[ 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
PS
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.
You might also like
