Santa Catalina is a fishing village circled by real estate sharks. There is already blood in the water and so it is only a matter of time before the feeding frenzy begins in earnest. But right now you can still meet a surfer from Devon there who attended the same boarding school as Winston Churchill […]
Also tagged pacific ocean, panama, santa catalina, the sea, village lifePoet. Dreamer. Visionary. Prophet. Lunatic. Fool. Perhaps these are all words for the same thing. I am sitting on a floating island made of garbage – plastic bottles, mesh bags, wood pallets, plywood, fabric, mirrors, shells – all tacked and glued together with a greater regard for the aesthetic effect than practicality – and the […]
Also tagged mexico, people, waterI am trying to reach the border between Mexico and Guatemala but, on the spur of the moment, I pedal on straight past the turnoff to Frontera Echeverria on the Usumacinta River to make a quick visit to Bonampak, a Mayan archeological site in the middle of the jungle. It occurs to me that perhaps […]
Also tagged jungle, mexico, ruins, wildlifeI reach Zitacuaro at dusk and after trying – and failing – to negotiate my way through the busy town in heavy peak hour traffic, following somewhat fanciful directions that focus on entirely on statuary as landmarks, I finally give up and find a cheap hotel for the night. The next morning, armed with further […]
Also tagged mexico, spring, wildlifeAs we ride towards the hot springs, in the morning, I start to feel unwell. I have been carrying some stomach bugs, probably giardia, with me from somewhere in the States. The only symptom so far has been a rather anti-social episode of farting when I was in Silver City but now I suddenly feel […]
Also tagged dirt roads, dirtbag gang, hot springs, mexico, windUrique Canyon is a magic place, sheltered and warm, and as I descend towards the bottom the notion of a white Christmas suddenly recedes. Entre Amigos offers a range of accommodation options, guest houses, a dormitory and camp sites. Initially, 90 pesos a night to camp seems steep, especially as normally I pay nothing for […]
Also tagged a place to stay, copper canyon, food, mexicoWe ride out of Hachita in the late afternoon knowing this will be our last night in the USA. The road runs straight to Mexico and is heavily patrolled by US border guards. The terrain is flat, with distant mountains, colonies of yuccas are the dominant vegetation. We ride until dusk and set up camp […]
Also tagged border crossings, dirtbag gang, mexico, people, winterThe idea of the Gila Hot Springs has seen us through a few cold difficult moments over the past few days so a fourteen mile side trip with a thousand foot climb over a mountain to get there doesn’t deter us at all. We are also motivated by the thought of a ‘hiker box’, a […]
Also tagged friends, hot springs, mountains, new mexico, snow and ice, usa, winterIn Yosemite Valley I heard rumours of hot springs around Mammoth Lake and so I quizz Doris and John for further information. The critical clue I already have at my disposal is a green church marking the turn off on the highway. John, however is able to furnish much more specific directions and a reasonable […]
Also tagged california, camping, desert, hot springs, usa, wind, winter