We got up this morning with the sounds of the ocean just outside our window. It was a nice change of pace from the more urban areas we have stayed for the past few nights. We made our way down to a leisurely breakfast with Joe opting for fruit and I had some rice and beans with eggs. I had no problem finishing the entire meal because I was ready to make up some of the ground we lost yesterday by not making it all the way to Veracruz. Our goal was Villahermosa which clocks in at about 630 km and close to 9 hours of travel.
The beginnings of the ride were incredible as we hugged the coast in the late morning hours. To my left were little resorts set right on the beach with the Gulf shiny bright blue just behind them. To my right were farms and open grasslands that stretched for miles to distant mountains. It was straight, clean roads and honestly, just the sort of easy riding I needed after yesterday.
The only problem with long straight roads in the hot sun of Mexico is my tendency to fall asleep on the bike. Now, please don’t misunderstand, I am not falling completely into a dead coma. Just a little eye close and a quick nod of the head to refresh and rejuvenate because nothing will get your blood pumping like drifting into dreamland on a two-wheel machine going 70 mph. Seriously though, I am struggling and standing on the pegs at 70 mph is tough. I try to change up the music in my helmet with some radio books but I am just ragged. Instead of careening unknowingly to my death we decide to stop at a gas station for a quick bite and a couple side straddle hops.
Inside we found a cashier/waiter that was eager to try out his English and let us practice our Spanish. He was interested in our travels and couldn’t have been more helpful. The heat was destroying my throat so I had an entire bottle of water before we even sat down at our table. Our interactions with our waiter gave Joe the confidence that this meal was going to be different and he might actually get solid vegan fare.
As we were talking a group of 4 big BMW GS 1200s came into the age station. It was the first time we had seen fellow adventurers so far on our trip and these guys were completely decked out. The bikes were beautiful and each rider was wearing a matching BMW riding suit with pants, jacket, and helmet. It was quite impressive. They came inside and sat down to have lunch just like us, so we got to talking. They were from Mexico City and had some updates about the recent earthquakes there. Apparently, it is some pretty bad devastation and everyone that can get out of town is doing so to make room for the emergency personnel. Joe and I were so thankful our route didn’t take us anywhere near the problem areas.
Joe was delivered his almost perfectly vegan meal, except for some cheese crumbles, which he gleefully downed. I had more beans and rice with cheese and some sort of meat. It was tasty, especially compared to what I was expecting from a gas station diner. I finished my Fanta, we said goodbye to the other riders and made our way down the road. Before long I saw the single headlights trailing us in my side mirrors and knew the BMW gang was gaining on us. I am way underpowered on the CB500X so I moved to the right and waved as the crew passed me by just slightly faster than my pace. I never really understood the fascination before but seeing those bikes shimmering along the blacktop made me just a touch envious. I am sure it killed Joe to let the BMWs pass his KTM but he was definitely dragging an anchor. The good news is that, at least, that anchor was no longer falling asleep.
It wasn’t long after leaving the gas station that we started noticing a subtle change in the landscape. The mountains that had previously appeared miles away to my right were slowly making their way closer and closer to our roadway. The flat open areas we began the day with became congested with vegetation and emerald green topped trees. We went from being bathed in sun to spending about half of our ride in the strobe light effect of shadows falling across the tarmac. It was surreal to feel as though the jungle was ever so slowly rising up to devour us whole. The stifling heat of the morning was slipping away to cooler, more humid stickiness. It was during one of our rides through the winding roads climbing the mountains towards the pass that I realized this was totally unique riding for me. I had been in cities before. I had seen the desert in southern Texas. The rain was no big deal for me coming from NC. But this, this was absolutely my first time riding in a jungle. It was totally foreign to me but I wasn’t entirely unused to the look because I had grown up with it in every Indiana Jones movie I’d ever seen. Vines hung from the trees like long snakes dangling over our heads. The trees reached out for each other from opposite sides of the road and every now and again, they met at the top completely blotting out the sun for moments before opening up again on the other side. It was invigorating and demanding as the twists and turns arrived more frequently.
We crossed over the mountains and continued to ride as the sun fell lower and lower in the sky. Our goal of making it all the way to Villahermosa was seeming like an unlikely conclusion to our day. Even though we had been told by people who had traveled in Mexico before, from forums and in person, we persisted because we were not going to let another day pass short of our goal. It is definitely a different feeling riding in Mexico at night. Obviously, we slow down some but one of the most exciting parts is just how dark it was around us. In the States, there are Applebees and Best Buy dotting all the paths you might take. You have lights from nearby cities reflecting off the drooping clouds. There are streetlights and billboards everywhere. In Mexico, where we were, none of that was present. If I turned my head 90 degrees and looked left, it was like staring into the abyss. There were passing trees but not much beyond that. It felt like how I would imagine space would be. I was having the time of my life.
Before it got too dangerous out there we started seeing the lights of Villahermosa ahead of us. Joe found directions to the Marriott in Villahermosa because we both agreed now was not the time to press our luck with the adventure mindset, instead opting for the familiar. We rode into a city that seemed to be pulsing. The roads were packed with cars and it seemed like a traffic jam at 11 at night was just ordinary to everyone. We moved in between cars and I could easily see the shadowy faces inside watching as our two bikes weaved in and out of traffic. At one stoplight I saw a particularly interested group of men pointing and talking to each other about the bikes. I decided there was no time like the present so I grabbed four stickers from my tank bag and rode up alongside them. They rolled down the windows with smiles on their faces as I tried on my best, “Hola, Buenos Noches…” They took the stickers saying plenty but all I caught was, “Gracias.” When I pulled into the hotel behind Joe after navigating the most complicated roundabout I have ever seen, we talked about the experiences and remarked about how glad we were to finally be somewhere we could sleep. It had been a long day but with English speakers inside and a stocked hotel ready to satisfy any appetite we had built, we knew we had made it.