El pasito duranguense y el canguro

Thursday May 9th - Sunday May 12th

El pasito duranguense is a dance not actually from Durango, but Chicago. The large contingent of people from Durango there apparently invented it, and enjoy it, just as those actually in Durango do. I think you can tell from watching a few videos that the people of Durango are just darned fun. They are also very kind and welcoming. They accepted my contribution - the kangaroo paw - with remarkably good humour. I think my step fits in roughly where they do the caballito at 1:17 in this video, but I'd have to show you for you to understand :) Above all I just had the most amazing experiences in my 5 day dance with the wonderful people of Durango.

I arrived in the city of Durango tired and dirty. I must have looked quite a sight in my dirty white ambassador shirt, helmet and loaded bike, sitting in a plaza waiting for my Couchsurfing host to arrive. I don't know who stared more - them at me, or me at them, because I have never seen so many cowboy hats outside of a theme party or western. It was kinda of cool actually, there is a real legitimate cowboy culture in Durango, and these sombreros are 100% tipicos. This is probably why Durango was a hub for Hollywood westerns back in the day.

In any case it was nice not to see any other extranjeros around, but it did mean I drew a few more stares than usual. The very agreeable Ulises arrived, showed me where he worked, and then directed me to his friend Norma's place, where I could rest while he worked. We all ended up meeting there later on, drinking until late and crashing on the floor. In fact, because Norma, who lived with her sister Cynthia, was also a CS host, we decided it would be easier if I just stayed there.

Eucalyptus trees are all over the americas. Weird.

The next day I took a stroll around the city. Durango is quite beautiful, but I think I enjoyed more the amount of cowboy hats I saw. They're everywhere. It's actually normal for gents here to wear them. How cool! There were also a lot of cyclists. In fact, I ended up running into one of the cyclists I had seen in the mountains, and he invited me to the night-time bike ride that they have every Thursday, which was that night. I had a super time riding around, seeing the city, and enjoying being with some cycle buddies. Being able to ride around safely at night was a uniquely fun experience too. Afterwards, Gallegos, as he likes to be known, took me to a great hamburger place and shouted me dinner. What a guy!

Zoom zoom zoom

Gallegos, his daughter, and I

Cyclo gang! Watch out streets of Durango

Norma and her sister Cynthia were such wonderful hosts, and looked after me like I was family. I felt super lucky to be their guest. Amongst other things, they took me and another friend Loreto for a hike into the surrounding hills of Durango. We walked along the shore of a dammed river, and enjoyed the beautiful semi-desert surroundings, and even a pine tree. It was really cool. Later that night we went out on the town in Durango, where amongst other things, I attempted to invent a dance step we decided to call the Kangaroo Paw, to do my country proud. There was much laughter.

Cynthia and Norma, intrepid both

Desert flowers

Loreto, Norma, y yo

¡Hermanas hermosas!

Ulises, Norma, and I

The next day, Saturday, I was due to leave, and Norma and Cynthia had to go to a nearby town, where Norma gives talks to the local people about environmental and sustainability issues, which she studies. We were going in the same direction, so we decided to hitch together before going our separate ways. While on the back of a truck, Norma said that I was welcome to come along to the town if I wanted. It sounded like a good idea to me, so instead of continuing down the highway, I went to Villa Union with the girls.

Hitching is much, much, easier with pretty girls

That Saturday and the following Sunday in Villa Union, I met some of the most wonderful people I can remember meeting in this trip. I was welcomed into families homes, fed lovely home-cooked meals, waited on attentively, chatted to for hours, and invited to stay even more. It was really humbling. Also, the adults and children who Norma gave the talk to were interested, smart and attentive. I told them a little about Australia, and our native animals, and showed them some Youtube videos. This was fine until one of them got oddly graphic, and the kids started asking some funny questions.

Norma giving a talk to some of the locals

Afterwards, we were invited to have have dinner with some friends of Norma's. The dinner almost ended in solicitacions of matrimony for my dear brothers back home, after I showed the family photos on Facebook.

The next day we took some of the local kids out on a educational walk and talk tour of the countryside, studying the flora and fauna, and sustainability issues to do with farming. The kids really paid attention and didn't get bored. I couldn't believe it. They wanted more at the end!

I'm so disappointed this is the only photo of a cowboy hat I got. Imagine the guy on the left, and then multiply by a thousand, and in a city. It was bien padre.

The kiddies and Norma

Later on, in the afternoon, Norma, Cynthia, and their friends took me to the nearby El Saltito, a stunning waterhole where some of the scenes of The Mask of Zorro were apparently filmed. The water was warm and beautiful, so I got down to my undies and jumped in. I was the only one. Sometimes being extranjero is kinda fun, because people just assume you're weird, and understand when you do stuff like that.

You can hardly see El Saltito from the road

But it's there!

and it's beautiful

Less beautiful :/

Swimming there in the waterhole, and floating under the stunning arched trees, which felt like a cathedral, was up there with the most striking experiences I have had on this trip. It was just so beautiful and peaceful. Afterwards, being a little excited with all the swimming and jumping, I starting climbing trees (with my clothes back on) and was accused of being a koala by my new friends. This was of course silly. I wasn't climbing eucalyptus trees.

The only cathedral I could be happy in

Looking up

Nice way to finish the day.

We got back to town, had some beers and tacos, and eventually crashed out. We said our goodbyes the next morning, as the girls had to go back to university Monday, and I had to get back on the road. Before I got going, I was asked if I could stop by the kindergarten to talk to the kids about what I was doing. They asked a lot of questions, and were strangely interested in my camping mattress. It was heaps of fun!

At the kindergarten.

Kids being hilarious kids.

Chuy! Thank you so much

After the visit to the kindergarten, and after running into a new friend, Chuy on the road, I started cycling again just plain high on the experience that I had, and on bicycle touring in general. Firstly, the hospitality and kindness I had been shown by everyone I met left me speechless. Add to that the fact that I had had amazing experiences, met great people, made friends, gone on walks and bike rides, talked to local kids, and gotten to know a small community... so much and in only five days! It was an experience I could not possibly have imagined and will not be able to soon forget.

The road to Durango

Saturday 4th May - Wednesday 8th May

My five day adventure in the mountains started off easily enough, with a pretty flat stretch south out of Mazatlan. Then the road turned East, and the road started to undulate, and then go up in earnest. My legs were actually feeling pretty good, but as the day wore on, and I got past the 60km mark, I really started to tire. I had figured that if I struggled on that first day, I could just stop and stay in a little town along the highway somewhere. However, it was a new section of highway, and there were no towns, not even stores. I wasn't carrying enough water for the whole night and next morning, so I knew I had to get somewhere that night. But that road just kept going up and up.

Seemed harmless enough to begin with...

Around 6pm my energy started to really flag. The steep grade meant I would ride for as little as 500m or a couple of minutes and have to stop for 5 or 6 minutes. It was really slow going. Eventually even this was difficult, and I started walking and pushing my bike in parts, which I hadn't had to do in the preceding 2500km. I put my pride aside because I was really struggling.

At 7pm, as the sun was setting, I found a highway maintenance shed, and the kind Viktor inside gave me some water but warned me I had a long way to go before the next town - 10 or 15km. I determined to keep going as long as I could, but then at about the 80km mark, at 7:30pm it started to get dark, and I thought this is just dumb so I stuck my thumb out. Almost the first guy I saw stopped for me and gave me a lift. Cristian, and his wife, picked me up, and even brought me back to their home and offered me a bed for the night - how amazing! They fed me dinner, asked me what the hell I was doing, and I explained. They even offered to take me to a dance that night - being Saturday night - and for me to accompany his wife's sister there. "Solo amigos" he swore, haha. We didn't end up going, but the offer was kind.

Cristian in the middle, his son on the left, and a gentleman I am not familiar with on the right.

They fed me a great breakfast, and even dropped me a bit further up the mountain, past one of the steeper parts the next morning. How amazing! I enjoyed a beautiful day cycling through the rolling hills, and I took this one much easier, only about 25km that day. I had some great experiences with people, mainly in a little town called El Palmito. I met a cyclist group from Durango, who were interested in what I was doing, and ending up giving me granola bars, and energy drinks for the ride - how kind! Then at a food stand, I met a guy called Paco from Zacatecas. He was interested in what I was doing because he wanted to do the same. Then he paid for my gorditas and invited me to come say hi in Zacatecas where he lived and owned a bar. How amazing! I continued on, and then stopped and camped next to a restaurant at a small town, and ate dinner there. The views were amazing all day:

The next day the pace was also slow because there was a lot of climbing, and I think I did about 45km. I went through a narrow pass known as the Espinazo del Diablo - the devil's spine, where at one point the road drops away sharply on either side, for hundreds of metres below. It was a stunning ride that day, and I enjoyed the scenery, took it easy, and occasionally stopped to read my book. I ended up in a town called La Ciudad that night, where some very friendly firefighters offered me a bed in their station for the night, and then also paid for my dinner (gorditas again)! I was becoming really overwhelmed by people's hospitality at this point.

That hill in the background is where I was going.

The road goes along the bottom of the cliff there

At the Devil's Spine

The Devil's Spine

You can kind of see where the road climbs - all the way along and up

A corn truck had tipped over. People were mainly just picking up corn and putting in their pickups.

A pretty typical view for the day: around and up, maybe a little down

Pretty much the highest point. It was a little cold up there.

Bomberos!

The next and fourth day held only a few climbs, and lots of downhill, which was fun. I ended up in a town called El Salto, and after asking around for where I could stay, I was pointed to the Police Station. The police pointed to the roof, and I lugged my bike and gear up two flights of stairs and ended up camping on the roof! It was a little weird, especially because I could see and hear people in the holding cells below. But it had a good view. Certainly one of my most interesting places that I have stayed in this trip.

Nice spot for a break that day

Check your brakes - that's what I like to see!

On the roof in El Salto

The next and final day was as long as the first in terms of distance, but it was a breeze as it was mainly downhill. I cruised down around and through the foothills of the mountains, then farmland where the plains really opened up, and finally to the outskirts of Durango. I got there a little early, at 5:30pm on the fifth day.

It had been an incredible five days in the mountains. The first day nearly killed me, and I suppose this was unsurprising given how poorly prepared I was. For the rest of the ride, sure there was a lot of climbing, but I took it relatively easy and enjoyed the amazing scenery. I had time to read my book and just chill and enjoy my surroundings, and think. I was also truly humbled by the hospitality, friendliness and kindess of those I had met on the road. Little did I know, the latter was to be surpassed in Durango itself.