Central Pacific Coast (Mazatlán to Acapulco) 

After a rather uncomfortable night on the hard floor (on the ferry from the Baja Peninsula back to mainland Mexico), the ferry arrived at 10am. It was raining in the rather dirty city of Mazatlàn, so I decided to ride on, out of town and head south along the coast. The buses and trucks were driving straight past me, hitting the potholes, splashing the dirty water and stones into my face...not really a pleasant ride! The first stretch down to Rosamorada was probably the most dangerous stretch of my entire journey, for over 250km I just hoped and prayed that a truck will not hit me! a terribly busy road but I had no alternative (to take a bus would have probably not been any safer either!)

On the 3rd day cycling down the coastal road it was really pouring down hard all day but I was extremely relieved when I eventually got to the road leading down to San Blas, a very nice and quiet jungle road...at last away from all the trucks (at least for a while). I loved the first few little towns in which I stayed for the first 3 nights: Escuinapa, Rosamorada and Santa Cruz, all of them seem to get extremely little or no tourists, which I find really nice because these are the places where you experience the 'real Mexico'. I did however get to meet Hadrian (French cyclist) who is cycling with his girlfriend down central America. The first 'touring' cyclists that I have met in Mexico!

I then cycled on to a little town called Sayulita, a real 'gringo' place full of typical surfers (the types with long blond hair and 'stay cool man' attitude). The little place is very nice though and the 3/4 kilo burrito at Albertos 'fish tacos' was exactly what I needed after a days cycling.

One morning, while walking to a recommended beach, I had to pass a graveyard (they are always terribly overgrown here in the jungle), a coconut from one of the many trees along the way fell down and just missed my head by about 50cm!!! (should I wear my cycling helmet at all times?)

right: the beach at Sayulita

It was only a short ride from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta, the famous 'gringo' city of Mexico where English is spoken nearly as much as Spanish!. However I had an extreme problem with my new rim which I had bought in La Paz (it was a very cheap one). The tube would rub against the spoke screws even though I had inserted a double rim-tape and within 12 km my tube burst twice. As I rode into the city, I had enough, parked my bike next to the road and I was thinking of getting a lift to the next bike shop when suddenly Steven stopped and said 'is something wrong? can I help?' Not only did Steven and his mom 'Gloria' drive me from one bike shop to the next, they also gave me lunch at their house and spent all afternoon driving me around town. Thanks to him I got a rim which I need, a Mavic 700 series rim (where the rim has 2 layers). I will never forget Steven and his mom for what they did for me. I hope that somehow I can get to see him again in the future - I owe him one!

Puerto Vallarta is not my kind of city, layed out just for tourism and along the 'Malecòn (beach front) most information centres are trying to sell 'time share' packages for the expensive resorts. All the way down the street the same thing!!And of course the fast-food place called 'Mc Donalds' has to be present and just a bit further along was the 'Burger King'. Aaa...it's a shame that these 'fast food operators' have to be present in such nice places of the world which offer so much better food such as fresh, delicious shrimp cocktails, fresh fruitjuice...etc yes Mexico`s food is awesome, delicious and cheap. No need for the yellow 'M' label around town!  Puerto Vallarta was however good for a days rest as I could purchase english books and I did something which I have not done for ages...I went to the cinema to watch 'flightplan' (Jodie Foster), an english movie!

Puerto Vallarta however has another 'face', just walk a couple of 'cuadros' (blocks) down the road and the hotels are cheaper and the jungle is right on your doorstep!

I left Puerto Vallarta on the 13.10.05, cycled along the coast with beautiful views out towards some spectacular islands before climbing up the 800m high, 20km long hill in the heat of the day. I thought it was going to be one hill...WRONG! It would become a trip of over 6000 vertical metres of climbing during the next few days down to Puerto de Làzaro Càrdenas. The 'Sierra Madre Occidental ' drops straight down to the coast, making it difficult to access the beautiful bays and beaches which lie along the route. To get from one beach to the next is a constant up and down over the hills (I have not seen a tunnel in Mexico!).

Right: Sunset at Playa Perula. It is always great to arrive at a wonderful beach, just in time for a swim and then watch the sun set while sipping a margarita under a nearby 'Palapa' and waiting for fresh fish (catch of the day) to arrive on my plate.

left: Coconut plantation: huge plantations pop up in between the thick coastal forest whenever dropping down into the valley! The coastal route is mainly thick jungle but the valleys are usually filled with banana, papaya and coconut trees!

right: The little 'sandbank' town of Barra de Navidad! It is always nice to reach a town in the evening, though always dead tired, a visit to the beach and a swim belongs to the daily routine!

Often the very cheap hotels look rather 'run down', I've experienced more than one cockroach running over my sheet before going to bed but then again, a nights sleep in a bed is better than on the snake infested jungle floor!! 

right: a 'laid back' rest down at the beach after a day of cycling, here in Cuyutlán on the 15.10.05.

The view from the coastal road (Mex 200) is awesome, but to climb up the hills with switch-backs and steep gradients in a humid & hot climate is not always easy! A few minutes later one is back down at the coast and the next hill calls for the leg muscles to get moving again! 

17.10.05, Sunset out over the pacific ocean, seen from my tent which I pitched under a 'Palapa' at playa 'Faro de Bucerias'.

left: A beautiful spot to camp and swim: playa 'Faro de Bucerias'. Here in Mexico the playas are often empty, just awesome!

I had arrived dead tired at 'Faro de Bucerias' and the first person that I met was Antonio, he held out an ice cold beer for me!!! What more did I want at that moment? Nothing better than a cold beer. I joined Antonio and his family, sitting around a fire on the 'playa'.

Probably the hardest part of the day is always to get up in the morning, leave the beautiful playa and get my 'ass' moving! Then it's usually back on the 'panamericana', jungle road! The road is full of snakes and I have seen some exceptionally large snakes crawl and hiss straight past my front wheel, just missing the creature in time for it's body to wriggle out of my path! Unfortunately the cars come too fast and I see a good deal of at least 20 to 30 dead snakes a day, squashed by cars and trucks! The birds love it though and come and pick the fresh meat from a 'just squashed' snake immediately after the incident. 

left: A typical coastal farmhouse along the Michoacàn coast (coconut and banana plantations).

right: ...and another beach while cycling through the hazy midday heat!

left: 18.10.05: Martin and I standing with a bottle of coke and tequila. Martin and his friend, David had stopped on one of the steep hills along the coast to give me a litre of ice cold coke which I very much appreciated. (no, I did not include the tequila which he offered!! no good while cycling!) The 'Mex 200' coastal road is so extremely hilly along this section that I ended up doing 1735 metres elevation gain over a stretch of 124 km on this specific day (the temperature was around 34 degrees and extremely humid)... it tortured me completely, physically and mentally and has become the hardest day of my trip so far!

right: the cabaña on the 'playa' at Barra de Nexpa. I stayed in the middle one.

left: The lush green jungle valley near 'Puerto de Làzaro Càrdenas' opens up to coconut and banana plantations.

I continued my journey on the 23.10.05 (after being sick for 3 days in 'Puerto Làzaro Cárdenas'). The coastal road usually follows the coast but one could not always see the sea because of the thick jungle. The picture on the right was taken south of the lovely little beach town of Zihuatanejo.

left: the lovely, wild Pacific coastline north of Acapulco.

right: I arrived in Acapulco on the  25.10.05. (the granddaddy of Mexican coastal resorts, as I read in one book). Acapulco is for Mexico what Cape Town is for South Africa. I had reached the city after a long, hot and humid day of riding. The city is huge, busy and full of traffic. Acapulcos taxi's are virtually all VW Beetles (all white and blue).

Acapulcos traffic amazed me....mainly VW beetles all around the place. The factory producing the VW Beetles in Mexico has stopped manufacturing them, this means that sooner or later the VW Beetle taxis in Latin America will disappear and they will be replaced by some American or Japanese car! So this meant that I spent all morning taking pictures of the VW beetles.......in 10 years time the streets will no longer be filled with Beetles and a Beetle era will sadly come to an end!

Not just the Beetles...but the Acapulco 'techno' buses create a great atmosphere around the city. Each bus is individually painted and has a specific name. The buses have huge loudspeakers built inside of them and when they drive past you think that one of the techno trucks from the 'Zurich Streetparade' or the 'Berlin Love Parade' has just passed by! from each bus there is a hell of a techno beat 'thundering' out of the open windows. The buses seem to attract mainly the young Mexicans while the elderly will rather board a quieter bus.

right: if you ever go to Acapulco, jump into the Dracula bus! very dark inside and hell of a loud!

...or take the 'Hard Rock Cafe' bus where you can look out of the window just above a woman's ass!!! Yes, Acapulco is a lively city!!!

left: The Zòcalo (Plaza) in the old section of Acapulco is situated in front of a huge cathedral. It is surrounded by internet cafe's, restaurants and a lively market.

right: On one of the many suburban hills one gets a spectacular view over the city!

I left Acapulco on the 28.10.05 and cycled along the coast for another 2 1/2 days. I then headed inland at Pinotepa Nacional.

For previous stage see: Southern Baja California, for next stage see: Oaxaca/ Chiapas