Puebla (Puebla), 23.08.08

Photo Set ----- GPS Track

This cycling ride was made from Mexico City to the beautiful capital of the eastern state of Puebla. It is a 130 km long ride, with a little more than 1,100 m of ascent. We choose the federal highway to arrive at Puebla. This road is a beautiful one, specially in the month of August, when all the road is sided by a green carpet. It was really a memorable ride made in the company of gf.

Cholula Archaeological Site + Puebla (Puebla), 19.11.06

Map Navigation: This dynamic Trackmap shows the GPS track (red line) and some geo-referenced photos (red dots) of the cycling tour. Wheel up and wheel down your mouse to zoom in or zoom out the map. Click on any point in the map to center it on that point. Or just drag the map with your mouse. To see the photos, hoover the mouse over the red dots. Click on the photo to go to the picture page.


Photoset Map

Photoset Show

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

GPS Cycling Data:






Distance: 140 Km, Ascent: 1173 m, Time: 5:20 hr, Avg. Speed: 23.9 Km/hr, Max. Speed: 66 Km/hr.

Travel Report:

This ride was performed under rain for the most part of the journey. In fact, the rain started when we were leaving Mexico City, and did not not stop until our arrive again to the city ! But anyway, it was a beautiful ride, made to visit and know the stunning underground Great Pyramid of Cholula (Puebla). We have intended to take the free highway to Puebla, but somehow in the middle of the ride, we lose our path and had no alternative but to take the paid highway.

There were no many cyclists on the road, only a pilgrimage to San Miguel (I must thank them for its delicious free tostada that they gave me to eat _over_ the bike). On our ascent to Llano Grande (+3200 m) the body generated heat was able to keep us warm, but at our arrival to the summit, it was damn freezing ! We ate some snacks and started the descent to Texmelucan. This was real cold. Temperature was 5 C + raining ! Even in this weather we managed to reach speeds over 65 km/hr. Arriving to Texmelucan, we left the paid highway, taking now our way to the free highway to Puebla. On the road we passed by the town of Huejotzingo, where we could observe some chinelos dancing on the main square (i think we are in festival mood).

Half an hour later we could finally arrive at Cholula, where the rain made us had a hard time finding a place to leave our bicycles. After eating some exquisite tacos + quesadillas in the local market, we could enter the Archaeological Site and its underground Great Pyramid. You can judge by the photos that this is an experience of its own kind. There are even corridors inside the pyramid that lead to God knows where, as they are closed by the site administration. There are a lot of niche-like pathways that lose itself into the darkness. After taking some shots, we leave this magical place.

We decided to climb up our way to the church of Los Remedios, built on the top of the hill that hides the pyramid (this was a tricky part due to my carbon cycling shoes). The rain made this little ascent a though one. But finally, at the top waited for us a beautiful vista of the Cholula and Puebla valleys. After briefly taking shelter in the church, we started our return to the bikes. But meanwhile, Luis decided to have a look to the surrounding pyramids, so I waited for him where we leave our bikes.

Lastly, only the final leg of our journey (12 km) remained between us and our final destination. At our arrival to the CAPU (central bus station of Puebla) we purchased our return tickets (90 pesos by ADO) and patiently awaited 15 minutes for our home bus :-)

Thank you for reading. Till the next journey.

Puebla (Puebla), 25.09.05

Photoset Show

GPS Cycling Data: Distance: 111.7 Km, Ascent: 1329 m, Time: 6:06 hr, Avg. Speed: 18.3 Km/hr, Max. Speed: 63 Km/hr.

Travel Report:

This ride started in the eastern sub-urban train terminal La Paz. From there I took the paid highway to Puebla, passing on my way: Huixtoco toll collect station (elev: 2250 m), Llano Grande summit (3220 m), Texmelucan (2250 m), and from here, direct to the beautiful city of Puebla :-)

One little problem: as I had wrongly started to ride too late, in the last kilometers towards Puebla the night caught me, and worst of all: owed to the fact that the highway had been expanded to six lanes, the side lane where cyclists usually ride to arrive at Puebla was non-existant. In this fashion, without diurnal light, without side lane, and without cycling lamps, I was not able to cycle in the main (car) lane. On some parts I had to abandon the highway and cycle at the dirt side of the highway, but without sun or moon, this task probed to be a very difficult one. The good news was that it were only some segments that had not the side-lane. Once in the entrance of Puebla, I was again safe :-)

I took some photos of the road and also, from the city of Puebla. You can see them at the following photoset.

Thank you for reading. Till the next travel.