Mexico: Tzibanza and Bernal: Day 1

[pdedse]

I first contacted Alberto Claves of “Motos y Mas” back in Oregon. When I told him I wanted to do several 2-3 day trips using San Miguel de Allende as my base, he said he didn't have much that would do the job on the hiway. Later he told me about a friend who was willing to rent his KLR650 (with about 16.5K on it for around 200 to 250, depending on kilometers traveled. I met up with Alberto at his shop on the outskirts of town, and we had a good chat about what I wanted to do. Mariano, owner of the KLR650, and I had been in contact via email and everything was set up. I'd pick up the bike on Friday (April 25) at noon and return Sunday late afternoon. My plan was simple: head for the Sierra Gorda, a mountainous area that starts about 50 some kilometers N or Tequisquiapan, near Queretaro. I would spend Friday and Saturday night somewhere, then head back home. By chance I met Julio at Motos y Mas Friday morning and once he found out the general direction I was headed, he told me about several places I could visit, including Tzibanza and Burnel. Alberto gave me some good directions to head towards Tequisquiapan without passing through Queretaro (wanted to avoid larger cities on my first mc trip in Mexico). I took off on the bike, gassed up, went to the family home I'm staying at, put on mc gear and small backpack and I was off by 1:30pm.

[pdedse]

Originally Posted by pdedse

Still getting used to smugmug and doing RR so just one teaser photo to see if everything is working.

I see I've got the link here to the photo, but I want the photo itself to show like so many do in their RR reports. I've been through tutorial this and that, but can't seem to figure out how to make several photos, or my gallery from smugmug to show here. Any help? Thanks.

[GB]

Smugmug is great for hotlinking your pics here. I fixed your link in the first post.

Right click on the image
Select Properties

Now, highlight the Image location, which ends in .jpg, and copy it.

Then here, in the text editor box, click on the Insert Image icon, (yellow box with mountains) and paste it into that box, and the image should appear

Check the Ask Baldy forum for a tutorial on how to post images, it's a sticky at the top.

[tricepilot]

I hope you get the picture thing figured out because I can't wait to see photos of the Sierra Gorda! One of the most beautiful areas in Mexico.



Bob

[joenuclear]

[pdedse]

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Smugmug is great for hotlinking your pics here. I fixed your link in the first post.

Cool! Thanks for doing that!! And for the suggestions, I'll play with this a bit to see if I can't get the photos showing.

In the meantime, here's the link to Day 1 (friday, april 25) of my three day trip...

http://pdedse.smugmug.com/gallery/48...86561082_jZMzi

Hopefully, the link will take you to my smugmug journal where I have the report written up with photos...more coming soon.

[BikePilot]

Looks like a great ride! I'm not a smugmug expert (or user for that matter), but you should be able to get it to spit out the link to the pic with img tags on either end of it. Alternatively you can past the url of a pic in where yout type and put bb or html img code around it like this [*img]www.yourpic.com[/img*] only without the * (I just put them in there so you could see the tags rather than a red x).

[pdedse]

Quite a bit of nondescript landscape east of San Miguel de Allende, but once I headed N on HI 120 out of Tequisquiapan, the scenery began to improve. Since I've never been in this neck of the woods, the Laguna de Tzibanza sounded as good a bet as any. After Cadereyta I asked about the Laguna and sure enough, I needed to head N another 5 kilometers and then turn off for Palmar, after which I'd have a cobblestone road for “a while”.




Above, the church at Palmar. I stopped to ask directions again and was told the same thing as before, rocky road, can't get lost. 15, 20 minutes? I ask. A little longer than that, I was told.




This was the first of about 100 burros that I would see over the next three days. They are some crazy rascals that when spooked do funky things—impossible to determine if they're going to run away or run right into you. I gave them very wide clearance.


Rocky road continued and so did I. I was looking for a “lagoon” but no sight of any water yet.











Another few kilometers and I spy the 'laguna' or lake...






And I arrive after 4 hours and only 115 miles! First close view of the Laguna


Isla de Tzibanza.


These steps lead up to the second floor of the hostal (023). The bottom floor is the restaurante and the top floor there's 18 beds.



The cost is 100 pesos, a little less than $10 for the night. Nancy and Anabel, two 18 year olds are running the place and they tell me no one else is there and they aren't expecting anyone else until tomorrow Saturday when I group of 10 is coming. Seeing as the only other alternative is for $85 a night for a cabin on the island, I think I'll take the hostal. I have a dinner of quesadillas and sopes. It's an absolutely perfect evening. The gals sit with me after cleaning up the restaurant kitchen and their uncle Pablo joins us and he fills me in on the making of the laguna, or lake: early 1980 the government decides they to build a dam, or cortina (curtain). They had to displace several communities who used to enjoy the river which had avocado, fig, mango and a number of fruit trees. They were paid handsomely, but weren't able to manage the money well. According to Pablo, the communities were relocated beyond the dam and now they have no money and no fruit trees—now they have to buy what they used to take for free. I asked him what he thought of the man made lake and said for their town (Tzibanza) it's been good because the lake is well stocked with fish and now their community fishes and provides boating services for those who want to fish or explore. They said I was the first American they had seen in some time—most visitors are Mexican nationals with money. Nancy and Anabel were very pleasant. I'm in San Miguel de Allende until the end of May as the leader of a group of students studying Spanish, and so I told the gals that I would try to convince the guys to come and visit. Nancy was the less shy of the two and asked what they're like—I told them lots of the guys have blond hair and blue eyes, and so they said, yes that would do, but to leave the girls in San Miguel! They left about 9:00 pm and the hostal was left to myself! No locked doors, nobody around. Beautiful lightning show over the lake and a wonderful breeze to cool off the hot day. I thought what a perfect day...then I didn't sleep until after 4:00am because all night I was attached by moscas, or mosquitos that kept buzzing my ears. I awoke at 9:00am the next morning with the sun shining in my face and over 200 tiny mosquito bites all over my neck, arms and legs! But not one of them itch!

[BikePilot]

Great report

I've never heard of a mosquito bite that didn't itch, you lucked out on that one!

[Vic-klr]

Amigo me gusto que te gusto tu visita a mexico y que la disfrutaste.

[pdedse]

Originally Posted by Vic-klr

Amigo me gusto que te gusto tu visita a mexico y que la disfrutaste.

Me gusto y me sigue gustando! Voy a estar por un mes mas y por lo menos una vuelta mas extensa por la sierra gorda...

[Vic-klr]

que bueno y esperemos ver mas fotos.

[irishdec]

Good on ya,buddy,enjoyed the pic's and report,cant wait till I get back there.
Regards
irishdec

[pdedse]

Originally Posted by irishdec

Good on ya,buddy,enjoyed the pic's and report,cant wait till I get back there.
Regards
irishdec

Thanks! It was a fun trip, will be going back this weekend for more. RR·2 coming soon after. When you going back there?