Trans-Mexico Part 2 Day #6 Nuevo Paraíso to Lomazóyatl

Trans-Mexico Part 2 - Day #6

January 7, 2023

Nuevo Paraíso to Lomazóyatl - 84 Km

Start 7:35am Finish 7:37pm

Total Duration 12:01

Moving Time 7:49

Stopped Time 4:12

Ascent 2,200m

Descent 2,558m

Tour Total 524km

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/110967529

I slept fairly well last night beneath the pine trees. It got cold and I woke up several times. I slept in my silk liner and used my sleeping bag as a blanket. I rose with the sun and the faint light filtering through the branches. I could hear distant donkeys hee-hawing and dogs barking, and I packed up as quickly as I could. My body was incredibly fatigued. I pedaled back to the road and continued south-east. I was wearing my jacket and was riding directly into the sun. I was blinded, and had to put on my sunglasses.

Today was Saturday and I hadn’t bathed since Monday. I was at level five, felt putrid, and was yearning for a bath. Patrick was spending nights in towns where he could shower and get a good night’s sleep. He would then power through to the next town. That had been my original itinerary, but I was now out of sync and a half day behind. I could have spent last night in Olinalá, but was glad that the climb was behind me. I would be in Tlapa de Comonfort today by lunchtime. I enjoyed a slender descent followed by a gentle rise. The sun was still low and I was riding in the shade.

After thirty minutes of riding I left the tarmac onto a dirt road. I relished a nice downhill and then I cranked out a small rise. There was a four-inch water pipe running alongside the road to the right, and I passed another shrine. I've marveled at how many shrines I've seen on both parts of this tour. I've passed them at the tops of passes, on the outskirts of towns, in front of homes and businesses, at significant locations, and ostensibly at car crash sites.

In Coachimalco I stopped at Abarotes Tauro for a Jumex Mango Nectar along with a pack of Marinela Pingüinos. The charming center of town was paved and it had a handsome church. I soon left town and was back on dirt, which was relatively smooth. I came to a fork and took a left. It was chunky, narrow, steep and difficult. A large truck with people standing in the back passed me, followed by a motorcycle. And then two people on horseback rode by.

I came to a section where I had to hike-a-bike. I was beginning to wonder if my diet here was a factor in my lack of energy. On the Divide this past summer I was eating a lot of meat. My urine today was a lighter color than two days ago, when it had been dark because of dehydration.

I passed people on scooters, horseback, donkeys, and on foot heading down the road into Tenango Tepexi, the next town. I rode straight into the center after having missed a turn. There was pavement and another lovely church. I’ve seen numerous groups of turkeys in small towns alongside the road, and one of them even lunged at me. I left town and rode up a small hill. Then I rode down a chunky section with tricky forks, which I successfully figured out. Donkeys are the principal means of transport here. I've seen them hauling huge bundles of corn stalks strapped to their backs.

I descended a long sinuous craggy downhill into the valley and came to the pueblo of Providencia. Houses and buildings sprang up on both sides of the valley, and I could see that I was nearing the large town of Tlapa de Comonfort. I crossed the dried-up Rio Jale and took a left on Highway 93. I passed a monument that honored the Danza de la Mona. A large concrete woman was holding a handkerchief and standing next to a small donkey and collection of ceramic vessels. I then rode through a crowded market and noticed the large white-domed Catedral de San Agustín in centro.

I had phone service, and Googled nearby restaurants. I selected las Puertas, where I had mediocre shrimp enchiladas. I would have appreciated some rice and beans and could have eaten a lot more. Once again there was an outlet by the table, and I was able to charge my phone to 93% and my power-pack to 46%. Patrick messaged me that he had found a pump. I sent Michele Patrick's information and told her that he was a day behind me.

I rode out of town and stopped to plug in a Duane Train episode. I applied sunscreen and donned my arm protectors. The sun was blazing, and I stopped at a large roadside depósito for a coke and more water to top off my bottles. I sat for a moment in the shade, and prepared myself for another brutal climb.

The road was steep and I paced myself, stopping frequently for hydration. I got a mango juice at the first place I stopped, and a kiwi juice at the second. Towards the top of the first ascent, I noticed a car pulled over with it's hood up. The family sat in the shade, and the man asked me if I knew any mechanics in the area. I replied that there were plenty of shops down in Tlapa. He replied that it was too far. Further up the hill I passed a young boy walking his bike. A little while later another boy shot past me on his bike, and starting riding circles around me. At the top of the climb I entered the small town Tlacuitlapa. It had taken an hour and forty-two minutes to go twelve kilometers and climb 2,300'.

I flew down the other side of the hill and came to a small pueblo where I almost struck a guy who was wandering down middle of the road. He was was either drunk or extremely dehydrated. They were doing major road construction enlarging the cut on the side of the road. A military vehicle passed me going the other direction. I took a left at the Pemex station on the road that went to Cuba Libre. Then I ventured off-road and crossed a dried-up river bed. It was chunky but nice on the other side. Eventually the asphalt returned.

I rode through Igualita. It was 3:45pm, and this was where I had planned to spend the night last night. I was now three-quarters of a day behind schedule. The restaurant in the center of town didn’t have food. I wasn’t starving, and knew that I had refried beans in my bag. I rode to the other side of town and got on an asphalt road, where I stopped to flip my paper map panel. The locals were curious and friendly.

I was following the Río Tlapaneco upstream and was disappointed to see litter strewn along the side of the highway. There were plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and styrofoam containers. I've passed several roadside dumps on both parts of the tour, where the garbage is subsequently burned. I passed a gravel operation, and then rode down and crossed the river. The cool water beckoned, but I didn’t trust if it was clean.

As I began the climb up the other side of the valley, I saw a family bathing in the river. The road up ahead was rising away from the river, and I knew this was my last chance for a bath. I pulled over and rode down to the river's edge. I stripped down and pulled out a bar of soap. The water was cool and felt refreshing. The rocks were slippery and I was wearing my sandals. I walked out into the water and thoroughly bathed myself removing all the dirt from my arms, legs, face, and body. Back on shore I drip dried in the sun, and then put on a fresh pair of underwear and a clean short-sleeve shirt. I was back at level one and felt like a new person. I lacked only a clean shave.

I continued uphill and passed the welcome sign for Cuautipan. I kept climbing and advancing up the other side of the river valley, passing the turn-off for Petlacalancingo. I crossed a large curved bridge over a steep stream cut. I rode a five kilometer switchback up thirteen percent grade while ascending a thousand feet. The sun was starting to set.

Towards top of hill I came to the small village of Lomazóyatl, and I was in luck. There was a tienda that served food. I had two servings of chicken with green sauce, rice and beans, and several cans of Modelo. I purchased a few more cans for camp. I was able to recharge my phone to 93% and my power pack to 49%. It was dark when I left, and I knew that I couldn’t travel far. There were large trucks idling out on the road and I turned on my front and rear lights.

As I pedaled into the darkness I scoured the landscape for camping options. I'm amazed how well I can read the land, even in the dark. There was a car pulled over with it's hood up, and two guys were trying to get the engine started. A little further down the road I noticed a pull-off. I turned off my lights and slowly pedaled in for a survey. A single-track trail continued down into a valley. The slope was steep, and the trail was the only level ground. To the valley side was a sheer drop. To the hill side was a sharp cut. I decided to pitch my tent in the middle of the trail, and hoped that nobody would need the pathway tonight. I firmly staked my tent to prevent myself from rolling down into the valley. I enjoyed being clean and having cold Modelos in the tent.

The stars were brilliant when I went out to brush my teeth. The full moon was casting it’s rays into the jagged valley below. I noticed the sparkling lights from a few towns, and I could hear music from one of them. I was in an amazing remote place, and felt lucky to be here. When I crawled into my tent my Wahoo was at 55%. After I charged it my battery pack fell to 42%. I was at 6000’ elevation.