San Sebastian Xolalpa

August 31, 2021 to September 1, 2021

31 August 2021

Our body clocks are still out of kilter and we woke up at three o'clock again this morning. At six o'clock I got up and wandered off to the airport to buy some coffee, fruit juice and pastries for breakfast - there is no way I was going to spend any more money at the hotel. I also picked up a data SIM card for a spare cellphone that I am carrying so that we can use it with Google Maps. By eight o'clock we had wheeled our bicycles out of the hotel and starting the dreaded task of getting out of Mexico City.

Cycling out of a big city is almost always nerve-wracking and ugly and Mexico City wasn't going to break that mold. Still, there is something exhilarating about it and as much as we invariably hate the experience we always seem to come back for more. After thirty four kilometers of hell we eventually turned off onto a toll road heading up to Teotihuacan and perversely the traffic got a lot easier.

At midday we rolled into the little town of San Sebastian Xolalpa which lies next to the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. We found the Hotel Quetzalcalli for which we had seen OK reviews, checked in and headed off to buy some lunch. The hotel is close to the pyramids and we plan to spend much of tomorrow visiting them. While picking up our lunch of tacos and chorizo I noticed my front wheel was flat, the cause being a piece of wire from a blown truck tyre.

We are both feeling tired now, more from lack of sleep than from the ride. In fact, from a physical point of view the ride was really easy being mostly flat and in nice riding weather. The forecast had been for thunderstorms to break out at midday and so we expected to get wet sometime during the ride. But the rain has held off and as late afternoon approaches the thunder clouds are really only starting to build up steam.

1 September 2021

We enjoyed a great day at the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon today. I was completely blown away by the extent of the complex. What a great place to have our first taste of pre-Hispanic history.

Before we set out for the pyramids I enjoyed a bit of time watching the birds in the garden of our digs.

Vermillion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus). The male is brightly coloured but the female is rather drab.

Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), appears to have been assembled from spare parts.

Then it was a short cycle to the pyramids and a LOTS of walking and climbing. Unfortunately, many areas were closed off, including the museum and the climbs to the tops of the pyramids. None the less, it was a magnificent experience. In the end we were pretty tired - imagine how we would have felt had we been able to climb the pyramids!

The temple of Quetzacal at the southern end of the complex.

Some of the ruins excavated along the Avenue of the Dead.

I slept better last night but Leigh is still struggling to adjust. It is now four thirty in the afternoon and I am having to keep talking to her to keep her awake. I think the lack of sleep has been compounded by the physical day and it is very likely we will spend an extra day here in San Sebastian to rest and get some work done.

Today's ride: 58 km (36 miles)
Total: 58 km (36 miles)

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