PowerCycle

12/26 So the grass is greener on the other side. Rain must be plentifully in this area because things are alive and well on this side of the Sea of Cortes. I wasn’t sure what the land was like outside Mazatlan but I’m glad it wasn’t more desert. Baja is the 2nd longest peninsula in the world and pretty much all of it was desert so I had my fill.

I spent way too much time trying to find a place to get some coffee on the way out of Mazatlan this morning. It got to the point that I was about to give up on breakfast and just leave. I ended up having Coke and some kind of shrimp cocktail thing. It was pretty good though.

The ride started off fairly flat but the free highway 15 started meandering back into the hills and stayed that way for the rest of the day. The highway is in a lot better shape than Baja. There are still no shoulders and traffic is heavier but at least there’s not a massive drop if you do have to bail off the road (I didn’t). Saw lots of dead things which made for a stinky ride at times. The biggest thing was a cow. Garbage isn’t as bad as Baja but it can still be nasty in places.

El Rosario is off the main highway and once you get past the huge gate the main road slowly gets smaller as it flows into the homes and businesses that sit side by side on every block. Some (homeless?) guy was standing at the side of the road with his junk hanging out when I first rode past the gate. That kind of ruined the quaint, Mexican village image I’d been forming in my head. The streets are crazy. Very narrow, usually one way and mostly cobblestone which made for some bumpy riding. There’s no way I’m walking around tonight without bringing my GPS. The buildings are very old but things seem like they’ve held together a bit better than the older sections of Mazatlan.

I finally gave up trying to find a motel on my own and asked a guy for help. He pointed up the street and said there was one right around the corner. Sweet. I would have never found it on my own. The only sign is the word “Hotel” painted on a light pole. Paid US $9.60 for a room. I’ve heard about this place from another bike touring web site so I wasn’t that surprised when I discovered how tiny it was or when I saw my very first electric shower head. I tried to ignore the exposed wire while waiting for the water to come out warm which never happened. I ended up taking a very fast cold shower. There are also ants crawling all over the place so I think I’ll sleep with some extra clothes on tonight.

The new seat I bought in Mazatlan hasn’t done anything to help with the chaffing problem I’ve been having for weeks now. After 20 miles it gets to be pretty painful not having 3 layers of skin where you really need it. I stopped and lowered the seat all the way which helped a little. I have one more seat that’s narrower so I’ll give that a shot if this one doesn’t work out. The Brooks went into the garbage before I left. It wasn’t even worth giving it to the bike shop.

GPX Track