August 7, 2015

James had been having some issues with his bike since before crossing into Mexico, and it was weighing heavy on his mind. After some serious discussion and consideration, he decided to head back to Texas this morning. Guanajuato was a bit of a “turning point”, as once you go south from there, it’s a bit more difficult to get back to the States. I don’t think it will be the last I’ll see of him on this trip. Thanks James for the week and a half of travel together. It was good to ease into Mexico with a partner.

So I am now solo. This is kind of what this trip was about to me. I’ve noticed that people (locals) approach me more easily when I’m by myself. They want to know where I am from, where I am going. I mostly just tell them “Guatemala” because it’s hard to explain that I’m riding around the world and the route in my limited Spanish. “Todo Mundo” works, but I can tell they don’t really get it, or don’t want to believe it. It’s easier to take little bites. They also raise eyebrows when they see that I am riding a “dos cincuenta” (250). Even though most bikes around here are 125s, they understand that the 250 is still relatively small for a long ride. Continue reading →