We got on the train, we got on the train!
After far too many nervous minutes, we finally managed to put our tandem bike and trailer on the end carriage of the train, MANY thanks to Eliana and her husband Christian for facilitating this. It was like human ping pong, watching Eliana bounce from person to person, trying desperately to find someone in charge or anyone who would make the call. Once on the train we finally were able to relax or for at least for 10 minutes as the conductor told us we should not have our bike in the isle and after taking the front wheel off and placing it on the baggage shelf, everyone was happy.
Did we make the right choice by heading inland?
The short answer is that it entirely depends on the day. Having burned ourselves far too many times in the desert sun, we thought a change in scenery, elevation and temperature would be just what the doctor ordered. Well the second day in Creel had us worrying something fierce as it hailed, snowed and sleeted on us the entire day. Needless to say the planned horseback trip was out, as nobody else wanted to brave the conditions. We finally settled on a van tour that took in all the sights of the area. We pretty much jumped out took a photo or two and then jumped back in. Definite highlights would have to include getting to know fellow travelers Daniel, Alejandro, Bernie and three Israeli’s thawing out in front of a wood burning stove, eating at our hostel and a trip down the road for something sweet.
Creel had another nice surprise for us as we met up with Cass, a fellow cyclist who we crossed paths with up in Alaska. He had teamed up with Jeff and Jason, two brothers who started their tour up in the Artic Circle too.
And the cyclists just kept pouring in….
Later that evening we met another couple of cyclists, Karen and Martin, who again had started their travels in Alaska but had opted for an interior route down through America (The Continental Divide).
Needless to say there were many farewells leaving the warmth and comfort of Creel. However, the cycle out of Creel was much easier now that the sun had finally decided to show its self and melt the ice and snow from the previous day. Furthermore, we were joined by Martin and Karen as we made our way up and down, up and down, up and down. We had planned to meet at a school at the junction to Batopilas, but this was nowhere to be seen.
This being Christmas Eve, we began to feel slightly lonely being by ourselves. Well as chance would have it, we spotted a building a ways off the road and without a sign post. Upon further inspection it turned out to be a hospital for the local Tarahumara people and after enquiring about a place to pitch our tent, we amazingly found ourselves in a birthing unit shelter with a wood burning stove, a shared diner and Christmas carols to boot. How incredible! How Perfect! Many warm wishes and thanks to Luke, Deb, Abigail, Esther and Asa, for sharing this very special time with us. We truly feel blessed to have stumbled upon this beautiful home, filled with a delightful family.
From the Samachique Village, the good times just kept on rolling. The views of the canyon along our nearly 6,000 foot decent were exquisite. Additionally we were joined by our faithful companion ¨Copper¨ a grubby white dog that traveled with us for over 35 km as we slowly meandered up, down and around the steep, rocky and gravel road. After about 10 to 15 km we started to feel pretty guilty and provided Copper with some scraps and drink. Maybe this was the point of no return. He just kept on charging behind us on the descents and plunging himself into puddles and streams on the assents cooling off as he kindly waited for us.
Towards the end of the day our friend was getting very tired and could be heard barking at us. By the time we reached Batoplias, Copper was nowhere to be seen. Both of us had a lack luster sleep as we worried about our friend who tried so valiantly to keep up. At one point we even tried to put him on the back of our trailer, but this lasted about 2 seconds. The next day our spirits grew immensely as we were informed that Copper was indeed alright and was seen, with his tail wagging, happily making his back up the road towards his home.
Well after a few days of hard climbing, a lazy morning followed in Hotel Palmeria (a real score at 150 pesos for two nights accommodation), consisting of sleeping, washing, playing cards and most importantly eating. The 8km walk to the Cathedral Perdida in Satevo seemed like the perfect afternoon thing to do. During our walk we even managed to sneak in a quick game of soccer with some local kids, but the ball kept going down the cliff into the river!
The next day we tried to hitch hike back up to the junction, but after six hours of trying we finally gave up! During this time we did have the pleasure of meeting Carlos, who was in Batopilas visiting his Grandmother. He kindly invited us to stay in their home, which was a real treat as this was the first time for us staying in a Mexican´s home. We hope to meet Carlos again in Mexico City where he resides. We also got to play some pool, take in the Hacienda San Miguel ruins and participate in a celebration of two girls’ Baptism day.
We were up before the crack of dawn the next day to get the bus back to Napuchi. After securing our bike to the top of the bus we made the slow grind back up out of the canyon. It felt like a real treat to be cycling back on paved road again but it wasn’t long before we were forced to come to a stand still. We noticed our bike was feeling floppy so we checked the tires but they were ok. On closer inspection the frame near the rear wheel broke off so it was back to thumbing a ride again. We managed to get a ride from Alvin and his wife into the town of Guachochi where he drove us from mechanic to mechanic. During this time, Alvin´s axis literally snapped so he too was in need of a mechanic! We then had another small scare as one mechanic told us our bike frame was aluminum but fortunately he was mistaken. We got the piece welded back together and now Big Bird has a pretty awesome scar to show for it. Cycling through the town in preparation to cycle again we got talking to Moses who owns a restaurant. He wanted to talk with us so invited us in for a free meal that tasted so very good. We’ve been eating a lot of tortillas and refried beans so chicken and salad was a real treat. We had a lovely time conversing (well trying anyway) with Moses and his family and then continued on our way. However, the next time we stepped outside the weather had changed and began to snow! We set up camp off the road just outside of town and lay in our tent listening to the snow settle.
So this morning we get up and are surprised it’s not too cold even though there’s snow everywhere and we set off ready for two days of solid cycling to get us into Hidalgo de Parral. However, something more did happen because we are writing this today in Parral! About 20kms into our cycle we hit some ice and low and behold we find ourselves skidding out and falling off our bike. Unfortunately, Roland took most of Belinda’s fall and so has some pretty awesome grazes to show for it. Turns out the conditions weren´t the greatest for us to be cycling in! However, we did get a ride almost immediately and tried to keep warm in the back of a truck to Parral. Big Bird managed to hold up OK but has some cosmetic damage. So now we find ourselves in Parral, enjoying the comforts of a warmer, bigger city and taking some respite.
It’s been a rather eventful week, jam packed full of wonderful highs and more trying times – makes for a good read though and juicy stories to tell our grandchildren! However, in saying that, a major topic of conversation between us recently has been how fortunate and blessed we feel to be having these experiences, meeting such generous, kind and interesting people and knowing we have such wonderful family and friends back home (New Zealand and Canada) that love us too!
Our plan now in to head to Durango, which is about four days cycle away where we’ll rest and get our bike checked out. We also are very eager to get Spanish lessons and hope that will be a reality in the next couple of weeks as conversing like Cave People is becoming very tiresome........ "Me hungry", "toilet", "Uga buga buga" etc.
Tortillas eaten since arriving into Mexico
331
Military Check Points
8
Crib Score
Roland 92
Belinda 55