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11-21-2009, 08:52 PM
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#1 |
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Presidient
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Cromagna
Oddometer: 167
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Mexico City, Xilitla, Aquismon, the Cave, the River and the Shangrila...
A new trip to the mexican sierras this time to the area known as Sierra Gorda to the north of the state of Queretaro and the south of the state of San Luis Potosi
Five of the usual suspects took a three day break from november the 6th to the 9th to this fantastic area where a number of amazing places we expected to ride and explore...  The first segment was done in 8 hours to the city of "Xilitla", where a quite interesting story took place...  ...we arrived almost at dusk, but first check what we found at the outskirts of that town...  It happens that a englishman named Edward James, a strong supporter of the surrealist movement back in the '40 through 60, personal friend to many known like Dali, Picasso, and many others was sort of visiting this mexican area and got in love with the place. After some Orchid gardening with no luck he decided to make a home for his own to spend some time off... the result is a spectacular surrealist librynth with staircases to heaven and all...   The guy had his own waterfall in the backyard...   Unfortunately, the night was already present, so we headed to the hotel. This is owned by the family of the builder that James hired to do his "Shangrila" and has the same architecture spirit. All the old molds used in the James construction are hanging around the restaurant making an interesting museum out of it...  The next morning, the place to visit was the "Sotano de las Golondrinas". A quite big hole in the earth of 200 feet wide at the entrance and 1500 feet depth. The entire Empire State will fit in there... We got there by 5 AM for a 2000 feet walk to the hole... Check out the ticket office...  It is populated by milliards of birds that in the morning make an impressive show swirling out of that cave and back in in the afternoon. Freefall parachute guys used to just jump in the hole, but lately the government declared illegal those kind of activities and protected the area.  You can get to the bottom with ropes and camp in there if you want, but some backup crew must be hired to drop you in and get you out. 1500 feet is quite a lot to do it alone...  For a buck a guy laces you to take a look inside...   I found a tricky camera angle to get this pics...     We were out by noon and on the way to another place in the sierras. Before that my friend Miguel Angel and I set up the helmet cam for some road pics...  Every place is just in the middle of a dense jungle, check out the surroundings of the very curvy road...    After 50 miles of that, we found this:  The water of this river is DRINKABLE... it comes out right from the bottom of the earth in a number of spots that converge to form a quite big water mass with rapids and all.. We stepeed off the bikes and aborded one of these canoes...  Two guys rowed for 45 minutes -against the current- to take us through the river...   Many little waterfalls feed the river at regular spots...  Look at those water shaped rocks...     Many times, they even have to step out the canoe to get it through the rapids...   The "Turtle"  Until we finally got to where it becomes no longer safe to navigate... 400 ft. waterfalls make this a U-turn point... We stepped off the canoe to a big rock in the middle...  We then turned back, and one of the rowers made a little stop to show us something...  So we stepped off again, and climbed some raugh steps to find this...  The CAVEMEN'S POOL...  With lots of "liana" coming down to hang from and splash in...  Of course we had to get in there...   The pool is actually one of the spots where the water comes out filling the cave to then overflow and fall off to the river... the white spots are water from the pool running fast downhill to form the little waterfalls we saw in our way...  After that, we got back to the bikes...  And time to do some Tai-Chi...  And back to the hotel... another dose of those nice twisties...   Next morning we were off to Mexico City... A lot for only two days... exhausting but worth it... Hope you guys enjoy the RR...
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"I think of a man, and take away reason and accountability...", - Melvin Udall KTM 990 Adventure R 2012 - KTM 640 Adventure 2007 __________________________ Mexico City, Xilitla, Aquismon, the Cave, the River and the Shangrila... Mexico City, Cuetzalan, Nautla, Veracruz dog'meat screwed with this post 11-21-2009 at 09:00 PM |
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11-21-2009, 09:32 PM
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#2 |
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The Pre-Banned Version
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: socorro NM
Oddometer: 2,729
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I have been wanting to go there for a while, nice RR!
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you actually expect people to take responsibility for their actions in today's society?! |
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11-21-2009, 09:40 PM
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#3 |
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: A Corn Field in Enon. Ohio
Oddometer: 1,135
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Fine report Keep it coming I'm all
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11-22-2009, 05:21 AM
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#4 |
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El Gran Payaso
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: San Antonio
Oddometer: 5,922
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Fabulous!
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11-22-2009, 06:09 AM
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#6 |
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More Undestructable
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Idaho Falls. ID. USA
Oddometer: 3,546
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This is nice!
More? Q~
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Ride Reports: National Parks Tour 2008 Trans-America Trail 2009 Continental Divide Trail 2009 Alaska 2010 Empty West 2011 |
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11-22-2009, 06:16 AM
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#7 |
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You can call me "Mike"
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Houston
Oddometer: 2,079
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Estupendo!
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11-22-2009, 07:04 AM
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#8 |
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hero & Zero...
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Alaska, Mazatlan. sometimes seattle!
Oddometer: 599
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This is great! keep it rolling......
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going south... Never Lost! Just Don't know where I am!!! |
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11-22-2009, 07:13 AM
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#9 |
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Little Rock, AR
Oddometer: 1,135
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Excelente mi vecino.
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Steve Little Rock, AR GSteve screwed with this post 11-22-2009 at 08:11 AM |
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11-22-2009, 08:51 AM
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#10 |
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Wanderer
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: SOUTH OF THE USA BORDER(friendlier Mexico)
Oddometer: 1,646
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Those roads in the Huasteca-Sierra Gorda area are a great way to get to stunning destinatioins like you all did, nice report.
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11-22-2009, 09:06 AM
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#11 |
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Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Petaluma, CA
Oddometer: 267
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Nice Pics
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed them
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11-22-2009, 11:39 AM
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#12 | |
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The Accidental Tourista
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MISSOURI
Oddometer: 2,457
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Quote:
Nice pictures and RR. Thanks.
__________________
Latin American Ride Reports link 5th Annual Latin American Rider's Rally No, it's not a Harley  , it's a BMW. |
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01-12-2013, 06:16 AM
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#13 |
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Asheville, NC
Oddometer: 1,738
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We are going to be in that area in a week or so. Can you give me any more info on the location of the canoe ride? Great report thanks!!
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01-12-2013, 09:16 AM
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#14 |
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: May 2005
Location: Diamondhead, MS
Oddometer: 3,320
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Nice report and pics!
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If I wasn't here, I'd be somewhere else |
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