Thursday I met another bike traveler, the first I’ve encountered since Guadalajara. He is from Poland and was heading the other way. He said it is probably a month to Merida, which is longer than I was planning but makes sense at this point. 

I stopped Thursday night in Nochixtlán, slept in the municipal building. Someone I met told me insistently it was only a four hour ride into Oaxaca, which I refused to believe, but I went on the autopista, which may be cheating-made the ride much easier than I expected, and I think I made it in five hours. 

I tried covering my face yesterday and today which is not the worst. I stop ever so often to rewet the cloth. 
It occasionally occurs to me that I may not be cut out for biking long distances in hot places. I made it to Oaxaca yesterday and will take a couple days off here… There may be some busing in my future.