Category: Countryside

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Sun Ceremony At Mogote

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At noon on May 8 the sun is directly overhead in Oaxaca so objects cast no shadow to the side. In ancient times this was considered a propitious day to begin construction of a home or temple. Our Sunday bike group just happened to be at the old temple ruins in San Jose el Mogote on this very day and witnessed a ceremony marking the occasion. A small assembly of young people re-enacted a ritual of purification celebrating the event. Prayers and invocations were recited and the group – including our bikers – danced around the sacred circle. This was a wonderful and totally unexpected addition to an otherwise pleasant but ordinary ride.

  • A sacred circle was laid out atop the temple pyramid in Mogote on 8 May.
  • The circle was adorned with flowers, fruit, grain and sea shells.
  • Participants in the ritual were purified using incense, chants and the blowing of a conch.
  • Elaborate rattles were worn on the legs.
  • A giant conch sounded repeatedly.
  • Bikers in our group joined in the dancing around the sacred circle . . .
  • . . . to the beat of a drum . . .
  • . . . and the sound of rattles.
  • Meanwhile riders in two other Oaxaca clubs passed by the Mogote site.
    which is a popular destination for Sunday outings.
  • Eventually it was time to get back in the saddle and pedal home.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Ride Routes

Sunday Ride: Derailed and Deflated

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Dhruba volunteered to lead our outing on Sunday, 1 May 2022 and planned a long ride through the Tlacolula valley, going to the village of San Marcos Tlapazola, famous for the red clay pottery many women of the town produce and sell. Ten cyclists gathered in the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo for the 9 am departure. While on the bike path to Tule we encountered a roadie going our way, so he accompanied us as far as Rojas de Cuauhtemoc. Sad to say, the ride was plagued by the failures of the rear derailleurs on three bikes and flat tires suffered by two other members of the group. This was a most unusual – and unwelcome – occurrence, as we rarely have any mechanical problems on our Sunday excursions. These breakdowns slowed the group considerably, as we spent about 90 minutes dealing with the several problems. Two of the riders had to complete the ride on single-speed bikes when their rear derailleurs proved inoperable. Even so, the gang pedaled on and completed the circuit successfully. However, it was 6 pm by the time riders got back to Oaxaca – making for a grueling nine hours in the saddle. That included a most welcome stop for a late lunch at a favorite restaurant in Santa Maria del Tule on the last leg of the journey. It was a tired and sunburned bunch who finally made it home at the end of the day. The stats for the ride: 80.3 kms (49.9 miles) with 553 meters (1815 feet) of elevation gain and loss in the course of the ride.

Lots of open countryside in the Tlacolula valley.
The first of three bikes having a derailleur failure on the ride.
Despite having several competent mechanics in the group,
the rear derailleur could not be repaired.
Our leader felt the ride was jinxed because of all the problems and delays.
Once arrived in San Marcos Tlapazola exhausted and behind schedule
riders relished a chance to relax with snacks and cold beverages.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Ride Routes

Lobera Or Bust

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Steve was the ride leader today and proposed the group of eight cyclists pedal to the village of La Lobera, situated at the western edge of the Zimatlan valley some 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles) directly west of Zaachila. The moderate out & back ride covered a distance of 50.4 kilometers (31.3 miles), most of it on fairly level terrain. The overall elevation gain and loss of 422 meters (1386 feet) was accomplished mainly in the last 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) before reaching the destination. In that segment the first 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) had a very mild gradient of 2.5%, but the final 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) into Lobera averaged a steeper grade of 10%. As has become our custom when going this way, the group stopped at the Sabor A Ti restaurant for cold drinks and some delicious home-cooked Mexican dishes. Even with the lunch stop the group got back to Oaxaca in 4.5 hours, passing through Cuilapam both going and coming. Needless to say, it was a perfect day to be out on a bike, with clear skies and the thermometer hovering around 26ª Celsius (80º Fahrenheit). You just gotta love Oaxaca’s weather!

  • Two of today’s riders had never seen the monastery ruins in Cuilapam,
    so of course we had to stop there for a group photo.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Easter Ride to Jalapa del Valle

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Easter Sunday dawned bright and clear in Oaxaca on 17 April 2022, with a forecast high temperature of 33ºC / 92ºF. Four cyclists elected to skip church services and Easter egg hunts in favor of a somewhat challenging ride through the countryside – some of the hill climbs had grades of 12% or more. The destination chosen for the day was Jalapa del Valle, a very small village on the Rio Jalapilla at the western edge of the Etla Valley. Pedaling along at a moderate pace and stopping several times for cold drinks and snacks, the group finished the ride in 5.5 hours. When all was said and done, the gang covered 50.7 kilometers / 31.5 miles from start to finish, with an elevation gain and loss of 688 meters / 2259 feet along the way. A good time was had by all.

  • Two of the four riders on today’s outing.
  • Cranking up another long hill climb.
  • At times the uphill sections seemed endless.
  • Finally! Some serious downhill.
  • Warm weather and lots of climbing required several stops for water or cold drinks.
  • Still able to smile, despite fatigue.
  • Moving right along.
  • Miles and miles of wide open space.

Countryside, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Presas of Tomaltepec

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Patrick G. was the ride leader today – Sunday, 27 February 2022 – and elected to take the gang out to the presas in the mountain valley just above Santo Domingo Tomaltepec. A mixed group of fifteen men and women assembled in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am for the start of the ride. Two of them were newcomers to the band – Sam S., visiting Oaxaca with his wife and two children from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada, and Ulises, a young Oaxaqueño. After pedaling to Tule, where several of the group were fascinated by their first view of the massive tree in the churchyard, the riders moved on through Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and then took a dirt road up valley to the second and more scenic of the two reservoirs. Four of the band were enticed into the lake for a swim while the rest spent time relaxing and chatting in the woods. Most of the riders turned back to Oaxaca at that point, with just two pressing further on to the ultimate end of the trail before heading for home. The total distance covered on the day’s excursion was about 38 kilometers (24 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 228 meters (750 feet). The ride was rated as easy and the group moved at a leisurely pace. Everyone seemed to enjoy another perfectly wonderful day.

  • Cyclists arriving in Santa Maria el Tule.
  • Pausing to admire a wall mural.
  • One of the happy bikers in today’s group.
  • Fascinated by the ancient cedar tree in the church yard.
  • Pedaling through the countryside between Tule and Santo Domingo Tomaltepec.
  • Toll station: paying the 15 peso fee to ride through communal land.