Into Cholula Puebla

The rain cleared after a day in Jacala, and i was finally up on the central plateau still rolling through the mountains but it was no longer simply up and up. The climate dried considerably and i was back in cactus and thorny scrub country - beautiful but prickly. I dropped through canyon country with impressive roads clinging to the sides of steep mountains that sheared into cliffs.

The canyons gave way to broad iridescent green irrigated valleys and lots of grazing sheep. Somewhere through here i picked up a stomach bug of some type. Initially, i chalked it up to a poor nights sleep then i lost my entire dinner the next night . . . First thing to come to mind is, "shit, i hope i don't have dysentery!" But there would have been a lot more shit, then throwing up, then fever . . . been there, done that, small consolation. The same night i was woken by federales - don't know how they found me out in the middle of the fields, but that is there job, and they figured out i was not a narco trafficante - just an illin' gringo - friendly guys really. I was not sick enough to stop riding and i was pretty driven to get to Cholula, Peubla and take an extended rest. I just had to stop really quick and duck behind cacti - no they are not that big and yes they do have lots of spines. Almost worse than intermittent queasiness were the nonstop doubled tractor trailers and buses on a road with no shoulder, as in none, nothing, zip, nada, often just a ditch. I was approaching Mexico City and on a "libre" road versus the "cuota" roads that you pay considerable tolls to drive. The entire experience was leaving me a little frazzled and i wanted to be able to eat something other than bread. I detoured onto some secondary

roads. Rough dirt roads, no traffic, and into some mountains that was a welcome relief. My stomach calmed considerably, as well, without trucks and buses honking at me and driving me off the road. After four hours of riding dirt roads, and periodically asking folks if this really was the road to Texmulacan, I looked up and saw Itzaccihuatl, all 5,230 meters of her, and the adjacent, smokin' Popocatepetl at 5,426 meters. I forgot all about my stomach.
I finally arrived in Cholula, Peubla, that evening and easily navigated the city to find the home of Armando, cyclist and a warm showers member. He was a gracious host and offered me his own bed, however he was recovering from a respiratory infection and i was not going to kick the guy out of his own bed . . . for two nights. The photo above is taken from the roof of the charming Hotel Coronitos that i stayed in for the past week - great view of Popcatpetel.

Medicinal Note - grapefruit extract is some powerful stuff! I went to a natural medicine store and bought some extract of grapefruit (pomelo) in pill form and my stomach was cured in 20 minutes! literally . . . all i can say is wow. Time to eat! I was see through thin.