El Cielo, Tamaulipas

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Like some of you might have realized, we haven't moved from the city of Cardenas, Mx, for over a week now. Two Fridays ago (Oct 17th) our trip came to a screetching halt 2 hours south of Veracruz, when oil started splashing on my boots...sinking feeling... When we opened the engine, the oil level was low, it consumed 1.5L in the last 2000kms, and the screws holding the exhaust camshaft journals were loose. The result is that the camshaft rattled and enlarged and lifted the journals until the cams hit the cover and put a hole in it...No way to continue, next step is complete motor meltdown.
Now, this bike is not being sold in Mexico, so parts are not available locally. A call to Kawasaki Canada revealed that the main part is backordered with no ETA date. As in, minimum delivery time is a month but could be 2. Great. Same story in US. This is starting to look like a disaster unfolding.

But this is for the next posting, I don't want to spoil the current Blog entry... there'll be more on incompetence, bad sleeping, bad fluids and good company ...

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Finally left Monterrey, slept a night in CD Victoria, a cute little town, bought a whole rotisserie chicken and ate it in the main plaza under the curious eyes of locals. Did I mention it is hot here?

Left in the morning for the main attraction of the area, El Cielo, a national eco-park, with it's own micro-climate. There are species that only exist here but they must be really good at hiding, cause I saw more critters in the back yard of the Richmond Hill basement we rented before.

Reading about and then seeing it is a bit of a disconnect, things look very different than what we imagined, I guess that's a good thing, it breaks the standards.

Isn't that gorgeous? The vista that is...

Tits on the horizon

We tried to go up the mountain on our bikes and after 200meters we realized there was no way in hell any 2 wheeled vehicle would be able to make it. Let alone two loaded mules like ours. So we opted for the military service. Joking, just an old beat-up 80's truck. We did 12 kilometers in 2 and half hours on a path I have trouble calling road. It rearranged all our internals. Insane. How does that truck stay together is beyond me...

Full of hope at the beginning of the "road"

The Cloud Forest!! Impressive.

Another great view with an abyss

The "Road"

A famous rock, apparently

Entrance to the park....

... Is guarded by a "nino"

Who took our money and opened the gate (he's counting the money in the pic). They start early here!

Here's another noble steed, waiting to hitch a ride... or beeing the ride

End of the road
**** Caroline Section :-) *****
some furry friends we meet on the way...

"Can I keep one?!?"

Caroline made a commitment to rehabilitate all the animals on the way by giving them lots of love (and scars from scratching).

The only restaurant up there... but "sponsored" by C. Cola.....

Not really a restaurant as we know it, but a kitchen with a big table in the middle. Lunch was made with everything very fresh, tomatoes straight out of the vine, potatoes from the ground and eggs from the chicken's ass :-)

"How much for a tour in the area?"
"200 pesos"
"Sorry, only got 100"
"Ok" :-)

What started like a nice walk through some beautiful meadows, turned into a steep climb that our guide had no trouble with. Kept the same pace as on the flat section without breaking a sweat.

Where are those damn monkeys ?!?

Tunnel of Love was a mosquito trap!

Arrived at the destination, a huge cave.

ECHO...Echo..echo...

I really felt like Indiana Jones here, the cave actually continued further deep down, and without a light it was very eerie.

I'm baaaaack!!

A whole bunch of 50's truck cabins. No idea why they're there, but it's full of them everywhere.

They're so tiny inside! No way two big Mexicans could fit in there....

I love rollercoasters, but have you tried to be on one for 3 hours straight, instead of 45 seconds?

And on this funny note, that's the end of the El Cielo trip.

Next Entry: Tampico-Veracruz-VillaHermosa (almost!)