On April 30, I started the long trip out of Mexico City. It took me most of the morning to get to the outskirts. After lunch, I started the painful climb out of the valley to Puebla. The road zigzagged to the top and I had to frequently stop to get my breath. There were many vehicles stopped along the way that were also having trouble getting to the top. I finally reached the summit to find a row of restaurants and repair shops and a sign that read "next 13 km winding" meaning downhill! I flew down the hill and came to an open, flat valley that led to Puebla.

         On May 2, I arrived in Puebla. While searching for a laundermat, I made a left hand turn and for some reason I did not look back to see if anyone was coming. Out of nowhere, a white car appeared and hit the bike catching the front pannier with his bumper. I heard a crack as the car drove off and I was stuck in the middle of the intersection. I realized that a bolt was broken and my handle bars were no longer connected to the front forks. I was unable to steer so I struggled to get the bike out of the intersection before I was hit by another car.

         As I sat at the side of the rode thinking my trip was over, someone in a pickup truck drove up and offered to take the bike to a machinist. We loaded the bike in the back and I jumped in with it as there was two children in the front and no room for me. The machinist was unable to help us so we went to the drivers house and dropped off the children. We then went in search of bike shops and on the way, I learned that my savior was Fulgencio, a university student studying law. We were able to buy a similar part at one of the stores and have it welded at another shop. I was doubtful whether this would hold. Fulgencio then took me on a tour to the downtown area before we headed back to his place for dinner.

         At the house, we had a fish dinner with his father. After we were finished, Norma, a fellow lawyer, arrived and she left with Fulgencio for an Italian class. The father and I loaded the bike into the pickup truck and he drove me to a near-by hotel. That night I had a dream about the new welded part breaking as I flew down a hill and I ended up loosing control of the bike and swerving in front of a bus. In the morning, I decided to replace the makeshift bought part with a bolt from the seat that was identical to the broken one. Then I put the new bolt on the seat. This way, I felt much safer.

         On May 4, I came to a fork in the road and decided to head south to Oaxaca. Along the way, I stopped in Cuacnapalan, a town that looked like time had forgotten. I was now back in desert country and, as the wind grew stronger it created dust storms making it almost impossible to keep control of the bike. I found the usual shelter under a bridge for lunch then continued on in the wind till I reached a mountain range and the wind died down. I struggled over the mountain and a downhill run led me into Tehuacan. I found a cheap motel and decided to stay there for two days to rest.

         May 6, I headed out of town onto the freeway. At the next toll station, they told me that it was a nice downhill into Oaxaca. Of course, they failed to mention that it was a 1000 meter climb through some of the most inhospitable terrain before getting there! The road, which goes on for about 20 km, is cut into the side of a mountain range and I realized there were no towns for miles. In the late afternoon, I set up camp at the side of the road with a wall of mountains on one side and a deep valley on the other side.

         The next day, the relentless climb continued and I had run out of water. I was starting to feel dehydrated when I finally came to a roadside stop and bought as much liquid as I could. The hills seemed more gentle now but still no sign of the big downhill the guys at the toll station spoke of. My G.P.S. showed that I was nearly at 1000 meters.

         On May 8, I passed through Asoncion and stocked up on food and water. Outside of town, I stopped at a Pemex station for supper. This led to the usual crowd asking about my bike and then I was invited to camp in the garage by the VW bug. In the morning, I was awoken by the garage attendant setting up to repair tires. I hurriedly packed up, had breakfast in the parking lot and then headed out on the road again. I started a climb into a more rugged mountain area. After lunch, a long downhill took me to another toll station and a 4-lane highway into Oaxaca.

Mexico - Oaxaca