February 24th 2024 – San Cristóbal de las Casas, México

We had learned from our host at the hotel that whales migrate north, just off the coast from Mazunte, this time of year. Early morning should offer the best chance of spotting them from land. We decided to give it a go and left the hotel just before sunup.

To gain a bit of elevation and a better view we followed the trail to Punta Cometa lookout point. Even this early in the morning and keeping a leisurely pace we perspired profusely when we reached our destination. We found a log to sit at by the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed the morning and the spectacular views of the coastline as the sun climbed into the sky.

A school of small whale watching boats set out from the beach. They continued south until they disappeared below the horizon. Apparently the whales had picked a route far from the coast this morning. After a while with no sign of whales we headed back to town in search of breakfast.

It was still relatively early. Few restaurants and shops were open at this hour. Luckily the best bakery in town offered bread still warm from the oven.  Juice, yogurt and a few other items completed a delicious breakfast on a shaded bench. Well fed, we retired to our room with its blessed fans. The heat drained us of energy and I ended up taking a solid nap in the hammock.

Just before noon we mustered the energy to drag our asses to the beach. After playing in the surf for an hour it was time to pick up our laundry. Back at the hotel I noticed that I probably should have applied sun lotion to my pale torso before playing in the water at high noon a stone’s throw from the equator. My reward for stupidity was a sunburn like I haven’t had since I was a kid. As the day wore on I became increasingly sore and my skin burning hot. Just putting on a T-shirt to go out for dinner in the evening was torture. I did not sleep well that night!

It was still completely dark outside when we started packing the bikes the following morning. We wanted to be rolling at first light to enjoy a couple of hours riding while the temperatures were still comfortable. It was a beautiful morning ride along the coast.

We encountered thousands of migrants walking north along MEX 200. Most of them were younger men but there were also whole families with everything from toddlers to elderly people. Few carried more than the clothes on their bodies and maybe a water bottle. In just a couple of hours we got a pretty good picture of the scope of this problem. The migration problem from South and Central America to the US seems to be very similar to what the EU experiences with migrants from North Africa and The Middle East. In both cases it’s a serious problem, with no simple solutions, that needs to be dealt with.

At noon we took shelter at Burger King in Salina Cruz. The AC lured us in and made the Whopper and Sundae taste delicious.
Sufficiently cooled down we braved the afternoon heat and made a dash for the nondescript town Unión Hidalgo. What made it our destination for the day was its location halfway between where we came from and where we wanted to go. The last stretch gave us a taste of the strong winds that this area is notorious for. 

The previous evening I had booked a room at a motel with secure parking for the bike, room with AC, a shaded pool area with a bar and even an on-site restaurant that served both dinner and breakfast. We got there early in the afternoon. The place turned out to be a real gem. The staff and the other guests were super friendly. Everyone seemed to know each other and it created a great atmosphere. We chilled on the premises all afternoon and evening enjoying the comforts including a surprisingly good dinner.

The AC made it possible to get a good night’s sleep and we woke up well rested. My sunburns were much less painful than the previous day.
A delicious breakfast was served at 8.30. It gave us time to pack the bikes first.

The wind had died down during the night and the wind turbines at the numerous wind farms surrounding the town were still sleeping as we left Unión Hidalgo behind. An uneventful morning ride took us to Tuxtla Gutiérrez – the state capital of Chiapas.
We repeated the recipe from the previous day and took a break from the heat at a restaurant with AC. McD provided us with what we needed.

We followed MEX 190 west out of town. When it split up in cuota (toll) and libre (free) we followed the latter. It often doubles travel times to take the old highways, but they are usually much more interesting to ride than the newer toll roads. This was no exception. The last 70 kilometers of MEX 190 as it climbed the mountains towards San Cristóbal de las Casas offered an exceptional riding experience. The curves, gradients, road surface, panoramic views and the lack of traffic played together beautifully. That we left the heat behind in the foothills further elevated the ride.
The competition is tough, but it might be my favorite road section in all of Mexico.

An hour before dark we pulled up in front of a hostel in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
I had tried to book a room there the previous day on Airbnb, but someone had snatched it from under my nose. I reached out to the host and he encouraged me to show up anyway, promising that we could figure something out. The place looked really good in every regard so we decided to do that.

When we arrived our host Paris greeted us at the gate. The room we wanted was only booked for that one night – after that it would be available to us. Paris offered that we could stay for free in the otherwise empty dorm the first night and then move into the room the following night at ½  of the listed price per night for as long as wanted. That was an offer too good to turn down.

As we were unpacking the bikes my sunburned torso started to itch. Within minutes it escalated to a degree that left me incapacitated. Katrine found my twitching and moaning  slightly worrisome. The itching continued all evening and was on the verge of driving me crazy.

Shortly after we had arrived another guest showed up unannounced at the gate. I’ve never seen anyone quite like him. He was polite and friendly but a real character. He was Russian and had traveled around Mexico for months. Paris was very apologetic about the fact that we now had to share the dorm with someone. He later told me that the guy appeared to be a Tuluminati.

In the evening Katrine and I went shopping and out for dinner. It was a challenge for me to behave somewhat normal while dealing with the itching. Fortunately it calmed down a bit at bedtime allowing me some sleep during the night.

Heavy rain pounded the roof all night and showers guested us in the morning. I believe it was only the second time we experienced rain since we entered Mexico 11 weeks ago.

The weather was the perfect excuse to take the day off and just chill at the hostel.
Paris prepared the room for us after the other guests had left and we could move in around noon. He was a really nice guy and we ended up talking for a couple of hours in the afternoon. He had been a professional football player in the Mexican league until Covid shut down all activity in 2020. He was 30 at the time and used the opportunity to change course in life. He got a job at a polling company and established the hostel together with his best friend as a side gig. He had enjoyed the new challenges and the change of pace compared with a life as a full time professional athlete.

Fin was also in town and dropped by our hostel to say hello. We had much to discuss and ended up having dinner together at a nearby Thai restaurant.

The weather was back to its good old self with pleasant temperatures and a clear blue sky the following day.
After breakfast Katrine and I packed our bags and headed out to have a look at what San Cristóbal de las Casas had to offer.

We meandered through town. First stop was a small sporting goods store with an impressive assortment. I picked up a pair of swim goggles. Next to the counter I spotted a display with sun protection swim shirts. I hadn’t known such a thing existed until Fin, the previous day, had told me about how he uses one to protect his delicate skin. I don’t like sun lotion but 5 days of suffering after an hour’s stupidity in Mazunte had convinced me that I needed to take better precautions in the future. I walked out of the store with blue swim goggles and a matching swim shirt.

Next stop was Moto Adventure Service. We dropped by to see if he could make us an attractive offer on tires for our bikes. We should have enough rubber left on our current tires to get us to Colombia, but the right offer might persuade me to replace them prematurely, just to get that off my chest.

It turned out to be a really nice shop with friendly people who appeared to know what they were doing. Unfortunately they weren’t able to give me an offer attractive enough for me to jump on. Fin, who was there when we arrived, was more lucky. They had the tire he was looking for in stock and offered to fit it the next day.

Katrine and I had been walking several kilometers at this point and decided to drop by SEDEM, a huge public sports complex that offers all kinds of activities including an indoor pool. The swimming instructor warned us that the water had just been replaced and was rather cool. We are vikings. Cold water doesn’t scare us – and I wanted to try out my new goggles. It turned out we had been a bit too cocky. The water was freezing!

My plan had been to swim for an hour which equals approximately 3.000 meters. The first couple of laps I was fighting to get into a good rhythm and work hard enough to produce sufficient body heat to compensate for the cold water. Then my joints started to become stiff and finally after 600 meters I had to give up when I couldn’t feel my hands and feet. Katrine didn’t fare much better.

Despite it being a warm day with the sun blazing down from a blue sky, it took us the better part of an hour to stop freezing. On the way back to the hostel we picked up groceries. In the evening we invite Fin over to a home cooked meal.

Katrine and I really enjoyed both the town and the hostel. We only shared the hostel with 2 other guests – a young man from the US who had stayed there for 2 months and a French girl who moved in the same time we did. They were quirky but pleasant housemates and the atmosphere was very relaxed and homely. Paris often dropped by to clean, see if we needed anything or just to chat. One evening he showed up on his 790 Duke and offered that I could take it for a spin. It was fun to ride a bike with an abundance of power.

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a highland town known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and exceptional picturesque. The climate this time of year is perfect. We did a lot of snooping around with our cameras in hand. Another thing that made the town attractive is the cost of living. Despite being one of the nicest Mexican towns we have visited, and the one with the most delicious food, it is the cheapest place to sleep and eat that we have encountered.

It’s easy to understand why many travelers stay longer than intended. Katrine and I didn’t feel like leaving either and extended our stay a couple of times.
We have now been traveling for 258 days and slept in 109 different locations. It’s no wonder that we experience a growing desire to settle down and smell the roses from time to time. We appreciate not being on a schedule and able to do just that.

Fin has also been charmed by the place. Like us he very quickly decided to extend his stay. Being an extremely wealthy guy, he has rented a fancy place above a bank downtown 10 minutes walk from us. The short distance made it less of a hassle for me to come to his aid and bring supplies, when he one morning send me a Mayday after having eaten the wrong pizza the previous evening.

One day we did a day ride together. First stop was El Arcotete – a nature park dominated by pine trees that offers various outdoor activities. My GPS led us there by a rather alternative route consisting of steep cobbled streets through town and later dirt roads and narrow trails to reach our destination in the mountains.

The park’s main attraction was the cave system inside the Arcotete archway. Obese people would have difficulty passing through the narrow entrance to the caves. As we got further in we understood why it was designed that way. In many places it was a tight fit even for us to squeeze through.
It was a beautiful and interesting cave system.

A nice ride on twisty roads took us to our next destination –  Parque Ecoturístico Rancho Nuevo. It was similar to the first place we visited but much bigger, more built-up and commercial. We started out with a traditional Mexican lunch at a shaded table. This cave system was a more traditional one, deep underground. The caves were big and pretty enough but the ones at El Arcotete had us spoiled and we were not impressed.
We arrived back in town mid afternoon after a fun and interesting day.