Day 12 – Colima to Morelia

Up at about 6:30 for breakfast in the hotel at about 7:30. The hotel restaurant food is pretty fabulous, but service is slow. They do keep free breads and rolls coming along with good coffee, until the orders arrive. Most restaurants start with a fruit plate, that normally has cantaloupe, guava, watermelon and pineapple, so we sat around gabbing through the starters, then through the eggs and chorizo, or eggs and ??? Very pleasant.

We were on the road by 8:30, with a long day ahead. The first part of the ride took us to the South of the Volcan de Colima(Colima Volcano), which obediently sent up a plume for a photo op.

Most of the days ride was through villages, over the topes and around the slow trucks. Slow moving. We stopped at a Pemex about 100 miles into the 250 mile day for gas, and waited for Ken in the support truck. After waiting a half hour, Roger backtracked, but didn't find him. After a few cell phone messages, we determined he'd taken a turn that led him around the town we were in, so he was ahead of us. Realize the support truck can't move nearly as quickly as the bikes through traffic, so can fall behind in days like today. Roger arranged a meeting place, but we'd lost nearly an hour, and the traffic did not get any better.

We finally caught up with Ken at about 1PM at the next gas stop. We quickly gassed up and headed out looking for an acceptable lunch stop, Roger's usual was closed. We found a Mom & Pop eatery and were served several meats(carnitas, roast beef & ??) with salsa and chiles. Tortillas were brought to the table & we had a nice Mexican country lunch.

 



Tacos de la dia and cokes(for the caffeine) under the tent

Back out to the bikes and looking out from the truck is a small dog. Seems Ken had seen a dog running around the truck stop looking in incoming vehicles for whoever had likely dumped it there. She was wearing a harness made from poly cord that had broken and was frayed and she kept coming back to see him after each encounter. Soft hearted Ken couldn't leave her, so put her in the truck and brought her along. He's got some good vet friends back home and is figuring out how to get her across the border and home. He already has 3 dogs and 2 horses, plus outside cats, so he's a good soul.




Hello Aero!(pedigree name is Aero Stich of course)

Jim, either removing or adding layers. I suspect adding!!

After pretty much alternating  riding, and slowing, through many small villages, then some open road to make up time, we unfortunately got into Morelia about 6:30PM(dark). Riding through heavy city traffic in the daytime is challenging. It was not fun in the dark. We got to the Hotel de la Soledad and unloaded luggage from the bikes and then had to move them to the hotel's parking/valet facility about 4 blocks away and walk back. I was in “I hate cities and what am I doing here” mode. Back at the hotel I Skyped with Kath for awhile and then met in the hotel restaurant for a very nice meal. Mine was thin sauteed strips of beef(not sure what cut, but very tender) with a savory sauce. My psyche had been restored. 


Twin towers of the beautiful church, lit up that night.

I retired early to be ready for a walk around Morelia the next morning. Our next day would be a short 100 miles and we'd leave around noon.