February 28th, 2016
Our motel was right near the cuota so we hopped back on it lickety-split and stayed on it all day until the turnoff for Ruiz about 60km later. Two pretty decent hills today, or so they felt, but in reality they were only about 100m high, and our average elevation today was at 22m above sea level. Take care with the cobblestones in Ruiz!
Cycling Stats
Start Point: Motel Bugambilias, Nayarit, Mexico
Destination: Ruiz, Nayarit, Mexico
74.7 km trip, 5:11 time, 43.4 km/h maximum speed, 14.4 km/h average speed
Route Description We stayed on the cuota highway and again it was a great road. It is a wonderful shoulder with lots of room in good condition. There are however no food stops or stores along the way. At about the 50 kilometer marker there is a turn-off which promised a town 3 kilometers away but we went straight. After riding for about 20 kilometers, (at the 100K road marker) the elevation climbs from 6 meters to 130 over three kilometres. After this the road continues to have similar climbs and descents for about 15 kilometers. Beyond that the day is relatively flat with some undulating hills.
Accommodations:Due to the heat we did not try to find a camping spot along the road, although we saw a couple. About 10 kilometers before the town we stayed in there is a river and if you can get down to it, it seems nice for camping. Also along the road the fence sees to be about 30 yards back and is treed, so if you’re creative you could likely camp. As you roll into the town we stayed at there is a hotel just off the main highway. It is 150 pesos for 8 hours. We continued into town and looked at the Hotel Rosita in the center of the town at it was 200 pesos for 1 person or 300 pesos for 2 people. We ended up staying at a hotel a bit West of town called Mot La Cidra for 150 pesos for two people. Again not the Ritz but clean and has wifi.
What happened…
Andrew writes: When we left the love shack this morning, tensions were a little high. This was likely due to the constant crowing that came from the roof above us all night, and the fact that there was no coffee to be found this morning. Still, it’s easy to ride for a few kilometres with a couple of hundred metres separating us; basically we took a little time out. All we had to do was let the temperature outside soar over 30C, and it burned up all of the temper inside each of us. Ahhh…now that we’re relaxed, let’s ride bikes!
The landscape reminds me more and more of Cuba as we pass jungley looking trees and flowers, and the birdsong is all around us. The truck-song is all around us too, but that definitely doesn’t remind me one bit of Cuba. Still, having the lush, green valleys spread out on either side of us, with the mountains in the distance, it’s enough to make a man weep…or in lieu of weeping, at least sigh in wonder; constantly.
One of the nice things about leaving so early in the morning is that it gives us time to unwind at our hotel. We reached Ruiz around noon, and so we had two hours to look around and shop before everyone closed for afternoon siesta. We found a place selling rotisserie chicken, two for one, for $140MX ($11CDN) and it included potatoes, 10x tacos, tortillas, salsa, and pasta salad. It said on their sign that it feeds 5, but I’m pretty sure it’s barely enough for the two of us and our cyclist appetites.
Ruiz has all the fixings for a good old fashioned Mexican town. At first it looks like a tiny hamlet, but once you get across the train tracks, and through the “bad” part of town, it really opens up and is deceivingly large. We checked out the Hotel Rosita downtown, and they wanted $200MX a night for just me, or $300 if Amanda was with me. We passed on it went to check out Hotel La Sidra, which I had read about over on CrazyGuyOnABike.com. True to what I had read, it’s the cheapest hotel in town, and there are a bunch of fighting roosters tied up all over the yard. Except for the odd rooster crowing though, it’s nice and quiet. Ok, so the A/C is broken, in the shower only the cold water tap works, and we probably shouldn’t flush the toilet, but it’s a shower that I wasn’t going to get otherwise!
Amanda writes: As Andrew mentioned the scenery is becoming more lush and beautiful. It really feels like we’re in the jungle and I’m expecting a monkey to jump out of the trees. Mango trees line the landscape as far as the eye can see. The traffic keeps us alert at all times and likely expends more energy than we’d like.
Arriving in Ruiz was interesting. It was a Sunday so the town was just hopping with activity. The seedy part of town that Andrew mentioned was lined with music and it was fabulous. It left me wishing I had a hidden camera to record a video of it. The image was what I had expected Cuba to be; just random groups of men playing numerous instruments and singing beautiful music. Seriously in a two block span there were five bands just jamming on the side of the roads and people lined the streets with their bottles of liquor just soaking it all in; pun intended.
After leaving the music area we strolled through more streets looking for a hotel and a cold drink. As we arrived early we had the time to just sit on the curb in the shade and take it all in. After taking a bit of a rest we went to the motel we chose and as Andrew mentioned it was a bit seedy. Just outside our hotel room there was even two small puppies that were clearly young enough that they should still have their mother and they were in a corner surrounded by crates with their food, water and poop. Sometimes I’m shocked that I’ve changed so much that I accept without question motels like these because 5 years ago I wouldn’t have. Just simple things that I think many of my friends and family wouldn’t even consider, dust in the corners, unwashed floors, holes in sheets, no toilet seat, no toilet paper, more mildew in the shower than tiles; you get the picture. For us however we work with what we have and are making due. Don’t get me wrong, we take precautions; we wear our shoes in the rooms at all times, we travel with our own TP, we use our own bedding and sometimes don’t even use the bed. At the end of the day we have a safe roof over our head and we’re together; and that is what is most important.