Ride Day 177 Tonala to Tapachula MX

I was full of energy today after the best night of sleep I have had in years. I wish I knew why I slept so well so that I could repeat the performance every night. I took advantage of the energy and tried to make as many miles as I could before the wind picked up on me again like it did yesterday. Again the road was flat to rolling hills but my beautiful shoulder disappeared. It did not make a difference though because the road was a four lane divided highway with very light traffic so all the traffic gave me plenty of room without any problems. The wind never came up to more than a light breeze which is a good thing.

The scenery was a dull brown as I started off today and it got greener and greener as well as more and more tropical. The trees were suddenly huge tropical hardwoods covered with vines and bromeliads. The birds were more varied also. There were more and more iguanas along the road and up in the trees. I saw two snakes but they were too quick for me to identify or get pics of. I must be slowing down. There were still coyotes and vultures and lots of grackles. I saw four caracaras, birds of prey which I love for some reason. I did not take a single pic though. I was too focused on getting there which is of course a mistake but hell I ride every day that I can so what am I missing I make for in volume of travel. That last sentence probably only makes sense to me.

I was wearing out as the heat built up. It was still cooler than recent days in the low 90s. I took a break under a big shade tree along the road and laid my bike down on the ground as I did so. About ten minutes later a Mexican guy in a truck stopped to check and make sure I was alright. He is just another example of all the wonderful Mexican people I have met on my ride through Mexico. After we talked for a bit and I assured him I was alright, he offered me a ride so I put my bike in his pickup and we rode the last little bit to Tapachula, the last major city in Mexico before the Guatemalan border a few miles away. He dropped me off right across from the ADO bus station which is the main first class bus company and pointed me to a hotel that he said he liked because it was clean quiet and cheap, three of my favorite qualities in a hotel. I have to agree with him it is a good choice for a hotel.

I spent some time online in the hotel researching Guatemala and my travel routes and options. The bus station across the street has a bus called Ticabus that will take you to Guatemala City for $23.00 in 6 hours, Managua Nicaragua for $46.00 in 24 hours or San Jose Costa Rica for $93.00 in 48 hours. It is a tempting option because there is no cheaper way for me to get to Costa Rica. The problem is, I want to ride there on my bike not on a bus. I will mull it over in my mind tonight. I am told that right off the bat I will have a long steep grade once I cross the border with the road topping out at around 12,000 feet. I may or may not ride out of here on my bike, or on the bus or maybe I will stay here for a couple of days. No tengo planes aun...PURAVIDA

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