Mexico

Saturday 29th August
Tuscon to Nuevo Casa Grandes

Well this is it the real start of the adventure, we move out of the english speaking world and will only enter it again in December. 120 miles riding as a group saw us arrive at the Douglas/Agua Prieta border. After intial nevousness on all our parts the crossing went well, buying import documents and getting our passports stamped. It took 2 hours to get us all through in 32 deg heat, but we were all on our way, riding in small groups we were warned about the military check points that stop and search vehicles (the goverment is trying to clamp down the the drug trade). The first one we came across just took a moment to look us over and waved us on, the other 3 did exactly the same, I guess the don't think a bunch of bikes are likley drug runners. The first part of mexico is exactly like you would imagine it but as we rode it the temrature dropped dramatically and became much more pleasent. The villages and towns we rode through are again as you would imagine them, dusty streets and low buildings that don't seem well maintained. We stopped for lunch at what looks like a run down shack but inside is clean and well maintined and eat some of the best tasting Tacos.

Miles
Today : 268
Total : 7455.4
_______________________________________

Sunday 30th August
Nuevo Casa Grandes to Creel

Getting used to the driving in Mexico is difficult, they don't take notice of speed limits and overtaking is done anywhere, I was passed by an 18 wheeler, it overtook me and two other 18 wheelers uphill! Well "when in rome" as the saying goes ! You have to slow down in villages for the "Topes" (speed bumps) some consist of a row of metal domes the size of dinner plates nailed to the tarmac and are difficult for bikes. The countryside is not what you expect and very green and much cooler than the desert of Arizona. We end up in Creel a small rural village, we get to see the proper Mexican village life, parading around in large Chevrolet pick-ups around a small village square.


Miles
Today : 278
Total : 7733.4
_______________________________________

Monday 31st August
Creel to Batopilas (Copper Canyon)

The milege does not relay the difficulty of this ride 45 miles to the entrance of Copper Canyon, then onto dirt roads, it all started relativly easy some rutted sections then 15 miles in we hit the switch backs, 10 miles of gravely switch-backs on single track dirt road with at the top 2000 foot drops. No barriers and trucks and cars comming the other way. This took some time and as we descended into the Canyon the humidity rose, making this difficult road more difficult. At the bottom was a wooden bridge and we all though the worst was over, but no more miles as the track got more dificult muddy streams and climbing up and down the Canyon walls sometimes upto 500 foot from the bottom, on a left hander above the cliffs a trcuk sudenly apeared in front of me and it was a choice of gogin over the edge or slamming the brakes on and putting the bike down on the road. I was ok, nd bike bike relativly unscathed excet the end boken off the cluth lever and the auxillary lights a bit bent. I was nmore cautious from then on in and made it to the Hotel. We all were exhausted.


Miles
Today : 82
Total : 7815.4
_______________________________________

Tuesday 1st September
Batopilas (Copper Canyon)
Day off

We spent the day touring (on the back of a locals pick-up) further up the valley to a Cathedral, very incongruous in this "lost world" valley, due to the road, very few people come here. The road to it was even more treacherous and we tipped the local driver well!

Miles
Today : 0
Total : 7815.4
_______________________________________

Wednesday 9th August
Batopilas (Copper Canyon) to Parrall

Well this is the day we all dreaded as the only way out is the way in. Breakfast was subdued and most of us were very nervous especially one ride who had fallen 3 times on the way in and had had nightmares of falling of the cliff. Needless to say we were all quite and there was a sombre atmosphere as we packed the bike ready to leave it had been raining the whole night and the road would be even more difficult. It started ok, but the rider who had fell on the way down fell just a mile from the hotel with two other fallers on the way to the bridge. Next came the switch-backs back up the mountain, it all started ok until halfway up where the day before and today a bulldozer had been used to widen and flattened the track, leaving soft muddy earth. It was difficult for the bikes to get traction but I made it through as did the others, however I relaxed and on one switchback went wide into soft dirt and the bike went down again. No damage this time and after help picking the bike back up made it to the top. We all thought we were through but the rain had created mud pits for the next 2 miles and some others came off in these areas, thankfully I did not. After leaving the dirt road a more pleasant ride ensued on Tarmac, all of us arrived safely at the Hotel and we celebrated having beat Copper Canyon. I think this has brought the group together more as we all had to beat our own inner daemons to even start on the road.

Miles
Today : 207
Total : 8022.4
_______________________________________

Thursday 3 September
Parral to Zacatecas

We started later than normal for a 400 mile day, but most of us needed it to given the difficulty of yesterday. This was another "head down" and ride to put the miles in. Very little in the way of stopping or sight seeing. It started off with a crash, Danielle (one of two women riders) hit a cow on the road, she managed to stay up-right but had a badly sprained wrist, her bike went into the support van and she rode the rest of the day in the van. The rest of the day was spent just riding to put the miles in. Arriving in the city the road to the hotel was blocked, after much riding around the little back street we persuaded the police to let us through to the hotel. They have a festival here and had an International singer Christian Castro on a stage outside the Hotel.

Miles
Today : 404
Total : 8426.4