Day 18 & 19: The last couple days Hans and I spent together in the mountain town of Iturbide, 2-3 hours southwest of Monterrey. We rented the upper floor of a duplex for $26 each night. Yesterday we met up with a Czech guy that Hans knows, named Radko. I at first suspected he was not really Czech, because when I greeted him in his native tongue, he just looked at me funny.

We descended Las Encondidas, which is a series of 12 rappels down a cascade of nearly a vertical kilometer. It reminded me very much of a canyon in the San Gabriel mtns north of LA -- low flow, thigh deep pools at the bottom, lots of foliage next to the waterflow. Radko was a kick -- he is a professor and on the hike back to the top he kept grabbing different species of plants and telling me to eat them -- some tasted like spearmint, another like sugar, etc. Then he'd tell me the scientific name (in Spanish, so none of the names stuck with me), but at least I trusted him that I wasn't eating anything harmful :) It was a pleasant way to spend the day, and the lady of the house was really sweet, bringing us tea and cookies afterward.

Today Hans and I drove to a sculptor's house in a nearby town, saw the sculptor's alabaster mine, and went to his house where Hans asked to include him in a project of local artisans that he's working on. The sculptor was a really nice grandfatherly type -- well dressed, and showed us many of his current and past projects. Now, I'm back at the hostel, planning where to ride south, on the next phase of my trip.

Day 17: Today Hans and I returned to climb the via ferrata again. This time, we rented special pulleys to descend via the 3 Tyroleans (aka zip-lines) off the mountain. After we reached the top again, we started the first Tyrolean, which ranks among the scariest things I've ever done in the outdoors! Primarily because it was just the two of us up there, with the cable in front of us that we'd seen on the first ascent, and no one there with experience on these things to confirm we'd be okay (although Hans had talked to a guy at the climbing store who told us "no problema"). I'm glad I talked him into going first! Click here for a video of him just after he stepped into the void.

When it was my turn and I stepped off the platform and the pulley started buzzing, louder and louder on the steel cable, going faster and faster over literally HUNDREDS of feet of air (probably 500 feet if I were to estimate), I thought my heart would pound out of my chest. I didn't quite make it to the other platform, and had to hand over hand the last 30 feet or so.

Then we found out that we hadn't quite brought enough rope for the rappels to the 2nd platform. We BARELY made it, using our extra webbing, slings, a pack, and very nearly our shoelaces.

On the 3rd Tyrolean I went first, and as I approached the ending platform, I thought to myself "okay, I should start to slow down about now... Ummm, any time now!!" But the cable was just a bit too taught and I crashed into the platform, fortunately okay. With Hans it was the same story -- I don't know how the commercial trips do this one!

We reached the bottom of the mountain right at sunset with a nearly full moon in the sky. What a fun day!

Day 16: I was able to descend Matacanes today! Bright blue sky and a couple puffy white clouds. I was on the bike riding from the hostel at 4:20 am today to meet Chuy’s group at the Cola de Caballo at 5am. His two guides, Edgar and Miguel, had 6 clients to lead down. We had a great time. I go so often with experienced people, and occasionally newbies to the sport but who do have some training, that it’s really interesting for me to see a group of people with no skills in a moderately difficult canyon. I think the folks today were exhausted by the end.

I suggested to Hans that we repeat the via ferrata, and he has another canyon in mind. At this rate I’ll never actually head south! At least the hostel is $12 per night.

I am getting a little concerned about my goal. I am truly having a lot of fun here in Monterrey, but Bing maps is telling me it's around 1500 miles to Guatemala. I need to get on the road soon if I even have a hope of getting this accomplished...

Day 15: Two weeks on the road now. It was a really productive day for me. I went to the climbing store and got the special Vertigo carabiner for my harness. It's a one handed autolocker, and I'll use it for my safety tether.

Then I went over to the muffler shop and they took the muffler off the bike and welded it very well. The muffler has two mounts, and unknown to me, the 2nd mount was completely ripped off! They welded that back on, along with the first mount that was tearing a hole in the exhaust. I’m soo happy that is fixed – they did a great job, and afterward we pressure washed the bike. Total cost was 100 pesos. I was so relieved (the first shop I went to told me it couldn't be done because the metal is too thin), and plus when they first gave me the quote it was for only one mount, not two, and with pressure washing the bike, I gave the guy 200 pesos total (which is still only $16).

After that, I found my way to Walmart and got a replacement duffle bag (for the one that fell off my bike and was stolen in the 5 minutes it took me to get back to where it happened), so I can carry my stuff to the canyon tomorrow morning. I'll be descending Matacanes, the most beautiful known canyon in all of North America.

I've noticed that things are pretty expensive here. Everything in Walmart was about 50% more than in the US, especially electronics. Maybe the import fees?

Oh, also I heard back from my aunt today, and she’d be happy to see me, so I'll swing by Mexico City on my way south.

I need to meet the group for the canyon at 5 am, so I’ll leave here at around 4 am. Time to go to bed!

Day 14: Hans and I descended Reflexiones today, which was dry but quite pretty. We had tremendous wind blowing up the canyon as we descended the rappels.

I went back to the Culinary School for dinner. It wasn't quite as impressive as the first time, but was still a nice meal of stew, pasta, and fresh papaya juice.

Day 13: FINALLY, a day to myself to relax. Luca left to fly back to San Diego at 7:30 am today. I slept in, and had a very enjoyable time working on my spanish with Francisco, who works here at the hostel.

He told me of a Culinary School only 2 blocks from here, and I walked over there for lunch. For $3.50 I enjoyed the student's best efforts: salmon pate, stewed rabbit, and quiche. I think I'm going to be here more often :)

I also switched rooms to the dorm room in the hostel, but I'm the only one in there, so it's effectively the same as the more expensive room, but only $12 per night.

Hans called and we went out for a beer in the evening, and got back really late. We're going to descend El Canyon de Reflexiones tomorrow, leaving at 7am.

Day 12: Luca, Hans, and I climbed the via ferrata outside of Monterrey, after Choy led us to the base of it. Choy has to get back to his school work today, so he couldn't join us. We had a fantastic time! It's around a thousand vertical feet, complete with an airy horizontal cable bridge a couple hundred feet off the deck, and 4 aluminum ladders hanging in space that you have to climb, while suspended over a good 1000 feet of air. Fantastic! It rivals the via ferratas I did in Europe.

At the top, we saw some cables strung out hundreds of meters for a Tyrolean descent. Not having the equipment or knowledge of the setup, we simply rappelled down from the top.

Day 11: This morning I was riding the bike over to the hostel where Luca was staying, and my gear bag fell off the back of the bike, which I didn't notice. Someone waved at me and I was able to get back to the spot within 5 minutes, but it was gone. Lost were my canyon shoes, some misc carabiners and slings, the $80 in plastic parts broken off the bike on Saturday, and the duffel bag itself.

While I was stopped on the road being told about the bag falling off, a huge cloud of smoke (which turned out to be steam) was rising from the motorcycle. It seems the mechanic did not tighten one of the coolant hoses either, and engine coolant was leaking onto the exhaust. I tightened the hose back up and showed up an hour late for our departure for the day's adventure.

Luca, Choy, and I went to Bustamante cave, which is an hour and a half north of Monterrey. Boy has it changed in the 4 years since I've been there. In '06, you had to walk for an hour a thousand vertical feet up from the parking lot on a footpath, to find an old guy sitting at the door collecting 20 pesos. Inside, there was a steep climb down, to the main room with the sodium lights everywhere. The range for the average tourist was limited to where the range of the provided light, but no official restriction.

Now, it's a modern show cave. The hour long hike up is replaced with an air conditioned shuttle bus on a fully paved road. A concrete tunnel was bored into the mountain, and you emerge in the cave on an enormous plastic walkway with railings -- you can only go in a big loop. The lighting is variously colored LED lights on the formations, and the walkway itself has white LED lights to mark the path. It is very different than the old school it once was. We wondered how the new price of 40 pesos for everything could pay for the multimillion dollar visitor center, the paved road, the 6-8 employees we saw working at the time, since we only saw 3 or 4 other tourists along with ourselves...

We ducked under the plastic railing on the walkway and Choy led us to some remote part of the cave off the mapped area. On the way out, try as I might I could not find the helectite room that Kevin, Genevieve, and I stumbled upon last time, which is the most impressive room I've ever seen in any cave.

Day 10: Luca, Choy, Evan, and I explored a pretty extensive swimming and wading cave right near Portrero Redondo. There was an long underwater lake, which ranged from waist deep to swimming, and had a couple duck unders (where we held our breath and ducked under a rock wall, underwater, to emerge in air on the other side). Click here for a video of one of the duckunders.

Afterward getting back to the truck after this, we descended Hydrophobia canyon, which I really liked! It had lots of swimming and great jumps. I was a bit cold with my shorty wetsuit and overcast weather, and I opted out of a few jumps. I think the canyon took around 6 hours or so. Click here for a video of one of the jumps in the canyon.

As we exited the canyon and started the 3 mile walk back to Choy's pickup truck, a thunderstorm started. It made it very exciting for the hike back!

Day 9: I made it to the rendezvous last night. It took nearly 9 hours. It cost me $28 in toll fees from the border to Monterrey! The GPS had me going on some remote route through the mountains, and the bridge was blocked off. I got scared and just went back the normal way through the city. While driving through town, I hit a speed bump (tope), and the rear wheel ripped off the plastic mud scraper which wraps around the rear tire. There goes $80 in trim pieces.

I arrived just in time for the Saturday night, end of rendezvous party. Everyone was excited to see me. Unfortunately, they've already all done the best canyons. Today we descended two very short canyons, but tomorrow most everyone goes home. I'm hoping Luca, who is staying here with me for the next few days, and I will find some interesting stuff to do.

Day 8: 750 miles and 12 hours in the saddle yesterday. Whew. That was truly an epic day.

I spent the night in Del Rio, Texas. Only 6 hours left to Monterrey!

I stopped for fuel a hundred miles out of Tucson and noticed a steady drip of oil from the bottom of the motorcycle. Not good. I decided to keep going. After 250 miles, at the next stop in El Paso, TX, it was still dripping, and the whole bottom of the bike was covered in oil. I decided to take a closer look. After some sleuthing, I discovered the oil drain plug was loose in its socket! Easily turned with fingers. The mechanic never tightened it. NOT good. Thank goodness it didn't fall out all together somewhere on the road, or I'd have lost all the oil. As it is, the oil level is midway on the dipstick, and coincidentally I only lost the amount that they overfilled the bike with. I tightened it with a wrench and got back on my way. No oil leaks seen afterward.

Day 7: Last night the guys at the dealer stayed until 11pm to get my bike running (they close at 7pm!) I think they took an interest in me and my trip -- it was incredibly generous of them to offer to do that.

I was so excited to get out of town I rode to Tucson, arriving there at 1am. I have a lot of riding left to do today and tomorrow to make it to the rendezvous by Saturday night, and still catch the gang for the final day of canyons. Luca is staying a couple days later, and I'm planning to do stuff with him, so that will be great -- it's such a beautiful area, I'd hate to only spend a day of doing stuff there.

Day 6: Great news! The parts showed up. The service department assures me the bike will be done later today. I'm waiting at the dealer (using their WiFi), and can't wait.

In other news, earlier today I helped Janet and her family move tables and chairs for the wedding, and clean up the junk in the backyard of the house where the ceremony will take place.

Day 5: Well, the parts did not show up today at the dealer, so I'm stuck here another day. Still staying with John and Janet. They're really nice, but we come from very different socio-economic backgrounds. I am becoming quite eager to get back on the road.

Day 4: We've diagnosed the bike, and it's really bad news. Last night we determined that an exhaust valve is not sealing in the engine. This means an engine rebuild of the head including valves is necessary. John (the mechanic) was VERY nice and we loaded the bike into the bed of his pickup, and his wife Janet drove it into the dealer in Scottsdale, who ordered the parts overnight. THEN, they offered to let me stay at their house instead of a motel.

I'm really considering myself lucky -- better to happen where it did, than 100 miles back down the highway, or far worse -- in a remote part of Mexico... Really lucky...

As an aside, their daughter, who is my age and also named Michelle, is getting married on Saturday -- so they're in the midst of wedding planning.

Day 3: Disaster struck last night. The bike stopped working 50 miles west of Phoenix. The engine will turn over but not start. I was able to get it to coast into a TA truck stop, thankfully. It happened at 5:30 pm, and I spent hours trying everything I could. I met a nice 50's-ish guy who works as a diesel mechanic at the truck stop, and he saved me hundreds of dollars in towing fees by driving me to a motel at 11:30 pm. He offered to help me in the morning, and is confident we can get the bike started again with the help of his friend, Glenn.

Day 2: I spent the night at my friends Kevin & Genevieve's house, and got some fantastic suggestions for sites to see from their many experiences down there. Too many to remember in fact -- I told them I'll have to e-mail as I travel to new areas :) I also had an idea as I was riding to their house -- why not make more of a trip out of it, and go all the way to Guatemala?!? Now is my opportunity, and it's a good time of year. I think I'll give it a shot, and even hope to spend a week in a language immersion school down there (it's only $175 for a week of school, including room and board with a local family).

So I'm about to head into new territory, and am on the way to Tucson tonight.

Day 1: Well I'm about to start this lastest adventure. This is not the big trip I hope to do someday, which as I've mentioned to many people, is riding a motorcycle down through all of Central and South America to the very tip at the bottom, Tierra del Fuego. This is a shorter version riding my motorcycle through Mexico, which is what I can afford right now given my slightly premature (but expected), departure from my company. It will probably be 3-4 weeks on the road.

I'm heading for Kevin & Genevieve's house in Kernville where I'll spend the night. Then, it's off toward Monterrey, where I'll arrive for the ACA canyon rendezvous, which starts on Wednesday. I'll take US interstates on my way down to make it on time. After the rendezvous ends, I'll start back home, looping through Mexico.