San Juan de Los Lagos 2008 Cyclist Pilgrimage (Queretaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco), 16-18.03.08

Photo Set ----- GPS Track

This cycling ride is one of those must-do in the whole year. It is a three-day almost 500 Km odyssey surrounded by lots of cyclists along a pilgrimage that took us to the holy town of San Juan de los Lagos, in the eastern (conservative) state of Jalisco.

This travel starts annually in Mexico City each Sunday previous to the Passover week. Hundreds of cyclists prepare themselves at the toll station of the Queretaro highway. Approximately at 07:00, hundreds of cyclists start this phenomenal ride. Although the pilgrimage nature of this ride is by definition religious, being a religious person is not a prerequisite perse. In fact, I could estimate (risking incurring in blasphemy) that the only true deity of this pilgrimage is the bicycle :-)

Along the road my gf and me decided to pay a visit to the beautiful town of Tepeji del Río, being it a small and picturesque town. After that visit we continued the ride towards Queretaro, destination of the first leg of the travel. At our arrival to Queretaro we decided to stay at the Hidalgo Hotel, in the center of the city. Apropo, it was 200 km long that Mexico City - Queretaro ride.

The second day ride had as destination Leon, in the state of Guanajuato. It is a 180 Km ride, mainly plain. As the second day of this pilgrimage is carried on Mondays, there was a little fewer cyclists along the route, but anyways, it was always fun to ride in the companion of fellow cyclists. Along the highway there were several trucks that gave away water bags and pieces of fruit to the thirsty cyclists. The weather was inclement as there were no clouds in sight. At our arrival to Leon we decided to stay in the same hotel we occupied the previous year.

The third and final day had as its destination San Juan de los Lagos, already in Jalisco state. From Leon it is only a 80 km ride, with some ups and downs along the route. The highway is in pristine condition. We arrived at our destination at about noon. The church was already packed with locals and strangers queuing in the main corridor of the church to gain a place to stay momentarily in front of the image of the virgin oflos Lagos.

We decided to pass the night in San Juan, staying in a cozy hotel just one block in front of the temple. Next day we walked along the busy market streets of San Juan. In the afternoon we took the bus that transported us again to Mexico City.

Thank you for reading. Till the next travel !

Mexico City - Queretaro (Queretaro), 09.04.06

GPS Track Video


Photoset Map

Photoset Show

GPS Track: GPX (MapSource, et al.) or KMZ (Google Earth)

GPS Cycling Data:







Distance: 208 Km, Ascent: 1082 m, Time: 8:05 hr, Avg Speed: 25.7 Km/hr, Max Speed: 65 Km/hr

Travel Report:

This ride was the first stage of a three-stage cycling ride, spanning six states and a grand total of almost 500 km, in three days, covering the route Mexico City to San Juan de los Lagos, in Jalisco.

The purpose of the whole ride was to participate in the annual pilgrimage to visit the Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, departing from the Mexico City area. Although I am not a religious believer, I was interested in knowing the social phenomenon of a cyclist pilgrimage. And of course, I was also interested in participate in this cyclist pilgrimage in particular :-)

In the first day of the three involved, the route cycled was the paid highway to Querétero, from Mexico City. This was the longest and hardest stage of the three, as it involved a distance of 210 Km and an ascent of almost 1500 m.

Five cyclists started this ride from the Independence Angel in Reforma, taking later the road to Tlalnepantla and Cuautitlán. In the toll station of Tepoztlán we could find a lot of cyclists that were going to make the route.

Along the route there were a lot of trucks that were giving food and water to the cyclists :-)

After our arrival to Querétaro, we took time to visit this beautiful colonial city.

Thank you for reading. Till the next travel.

Queretaro (Queretaro), 09.10.05

Photoset Show

GPS Cycling Data: Distance: 203.8 Km, Ascent: 1294 m, Time: 7:59 hr, Avg. Speed: 25.5 Km/hr, Max. Speed: 60.1 Km/hr.

Travel Report:

With this ride I would close a cycle that involves ten cycling rides that I would term as my beginning cycling rides. These ten cycling rides represent my first solo cycling rides, performed to know ten different cities around Mexico City and the road conditions of the routes needed to arrived at them.

The destinations of theses ten beginners cycling rides were: Cuernavaca, Morelos (70 km); Tlalmanalco, Mexico State (60 km); Amecameca, Mexico State (38 km); Tula, Hidalgo (78 km); Xochitepec, Morelos (94 km); Pachuca, Hidalgo (87 Km); Toluca, Mexico State (60 km); Puebla, Puebla (112 km); Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala (104 km); and Querétaro, Querétaro (204 km).

As you could probably infere, I was trying to test me, cycling solo, to the cities that surround Mexico City (Mexico capital), in all four directions: north, south, east and west. I was also trying to advance in each ride the number of kilometers cycled along the route, and also the total ascent required to complete each ride. I mean: I was trying to adapt to longer and higher rides, between Mexico City and its surrounding cities.

As I was a novice knowing by first hand those inter-cities routes, I was extremely pleased with what I was doing :-) In fact, I miss now that novice happiness, because when I ride again that very same routes, I don't feel as happy as in my novice years :-( But I guess, that is the way life is !

Once I finished this ten cycling ride novice cycle, I changed my kind of destinations. I started to prefer visiting archaeological sites, dispersed in the states that surround Mexico City. But that is another story :-)

Let's talk about this cycling ride to Querétaro ! The ride started in the north-western Metro terminal of El Rosario, in Mexico City. I avoided the Periferico, and instead choosed to ride the free highway to Cuautitlán. At the thermoelectric power plant of Lechería I merged myself with the (paid) highway to Querétaro, reaching soon the toll collect station of Tepoztlán. Passing Coyotepec, wonderful vistas and landscapes can be appreciated along the route.

After Tepeji del Rio comes a steep ascent towards Jilotepec, agravated by the desert-like temperature conditions of the environment along this northern route.

After Jilotepec I arrived at the toll collect station of Palmillas. A recent rain had already fallen on this region, Fortunately, all I saw of the rain was the water on the pavement :-) After the last toll station, the side lane of the highway had morphed in an incredible cement lane ! Just as the main (car) lanes in the highway ! It is not required to say that this change of terrain made us cycling faster :-)

Passing by San Juan del Río, the terrain is relatively plain. So, it helped us advancing faster. This probed to be a helpful aid, since Queretaro is located mote than 200 km away from Mexico City.

Cycling a little more I arrived with no big problem finally at Queretaro ! My wife was already waiting for me at the Kiosk in the center of the city :-)

We took a lot of photographies of the city of the beautiful city of Querétaro, between that day and the next (as we decided to stay another day in the city). All those photos are shown in the following photoset.

Thank you for reading. Till the next travel.