March 27-30th, 2016
We took a bus to Queretaro to meet with Paty and Emilio (from Puerto Vallarta). Then we went to meet with Gareth and Jean (elpedalero.com), who we’ve been talking to via e-mail for years and now we finally meet!).
Cycling Stats
Start Point: Santiago de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
Destination: Tequisquiapan, Queretaro, Mexico
60.5 km trip, 3:07 time, 54 km/h maximum speed, 19.4 km/h average speed
Route Description:
The ride out of town seemed quite simple with Emilio leading the way. It was his former town so he knew the best way to leave. Rather than taking the main highway we went down local streets and it ended up reducing our overall mileage in a great way. Once on the highway, traffic wasn’t horrible and it was mostly flat with a big tail-wind that was glorious. There was only one climb in the last 2/3rds of the day and it was maybe 100 meters. After that flat again right into town.
Accommodations:
Tequisquiapan is a tourist town with dozens of hotels to choose from. Our friends Gareth and Jean told us they ranged anywhere from 500 pesos and up. Fortunately for us they had arranged with a woman for a room with a private toilet and shower for 600 pesos for the week! Even if we didn’t stay for the week it was less than some hotels so we settled in. It was super clean (almost in an obsessive way) but we didn’t mind because we’ve stayed in the opposite.
What happened…
Andrew writes: We spent two days and three nights with Paty and Emilio and the kids this time. We spent the first day walking around Queretaro and taking in the sights. Emilio introduced us to some of his friends and we sat on a restaurant patio just talking about life, and drinking cervezas. It was so relaxing! Then we wrapped up our visit with a day spent mostly online getting our photographs and blog posts published; sometimes this feels like a full-time, part-time job!
I think this is the first time since we’ve been in Mexico (Winter 2014) that we also got to really experience the Mexican family “experience”. We had two dinners with 10 of us around the table, including mothers, aunts, cousins and Canadians. It was amazing! Fortunately, everyone speaks English, but even then, our Spanish is at the point where we can understand a lot of what is being said. I really feel blessed to have gotten to share in this experience. It really is quite different from what I’ve experienced with family get-togethers in the past, and it just made me feel special to be included.
Emilio borrowed a fancy road bike and together we set out early on the 29th for Tequisquiapan to meet Gareth and Jean (www.thedaysofhighadventure.com). The 60km trip went FAST! We thought we would be 5 hours and it only took us 3, so when we got to Tequis, Jean and Gareth were surprised to see us! The afternoon was spent with the five of us hanging out, drinking coffee, and talking cycle-touring and travel stuff. I think Emilio got a lot out of it. He had to leave at 1500hrs to cycle back to Queretaro alone, which ended up taking him 4 hours because of headwind.
So now Amanda and I had some decisions to make, and they didn’t seem easy at the time. We had arranged to sleep for free just outside of town with a Warmshowers host. Gareth had sweet-talked the landlady at their apartment to rent us a room for $600MX a week. Or we could figure something else out. Over dinner, Gareth and I mapped out a route from here to Puebla, about 500km away. It’s going to be a lot of “middle of nowhere” style of riding, something Amanda and I haven’t done probably since Wyoming. With hotels being so expensive here in Tequis, we decided to rent the apartment for the week, which is still cheaper than just paying for one night someplace here. So now we’ll take one or five days off and figure out where the wind will blow us next.
Amanda writes:It was lovely to ride with Emilio again. As we enjoyed the tailwind I was a bit concerned about his return trip but he didn’t seem to be at all. Going a fast pace is always so much fun and boosts our spirits and the tailwind played a big part in that. If only we could travel this fast every day.Once we arrived at our destination he got a flat but we fixed it up while having lunch. I’m so glad we met him and I really hope we get to see him, Paty and the kids again … good peeps.
Meeting Jean and Gareth has been a long time coming. We’re a rare breed in that not only are we bicycle tourists, we’re bicycle tourists with no time commitments. I’m really looking forward to getting to know them and ride with them.