"I think one travels more usefully when they travel alone, because they reflect more"
- Thomas Jefferson
I vaguely remember when my plan to travel down to Central America was first incubated. I was still driving a truck cross-country with plenty of time to contemplate future plans. At that time, I don't honestly remember ever giving serious consideration traveling with another rider.
The thought of inviting another rider never really entered my consciousness due to the specificity of my travel plans. Who would want to join along?
The original plan was a ride through Europe. I had made a contact somewhere in France whereby I could store a purchased bike until I got out there. The plan was to buy a bike, ride it through Europe and then sell it at the end of the trip. But not long after I got past the initial notion of a European ride I realized that riding through Europe was much more expensive than I could have imagined. The cost of fuel alone deterred me. Another plan was hatched.
I don't know how the plan to ride through Central America began but somewhere in the rough planning stages I came across a drunken horse race in Guatemala. Todos Santos Cuchamatan is the village and Dia de Todos Santos is the holiday. The event that takes place sounded outrageous and just the reason to become an ultimate destination. Basically the indigenous men ride through the street drunk on horses. They continue to get drunk with every lap and whomever makes the most laps wins. It's something like that but the ambiguous notion was enough to have me hooked. I'm ready to go.
I had a loose plan to be in Todos Santos Cuchamatan on November 1 to witness the races. Other than that I had a plan to try and make a BMW moto meet-up in Creel before then. That was it. No other real plans. There is no way to ask anyone to participate in my loose plan to run down to Guatemala to see horse races. And besides, why annoy someone with such loose plans with no other specific destinations. And I didn't know anyone else intimately that does this kind of adventure riding. Those were the initial reasons for riding solo. But as I discovered, while I was actually on the trip, there were more important reasons to ride solo.
This is me riding into the Todos Santos festival in the village of Todos Santos Cuchamatan. Sorry about the poor video. This is unedited.
On riding solo and navigating the drunken crowds, you can only imagine if I was riding with a group and had to cut up these streets. Instead of one solo, misplaced and lost rider it would be a parade and an absolute mess adding to the chaos.
To skip right to the actual downtown party go to about 3:30 in the video. At 6:20 a drunken man almost falls over.
Riding solo invites people to approach you. Riding in a group or with another rider seems to intimidate locals. Not intimidate in the sense of scaring away but gringos or foreigners on big, adventure bikes that speak a different language just aren't as approachable. That's my theory. There's something less intimidating about a solo traveler on a big bike that looks like he is going somewhere. This invites questions and interaction. So this reason, although not really the primary reason for riding solo the first time around, is the reason I would continue to travel solo in the future.
I was invited to dinner, lunch or to spend the night in someone's house the first time around only because I was solo. Maybe people felt some empathy to a guy that spoke poor Spanish and seemed to be lost all the time. Smiling helped. If I had been traveling with another rider or a group of riders, this most likely wouldn't have happened. At least not as frequently.
Part of this, I think, is logistics and convenience. Imagine trying to feed or house one solo traveler versus a group. Think about how likely you would be to invite a group of strangers into your house versus one lost gringo.
Meeting strangers is a daily occurrence. This was just a family I met at a Pemex gas station and I asked to get their picture together. People in Mexico are wonderful just as they are in Guatemala and Belize.
When I travel alone I stop when I want. I take pictures when I want and if I need to spend a little more time composing the picture then I don't have to worry about accommodating someone else. I don't have to worry about inconveniencing them or thinking about whether I'm annoying them with the interruptions. I just stop when I want. If I don't want to travel as far on a given day then I don't. If I want to ride longer, I do so. If my initial, rough plans change during the day, then so be it. It might be selfish but I take this trip so I can entertain myself and not have to worry about another.
One person riding a big adventure bike, bags and sometimes tires strapped on top, heavy all-weather gear worn might attract a little attention. But more than one of these riders is a parade. I remember spending a week in Panajachel, Guatemala. Most of the week I rode around, using a local hotel as my base. When I rode around I didn't really garner that much attention. One day I saw a procession of big adventure bikes pass through town. All had gear on, bags strapped on the back and they looked like they were the business. I watched as locals stopped and stared at the procession. That was what I try to avoid.
Patrick the Canadian I originally met at Stoners up in San Blas, Mexico. We met up weeks later near the border of Guatemala and crossed together. We hung out for a few days and then went our separate ways.
My last trip I met up with a few other riders along the way, some planned and some not so planned. Most of those experiences were positive and I enjoyed them. One experience ultimately became unpleasant due to a difference in opinions. This kind of shared riding I enjoy. We spend just enough time together to enjoy our company, common language and common desire to ride motorcycles. It works great but just for a little while. Then we need our space and to discover things the way only solo adventure touring can be.
A great friend of mine that I met up with Puerto Vallarta. Originally we were to meet in Creel at a BMW meet but I made it, literally, a day late.
When I finally caught up to him down in Puerto Vallarta he was staying with his long-time friend and owner/proprietor of Hacienda Alemana, a fantastic German restaurant and high-end hotel near downtown. As always, I got lost trying to find this place. Gringo perdido. I showed up to the restaurant near closing time and met the owner and his family while Cisco was getting ready in his room. I was told to bring by bike into the restaurant courtyard and the owner closed the place up. We were served one of the best dinners I've ever enjoyed and I was treated to a room in the attached hotel that night. The next day Cisco and I said our goodbyes to the gracious owner and we rode south together toward Barra de Navidad. I enjoyed his company for a couple of days of riding before we parted ways with me heading towards Guadalajara to get that rear tire I needed.
Traveling alone is freedom. It's freedom to do what you want, when you want. It's freedom to not hurt a companion's feelings, freedom to not get into argument about where to go and it opens up interaction with locals. That is what drives me to remain solo. It's more introspective and makes you get out and interact.
I will admit, it's a little scary riding solo. There is definitely something comforting about riding with another or with a group. It is definitely easier most of the time, if you share the same plans and mentality. To a point, to depart with someone you have been riding with for a few days is almost depressing. You feel a sense of loss and a renewed sense of lonliness. But it doesn't take long for you to feel reinvigorated again and happy to be taking it in all alone.
“The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready”