On the first day of 2025, we congregated around a morning fire, Emma’s favourite camping activity, and roasted up the last remaining ‘bombones’, before breaking our brief fast in Benito Juárez’s comedor (somehow everyone was up and about, despite the late night revelry) where we said our various goodbyes. Greg continued onwards through the Sierra Norte towards Veracruz and Chiapas – in case he’s reading this, I should add that there’s no pressure of course to feature Huesos in the next Youtube chapter, but given how well the two of them got along, I’m hoping he’ll get a prime spot. In the interests of making the very most of his Oaxacan experience, I managed to convince Michael to drop down Mil Rios on his full susser – it’s one of my favourite rowdy trails, after all – before climbing back up again to spend a night at Hierve el Agua…

Emma, Scott, Huesos and I free wheeled down to Teotitlán and picked our way across the dirt roads of the valley floor, mingling with broad armed organ cacti and regiments of agave. Amongst its villages, we pedalled under papel picado decorative street flags, passing cardboard cutouts of Santa Clauses and celebratory balloons tied to shoots of bamboo-like carrizo – Christmas with an Oaxacan twist! Our return to the hubub of the city came via one final plateful of memelas which were, in my opinion at least, about as good as they get: a thick handmade tortilla crust, plump and loaded with mushrooms and onions, atop cheese, asiento, and beans.

I’ll leave it right there with Oaxaca delivering the goods once again, both culinary and cyclenary, with new and old friends alike. Happy New Year!