Wheels of Fortune: Hitch and ride

Monday May 13th - Wednesday May 15th

After Durango, I had been told some parts of the road south were potentially a little unsafe for a cycling extranjero such as I. People had suggested I hitch or bus through these parts instead, to avoid having to stay the night in a less than ideal spot. Although I wondered if these dangers were overstated, as they often are, I had had fun hitching with Norma and Cynthia, and had no problem skipping even potentially unsafe parts of the road. So when I set off from Villa Union, it was with this plan in mind.

I started cycling that day, largely because I felt like it, figuring I could ride a bit before sticking the thumb out. I was enjoying the ride so much that without realising it, I actually went past the place I had been told was good to hitch from... by about 15km! I was having a rest in an abandoned gas station, when a truck pulled up. I had a chat to the two guys, both called Guillermo, who told me where I was, and ended up giving me a lift to the next town, Sombrerete.

One of the two Guillermos. Thanks guys!

After lunch and a rest there, I once again put the thumb out. It took a couple of hours, but a friendly dude on his way to Zacatecas stopped and gave me a ride. It was an interesting ride. After we had both had a couple of beers, I began to wonder about the wisdom of being in a vehicle with someone drinking and offering me beer. We drove through a rainstorm, which I was glad not to have to ride through, and my driver stopped drinking by then, so I felt more relaxed. He told me he was a bus driver, and that not long ago, after stopping his bus at a small township nearby, was horrified to see a number of headless bodies, lined up by the side of the road. He said it really shocked him, and that this happens sometimes around there. Although he said it was only people mixed up in the cartels that this happened to, he understood my decision to not ride this part of the road.

We arrived in Zacatecas, where it was cold and a little rainy. I cycled into town and found a hostel, after not having any luck with my (admittedly last minute) Couchsurfing requests. I ended up staying a few days there, being a little sick, but also impressed by how beautiful the place was. It was a stunning old colonial city, and I never thought I would hear myself say something like that!