Tierra Linda El Zapotal

October 19, 2021

(or is its name Pozo del Macho ?)

The power went off some time after we went to sleep last night (which was quite early) and was still off when the alarm went off at five o’clock this morning. Five o’clock was six o’clock in Mexico because of differing time zones which meant that sunrise would be about six o’clock. Which is what time we wanted to leave. So we lay in for another half an hour hoping the power would return but ended up making coffee/tea and a breakfast of granola by cellphone light. We were ready to hit the road by six thirty but the gates to the hotel were still locked. After fifteen minutes of hollering“Hola” and bashing on doors we finally found someone (and a grumpy person it was too) to open up for us and we managed to escape.

After that it was mostly a very enjoyable ride.

The road was quiet and the views were pleasant. Rolling hills to the intersection from where we encountered the a number of stiff climbs.

At the junction eighteen kilometers into the ride there is a nice “hospedaje y comedor” that would have been a far better bet than anything in ElCeibo. Border towns are best avoided.

The sign to the guesthouse and eatery at the intersection.

We had got the impression from reading a journal of a couple who had cycled this way some years back that today’s ride would be very tough. The elevation profile from Open Route Service seemed to suggest it would be strenuous but certainly within the compass of our limited abilities. In the end, apart from a few short climbs of over ten percent, it was mostly comfortable riding. Once again, the weather played ball and we enjoyed cool and cloudy conditions for most of the way. The road surface was OK, the traffic was quite light and all the drivers gave us a lot of room.

In the gaps between settlements the countryside was very easy on the eye.

Bird life seems to have picked up since entering Guatemala. Not sure why that would be so. Anyway, we are enjoying seeing more birds.

Lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus).

The last climb of the day finished through this little gap.

While most of the route was through farming areas we were seldom far from other human beings and tiendas and comedors were available every few kilometers or so. We enjoyed a nice lunch of scrambled eggs and tortillas atone of the comedors around midday before pushing on to the Hotel Nuevo Amanecer, seventy odd kilometers from the border. It’s a good location for anyone cycling this route being just over halfway to the first real town, La Libertad. The small hotel , actually more of a motel, is half the price and ten times as clean as the ripoff we stayed at last night. There is a comedor right next to it as well as a small tienda.

There are at least two signs alerting one to the location of the hotel when coming from El Ceibo. This is the sign at the hotel itself.

Today's ride: 73 km (45 miles)
Total: 1,592 km (989 miles)

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