Lobsters to Llamas, Maritimes to Argentina

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by Hevy Kevy

I was deeply saddened this a.m. when I opened your report and read of your fathers passing. Just know that even though many of us have never met, we are still connected by common interests, philosophies, lifestyles etc. So my friend, I said a prayer in honour of your father and hope that the next few days of reflection are a comfort to you.

Very well said. I can't tell you how it feels to be so far from home but to be connected to all of you that now know me and are sharing this ride with me. I feel we all share a common bond of a love for travel and motorcycles. It's fantastic to be able to share with you all, this ride, my thoughts, and friendship.

The ride will continue but for now, I am stopped in Zipolite, and taking a break.

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by HDen

Sorry about your dad...My sincere condolences.
HDen

Thank you

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by outsidein

I saw Lobsters and then Shediac and had to keep reading as I'm a former Shediac resident myself (Point Du Chene) ;) Enjoyed reading about your adventures.

I have a Versys which I dream about doing a trip like this on. How is the KLR for this sort of thing?

Dans Le Pointe! Cool!

I love my KLR. I wished on some of the smooth mountain roads I had something with a lot more horsepower to blast by the trucks and buses, but then on the road to Zipolite from Oaxaca which I will tell you about when my picture download (very slow internet) I wished I had a smaller, lighter bike. There were thousands of impossibly tight turns, some I had to go to first gear just to make it around. I can't imagine who ever thought it would be possible to put a road through those mountains. What were they smoking? It is the twistiest, road I've ever seen and the twisty section goes for at least 120kms. I found myself wondering, does this road really go somewhere? Amazing!

To get back to the KLR, people down here flock to it. "Moto Grande!" is what you hear. I am beginning to feel the same way about the bike. It's Huge! Bang for the buck though, where else can you find a bike that will take you anywhere you want to go for such a fair price. I think having said all that my next bike, will be a bigger bike, just because you can cover so much ground on Interstates on a faster bike, and get to where you want to ride, easier.

You too can make this trip. Your Versys would be an excellent ride down here. Mexico is a wonderful Country. You have to see it to believe it..

I am so happy I've come here I can't describe it! Never seen or even imagined anything like it.

[Kedgi]

I wasn't looking forward to riding in Oaxaca traffic again after my trip into town. I got up early, packed up and was ready to go like at 7:30. I had looked at the breakfast menu in the hotel restaurant and it looked good.

They do things differently down here. That motel and restaurant are right downtown in a big city and when I left around 8 they still didn't have the restaurant open. Hundreds of people walking buy and going to work and they were shut. Not sure I understand that.

If I owned that palce i waould be in there at 6am frying potoates and onions making sure noboday that walked by could resist the smell coming from my kitchen.

I equate it to having a downtown restaurant in Montreal or Toronto and not opening up in the morning. Hey, the Mexicans can do it their way but I found it strange and am just reporting.

So I blasted out of Oaxaca and was pleased to find that traffic was lighter than it had been in the previous afternoon. Maybe because I was going against the flow.

I figured I would ride out of the downtown core and then get a coffee. There don't seem to be nearly as many OXXO store in Oaxaca State as there are in the rest of Mexico. About ten miles out I saw a big Pemex (gas station) with a convenience store but I couldn't get over two lanes to get in there because of traffic so I rode on in search of my coffee until at about 20 miles I hit this place another Pemex with a Tienda (small store) Closed! I find that funny. Thousands of cars and tons of potential business going by....Closed? I gotta open a Tienda down here.





I rode another 40 or more miles before i got a cup of coffee in a nice little coffee shop in the middle of nowhere that was open and brand new, It reminded me of a Blendz in Canada but it had a Mexican Trademark, I've forgotten

I had a great cup of coffee but I heard for the first time, this trip, the Spanish greeting "Hola" which only seems to be used in beach areas, I knew I was getting close to the beach.....or so I thought. I was about 120 or 130 kms from the beach but the GPS was saying I wouldn't get there for 4 hours. How could that be. Little did I know what was ahead. If you can average more than about 30kms per hour Mexico 175,, you need to be road racing. What a road!

[Kedgi]

My computer battery is done and there is no plug out here on the patio. I'm going to recharge it in my room, more later....stay tuned!

Kedgi

[bESS]

Kedgi:

so sorry about your Dad. Like you I was not close to my Dad but I do feel sad once in a while. When you are young you don't realize all of life's challenges and how they struggled to keep you warm and fed. All you remember is that they weren't there

any idea when you are coming home ? I may be in NB next summer and you are an inspiration

bob

[dbmet]

Beer Purchased for you!! Drink one while thinking of your Dad!!!

[QCRider]

Originally Posted by Kedgi

.. Thousands of cars and tons of potential business going by....Closed? I gotta open a Tienda down here.

.. How about a Tim Hortons ?!?

I bet you're missing (craving) it by now, don't you??

Ride safe!

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by bESS

Kedgi:

so sorry about your Dad. Like you I was not close to my Dad but I do feel sad once in a while. When you are young you don't realize all of life's challenges and how they struggled to keep you warm and fed. All you remember is that they weren't there

any idea when you are coming home ? I may be in NB next summer and you are an inspiration

bob

Thanks bESS, you're very kiind. I'll be in NB next ssummer, I will be disappointed if you don't drop by. We have a spare room and you're more than welcome. Please PM me with your info and I'll do the same.


Dwight

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by dbmet

Beer Purchased for you!! Drink one while thinking of your Dad!!!

Thank you, very nice!

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by QCRider

.. How about a Tim Hortons ?!?

I bet you're missing (craving) it by now, don't you??

Ride safe!

I'm personally not so much of a Tim's guy, I have one of those K-cup things at home, but I'll bet if they started building them here they would absolutely take off!

I love cafe in the morning. I'm waiting for everyone to get up so I can have one. Little Jerry the cat came running and crying this morning. I picked him up. put him in my lap and he's been here for an hour. I was going to write some more but Jerry is a little jealous of the computer.I put him down for a minute while I went to my cabana and he cried until I picked him up and put him in my lap again. He's a little tiger striped guy, can't weigh more than about 4 pounds. What a life he must lead with all the dogs around here.

I do not understand how cats know I like cats but they come to me almost instantly. Dogs bark and snap at me and cats love me. I have no idea why. Jerry is curled up having a nap on my lap, but he doesn't purr. Animals kind of get treated like animals a lot down here but Jerry and Simba are well cared for. I saw Andreas giving them Ritz crackers yesterday. Who knew cats eat Ritz?
Simba the little chihuahua would look at Jeery's cracker, because Jerry is slower eating, and Andreas would tell him...NO. When Jerry would finish his, then and only then would they both get another.

[Kedgi]

WARNING

IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH DO NOT READ THESE PARAGRAPHS

I was starting to post yesterday when I got a message from Pavel and Mehai, the two Montreal inmates, that they were right down the beach, my computer battery was pretty much done so I went to find them. It was HOT, like 33 degrees, smoking hot on the sand, so I decided to walk down the road instead of the beach. It's about 3/4 of a mile down to where the boys were staying.


I walked, looked around, saw some stuff I hadn't seen and then I came upon this Mexican couple and they were looking at a dog, lying in the shade. Then I noticed something was very wrong with the dog. His rear end was all out of shape with a big bone stretching his skin way up and out of shape. He had obviously been struck by a car and was lying there, calmly, dying.

I looked at him and said to them, "poor thing" The Mexican gentleman repeated my English, "poor thing" There was NOTHING we could do. After what happened to my Dad I did not need to see this. I could not take a photo to show you, I couldn't bear to look any more and I walked on.....Dear God!

[Kedgi]

The ride from Oaxca to Zipolite is a hell of a rdie. So twisty you have to wonder how they ever dreamed of builing a road through those mountains. Haipins, climbs, descents, no shoulder no guardrail, rough pavement, no warning signs, or very few. I laughed out loud when i saw a yellow sign (the first one I saw in about 90 miles of Camino Sinuoso) warning of a curve ahead. hahahaha.

there are not many places to stop and take a picture, just nowhere, so the few I got really don't show the most beautiful parts. Steep green valleys, houses built on ridgelines like a giant's staircase, tiny tiendas (stores) and comedors (small restaurants) clinging to cliff sides. Abslolutely wonderful




You would not want to go flying into these weeds


















Average pavement but it gets a lot rougher







This memorial to a yong man was in a hairpin with a huge rock wall. The candle was lit even though this was in what seemed to be a very remote spot






Check out the view from this restaurant!

[Kedgi]

I started to get close to the shore, as I descended it got warm, then hot! 100 degrees hot

I met this man and asked directions about the beaches. I had heard of Zipolite all my life and I tried to find out where it is, It's not on my map or GPS

He gave me directions told me it was 15kms, then he saw my licence plate! Canada on the MOTO? Si! "GUSTO" he said.

[Kedgi]

I found Zipolite! Paradise!








My $8/night Cabana






Jerry at first I thought it was Gary but now I think his name is Jerry





















Jerry watching the Sunset




Sebastian





What can I say?




We ere sitting here listening to Pink Floyd in the shade on the deck as I post this. Goosebumps!