Ayutla Mixe: Mezcal Highway

[ Ayutla Mixe, Oaxaca ]

Greetings Transglobalistas!

(I’ll make this post super-short—by my standards anyway—and put the important info in the photo captions.)

I’ve been back on the road for 5 days now, 3 of them in the saddle. I’m being cautious, warming the engine up slowly, and taking into account that the road has been rapidly ramping up (literally) in difficulty.

Regarding my health, and how it feels to be back in the saddle and back climbing: so far, so good.

*knocks on wood*

The following images feature roadside mezcal, mountains, a new indigenous group (the Mixe), and the usual assortment of incredible experiences along the way.

Yesterday, for example, was one of the greatest days of the entire trip. The ride was beautiful, my legs did an admirable job, and I spoke Spanish for roughly seven (yes, seven!) uninterrupted hours, with a variety of clearly very patient people. Early in the day I was flagged down and interviewed by the side of the highway—by a young Mixe man who filmed our interview (in Spanish) for his YouTube channel. He pulled me over to welcome me to Mixe territory and offer me a ride into Ayutla (which I declined).

And it kept getting better from there. A huge HUGE “Gracias!” to the folks of Ayutla for absolutely everything; you’re the reason I keep riding my bike into the unknown and sharing it with the folks back in the USA (et al).

Any way you slice it I’ve had a magical time, great luck, and–as so often happens–have spent a lot of time with incredibly kind, helpful, friendly, funny, and charming folks. I’m totally enchanted, once again, and so SO happy to be back on the road.

I hope you enjoy the stories and images. Signed:
Your friendly neighborhood Riderman,
—jim

I can’t forget to tag Hotel Rincón Mixe: ¡muchas gracias de nuevo!

PPS

Advance warning: I spent so much time hanging out with people that I spent a lot less time than usual culling and editing my images. I figured it was better to edit less and get things posted than fret and fuss over it so much that it doesn’t get uploaded at all. I hope you enjoy them anyway, and I KNOW that the story emerges unscathed nonetheless.

My other host from Mitla, tolerating my desire to photograph everyone and everything, on the morning of my departure. I have photographic proof that I was able to make her smile AND laugh, but I'm pretty sure she'd prefer this version.
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The view back towards Mitla, from about a third of the way up my first post-Oaxaca climb. This day was only 33km, but 667m of climbing. (First day was 48km, with 217m of climbing, to give you an idea of the increase in exertion.)
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My first roadside sample of mezcal from a local producer, about 11km out of Mitla. The reposado was fantastic: smooth as a baby's bottom, and exceedingly delicious.
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I did NOT sample any of the mezcal here, but loved the treatment. This is all the younger, harsher variety of mezcal known as ezpadin, which is what people usually drink when they're drinking mezcal as hooch and trying to get plastered. All over Africa they do the same thing with their local moonshine: infuse it with local herbs, spices, fruits, or what have you. I was very strongly reminded of my stay in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where there were stands like this on every other corner...with custom infusions.
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This little fella lived with the infused mezcal. Don't think he drank any, though. And he lives in this cage although there is no door on it. Go figure.
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As you'd expect, there was agave being cultivated everywhere in the region. Here on the climb out of San Bartolo--the last climb of the day (only 8km, thank goodness).
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My room in Santa Maria Albarradas. I arrived late, but was treated to more mezcal samples at a comedor right down the street. Had good times and lots of laughs about the "Gringo Tax."
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A tale of two highways. I'm on 179, which was formerly the only way through the mountains. There is now a tollroad, 190, that covers the same stretch. It is graded lower, uses fewer kilometers (tunnels blasted through the mountains), and is seen to the left of this photo. It's the reason my climb to Ayutla has been a guilty pleasure: I'm riding on a beautifully paved highway with zero traffic, but the villages along the way are dying a relatively quick death. The tollway has just opened, but I saw the same exact phenomenon in Sinaloa at the very outset of the Trans-Mexico--on my first climb into the mountains.
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Looking down on the tollroad and out into the mountains I was about to climb into. Not a bad view, eh?
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Day 3 in the saddle (Day 4 total) was quick, but not easy. I left Santa Maria early--before 8am, full of scrambled eggs, frijoles, coffee, and a nice sugary soda--and made it to Ayutla just after noon. I only rode 27km, but it was 700m of climbing. I've had 1500m days, but that was pre-Oaxaca, when I was in top form, so I was very happy when the owner of the little comedor, La Morenita, flagged me down as I reached the outskirts of town.
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The owner (left), asked all about my trip, gave me a cold Coke, and tried to feed me. I declined at that point due to overexertion, and she gave me the lowdown on local hotels and potential places to camp. During that conversation, Jessica (on the right) showed up. She owns/operates the big construction shop to the left in the previous photo. Together, they decided I should follow her--on her blue scooter--through town to one of the local hotels, where she'd introduce me to the owners and they'd let me camp for free on hotel property.
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The ride through town is a story all to itself, but the owners of the hotel--Hotel Rincón Mixe--were having none of the camping thing. Instead, they offered me their in-progress suite for only $150MX ($7.50US). It's easily a $100USD room in the USA and goes for $25USD here in Mexico. By the end of my conversation with them, the price dropped to $0USD. Wow. (This is just a phone pic, but trust me: very very nice room, with extremely hot water and a view to kill for.)
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The view of Ayutla's central area, from my room. Notice the weather. By 4pm it was puking rain, which continued with only brief pauses until the next morning.
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I returned to La Morenita for dinner, as promised, and had two heaping bowls of chicken stew in the Mixe style. I spent 4 hours with her and Jessica over my two visits this day, stuffed my face full, had a cold Coke, and was shown a fantastic place to stay. Final cost? $0.00USD. They would have none of it. I returned to the hotel just before dark, and spend another 2 hours in deep, enthusiastic conversation with 3 other guests I met when I got there. Add in the roadside stops and random encounters, and I had ~7 hours of fully immersive Spanish Conversation practice, with lovely people I'll never forget. (And it was real conversation: personal stories, practical advice, politics foreign and domestic, family, religion, music, food, work...you name it, we discussed it!)
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Day 2 in Ayutla. Also Day 2 in Mixe territory--a new-to-me indigenous group. Everyone over the age of ~40 speaks it here, and I've never heard any language I could compare it to. All the signage is in Mixe, sometimes also in Spanish. The typography is almost as unusual to me as the sound. This is a mural over the central market.
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Street signs give you another idea of it...
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...as do the general PSA-type signs. As you can see here, they're sometimes translated into Spanish underneath.
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I eventually walked back to La Morenita to hang with my Ayutlan guardian angels again. This time I was allowed to pay for lunch (but without the Gringo Tax), but I got a free beard trim from Jessica, who supplements her income doing manicures and haircuts. I promise I TRIED to pay! (Thanks Jessica!)
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"Whatcha lookin' at, Punk? You lookin' at me? Come a little closer; I'll give you somethin' to look at!"
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One of my friends at Hotel Rincón Mixe, who got up to greet me mid-nap. This was the pre-greeting, post-nap yawn and stretch.
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Fargo, parked in front of my SUITE at the Hotel Rincón Mixe. In almost every direction there's an incredible view--when it isn't raining cats and (yawning) dogs, that is.
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FYI, the unassuming signage and entrance to the hotel. If you visit Ayutla (and you should), then consider staying here. The owners and staff are top-notch, multi-lingual, friendly beyond belief, and the property is gorgeous. They do have social media, but FB isn't letting me tag their public page here in the photo comments. I'll add it in the post that accompanies this album, IF FB will let me. If not, just search for Hotel Rincón Mixe (with the accented "ó" ) and it'll pop right up for you.
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The small but ultra-clean and well-stocked kitchen at the hotel's fantastic restaurant. (And no, I didn't promise to promote them in exchange for the room or anything like that: I was genuinely impressed in addition to being grateful.)
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The Transglobalist
Photographer, cyclist, paraglider pilot, backpacker, skydiver, writer, explorer, musician, hitchhiker, digital nomad, and American dissident.

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Ayutla Mixe: Mezcal Highway

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