San Agustinilla, OAX, MX

After one night, Kai and I decided to leave Puerto Escondido for the less developed beach town of Mazunte found south on the coast by about 60 kms.   In the morning I  was dripping with sweat as we loaded the bike and put on heavy motorcycle jackets and jeans in the torpid humidity of the Oaxacan coast.

Kai,having more experience as a pillion passenger than Seamus, didn’t feel like he was nervous on the back of the bike as we rode over the speed bumps and navigated the traffic southwards out of town. The traffic thinned on the coastal jungle highway and we were cruising along cutting through the air at 90kms/hour, rounding bends, over small hills, overtaking occasionally, and cooling down pleasantly.

Cactus, Mazunte, MX

As I was accelerating and cresting a small hill I heard the sound of a stone pinging off the part of engine, and hitting another part, and another in rapid succession.  At least I told myself it was a stone, not wanting to recognize the distinct resemblance of that sound with the one I heard in Puerto Vallarta when my engine troubles began.  Slowing down and craning my neck over the bike and peering idiotically at the front wheel several times revealed nothing, again I thought it must have been a stone.

“He thrusts his fists and still insists he sees the ghosts”

Then the short bouts of no engine power started.  The bike would stutter for about 3 seconds for every 30 seconds.  As we rolled into a tiny bus stop town on the highway and I was bellowing to Kai about the problem, I slowed the bike for another speed bump whereupon it stalled completely.   Resignation set in after several futile attempts to start the bike.

Mermejita Kitchen, Mazunte, MX

I set off enquiring with the most competent looking men standing around the tiny settlement about getting the bike transported back Puerto Escondido.  It could be done for 200 pesos.  I also found a mechanic who said he could fix it with the right part quite easily and agreed it seemed that the intake cam shaft was broken – this was the part I had ordered two weeks ago to be sent to the Escondido post office.  Unfortunately the company in the Chicago that sent the part had misspelled the address and had neglected to add my name to the first line – so even if the it arrives at the post office it will be addressed only to ‘Mailing List’ and I’m not sure they’ll let me pick it up.

So I left the bike behind the mechanic’s house and we set off by bus down the coast to Mazunte.  We found ourselves camping on the mostly empty Mermejita beach just north over the hill from the town.  Both nights we found ourselves in small bars listening to hippie Frenchman and new-agey Mexicans.   One night at sunset a sarong-clad hippie appeared on our beach heralding the sunset by swaying to and fro while circling metal rod around a small metal bowl, producing a high-pitched whining sound while two woman sat in yoga-prone position near him.   Alas the pitbull thought this was a good game and disturbed the zen by kicking sand on them.

Mexico City Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, MX