These two fine people rescued us from the split wheel rim and got us going again after two days. We cannot recommend this cycle shop highly enough for any adventure cyclists in the Coatza area finding themselves in desperate need of help.Whilst declining our offer of a significant tip for their efforts they gave us a free water bottle. Later that day we discovered one of David’s water bottles had a split in it which they must have discovered whilst replacing his wheel rim. Marvellous people.Dear old Sally up to her tricks again. She led us to believe there was a road bridge over the river out of Coatza – what do we discover? Its a tunnel and a very helpful security guard denied us entry, rightly so for safety reasons, and redirected us to the ferry (something which Sally had failed to mention). This enabled us to ride only 5 kilometres instead of an 18 kilometre detour inland using a main road. The tunnel/ferry system makes sense because there is a large deep water port upriver and a bridge would not be helpful in enabling the large container ships access 24/7/365.Our first ferry ride on this trip.We enjoy a ferry crossing because it reminds us of the many such rides taken in Vietnam although theirs were not as robust as these.
Pelicans are never far away when someone is cutting up fish on the dock.
Having cleared the town of Allende on the opposite bank to Coatza we now begin a most enjoyable ride for fours along the coast and into the countryside where there was hardly any traffic. Here the livestock roam free and untethered.
Sally’s idea of a shortcut. Not for us. Technically these routes are shorter in distance, however, because of the uneven terrain it slows us to the point of often having to walk sections and the time taken is longer than if we had gone a more
Mexico and Belize 