From Coatzacoalcos to Agua Dulce

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

From Agua Dulce to Sanchez Magallanes

We attract interest and attention on a daily basis, however, this was the first time we entered a restaurant for breakfast and 12 people working behind the counter all stopped simultaneously and just stared at us. Obviously they were very obliging for their picture to be taken, except for two.
Cancun is one of our destinations and this is the first time we see the kilometres
The river is the border line between the two states of Veracruz and Tabasco.
Generally speaking there are very few signs for towns and cities, however, there is always a welcome sign and especially when changing from one state to another. We are now leaving Veracruz and entering Tabasco.
Sadly this is not an uncommon sight often in the most beautiful coast or countryside areas.
We are surrounded by wetlands.
A VW Camper converted into a food truck.
The palm trees seem to flourish in these wetland areas.
It is usual to see the cattle here waist deep in water. Clearly they are not concerned and the grass is always lush and green.
Another little used road which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Very spacious accommodation where all the communal areas are outside.
The door bell for the owners accommodation.
The family are not hanging on David’s every word, more likely trying to understand his attempts at their language.
Another shower which will require some ducking and diving for those of us who are not vertically challenged.
They have a wonderful beach here except that they are overdue a litter pick.
One thing they do preserve is their colourful and well maintained cemetery.
We take a bicycle taxi and have someone do the cycling for us.
David’s plan B if his knees go.

In Coatzacoalcos

This was the first attempt to find a bike shop with a new rim for David’s rear wheel; unfortunately they had decided to extend their national holiday by an extra day.
We see these drain covers in many towns and obviously they are not helpful to cyclists. Approaching them diagonally ensures safe passage.
The clients ‘waiting room’ whilst the mechanic attends the car at the roadside.
It beggars belief that any of these vehicles are road worthy.
We have already had two taxis have their tyres blow out as they’ve been passing us. This one, like many others, looks as if its held together by duct tape.
Maybe these were prime beachfront property back in their day, however, now they are very tired, and abandoned.
They allow people to live in these derelict buildings. Notice the yellow painted ground floor apartment.
A hard to find breakfast stop.
There always appears to be funds for children’s play areas.
In amongst the real cracks are painted cracks to blend in with the art work.
One of our favourite dishes (Memelas) which is like a Mexican pizza. and as tasty as it looks. This whiled away an hour while we were waiting for the bike shop opposite to open.
The elevated position is care of a pyramid monument half way along the beach where many people congregate.
This hotel has no name anymore; the weather has eradicated its sign. Google maps says it’s the Hotel Terraza del Sol.
This Good Samaritan who we met at bike shop number 4, took us to bike shop number 5 (which he/we discovered is now abandoned), so he led us to shop number 6 who could do the job but they didn’t have the larger wheel rim. He persuaded the staff to research local stockists and having identified a source (bike shop number 7) he left us to collect it and return with the rim. To our complete and utter amazement he refused any compensation either for the the rim, his petrol, or his time (he spent around two hours helping us). The shop pictured say they will have the bike ready in two days time. Their original timescale was a week’s delay from their normal supplier so this man has spared us at least three may be five days of staying in Coatza. Bless him.

From Minatitlan to Coatzacoalcos

The landfill site outside Minatitlan – not the most pleasant aroma to inhale as we passed by.
14 kilometres of flat and straight road with our own lane. Not a lot out here to see.
These extended wheel nuts appear to be a symbol of some kind because we see them a lot on the front wheels of lorries, We cannot imagine it being allowed in Europe anytime soon?
The pictures the past three days don’t show how uneven and potholed the roads have been. It’s been a nerve wracking time because in Catemaco we were told, after a casual visit to a bike shop for another matter, that David’s rear wheel had a split forming in the rim and that it would likely only last for about 150 kilometres. We had to find a shop in this town, which neither of us can pronounce, otherwise its the end of the road for this trip.’
Recycling at its finest. If you cannot afford a Christmas Tree you can always improvise.
New Year’s Day and everyone has the day off.
It would appear the locals cannot pronounce the name of their town because they’ve shortened it. We can see from the outset that it is not very well maintained.
They have a very long flat beach which is long overdue for a litter pick.
A permanent football pitch with goal posts on the beach.
They have installed floodlights to enable play after dark.
We’ve never seen anyone carry their dog like this before.
Many places appear unkept, rundown or abandoned.
These are very tasty although more expensive than our last roadside stop for tacos.

From Colonia Hidalgo to Minatitlan

Before we left Colonia Hildago we discovered dining options for breakfast were less than the night before and the nearest town was 12 km (8 miles) away. Thankfully Olivia’s language skills persuaded the lady owner that what she had for them to eat was adequate for us. They were in the middle of roasting chicken ready for their lunchtime clients.
The significance of filming birds bathing is that they had a more carefree shower than we did at our hotel. We nearly electrocuted ourselves from the overflow pipe from the shower head and the two trickles of water aimed in our direction enabled us to just about cover ourselves if we waited long enough. How we envied those birds?
For reasons we do no understand the bigger the lorry the more likely they are to show us courtesy and consideration.
We had to ask what it was with the Guy Fawkes looking dummies. Here they do not have a reason to celebrate his attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. These dummies are made by various individuals and sold at the roadside to be set alight on New Year’s Eve to signal the end of the old year and prepare for the year ahead.
We regularly cross railway lines and don’t see any trains.
Elaborate headstones and furniture for graves being sold at the side of the road.
Minatitlan is a busy little place ( about 500, 000 population) and has its share of oil refineries.
Another limited choice for dining options albeit on this occasion there were 8 restaurants/takeaways in a shopping mall food court. It’s New Year’s Eve and almost everywhere is shut, except this place. We choose the Chinese.
They don’t seem to prefer the cascade and pretty pattern type of fireworks. Mainly they go for the loud explosion sounding type which began at midnight and continued all night. Eternal thanks to the person who invented earplugs.

From Catemaco to Colonia Hidalgo

A very helpful and pleasant owner at our hotel in Catemaco.
The first 12 km leaving Catemaco soon brought us back to reality after our short stay in paradise – it was mostly steeply uphill.
Our last view of Catemaco across the lake. A magical and special place.
We were unable to discover if these colourful decorations in the cemetery are year round or only for Christmas?
Our daily drink option of choice is coconut where we can eat the meat afterwards, however, sometimes we have to settle for natural pineapple juice.
Today we climbed a total of 640 metres – our most in one day on this trip.
The whole day had been spent going through an area which can only be politely described as economically deprived. A bit of a culture shock after our recent experiences. The narrow strip of tarmac we ride on all day is not good and either side are only dirt tacks; it reminded us very much of Cambodia.
After a really challenging day we had a hilltop finish in Colonia Hildago with only one hotel. The first time we arrived where there isn’t a resident Receptionist. Our phones don’t make in country calls so a passing taxi driver helped us out and a lady appeared from somewhere.
Not only was the reception empty of people it was devoid of any fixtures and fittings.
Dining options were a bit limited on this occasion although the hamburger and hot dogs were delicious.

From Santiago to Catemaco

There was a nice downhill into Santiago Tuxtla the day before which means there is going to be a long uphill the day we leave.

Am Tag zuvor gab es eine schöne Abfahrt nach Santiago Tuxtla, was bedeutet, dass es am Tag unserer Abreise einen langen Anstieg geben wird.

There doesn’t appear to be any formal scrapping process of old vehicles and they can appear at the roadside anytime.

Es scheint kein offizielles Verfahren für die Verschrottung von Altfahrzeugen zu geben, und sie können jederzeit am Straßenrand auftauchen.

This is not a display of local women’s parking skills. A rare encounter with a scrap yard which has overflowed onto the grass verge.

Dies ist kein Ergebnis für die Einparkkünste der örtlichen Frauen. Eine seltene Begegnung mit einem Schrottplatz, der auf den Grünstreifen übergelaufen ist.

This roadside pit stop will be remembered for two reasons; one is that Olivia ordered one taco for 5 pesos and the lady served us with five tacos each, that is 50 pesos worth (upselling at its best) and we didn’t challenge her. Two, this dog was about to cock its leg over Olivia’s panniers and David has never seen her move so fast to discourage it.

Dieser Boxenstopp am Straßenrand wird uns aus zwei Gründen in Erinnerung bleiben: Erstens bestellte Olivia einen Taco für 5 Pesos und die Dame servierte uns jeweils fünf Tacos, also 50 Pesos (Upselling vom Feinsten), und wir haben sie nicht dazu aufgefordert. Zweitens wollte dieser Hund sein Bein über Olivias Taschen schwingen, und David hat noch nie gesehen, dass sie sich so schnell bewegt hat, um ihn davon abzuhalten.

The tacos were rather yummy and worth it.

Die Tacos waren lecker und waren es wert.

There are no shortage of these ‘lanchas’ for boat trips and they are available from sunrise to sunset.

An diesen “Lanchas” für Bootsausflüge mangelt es nicht, und sie sind von Sonnenaufgang bis Sonnenuntergang verfügbar.

Sunset from the hotel balcony.

Sonnenuntergang von unserem Balcon.

The first menu we’ve seen with an English translation although there was no chance of us having monkey meat.

Die erste Speisekarte, die wir gesehen haben, mit einer englischen Übersetzung. Aber Affenfleisch essen wir ganz bestimmt nicht.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cspfWfMGVfs

There is no shortage of entertainment on the road below our balcony.

Auf der Straße unter unserem Balkon herrscht kein Mangel an Unterhaltung.

In Catemaco

Catemaco also features in the LP. We make this point because we never choose our routes, restaurants or hotels by reference to this guide. We are, however, always intrigued to see what they say, if anything, when we have arrived somewhere. This hotel on the waterfront overlooking the lake was not in the LP although it escapes us as to why that is when you see the view we had from our temporary balcony overlooking the fishermen’s monument.

Auch Catemaco wird im LP erwähnt. Wir weisen darauf hin, weil wir unsere Routen, Restaurants oder Hotels nie anhand dieses Reiseführers auswählen. Wir sind jedoch immer neugierig, was dort steht, wenn wir irgendwo angekommen sind. Dieses Hotel an der Uferpromenade mit Blick auf den See stand nicht im LP, obwohl wir uns nicht erklären können, warum das so ist, wenn man die Aussicht sieht, die wir von unserem provisorischen Balkon mit Blick auf das Fischerdenkmal hatten.

Maybe the LP were a bit squeamish about recommending somewhere which housed a few ants and this is our way of discouraging them from further intrusion into our belongings.

Vielleicht war der LP etwas zimperlich, weil sie einen Ort empfahlen, der ein paar Ameisen beherbergte, und dies ist unsere Art, sie davon abzuhalten, weiter in unser Eigentum einzudringen.

The lake is obviously the main attraction and there are no shortage of hawkers attempting to lure people onto their boats for a trip around the lake.

Der See ist natürlich die Hauptattraktion, und es gibt keinen Mangel an Händlern, die versuchen, die Leute auf ihre Boote zu locken, um eine Fahrt auf dem See zu unternehmen.

The significance of the monkeys on the wall of this restaurant is that the boat owners claim they live on an island in the lake. Sounded strange to us because no one explains how they got there.

Die Bedeutung der Affen an der Wand dieses Restaurants ist, dass die Bootsbesitzer behaupten, sie lebten auf einer Insel im See. Das kam uns seltsam vor, denn niemand erklärt, wie sie dorthin gekommen sind.

This Fishermen’s Monument is the focal point for all selfies and group photos although at 6.30am there wasn’t much interest for updating Instagram and Facebook accounts. Oddly, during the two days we were there we only saw two single fishermen from boats with a rod and line far out in the middle of the lake and one chap close to the shore in his boat with a net.

Das Fischerdenkmal ist der Mittelpunkt für alle Selfies und Gruppenfotos, obwohl um 6.30 Uhr morgens nicht viel Interesse bestand, um die Instagram- und Facebook-Konten zu aktualisieren. Jedoch sahen wir an den beiden Tagen, an denen wir dort waren, nur zwei Fischer in Booten mit Rute und Leine weit draußen in der Mitte des Sees und einem Mann in seinem Boot mit einem Netz in Ufernähe.

These birds are clever using the boat to camouflage themselves from being seen by potential victims.

Diese Vögel nutzen das Boot geschickt, um sich vor den Augen potenzieller Opfer zu tarnen.

A rare occasion when David does something everyone else is doing.

Eine seltene Gelegenheit, bei der David etwas tut, was alle anderen auch tun.

One of our more scenic breakfast venues.

Einer unserer landschaftlich reizvolleren Orte für das Frühstück.

Catemaco takes a more commercial approach to using its main plaza.

Catemaco nutzt den Hauptplatz eher kommerziell.

This view compensated us for some unhelpful news we had about David’s bike earlier in the day.

Dieser Anblick entschädigte uns für die nicht so hilfreichen Nachrichten, die wir früher am Tag über Davids Fahrrad erhielten.

This was posh – and Italian for a change.

Heute mal richtig schick – und zur Abwechslung mal italienisch.

This was a welcome surprise double act. The night before there was a singer who was dreadful. Judge for yourselves what you think of these two.

Dies war eine willkommene Überraschung. Am Abend zuvor gab es einen Sänger, der furchtbar war. Macht euch euer eigenes Urteil von den beiden..

From Lerdo to Santiago

Preparing ourselves for a return to the hills away from the coast.

Wir bereiten uns auf eine Rückkehr in die Hügel abseits der Küste vor.

We are entertained by many things as we roll through places, however, we never cease to be amazed and impressed by the standard of murals although some are a bit ‘dark’ with their imagery for our taste. This was on the wall of a cemetery.

Wir sehen viele interessante Dinge, wenn wir durch Orte fahren, aber wir sind immer wieder erstaunt und beeindruckt vom Niveau der Wandmalereien, auch wenn einige für unseren Geschmack etwas “düster” in ihrer Symbolik sind. Dies war an der Wand eines Friedhofs.

Cannot think why we took this picture because we have no idea what was there?

Wir können uns nicht vorstellen, warum wir dieses Bild gemacht haben, denn wir haben keine Ahnung, was dort war?

In Asia we saw many people bathing and doing their laundry each time we were near water, however, to date this is our only launderer – clearly an emancipated male.

In Asien sahen wir jedes Mal, wenn wir in der Nähe von Wasser waren, viele Menschen baden und ihre Wäsche waschen, aber bis jetzt ist dies unser einziger Wäscher – eindeutig ein emanzipierter Mann.

Santiago Tuxtla – a rare visit to a town which features in the LP although there were no foreign tourists to be seen. This place had an immaculately kept main plaza and the inhabitants clearly appreciated and looked after their pleasant surroundings.

Santiago Tuxtla – ein seltener Besuch in einer Stadt, der im LP vorkommt, obwohl keine ausländischen Touristen zu sehen waren. Dieser Ort hatte einen tadellos gepflegten Hauptplatz, und die Einwohner schätzten und pflegten offensichtlich ihre angenehme Umgebung.

This is the Olmec Head which dominates the main plaza and is the tallest (3.4 metres) and heaviest (40 tonnes) in the country and is the only one with its eyes closed. We shall endeavour to find one with its eyes open.

Es handelt sich um den Olmekenkopf, der den Hauptplatz beherrscht und der größte (3,4 m) und schwerste (40 Tonnen) des Landes ist und der einzige mit geschlossenen Augen. Wir werden uns bemühen, einen mit offenen Augen zu finden.

The old and the new standing together – one simple picture which possibly sums up our experience so far of this fascinating country.

Das Alte und das Neue stehen zusammen – ein einfaches Bild, das vielleicht unsere bisherigen Erfahrungen mit diesem faszinierenden Land zusammenfasst.

A very pretty and tranquil place which welcomes many Mexican visitors and rightly so.

Ein sehr schöner und ruhiger Ort, der zu Recht viele mexikanische Besucher empfängt.

From Alvarado to Lerdo

Our hosts and fellow refuge seekers from the Christmas storm.

Unsere Gastgeber und andere Schutzsuchende des Weihnachtssturmes.

“Have a beautiful trip” – a message pushed under the door from the Receptionist who had gone off duty.

“Gute Reise” – eine Nachricht, die die diensthabende Rezeptionistin unter der Tür durchgeschoben hatte.

Not sure which was worse? The storm leading us to have no power, water, internet and the temperature dropping from 29c to 14c overnight or the fact that for nearly 24 hours we had to talk to each other……………….

Ich weiß nicht, was schlimmer war? Der Sturm, der dazu führte, dass wir keinen Strom, kein Wasser und kein Internet hatten und die Temperatur über Nacht von 29°C auf 14°C sank, oder die Tatsache, dass wir fast 24 Stunden lang miteinander reden mussten. ……………….

The bridge leaving Alvarado after waiting three hours for the rain to stop. Thankfully the roads dried quickly and there were only a few vehicles on the day after Christmas Day.

Die Brücke, die Alvarado verlässt, nachdem wir drei Stunden gewartet haben, bis der Regen aufhört. Zum Glück trockneten die Straßen schnell ab, und am Tag nach dem ersten Weihnachtsfeiertag waren nur wenige Fahrzeuge unterwegs.

A welcome sight returning to the countryside and great outdoors.

Ein willkommener Anblick bei der Rückkehr aufs Land und in die freie Natur.

We’re not sure which breed of cattle this is, however, it is the only white herd we’ve seen to date.

Wir sind nicht sicher, um welche Rinderrasse es sich handelt, aber es ist die einzige weiße Herde, die wir bisher gesehen haben.

A fairly rugged stretch of countryside punctuated by cattle and horses. Noticeably all the horses have to work to earn their keep unlike many in Europe who are primarily owned for recreational use.

Eine ziemlich zerklüftete Landschaft, in der viele Rinder und Pferde weiden. Auffällig ist, dass alle Pferde arbeiten müssen, um ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen, im Gegensatz zu vielen Pferden in Europa, die in erster Linie für den Freizeitgebrauch gehalten werden.

It was difficult to capture how many thousands of cattle were held in these pens from the road. Our host later informed us this was a breeding ranch, however, we were not convinced given the conditions in which these animals were held.

Von der Straße aus war es schwer zu erfassen, wie viele Tausende von Rindern in diesen Ställen gehalten wurden. Unser Gastgeber teilte uns später mit, dass es sich um eine Zuchtfarm handelte, aber angesichts der Bedingungen, unter denen die Tiere gehalten wurden, waren wir nicht überzeugt.

Cattle and lush green grass are always welcome sights for David because they remind him of Devon, England, and compensate for the lack of livestock where he currently lives when not travelling.

Rinder und saftig grünes Gras sind für David immer ein willkommener Anblick, denn sie erinnern ihn an Devon in England und entschädigen ihn für den Mangel an Vieh in seinem derzeitigen Wohnort, wenn er nicht auf Reisen ist.

We were amused and surprised to see this scene of London over the bed in such a little known place in Mexico.

Wir waren amüsiert und überrascht, diese Szene von London über dem Bett an einem so wenig bekannten Ort in Mexiko zu sehen.