Well, Tim is home safe and sound, so with a clear conscience and a simplified task ahead I pedaled out of Tomatlan onto the last ride of the trip. Not an easy ride, though - a climb from 200 up to 1000 metres above sea level, just touching on some pine forest, then plummeting down to sea level into Puerto Vallarta. I started very tired, the legs were heavy, and the first flattish 40km went by too slowly. Then the climb began. I smacked myself into wakefulness, the task now immediate and in front. Up, up, up. Not like before, not like the big rise out of Cordoba to Mexico's high plateau, or the (even worse) hellishly body-and-soul-destroying ride through the Carretera de la Muerte, but enough to make me grind it out and look forward to the summit. Just after passing El Tinto (into the pine forest) I crested, and laughed out loud, it was all over, pretty much, the hard part was over. All the hills behind now, the countless, aching, sweating climbs, the thousands of kilometres. Now, all would be easy.
I rocketed down, fully enjoying the beautiful, winding, rolling descent from pine to palm and the Pacific. Then, past a series of megaresorts and luxury homes to get to Puerto Vallarta proper. A few phone calls helped with the airline and ticket changes (thanks Tim and Dad!) and now I'm set, flying home tonight, my flight 5 hours away. So this will be the last entry of the trip.
Mexico. Its changed a lot in the past 20 years, and is not the dirt-poor country it used to be, not so long ago. Generally this is good for the bike tourist, and tourist in general - a wide range of accomodation options, food and drink are generally and frequently available. The roads are good, the drivers are decent, the people are friendly, helpful, and safe to be among. Its still a great value for the $$, still... everything is cheaper here than at home, about 50% on average. Its certainly more developed than most countries I've cycled in, notably ahead of the 5 Central American countries to the South of it, and more developed than most of the Asian and African countries I've been to (except Singapore). Not quite First World, but definitely not Third World - maybe on par with Morocco or Turkey, but hard to say. There is very little heart-wrenching poverty, at least on the surface, and we travelled in some of the poorest areas of the country. I certainly would come back!
Sunrise over a misty field in Mexico
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