Life on the road....the beginning

Mexicanos, they eat, wear and drink the cactus here, no surprise then that it is HOT!

Our bicycles were lost in Mexico City airport, but apart from that every day has been an adventure on the road. Finding a quiet place to sleep has been challenging, but has rewarded us with many great meetings with some locals, all very helpful and their hopsitality has been wonderful.

We have been WWOOFing in Erongaricuaro for the past week, and will be here for another week or so before we hit the road again, going, who knows where....what fun!

I have been keeping a diary most days, not something i've done before, but such is the nature of bike traveling you meet so many people and share so many little insights together and the rhythmic nature of riding is kind of like a meditation, so I am enjoying trying to record some of these thoughts and meetings as they happen at the end of each day. 

Sun 8th may  Joel The Mountain Lion

After riding from guadalajara airport we made it to Lagone De Chapala. After finding a grassy place to camp next to the lake we were told by a local police officer we cannot camp here. He rode away after discovering we didnt know a lick of spannish. He returned at dusk however with a federal cop who with a big gun pointed in our general direction asked us to get out of the tent. he explained the dangers of drunken people with guns in the area (as we later discovered Sunday is the worst day for riding in Mexico, and we will not ride on Sundays from now on as there is too much drinking going on). He said due to law and our safety being jepordised we cannot camp here (so now we are forced to pack our tent in the dark and find some other place, really safe!!). Then we met Joel, he must have seen the whole thing unfold from his house behind us on the hill. He offered us a place to stay. A rocky cliff face carved by he and his father for the past 7 years. From the quarried rock he has made a house with gabion walls, toilet and bath using well water and no electricity. Joel lives by himself, he makes precussion instruments from drums to hollowed out logs like a xylaphone, to maracas and rainsticks. He aslo makes wind instruments from bamboo and clay. In the morning he climbed with us to the top of the rocky cliff face behind his house, past a sweat lodge, and showed us eagles nest and bee hive. Make the best of what youve got, explore your full potential is what Joel has done, such a strong but gentle character, inspiring.

Joel sitting near a ceremonial fire place