hi guys, I,m impressed, how well you guys are going, even more how well the bikes are performing with all the gear you have, got some great photo,s keep them coming, stay safe, and upright cheers roger

I have a bit of catching up to do on this write up! Please accept my apologies! I have 11 days worth to load up!

T - Nothing much to write about today. We spent a little time wandering some back alleys and checking out some of the local markets. There’s always so much colour and life in these little markets. I love it!





C – We devoured a very yummy breakfast at a local cafe, for the grand sum of $2 each. The markets were lively and bustling, with so many flowers being sold – bright colours and pleasant (and unpleasant) odours were in the air and it was fun to walk amongst the bustling bodies.



Todd really needed to rest though, so mid-morning we ventured back to the hotel so he rest up.



T - Then we spent much of the day lounging around and relaxing. I even enjoyed a mid day nap which is a very unusual thing for me!

We went out for some shopping, donuts and bananas, and managed to find ourselves some mexico flag stickers for our bikes! Now I just need a patch for my jacket!

Then it was out and about for dinner where I found a place that served my favourite dish, chicken mole. Mmm mm.





C - After a dinner we wandered through the square, which was quite busy with vendors and street performers. Then it was time for bed!

T - Tomorrow we are going to go and check out a local zoo. Now normally I don’t like zoos, at all, but this one is supposed to be excellently done and comes highly recommended through Lonely Planet. So we shall see. After which we are going to meander just 80 km’s up the road to San Cristobal.

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T - We were both really excited to get to San Cristobal. We have read and heard so many amazing things about this little gem of a place up in the mountains, set in a small valley and surrounded by Mayan villages! Sounds amazing!

It wasn’t too far to ride today which gave us some time to go and have a look at the Zoomat here in Tuxtla before we headed out. Not being much of a fan of zoo’s I was in two minds about this but when in Rome and all that!



C – We generally avoid zoos and animal based tourism, but we were interested in seeing a jaguar and the reviews pointed to the zoo being set in a somewhat natural environment. After navigating traffic for 30 mins, we ended up on the right road. The drive in showed natural jungle on both sides of the road, which pleased us.

T - Well it turns out we weren’t allowed in anyway. As we rode up to the gate, in a long line of taxis and other cars, the guy on the front gate signalled to us to pull off to one side. He then firmly planted himself in front of me and started to give us directions on going around to the side and up another street. We were a little confused but we swung around and off we went, following his directions.We ended up at a dead end. Something was weird.

C – I had the feeling that he thought maybe we wanted to meet up with the highway, which was on the other side of the zoo. So I said to Todd perhaps it was all lost in translation and I would go and try to talk to him again.

T - So we swung back and Chantelle went back to the main gate again. He was still firm in that there was no way we were going in. Even though streams of vehicles were pouring through the gates we weren’t allowed. We never did understand why but in the end Chantelle thanked him for his help and we rode out of town.

C – We were both a little confused about the whole thing as plenty of people entered the zoo whilst we were there. Neither of us were particularly disappointed though – another win to not spending our money in an industry which makes us uncomfortable.

T - We were soon free of the city traffic and heading upwards into the mountains. We climbed and climbed and climbed before eventually we were flagged down at a military checkpoint where for the first time so far we were properly inspected. Obviously we had nothing exciting on board our already overloaded bikes and soon they were helping us repack our panniers and waving goodbye as we continued our climb.



The road weaved back and forth and climbed higher and higher until eventually we were enveloped in fast moving clouds. It was so beautiful up there with huge crops of what looked like passionfruit vines clinging to the steep hillsides and loaded with fat purple fruit.







C – The ride was particularly stunning and with each incline and corner we would drift in and out of the clouds. We noticed a change in the villages too, particularly with the clothing and colours. The Mayan woman looked beautiful in their traditional dress, made with brilliantly coloured fabrics.





T - Eventually we popped out over a ridge and below us was the city of San Cristobal.

We raced down the winding road and soon we were lost in the one way streets and alleys of the city. We were both a bit peckish and upon spying a torta place we pulled up and soon had a huge, and I mean HUGE torta Cubana sitting on the table. What a feast!





Then we went in search of a hotel in the city centre and soon had a gorgeous room and secure parking all sorted out thus freeing us up to wander the centro hisotrico. San Cristobal is a very laid back andfun place. The bonus for us was the huge celebrations that started up as the sun went down for the Day of the Dead. It was brilliant! Mums, Dads and kiddies all dressed up and singing for candy. Bikers in full costume were riding through the crowds and handing out lollies. What a fun thing!











Then we discovered the amazing food on a stick. Corn on the cob, slathered in mayo, liberally coated with cheese and all dusted off with a bit of chilli stuff. For less than 60cents it was a hell of a good dinner!



C – The atmosphere was addictive and we soon found ourselves engaging with the trick or treaters, with lots of laughter to be had. Todd played trucks with a small boy who made a very half hearted effort of selling us some handicrafts, before plonking himself down at our table and pulling out his toy trucks. We had noticed that the children were singing in exchange for candy and we both excited to get in on the action (and perhaps eat a few pieces for ourselves!!!).

T - We went and bought some lollies so we could get a little involved in the festivities and soon we had hordes of kids singing at us and exhausting our lolly supplies within minutes! We had a ball and it is one of the first times in our lives we have interacted with children like this.

What a great day. An awesome night. We are going to be stopped here for a few days while we relax and get the most out of this area.

C - The city was electric and alive and there were people everywhere. It was a truly memorable experience!





T - As a side note, Mexico is incredible. For every reason over the last 6 months that we were given as to why we shouldn’t travel to Mexico we can give twenty reasons as to why you SHOULD travel to Mexico. The kindness and generosity the Mexican people show to us and each other blows us away and touches our hearts every day. They look after the people less fortunate in the streets, they look out for each other’s kids, people always seem to have a handful of candy in their pockets to hand out to children. They are such a kind and beautiful people with such a polite and warm culture. If you ever get the chance, come to Mexico.

T - We had arranged to meet up for breakfast with an English chap who we knew was here in the city. Some guy called Ed March.





It wasn’t long and we were soon chatting up a storm while I devoured my chocolate cake, yes I had that for breakfast. Time soon disappeared and it wasn’t long before lunch time was upon us. Ed recommended a great little Thai place that did some amazing curry and so of we all set.





We chatted a little more and after stuffing our faces with some incredible Thai food, sounds like we are cheating by not eating Mexican I know, we ambled off to the pub for a few s. It was great to chat to Ed about riding the globe.but I have to admit it was also nice to be able to chat about things other than the trip. We talked about all kinds of things, some we had differing views on and some just for laughs.



It was a great day full of laughs and conversation and at the end of it we shared some really not terribly nice cakes before shaking hands and heading our separate ways. Hopefully we will get a chance to catch up again over the course of the next leg of the trip and we both would love to meet Rach as well if we cross paths with her.

Tomorrow we are going to visit a couple of museums and probably just do a heap of walking.

C - I awoke this morning to a grumbling tummy and so our first mission was to go in search of a nice, big breakfast. As we wandered towards to the centre square, we watched the clouds drift over the mountains surrounding the town and then shivered as the drizzle began to fall. We settled on a little cafe which served a lovely, cheap breakfast and warmed up with a lovely cup of Chiapa coffee.



Our plan for today was to go and visit a few of the villages in the hills surrounding San Cristobal. These villages are Tzotzil and Tzeltal Mayan villages. However, by the time we were finished breakfast we had decided to spend the day in town, rather than venturing out on the bikes in the drizzly, cold weather.



We walked to the north of the centro historico and found the local municipal mercado that we had read about. It was a fascinating market, free from tourists, with the locals just going about their daily business. You can seriously buy anything at that market! The fresh produce all looked amazing, particularly the cuts of beef. We also had a little drool over the copious amounts of perfectly crackled pork crackling, but we did manage to resist buying any!!





What we had really come to this ‘locals’ area of town to see was the Mayan traditional medicine centre and museum. The museum was tastefully done and it was super interesting to see how the traditional Mayan belief system has melded with Catholicism. The museum introduced to the different types of Mayan healers, the variety of plants and animals used in healing ceremonies and yearly traditions that are aimed at warding off evil spirits and illness. Particularly interesting was the video on prenatal, birth and postnatal women's health - with many practices which challenges the ways of the west.







After checking out the herb garden and the purification steam bath, we walked back into town and ventured to the eastern part of town for a look see. We ended up visiting Na-Bolom (house of the jaguar in the local Mayan language) a very well regarded Mayan cultural centre. We both found this interesting, particularly as the founder of Na-Bolom was a photographer and her photos of traditional Mayan life are on display.

T - There was a gorgeous tiny little cat there and I wanted to take her home! I got my fix of kitty cuddles though as she was a real smoocher!







Then it was time for me to find a barber. I haven't had a haircut since Februaury and it was just starting to drive nuts! Plus I looked stupid everytime the humidity went up as I ended up looking some giant fluffball with legs. $2 got me sorted though!



C - After yet more wandering, we ended back in Centro Historico for dinner and then back to the hotel, both feeling a little worn out!





The weather forecast looks the same for tomorrow, but the draw of the Maya villages is strong and we will be heading there regardless… Hopefully we won't have to drag the wet weather gear!!

C - We had decided to visit the Mayan villages of Tenejapa and San Juan Chamul today, regardless of what the weather threw at us.

We ventured out to find breakfast, and found a lovely little courtyard cafe which served us lovely scrambled eggs with chorizo and coffee.

T - Good coffee. Amazing eggs! The serving size was massive too which is always a winner in my book!



C - By the time we had finished breakfast, it was obvious the day was not going to clear and we were set to ride to Tenejapa in grey clouds and drizzle. Nevertheless, we were defiant and refused to put on our wet weather. Which clearly the rain gods took as a challenge!

Within 10kms, we were pulled over on the road side, giving the local children a display in putting on wet weather gain in the rain. The cloud descended on the road and we spent quite a bit of time riding around the twisty mountain side with very poor visibility. There was definitly an unexpected tope or two!



T - It was bloody freezing! The slight wind from our very slow speed riding was managing to whistle its way right up my kilt! Every extremity of my body was shrivelling and coiling up on itself so fast! But we had our wet weather gear which is very helpful in just funnel all the cold wet water into our crotch areas. Very unpleasant!

C - Tenejapa is set in a little valley and as we glided down into the valley, we came out of the cloud and the drizzle. It was obvious it had rained quite a bit there, with the roads running with water. We spent some time riding around the town, checking out the town square and the cathedral also. We dont have any photos as we were determined to be respectful of the Mayan culture. We were lucky enough to see many of the locals wandering the town in their traditional dress, which is so bright and colourful.



After a wet, cold ride back to San Cristobal, we ventured to the much closer and more touristed San Juan Chamul, which is popular due to its unique cathedral. After finding a spot to park, we again provided much entertainment for some locals, who spent some time simply standing and watching us.



We paid our entrance fee and ventured into the cathedral, after being told numerous times that no photos are allowed. The cathedral floor is covered in pine needles and there were many locals praying by lit candles in front of alters. It was really beautiful inside.



We had received a message from a couple, Michelle and Adam, who were also in San Cristobal, so we arrived to meet them for dinner.

It was such a pleasant evening, interacting with two bright and positive bikers, who were venturing from their home town of Las Vegas to Ushuaia. We chatted the night away until it was time to hit the sack!

T - I really enjoyed catching up with these guys. They were so excited and passionate about what they were doing on this trip.



C - Tomorrow, we shall aim for the Tonina ruins near Ocosingo, where their is a campground right near the entrance.

C - After a ridiculously cheap and amazing breakfast, we picked up some groceries and our now clean laundry. We headed back to the hotel to pack the bikes and hit the road.









T - We spent a little bit of time sitting on the steps of the cathedral in the main square and just people watched. It was really cool and we got a few laughs as tourists were trapped by groups of small kids selling their knick knacks! Nearly every tourist we saw ended up buying something before they scurried into the safety of the church doors clutching at their newly purchased doodahs.







C - It was about 12.30 before we got on the road today, but we didn't have far to go. Michelle and Adam had told us about an app called ‘iOverlander’ and we had found that there was a campsite right near the Tonina ruins.



T - What a great app! We have become a bit soft with the camping stuff. Hotels have been cheap enough for us to use every night, but we are both really missing the camping side of our trip and this app will get us back into it easily!

C - We left San Cristobal with mixed feelings - it was nice to be on the road again, but it was sad to leave.. Just a beautiful place.

T - San Cristobal is a gorgeous little city and I can see how it would be easy to just stay there forever. It has such a relaxed atmosphere and every night there seems to be something happening in the square. The city is full of music and smiles and it is a very special place.

C - Today we gave in to the rain gods and donned our wet weather pants before we even left the hotel. And thankfully we did, as although it didn't really rain, we rode through the clouds for much of the ride which was very damp indeed!



We wound up and down in elevation, driving over only about a bazillion topes. At one point, we reminisced about the days we could drive over a tope without groaning.

Eventually, we wound down to under 1000mts and we stopped briefly in Ocosingo to search for vino tinto - red wine! It had been quite a cold ride and we were both keen on warming up!





Our camp was only 10km from town, and so in no time at all we arrived. For a measly $50 pesos each, we have a lovely little camp site under a palapa to protect us from the rain which we can see all around us.







Tomorrow, we plan to check out the Tonina ruins and then head to El Chiflon waterfall, near the Guatemalan border. We wont be crossing just yet though - too much of Chiapas and Yucatan to see yet!

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C - We both slept very well last night, it was wonderfully quiet and dark and so lovely to be back in the tent again! Cacooned in my sleeping bag it was comfy, toasty and warm.

We ate breakfast whilst we watched the valley slowly clear of the low cloud, and reveal its brilliant colours of all varieties of green. It was a beautiful, peaceful morning.



We were only about 100mts from the entrance to Tonina ruins, so after pack up we moved the bikes to the parking and ventured in. We were both surprised it was free and we were confident to leave our helmets on the bikes, with a policeman watching over them.

After a short walk in, we reached a museum, which was completely unexpected. We looked through and managed to glean quite a bit of information from the spanish signs. There were some very cool artifacts in the museum, and although we couldn't understand everything, it was quite amazing!







We ventured further down the track, about 1km, where we skidded down a slippery slope and across a very old wooden bridge, when the ruins came into view. What a spectacular site - the colours of the rocks contrasted beautifully with the vibrant green of the glass and the grey of the sky.





We spent the next few hours clambering all over the ruins, making our way to the very top of the acropolis. Boy, what a steep, steep climb on VERY narrow steps. I can not believe how fit the Maya people who lived here must of been - that is no easy climb! All us Westerners there were using our hands and climbing as you would a ladder, it was that steep! But the reward was the sensational view from the top…. Magnificent beauty! I am very excited to learn more about the Maya culture and am keen on visiting more ruins as we move through this area!















Back at the motos, we hit the road. Our route today was going to take us to El Chiflon, a massive waterfall we have heard good things about. We decided to take the back route from Ocosingo to Comitan, and then onto the falls.

It was lovely riding through small, rural villages and were clearly off the tourist trail now. It was a relatively easy ride, although the road deteriorated significantly in some spots so we were at 100% concentration all day. Lots of potholes and what were once potholes, but were now just massive gaps in bitumen.





T - At one point the road had become so slippery that a semi trailer had jack knifed and slid down and across the road blocking it completely! At this point it paid to be on our small posties as, with the help of a few bystanders, we were able to drag the bikes into a ditch and under the rear of the trailer before riding merrily away.




C - It was a cold and damp ride again, and were both looking forward to the elevation drop we would experience at the falls.

After stopping for lunch in Comitan, we took to the road which would drop us 1000mt in elevation down to the falls. This road was in poor condition with no bitumen left at all and we experienced a fun moment of being the passers, not the passee’s, as the cars had to drive slower and slower whilst Mable and Rosie were in their element!





The views over the valley were sensational, with dark clouds threatening rain and golden shafts of sunshine breaking through, shining down over the large lake below us.

We paid our entry to the falls ($25 pesos) and then went to look at the camping. Neither of us were keen on the walk in camping, which would require us to lug our camping gear and also leave the girls alone in the carpark all night. Not an attractive option. After some negotiation, the staff agreed we could camp in the lower lot, for $25 pesos each! So cheap!

Walking up to the falls was stunning, with three smaller falls appearing as we ventured up, up, up. The water was a milky blue and icy cold. We were both sweating and hot by the time we reached the top and it was lovely to walk right up to the massive falls and catch the cool spray coming off the rapids.







We found ourselves a lovely, hidden spot right on the front of the river to pitch the tent and enjoyed a cold cerveza as we silently watched the river tumble past.





Tomorrow, we will ride along the border road and then cut back North through some small villages on a rural route. We will probably stop in a border town, en route to Palenque.

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C - Another blissful night of camping! We packed up quite quickly this morning and again, we were on the road by 8.30. We knew we had to climb back up the 1000mt of elevation and figured it would be quite slow.

Surprisingly, the trucks were getting up slower than us, so we had some overtaking fun again! In no time, we were back in Comitan and we turned south.

The road was relatively quiet and it was no time before we pulling over to put on extra layers. It was cold at these elevations and with a breeze blowing, it was time to add in the thermal layers and put on the wet weather pants for warmth!



We witnessed a lot of rock falls and land slides, and a lot of sections where the road had simply collapsed and fallen to some depths below.

Slowly, we rode down, down, down, back to below 200mts in elevation. We witnessed the changing of the vegetation, as the green became even more vibrant and the pine trees gave way to proper jungle. It was lovely to see this tropical jungle again, and feel the stickiness in the warm air.







We passed through two military checkpoints beforing turning off onto the rural road. This has to be one of my favourite roads so far in Mexico. It was devoid of traffic for most it, and took us through very small villages and rural farming land. The road was in bad condition, with many sections just hardened mud and nothing but potholes. But it was so beautiful!







Eventually, we reached the border town of Benemerito de las Americas. The town wasnt particularly appealing, but we had both had enough for the day and were not entirely sure how far the next town was. So we found a hotel, had some dinner and then chilled out for the evening.

Tomorrow, I am keen to visit some not-so-touristy ruins at Bonampak on our way to Palenque.

It has been noted by your absence and I've been lost without your reports & great pics.
So much so, I even went to work for a while
Next time, please bring a late note
Keep up the great RR & travel safe guys

__________________
My memory is becoming that good, I should be able to organise my own surprise party soon

T – The town we stayed in last night was a bit of a dive. We wandered out for some dinner but the vibe of the place left me in no doubt that this was not a town to be wandering at night. A typical border town I am sure.

We were up pretty early as the room had no sound proofing and the rumbling of trucks and cars past the windows did not lend itself to a sleep in.

Once the girls were packed we rode out of there. Our breakfast consisted of a yoghurt drink while sitting on a kerb in front of several groups of staring men. I wasn’t happy here in this place and soon we were back on the road.

The ride was nice enough. The road was a bit rough in places which had us swerving back and forth to miss giant potholes, broken topes, and the odd 6 inch wide crack. The traffic was a little hairy with crazy taxi and collectivo drivers passing all and sundry in the most insane of places. Blind corner? Crest? No worries, just pull out and go for it. Nutters!



We wanted to check out the Mayan ruins at a place called Bomanpak. We had read about paintings inside the temples of beheadings, and still beating heart removals! Gory! We had to catch a taxi to the actual site as visitors cannot drive themselves in. Upon our drop off we were told by the driver to be back at the parking lot in one hour.

C – I was really excited to see these ruins and it was lovely to get there and see how quiet it was! I was interested to see the artwork, as the other ruins we had visited didnt have any of the artwork remaining.







T - The ruins were quite spectacular. Again there wasn’t too much of a crowd and that meant we could clamber around and soak it all in with relative peace and quiet. Except for the howls and hoots of distant howler monkeys! We made a beeline for the painted temples but alas the one showing all the gruesome stuff was closed to the public for renovations. Oh well.







C – It was disappointing to miss the room with the gruesome artwork, but the ruins themselves were beautiful and it is pleasing to see that they are being restored.









T - We poked around and climbed to the top of the pyramids before heading back to our taxi.

From the ruins it was a run straight up the highway to Palenque. There is another set of ruins there that we were keen to check out in the morning. By the time we arrived in town in the afternoon we were both sweating buckets and looking forward to a shower and some food!





We just milled around for the rest of the evening before returning to our room laden with cakes and snacks. Tomorrow we shall head to the ruins and then onwards towards the Yucatan.

T - Off to visit the famous Palenque ruins today. And boy were they beautiful. Maybe not as good as the ruins at Tonina, and that could simply be put down to the sheer numbers of people here at Palenque, but still impressive. Massive pyramids and crumbling buildings from 600AD were plentiful and we spent a few hours wandering amongst them.











Our path from there took us back past Palenque and onwards in a northerly direction. The ride was pretty boring. Probably our most boring in 8 months. The road cut straight and flat along a very busy highway. But eventually we made it to our destination for the night, Escarcega.





We did have one spot where we thought we would get off of the highway for a spell in the shade. Upon dropping Mabel off of the blacktop and onto the grass I quickly found that there was nothing underfoot but wet muddy bog. Mabel quickly sunk up to her back axle. We heaved and sweated and eventually dragged her fat bottom out of the bind and onto harder ground.



We found a cheap hotel for the night in this dusty working town and had a tasty torta for dinner before calling it a day.

Tomorrow we push ever onwards. Our next firm destination is the ruins of Chichen-Itza, one of the seven man made wonders of the world.

Ever wondered what it is like to experience the extreme speed that is involved with riding a postie bike flat out down a Mexican highway? Well Mabel and Dudley bring you a snippet of that experience in this video!

Thanks! Yes our little bikes are certainly putting up with a lot! They are little troopers for sure!

That 'W' word is a swear word around here!!!! I have a note that says the dog ate my blog....