Bikepacking 7000km Through Mexico: Jesus Estrada

Jesus Estrada first got the idea for cycling as a way of travel when he saw one of his friend's doing it. He knew this was something he wanted to try for himself and after a few years of getting this idea he put it into action with a bike tour through Mexico - a perfect way to learn more about his own country.

He shares what it was like to travel slowly through the landscape, the incredible connections he made with strangers and also what he learnt about his own country from the coastal routes through to the jungle and ancient archeological pyramids - this was an adventure that really had it all.

You can follow Jesus via his instagram channel and see more about his adventure - @aveintaporhora  Want to listen to his mini episode -check it out here

Join me on the  Seek Travel Ride Lightweight Bikepacking Tour!
6 night - 5 day tour through the Pyrenees Foothills.
Dates - June 28 - July 04
Start and Finish: Toulouse
Cost €1550 per person twin share
Find Out more and Book Your Spot Here

Chapters

• 4:54 Growing up with Bicycles
• 5:46 Discovering Mexico by Bike
• 8:01 Planning out the Journey Around Mexico
• 12:42 The Reality of Bike Touring
• 18:18 Experiencing Chiapas and Campeche
• 27:27 Connections on the Road
• 37:58 The Role of Food and Drink in the Journey
• 44:31 Wild Camping Experiences
• 49:38 Post-Adventure Blues
• 55:36 Lessons From the Journey
• 1:04:51 A Day in Campeche
• 1:08:11 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Transcript

Jesus: 0:00

Also, what I want to say, and this is important, you will not be fully prepared. Never don't let this preparation get in between for me was okay. I was thinking, Oh, I need to take care of my bike. I need to learn everything about the bike. If something happens. And I think it's something good. I'm working on it. But if I wait on to know everything about my bike to do this bike tour, probably I will never do it. And also it's, uh, for me it was kind of a decision, because after all this, after preparation, what you have to know, I buy my plane ticket. When I buy my plane ticket, it was like, now it's real.

Bella: 0:42

Welcome to the Seek Travel Ride podcast, where we share the stories and experiences of people who have undertaken amazing adventures by bike. Whether it's crossing state borders, Hello, I'm your host, Bella Molloy, and I'm excited to introduce my guest for today's episode of Seek Travel Ride, Jesus Estrada. Jesus is an adventure cyclist and storyteller from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He has a background in sociology, cultural studies, and filmmaking, and in December 2023, he set out on an adventure to cycle across Mexico from Tijuana to Cancun. This journey took Jesus through 12 Mexican states, across diverse landscapes, and gave him countless cultural experiences, pedaling just under 7, 000 kilometers in total. Now, something at the very heart of this adventure was for Jesus to embrace the philosophy of slow travel. He even named this ride, when translated back into English from Spanish, at 20 kilometers per hour. For Jesus, using the bicycle served as a perfect means to explore new areas as well as allowing him to connect deeply with the people he would meet along the way. He cycled the Baja Peninsula, the Pacific coast, and through the mountains and ancient Mayan temples of Chiapas, before eventually arriving at the Caribbean Sea. I'm super looking forward to hearing about the highs and also the lows of this journey taken by Jesus. And how his experiences have transformed not just how he sees his own country of Mexico, but also what he has learned about himself. Jesus Estrada, welcome to the show. Hi, Bella.

Jesus: 2:43

Thank you for inviting me and I'm happy to be here talking with you.

Bella: 2:46

I'm super stoked, Jesus, I know we have been messaging for, it feels like ages now, and when I first heard about your journey, I thought, I need to get you on the show, so I'm glad it's happening now.

Jesus: 2:57

Yeah, as I say to you, like, a month, or I don't know, when we start talking, your show was, for me, a very important reference to planning, to get confidence, you know, to hear another people's experiences. And I learned a lot about other cycle travelers stories, so I'm glad to be in your show now, you know?

Bella: 3:22

That is so cool, Jesus, because also there will be people who will now listen to your story, and they'll be learning a lot from you and your experiences too. The other thing is, because you listen to the show, you know 100 percent what my first question to you is going to be, and that is, Jesus Estrada, do you remember the very first bicycle you ever rode?

Jesus: 3:43

Um, well, I don't know if this is my very first ride on a bicycle, but at least it's my first memory. It was in San Luis Potosi, in a place, in a very beautiful park. It was with my dad. My dad buy me a bicycle, I was like five years old. So I remember he behind me touching my, my, my seat, you know, try to keep me in balance and helping me to finally pedaling and riding a bike without help. Obviously, first tries I miss, but I remember that that very first day I do it, I ride and since then bicycle is part of my life and I'm very grateful of that.

Bella: 4:32

I think when I ask people what their first memories are, especially when it's with a parent who's helped coach them along, some people have like training wheels or stabilisers, some people just have to learn their balance. So I can just picture your dad holding your bike seat there and just the feelings of joy that you would have had as a child when you first Learned to just go and pedal and keep your own balance as well. Did you ride bikes a lot then growing up? Where you grew up, was it a great place to go riding?

Jesus: 4:59

Yeah, well, you know, my, my dad, he compete in competitions of bicycle, not so pro, but amateur, you know, like local competitions, but since the very early age, I started like competing with my jersey, you know, Whatever. But in some age, I start like not interested in bicycles. So I start like playing soccer. Then I play skateboard and other sports. And when I was a teenager and probably a little bit older, I started using the bicycle as a way to move around the city, right?

Bella: 5:36

Local commuting. Exactly.

Jesus: 5:38

Yeah. And that's the way how the bicycle started like going back into my lifestyle and It's become like a very important thing for me.

Bella: 5:46

This whole episode, Jesus, is going to be a way for me to learn all about Mexico because I will put my hand up unashamedly and say, I don't know a whole lot about it. It was a previous guest of the podcast, Ali Denim. Hi Ali. He rated Mexico as one of the top countries to go cycle touring through. And I hold Ali's views with a lot of respect because he has spent the last 12 years being, I guess, a full time cycle tourist. But, he highlighted to me that I don't know much about Mexico, so I'm going to ask you questions. I hope they don't sound silly, but where you grew up, were you in a big city? Was it a smaller town? Were you in the countryside? Were you by the coast? And what was your experience like in the outdoors growing up?

Jesus: 6:29

Okay, well, I grew up in the same state where I was born. Which is San Luis Potosi. I will say that it's not one of the biggest cities in the country. I will say it's a middle industrial city. There are like very big cities like Mexico City or Monterrey or Guadalajara. And San Luis Potosi is a smaller city. But I remember that in San Luis there is this beautiful park where when I was thinking in my very first ride, I realized That probably that park have witnessed a lot of people learning to ride a bicycle, right? Because it's a place where, I mean, there is cars, obviously, but the cars cannot be fast. The priority is on the guys who are walking, and then bicycle. So it's a very safe place to learn to ride a bicycle. So I realized that probably this park is a very common place where kids learn to ride a bicycle. So, in that sense, it's very beautiful to watch and to see and to think this park in that way. Right?

Bella: 7:41

I love that. In fact, it's funny. I think it's because of the first question I ask on the show, but often when I'm on a walk somewhere and I see like a young child on a bike and they're very much a beginner, I think, oh wow, I wonder one day, will someone ask them, do you remember your first bike ride? And could this be the memory that you're going to remember? It's a funny thing to think about. So, you called your journey at 20 kilometers per hour, so I'm guessing the motivations to take this journey was really about experiencing travel in that slow form. But I want to know, it's one thing to sort of commute from your home to your workplace or a supermarket or to a friend's house, but what gave you the idea to actually think, I'm going to take a really long journey across my country?

Jesus: 8:27

Well, the idea Of travel on bike across my country. It came, uh, because one day, one day I was living in Tijuana, probably like almost eight years ago when I was moving back to St. Louis, I took on my, on my car all the way to, through the peninsula. So probably you will know that the peninsula, it's a very well known spot for do bike touring. Is this the Great Divide, the cross country road through the peninsula? And almost a lot of people who travel across Mexico do this, do the peninsula trip, because it's a beautiful, beautiful highway. When you hit the Pacific, and then you hit the California Gulf, And you hit the desert and actually there's not a lot of cars. There is not a lot of population, but it's a, for me, I feel like a very safe place to do a bike touring. So when I was moving back, I saw a friend of mine, a guy who I know, his name is Mariano, probably he's listened to the show. Hi Mariano. Hola. He was making this trip. And when I saw him, I say, okay. If I want to do this trip in some point in some moment, probably in the future, I don't know when, but see him was like the seed of a journey that I did it. Eight years later, because before that I didn't follow like people who was traveling on bikes on social media. I didn't have this, uh, this experience, this curiosity, right? So when I saw him, that was the first thing that hit me and realized I want to do this in some moment of my life, but also because I feel like for me, it's really inspiring. When you saw people on social media, of course you say, wow, I want to do this in some moment, but when you see somebody that you know, but I feel like, okay, if he can do it. I can do it. I feel like more close to my life and this inspiration actually is like, okay, if it's like that, I mean, if, if he's doing it, I can do it too, right?

Bella: 10:49

Yeah, it becomes more achievable for you. You can believe like, I know this person, they can do it. I know that I could do it too. And so it becomes more of a goal that could be a reality rather than, you know, a pie in the sky type of dream. Absolutely.

Jesus: 11:02

Exactly. So that's how it was, right?

Bella: 11:05

So, you got that idea years ago. How did you make it a reality to set off in, when was it, December 2023? How did you decide, okay, this is it, now I'm going to do it?

Jesus: 11:15

Um, I mean, that idea was like in standby in my mind, in my heart, and I don't know, but sometimes these journeys, because for me, like do this bike tour was a kind of a epic journey. I mean, it's not, uh, like going from holidays or whatever. What's like more like a pilgrimage. It's like a big thing in your life, right? Especially if it's your first trip. So those kind of trips for me, I feel like sometimes it's more like a call because even if you have the idea, you, sometimes you don't have the moment you are on a job or you have another responsibilities. And because it's not easy to leave behind a lot of stuff, your social life, your family, your job, your house, all your facilities, you know, your lifestyle, it's not easy, I mean, I feel like sometimes it's like, Time, like a synchronicity that happens and also like a call because also you feel like I need it. I want this. And also the time allows you and say, okay, well, you want to do that now is the time. And then you just have to take the decision, right? That I think is when you bought your flight or when you like, it's no way back. Right. It's like.

Bella: 12:41

Exactly. I know that you mentioned how you listened to like this podcast to give you some ideas and inspiration and hear from other guests experiences to help you with the planning of this journey for yourself, but I want to know how detailed did you actually plan this journey? Like, did you set off with a, a route that mapped out that you would follow? Did you? Not have a, a set route, but rather an idea. I'm going to go from here to here and how I get there each day. I don't know how much I travel each day. I don't know. Like, how much did you plan knowing that this was a goal for you for so many years?

Jesus: 13:22

Well, I plan it, but when I start doing the trip, I realized that the plan. It really didn't gonna be like the same exactly that I planned it. And, and also I realized when I was planning that I can't plan everything. So I will say that what I was really sure is gonna be a journey from Tijuana to Cancun. It will start with the whole peninsula because, you know, it's like a kind of an island. There's not a lot of ways to go to it. And uh, but after that, I, I didn't realize how, what will be the route, right? I mean, in my heart, I, uh, and also because of the strategy, because it was a low budget journey, uh, I was thinking, okay, well. You hear stories that the country in some places can be dangerous, right? Mm hmm. For me, it was like some kind of intuition and also a little bit of research. And I say, okay, probably the coast will be a little bit more safer than if I go into mainland and go across big cities. Probably it will be more safer if I pedal the whole coast. And probably in the coast will be more easy to set up a camp. And also I didn't want to go to big cities, but this was my case because as a Mexican, I already know like very important cities with the beautiful architecture. And I hear like that some other people who travel on bike want to go on these big cities because there is pyramids or some cultural thing very important and very beautiful that that's why they go from all in big cities or something like that. So for me, it was okay. I mean, I already know those places and I feel I can be safer, more cheaper. I love the sea. I mean, I like surfing, so I can go to the whole coast from north to south and I'm going to be okay with that. But things happen on the road, right? I mean, it's hard to plan or sometimes you wake up and you don't know where you're going to sleep. I plan what I can, but also was a very flexible plan, open to changes, to whatever.

Bella: 15:51

Often if people have got a structured plan, it goes out the window early on and they realise that being flexible is Is almost a necessity on long distance travel, cause you don't know what you're going to see. You don't know what the weather's going to do or the challenges or, you know, sometimes there's equipment breakages, but on the very other side, the other reason to remain flexible is I think one of the beautiful things about bike travel, Jesus, and you probably experienced this as well, was the strangers that you meet along the way that afford you these beautiful moments of unplanned time with them. That if you have a structured plan, you, you miss out on these opportunities to, to speak with them, learn from them, be invited into their houses, have a meal with them, et cetera. Would you agree with that?

Jesus: 16:36

I agree with that for sure, because speaking about hospitality, sometimes it's not easy that a family or a stranger allows you to get into his house and gives you the opportunity to stay. That's a very beautiful opportunity to stay for more days, change your program, and enjoy the opportunity to know a little bit about the place, right? Yeah. And that not always happens, and for me it's all, like, I also appreciate that, uh, that gesture of, that you can stay longer if you want to. And also, can be because of people, but also can be because of weather. Because for me, for example, one day I was like, I have a schedule and then terrible rain starts. So it was very risky. And also, I mean, I didn't expect the rain, but I will not follow my program if that will put me at risk. So it's all because of people, but because of weather. Or because you don't know actually what is on one point on the other point. If a local told you, hey. If I am, if I was you, I will not bike through this place or at this hour. So you have to also listen to those signals, to, to the locals. And I always was open to change if they suggest me or recommend me something because they know much better the places than I do.

Bella: 18:12

Yeah. And I guess it's part of the beauty of bike travel is discovering these places and discovering the experiences. I want to know then, what were the milestones and places you were especially looking forward to discovering then? You mentioned your love for the coast and the surf, but what were the places that you knew about in Mexico that you hadn't experienced yet that you couldn't wait to arrive at and see for yourself?

Jesus: 18:36

Um. Um. I will say the whole country.

Bella: 18:40

Yeah, awesome. I love this answer.

Jesus: 18:43

Because even if I've been there before in some moment of my life, I know that it will be changed experience.

Bella: 18:52

Yep.

Jesus: 18:52

So for me, it was like a red rediscovering. So actually I was like, uh, excited. And I think that's the beautiful thing about the bike, right? The traveling on bike, because the bike is a different spot to watch and see the world to experience your, the places that you already know, but when you're on experience from this, from the bike seat, it gives you like a different, a different way to feel it and to see it and to reflect the things and, and so what I wasn't excited to do the whole journey. But I was especially excited to go to Chiapas because that was one of the states that I didn't know before because I, I was already in the peninsula, I was already in Puerto Vallarta, in Oaxaca, for example, but Chiapas and Campeche, I never been there. So for me, it was like, uh. States that finally, finally, because people years ago, uh, have been telling me, Oh, you have to go to Chiapas, you will love Chiapas, you will love Campeche. So for me, it was, okay, finally, I will go after all these years. I mean, I was excited the whole journey, but Chiapas and Campeche, it was two states that I was more like, okay, finally. I will go.

Bella: 20:16

Oh, well, I have to go there. Tell me about Chiapas. What was your experience there when you got there, and what did you discover about this place you'd never been to before?

Jesus: 20:24

Chiapas. Chiapas, uh, I guess. It's one of the most special states, probably one of my favorite on this trip, and not just because it was my first time there. I stay there like for probably two months, so I stay a lot of time. So I give the, I give the Chapas plenty of time to relate, to try to understand. And for me, Chiapas was like, uh, I mean, Mexico have different Mexicos, like many other countries is not the same East, West, North, South Mexico is like that. So Chiapas is very unique, very complex. Also, because it's in the border with Guatemala. It's beautiful because you have, uh, beautiful landscapes. They have a lot of cultural communities, you know. People who've been there for many, many years before Mexico was Mexico. And it had beautiful ruins or archaeological sites.

Bella: 21:34

Yeah, wow. To discover, that would be amazing. Yeah,

Jesus: 21:38

amazing. And also have a, how can I say, you can see a little bit of a conflict. I mean, it's not unsafe things been happening in Chapas, but, but I mean, you can see like, it's, it's a very. Particular, different, complex place, but also at the same time, very warm and very beautiful and very, uh, a big mix.

Bella: 22:03

When you say experiencing places, like if I was to take you to one of those ancient ruins that you see for the first time, I always get mind blown when I'm seeing something that I feel I can never comprehend the history of the place. Like I'm looking at something that was created thousands of years ago, but how? What's it like for you in those moments, when you were at a place like that, looking at things created centuries and centuries ago?

Jesus: 22:29

Okay, well, I will say that the archaeological sites that I saw in Chiapas and Campeche, In the southeast of Mexico was like the Maya archaeological sites, which is very different from the Aztec archaeological sites or different cultures. But when I was there, I realized what is such a beautiful spot these cultures choose. to build their cities in the middle of the jungle with plenty of water and also you saw you see these big structures very big structures also align with uh i don't know how to say north south east west all these places Cardinal points. Yeah,

Bella: 23:22

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jesus: 23:23

For me, it's some words, it's hard for me to translate into English, but you can see like the, not the power, but the big, uh, the very.

Bella: 24:25

Like there's a knowledge that they had even in the ancient times to line things up perfectly like with the rising sun or the, or, you know, the solstice and the timings and. What you're talking about on the cardinal points, like you could see that those lines of polarity were just so, so important to the culture as well.

Jesus: 24:40

Yeah.

Bella: 24:42

What were the places where you found yourself when you got there? You were just in awe and you were overwhelmed by what was around you and you felt like the size of a tiny ant.

Jesus: 24:52

Hmm. Okay. Um, I remember that I was pedaling in Baja from a beach called El Sargento to a very small town called El Triunfo. And all that highway was such a lone, a lone, a lone, a lone, a lone. And that actually I was thinking if I was like, uh, in the sky, I mean, how I will see me like completely just like just a small bike in the middle of nowhere. And I was thinking, okay, I don't know if I'm gonna be on this highway. On some moment of my life again, because I mean, it was not a main highway and it was really, really alone. And I feel like so small, same time, so connected that I will always remember that route. I was in the peninsula, but I will move now to Campeche. And when I was moving to this, uh, archaeological site, call it Calakmul, for me it was one of the most beautiful places I saw in my route. I remember that I was pedaling on this Barely new highway, because I mean, they rebuild the highway. So I feel like I have a new highway for me that going to the jungle and the jungle is have a lot of trees that project like a shadow on the highway. So you are not under, under the sun. And I was seeing monkeys. And I'm seeing snakes and all different kind of animals. I remember that actually there was spiders, small worms, hanging from the trees. So you're on the bike and you need to

Bella: 26:45

Move out of the way, yeah, duck and cover, yeah.

Jesus: 26:49

Duck and cover, and I remember that I was there. And I don't know if I feel like an ant in that moment, but I was like, I was saying to myself, look, where are you? Look, where are you pedaling? You don't need anything else. I don't need anything else. I was feeling so, so rich in that moment, so privileged, so happy to be there. At some point you say, that's it. This is it. It's like a some. Shiny, like, sparkles of

Bella: 27:24

knowledge, that life lesson that you get traveling in this manner. He used a word there which I really want to grasp onto and that was connected. When I was researching about your journey, Jesus, it was something that came up a lot was Your deep connection and whether that was to where you had arrived, whether where you were setting up camp, the nature around you, the sites you were seeing, often the people that you were meeting, it was connection. And I guess you set off in this mode of travel to connect. I want to hear about some of those connections. I want to hear about some of those connections with strangers or with people that really imparted something deeply within you. What are the things that you're thinking of just straight away right now as I ask you that?

Jesus: 28:12

When you say connections. I think that the connections on this kind of trips, it happens in different, different ways because for me, that was very important because even before my trip connections with people, but also with nature was very important for me, but on this bike tour was so cool. Different the way of experience because I realize that you only need like seven days and obviously probably I'm exaggerating a little bit, but you only need like seven days to become part of a family. To when you say goodbye can be like tears, right? I mean, can be real bonding, a real connection, a real love between two people that just met. It didn't need like too many days. And it's so beautiful because this connection is different when you don't know the other person and the other person didn't know you too. Because when you connect with people that you already know, there's always kind of information behind like previous experiences and you are like, I know you cause or you I remember you from these, but when you are with somebody that you never see it before. What he knows or she knows about you is just the talking, the information, the image, just what it's happening in that very moment. And it's so beautiful how the connection happens in, in this way. And, and for me, The connections with people was very, very important. I remember that actually when I finished my journey, the first week I call by phone all the people that allow me to stay in their place or have like a very special connection. And it took me like five days to make all these phone calls.

Bella: 30:04

Wow.

Jesus: 30:05

Because for me, it was very important to even say those guys to these families. Hey, remember me? Remember that you helped me. I'm, I'm still so grateful because of you and, and I just want to, you know, that I finished my journey. So, because sometimes even these, these people get, uh, worried about you. Sometimes they don't know what happened with you. If you get to, if you're back to your family, if you're finished your, your, your goal or, or what? You just go and you didn't say anything again.

Bella: 30:42

You also realize that their curiosity about you doesn't end the day that they don't see you anymore. And also, what a gift. I'm just thinking, what an absolute gift you gave yourself. Five days to connect to those people that, that helped you along the way.

Jesus: 30:56

Yeah.

Bella: 30:57

Something else you said, you don't need a long length of time to have a deep connection to feel like you're part of someone's family. And I've interviewed a lot of guests who've, who've told me that in different ways. The way you've put it into words is so beautiful there. What a cool gift to give yourself, especially in your own country, a huge country as well. I'm guessing this was very much part of what you were hoping to experience when you, when you started your journey as well.

Jesus: 31:24

I mean, I didn't have it in mind, actually, you know, I, I didn't want to do like a, a sociology of bike touring. I was not working on a thesis, but I mean, after studying and after working on projects related to anthropology and sociology and cultural studies, obviously it's part of, uh, of myself in some point, I mean.

Bella: 31:49

It has to be part of your personality, absolutely.

Jesus: 31:52

Part of my personality, so, I mean, uh, for example, what I think it's on me when I'm bike touring, it's like all this field work, like when you are going doing some field work with some community or with some cultural scene or whatever, you go with With the intention to establish some trust, to establish some, uh, mutual relationship and to also listen very carefully what other peoples are saying, right? So it's, I think, sharp my way of listening in some ways. Also, I, I was, uh, writing about my, my trip. I realized that I don't want to came to these cultural communities with judgments or even try to speak for others about their reality. So for me, I was trying to be very careful and not just publish some post and exoticize some culture or some community just to get some likes. For me, I think it's very, I, I like to be respectful with that, you know, I, because I believe like the stories that we tell are stories that, that matter. So this was kind of the things that for me was trying to. I don't know, try to take careful and because I, I want to say, uh, another thing about connections. Also, I connect with people, but also I connect with animals, especially with dogs was so beautiful to actually, to realize, to get aware of this beautiful bonding that you have, especially when you're. With dogs, I believe, because I remember in some day I get to, uh, to a little town, these two dogs came after me. I, in the beginning, they kind of, uh, care me a little bit, but in the end, I realized that they were not, uh, aggressive. Actually, they joined me, they joined me to dinner, I set up my camp, and the next morning they were there, just wake up with me, and then when I take off my tent and start moving, continue my bike touring, they joined me again, and I was thinking, okay, these guys, they want to say goodbye to me. But when they shot me, when they start running behind my back, like five kilometers on the highway,

Bella: 34:18

It's just, they're, they're with you now.

Jesus: 34:19

They're with me. I was thinking, okay, should I take him to Cancun? But I mean, I was not prepared for that. I would love to, Oh, these guys are not going. Actually, I'm worried. I mean, these guys are, um, after five, six kilometers, I stopped my bike. I took a picture with them because I realized I didn't say a proper goodbye with them, right? I mean, they join me, take care of me, they be with me the whole night. So I go out with my bike. I hug them. And this was like on the very first week of my trip. And then I realized, okay, I think the hospitality is not exclusively human, especially with dogs. So, on my journey, when I saw dogs, it changed my way of thinking of hospitality as a more expansive way than just human. And with dogs, that was something that happened in other places. And it was also hard to say goodbye, too.

Bella: 35:15

It would be, and two things. Firstly, oh my gosh, you need to send me a photo of these dogs. And any dogs, I love that. And the second thing is, dogs are something that comes up often when I speak with guests with bike travel, and often it's the how do you deal with dogs when you come across stray dogs or wild dogs and you see dogs on your trip. It's so nice to hear about that side of your experience with the dogs as well, because I have to ask though, like, did you have some aggressive dogs as well? Like did you have moments with dogs where it was a bit, well, you know, I like you as a dog, but actually I'm a bit, I'm a bit concerned about how you are here.

Jesus: 35:51

Yeah. I am also grateful with the aggressive dogs.

Bella: 35:56

Okay, I need to know all about this. Tell me why you're thankful for aggressive drugs and what your experiences were there.

Jesus: 36:02

Okay. I remember that I was on a highway in Baja in a place called Tres Virgenes and I was filming the volcanoes because it's a volcano site and I was filming on my bike with the cell phone. And then I start just, uh, you know, the barking of a dog going behind me. And then it took me by surprise. So I start like pelling so fast and I realized, okay, this guy is not, leave it behind. So I need to pull out my barking too. And I say, and then that's the way how I scare it. But. What I say, I want to say about that I'm grateful also with the aggressive dogs is because a teacher told me one day everyone, we need a dog that love us, and also we need a tiger to take us back to reality. So for me, I mean, these aggressive dogs are not tigers, but these aggressive dogs. Put you back in reality, because the dogs that are hospitality, they give you companions, you can release, they are with you, you feel content. But the aggressive dogs is like, if you don't react, if you're asleep, you awake instantly. I mean, it's the thing that I appreciate of these dogs. Turns you back to reality and to be very awake, very, and react fast. And after you have an encounter with these dogs, you are like back again on track, like very sensitive to what's happening. Okay, I cannot sleep in any moment. So thank you very much for reminding me that I need to be all the time, like, on warning sometimes.

Bella: 37:44

It should be obvious, listeners, I do love dogs. Even the ones that make me a little bit tense on the bike, I still love dogs, and I'm unashamedly a dog person more than I am a cat person. But, uh, a little segue here. Listeners to the show aren't surprised by this. I'm a food lover, Jesus, and I want you to take me on a journey through Mexican food. And I want you to take me far away from, you know, tacos and burritos. I want you to take me to something that I don't know about and what you discovered of your own country and the different food available in all the different states you went through.

Jesus: 38:16

Okay. You touch a very important thing for me that it was food and also drinks. Because, I mean, this journey was also a journey of tastes, because even if I was, uh, preparing my own meals, especially on breakfast and for dinner, for me, it was also important to try to eat what, uh, in these places are used to eat or used to drink, or even with those families, I mean, whatever they do. Share with me. I will try it. I mean, I will not say no. Thank you. Uh, that kind of, I mean, I'm very open in this, in this sense in Baja, for example, I think there they prepare the best burritos in the whole country, you know, with this, uh, old technique that dry meat. That in Mexico, we call machaca, and this was because it's more easy to preserve the meat when you dry it. So when you mix that with the, I don't know how they do it, but they made burritos with machaca. It was one of the best meals in the journey. And then when I go into the sea. into the Pacific. Oh, what a seafood, oysters, fish. I mean, have you been, have you heard of tamales?

Bella: 39:40

I have heard of tamales, but I have not had it before.

Jesus: 39:43

Well, there's not many common in like in many cities, but in the coast, you can try shrimp tamales and, uh, they are so delicious. Oysters, fish, even the iguanas. The Iguana meat and also drinks because when you're back touring the water, they, uh, how do you say? Hidratación? Hidratación?

Bella: 40:09

Oh yeah. If it's, um, if it's not like safe to drink or something like that, it can be yeah, not pure maybe.

Jesus: 40:16

Yeah. But I mean, you drink a lot.

Bella: 40:18

Yeah. Oh, you have to.

Jesus: 40:19

You have to. So that gives you a big chance to try different. Water of, I don't know, pineapple, watermelon, different juice of different kind of fruits. And also they are like preparations, very specifical from the places. A lot of drinks and also a lot of food. And I would say that more strange food that I try, I would say a rat soup.

Bella: 40:47

Oh, wow. Yeah. That would be very strange. Where did you have that?

Jesus: 40:51

I ate that in Chiapas. We went to the market and in the market they were selling like rats, like they were vegetables, you know, like four or five.

Bella: 41:01

Wow. Oh my gosh. This is totally new to me.

Jesus: 41:05

Well, that family that hosts me that night, they told me, Oh, if you're interested in this kind of food, we will prepare a soup for you. So also it was very special. They didn't need that. And they prepare for me because they saw me. I was curious. Also, they are like, uh, very like, uh, worms when you dry it. It is more like a chips, but it's very rare. So it's not easy. It's a seasonal animal. So I was so lucky. That I go to Chiapas in that season, that month, and I have the opportunity to eat these gusanos, these worms, the name is sats, and I was so lucky, it was so delicious. Also ants. I have a list actually, I mean. I was writing all the drinks and all the dishes, all the food that I eat, and the other day I was reading the list and I said, okay, it's like 200 different things here. I mean.

Bella: 42:08

Oh, I love it. That's just fantastic. Cause to me, it's the local food in the region. It sort of tells a story of the region that you're traveling to as well. Actually, Jesus, you mentioned at the very start that you're a surfer and you love the coast. Did you ever have the opportunity to go surfing on this journey?

Jesus: 42:25

Yes, they are in Mexico, in the Pacific coast, we have a lot of surf spots and a very beautiful waves, some of them a little bigger for me because I didn't surf so often. So there are some spots, surf spots, they. When the wave is so big that I didn't try, I mean, I didn't want to put me in risk, but in two or three beaches, I actually try my surf and, and I was so happy and that it's the surf, but it's also the vibe. I want to say about that, because at some point I was. Thinking, okay, if I take the coast, uh, about 4, 000 kilometers, this will be like the same, uh, the same landscape all the time. But I mean, Mexico, uh, well, at least in the Pacific coast, that's not the case because there was like surf spots. There were like Fisher more like in a Fisherman village, feature village. Uh, there were like more like, uh. A very virgin, solitary beaches without nothing.

Bella: 43:33

The best type of beaches in my mind, like, they're absolutely the best. You feel like you have them all to yourself.

Jesus: 43:38

Yes.

Bella: 43:39

That's my type of beach, especially coming from Australia, because I'm used to beaches in Australia where there aren't many people there, and it is a gift.

Jesus: 44:13

It's a gift. And also you have the beaches when there is a lot of tourists. It's a different vibe. So even if it was like 4, 000 kilometers of coast. I didn't feel like it was the same all the way. It changed a lot. It's always changing.

Bella: 44:30

I think the surf changes it too. Like there would be some days where the surf is very flat, sometimes where the sea state is very huge and big waves rolling in.

Jesus: 44:40

Yes.

Bella: 44:41

There's a meditation watching the sea and watching waves. I imagine when I say that you know exactly what I'm talking about too.

Jesus: 44:47

I can, I can understand. Yes. I mean, it was a very beautiful and meditative spot to sleep and to hang some time.

Bella: 44:56

Yeah. You did wild camp a lot on this journey as well. I'd love to know about some of your experiences either late at night or early in the morning watching those first moments or last moments of a day when nature gives you the best gift in my mind of, you know, clouds and a sky that lights up or a clear starry sky. Like, what were those moments like for you?

Jesus: 45:18

I remember that very early in the morning. I think on this journey, I, I saw many, how do you say when the sun came up, like very

Bella: 45:28

Sunrise. The sunrise.

Jesus: 45:29

The sunrise. Many sunrise, uh, most of them very cozy, comfortable, beautiful, but also on some places. With the sunrise or with the sunset, it came like, for example, mosquitoes or animals. In some moment, the night came out and I didn't get to the place what I was thinking. And I get a really hard time with the mosquitoes pushing my bike. But I mean, also every, every sunrise and every sunset. In that moment when you wake up and you hit the road, and I mean, you're not with negative thoughts, but you know that things can happen on the highway in any moment. So every sunrise and every sunset for me was also like a very grateful moment because It was like, okay, this was a good day. I mean, I enjoy a day. I mean, thank you for, for allowing me to, now I'm on a safe place. So every morning and afternoon or sunset was like a, like a mark times that everything goes well.

Bella: 46:40

That you were able to appreciate a day and it's full, that you're safe, that you're well. That you, you lived that day, I guess.

Jesus: 46:46

Yeah.

Bella: 46:47

I do love that idea, that moment. With camping, had you done much camping before this journey? Were you, were you someone that used to go camping?

Jesus: 46:56

I love to go camping. So before I do this bike tour, when I was younger, I go to camping on another beaches with my friend.

Bella: 47:03

Yeah.

Jesus: 47:05

I also, I camp with my dad when I was younger, when I was a child. So, yeah. But. I never camping as often as this year.

Bella: 47:14

How often were you camping, like, you know, and I don't mean exact statistics, but you know, of your journey, how often were you sleeping in your tent as opposed to in a hostel or a hotel at a warm showers or with a family that invited you in, like, was it overwhelmingly the majority was camping or?

Jesus: 47:33

I think probably, yeah, I mean, probably it was like almost one third of my sleeping or probably a little bit more. And the other majority of my housing was other people's hospitality. And this can be warm showers. In Mexico, we have like a network. It's called RAC. R A C. In English, this means Cycle Traveler Support Network.

Bella: 48:03

Oh, wow. It's like a, it's own Mexican warm showers sort of type of thing. It's

Jesus: 48:07

like a kind of Mexico warm showers. We have a WhatsApp group and you in this group have people who already do this kind of journeys and they're not doing it anymore. People who are on their route right now, traveling from one point to another and people that probably they are not into bikes, but they're like to hosting people. It's like a big network and on this chat, you can say, okay, I'm going to this place. Do you know of somebody there that can help you? So also strangers that they see you on the road and they ask you, okay, where are you going? I'm going to this place. Have you have a place to stay? No, I don't have. Okay, you know, my daughter is not at home. You can stay in their place if you want to. There's not a fancy thing, but if you don't have any problems. Of course you say, I don't have any problems. Thank you so much. Yeah, but a lot of camping too. Actually, it's funny because, I mean, it's been like two months, almost two months, a little bit more, that I finished my bike tour. And this weekend I'm going to camp with some friends on the mountains. And I'm saying to them, oh, now finally I'm going to sleep at home after two months.

Bella: 49:25

Yeah, because that's your routine.

Jesus: 49:27

That was my routine.

Bella: 49:28

It always strikes me when someone finishes a big journey where you come back to your old routine, having lived a different life for so long. I mean, how has that actually been? And how has the adjustment to that been? Adjusting back to Not being a bike traveler consecutively day after day, not living out the dream and the goal that you crafted for so many years. What was it like to return back home and how have you dealt with that mental side of not being on an adventure now?

Jesus: 50:03

Um, here I, I, I, I want you to help me remember the last episode. I don't know if it was Alistair.

Bella: 50:10

Oh yeah, Alistair Humphreys, Al Humphreys, hi Al, absolutely, yeah, we talked about post adventure blues.

Jesus: 50:16

You talk about post adventure blues, when I listened to the show, I was so intrigued, and I was, I feel so, um, identified with this idea that, Okay. What happens after a journey? I mean, in the case of Alistair, I think it was gears. I mean, but I mean, when you have a long bike tour and you go back, we have very different experiences, but it's like a beautiful and very important thing for me that these last weeks I've been reflecting so much, but because I will be honest with you, Bella, I mean. At the beginning, it's kind of difficult to, to adapt or try to, yeah, to being again in the everyday life before your yearning. In some moment, I remember that I was planning another bike tour, like, but instantly, right, almost like, okay, I will just take a rest. I mean, I finished my goal, which is I'm going to Tijuana to Cancun. And I was planning after that, again, get up on the bike and start a new different bike tour. But in that moment, I was thinking, okay, okay, I mean, are you sure? I mean, or, or it's a feeling that you cannot leave behind and that's why you continue because that can be dangerous too. For me. I don't, I don't know for, for others.

Bella: 51:38

I've often wondered how sustainable it could be for people because whether it's bike travel or whatever type of adventure, if you're a hiker, even if it's just people who go on a holiday. I know a lot of people whose technique to not get the post adventure blues or post holiday blues or depression is to always have another goal to aim towards and to always plan something in the future. I'm not saying that's not valid, but I've often wondered how sustainable it is.

Jesus: 52:05

Well, for me, I, at the end, I saw that you can't do the same things when you're bike touring that when you're off the bike, first of all, it's been time with my friends and family. It's an important part of my life. People, it's important part of my life, my family, my friends. So when I'm on bike tour, I cannot spend time with them. It says, and it's something that I actually miss. And for me, it's like a garden. I like to give water to these friendships, to my family, to keep it like. Green. No, I don't know what I'm saying. But

Bella: 52:37

yeah, you know, I know what you mean. It's like cultivating and spending time with your own community.

Jesus: 52:42

Oh, with my own community. Also, my writing, because it's different when you take time and distance to make your writing. I mean, I like to take a diary and maybe write something for Instagram, for Facebook or whatever. But for me, it's different when I give to the writing. Appropriate time, process to go deep, but also not being in the moment. I mean, take some distance. I will not say it's better or worse. What I want to say is like, it's very different because you are through a different looking glass. Watching the same experiences and, and, and I like that, uh, what this time, what this distance allow me to the experience of my writing. And it's very different when you're under travel.

Bella: 53:30

I guess is it because the time allows those lessons or the reflections back to you're reflecting on the experience with more also what that taught you or what that changed about you or. You've got that gap of time there to see what you were writing about then, what transpired after. And so, you are reflecting back.

Jesus: 53:51

Yes.

Bella: 53:51

With a different view.

Jesus: 53:53

Yes. Something like that. And also because you are more, I think it's different. And also, I realize that for me it's very important too, to host another bike tours. And for hosting other bike, other cycle travelers, you don't need to travel because while you travel, other people are staying and those people who stay or are not on movement help you to, you continue your journey. So it's like beyond the other flip of the coin.

Bella: 54:25

It's paying it forward. It's sort of giving it back as well. And I guess also there's a, I think I've mentioned it before, Jesus, there was like a psychological study which showed that people actually generate more happiness when they are the person giving a gift as opposed to when they are the person receiving a gift. You know, when you were being given that gift of hospitality by someone, obviously you were extremely grateful, but I've often thought with that study in mind that then when you have the chance to do the same and give that gift of hospitality to someone else. There's also this beautiful happiness that you're gifting yourself through that act as well.

Jesus: 55:02

Yes, yes, I believe that too. So that, that's another thing that I value of not being on a bike tour and like that many other things. So that's how I decide, okay, I mean, of course I want to continue, but allows me that in this post journey blues, try to be more calm. Try to understand and evaluate the other possibilities that, when you're not on a journey, allows you to live and experience.

Bella: 55:37

I'd love to know, actually, Jesus, for someone who traveled so Much in their own country. And now with the passage of time since you have finished your journey, what's the biggest thing that you have learnt about your own country, travelling so slowly through it? What was something that this journey taught you about Mexico?

Jesus: 55:56

Hmm, um, I realised It makes me feel Mexico more bigger. I mean, it changed like the dimension of space that it's probably because of speed or, or, or time travel. So one of the things was that I realized that Mexico is much bigger than I thought, because, you know, when we travel on bike. We are like a hair, it's just like a very small line and there is a lot of land to discover and to go and get immersed. But at the same time, much bigger, but also bigger, but at the same time you can do it on bicycle. So it's kind of, I don't know, I mean, it's bigger, but at the same time it's bike can take you to all these places. I mean, after all this journey. I think I, I fell in love more about with my country. I realized that we are so privileged to be on this spot of planet earth, very close to the Ecuador, when we have this kind of weather, tropical islands with this blue, green sea waters. A lot of fruits, a lot of seafood, so for me, I realized that, that I mean, kind of a different way to live and realize how beautiful is Mexico and how privileged I feel to be on this part of, on this territory.

Bella: 57:36

It's a country with so much diversity, isn't it? Even like the peninsula you were talking about, just how diverse it is as well. And then you have, you know, the desert or the ocean and the waves that we were talking about, the jungle, the mountains, like it does really have a lot of everything, doesn't it?

Jesus: 57:53

Yeah, yeah. So for me, it was beautiful to discover again and to, to appreciate and, and I hope that actually this conversation seduce more people to, to, came and to enjoy and, and do a bike tour across Mexico, because I think it's a, it's a very beautiful place to discover and to explore.

Bella: 58:20

I think something you said near the start of this episode as well, Jesus, in that, you know, there's so many different States in Mexico, but the culture changes so dramatically as well. It's not the same country and it's the same culture throughout. There's that diversity you were talking about. And I think there's so. So much goodness about that as well. So awesome. One other question I wanted to ask you then, Jesus, was you took this on as your journey, you mentioning how you saw your friend took a journey and so then you thought, Oh, I can do this. If they can do this, I can do this. There are people who listen to the show who want to take a journey, having never done so before. And I want to know now that you have taken such a big journey, what would be your advice to someone who's thinking about it? What would you advise them? That you didn't know about until you actually set off for yourself. One of the big lessons that you would say to a beginner.

Jesus: 59:17

Okay, well, I will try to respond to that question through my own experience. And I believe like the very first thing that I feel after realizing that I want to, you know, I mean, it took the right time because you have the idea, you have like the wish, you dream about it, but to move this dream to the something real for me was like, uh, and I say for me, because I believe that this question don't have just one answer in my experience was like to wait the proper time. Yeah. And it's something like, it's gonna be like some kind of, uh, like a signal or some kind of timing or some kind of, uh, intuition that it's the time. It's time. Because that sounds like pretty magical, right? I believe that those signals, you will continue watching the journey. That's why I believe this is the first signal, like the calling, because you will not feel like that you can move away. I mean, it's in front of you and it's, it's calling you and it's saying, I think it's proper time now. And after that, for me, it was like start to doing some kind of research about other people's experiences to know what I need. Because sometimes you feel like you need a lot of experience or you need to be able to, to cycle like 100 kilometers every day. And I think that when you realize how many different ways of people do these journeys, different kind of people, I feel like you start like having some confidence or realize that you probably, You're blocking yourself more than what it truly, truly is. So it gives you confidence and you start to having like a, I remember actually, I don't know if it was one of your shows that there was like kind of a, was not a bucket list, but like a list of things that you need to prepare. Uh, so I remember that. Okay. Like money. Okay. How I care money. Even, uh, like some, some, like garbage, how can I, uh, take care of my own garbage without less, uh, environmental impact? So it was like, like 10 of those and I was like, okay, this one, okay, I solve it or I have like a, an idea of what it is. So I was like, every one of them. Also what I want to say, and this is important, you will not be fully prepared, never. Don't let that, this preparation get in between, because for me, it was okay. I was thinking, Oh, I need to take care of my bike. I need to learn everything about the bike. If something happens, right. And I think it's a, something good that I'm working on it. But if I wait on to know everything about my bike to do this bike tour, probably I will never do it. So I, I think it's jumping and say, okay, I have this, I have that. This I don't have completely, but the preparation will not be fully. You will never have control. So I think it's part of release control. And also it's, uh, for me, it was kind of a decision. Because after all this, after preparation, what you have to know, this confidence is okay. I buy my plane ticket and when I buy my plane ticket was like, now it's real. So make it real with the decision and I don't know in different bike tour, I guess there will be something different than make it real, but it has to be by, by one decision, right? Take the decision.

Bella: 1:03:10

There is such a big act of learning by doing and you will never have everything fully prepared. Like we said at the start. Things are going to happen that mean that everything that you prepared goes out the window and throw out preparation and expectations, you know, add in the moments of flexibility, serendipity and the problems that you have to solve along the way. Not everything runs smoothly and you have to solve problems sometimes. Don't let the idea that you need to be an expert stop you from going out and enjoying a journey because Jesus, it's like you were saying, I mean, I've interviewed so many people who didn't even have their bike before they decided they were going to do it and didn't even know if they liked cycle touring, but they did it and very, very green novice and had amazing journeys. You don't need to be an expert to go on a trip like this, do you?

Jesus: 1:03:58

No, you don't. You have to want it and take action.

Bella: 1:04:03

Just make the decision. I think the other thing is You don't need to have to have a big trip either. It can be a weekend, it can be overnight, it can be a week or a month. It doesn't have to be, you know, 7, 000 kilometer journey to give you the same emotions that you felt either.

Jesus: 1:04:20

I agree completely. Of course not.

Bella: 1:04:22

I want you, Jesus, to do something which, to be fair, you've actually already done for this show. Listeners, as you may know, I release mini episodes during the middle of the week and that is of listeners like Jesus sharing what it was like on one day of their trip. Hey Zeus, I always ask this of my guests to share a day on the long episodes. I know you've done this for a mini episode before, but I would like you to share another day from this incredible adventure and to take me and the listeners there. Tell us about one day of your trip.

Jesus: 1:04:50

Okay. I'm going to share a day. Uh, almost finished. I was in Campeche, yeah, in the Southeast of Mexico. And I remember that I wake up, uh, on a tent in the middle of the jungle. I get there a night before I was so tired and I didn't watch very much the camping site. So when I wake up and I realized where I wake up, I was like shocked. Was buried in the middle of the jungle. That day I was. Gonna cycle, uh, 120 kilometers because an archeological site. It was 60 kilometers on one way, another 60 to go back. And I was very excited to do this, this route because it was a reserve here in Mexico. We have a natural reserves like protected areas and was a very beautiful place. This jungle, it calls Reserva de la Biosfera de Calakmul. And, uh, so I start cycling in the morning, very early in the morning, and all the way, all these 60 kilometers passed so fast, I mean, it was not, not heavy. I was amazed with the, with the trees, with the animals, with the weather. It was not so hot, but it was not so cold. And then I get to the archaeological site after probably like two hours and a half. I've never been to this archaeological site, and when I get there, I saw, like, pyramids, very, very big. Like, in the middle of the jungle, there were these, these, uh, monkeys who, who, uh, I cannot say in English how, uh, what kind of monkey he is, but it was so a beautiful place, such a beautiful place. And I stayed like for the whole day, just sitting on the pyramids, just watching the nature, reading something on the place about. The cultures that lived there long years ago. And then I cycled back. It was so beautiful to explore Abimbela. And because it was like a kind of a closed road, there was no risk of cars. It was like a highway just for me. And I was actually pedaling without my hands. And I was like just free. And I experienced freedom. But it was very, very beautiful to be there, and I saw the pyramids in the middle of the jungle, and, and I feel like the energy of these ancient cultures, right? All the nature, and, and then I go back, then I go back to the camping site, and And it was one of my favorite routes of the whole journey.

Bella: 1:07:50

Yeah! I can imagine. My gosh. Jesus, you so need to send me some pictures if you took some from that spot. I'd love to see where you were and think about what it was like there. It just sounded absolutely brilliant.

Jesus: 1:08:03

Yes.

Bella: 1:08:04

I love it. Listeners, I hope you've been just as captivated learning about Mexico as I have just hearing Jesus speak about his stories there. Unfortunately, Jesus, I need to wrap things up. If people want to see your journey, I know I follow you on Instagram and I have seen such a visual side of your journey. What is the best place to, for people to follow? Is it your Instagram account? Are there other ways that people can, can see what you had experienced there as well?

Jesus: 1:08:31

I think in Instagram is the channel that actually are more active. I mean, I have a YouTube channel, a TikTok channel, a Facebook channel, all with the same name.

Bella: 1:08:42

Yes, which I learned 20 kilometers per hour. I love it. I will provide a link in the show notes listeners so that you can have a look at what Chucho is putting together there. You definitely want to check him out. There's so much cool content to see there as well, Chucho. And, you know, it's a serendipitous thing for me that you got in touch because I've learned so much through this and it's been brilliant. All right, music related. Jesus, it is time for you as a guest of the show to pick what song you would want to be the soundtrack to your adventure. You get to choose a song. It goes on the Seek Travel Ride music playlist. On that playlist is a song from each guest. And it's available on Spotify and Apple Music. What song are you going to pick?

Jesus: 1:09:27

Okay, I'm gonna pick, I'm gonna pick a song in Spanish and a song in English, okay? Because actually the song that was like kind of a soundtrack of my trip is in Spanish. It's a song from an artist called Gustavo Pena. And the name of the song in Spanish is Pensamientos de Caracol.

Bella: 1:09:50

Mmm, what does that translate to?

Jesus: 1:09:52

It's Nail Tots. It's a beautiful song, but I play, I think in another one too.

Bella: 1:09:57

Yeah.

Jesus: 1:09:58

And it is a song from a band called Salt, and the song. Okay,

Bella: 1:10:07

I've got you down there. I love that you've got a Spanish song as well because this music has become multilingual and it should because this podcast is global. The reason is when you tune in, we've got over five and a half hours of songs there to keep you company on your pedals. So so random, so eclectic. I love it. It's fantastic. So Jesus, I've got you there. Okay, final two questions. The first one. You've got a choice, Jesus, one day, you can go in one direction, and you're going to be on a road that is super bumpy, horrible, washboard, corrugations, you're riding along, and it's just the most bumpiest road in the world, and it's never ending, or you go in the other direction, and you've just got this monumental headwind continually blowing in your face. Which one are you going to choose? Do you choose the bumpy road, or do you choose the endless headwind?

Jesus: 1:11:00

The bumpy road.

Bella: 1:11:01

Ah, you're not a fan of the wind, right? Did you have both on this journey? Like in Baja, on the Baja Divide there, did you have a lot of bumpy roads?

Jesus: 1:11:11

No, I think my more bumpy roads were on a state called Nayarit, and, uh, I was going to the mountain, but I didn't realize that was a rocky mountain that was not pedaling a route. So for me, it was very, very tired to push the bike for like two mountains, three hours. But you would

Bella: 1:11:32

still rather do that than have an endless headwind.

Jesus: 1:11:35

Uh, it depends what, uh, it depends, but yeah, in that moment, for sure, because the place that I was hitting through that road, it valued all the effort that day.

Bella: 1:11:47

It's always the way, isn't it? Often the most beat up, small, bumpy roads lead to the best places. So I can understand why they're worth doing, whereas a headwind, it just It can be on any road, it can rip you off.

Jesus: 1:11:59

Yes.

Bella: 1:12:00

Final question, Jesus, and I'm really interested to hear your answer on this one. And that is, I want you to finish this sentence for me, and the sentence is, the best thing about taking a bike adventure is. What do you think it is?

Jesus: 1:12:14

The best thing about taking a bike trip for me is the experience of freedom. I think it's one of the most, it's the journey where I experienced more freedom in my whole life. And I think that is one of the most valuable things. And also it's about connecting with people and also understand and realize. Uh, we need of others. I can't by myself.

Bella: 1:12:44

It's that community that we need.

Jesus: 1:12:46

Yes. I mean, I say more than one, but I mean.

Bella: 1:12:49

I won't ever be mad at a guest who manages to sneak in a few best reasons to take a bike adventure because I do think that a lot of them do come all together. I love this question. I've only just started recently asking it to guests and what I love about it is. There are themes, but they're all unique responses. And I love your answer there, Jesus. It's been so good. Oh my gosh, Jesus, the whole show has been amazing. It has been such an absolute pleasure to spend time with you, to hear your story, to have you teach me more about Mexico and make it a country that I'm really keen to travel to. You've really shown me the diversity of your own country, but over and above all of that, I think what I got so much speaking with you has just been that idea of connectedness and that feeling of being in the moment, being mindful, being alert, whether it's a stray dog or a happy dog chasing you, just giving yourself that gift of time and freedom to travel. The beautiful serendipitous moments that come when you meet strangers who welcome you in. And I think one of the. The nicest things I heard you talk about was how at the end of your journey, it took you five full days to get in touch with all of those people that showed kindness and hospitality to you. What an amazing adventure. What an amazing journey. I'm so glad that you had the dream to take it, that you listened to this show to help you take it. Thank you so much for getting in touch with me and thank you so, so much for sharing your stories and experiences here on the show for Seek Travel Ride.

Jesus: 1:14:22

Thank you, Bella. For me, believe me, I've been so joyful and I'm so glad that finally after a lot of talking now I can, well, get the opportunity to talk to you, to be part of your show, which I love and I appreciate. And I. I'm very grateful and thank you for doing this also. Thank you so much.

Bella: 1:14:45

Awesome. When I get to Mexico, I'll let you know.

Jesus: 1:14:47

Please let me know or even if somebody of the listeners are planning a bike tour across Mexico, they can reach me and I will be, I will share and I will, I will listen with attention and a friend of mine in Mexico, the first guy who hosts me, he told me something like this. Because he didn't know me before and he allowed me to stay in their place and he sent me a voice message. He told me, Hey guy, any cyclist is a friend of mine, but we don't know each other yet. So please come by and you are here, you will. So it's something like that. I mean, somebody there. We are friends that maybe we already, didn't already know, but

Bella: 1:15:36

yeah, there's such a big community. It's one of the biggest gifts of running this podcast has been the community that I've realized exists all around the world in every country. And it is that common theme. I haven't yet interviewed a bike traveler that I haven't wanted to meet in person. And um, yeah, what a joy. Thank you so much, Jesus. so

Jesus: 1:15:54

much, Ella. Well,

Bella: 1:15:55

listeners, I had an absolute ball talking there with Jesus and hearing about his Mexican experiences. What about you? Did you learn more about Mexico now? And have you listened to this episode thinking, hmm, you know what, I wouldn't mind going there? I think what I really loved was learning just how diverse the country is and it's not all the same, same. Even hearing Jesus talk about how he was taking in so much of the coastline, but it was never from one day to the next, the exact same scenery. It really brought to me the joy, which is the unknown element of a bike tour. It might be that we can see a map and we might even know the town names that we're going to go to, but what happens during the day is so unknown and so unexpected. Jesus, like many of my other guests, spoke so warmly. about the strangers that he met on the way and how beautiful was it to hear him speak about the connections that he also had with those beautiful dogs as well. I really, really appreciated that. I loved his story. It's made me more intrigued about Mexico and hopefully it has given you some inspiration to fuel your next bike adventure as well. Now listeners, if you are enjoying exactly what I'm putting together here on Seek Travel Ride and you would like to help out this independent podcaster, I've provided a link in the show notes to my Buy Me A Coffee page. Every little donation you make there helps me out a long way, but what I especially love is when you also leave me messages and tell me what you have valued most about the show. To buy me a coffee, just click the link in the show notes. Let me know what you love about the show. I will be keeping producing these episodes for you. And so there's nothing left to say except until the next episode, I'm Bella Molloy, thanks for listening.