Chiapas

I reconnected with Gino in San Cristobal, where our hotel room had a fireplace that you could summon the staff to come light. No thanks. I got the fire going, threw all of the wood on like a boss, and went to the bathroom. I came out a minute later to find Gino, whose ostensibly flammable bed was about a foot and a half from the hearth, staring in disbelief at the inferno I had created.

In the morning, having been adequately admonished by the mechanic to head directly for Veracruz, that's exactly what we decided not to do. We reasoned that Palenque sounded too cool to miss, and that Gino would be there to bail me out if the things went pear shaped. Palenque was an important city state in the Mayan empire, and there you can wander around the well preserved ruins while vendors unabashedly offer you mushrooms to enhance the experience.

There were a couple other bikers at our hotel, and I asked about safety going through Tabasco on the way to Veracruz. I was once again sternly warned that this was a dangerous stretch of road where I should stop for absolutely no reason. That there might be armed men along the way was especially unnerving since my chain and/or fuel problem could leave me dead in the water at any point. Of course, it turned out to be a nothinghamburguesa. Gino carried on to Veracruz while I split for a lakeside campsite. And indeed, as soon as I was alone, the bike died. As always, it was not out of gas, but I was able to revive it using my spare fuel bottles. Feel free to start attempting a diagnosis if you like.

Camping next to Mexicans is an experience. They have truly weaponized the bluetooth speaker, which you can now buy at practically any tienda. You might think you have a campsite to yourself when suddenly around 8pm a caravan of beaten up Ford Explorers comes flying in and the fiesta begins. Mexicans are super fun, outgoing, happy people who can find joy in anything, and I truly admire them for that, but it's hard to fall asleep to the sound of dogs barking, kids screaming, engines idling, lights strobing, and a digital Mariachi Band that sounds like an energy drink.