Day 103 – Choluteca, HN to Leon, NI

December 3, 2010 5 Comments

Day 103 – Choluteca, HN to Leon, NI     12/02/10     Mileage: 112

Coffee, it had been days since Brian or I had a (good) cup, so this morning we set off to the Cafe Americano coffee shop around the corner from our hotel. Inexplicably, they don’t open until 10am. What kind of @#*% ing coffee shop doesn’t open until 10 in the morning? If Starbucks in the US didn’t open until 10…there would be bloodshed in the streets. Well, just one more thing I hate about Honduras. So, across the parking lot was a Wendy’s…yes, that Wendy’s! They were at least open, so I had an egg muffin and (decent) coffee, all under the watchful eye of a security guard toting a shotgun. It’s funny what you get used to, because security guards, which most stores and better restaurants (and Wendy’s!) in towns have, all tote shotguns or assault rifles. So does every delivery truck…which quite literally has a man riding shotgun! Don’t try to steal a 6-pack of Coke off of a delivery truck down here, or you will for sure get a 00 buckshot enema. Anyway, after our Wendy’s breakfast, we packed up the bikes and split for the border.

This cutie worked the front desk at the hotel…the only appealing thing in all of Honduras!

Leaving our hotel in Choluteca…

On the way out of Choluteca…

….and the roads have huge potholes.

I couldn’t wait to leave Honduras…it was giving me a bad vibe, and I didn’t want to be here one second longer than I had to.

And another police checkpoint. Smile dickhead.

At the border, the first order of business was to cancel our bike import permits at the aduana (customs) and then to immigration to stamp ourselves out of this hell hole. Of course, the “helpers” were there to try and sell us their services, but we told them very succinctly to go bugger off…we were onto their game.

Border cop and a helper trying to intercede.

To this border cops credit, he was the only one in 7 countries to notice the license I gave him was expired. Brian and I always give our “dump” licenses (in my case an old expired NJ license) whenever any official asks for a license, just incase they get confiscated. He accepted my AAA “International Driving Permit”, which I am also happy to give away. I never give my current valid NJ drivers license, and have not needed to yet.

On the way to the border after the police checkpoint.

At the Honduras border building…

Changing money…

After processing out, we hopped on the bikes, gave Honduras the 1 finger salute and crossed the bridge into Nicaragua(country number 8!).  AMF!

 One last police check before the bridge.

Here’s another helper…yep, that’s a camera dickhead, smile…  🙂

The Nicaragua border was refreshingly straightforward and relatively inexpensive at $24 in total. It was $12 to enter the country (which is really only $2 plus what amounts to a $10 mandatory tip or bribe if you will) and $12 for compulsory vehicle insurance. The bike import permit was free.

Arriving at the Nicaragua side….and glad to be out of Honduras!

This guy was driving down to Panama from Colorado in his FJ Cruiser. That rig on the roof is a rooftop tent…..very cool!

Standing around waiting I started chatting with this Nicaraguan girl….I was practicing my spanish and she was practicing her english.

One last checkpoint, and we were in Nicaragua!

With that we fired up the bikes and pointed them for Leon, a nice colonial town about 90 minutes from the border. On the way we passed an active volcano spewing smoke which is as common down here as shotguns and as easy to become accustomed to.

In Leon we settled into the Lazy Bones hostel which had private rooms, a pool and wifi for $20…not too bad.

This was an impressive cathedral on the main square in Leon.

Around town in Leon…

We took a walk around town, had a bite and a few beers and then I called it a night.

Filed under Honduras, Nicaragua

Day 102 – San Miguel, ES to Choluteca, HN

December 3, 2010 20 Comments

Day 102 – San Miguel, ES to Choluteca, HN     12/01/10     Mileage: 96

**  Warning: Salty language in this post.  **

After breakfast and packing the bikes, Brian and I set off for the Honduras border.

Saddled up and ready to ride…

Picking our way through the San Miguel traffic…

Crossing into Honduras, and at this border crossing in particular, is legendary in the annals of adventure motorcycling…and not for a good reason. It’s bureaucracy, seemingly pointless complexity and grift have brought grown men to tears. So vast is the complex bureaucracy of paper pushing that an entire industry of “helpers” has grown up around it, itself full of pitfalls, thieves and crooks. No amount of words can adequately describe the mind numbing maze of paperwork, photo copies, stamps, signatures, documents, duplicates, triplicates, offices and officials that need to be pushed, signed, filed, paid or otherwise processed. It all starts miles from the border when “helpers” try and stop you to offer their brothers/cousins/friends/brother-in-laws/uncles services at the border. Next, was the El Salvador aduana checkpoint to cancel our bike import permits…which is still 3 kilometers from the border, and another swarm of “helpers” descends on you offering their assistance to help you process through the border.

The El Salvador aduana checkpoint to cancel the import permits…and get swarmed by “helpers”…

Smile for the camera, asshole…

After saying no “adamantly” some 300 times to 20 different pushy bastards, you continue to the immigration building where the crowd of helpers gets really thick! They descend and swarm on you like Alaskan mosquitoes only these blood suckers want your money.

This guy is calling the other “helper” a crook…ha!

NO, NO, NO, NO, and NO!!!

Would you trust this guy with your critical documents? Yeah, me neither…

Changing currency with the other blood suckers.
(Tip for BlackBerry users, XE.com maks an app for BlackBerry’s which is very useful for changing money at the borders, so at least you know how much you’re getting screwed by.)

We ignore their pleas and go about our business, first to the El Salvador immigration window to process out…and then onto the Honduras window to pay $3 to “begin” our entry process into Honduras. Next it’s off to the guard shack before the bridge into Honduras, and of course he needs a copy of the canceled El Salvador bike permit.

Off to the guard shack at the bridge.

But of course the guard needs a copy, and there’s the “helper” still trying to push his service.

So we park the bikes, and go to a random office to make a photocopy for the guard. Once complete and the guard has his copy, we cross th bridge to the Honduras aduana and immigration buildings.

The guard has his copy…

…..now it’s across the bridge.

But first you have to get passed this rather unpleasant chap on the other side with a badge and a chip on his shoulder…

…and of course he needs to inspect your documents. And of course more “helpers” trying to “help”.

This is where the bureaucratic machine really starts to try and grind you down. First you go to the aduana where “jefe” comes out from a closed door and asks for your passport, bike title, driver license, canceled El Salvador import permit and 3, yes 3 copies of each of those documents plus the originals…16 in all. Then it’s off to the photo copy office for 3 copies of each, then back to jefe.

The Honduras aduana office.

This is me on the left, “jefe” on the right. Let round one begin. Ding!
(I set my helmet on a chair to get shots of this on purpose. Helmet cams rock for border crossings!)

He then disappears back inside behind the closed door. You are left to stand there in the heat waiting for someone to come out from behind the door. When jefe comes back out, he tells me he also needs my bike registration (the first time I am ever asked for this at any border!) plus 3 copies of it, so it’s back to the photo copy office for more copies, then back to jefe. Failure to produce any of these documents I’m quite sure opens the door for “jefe” to ask for a bribe, and he does not get the chance with me or Brian.

And so we wait…

Me and Brian…good times.

After more waiting, jefe emerges with a stack of paperwork and documents, each requiring more photo copies of newly applied stamps and signatures from nameless and faceless officials behind some door through which we can not pass. Brian and I alternate so that one of us is always with the bikes. This seems to aggravate the “helpers” but we are not going to be easy victims. After the new round of photocopies, we are now told we have to pay for the import permit at the bank, but of course the bank is closed, and won’t reopen for 2-3 hours…or so we are told by the “helpers”. This is of course a problem, but for a small “fee” a “helper” can “get it processed now.” Ha…nice try you fuckers, we told them we’ll just wait for the bank to open, we have plenty of time and I rather like the tropical heat! This made the “helpers” very mad, as they prey on impatient travelers and hope that you will use them “to speed things up”. Well, wouldn’t you know the bank opened up again in just 15 minutes…how about that.

The aduana building were the bank office is located.

Once Brian and I had these fees paid, it was off for more photo copies of the newly applied bank stamps for jefe and the faceless bureaucrats behind the mysterious door.

And more copies…

At least the copy girl was cute, and I got my 9 lepiras worth.

Next we were told we had to pay a road tax in another office, which we did. Then jefe emerged from behind the door with our paperwork, now with yet more stamps that required yet more photocopies for other officials at the “fumigation” station. So after 3 hours of paper shuffling and a square acre of trees felled for it, we were finally on our way into Honduras.

Back on the bikes, but one last stop at the fumigation shack, which is total BS by the way.

Time to get the fuck out of here!

Ahhh, on the gas at last!

Of course, at the first police roadblock 10 miles from the border, we were stopped and told that he was going to write us both tickets for not having reflective tape on our side cases. Ha! Nice try motherfucker, Brian and I had had enough and we laughed in his face. We both suddenly forgot all of our spanish and started yelling back “no ticket, no ticket, my oval sticker is refelctivo”, referring to the reflective ADV sticker on our boxes.

Smile for the camera, douchebag.

Well, when his cronie cop buddies didn’t back his play, he backed down and handed our licenses back. Ha! Score one for the gringos and the ADV sticker!! We got stopped again another 15 miles up the road, but just the standard questions.

Back on the road and making tracks at last…

After all that though, it really does leave a bad taste in your mouth and make you want to leave Honduras as soon as possible, which is what we are going to do. I am not going to give this country one more tourist dollar, and tomorrow we’re going straight for Nicaragua. It’s a shame the asshole boarder officials and their cronies are ruining it for the rest of Honduras, as the country looks every bit as nice as the others in Central America. But on principle, I’m going to put my tourist dollars where they are welcomed, and not torn from my pocket. El Salvador did not cost a dime to get into or out of and the borders were for the most part straight forward and professional. In hindsight, I would like to have spent more time there voting with my tourist dollars. As for Honduras(border officials), they can go suck it.

Filed under El Salvador, Honduras

Day 101 – El Tunco, ES to San Miguel, ES

December 3, 2010 1 Comment

Day 101 – El Tunco, ES to San Miguel, ES      11/30/10      Mileage: 122

Last night I realized that I had left my white “Pure Big Sky Powder” t-shirt in the hotel back in Acajutla, some 50 miles back. Damn…I like that t-shirt! But was it worth riding 100 miles round trip to fetch it? Well, apparently it is, because I rode my ass back to get it! I don’t think Brian was that thrilled, but that t-shirt has sparked many conversations with strangers, whether it was because it was from Montana or they just liked PBR…and that’s what made it worthwhile to retrieve. Anyway, after spending two hours getting my t-shirt back, we hit the road heading for San Miguel. The ride was quick and uneventful, and now we were in good position to make an early run for the notoriously painful, mind boggling and bureaucratically infuriating Honduras border tomorrow. As it was an short day riding, I spent the afternoon getting a haircut and changing the KLR’s oil.

The hotel in San Miguel.

Volcano visible from my hotel balcony.

That night we splurged on a nice steak dinner…beef medallions for Brian and filet mignon for me…both under $15…nice! Tomorrow it’s on to Honduras…country number 7!

Filed under El Salvador

Day 100 – Acajutla, ES to El Tunco, ES

December 1, 2010 2 Comments

Day 100 – Acajutla, ES to El Tunco, ES      11/29/10      Mileage: 66

I felt slighted out of a beach day yesterday, so after breakfast we headed south along the coat in search of a hotel on the beach.

Our “expensive” hotel…

I had picked this road out because on Google maps it looked like 50 miles of twisty goodness right along the Pacific Ocean. It turned out to be an awesome road and could easily be confused with parts of the Pacific Coast Highway in California. (For you riders, take the CA-2 south from Acajutla to La Libertad)

We rode it to all the way to La Libertad and checked out a few places there. None that we liked were on the beach, so we backtracked a bit to where we had passed some of the famous surf breaks that also had some hotels catering mostly to surfers. We checked out a couple but none fit the bill. Brian was tired of looking and just went back to La Libertad but I pressed on with the search for beach hotel! I struck pay dirt after another three tries and landed at the Tortuga Surf Lodge.

It’s a cool little hotel in El Tunco with a pool and it was right on the beach. Beers we’re $1.25 and ice cold and they also served some lite food….perfect!

 It just so happened that two other bikers had pulled in a few minutes before me. Dave and Sparky are from Vancouver Island, Canada and are on their way to Panama and back on their BMW R1200GS’s.

We had a few beers and told lies from the road for a bit, but I wanted to swim in the ocean so I quickly striped off my riding gear and jumped in. The ocean was warm and the waves were perfect for swimming if not surfing, though the main break was farther up the beach. Oh, and it wasn’t too crowded…  😉

After that I adjourned to the pool and had a few more beers with Sparky and Dave. We had dinner that night along with some of the other surfer guests and had a great time swapping stories and adventures. After a short stumble back to me room, I crashed for the night.

Parting shot….an orignal artwork at the Tortuga Surf Lodge. I knew I liked this place…  🙂

 

Filed under El Salvador

Day 99 – Rio Dulce, GU to Acajutla, ES

December 1, 2010 4 Comments

Day 99 – Rio Dulce, GU to Acajutla, ES     11/28/10     Mileage: 129

Brian I were on the bikes by 9:30 for the run from Rio Dulce to the El Salvador border. We wanted to get there well before nightfall to leave ourselves plenty of time to do the notorious border paper shuffle. Despite a fair amount of rain, the ride to the border was uneventful and we were there by 1:30pm. The first step was to cancel our Guatemala import permits for the bikes, followed by getting ourselves stamped out of Guatemala by immigration.

The El Salvador border crossing.

It was all very straight forward and they even made copies of documents for the El Salvador side of the border for free without us even asking! That was a far cry from some of the horror stories I’ve read on ADV Rider (website). As we were crossing, a fellow started talking to us and “helping” to steer us in the right direction. Sometimes unsolicited help is good, and sometimes it’s not…and I couldn’t figure which bucket to put this guy in. He pointed us to the right office to start the El Salvador border process, yet wanted a copy of our canceled Guatemala bike import permit…which we were told he definitely did not need by the people in the office. We’ll never know in the end, because as soon as we had our El Salvador bike importation permits and stamps in our passports, we split. All in all, it took an hour and half of paperwork, but was easy and didn’t cost a dime. Bienvenudos a El Slavador…country number 6 on my trip so far! Even though it looked much like Guatemala, it felt in some ways different…it’s funny how a line on the map does that. Our goal was to reach the coastal town of Acajutla and perhaps find a decent hotel on the beach. The ride down to the coast was good and had a real nice twisty section that went on for 30 or so miles. We arrived in Acajutla around 5pm and it was kind of a shithole. Undeterred, we headed towards the beach in search of a hotel. We pulled into the first prospect which Brian went to look at while I watched the bikes. His face said it all when he came back, to which he added…”Call me old fashioned, but I do prefer a toilet seat on my toilet.” It was only $10, but a man has to have his standards. The next stop looked more promising, as it was 50% more expensive at $15 and the outside looked clean enough. It was getting dark and our expectations, while already very low by US standards, were minimal. It was just not meant to be however. We looked at the first room and it was a complete sespool…the sheets looked like they haven’t been changed…ever. The toilet, while fitted with a seat, wasn’t worthy of a stall in the men’s room at the old Veterans Stadium during an Eagles game just after halftime. This is quite a feat, given that the shower head (cold only of course) comes out of the ceiling directly above the toilet…yes folks…no shower stall…you have to straddle the toilet while showering. Then there is of course the floor, which defies explanation as to how a shower stall sized room with what is in effect an overhead sprinkler could accumulate such filth. Brian and I at least had a good laugh before we declined and opted to press on with the search in the dark. Fortunately, I remembered passing a hotel next to a truck repair shop a few miles back, so we pointed the bikes back to the highway. We arrived and although it was expensive ($31) for what it was, we were tired and there were quite literally no other options… So we took two rooms and called it a night.

PS: Sorry for the lack of pictures today! I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of the hotel rooms…damn!

Filed under El Salvador, Guatemala

Day 98 – Rio Dulce, GU

December 1, 2010 4 Comments

Day 98 – Rio Dulce, GU     11/27/10     Mileage: 0

Today Brian and I booked a launch to the town of Livingston which is not accessible by road. It was quite expensive and took up most of the day, but it included a tour of the area as well and we heard it was worthwhile.

The first stop was an small old colonial era Spanish fort which was neat to see from the water just as the pirates for whom the fort was built to defend against would have seen it.

Some local fisherman in dugout canoes

Next we stopped to view some islands where many water birds were nesting, after which we came into a small cove where young girls in dugout canoes paddled up to our launch selling local crafts.

The crafts were OK, but the young girls were adorable. We docked at Livingston and took a walk down the main street.

Livingston, GU

There are manhole and sewer covers missing not just in Livingston, but all over Guatemala. Replacements seem to be in short supply, so in this case the locals stuck a phone booth in the manhole to keep people from falling in!

Both Brian and I were kind of unimpressed with the town honestly, but it was good for a stroll and lunch. It would have been fine were in not for the fact that it cost 200 quetzals and 3 hours to get there from Rio Dulce! So, after lunch it was back to the launch for the ride back which thankfully was a straight shot. After that it was a shower, dinner, some route planning and off to bed for an early night as tomorrow we had a long day planned which would take us to yet another country…El Salvador!

Filed under Guatemala

Day 97 – Flores, GU to Rio Dulce, GU

December 1, 2010 2 Comments

Day 97 – Flores, GU to Rio Dulce, GU     11/26/10     Mileage: 129

Today was a short day in the saddle from Flores and Brian and I were in Rio Dulce in just over 2 hours.

Cool Beans….my favorite morning coffee and wifi spot

One last shot of Flores, GU

The road surface was the best I’ve ridden in Guatemala and was quite literally the only riding day where my tires didn’t touch dirt. We also bumped into 2 more riders on KLR’s who were heading north towards Belize from Costa Rica. In Rio Dulce we parked ourselves at Bruno’s Hotel and Marina which caters mostly to glob trotting sailors.

The pool at Bruno’s Marina

Chillin at Bruno’s

What I didn’t realize is that Rio Dulce also has a large number of wealthy expat sailors (and power boaters) that live down here either part time or full time. There are hundreds of very large sailboats and yachts in the area, some moored in front of what I guess are second homes. There are also transient sailors as well as some that just come down to escape the winter up north. I definitely caught (or rekindled) a bit of the sailing bug. Maybe that will be the next endeavor!

The main street in Rio Dulce

The “shoe store” in Rio Dulce….it’s no Jimmy Choo boutique!

The Yamaha dealer in Rio Dulce.

“Brilliant Riding”….I’m not so sure given that the bike is only a 125cc!

The view from the bridge over the river

Sunset over Rio Dulce

Filed under Guatemala

Day 96 – Caye Caulker, BZ to Flores, GU

November 26, 2010 5 Comments

Day 96 – Caye Caulker, BZ to Flores, GU     11/25/10     Mileage: 0 (riding)  3 hours on a chicken bus.

I was up early for breakfast and on the first water taxi off the caye at 8:30. The ride back to Belize City was nice and there were several cruise ships anchored just offshore…thankfully they do not go to Caye Caulker or the place would be ruined. I caught the first chicken bus back to San Ignacio and It was a spine powdering 3 hour ride as the suspension on the bus was completely shot. I actually sat leaned to one side so as not to send the shock from every bump straight up my spine. Back in San Ignacio I met up with Brian, packed up the KLR and we split back towards Guatemala. At the border we met two fellow ADV’ers (a website called Adventure Rider that I also post to) also riding KLR’s. We exchanged information as they are heading south as well, so perhaps we may catch up again down the road.

3 KLR’s and one lone BMW at the Guatemala / Belize border…

After crossing back into Guatemala, we rode back to Flores and found rooms for the night. That night we met Evan who is from Alberta, Canada and also riding an ’09 KLR just like mine. It was like a bloody KLR convention down here today! He joined us for dinner and we all swapped stories and lies from the road. I wasn’t able to find turkey and stuffing, and my dinner companions were from Canada and England, but I sure do have a lot to be thankful for, so it was a great Thanksgiving dinner none the less!

Filed under Belize, Guatemala

Day 95 – Caye Caulker, BZ

November 25, 2010 10 Comments

Day 95 – Caye Caulker, BZ     11/24/10     Mileage: 0

I slept in until 9 due to the late night festivities last night. After breakfast, two bottles of water and 4 coffee’s I felt ready for the day….or at least a day of sitting on my ass on the beach soaking in the tropical air and Caribbean sunshine. Life is rough, but I’m making the best of it.  😉

That about sums up the island style here pretty good…

I also spent some time updating the blog at a local bar that has wifi. At dusk it was back to the Lazy Lizard at the split to take in another great tropical sunset.

I went back to the room for a bit and then went out for dinner. I splurged on a nice meal as it was my last night on the Caye. Tomorrow I head back to the mainland and San Ignacio to collect the bike and head south back into Guatemala.

Filed under Belize

Day 94 – Caye Caulker, BZ

November 25, 2010 4 Comments

Day 94 – Caye Caulker, BZ     11/23/10     Mileage: 0

This morning I chilled for a bit before heading out to breakfast. I also moved to a much cheaper hotel…only $15 per night and right on the water.

My new hotel…$15 per night…

A great view from the balcony of my hotel room…

Then again, the island is only 1-2 blocks wide…so almost every place is practically on the water…or a 30 second walk from it! I walked around for a bit, then grabbed some lunch and used their wifi to get a blog post up and send some email.

Some views from around town in Caye Caulker…

At sunset, the place to be is at “the split” where the north and south part of the island is split by a narrow channel, compliments of a hurricane a few years ago. There is a great dive beach bar there called the Lazy Lizard, and everyone just chills there and on the beach to watch the sunset. The Lazy Lizard is for sale, in case anyone would like to co-own a dive beach bar with me! 😉

The scene at the Lazy Lizard at sunset…irie irie

After that it was out for dinner and few drinks, and I ended up at a reggae bar called the I & I where there was a lot of ummm, smoking. I chilled there for a bit, ended up talking to some local rastas, and then retired with my “contact high”. Irie irie, mon.

Filed under Belize

Day 93 – San Ignacio, BZ to Caye Caulker, BZ

November 24, 2010 5 Comments

Day 93 – San Ignacio, BZ to Caye Caulker, BZ     11/22/10     Mileage: 0 (Riding), 3 hours on a chicken bus.

 Brian and I met for breakfast and chatted about our trips. He was staying in San Ignacio for a couple more days and I was heading for Caye Caulker. My original plan was to ride to Belize City, stash the bike and take a water taxi out to Caye Caulker. But instead I decided to leave the bike in San Ignacio at the hotel with Brian and take a chicken bus to Belize City. This way the bike was safe and I wouldn’t have to pay for and find safe parking for the bike in Belize City. So later that morning I caught a chicken bus (only $7!) to the coast. After arriving in Belize City, I walked to the waterfront to buy my water taxi ticket to Caye Caulker.

The Belize City waterfront…

Belize City

I had 2 hours until the next water taxi, so I walked around town for a bit. Now maybe there is a nice section of Belize City, but I can tell you it isn’t by the water taxi docks! The regular taxi drivers were also annoying, shouting to anyone within a 3 block radius who looks remotely like a tourist if they need a taxi. I must have been asked 125 times in ninety minutes…no shit! I stopped even responding after a while as it was just incessant! The water taxi ride out to the Caye took around 45 minutes and there was a nice sunset over the water. Once I arrived I immediately like the low key vibe.

Arriving at Caye Caulker

Rush hour in Caye Caulker….nice!

At night these crabs are lurking everywhere in the tall grass….don’t take any shortcuts barefoot!

The streets are sand and there isn’t a patch of pavement in site…awesome! There is also no need for a car as the island is quite small and golf carts are the preferred motorized transport…but a beach bike or on foot is the best way to get around. I walked around for a bit and after getting a room, wandered out for dinner.

Filed under Belize

Day 92 – Tikal, GU to San Ignacio, BZ

November 24, 2010 2 Comments

Day 92 – Tikal, GU to San Ignacio, BZ     11/21/10     Mileage: 64

 It was absolutely pouring overnight, so much so that it woke me up a few times and that almost never happens. I got up at 6am and it was still raining, but luckily by the time the tour started at 6:30 it had stopped. The tour of the Tikal ruins was great and I’m glad I sprung for the guide. I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

This mound is what the structures look like before restoration….completly covered by the earth and jungle.

The tops of the temples visible above the jungle canopy.

These cute little guys are everywhere…called a coatimundi.

Here’s a shy howler monkey….couldn’t get a good shot.

The tour was over by 11 and after packing up the bike I was off to meet Brian on the road to Belize.

Brian from England and his BMW F650

The Guatemala \ Belize border…it was a snap and took only an hour total.

The bikes at the border…

We rode together across the Belize border to San Ignacio and found rooms at a hotel in town. After settling in we went out for dinner and a few beers.

“Main St.” in San Ignacio, Belize

Getting a beer at Flayva’s

I personally got offered pot and/or coke 3 separate times that night, but of course declined…I already had plenty…  😉   It was also weird to be back in an english speaking country after almost 7 weeks in Mexico and Guatemala, I kept saying gracias instead of thank you!

Filed under Belize, Guatemala

Day 91 – Flores, GU to Tikal, GU

November 24, 2010 2 Comments

Day 91 – Flores, GU to Tikal, GU 11/20/10 Mileage: 42

Brian and I met for breakfast and we discussed the possible routes going south. I also spent several hours getting somewhat caught up on the blog while I had an OK internet connection. In the afternoon I packed up the bike and left for Tikal which was only a little over an hour away. I got a room at the famous Jaguar Inn right at the entrance to the Tikal ruins. I also signed up for a 4 hour guided tour for the following morning as I heard it was well worth it. I had dinner at the Jaguar and used the wifi for a bit, but turned in early as the tour starts at 6:30am and I wanted to get a good nights sleep.

I totally goofed in not getting any pictures of the Jaguar, so here’s some pics from their website.

Filed under Guatemala

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 ferryOn 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.

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Day 89 – Cemuc Champey, GU to Sebol, GU

November 20, 2010 6 Comments

Day 89 – Cemuc Champey, GU to Sebol, GU 11/18/10 Mileage: 47

I was looking to move on today but the weather was not cooperating. The road coming in is of course very bad and the rain makes things 10 times worse as the road gets slippery. Worse than that is the concrete pads on the steep hills that get covered with mud dragged on there by the 4×4 trucks wheels. I gave it a whirl but it was just too slick, so it was back to the hostel to wait it out. If the sun came out and dried things out enough to leave in the afternoon, I would make a run for it…otherwise I was stuck here another night. Luckily, that’s what happened and I gave it another go. The road was still muddy but had definitely dried out a bit including the concrete tracks on the steep sections, so it was not too bad. I also lowered my tire pressures which also helped quite a bit. Once back to the main road, I could go left and backtrack to Coban on the paved road, or go right and continue towards Sebol through the mountains on the dirt. You know how much I hate to backtrack, so with two hours of daylight left I made run for it.

The going was painfully slow in the mud and daylight was beginning to become a problem. Luckily the road widened and improved enough towards the end so I could pick up the pace despite that it started to pour.

I arrived in Sebol about 15 minutes after dark and went straight for the nearest hotel. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was dry, only $9 and I was soaked. The bathroom was particularly, umm, unsightly and the sink was actually in one end of the shower. It also had one of those electric shower heads to heat the water as the majority of buildings down here only have plumbing for cold. What’s worse, this one had the electrical breaker box in the shower as well which is a first!

Needless to say I didn’t need a shower bad enough to risk electrocution! I also didn’t trust the bedding, so I did the old ground sheet over the bed trick and slept in my sleeping bag liner.

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Day 88 – Cemuc Champey, GU

November 18, 2010 Leave a comment

Day 88 – Cemuc Champey, GU     11/17/10     Mileage: 0

It was a good nights sleep as everyone turned in before 11, me included. After breakfast it was off to Cemuc Champey which was a 2 minute walk from the hostel. Cemuc is essentially a unique geological feature where the Cahabon River goes underground beneath a natural limestone “bridge” and then emerges several hundred yards down stream. On top of the limestone bridge are a series of beautiful and inviting turquoise pools that cascade downwards and rejoin the river that emerges from underground. Our guide from the hostel led us up to the top of a cliff where we could see the whole of Cemuc Champey and the view was magnificent.

I also had my first toucan sighting which was really cool!

After that he led us to the point where the river disappears underground which was an awesome sight.

To give you an idea of scale, look at the people on the side of the river in the photo above.

The last part was the highlight for sure as our guide led us to the top pool and showed us where to jump in. We then spent the next hour diving, jumping and sliding from pool to pool down the length of the limestone bridge until the main river emerged from underground. It was a blast for sure!

Back at the hostel we all had some lunch and I chilled for the afternoon. At night dinner is served at 7pm for all the guests which is nice as you can meet and chat with the other travelers. After dinner I played poker for a while with 4 other Americans who are down here traveling around after attending a wedding. Without playing chips the bets were in beer and after that ran out it was shots of Agua Diente…a local fire water. I steered clear of the shots thankfully, and we all packed it in around 11.

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Day 87 – Finca El Naranjo, GU to Cemuc Champey, GU

November 18, 2010 Leave a comment

Day 87 – Finca El Naranjo, GU to Cemuc Champey, GU     11/16/10     Mileage: 84

Breakfast at the Posada Montana was tasty and after an hour of studying I hit the road.

Breakfast….not bad for $3.

My destination for today was Cemuc Champey via Coban and Lanquin. The road from Coban to the turnoff for Lanquin was good fun and for the most part in good condition.

The 15 or so miles from the turn off of the highway to Cemuc Champey is another story all together! The road was steep and rutted in spots and was so narrow that two vehicles could not pass at the same time forcing one to backup or pull off into driveway if there was one. In the steepest sections they laid two concrete tracks, one for each set of wheels, or some vehicles would not make it up. It wasn’t bad on the KLR, but that is exactly why I brought that bike and not a more comfortable touring bike…for roads just like that.

Near the entrance to Semuc Champey I found the El Portal hostel which is situated in a great setting right on the river.

That afternoon I signed on for a underground river cave tour which was great fun, mostly because it violated nearly every safety precaution that would have been deemed necessary by some inspector in the U.S.! To start off with, the only light in the cave was from the candles they gave you. Oh, and I did mention that this was an underground river tour, so you had to swim through, and sometimes jump into the water…all wile not getting your candle wet.

Here are some with the camera flash on…

There were also several ladders to go up and down as well as one rope you had to climb up into the onrushing water! After that it was back to the hostel for some dinner, drinks and good conversation with the other travelers.

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Day 86 – Antigua, GU to Finca El Naranjo, GU

November 18, 2010 3 Comments

Day 86 – Antigua, GU to Finca El Naranjo, GU     11/15/10     Mileage: 127

I’ve been in Antigua for almost 3 weeks all together now, and although it’s a great town, I can’t wait to get back on the road. My plan is to head north towards Coban, Semuc Champey, Flores, the ruins in Tikal and then on to Belize. After catching up on some email and packing up, I was off and it felt great to be back in the bike. The air was cool and dry and the road heading northeast out of Antigua is 20 miles of twisty goodness before hitting Guatemala city. The KLR was running good and I was grinning ear to ear in my helmet.

Once on the other side of Guatemala City the road descends out of the mountains into a picturesque valley to the town of El Rancho where I passed by a nice looking restaurant. About a mile down the road, I decided to turn around and head back to get a bite to eat. As I as walking towards the front door, I was greeted (in english) by a man wearing a “Harley” style leather motorcycle vest. Well, it turns out that he is in Guatemala with 20 or so other members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association donating motorcycles (Honda CR200 dual-sports) to local pastors so they can get around…how cool is that! I guess you can spread the word of God just a little faster on a motorcycle! They offered to bless me and my bike and I gladly accepted. It was a moving moment as they all gathered around me and the bike and said a nice prayer for me, the bike and my safe travels.

The members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association and my KLR

This bike was blessed

Whether it was a growling stomach or divine intervention, either way I can’t tell you how glad I am that I turned around and came back to the restaurant to meet all those wonderful people. It seems as if I made 20 new friends just like that. If they had bikes it would have been great to ride with them…maybe another day.

To all the members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association…Godspeed to you in your work and travels.

So after saying goodbye and having a quick bite, I was back on the bike hoping to make it to Coban before nightfall. The road was awesome as it twisted its way higher into the mountains and I was enjoying every mile of it.

But it soon became apparent that the night was going to catch me before I got to Coban, and I was starting to really get concerned as dusk gave way to darkness. “Never ride at night” is the golden rule of adventure motorcycling, and I don’t relish breaking it in the remote mountains of Guatemala. Just then I passed by a hotel with a brightly lit sign, so I turned the KLR around to have a look. They did in fact have a room available, it cost only $20 and was a really nice place. So OK, the fact that a hotel appeared on an empty stretch of road at exactly the time and place I needed it is well short of a miracle, but I did thank my new friends in the Christian Motorcyclists Association for it anyway.

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Day 85 – Antigua, GU

November 15, 2010 11 Comments

Day 85 – Antigua, GU     11/14/10     Mileage: 0

Nothing that interesting today…studying, chores and I spent a few hours cross posting the blog to an adventure motorcycle website called AdvRider.com which I’ve been meaning to do for some time now. I did meet two more fellow travelers that were great fun to talk to. Dominik is from Germany and Jeanette is from the Sacramento, CA area and we had many good laughs over a few beers. Tomorrow it’s back on the bike!!

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Day 84 – Antigua, GU

November 15, 2010 2 Comments

Day 84 – Antigua, GU     11/13/10     Mileage: 0

Today was a work day of sorts as I had a list of chores to do before I leave Antigua. The first order of business was to give the KLR a good check-up seeing as she’s basically been sitting for two weeks. I topped up the oil, the tire pressure, oiled the chain and a gave her a quick wash. Next was laundry and a trip to the market to get more 10w-40 oil…which the KLR drinks like keg beer in a frat house. Next I sorted through my gear to get rid of some dead weight which I will ship home first thing Monday. I also studied and did the Rosetta Stone (which is very good BTW) for a few hours and plotted some waypoints and routes between here and Belize City to download into the GPS. I’ve picked up a bit of a cold and didn’t feel like venturing out for dinner, so I just ate at the Black Cat. Fortunately the food is quite good here and somewhat reasonable by Antigua standards. I also caught up with my friends Paul, Kim and Andria from Colorado on Skype which was great. After a bit more studying of spanish and road maps, I packed it in for the night.

Here is my one token picture for today, the Fuego Volcano throwing up some ash, taken from the roof-top patio at the Black Cat. It’s like Guatemala’s answer to Old Faithful in Yellowstone! Lol

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