Marr del Greco

Today we have 3 local lads that will ride with us as they helped TDA obtain permissions for us to ride through the Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an which is basically protected rainforest in Mexico. They have started building a road through it but for now it is a track - wider at the start but narrowing so vehicles cannot get through so we will be unsupported for the second part of the day.
We set off and initially it is a good sandy surface. Then it becomes very muddy and swampy and we are soaked and filthy as we go through puddle after puddle - sometimes the whole track is just like cycling through a river.
We stop earlier than expected when we see the new smaller vehicle (La mafiosa gringa) which was brought in to replace the lunchvan (the kidnapper) as the lunchvan as too big for this road. The Mafiosa Gringa could only get to this point on the road as a vehicle building the new road has been stuck for several days up ahead - they are making 1km progress a day to get it out !
Once we have lunched (whilst getting eaten alive by the mosquitos) we head off and have to navigate around said stuck vehicle.
We get to a fork in the path and I see Ted up ahead on his back and not getting up. I get to him and he is groaning in pain and not looking great. I tell him not to move until we know he hasn’t done anything serious. Thankfully Sjoerd and Hubert and one of the local guides arrive shortly. Between us I manage to get my hands sanitised and others find dressings. I then squirt water onto the wounds to get them clean, feeling awful as Ted is clearly in pain from me doing it - but the medic had told us it was the most important thing to do immediately - get the wound clean. Ted has a chunk out of his elbow that is bleeding a lot and will obviously need stitches and has gashes on his hip - but nothing seems broken. He is clearly in shock but can get up.
The path is now limestone a d because of the tree cover it has algae on it that makes it like black ice. We decide to walk. Other riders that were behind catch up as we walk - some also come off - some multiple times.
We probably walk for an hour until the track improves and we get back on. Just as an FYI this is the day there is no signal at all and because the vans couldn’t get through we have no back up option! In fact we don’t see anyone else from the lunch spot until we get to the sea about 40km later where we are picked up by the waiting boat.
John was at the front ahead of Ted’s accident - he somehow managed to stay upright all the way to the sea so ended up having a very long wait for everyone else.
The boat fitted 7 bikes plus riders at a time (no life jackets viable for us or bikes !).
We arrived at a lovely beachside resort - and the food was pretty good. Mexican food definitely the best of the 6 countries !
Ted does indeed need stitches from Helen the medic and one of the other riders has a suspected thumb fracture so will be unable to ride tomorrow while he gets it checked out. Helen has a busy evening checking out all the other minor injuries that people picked up today as well !Read more