To the tune of the Mariachi, we've marched into the depths of the metropolis known as Guadalajara only to descend yet further into the depths of despair; scratching at the gates of hell and begging to be allowed to surface once more. With the help of new friends, we've climbed back into the light and limped our way through the state of Jalisco. Our time in the city was marked with a melancholy mood by the imminent end of an era. The famous "Casa de Ciclista" we were hosted at, and which had hosted many a weary traveller over the years, was being sold off and disbanded. Thankfully this mood was painted over by our shared experiences with like minded cycle tourists and the echoes of the many more that had passed through those same walls; thinking of the good times rather than contemplating an end.

Although with a somewhat tamer weekday vibe, we began by leaving the craze of Tequila. We headed towards a bar that we'd been recommended by the folks in Jala the week previous, "Cantaritos el Güero", a curiously situated drinking hole in the middle of nowhere selling tequila in potentially huge bowls with no way back home despite taking the wheel... No wonder the local police told us this was a problem spot a few days later! But we arrived in the morning and all was calm, mariachis plied their trade around the solid wood tables and we chilled reading and writing the time away while dining delicious prawns and tacos. We had thought of trying to ask to camp in the grounds but decided this was folly after seeing the quantities in which tequila was sold and the, we expect flexible, 11pm closing time and so carried on our way to the next town. We resigned ourselves to camp at a petrol station on the outskirts and set to cooking some hot dogs at the neighbouring tequila monument, after not finding anything else in the corner shop. This was cooked to the sounds of a group of young women with children singing songs with seemingly fairly explicit lyrics in full voice. On inquiring it turned out they were celebrating one of the little girl's birthdays...

We'd failed to adjust to the clocks changing and woke up way too early, adjusting the wrong way leaving us with 2 hours to spare. I just went back to sleep but a nervous Ruth couldn't handle it and got up and made some coffee. It being a petrol station she sensibly did this at some distance and in the dark thought nothing much of leaving the camping stove to cool down in the same place. After enjoying a morning brew and going back to retrieve our beloved cooker, there it was no longer! Whether a dog had thought it a funny looking stick, someone had picked it up thinking it forgotten or it having been robbed from us (we'll never know) it was gone forever. Saddened, we were only cheered up later when we spotted a sign to a restaurant a family had recommended to us a while back and, although it was early for lunch, we decided to stop and collect our thoughts. We enjoyed yet more prawns, this time al medio diablo ("half devil", the devil here referring to mouth watering spices involved). After this pause we thought ourselves mentally ready to take on the nearby city of 5 million, Guadalajara. Nearing the heart of the city centre the clashing, roaring and honking of the humming, rush hour traffic intensified. But, strangely, gave way to a peaceful "eye of the storm" in the quaint streets surrounding the historic centre. Here we hunted down the famed "Casa de Ciclista" and met with the gang Esteban, Chuster and Terry. Ruth had a craving for hamburgers so we tucked one in before bed, but more on that later...

The day started early for me, the hamburger's revenge sending me hurriedly to the toilet to "call Juan" as Ruth had done so many months prior. On the next visit the waterworks started out of both ends with the vile smell forcing me call out for Juan once more... I was to spend the day in bed, aching and uncomfortable. Ruth managed to get a few jobs done before joining me in my despair and ending up equally bed ridden and toilet bound. The less we can remember of this day the better...

The next morning things were on the up but we'd spend the day with little nourishment as our bodies were still reeling from the previous day's escapades. Feeling a strong desire to stretch a little we decided to walk the city centre and see the sights but we literally just dragged ourselves around, cheerlessly ticking off things from a list Chuster and prepared for us. We could only manage a soup for dinner but after a siesta started to feel that human feeling again and spent the evening in deep conversation with Terry, a lovely Columbian guy who'd been staying long term. We shared joys and frustrations while Terry was making a pair of handmade panniers out of lorry canvas for a friend and even fixed Ruth's broken onces! Thanks Terry!

Terry's warmth and kindness helped us recover some strength and he made us some arepas (traditional thick tortillas from Columbia/Venezuela) for breakfast. It was however sadly time to say our goodbyes (for now at least) and we left the casa to its sad fate and then waved goodbyes to the whole team. Leaving the eye of the storm for the whirlwind of noise, bustling life and contamination that filled the air all around. It was hours before the city died down into small towns and then open country and we made it to the nearby lake side town of Chapala, that shares its name with the lake. We walked the promenade with our lovely Warmshower hosts Valentín and Rebeca before they showed us round the nearby arty town of Ajijic where we had a beer (in litre glasses!) and admired the paintings, mosaics and sculptures scattered around town. With Valentín driving us back home with a stand up show playing on his phone, taking the Mick out of the Gallicans of all people, we shrunk into his sofa bed to continue the recovery process we'd started the day before.

In the morning we were greeted by Linda, a lovely dog who liked nothing more than to have a tummy rub, in the garden as we packed up our things. With a belly full of banana bread and carrot cake we went to meet Valentín who was keen to accompany as for the morning and, after getting briefly lost in town, we headed out along the lake with our mate Val. He had led us down a road that would border the lake and on leaving us to carry on his circuit we headed out along the lake shore and its slowly deteriorating road. Gentle climbs turned into skate park half pipes, tarmac turned into potholed madness then to hastily lain cobble and kids, all of whom looked identical to my tired eyed, swarmed the streets of every small settlement along the way. It was unexpectedly charming in many ways but also unexpectedly challenging! We made it to our planned destination shattered and hungry and set to solve these problems with cheap tacos and an even cheaper hotel. Now, we've found it harder than necessary to get information out of people we ask on the street and today was a case in point, trying to find a small shop to get dinner in we were told very confidently by one lady that there was one selling what we needed a few blocks down, on walking we see no signs so ask again and are told that there are no such shops round here... We go back to the first lady who insists it's there and gives a few more details. We try again, ask various people and end up on this wild goose chase for a shop that may or may not, depending on who you ask, exist. In the end it all seemed like madness and ended up buying some horrible buttery bread and calling it a day.

Half of the day was cycling on a cycle path (what a joy!) which led us to a roadside stall selling a local delicacy, tortas ahogadas (drowned baps) which since our burger intoxication we'd attempted to try. They were lovely and the guys at the stall also gave us some aqua chili (chilli water, or raw prawns in a spicy citric sauce) to try for free. Ruth's drink, a michelada, was adorned with all sorts of things too, from cucumber to prawns, all very fancy! With food in the belly and wind on our backs we sailed onto our destination in the little town of Vista Hermosa in the Michoacan state, and found a nice cheap family run hotel to crash in. It was a while back, but we were still feeling weak from our health issues and needed a day's rest to try and feel back to normal, shame we had no rest from the mosquitos overnight however...