In ride reports the other day I could not help but notice Gadget Boy's comment on a ride report: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o></o> <o></o> So when we went for a ride I thought of all of you and realized how lucky we are in Mexico to be able to ride 365 day a year, well, kinda, we do get hurricanes now and again.......<o></o> <o></o> So this short, sunny, uneventful (for the exception of sunshine, a killer lunch and huge smiles) little ride is for you Gadget Boy .<o></o> <o></o> The kids were busy, daughter at a friend's house and son ridin' around his bike with friends so after reading my dose of ride reports I thought to put ourselves in the picture.<o></o> <o></o> Why not grab the bikes and go for lunch on the beach?<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> Ridin' down da sunny highway!!<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o></o> <o></o> With plenty of concentration....<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> Cruising around Akumal<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> We stopped at the lagoon to go take some pictures<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> But they wanted $10 per person and we thought .... nah! Let’s ago have lunch instead.<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o></o> <o></o> <o></o> <o></o> We found the perfect table, and that is when the whole "I truly feel for those inmates up North..." thought came up in my head.<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The food was delicious<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> And the view was absolutely stunning.<o></o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Short & sweet More warm weather rides coming soon.......<o></o> <o></o> Ride on!<o></o> Matteo
Yes, I did <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o> </o> When I first joined ADV was to follow a ride report by Oisin, Matteo was taken so I just chose Matteo2. One night "drunk posting" I noticed everyone's artistic name so I just had to change it <o></o> <o> </o> Matteo<o></o>
Not long ago I finally got my hands on an old, very rate book called The Lost World of Quinta Roo written by Michel Peissel, a certifiable nut job of a guy who in 1958 while vacationing in Mexico City his friends told him about a lost in time region of Mexico called Quintana Roo. There were no roads at that time and the few inhabitants were Maya's (who were feared as savages that will kill you on sight) Chicleros (a band of thieving degenerates who collected natural chicle in the jungle) and runways, bandits and overall wanted people who had run away to the jungle as to not get caught by the police.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o> </o> To make a long book short, Peissel managed to get to Cancun, take a boat to Cozumel, then another boat to Puerto Aventuras (Hpu-Ha beach) and walked to Belize in about 4 months or so <o></o> <o> </o> On the way South he went to Tulum and due to the peninsula and lack of boats (none the less people) he had to walk in the jungle to Muyil where he did run into the killer savages who of course took him in, fed him and he lived with them for some time. He was the first person to account the Maya Ruins of Muyil, but the ruins were later claimed by another archeologist (of course) and he never took the credit for the discovery.<o></o> <o> </o> From Muyil he walked in the Jungle to Vigia Chico where from the beginning of time the Mayans use to have a barcadeer in order to go fishing, collect shells, barbs etc. in the bay of Sian Ka'an. At Vigia Chico he found a small settlement and was able to board a boat to sail across the bay of Sian Ka'an to continue his journey south.<o></o> <o> </o> At any rate, I had never heard of such a place and there are no signs to it, so yesterday I went to find it and to see what it must have looked like to Peissel on foot (on foot! What a nut job!)<o></o> <o> </o> The map I was following:<o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> GPS track afterwards:<o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> This is typical home at Muyil where he resided for a few weeks <o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> There were no signs to the road to Vigia Chico but the entrance was not very difficult to find, it is just unmarked and of course by brand new Zumo does not show a road there.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The road has been cut into the jungle of Sian Ka'an for about 50km. Sian Ka'an is the largest biosphere in Mexico and is home to Toucans, Jaguars, crocodiles, a multitude of birds and overall wild life.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Of course my Zumo was telling me that I was making stuff up, there is no road there!<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Even though the road was straight it was great fun. The road is a combination of sand, marl, plenty of pot holes and ruts, good S10 terrain.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> To my amazement I did see a couple of signs<o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> The jungle is impenetrable and I could not help but wonder what it would be like to cut your way through ion order to reach the sea.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> As I got closer to the sea the jungle stopped and it turned to swamp.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> I must say I had it much easier than Peissel did:<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> When I arrived at Vigia Chico I was surprised to find it devastated and uninhibited, the only structure that was still standing unscathed way the lighthouse. I am not sure which Hurricane took the little town out, but apparently a big had a few years earlier.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The place was absolutely aerie, I was the only person there and it felt as I I was the first person to visit Vigia Chico on a long, long time. The solitude and lack of noise for the exception of the wind made me feel what it must feel like to be the last person on Earth, the destroyed houses all around me just added to the effect. The only sound now and again came from the rusted open door of the lighthouse which slammed now and again with the wind. <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Peissel standing a few feet from where the next picture was taken.....<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Some type of railway machine I have no idea what it is. Stuff was blown everywhere, it was pretty spooky being in the middle of destroyed nowhere by myself, that I will admit!<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> Ride on!<o></o> <o> </o> Matteo<o></o>
At Vigia Chico I then kept on the road to Playon, the sign also pointed to Punta Allen. I could not figure out how it would be possible to get to Punta Allen as I was across the bay and there was no way I could cross it........<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The mandatory WTF? Picture<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> I was on the lookout for Maya Ruins, but even though I was expecting small Prayer Temples I did not find any along the way......<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The road started following the coast line, I looked for crocodiles but I did not find any either.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Maybe if I walked across that I would have......<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Walking to the left or right of the road did not look too promising, the crocodiles would have to wait <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> The only man made structure I found were these strange looking mounds. I have no idea what they are, or what they are for, but they were obviously placed there for a reason a long, long time ago.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> At the end of the road my solitude was immediately broken when I encountered at least 30 tourist vans, rental cars etc. parked by the dock. Little did I know that at that dock you can take a water taxi (people only unfortunately) and within 5 minutes you are Punta Allen without the need to drive on ill kept road from Tulum to Punta Allen.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> I asked the boat driver if we can put my S10 on the boat and go across..... He looked at my bike, his eyes widened and shook his head and laughed after he realized I was joking <o></o> <o> </o> <o> </o> Punta Allen is just across this bay, 5 minutes away <o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> After realizing that I was not the only person in the entire area I felt better about flying back home on the dirt road and that brought an end to a great afternoon.<o></o> <o> </o> <o></o> <o> </o> Cheers,<o></o> <o> </o> Matteo<o></o>
Excellent ride, report and pics Matteo! Thanks for the warm and sunny pics! You're a very lucky man indeed
Hey Matteo - Great pictures and story of your trip to Vigia Chico and Playon on the Jungle Road. I was just there 2 weeks ago, as I spend a lot of time in Punta Allen. We went across the lagoon to bird watch one day and I asked what the heck those mounds were as they looked so out of place. Turns out, that the improvements that were made to the road destroyed the mangroves on that side of the road, so the mounds are the human attempt to generate new mangrove growth. Not working very well. I also liked seeing your pictures of Vigia Chico, as I've never been there--and looks like I don't need to! Hope you make it down to Punta Allen some day - the road is REALLY a nightmare nowadays - as it is a nice, quiet little place. Catherine
Thanks guys, I think I'll keep this as a merged thread for sunny rides to warm you guys up during the cold winters up north. Hang in there, you only have one month left and then I'll be admiring your rides in beautiful spring weather.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> And here I was thinking that those mounds were some kind of Maya spacecraft landing beacons! <o></o> <o> </o> I like that, "improvements made to the road :huh " I cant imagine what the road looked like before. I was flying back at 100kmph thinking about how long it must take to get back from that dock in one of those vans. I visit Punta Allan pretty often from Tulum, that road is a crap shoot, you'll never know how it's going to be. Sometimes it's perfect, sometimes you are thankful to be on a bike. I havent taken the big S10 there yet, but probably will next week.<o></o> Punta Allen: (North) (Mid way) Ride on! Matteo
Nice RR Matteo.....you tease! When I first got to this area of the coast in 1973 there were still Maya who kept their old religious/military forms of organization. Some would even chop their way parallel to the "roads" so as not to acknowledge the Spanish conquest. When they adopted a new article of technology from non-Mayan culture they would make up a new Mayan word to serve instead of taking the Spanish one. How times change eh?
Nice pictures and you rode through the paradise. Congratulations to woman rider. It´s hard to see a woman on ride in my home area:eek1 Bonitas fotos y anduviste en el paraiso. Felicitadades a la mujer motociclsta es dificil ver una mujer en moto por estos rumbos:eek1.
Thanks for sharing your pictures. Although I've never ridden down there, I did spend a week in Puerto Aventuras with my family on vacation and visited Akumal while we were there. It's paradise.
Thanks guys. I was going to update this RR with more rides in December when Gadget Boy continues his freeze treatments. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o></o> Even though we lack mountains for the spectacular panoramas they provide we do have very interesting out of the way places we can visit. The "time machine effect" is very much alive in Quintana Roo and Yucatan. <o></o> <o></o> I cannot imagine this area back in the 70's, the book I read was only written 10yrs earlier and the entire State was inaccessible. On one account Peissel met a plantation owner near Tulum who told him that they were planning to build a road from Villadolid to Tulum "but that will never happen" he stated <o></o> <o></o> At that time the only way to access Tulum and the Ruins was by boat or by a small landing strip near the ruins.<o></o> <o></o> How quickly times do change.......<o></o>
