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Trumpets In My Head II

Having arrived at Oaxaca I've spent a couple of days enjoying the city and then continued the ride to the coast over the mountains.

And there have been many surprises ahead of me.



Places mapped by Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Oaxaca

People have mentioned that Oaxaca is a lovely place so I knew what to expect and I wasn't disappointed

Full of cafés, art galleries and very colorful, Oaxaca is very likeable and has the vibe of cultural capital

In bloom and with beautiful murals, just walking through its narrow streets is a pleasure (luckily, because most places are closed anyway!)

It's also full of colonial architecture, baroque churches (as much as I dislike baroque, some of places were definitely worth a visit)

Church of Santo Domingo, flickering with gold, must've been making huge impression on indigenous people in XVI century. It's also a popular place for weddings today

But nature needs balance 😈

Alebrije, hand painted wooden carvings, are very popular in galleries across the city.

As is mezcal in numerous mezcalerias, which are to be found on every corner. Not a surprise given the fact that Oaxaca is "the capital" of this (very strong!) agave alcohol

Mexico clearly is not without problems and Oaxaca is one of the most rebellious states trying to protest against injustice, which can be seen in the city, but it also has its high cost for inhabitants

Did I mention music before? Mariachi, originally from Guadalajara, are as Mexican as it gets

Time to go!

Into the mountains!

Back in the mountains and among cacti, hundreds of kilometers of dirt roads ahead

Mezcal in early stages of making

No hotels on my way to the coast, but with this type of sunsets, who cares?

Today I'm climbing these hills on the horizon

I woke up early but still I was not first on the road

Normally I'm trying to avoid dirt roads when I'm on a bike, but this trip is likely to change it. Totally different experience compared to my usual rides

Am I being watched?

Big advantage of camping is that you don't need to time the trip to end in the city at sunset (in fact you only time to avoid ending in the city), so you can enjoy the light of slowly setting sun

And you can stop anywhere. Like somewhere behind this corner for example

One of the most popular cars in the area

San José del Pacífico is known for "magical mushrooms". Answering the question I'll be asked now, no - I didn't, I didn't want my bike to turn into an unicorn

Mushrooms or not, ended up in clouds

And then a village, in the middle of nowhere, tens of kilometers from everything, built almost vertically

And a cow

Occasionally visibility was limited to less than 10 meters

Place felt very much like foothills of Himalayas

From the coast to CDMX

And at the end of the road beach is waiting for me

Sometimes even coffee can be an adventure

I've found many friends in Mexico. Going back to Mexico City

City is full of places reminding of its rich heritage

And one of the biggest surprises - it's really bike friendly! Full of cycling lanes, people on bikes and various other types of infrastructure. Not what I expected.

Has its peculiarities too

nd Frida Kahlo's creations are not the most unusual of them

Because business is all about good marketing

I started with a comment about music. When you connect this with business, interesting ideas emerge. Bus ride was unforgettable

Ride almost as good as destination - one of the biggest pyramids in the world

And before I go, last evening at a café located in a place with a literary feel


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Location: Oaxaca, Mexico

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