I think the heat isn’t as bad now. Or I’m getting used to it.

My ass and back, however, are quite sore. Today (#3) was only 300 miles, but included a policia detour 25+miles off Mex 15.

Learnings #1: If you are ever faced with a detour, it can go a *long* way… but when local police are stationed at an intersection, that’s where you turn.

Learnings #2: (ok, this isn’t new, but I needed more than one to make a list) if you see a sign like this, and are hungry; stop! Most delicious tacos I’ve had yet.

Day 2, was a desert run down to Hermosillo. It wasn’t nearly as far as the first insane day, but the heat was brutal 🙂

Day 3, I took my time getting to Los Mochis (300 miles), taking lots of detours. There wasn’t much to write home about, but it was great to see a some countryside and rural villages. Every time I stopped, some 20-something, speaking perfect English (and, it turns out, has lived in California before), would run over to ask about the bike. They are shocked to learn the displacement (1200cc), as most bikes in Mexico are less than 500.

That reminds me,

Learnings #3: not my own discovery–I read about it on advrider long ago–but if you have a choice to pay for the toll road, or take the free road: libre all the way!  It’s slower, but so much better to take a rural road than a freeway. The turns are all marked, and as long as you know the name of the next major town, just follow the signs! If you’re dodging potholes so numerous and large, you start to think the dirt next to road looks better, you’re on the right track.

I’m on a roll now:

Learnings #4: GPS. Turn it the fuck off. OK, not off off. But don’t input your next destination – navigating via road signs isn’t that hard. There is something about that voice telling you “go here, 45 miles.. etc” that makes you keep riding when stopping is a much better idea. I think I stopped at least 10 times today.

It’s 8pm. I’m sun burnt on my wrists, sore, and pooped.

I wasn’t sure how far I’d go the first day. Ended up riding about 600 miles, mostly because I got annoyed toward the end.

But I was annoyed much earlier – I-5 (enough said?). I headed East at Bakersfield… well, I don’t need to describe the route; look here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Vn4kA4MiPgNSYD52NgPjuVJDpUCSUlGW

Once I got past Pasadena, the temperature — which I thought was already insane — decided it shouldn’t be below my body temperature any more. Nay, it should be 10 degrees warmer. I can’t wait to get farther south, into the jungle-y area, where it doesn’t get above 90˚.

So I’m currently in a hotel in Westmorland, CA, about 60 miles from the border. Had a nice ribeye & veggies dinner, and I’m trying to drink a 1.5 litre water I paid $3 for.

Here is the view (yay, a blurry cell phone picture!):

Tomorrow, I should try to get to Hermosillo – even though it’s 450 miles away. AFTER THAT, I should be able to slow down — I’ll be on the coast, with lots of interesting things to see, and much better weather. We’ll see 🙂