January 19, 2016
Rolling down Sonora Hwy#14 past the towns of Ures and El Organo right into Hermosillo. Hermosillo can be a bit confusing to navigate in but the main road (Hwy15D) is 3 lanes and every gave us our own lane.
Cycling Stats
Start: Wild Camp near Mazocahui, Sonora, Mexico
Destination: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
113 km travelled, 6:42 hours in the saddle
49.3 maximum speed, 16.8 km/h average speed
What happened…
Amanda writes:Our sleep last night wasn’t too bad after we got settled. We weren’t sure if we would have success because things were all fenced off and the lady at the church said we couldn’t stay there. We lucked out and found some kind of old abandoned factory of sorts. I was able to sleep well and was only woken a couple of times by the awful noises coming from the nearby slaughterhouse. That would explain the absence of any homes in the area.
I knew we had a climb to start the day because we could see it from the valley we were sleeping in. That and the combined sound of truck engine brakes all night. What I didn’t know was that it would be so much climbing. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t as much as the day before but for the first while it felt like overtime we rounded a corner, there was another bloody hill. Oh well, such is life on the road. Once we passed the smelly slaughterhouse and meandered out of the mountains it was a big flat stretch of road to the City. The closer we got to the City the more stores, people and cars
Andrew mapped out our route into the city beforehand because we knew it would be a bit difficult. His route planning was stellar and we made it to our hosts place with no problems and even had time to stop for a Dairy Queen blizzard. Our host lives in a middle class gated community and it was a welcome luxury in a big city. Daniel shares a home with his Mom and Sister both who were very hospitable. Daniel is another Warmshowers host who gave up his own bed and room for us … this is a trend in Mexico and continues to amaze me. Now I feel bad for all the guests we put on the floor in our family room. Daniel has done some touring and was a great resource for our upcoming destinations. He was gearing up for a tour in the near future and I really hope we’re able to ride with him some day. He seems like a laid back guy.
Andrew writes: Yeah, the climb at the start of the day was a bit of a shock, but it seemed to be done pretty quick and then the rest of the day was flat or downhill all the way into Hermosillo. Traffic seemed to pick up on the highway the closer we go to town, and I was really nervous about cycling in Sonora’s largest city. It turns out that I didn’t need to be. Just like everywhere else in Mexico, everyone was pretty relaxed and chill on the roadways. There was even a surprise bicycle lane down a busy street in Downtown Hermosillo which was a real treat.
Hanging out with Daniel and his family at their house was a nice way to spend the evening, and a part of me wishes that I had the energy to stay up and enjoy the movie marathon that they had planned. Hopefully Daniel’s trip down Baja is eventful and full of good times. Buen Suerte amigo!