A Final Reflection

Somehow, both me and my bike have managed to arrive back in the US, only slightly damaged. Whatta Trip.

My thanks to everyone who played the "home game," your comments and letters kept me going.

For the first time I feel like I've really SEEN a country. Looking back on my past travels, I ask myself: How much did I miss?
All around Asia I stayed in hostels or hotels geared towards foreigners. Backpackers say that people who stay in top-end hotels don't see the country. But now I look at backpackers: have they really seen the country? And expats, who actually live in a foreign countries, probably laugh at me for thinking that I've seen the country.
Either way, I saw WAY more of a country than ever before. And that is what I was after - to really SEE Mexico.

People, of course, have been asking me: "How was it?"

My answer: "It was what I wanted."

It wasn't a party, but if I'd wanted to party I could've divided my time between Mazunte, Palenque, Playa Del Carmen, San Cristobal, and Tulum. It was exactly what I expected: sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, but immensely satisfying.