The Cascada de Basaseachi is the second tallest waterfall in Mexico with a height of 246 meters (853 ft)!
An easy trail a few km long leads to the top of it.
These cliffs reach an impressive height of 1,640 meters (5,380 ft).
Copper Canyon - Barrancas del Cobre
Copper Canyon is actually a series of 6 canyons, with a combined length 4 times larger than the Grand Canyon. In some places, it’s even deeper than the Grand Canyon, with a depth of over 1 mile (1.6 km)!
We start the day early and a tad anxious because of internet (other riders) rumors about cartel activity in Copper Canyon. After asking the locals yesterday, I felt rather good about it. What I was wondering though is: how bad is the road? Can we make it in one shot (since I don’t have a tent)?
I'm happy to be in Creel
The name Copper Canyon comes from the reddish, copper-like color of the canyon walls, although I did not really see that from our view points.
Copper Canyon is home of the Rarámuri. I was moved by this 4-year old little girl, shy but brave enough to approach a stranger dressed in intimidating motorcycle gear.
Her mom is carrying her baby the traditional way, draped on her back.
At Bahuichivo, we make a big detour South to see another viewpoint down the canyon, looking at Urique.
Stan, always having fun
At the Mirador you need to pay $1 to a small group of Indian women and we’re happy to oblige. The views are really spectacular, even under that terrible midday light.
The road from hell!
I have visited the South side of Copper Canyon (down to Batopilas) 15 years ago but I’ve never been to the North side. The reputation at the time was that it was pretty hard to go through in direction of Los Alamos, so we were expecting a tough ride but the road from Bahuichivo to Chinipas was way worse than that! Regular dirt is not an issue of course but the surface of this one is a talcum-like powder on top of a rough dirt road with stones and potholes hidden underneath.
That would be still okay if there was no traffic, but shockingly there was a good number of pickup, trucks etc., some hauling fast, although not going fast enough for us to ride for hours behind their dust.The culprit is probably a mine operation that brings heavy full-size transport trucks that edge their way up these mountains. When turning on these very tight curves they literally pulverize the dirt road surface creating a deep layer of sandy/silt powder. When turning, they swing far into the opposite lane and create a blinding wall of dust which is problematic when trying to pass.
We arrive one hour before sunset at Chinipas. I see an hotel that looks appealing so late in the day, considering that alamos is still far away. I convince easily Stan that it’s the right think to do at this time.
I love the atmosphere of Mexican small towns! After that grueling road we were thrilled to walk to the central plaza, where everything is slow. Mexican mens with their white hats, dogs lying motionless in the sun or minding their own business. Dinner in a one-woman restaurant who treated us like if she was our mother. One of these place where you just ask to get whatever she wants to cook for you.
At some point I got blinded by such a wall of dust and ended up dumping my motorcycle resulting in a dislocated exhaust tailpipe. Here I am fixing the pipe and we’re on our way again.
We thought a drink was in order to clean the dust. We ask where the town bar is and it turns out they have no bar… just a barred window where you buy beers from a girl and her son. We bought beer and drank it on a bench (love these cast iron benches) in the plaza.
To our surprise (as we have not met any motorcycle traveler so far) we see 3 big adventure bikes in Chinipas! We meet Jason & Mick on BMW1250s and another Jason on a KTM 1290. They look the part and know Copper Canyon very well so we ride together the next morning.
Alamos is one of the lesser known of Mexico’s Colonial Cities but was an extremely important silver mining center. The wealth it created allowed 17th century Andalusian architects to bring their designs and build fabulous mansions here. Colored walls, big wooden doors, and if they’re open, one can see gorgeous patios with flowers and fountains
Alamos seen from the Mirador
We had all our clothes and gear cleaned in Alamos so we didn’t want to go back on the dirt right away but the plan did not work. A road that looked like paved on the GPS turns up to dirt for the most part. Quite fun but looking at the ruts it seems that this area would be extremely challenging in wet weather. We ride literally in the middle of nowhere and It’s hard to imagine what life can be in the small “villages” (just a few houses) lost in the middle of nowhere, after hours of driving in the dirt.
After the fun in the dirt road and a breakfast in beautiful El Fuerte, it’s time to put up some miles and head to Los Mochis to find a tire for Stan. While we’re waiting in the motorcycle shop I check the map of what’s around. Even though I’m eager to make it soon to Mazatlan, there is a place not too far that looks really cool on the map, with plenty of bridges and islands: Topolobambo
Esteban from Motology in Los Mochis was very helpful but quite convinced after searching that we would not get anything before Guadalajara!
When we get to Topolobambo it’s a bit disappointing as it’s a huge harbor and refineries site. Still, the view on the island and the old town is nice. We decide to take some of those bridges (more like levees) and arrive at the island El Maviri Beach.
Awesome seafood (especially the raw shrimps) at Restaurante Agua Marina Las Animas
El Maviri Beach
I’m so glad that I’ve downloaded in my GPS all the Pueblos Magicos of Mexico before the trip! Now we can more easily make a detour when one is around. It’s always worth it, like this gorgeous Cosalá town.
The Viejo Mazatlán is very nice, with colonial buildings and the longest Malecon. When I learned that it’s also the seafood capital of Mexico I knew that I would like it here. It is Sunday and the town is packed, with bumper to bumper, loud music playing, cars driving back and forth on the Malecon. It’s fun though and we appreciate the scenery from our terrace in one of these restaurants facing the sea.
The first thing I did after checking in a hotel was to buy oysters on the beach from a guy selling them out of nowhere. Really good.
Mazatlán's malecón is considered one of the longest in the world, has a length of about 21 km
Great view on la Isla de la Piedra.
Low rider (a Mexican specialty) Beetles
Man on the Malecon, not a statue
The historic center has been renovated in the last few years, even though many buildings have only a facade to show as the inside is still a ruin.
Mezcal with rattlesnake
Cerro de la Neveria and it’s small Viewpoint Park. It’s cool with stunning views on the sunset and young people enjoying it.
On the first morning in Mazatlán my mission is to call half a dozen of shops that could potentially carry the right size tire, in Mazatlán and Guadalajara. The last local one i call may have something! We ride there immediately. It’s a much smaller shop than expected but the guy finds a several years old tire that’s just a tad narrower. That will have to do.
We ride a few blocks away to another shop with the bandwidth to mount it. Look at the guy just above my mirror re-spoking a wheel.
I take advantage of it to have a glove re-stitched with an old fashion hand driven sewing machine. What I love about Mexico is that when things break, they repair - glue it, screw it, craft it, repair it, staple it, chisel it… they can do it.
El Espinazo del Diablo on Highway 40 was even better that I imagined it! In about 2 hours we climbed from sea level to 2700m (8850ft) of elevation. It’s 150km of tight twisties (literally thousands of curves) flanked by two deep ravines where you can see the wonderful spectacle of the Sierra Madre Occidental.
Best of all, the Hwy 40 has been bypassed by the 40D with beautiful bridges and tunnels, so as a result we had the old road pretty much for ourselves. One of the best riding experiences of my life!
Best of all, the Hwy 40 has been bypassed by the 40D with beautiful bridges and tunnels, so as a result we had the old road pretty much for ourselves. One of the best riding experiences of my life!
Riding the El Espinazo del Diablo was not the end of our ride for the day, far from it. My goal for this trip was to reach at least Zacatecas because it’s a city that I loved 15 years ago.
We made it after a very long ride, before sunset (the “obsession” when riding in Mexico :) and enjoyed the evening in this beautiful city.
We made it after a very long ride, before sunset (the “obsession” when riding in Mexico :) and enjoyed the evening in this beautiful city.
I start my day I start by riding an extensive tour of the city, staying on the ridge around it and the small streets on the hills - Zacatecas is built between two big hills. I’ve to be cautious because many streets end up in stairs and there is no way to reverse on a bike :)
I then head to Guadalupe and the famous Convento de Guadalupe. Temperature is perfect, all is quiet, i feel light and happy. The inside of the Convent is absolutely splendid!
I then go back go back to Zacatecas for a visit by foot this time. Hard to describe what I find so special about Zacatecas since it's the ambiance that I enjoy. I also like the hills and walk on its cobble streets to admire the colorful walls and architecture or get lost in the narrow alleys.
Convento de Guadalupe
Convento de Guadalupe
Serene moment @ Café Dali. I enjoyed this espresso even more since most of Mexico is still on instant coffee
The Plaza Genaro Codina is peaceful and surrounded by very small streets, passages and a covered market
Fuente de los Faroles is more animated on the evenings
Zacatecas early morning
Food in Zacatecas
Chiles in the covered market
We left Zacatecas so early that we couldn't find a place opened until someone directs us to the Menudo. It’s a restaurant where, as we discovered, they serve only one meal: Menudo (or Pancita del Res) a traditional Mexican soup, made with cow's stomach (tripe) in broth with a red chili pepper base.
Seeing so many people lining up for this small shop selling tamales of all sorts, I line up with them and it’s worth it!
• One of the things I’ve missed from Mexico: a big cup of ripe fruits with salt, chile and lime juice on top. Delish!
The beauty of simplicity - Gorditas
Selling dulces in the Plaza de Armas
After the cold ride the day before (from Zacatecas to Camargo), we decide to make a 90 degree angle West to the warm coast. But between us and the coast there is the high elevation of the Sierra Madre.
The good news is that when getting closer to the mountains the road becomes fantastic again with great twisties and scenery. The bad news is that during our lunch break in Tomochi a trucker tells us that it snowed a couple of days ago on the passes. Luckily, even if we had snow all around us, there was almost none left on the road.
The good news is that when getting closer to the mountains the road becomes fantastic again with great twisties and scenery. The bad news is that during our lunch break in Tomochi a trucker tells us that it snowed a couple of days ago on the passes. Luckily, even if we had snow all around us, there was almost none left on the road.
And then, Trouble !
An hour and a half before the sun sets, it’s getting cold but we are on track to make it to Yékora before dark. It turns out, this mountain pass is littered with precarious, ill placed stones on the road. Don’t worry about the patches of ice… or potholes… it's the stones that will get ya. In a turn I can’t avoid one of these stones, and because the bike is leaned over, the stone hits one side of the rim rather than the whole tire. It throws away the front fork quite badly but thankfully I manage to stay on the road. With such an impact I immediately worry about a potential puncture and here it goes, the pressure number is decreasing on my dashboard. Oh no! Now I race to catch up with Stan before the pressure in my tire gets too low.
We leap into action, and within minutes, the bike is propped on its center-stand, tools unpacked, and pinch bolts off to ready to release the front axle. Wheel off, we hammer the bent rim, with a heavy boulder until it‘a good enough to theoretically hold air. Unfortunately, this task is too much for my travel air compressor. We even try an aerosol can of “fix-a-flat” but no luck. Only 2 options remaining: #1 Use Stan’s spare tube, or #2 Go to that gas station that Garmin tells us is only 10 miles away and get it inflated with a proper compressor. #2 seems much simpler so we load the wheel onto Stan’s bike and he speeds off before it gets too dark and cold. I’ll let Stan tell the rest of the story:
“20 minutes later my garmin GPS directed me to, what should have been a gas station, however, it turned out to be a guarded mining operation. Perhaps, they could help, I thought? I wheeled in hot, startling the guard and his 3 dogs that barked at my ankles. The bundled-up lazy guard came out and I pointed to the flat tire strapped to my bike, jumped up and down, and did my best re-enactment of the tire hitting the rock and loosing pressure… “Problema, Problema…” I thought of every word I could for compressor, pressure, pump, needs air. The leery dogs growled as the guard waved his finger indicating he could not help and I should go. I left towards town.
On the way, I asked 5 people in terrible Spanish, before I got lucky. My saviour was a house with a burning fireplace and dump truck parked outside. I honked and said “Problema, Problema…” The truck driver came out and after communicating the situation he unraveled the air hose from his big rig and had the tire inflated in seconds. As a gesture I offered him the 500 pesos ($30) that JL gave me and he took it and smiled for the first time. I raced back to meet Jean-Luc, who was contemplating making a fire. The sun had already set and the temperature was plummeting. We had that tire on so fast we impressed ourselves with our efficiency and cooperation. Onward…”
i'm Very relieved that the tire is now holding air, we still have to face our new challenge: riding in the dark. It’s the #1 rule in Mexico, and still I manage to break it on every one of my trips. The dusk produced the most orange of sunsets that highlighted the mountain tips that eventually gave way to the pitch of night. 80 km of chilly mountain pass bends in the dark. A reckless dog darted across the road and a few cows stood their ground. Stan takes it really slow to navigate around these obstacles and the stones. A couple of hours later we finally make it to Yékora.
I know, “c’est l’Aventure”, but after yesterday’s events I felt like being cosy, cocooning even. Nope, not yet! The gas heater in my room stopped working around 4am because there was no propane left, and with -4C / 25F outside my room was barely warmer! I usually hate going back on the same tracks but we want warmth and there is only one interesting road along the coast. We settled to go back to Bahia Kino where we had a good time on the way in. We pushed enough to arrive in Kino before sunset.
We head right away to revisit that sand strip and a restaurant (Mariscos Bahía) I had noticed on my first stay. We get a table right by the water and the view in spectacular on a beautiful sunset.
Puerto Peñasco. It could be a nice place, and it’s definitely a very active fishing harbor. Unfortunately it’s proximity to the US created the usual issue with tourism: pizzas and burgers joints; waiters and small shop owners hassling you to buy at their place etc. at least it was low season so there were few tourists. We celebrated our last night in Mexico as deserved, before to head back home!
Leaving Kino, we tackled that road so full of potholes that the cars are swerving like drunk sailors. Good thing that there are so few of them. Then straight roads surrounded by cacti.
We stopped again in Puerto Libertad
Puerto Peñasco Malecon
fishing boats have a tough life!
It’s been a fantastic trip and I’m lucky to have found a great companion for sharing it!
• 5,070 miles / 8160 km • 3 weeks • 3 stay over for 2 nights
• 5,070 miles / 8160 km • 3 weeks • 3 stay over for 2 nights
