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When I was in Utah, I took a small detour to see the "Moki Dugway".  As I was enjoying the view from the top, a group of cars stopped and wanted to get pictures of me riding down.  I finally got copies, thanks Allison!

The Dugway is a really windy dirt road that drops more than 1000ft in 3 miles.  If you look closely at the photo, you can see me riding, to the right of the white car.

Towering cumulus.  I see this daily, as thunderstorms build.

Roadside fans

Take care of the environment - don't see this philosophy much down here

Just another day at the office

Relaxing at Barra de la Cruz

Heathe trying to stay cool

People will stop their cars to come take pictures of my bike and me

Hand made tortillas

Gotta help other cyclists out, patched their tube for them

Good cookies my friend Bernardo in GDL introduced me to

Here I was taking a snack break and a stretch in the shade, and this car pulls up that close.  I'm a good ways from the road, and there are other places with shade.  I might not ever get used to the cultural differences.  As I sat and ate between my bike and the car, they played their music loud inside, and ate.  They would occasionally open their doors, to either throw trash out, or to get out and urinate nearby - unbelievable.

But then when a guy passed selling respaldas, they bought me one (frozen fruit treat, think it's made with fruit, sugar, and milk). 

Nice flat stretch, but the beginning of head and cross winds.

These guys were hilarious.  They pulled their car over, got out, and were standing in the middle of the busy road trying to get photos of me as I passed.  They were enthusiastic about my trip, and curious about the details.  I was somewhat relieved when they told me this day was somewhat calm with the winds, although it felt strong to me.

La neta.  Seeing wind turbines and signs talking about the possibility of high winds, makes it a little easier to deal with knowing it's just typical of the area.

The point where I never experienced such ferocious winds.  Look at the grass to the right, it's laying flat.  Through here it was a left quartering head wind, to a direct left cross wind.  Several times I was really close to being knocked off my bike onto the grass.  It's hard to believe I made it through there.

Like the wind turbines, another form of renewable energy.  Charging my ipod with my Goal Zero solar panel, while riding.  Wind turbines, solar panels, and bicycles - they make me feel good.

A truck driver stopped to talk to me while I was stretching in some shade in a pueblo.  He told me I should try a tlyuda - it's made only in this certain area of Oaxaca.  Meat, cheese, salsa, so good.

Washed it down with fresh cold pineapple juice, with a touch of lime.  So refreshing on a hot day.

Here I found such a nice spot to camp off the main road, a rock quarry.  Then I couldn't open the gate because of some extra barbed wire - what a tease.

Great rest stop on the side of the road.

Climbing up into Chiapas

Riding through stuff like this, not that unusual

Going down quick.  What you can't see is how sticky they are, I have to peel my hands free anytime I want to lift my hands from the handlebars

Mayan art

A taste of home

Not good for tires, pulled that out of my trailer tire

Camping above the road on a slab/gutter that probably helps stops landslides onto the road.  Eating breakfast and looking at the long climb I have for the day to San Cristóbal

Starting up, looking back at Tuxtla Gutierrez

Always know you're getting up there when you start seeing pine trees

Into the clouds I go

San Cristóbal

Good breakfast spread at the hostel - oranges to make fresh orange juice, cereal, coffee

Some nice riding, pine scented mountain air, little traffic, few people, the road to myself... Although late in the day I became sick, the road was littered with topes (speedbumps and most times unmarked/unpainted so they would sneak up on me), and discourteous people past Ocosingo to Palenque.  Still, I had that glimpse to remember what's it like to have some nice riding.

Climbing and descending, up and down, all the way through Chiapas

Lunch and drying out my clothes

I was impressed with some of the craftsmanship of a lot of the homes in the area.  Instead of just metal shacks, thrown up to keep out the rain, great work and skill were used to fabricate some beautiful wooden cabins.

The infirmary

Sometimes people passed on the trail that I would talk to.  After I had mentioned I was getting low on water, this kind gentleman came back the following day to give me some.

I saw these women a few times.  Relaxing in the shade and enjoying the view and breeze

They may look cute and harmless, but their friends and siblings will swarm you and your belongings for money

Using a rope to stop cars and get money.  I was curious if they were going to try it with me, but they didn't bother.

First glimpse of flat ground, was so thrilled to see it

Riding on flat ground, I can go so much faster!

The new Palenque

And the old one

Use my water bottle for scale and imagine how big these rocks are that they moved.

Random reunion with Karl and Gwenynn, with their two friends from Spain they just made on the right

Fellow cycle travelers heading towards Palenque

Flat smooth black top with no wind = ecstasy on a bike

I thought this was one of the better signs: Be careful driving, your family is waiting.  I see lots of signs that advise to drive carefully, not to drive tired, not to drive drunk, very regularly

Just 30 pesos, and make for some satisfying treats during a break from riding.

Some large mosquitoes sometimes

When the ground is too hard or rocky to jam my broken tent poles in the ground, I've got to get creative to keep the poles from moving in the wind

Great timing as a thunderstorm passed, I was having a break at a toll booth on the cuota before Campeche.  I waited for the downpour to stop.

The tastiest cookies

Frijole soup with tortillas, some tomatoe sauce, cream, and cheese.  Typical food for Campeche.

My new friends in Hecelchakán.  I stopped at a water filtering place (purificadora), to fill up.  As I rested in the shade while they filled my bottles, I asked where a good spot to go was to try the local fare.  They invited me into their home next door, made me a couple bowls of frijole soup, gave me ice cold coke.  One of the best breaks I've ever had.  When I left, the woman told me "Whenever you come back to Hecelchán, you'll always have a home waiting for you".

Downtown Hecelchakán, I never would have seen it if it wasn't for my friends at the purificadora

Mérida, Yucatan, México

Sunset from Ken and Erin's roof

Ah clean laundry, and even clean sleeping bag, drying out

Delicious dinner with Ken

Every night sunsets like these, amazing

Every Saturday night they put on a good show in downtown

Ken riding out of town with me

Fossilized sea shell

Daily routine, building cumulus turns into a thunderstorm, then sweeps in and pours on me

One of the worst places I've had to camp, but I had to with a flat tire and it was getting dark.  Another place people use to dump their trash

Cenote to myself near Libre Union

Felt amazing to go for a swim

Had a few of these damn things that give me a flat.  I think they're from the belt of car tires

I was riding through pouring rain late in the day (usual) and I cam across an accident.  An SUV had slid out, and flipped off the road (you can see it lying in the trees just off the road).  There were a couple people that had pulled over to help.  A girl  had smashed her face kind of bad, she had cuts on her face and one of her eyes was swollen shut.  They were using a tarp to keep the water off of her, as they waited for the paramedics/police to come.  They asked if I had any nylon or anything because their tarp was leaking.  Good thing I have my black sheet, and we used that to keep the strong rain off of her.  I think this was the second or third accident I've come across.  Before I was feeling miserable in the rain.  Leaving after the police arrived (and somebody showed up with an umbrella to keep the water off), I suddenly had a weight lifted from me and a fresh perspective while riding.  I hope she is alright.

Maybe I'll make a quick detour to see everybody

The totaled car after the accident had past me, when I reached Valladolid they were unloading it at the junkyard

Riding another 30km in the dark

So excited

Just in time

Cozumel

Is this a swimming pool or the ocean?

Going diving, our boat to the left

Between dives we took a break at a beach to eat and swim

Simone's got a turtle sanctuary in his yard

Mi casa is good again!

Other tent Peter had sent, much more discrete with green color and much bigger.  It's all mesh on the inside, will be good for the heat through Central America

The boardwalk in Cozumel

What's left of my gloves after almost a year of use, and 13,000km

Simone

Photos by Simone.  This was our boat.

He likes to have fun

We went through caverns like this in the reef.  Notice how clear the water is.

Saw so many turtles like this.  A few times saw them feeding on sponges.  They use their front fins to hold the sponge while they chomp away, the waiting nearby fish collect the leftovers.  They can hold their breath for about an hour.

I was planning on stopping by here in Guatemala, but the route I've gone would require me to back track quite a bit.  Something for a return trip: