If we can’t escape from the heat, we can at least run for the sea. The last place we saw on the Atlantic was Savanna.
And so we start off due north in 100F across agricultural land with another 250 mile day ahead of us, through large scale agricultural land
And occasional small farms. This one was raising turkeys
At one point there we saw boats on a riverbank and rode down to explore. As pretty as a painting
Later we rode through a brushfire. This didn’t help my eyes, which are almost completely red from riding in the heat. Visor down is suffocating. My goggles aren’t tinted so I ride with sunglasses visor up. And every couple of hours I dump half a bottle of water down my back which feels amazing before it evaporates.
261 miles later we were passing through shanties as we approached the Gulf of Mexico
We passed through the town of Champoton
To Campeche. I knew nothing about Campeche until I read about it two nights ago. It was built by the conquistadors starting in 1540 on top of the Mayan town of Canpech. and is fortified because it was under almost constant attack from pirates and buccaneers, including all the heavies, for 180 years. Cool.
We stopped on the waterfront for the obligatory shots
Which was alright, but after passing a couple of big casinos I began to wonder what all the fuss was about
Lots of small and beaten fish boats
Windswept piers
But a block back from the water is the real city and it’s colonial bliss. I wasn’t prepared for the glory or scale of the place. Why don’t we all know about Campeche? Oh maybe you do.
It’s huge, 250K people
It’s stuffed with money. The shops, local, not tourist shops are state of the art. I went into a kitchen shop that was almost as good as any in our Princess City. The old fortifications are integrated
Sculpture down Calle 59, pedestrians only and about a mile long
A modest square
Very few bikes, which is odd. But a few
How beautiful is Campeche? This is a parking lot
So I wish we had more time to explore this place, but we have to keep moving in this heat.