[12/02/17~27(D+180) Mexico] I am on the road again.

17th Jan 2012

My new father in Mexico city said that his company car is going to Puebla where is the next city, so I get a ride to the next city. But the car is broken on the road and a Korean boss in Puebla comes to us. The boss gives me a ride instead of broken car and we talk about many things in a car. He asks me to invite to his family house for one night. So I stay with them. Again, I am with Korean family.

18th Feb 2012

I can see Popocatepetl which is perpetually covered with snow in Puebla.

When I leave from Korean house in Puebla, his wife gives me a Korean snack which is so delicious. I am so happy to see this snack. I feel like I can go to the universe right now because of the Korean snack.

The other cyclists introduced me his friend in Puebla, so I stay at their friend house for two nights. His name is Gibran and he introduced me his friend in other city before. Gibran shows me around Puebla. In the above picture is Hacienda which was built by the Mexican people for Spanish in colony. After the Mexican people gained independent, they destroyed it.

The mount is perpetually covered with snow . It’s my first time to see snow since I came to Mexico. Gibran who is my host drives to Park of the mount so that I can see the mount very at close.

Water from the Mount.

When we get back to the city, I see the guy holding his horses. Now I am used to seeing it.

There is permanent snow in the sunset.

I can see Pyramid very often around South Mexico.

I look around the downtown with Gibran and his friend. It looks more beautiful because of lights.

Big church.

19th Feb 2012

The next day, I go to Chautla to see other Hacienda with Gibran and his friend. It was built by England.

On the stairs.

It is a painting in the museum. I can hear about Mexico history from Gibran. Our country, Korea, has also very complicated history with Japan. But Mexico looks a little bit different from our country and when I talk with him, I can understand why it is different. Mexico had many different race before Spain came and during the colonial period of Spain they could be one. People of 90 % is mixed blood and Gibran’s ancestors are from Mexico and Spain. So, he couldn’t be born without Spain. But Mexico lost their territory by US so their relationship with US is like Korean relationship with Japan. Korea didn’t lose territory by Japan, but Japan killed so many Korean people and did many wrong things during the colonial period and don’t apology so far about that. But I have Japan friends and it’s no problem to be with them but I can’t understand their government.

Museum is so colorful.

The right is Gibran and the left is his friend are on the picture.

Gibran said that Puebla has a famous hamburger and I should try it. There is a lot of cheese and so yummy.

20th Jan 2012

The mount is covered with cloud.

Gibran gives me 50 km(31 mi) because it’s on his way.

The desert starts again? It’s hard because it’s almost one and half months to ride a bike with lots of things.

I usually eat just bread on the road but thanks to my Korean family in Mexico city, I can eat something which I wants because they give me some money. Water tastes a strawberry. haha. I ride over 90 km (56 mi) but I have to go more over 50 km ( 31mi) to arrive to the next city. It will get dark soon, so I hitchhike to the next city. Thanks to my Couch surfing host, I can take the rest in the night.

21st Feb 2012

There is downhill for 2 or 3 hours because I am going to beach from the mount. But the weather is too humid and too hot. It’s totally like Korea Summer. It’s so humid.

I am too exhausted because of humid and hot weather. When I sit on the ground to take the rest, local people gives me a chair.

When I arrive in Veracruz, there is a festival just in time. Many Mexican people love to dance while watching festival.

22nd Feb 2012

I am tired of traveling but I don’t know why. Because I take the rest too much in mexico city? or because of humid and hot weather? When I lived in Jeju Island which is very famous and popular place  in Korea, I wanted to go to Canada. When I lived in Canada, I wanted to travel by bicycle. Finally I am on the road but I want to go back to Jeju Island. What’s going on? I dream to go to back my lovely island, Jeju while looking at the ocean. Jeju Island has an amazing ocean and nature.

23rd Feb 2012

It’s so humid and hot. I am not good at humid and hot weather. Even there is up and down all day.

There is sea.

Banana snack and Tostada. It’s 20 pesos (USD 1.5 $). South Mexico is cheaper than North Mexico.

My Mexican friend introduces his grandfather in the next city. Grandfather’s sister, brother and grandfather’s mom are in that home. They have extra room and three beds in the room. I think they put three beds for their grandson and grand daughter.

24th Feb 2012

His sister makes tortilla for my breakfast. It’s my first time to see making tortilla and I am so interested.

I love to see ocean. I like ocean more than mount.

There are small towns around ocean.

Thanks to my Korean family in Mexico city, I can have lunch in the restaurant.

Unfortunately, I have a stomachache again after having lunch. It’s my third time in Mexico. I didn’t go to hospital in Mexico city. Because I was not sick at that time and it costs  USD 200 $ to have endoscopy. I take Korean medicine which I got in Mexico city. And I am sleepy with sweating on the road . It helps a lot because after one hour I am not sick anymore.

It is so humid and hot but there is only uphill. In spite of myself  I shed tears. Why I feel everything is hard now?

After crying I feel calm. I push my bike. Then some car stops and gives cold water to me. It makes me keep going.

After fighting with humid and hot weather on uphill, I arrive in Acayucan. Jeanne, Couchsurfing host, is from France. She taught French  to the Mexican people in Xalapa for one year and she just moved to this town.

25th Feb 2012

I was supposed to stay just one day in San Andres Tuxtla, but there is too strong windy and I couldn’t ride a bike. Jeane teaches French in the university and she shows me her school. Some professors invites me to their class and I answer from student’s questions.

Jeane, who is from france, shows me local market. She loves local market more than big super market like Walmart. She speak Spanish very well and she is very friendly with local people. I am so interested to see french girl who loves Mexico.

Jeane knows that small grocery also sells meal. The small grocery doesn’t have a menu and only have one table. How did she know they cook? I think she will know everything about the town after a month.

Professors whom I met in the morning invite us to dinner. When they pick us up, they buy some food on the road. Banana fries in the left in the picture are so delicious. I think there are a lot of banana in the south. The professor house looks very normal like other Mexican home. I think many house are very similar not like in the north.

26th Feb 2012

Mexico has horrible speed bump. It’s not smooth. My left rack was broken in the north of Mexico and kind Mexicans people made new one for me. But today my other rack is also broken. But it’s not only speed bump but also weak rack. I don’t recommend this product. That company must stop to make it. It is not strong. I am wondering how it will last and where I buy it new one.

Catemaco is a big lake.

It’s still hot. In the north of Mexico, it was pretty flat and not much hot like now. But It has been up&down since the middle of Mexico. Even lots of mosquito bother me. My legs were bitten by mosquito over 40 times and left of my body was bitten by mosquito over 20 times. Also I can see many bugs these days. I can see the Mexican people working on the road.

I arrive in Acayucan in the day time. These days I feel so hard that I want to stay at hotel. But it cost 450 pesos (USD 40 $) and I feel it’s so expensive. So I give it up and I am looking for a place to set up my tent. I find the red cross and they let me set up my tent in the building. Kindly, the boss invites me to his house. The first one in the picture is in the red cross building which I was supposed to set up my tent and the last one is the place I sleep.

Tacos for dinner.

The right in the picture is Ricardo who hosts me. He volunteers at the red cross and he doesn’t get any money. He has another job for money. I am very impressed of his mind. He also went to Haiti to help them for one month. Who can do like him? He makes me think what helps to people.

27th Feb 2012

Left in the picture is his friend and he is supposed to give me a ride on 9 am because he will go out of town. But we starts 1 pm. I think the Mexican people are very flexible about the time. We go to restaurant on our way for lunch and I eat Soup borrego. It is so delicious.

I thought I will start to ride a bike around 10 am, but I starts around 3:30 pm. But they give me a ride long distance, so it is no problem to arrive to the next town in day time. My Mexico mom(Korean) in Mexico city gave me buff as a gift.  The photo is to celebrate for 5,000 km (3125 mi).

I look for firehouse to set up my tent. But local people say that they don’t have it but they let me know where is a police station. When I ask to police officers, they say their place is dangerous to sleep and recommend the park to me. I feel more dangerous about the park.

When I ask local people to set up my tent, they explain where is good for me. I think it’s free hospital by government. The doctors who work at there invite me to their house.

I go to their house. Three doctors are in the home. I take a shower and we go to a restaurant. Simpson has lots of job experience in the cartoon and even he works in Mexico as chef ?

The right in the picture is Victor and the left is his roommate. Sadly, they speak only Spanish. So I speak with them with my poor Spanish.

Cold beer!! Salt on the top. I find that the Mexican people loves not only spicy things but also salt things.

Tacos with cheese.

It’s victor’s beer and it tastes spicy and very weird.

They show me the local market after eating dinner. I can see many people are on the road in the night. I don’t look around by myself  for safe in the night but when I am with the local people, I don’t mind it.

There are my host and every are doctor. If I understand very well, they study in the school for 5 years and work for two years in free hospital by government. Then They become a real doctor.  Thanks to them, I can take rest well.

It’s because I am on the road again?
Everything is so hard.
I am trying.
I enjoyed traveling by bike so much before, but I feel so hard these days.

Because so many bugs and mosquito or hot weather?
Or just my mind is going weak?

I don’t know.
I hope it’s not too long.