Trans-Mexico Day #13 Guanajuato to San Miguel Allende

Trans-Mexico Day #13
January 10, 2022
Guanajuato, GU to San Miguel Allende, GU 78Km
Start 8:50am Finish 6:08pm
Ride Time: 7:45
Ascent: 1523m
Descent: 1668m
Tour Total Km: 1166

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/81288920

I slept well last night in palatial room number 18 at the Hotel Luna in Guanajuato. My body was still sore from climbing Cristo Rey. Fortunately the loud music from Jardín de la Unión ended much earlier because it was Sunday. I set my alarm for 7:30am but woke up at seven. I edited and posted yesterday‘s report and then began packing. The hotel breakfast began serving at 8am and I was there by 8:05.

I was on the road before 9am. I was steadfast to not get lost this time and failed miserably. I got so turned around that I went backwards on the route. After I got my bearings straightened, I was able to flawlessly leave town following the route. As a reward I stopped at a market for a freshly squeezed orange juice.

The sidewalks and streets were being swept as I cycled out of town. Leaf blowing readers from the United States probably don’t know what I’m talking about, and I highly suggest that folks Google ’broom’. I’m old so that I remember them from my youth. Actually, I continue to order corn fiber bristle brooms from McMaster Carr. Ask your hardware store. Brooms don’t use gasoline and they don’t make any noise. You don’t have to wear ear protection and your neighbors aren't annoyed. One is able to remove debris from the sidewalk with pleasant swishing sounds, and it’s a nice cardio workout. Plus it's an opportunity to socialize with neighbors and friendly cyclists who happen to be pedaling down the road. Brooms - check them out people. Don’t support the petrochemical industry, and don’t buy stupid shit. Mexico is so much more hospitable than the USA in so many ways.

Because Guanajuato was in a valley surrounded by steep mountains it was necessary to climb to get out of town. I was wearing my short-sleeve jersey, short-sleeve sweater, cycling shorts, leg warmers, gloves and brim. I could see the steep road up above me heading out of town, and I knew that I would soon be on it. It was a steep grade on stone pavement for the first kilometer. After that it turned to dirt. There was sparce motor traffic on the road and it was amazing how quickly I again became alone by myself. Various motor traffic later increased.

Jeff finished his tour yesterday. He made it to the top of Volcan Toluca and and then proceeded down the other side. He’s on his way to Mexico City to find a box, head home, and return to work. That will be me in a week. I stopped at a small roadside chapel to inflate my rear tire and remove my sweater and leg warmers. I climbed to the top of the pass and took a left towards Mina El Cubo. I was headed towards the silver mines. There were a lot of big trucks kicking up dust. There were also many officials driving around in pick-up trucks. I began to wonder about all the wealth sitting beneath my wheels. Was there an ironclad truck that brought the riches down to the vault at the end of the day? I was being challenged by a strong headwind.

Even the mine had a shrine. I stopped to remove my brim, which was driving me crazy with the wind. I noticed that one of my water bottles was missing. I had left it in the hotel room. The irony was that I had grabbed one of the complementary water bottles and stuck it in my front pannier. I had used my water bottle to brush my teeth before I left, and ostensibly left it in the room. The bottle had toured with me since 2016. It was like bread crumbs people. In terms of leaving things behind on this tour, I believe I was now worse than Kyle. The one benefit of the headwind was that it blew the dust away after a truck had passed. The next section was too steep and there was too much powder for me to ride, so I had to hike-a-bike. Steep grades and head winds. This is what I do.

There was a tienda up in the mining zone and I stopped for a banana and a Coke. The strong wind was in my face no matter which direction I pedaled. I descended down towards a small village into a deep valley. The wind followed me and pushed against me as I tried to glide down the hill. I saw a few signs for Guanajuato silver. I enjoyed a little pavement coming down the hill and into a village. On the other side of town was very steep dirt and I was able to ride a steep straightaway for the most part.

Back up on the plateau the strong wind was once again in my face. I was trying to navigate the maze of roads through the mining area and was aiming to keep the blue dot on the line. There was a steep hill and I spun out midway in the gravel. I was clipped into my pedals and couldn’t unclip fast enough. I went down, first time on the tour. I bloodied up my right elbow and knee. Those clips can work for you or against you.

I passed several tailing ponds. Silver is probably my favorite precious metal, not that I have any. Mining is a dirty business in all senses; how it ravishes the land, and the way it exploits people. The next section had chunky rock that I had to hike-a-bike. I could see the road ahead and how it wound around the ridge line. On one of the chunky steep hike-a-bikes I ran into two hikers coming down from the other direction. I finally got myself to the top of the ridge. It was windy and the sky was hazy. There were gray puffy clouds blowing in my direction. I rode a nice dirt section through the trees. A guy on a motorcycle passed me going the other direction.

The next section had chunky rocks and loose gravel. It was a lot of hike-a-bike. I had a fly in my face that was driving me crazy. I came to a gate and there was a sign that said ‘private property’. I opened it and rode through. If this were Idaho, some dude would probably come out with a gun and shoot me. The chunky rutted downhill was easier for me to ride. A cloud of insects enveloped my face every time I had to hike-a-bike. I stopped and pulled out my travel-size can of OFF. I sprayed my face and helmet but it didn’t deter them. The only thing that would make them leave was the wind. I was really cruising through my phone battery today. I had to plug in my power pack by 1pm. These trails were a labyrinth and I was dialed into my Ride with GPS app, which I normally didn't keep on.

I came to several barbed wire gates which I had to unfasten, pass through, and then refasten. After a series of gates I came to a double track suitable for four-wheeled motor traffic. I rode down into the small pueblo of Ojo de Agua de Tepextle, and didn’t stop. It was chunky coming back up out of the other side of town. At long last I was back on asphalt. It was 3:25pm and I had gone 42km. I came to the main highway that connected Guanajuato to Dolores Hidalgo and took a right back towards Guanajuato. After about 500m I took a left on some gravel and pedaled alongside chopped corn stalks, grass fields, barbwire fences, and cactus. It was smooth for a bit and then it got chunky.

I set the record for barbed wire gates today, and having to stop, unfasten, walk through, and then re-fasten. Strands of horizontal barbed wire spanned the opening interspersed with vertical tree limb slats to keep it upright in a closed position. I rode through the bumpy cobblestone rock pavement streets of Rancho San Damián. There were several open tiendas but I didn’t stop. I wanted to get to my destination. Then the asphalt began again. There was a downhill sign up ahead.

Dictation has been a real problem today because of the strong wind and the bumpy surface. When my bike goes over a bump iOS thinks that I want to undo whatever I just did. Come on Apple! Get some of your engineers on a bike tour and straighten out these annoying problems. I came to a busy highway and took a left. The wind was oppressive. Two pick-up trucks passed me in the opposite direction laden with green peppers.

I stopped at at tienda to buy a Coke and put on my sweater. How many times has my coin bag overturned inside my handlebar bag, spilling all of my change? Please! Somebody provide me with a solution and I’ll purchase it. A small lightweight reliable coin purse. How hard can that be in 2022?

I continued down the highway and then took a left on another road. I was surrounded by grass, scraggly bushes, and cactus. It was a rolling landscape with large mountains to the east. Finally I could see San Miguel Allende in the distance. The town had a large US expatriate population and began noticing billboards in English, advertising homes and land for sale. On my way into town I passed a series of tire shops. There was a brand new bridge approach recently created to cross the Arroyo de Los Cachinches, complete with guardrails, lights, signs, and traffic markings. But the central span was still missing.

There was quite a bit of motor vehicle traffic and I noticed many people on bicycles. I enjoyed a bike lane that lasted for a hundred meters. On my way into town I passed the Cerveceria Allende, and it smelled so good! I entered the sprawl with traffic, grocery stores, cars, and buses.

I booked a room at Hotel Casa 88, and Googled my way there. My room was quite pleasant and I had the best full-blast hot shower thus far on tour. It was now dark and I walked around the center of town. This place was beautiful and I loved it.

I went to Mama Mia for dinner and had the Caesar salad, Chicken with mole, a few Modelo Especials and two margaritas with 400 mezcal. Afterwards I walked over to Don Taco Tequila for a Victoria. There were loud talking North Americans in the establishment. What is it that often makes them so annoying?