Morelia, Mexico

We finally left the Baja peninsula and took the 18 hour ferry ride accross to the mainland arriving in Mazatlan. Getting the bike on and off the ferry was an interesting experience, but it was easier than we thought it would be. The ferry ride was smooth and we were lucky enough to have a four person cabin to ourselves so we slept well. We arrived feeling OK and decided to drive south without stopping in Mazatlan. I (M) was feeling a cold coming on, but thought riding would be OK, as all I do is sit there really. Well it turned out to be a much longer day than we thought, we missed the tolled highway and took the free long winding single lane highway down south. We wanted to make it to the coast, so we pushed a little too hard to finally make it to Chacala Beach. When we arrived it was late, we were absolutely exhausted and my sore throat had blossomed into a full fever. After more than eight hours on the bike, preceded by an eighteen hour ferry ride, we were not feeling too great and I (M) was kind of hysterical. We had both just had enough by that point. We could find nowhere to stay in this tiny beach town of only 200 people and so we pitched our tent on the sand and after getting chased by a territorial rottweiler and having my(M) childhood fear of dogs revived we both eventually fell into a deep sleep. We spent a few days at Chacala Beach while I was convalescing. Camping right on the beach was quite a privilege, at home you would have to book a campsite like that months in advance.

We then moved on, travelling inland to Guadalajara, a fairly large city of 4 million people. We stayed in a fancy hotel, for the bike´s sake of course! We went out to check out the town and were really impressed with the beautiful architecture and lively squares. There was a free rock concert on the night we were there and there seemed to be life, laughter and beauty everywhere. I didn´t know what to expect at all, but the atmosphere was warm and architecture was so historic and beautiful.

We hit the road again the next day and arrived at Morelia, the travelling was much easier this time, as we found the paid highway and stuck to it. We have been absolutely blown away by Morelia, the history and beauty in this town defy description. The entire historic centre has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and you can understand why. The Baroque style architecture and old buildings constructed from a beautiful pink stone are so beautiful and ornate. Historic museums are plentiful (all free as well) and we have just been walking through the streets drinking in the beauty, sitting in the cafes and feeling like we are in a relaxed hip version of Paris. This is a town focused on the arts, there are free concerts and performances all the time. When we first arrived we saw a free dance performance and then a jazz concert, followed by a fireworks display in front of the cathedral. There is just so much soul and warmth in this place. Unfortunately Alex has now come down with the cold I had so we are spending a few days here until we are ready to hit the road again.------------------------------------------------------------

Next Stop: Mexico City (?)