Keep up with Mike of the Brigada Mariposa biking around the Americas!

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Our minds on Oaxaca














It is shocking the tactics employed by "authorities" in this struggle - PRI backed pundits encouraging people to dump hot water or acid on APPO protesters from above? We're out of the middle ages, right? It also seems like these plain clothes gunmen are getting away with murder (literally) - they aren't planning on prosecuting Brad Will's assassin? Instead blaming his death on those who took him to the hospital? Seems like a mockery of justice.

Oaxaca: City of Resistance http://elenemigocomun.net/554
Ciudad de la Resistencia http://elenemigocomun.net/554#espanol
Battle Rages in Oaxaca Over the Weekendhttp://elenemigocomun.net/555
Oaxaca’s Popular Movement Suffers Yet Another Brutal Day http://elenemigocomun.net/548 (PHOTOS and TRANSLATIONS)APPO flyers on NYC IMC http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/11/79973.html

Monday, November 27, 2006

On the Beach


We've made a 5 hour ride from Hermosillo to Bahia Kino, a beautiful bayside fishing village and U.S. north retiree hangout. We met a wonderful woman, Kian, who has let us camp in her yard right on the beach. We did some yard work for her, pruining trees and starting a compost pile for her. Great rest and seafood opportunities here, so we're making the most of the wait for the return of our friend Andy.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Oaxaca update

As the APPO organizes against the government, they struggle with their structure and hope to create an egalitarian organization without the possiblity of creating more of the same - legislators that are individualistic and out of touch with their movement. Here is a good description of their efforts, found at http://www.narconews.com/en.html (thanks diego for this source)

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Aconchi to Hermosillo

We´ve been spending some real quality time at some great hotsprings in Aconchi - one day turned into three when we realized how great the water was and that the city was having it´s annual fiesta last weekend (nov.19th) - great live cumbia music, fair rides and lots of tecate. We must have missed the parades for revolution day (nov. 20th) but there was a four day weekend here. Now we´re in Hermosillo, Andy is catching a ride to tucson for thanksgiving so pxl and I are headed to the beach - bahia kino for the next week.

The health system here is much more affordable than in the states. Pxl was able to get his teeth fixed for $150 and I had some minor hand surgery for only $50.

So far my bike has had:
-one flat
-two broken spokes (heavy ass bike bouncing on rocky, hilly, dirt road)
-front rack semi-failure (repaired creativly, stronger than ever now)
I was able to fix everything on the spot, feeling good about any forseeable repair needs.

a la playa!

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Bisbee, Arizona to Banamichi, Mexico


We took a longer (but flatter) route from Sierra Vista, AZ to Bisbee, AZ where we spent a couple days resting and prepping for our venture into Mexico. Andy got his bike needs met (a new rack was delivered via air mail to the historic Copper Queen Hotel) and we got to camp in a gulch outside of town. In Bisbee, a historic artist community, we dined at Dot's Diner where we met Charlie - a pie chef extrodinare and avid (retired?) cyclist who crossed the United States twice. A wonderfully engaging time was spent with this tall libertarian who detested corn syrup and had squatted in the desert for 7 years before the city bulldozed his abode. We got a late start on our intended departure, so we waited another day and crashed at Charlie's.

The following morning we sped down the mountain from Bisbee, around the lavender pit mine and down into Naco, where we crossed the international border that has the distinction of marking the largest income disparity among any two neighboring nations in the world. There was no hastle to speak of at the border, besides having to find someone to give us our visas then having to find a bank to pay the $21 fee, then returning to get a stamp. We changed our monies, purchased phone cards and headed out down the freeway toward Cananea. We almost made it as far, despite the enormous trucks that occasionally didn't give us quite enough room. We had some adrenaline pumping moments riding the very last inch of pavement between a speeding semi and a large ditch. Alas, it was getting late as we approached Cananea, and we decided instead to inquire about camping at a farm we were passing. The farm was actually part of an Ejido named after Emiliano Zapata, a very important anarchist figure in the Mexican Revolution. We were greeted with some dismay and much hospitality. We described our intention of biking south and asked if there was a place we could camp. The offered up a palapa (pagoda?) which served us well. We wanted to boil some water for dinner, so they started a fire in the barbecue in the palapa using (to much dismay and protest on my part) plastic bottles to get it going. The younger farmworkers and a cousin who worked in the mines of Cananea hung around, played Frisbee with us and hung around some more. We're quite the attraction here.

We left the next morning to get on the Sonoran River route which we will take for the next two weeks or so. This road is amazing! Few vehicles pass through, the pavement is good and the views breathtaking. This is a historic route as well, being a path which the colonial Spaniards took to spread their missions. We have visited many small colonial towns at this point and have found them to date from around 1640-1648.

We camped outside of Bacoachi after the best day of riding I've ever had (mostly downhill) and then went on toward Arizpe where we were faced with our first serious, sustained climb of the trip - El Puerto. The view from atop was incredible and the ride down was pure elation. We got into Arizpe late (what a climb!) and decided to spring for a hotel ($25 - not bad), a decision that turned out to be a great one for a few reasons. First, the shower was worth that much. Second, we got to spend our first Saturday night in Mexico visiting a historic plaza, less historic bars and even a Mexican Wedding. This was quite the party - the whole town was invited by the groom's father, and it seemed like everyone turned out. The band played super late and we had many many drunk old men talk to (at?) us in a super friendly and social manner, unfortunately we didn't get much attention from the ladies. Oh well...

Through the grapevine, I heard of some hotsprings just outside of town so we packed up our bikes despite our Tecate hangovers and rode a kilometer or two to the bridge and dirt road described to us by locals. We found the place eventually and were greeted by some suprised looking locals at a small house near the spring. They said it was fine if we wanted to camp in the canyon but didn't really understand why, it being a cow pasture and all... Well, I've camped in cow pastures before, but this one is beyond compare. The sonoran river valley was majestic, with cliffs and rock outcroppings full of pipe cactus towering above us. The hot spring was not really what we expected, but we enjoyed it none the less. There was no tub in which to soak! It was used as a shower. I spent some time clearing the drainage and scrubbing the tub, hoping to plug it up and soak, but the leaks were too much to fill it.

We spent an extra rest day in the canyon and then took off on a fast but challenging ride to Banamichi, where I sit in the most beautiful, artful, recycled hotel I've ever seen. A two night stay here was offered by Andy's father as he is friends with the owner and we are enjoying it thoroughly. Last night, Bill, the owner, had his doctor friends over for Tecates and we ended up having quite a blast and a taco eating competition ensued between Andy and one of the doctors. Luckily for Pxl, one of the guys, Carlos, is a dentist in Aconchi, our next stop, and he offered him quite a deal to fix his broken teeth. We'll be heading out to Aconchi tomorrow to have a real soak in some fantastic hotsprings (so we hear).

Check out the photos I uploaded to flickr.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Border crossing tomorrow



We left Tucson afternoon on Friday, a later start then expected, and cycled out of town to Sahaurita where we took our first break. The plan was to head east and hit the highway south to Sierra Vista, but the sun was setting and we decided to camp at a private golf course/subdevelopment in the middle of the desert (what a waste of water, disc golf would be more appropriate). We found a small refuge/restroom and set our first camp in a pretty ideal location. We got the boot early the next morning and continued on toward Sierra Vista over the Santa Rita mountains. Breathtaking views of the high mountain desert were accompanied by the dry air and intense sun that goes with the territory - you really do see and experience the land you travel across better when going by bike.
Unfortunately, biking can also be treacherous - Andy got blown into a guard rail by a motor cycle, an accident that torqued his front rack into his wheel, breaking some spokes in the process. Luckily, he was uninjured and we had the necessary parts to repair the wheel on the roadside. That experience set us back a bit, but good fortune returned when we met Paul and Becky, two generous (motor)bikers that offered up a place to stay and even shower.
Andy ordered a new rack and had it shipped to Bisbee, our next big destination.

We left late after a big breakfast prepared by a friend of Paul's and headed out. We passed through Sierra Vista, where we once again camped right outside of town, this time in a desert area being used as a junk yard. We were close to the border and the border patrol blimp that likely watched us from above served as a not so friendly reminder of this fact. We rushed off at 8am yesterday morning and biked a solid 36 miles to Bisbee before noon. On route, we followed a road that ran perpendicular to the border, just a few miles south. We passed many border patrol vehicles and skywatch towers, part of a new high-tech security effort led by Boeing Co., a project that will earn them $67 million and is expected to cost $2 billion over the next six years. Despite these efforts, Pxl spotted a group of people sneaking north along the San Pedro river as we crossed. The vast resources going into "securing" (read militarizing) the border will do little to stop the flow of people heading north toward their dreams of economic security.

We are taking a much needed rest day in Bisbee today and will be heading off to cross the border tomorrow morning in Naco. The political situation in Mexico seems to be deteriorating, with bombings in Mexico City (D.F.) claimed to be executed by APPO supporters demanding the resignation of Oaxaca's Governor. The killing of indymedia journalist Brad Will and others by anti APPO forces has increased the tension and police and military buildup in the area. It seems as though the left is building collations and a popular revolution is brewing. We will be extra perceptive and sensitive as we travel through Mexico, especially so as we find ourselves in more southern areas.

Manana Vamos a Mexico!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Vamos Manana

After many delays and more preparation, we are finally ready to embark on our adventure. The nature of adventures includes some profoundly wonderful moments as well as some miserable suffering - this should be acknowledged openly. We will conquer mountain peaks and be punished by the elements, but what we seek is adventure and that's what we're sure to get. We all go with our own intentions and expectations about this trip, and I can only relate my own (albeit incompletely). I aim to travel to experience the otherness that so many fear but I know is beautiful and complete. I will be guided by love and will treat all whom I meet with respect and warm regards. This will help me to serve as an ambassador of my people who get a bad rap by being complacent in a bad system with a bad government. I hope to gain knowledge of how people live in different environments and social contexts, speaking different languages, eating different food and impacting the world differently.

I look forward to sharing thoughts and stories with the people I will meet and with those who read the ones I hope to post here. So begins our journey, a 2-3 day ride through southern Arizona to Naco, where we will cross into Mexico, a land I have studied but never truly experienced.