August 18
Some Notes – I spent the afternoon with Roger as he delivered his coffee all around the city. Of the many stops we made I found myself in pretty fancy country club. We also ended up stopping at this family restaurant he loves so much for lunch. After Roger explained to all the ladies working there who I was everyone wanted to take a picture with me.
A photos with the ladies who made our lunch
After deliveries Roger took me to Chepo Ice Cream established in 1896. There was also some back-and-forth messaging with Zeek GPS. They are going to send me a GPS tracking unit to Durango.
125 year old ice cream company
August 19
Some Notes – This afternoon I shared my bike poem – What’s out there? with another 19 Facebook bike groups. I also did a little research on various places to visit in Mexico. And I also edited my 18 reasons to pull a bike trailer while on bike tour blog post to include a 19th most important reason – a trailer keeps dogs off your heels and behind the trailer.
Roger’s journalist friend – Luis Carlos Valdes of the Milenio was finally able to set up an appointment for tomorrow morning to interview me.
I emailed Canadian Geographic if they were interested in a story about me. The worst that could happen is they say no (or not respond). I also emailed an Ottawa City bike blog.
I can’t really claim to be overly productive today. Truthfully, I am super anxious to be getting back on the road. Anxious in the sense of being impatient, not worried.
August 20
Some Notes – I met with Roger & Luis at a Starbucks for my Milenio interview. Truthfully, Luis asked some tough questions. Roger was used for translation. After the interview I raced back to the house to do a Road Show and a Safari Arie Experience Show about financing your dream. Brandon also posted our Hoh Rainforest video to YouTube. The Hoh Rainforest was the temperate rainforest that I visited in Washington.
The interview with Luis & Roger
From there I went out on coffee deliveries with Roger. Later in the evening I posted my bike trailer blog post to 20 Facebook bike groups. I also ended up watching a movie – Hector Search for Happiness on YouTube (at the suggestion of my host Ricardo) which had me going to bed after 2am.
With Ricardo Mendoza my host
August 21
Km’s Pedalled – 92.5 km’s
Destination – Los Cuatillos
Some Notes – I am back on the road. I biked through the downtown and kept meeting people that wanted to take photos and chat. I think I must have taken photos with almost a dozen people. What an experience Torreon has been.
A few of the people I met leaving Torreon
Today I ended up biking much further than anticipated though. The sky looked like it wanted storm pretty badly tonight. I decided to skip supper on the off chance I got stuck in a potential storm. Overall though the weather was perfect all day.
The landscape headed towards Durango
August 22
Km’s Pedalled – 103 km’s
Destination – Ciudad Guadalupe Victoria
Some Notes – Some nice temperatures today but a miserable head wind with a few hills. Later in the afternoon the hills basically disappeared and winds diminished. A fair bit of cloud in the sky but somehow, I got sunburnt. A fairly uneventful day but I did break 100 km’s today.
Very typical of the places I ended up camping
I biked through Los Cuatillos, Cuencamé and Ciudad Guadalupe Victoria and I had to find a campsite in the dark tonight. I made a hail Mary request on the WhatsApp bike group – RACmx General for a host in Durango and I got a response. So I have a host for Durango.
The church in Los Cuatillos
This abandoned castle is just outside Los Cuatillos. Google maps did not identify it
A church in Cuencamé
Another church in Cuencamé
Leaving Cuencamé
Guadeloupe’s Virgin of Ciudad Guadalupe Victoria
August 23
Km’s Pedalled – 88.5 km’s
Destination – Durango
Some Notes – Overall a fairly easy day of flat roads and no winds. The only main town I biked through before Durango was Francisco I. Madero,
Iglesia de Virgin de Guadalupe of Francisco I. Madero
I never saw a species of prickly pear cactus that stood taller than me before
Coming into Durango I was waved down by a girl. Dalia and her boyfriend Adrian are mountain bikers and Adrian would be excited to meet me. Adrian instantly came over and we met at the McDonald’s where I was flagged down and they were excited to make plans. Adrian biked with me into the downtown while Dalia followed in their vehicle. They brought me to various cathedrals until it was time to arrive at my host. We have plans to meet tomorrow. Little did I know at the time this was the beginning of a lot of crazy events and experiences.
With Dalia & Adrian
Biking into the downtown
The cathedrals that we visited today were: Cathedral Basilica Menor Inmaculada Conception and the Templo de Santa Ana. Durango seems to have a few cathedrals to visit.
Cathedral Basilica Menor Inmaculada Conception
Templo de Santa Ana
I am being hosted by Monica Arce a veterinarian. She has a home where her sister and nephew live. This evening they took me out to dinner for tacos.
August 24
Km’s pedalled – 25 + 8 km’s
Some Notes – An absolutely amazing crazy day. I spent the morning biking all over Durango photographing and visiting the inside of assorted cathedrals. They would include: Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, Templo de San Agustín, Iglesia de San Miguel, Parroquia Nuestra Senora de Los Delores, Templo de Fátima and I biked past the Museo Regional de Durango – Jose Angel Rodriguez Solorzano. While biking around I discover my rear shifting cable was on the verge of snapping. I would bike 25 km’s over the city.
Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Templo de San Agustín
Iglesia de San Miguel
Parroquia Nuestra Senora de Los Delores
Templo de Fátima
Picking up my Zeek GPS
After picking up my Zeek GPS I then met with Adrian and Dailia who brought me to Sunpeed Bikes who gave me a tune up, bike wash, new brake pads, new chain and fixed my cable all for free. During the tune up Sunpeed interviewed me for a social media interview. They used Adrian as the interviewee.
At Sunpeed
Sunpeed also set me up for hosting tomorrow night in Vincente Guerrero. There is so much to be thankful to Sunpeed for.
From there we headed downtown where close to 30 members of the Nopal Mountain Bike club were waiting to meet with me and bike through the downtown and to the top of the mountain in Durango. We would bike 8 km’s. It was a pretty surreal experience to be in the lead of bike club as we biked through the downtown. At the top of the mountain virtually everyone took the time to take a photo with me. Afterwards some of us went out for tacos. What a day. I can’t believe the number of lifelong experiences Mexico continues to provide.
Everyone meeting downtown
A bike parade through the downtown
Selfie and group shot at the top of Durango
NOPAL Bike group did a YouTube video of the group ride. You can watch it HERE.
