Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Road to Oaxaca

Initially, the way to Oaxaca was uneventful: more high speed and expensive toll roads. However, the nature of the ride changed dramatically after lunch when we headed up into the mountains on Rt. 175. After a stop at a banana stand, we were headed up a road of endless switchbacks and climbed from an altitude of 200’ above sea level to about 9600’, with a temperature drop from 83F to 52F and a change in vegetation from rain forest to alpine. The corners sharp and endless and made us snicker about the much-ballyhooed Deal’s Gap. After more than three hours of flipping our bikes back and forth at a foolishly brisk pace, the idea of the toll road was regaining its charm….not really. The level of concentration required was reminiscent of Grattan with the added excitement of passing cars between the corners, dodging oncoming traffic and swerving away from the occasional cow or dog.

1 comment:

bobf said...

Hry Chris, looks like you could use a beer!! I know you don't drink but still....Bob