When it rains, it pours!

Every Englishman knows there is nothing better to talk about than the weather and I am like any other Englishman and love a good chinwag with the locals about what the weather up to; after all, it is the most exciting thing to talk about, right? So in this episode of "A 15 month adventure of an intrepid Norfolkian", I am going to share a few stories about the weather here in the magical Mexico.

Tropical climate between Mazátlan and Tepic

Laguna Ciutzeo just before a big storm came rolling in

Cerca Guadalahara...

If you have been reading my other posts, you already know that it was absolutely scorching in the Baja Penisula to the point of blistering the skin; but surprising, just by crossing the Sea of Cortez (about 150miles east) the weather has changed dramatically and the scenery has followed it. What I am confronted with now, is a tropical/rainforest climate and now I finally understand why they call it a rainforest. When the heavens open; jeez does it rain! If you are lucky, along with raindrops the size of chicken nuggets you may also encounter marble-sized hail and lightening bolts every other score of seconds.

Lucky photo of some lightening over the valley near Jocotitlan

There´d be a storm a coming

On one particular occasion I took cover under a bridge ready for another 2 hour downpour, when it just so happens that 6 other Mexican workers fancied a little picnic with me. Like all the other Mexicans I have had the pleasure of meeting, these guys were super friendly and hospitable. We collated our food together, of which I contributed some pinched mangos and crackers, and low-and-behold we had ourselves a feast fit for kings, containing various tacos, tortillas, beer, vege, salsa and more (not forgetting my mangos and crackers obviously). We sat around with our little picnic, watching the storm of all storms open up before us. Everybody remembers counting the seconds in between the flash and the bang, right? Well, at one point the count inbetween the flash and crack must have been less than the blink of an eye, so it could have been no more than 100 metres away. Hail thundered down onto motorway for about 15 minutes and even the cars had to take cover under the bridge in fear that it would dent the body panels, because these little bastards were bigúns! After our picnic, we parted our ways; them, going back to chopping the bushes with machetes and me trotting up a fuck off big hill! End of.

Mexican workers and a jolly picnic...

Fuck off large hail stones!

More hail. Hail Mary!

The boundary of a storm near Tepic

The mainland Mexicans have also made me feel kind of famous. On a number of occasions I have had cars and trucks pull over to get that infamous photo of themselves with Ingrid and I... Normally, I charge a small fee for the pleasure, either of a pack of biscuits, a taco or some fluids. But in one instance a guy had obviously took a fancy to me and had various photos of myself cycling on a range of roads 400km a part. When on the 3rd time he plucked up the courage to show me his espionage work and to get that infamous photo of him, Ingrid and I: on that occasion the guy gave me some tamanos filled with chili and meat (not entirely sure what they are, but think they are mushed up sweetcorn). Good lad.The temperature has ranged from close to 40C to below 7C at nights and it is the first time I have had to snuggle up in my sleeping bag and it has been super hilly, on some days climbing close to 7000ft and altitude ranging from 4000-8750ft (or close to 3 times the height of Snowdon).

Mangos the size of footballs and juicy like no other. one Ranch owner gave us a bag full of em

Since coming over to the mainland Mexico I have been wild camping a lot,which means I pitch a tent just about anywhere (haha I know what you are thinking), but I have also taken the liberty of the odd ranch stay and WS host. The camping here is fantastic and I cannot really put it into words the picturesque places I have camped, so instead here are a few photos of heaven...

Washing in bins like a boss/tramp

Wild camp near El Rosario

Cracking spot just north of Mazátlan near old stone carvings

This bad boy is at an altitude of around 2500m and it gets chilly at night

To add to that, after nearly 2 months I actually paid for a nights accomodation in Tepic. Not entirely sure why to be honest; maybe the camping had taken its toll and I was in need of a shower. But anyway I spent 7 or 8 quid on my own room in this Hotel Economíc; so you can only imagine how grotty it was. Although, it was luxurious in comparison to spending a night in a tent and I definitely got my moneys worth by pinching a couple of rolls of toilet paper and bars of soap (was tempted by the towel, but got detered by the extra weight); I know the Whitlams would be proud!

Cosy lil´ bed sit for a small fee

It is nearing the 2 month mark, so thought I would bore your brains with a few interesting stats.

• 5150km ridden
• Highest altitude 8763ft
• Weight of bike (laden) - a shade over 50kg or 110 pounds
• Weight lost - 4.5kg or 9.5 pounds
• Most amount of climbing in one day: a shade over 8000ft
• Top speed: 75km/hr
• Most amount of Coke drunk in a day: 5 litres (yes, Coke is an integral source of my daily calories)
• Accidents to date: 1 (ripped my ear open on a barbed wire fence; thanks mum for packing them steristrips)
• Number of times I have used the fishing rod: 1 (for pinching a joblot of mangos from a tall tree, they are incredibly large and juicy here in Mexico)

Before my handy work

After my handy work. Thanks Mum for the steristrips

Wildlife update (O my lordy, it has been incredible): Lizards (tens of species, but they are too hard to take a picture of), chameleons, geckos, fireflys, unusually large frogs (I am talking the size of a small cat...) tortoises, terapins, armadillos, snakes, thousands of butterflys, skunks, crazy large rodent thingy-me-bobs (the technical name), a super large spider (this bastard was the side of my hand and he definitely was not a web type of spider, he was a hunter) and much more!

I thought it looked nice, muchos insectos aquí

I must have seen over 20 types of butterflys in Mexico

The Fake Coral Snake - the other one that looks very similar is deadly

Chilling...

I wanted to skin this cretin and give Ingrid a new look.

 

Thought I would also add a new section and am going to call it "Toms Cool Facts" (creative name, I know), so in this episode of TCF I have:

1. Did you know that Tequila can only be called Tequila if it comes from one of the 5 states in Mexico that make it. It is made of Agave (type of cactus) and it requires an unusual composition of soil containing volcanic rock with a the right amount of rain and sun. I actually took an awesome trip around Tequila, where it originated from and got pretty pissed up on tequila - it is ridulously cheap and premium quality. Got a couple of bottles for the road, like you do.
2. In certain parts of Mexico it is not uncommon to find locals chopping the head off an Iguana and drinking the sangre (blood), according to a ranch owner I stayed with. He told me I had to do this before I left in the morning, because it would make me strong; unfortunatly though we did not catch one...

Beware Iguanas! I will have your head...

That is all for this time folks.

 

Love from your adventurous duo

Tom and Ingrid x

 

PS: If you are interested in the route I have taken so far you can find my day-by-day mileage here: http://www.strava.com/athletes/347433

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