Pedaling with Pedro

9am sharp Berto and Pedro from Bicicletas Pedro Martínez was knocking at the hostel door. Outside a van loaded with everything we needed for a day in the saddle. Back in 2009, as part of the global celebration of World Environment Day, Pedro was presented with the ninth annual Colibri Ecotourism Award which finally recognised his small cycle business in Oaxaca City as a pioneering, responsible travel company supplying an eco focus tourism option successfully for the past 20 years.

The touring side of the business only started after a passing Canadian group of cyclists pulled into Pedros

bike workshop business in downtown Oaxaco for some repairs. On completion of the repairs the group asked Pedro if he knew of any good routes through the mountains and surrounding areas. Pedro being cycle-crazy said "yeah no problem I will close the workshop for one day and show you them". On completing the days touring the Canadians were more than impressed and joked with Pedro that he should consider doing tours as part of his business. Pedro laughed as he thought it wasn't really a viable business. Some 20+ summers later, you can see that Pedro is very happy in that he's made a very successful business out of his true passion - cycling. Pedro now a little older is support van driver whilst the younger, fitter Berto is cycle guide.

So out of the city, and for some reason Kraftwerks "Tour de France" music stuck in my head, our first stop Santa Maria del Tule. A town famous for the ancient 2000 year old tree, known as one of the widest trees in the whole world. On this trip we've seen plenty if big trees. But this beaut, well, she was wide alright!

Into the saddles we zig-zagged through the neat Mexican countryside. Crops already sewn catching some early sun prior the start of the wet season. After passing through many small settlements, most with the most picturesque of churches, neat plaza's, a small school of somesort and of course the abligitory coca-cola branded corner shop, we reached the town of Teotitlán Del Valle.

This old Zapotec town is known for its rugs and other hand crafts made of wool. Out the saddles we took in a drinks stop and popped into a work shop owned by a Zapotec family that has a long tradition as rug weavers. Josefina and her family gave us a very unique demonstration about the process of making a rug, we had a go, its easier than it looks! We learnt on how they get the colors (all natural) and how they turn the wool into string etc. Josefina explained that it takes 4 sheep to fill a basket and 4 baskets make one small rug. The average size rug takes around 2 weeks to make, that is as long as tourists don't try to get too hands-on!

At Tlacolula de Matamoros town we'd completed around 40kms at 1550m above sea level. For lunch we climbed right into the mountains at 2600m, luckily by van and not by bike as the path across the valleys was as steep as and very windy. Going up it was a case of don't look right! At a local "Comedor", a small family run restaurant near Hierve el Agua we pulled in for lunch were Doña Alicia and her lovely family made us very welcome. We took some shade and enjoyed chatting with Berto and Pedro about everything Mexican, from different types of tourists they meet, to the country's state regarding income and how Pedro and Bento thought the future may pan out. They spoke of their primary income concerns for Mexico, mainly that of monies earnt by Mexicans in the USA that is then sent home. This work being both legal and illegally sourced, that is if they successfully make it back and fourth across the now extremely danagerous boarder that separates these two very different countries. Secondly, petroleum, though thought to be dirter and not as

pure as oil found in the rest of the Americas, the oil industry in Mexico is pretty big business. Thirdly the tourist trade. A trade that seems to increase and decrease like the change of tide due to media focus on security concerns based on drug cartels or over zelus protesting. Both Pedro and Berto agreed that whilst incomes remain in this way the goverment will continue to do very little, if anything at all, regarding the funding of new industries and general social welfare of the average Mexican. This brought us to the state's protesting teachers. A career that pays very well in Mexico Pedro informed as. Lunch entailed - stringy cheese wraps and sopas all cooked up at 2600 feet on a open fire with large hotplate. With food served Pedro reached down and pulls up a eski full of cool beers and sodas. Not sure if he was more pleased with this act or us!

Fully fed and watered we headed for the petrified waterfalls. A short but steep hike that took us firstly below and then onto the natural pools, Berto pointing out things we should and should not touch along the way! The views across the skyline were fantastic. On reaching the pools a quick temp test, strip down and we were in. Felt good after that ride and what a view. You just can't beat outdoor pools. As we sat and soaking large birds of pray drifted effortlessly through the valley. It was such a peaceful and quiet spot.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Pedro and Berto and seeing isolated Mexican village life. Even if we were a little saddle sore!