Category: Photos

     It is Sunday, the twelfth day of July – midway through the summer of 2020. Mexico is still in the grip of the coronavirus crisis, with thousands of new cases of Covid-19 being reported every day. But it has been four full months since restrictive measures were put in place to slow the spread of the pandemic, and people are weary of staying home and desperate to get back to work. So now many stores and restaurants are reopening and lots of street vendors have once again set up stands to sell their merchandise. People are walking a tightrope, torn between social distancing and getting the economy back in gear. Through these past several precarious months the ability to go mountain biking each week has been a lifeline, a welcome antidote to pandemic funk.

     Four bikers showed up for today’s group ride. Two of them are new to the area and had never ridden to Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and the two presas not far up a nearby mountain valley. So that was voted the day’s destination. Ours was not the only group pedaling around the countryside on this bright, sunny morning. We encountered lots of other cyclists along the way, some riding alone but most in groups of from four to eight bikers. There were also several family groups hiking along country roads. We moved at a leisurely pace, taking almost six hours to cover the round-trip distance of almost 24 miles (38.6 kms), counting a lunch stop at the market in Tlalixtac on the way back to Oaxaca.

One of the oldest but least known archeological sites near Oaxaca is the temple mound at San José el Mogote, It is thought that at one time Mogote was the largest and most influential settlement in the Valles Centrales and was likely the center of political and economic power of the earliest Zapotec kingdom, from which Monte Alban sprang. There is a small but interesting museum adjacent to the temple ruins. These made a fine destination for an easy bike ride for a half-dozen riders on the second day of July in 2020. With the coranavirus pandemic still in full swing, this outing was a welcome escape from the confines of the city and a chance to stretch one’s legs and lungs in the open countryside. The round-trip distance amounted to 24.2 miles (39 kms) over relatively flat terrain where the elevation gain and loss amounted to a mere 190 feet (58 meters). Bikers finished the outing in three hours, riding at a leisurely pace.

For more information about the history of San José el Mogote, go to:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jos%C3%A9_Mogote

Robert recently moved to Oaxaca from Baja California and has been anxious to meet and ride with fellow expat mountain bikers who call Oaxaca their home. This last day of June was chosen to make it happen. Larry, Ron, Alex and Tom set out at 9 am and rode the bike path to Tule, where Robert was waiting for them. After introductions were complete, the group pedaled on to Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and then Tlalixtac, where all were eager to ride the Los Molinos trail. It was a beautiful morning for a bike ride through the countryside. The air was fresh after a heavy thundershower the night before. Farm fields in the valley and wooded mountain slopes were verdant with spring growth. The total distance traveled amounted to 27.4 miles (44.1 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of 1280 feet (390 meters) on the circuit. Everyone expressed satisfaction with the day’s outing.

For weeks on end the Central Valley of Oaxaca has been smothered in a thick grey haze, likely caused by forest fires in March and early April. On most days one could not see the mountains from one side of the valley to the other. Finally – almost miraculously – a clear day dawned on Sunday, 31 May.  With blue skies overhead and nary a remnant of the smog-like blanket, five bikers set out to ride from Oaxaca to Teotitlan del Valle and back. Two of the number, Tonio and Todd, were first-time riders with this group, which normally consists of retired expats who live full-time in Oaxaca. All were cheered by the crisp, clear air and eager for a great pedaling experience. Setting out at 8:30 am from the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo, the riders followed the paved bike path to Tule, then continued eastward on country roads to Tlacochahuaya and Dainzu before veering to the north through Macuixochitl and Teotitlan to the reservoir just north of town. It was a perfect day for such an outing. The full round-trip distance amounted to 39.6 miles (63.7 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of 1086 feet (331 meters) along the way.