Ok… had some internet problems, but things appear to be back working now.
As mentioned, we’re in Ajijic, Jalisco State, Mexico for a few days of riding with the good folks at Riders of the Sierra Madre. The rest of the crew came in yesterday, all from Alberta – a couple from Lethbridge, a solo rider from Lethbridge, a couple from Red Deer, and us from Calgary.
Ajijic is a sleepy little town on the north shore of the Laguna Chapala, about 30 miles from Guadalajara. Quite a large ex-pat Canuck and American population here and in the neighbouring town of Chapala just to the east.
Our hosts for this ‘hub and spokes’ tour are John and Lynn Gilbank, Canadian ex-pats who run the touring company. We got in on Sunday, and spent a few days just relaxing and wandering around exploring the town and enjoying the sites. This is the rooftop garden at the hotel.
And this is the patio that leads off the dining room.
We found this fella behind a bar on the lake:
John and Lynn have been exceptional hosts, welcoming us into their home and treating us like family. I can’t say enough good things about these folks!
Wednesday was market day, and Lynn took us through the open-air street market next to the soccer stadium in Ajijic. Incredible sights, smells and colours – the ‘real’ Mexico that you’ll never see if you stay in the resorts on the coast.
Lucie found a vendor selling hand-made carpets and tablecloths, and got a lesson in bargaining. I reckon we'll need an extra bag to carry home all the stuff.
Thursday was the first riding day. I must have eaten something on Wednesday that my system wasn’t happy about – I was up at 2 am with a case of “La Tourista”. Drugs managed to calm things in time for the ride, but I didn’t feel anywhere close to 100%. Fortunately, it was a really short ride, more to give us a brief intro to Mexican roads and to get acquainted with our bikes.
Our mount for the next few days is a brand new BMW F700GS
Excellent bike and seems ideally suited to the secondary roads here.
We had a briefing from El Jefe, (John)
gassed up the bikes, and then headed a short distance down the lake to the small village of Mezcala,
where we took a short boat ride out to Isla Mezcala. This island was fortified by the local people during the war of independence with Spain, and withstood repeated assaults from the Spanish until the end of the war in 1816. The indigenous people who built it started the war without weapons, but every time the Spanish attacked them and lost, they gathered up the weapons from the defeated Spaniards, soon amassing a formidable arsenal, including canon. The fort on the island is being rebuilt, with a target of completing the major part of the restoration and the interpretive centre by 2016, in time for the bicentennial of the end of the revolutionary war.
Interesting place, followed up with refreshments and some interesting local food at an outdoor restaurant near the dock. Apparently the word got out that some gringos were in town, and these fellas showed up to serenade us
This is Larry Marasco (from Lethbridge) after sampling something called shrimp Diablo.
Leaving the village, we went past the cemetery, which was still decorated for the Day of the Dead
John then led us home via a bit of a roundabout route, including lots of “topés” (speedbumps… some are even marked!”), a twisty route that led back toward Guadalajara and a one of the innumerable “Retornos” that let people U-turn without crossing the centerline.
Parked the bikes back at “Casa Sierra”, strolled the couple of blocks to the hotel for a quick shower, then back to John and Lynn’s for a get together
and fantastic meal that Lynn had prepared for us: ribs, roasted zucchini, scalloped potatoes, etc, etc, etc… The picture below really can’t do it justice.
Rolled back to the hotel around 10. Friday was a longer ride out to some pyramids and active archaeological digs north of here – another interesting day for the next post. :yahoo:
