Day 90 – Sebol, GU to Flores, GU
November 23, 2010 6 Comments
Day 90 – Sebol, GU to Flores, GU 11/19/10 Mileage: 122
It was pissing rain when I woke up and didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon. After a failed attempt to find breakfast, I packed up the bike and split. The road out of town was under construction and further complicated by a cattle herd being driven down what there was of the road by 3 Guatemalan cowboys. I sat there clutch ahead in first gear in the pouring rain but there was nothing I could do about it.
After the beef blockage cleared, I spun the KLR up to speed and hoped the rain would let up. No such luck with the rain but the dirt finally gave way to pavement and I was able to up the pace and at least eventually end the misery a bit sooner. The rain let up and even stopped for a bit and I was able to even enjoy some nice rolling hills for a bit, but it didn’t last long. I stopped off at a roadside tienda to scrounge up a bite to eat, but that proved to be a bit of a task. It was completely disheveled and disorganized, but I did manage to find tortilla chips hiding under some light bulbs and a small pack of vanilla wafers. The orange juice was 2 days out of date, but beggars can’t be choosers…and at least my grocery total was only 3 quetzals, or around 35 cents. Stomach satiated if not full, I pressed on in the rain. In Sayaxche, I had to take a ferry across the Rio de la Pasion which made for some good photos.
Queuing up for the ferry
On the ferry…
The ferry carrying a semi truck back across the river…
Once across the river I could almost see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, but mother nature had one more punch to throw. The rain began to fall with a tropical vengeance and I had to back off the pace. It was a total frog drowner and this went on for 20 minutes before the KLR had enough and quit firing. Luckily it was right in front of a gas station, so I pushed her the last few feet under the gas pump shelter. The reason was obvious…water had worked its way into the ignition somewhere, so I figured I’d let it sit for a bit while I got a snack next door. After 20 minutes I returned and she fired up after a little persuasion. By this time the rain had died down to a mere downpour so I continued. The last 12 miles into Flores (the way the GPS took me at least) were dirt, or more precisely a muddy morass. I finally pulled into town and me and the KLR were soaked to the bone and covered with mud. After settling into a hotel room and leaving a message for Brian, a rider from England that I was meeting up with, I went out to find a proper meal and to walk around town.
View from the roof top patio of my hotel in Flores, GU
Flores, GU
Back at the hotel I met up with Brian and we went out for dinner and a few drinks. He started out 5 months ago from Anchorage, AK on his BMW F650 and had virtually the same plan as me…to ride from Deadhorse to the tip of Argentina. He’s had a few setbacks, but is still pressing forward with his trip in true British fashion. As we’re both heading the same way, we talked about riding together for a bit which will definitely be a change, so we’ll see how that goes.
Hi Len, loved the pics of the ferry. showed my students today the underwater caves with the candles and limestone bridge. They loved it!! The towns look so quaint. We will miss you on Thanksgiving! Make sure you find some turkey to eat! Love, LIsa
Hi Lisa! Happy Thanksgiving! I’ll miss being there as well for sure. Maybe I’ll at least be able to find some other Americans to celebrate with….we’ll see!
OMG so much much rain!!!!!! Looking forward to the pictures of the Mayan ruins. Glad that you will be riding with Brian for a while. Hope it works out well for the two of you. Be nice to have company when you go to South America.
Lenny, Dad said that Dirty Bones does not show you where you say you are. He thought that you might need a new battery. You also might have shut it off is what I was thinking..
Be safe and dry. Love ya, Mom
Looks like Flores is a little bit like Antiqua? Are you spending Thanksgiving with Brian? Turkey? Or some more corn tortillas?
Yep, they are similar for sure. Brian is from England so Thanksgiving is lost on him of course! We’ll see where I end up tomorrow…
Btw, were you able to strap down the bike yourself for the ferry ride or did they insist on doing it for you? Remember the ferry in Monterrico?