20 October, Wednesday Cozumel, Yucatan, Mexico
By golly. I’m sitting in the Mexicana Airline terminal. My crate and pack are checked in and I got my ticket right here. Total cost for me and crate is $108.25, not too bad. My financial state right now: $850 in travellers checks and 220 pesos cash (16 pesos to the dollar, about $14). Should last me a while. I’m pretty well equipped. Let’s see what happens.
Linda drove me out to the Interstate this morning. Stuck out my thumb and copped a ride to the MIA exit 95. However I had to walk all the way, about five miles, to Delta Air Freight as thumbing on 112 is too crazy, even for me (besides, I got thrown off by a Trooper who said he’d nail my ass if he saw me again). My crate was waiting for me. Just as I was about to call a cab to take me to Mexicana, a lady in a station wagon asked me where I was going. When I told her she said ‘hop in’. So she took me there, I checked in, bought my ticket, deposited my crate and pack, exchanged my loose change for pesos and here I am.
What a show. Took off from Miami. Flew west right smack dab over Ponce de Leon Bay, Shark River, Cape Sabal. By golly, I’ve sailed those same waters. Saw Lake Ingrahm and Flamingo. The Keys should be off to the left. With all the clouds for special effects this is quite the ride.
Whitewater Bay looks just like the charts showed it. I could pick out the bars and channels. I saw Highlands Beach where Chris and I spent a nice day shelling, miles way from civilization. Neat as shit. If my stay in SA is as thrilling as the ride over, I’m in for quite a ride.
HOT DAMN! Flew right smack dab over Cayo Hueso. Saw Hilton Haven even. What a view. Saw Barracouta Key, Man & Woman Key. Boy these reefs look fantastic. Light blue hues against the deep blue. WOW. New Ground shrimp grounds. A-OK.
Already I feel 138.7 times better. I’m smiling. Yucatan. This is going to be a trip. Morely said ‘the Yucatan sticks out in the Caribbean like a thumb’. That’s me all the way. The omens are favorable.
From up here the clouds over the gulf look absolutely unreal. Ultra white puffs against a rippled blue background. Slightly psychedelic. There it is! I see it. Mexico. I made it.
Landed at Cozumel Airport, no hassles at all. Set up my bike in front of the small terminal, loaded up and took off. The customs officers were very nice. I gave my crate to a cab driver, lots of good wood there.
So off I rode, down towards the beach. Ah, nice clear water. Not much of a beach, though. Cozumel is just a low limestone shelf that slightly rises up out of the sea. Outcrops appear everywhere. I rode down through the town and down about five kms. Stashed my gear in a ditch and rode back to town (which kinda reminded me of Ft Myers Beach). Bought some galletas and drinks. Rode back, scarfed down my small repast, lay down in my bag and watched the stars. Some kinda wind here, 30 knots at least. Feels like a hurricane. But here I am.
Kilometres 15 Kms
Narrative
Rode south along the Caribbean coast to Tulum where I spent a week or so camped out on the beach. A real scene…open air café/bar, glorious beach, cool international travellers and plenty of weed. Partnered with a fellow tourist to buy 130 hand-woven Yucatan hammocks in Merida, drive up to Texas (he had a van) and sell them at the Christmas markets in Austin. Did that, bought a vintage 1959 International pick-up truck, drove back to Tulum and sold it in Chetumal. Broke even on the transactions. But drove to Texas and back, saw a lot of beautiful countryside and had a blast. Now ready to tour. Next up – a five-day, 500 km ride across the base of the Yucatan thumb towards Palenque…
Assets $740 $390 Travellers Checks, 6670 pesos or $350
Spent $110 over 6 weeks
Around the Caribbean by Bike, Thumb and Sail 