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Trip Start Oct 20, 2008 Previous
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  Antigua Guatemala, Western Highlands, Guatemala
Monday, November 3, 2008

Saturday November 1st.
Today did not start very well. Even though it is warm and sunny. I noticed yesterday while performing the maintenance on the bike that my rear tire was a little low on air pressure. I inflated it to the required 25 psi. When I came out this morning I checked the air pressure again. It was down to 5 psi. Upon inspection of the tire I found a small nail in the tire. Fortunately there are volconazeradoraīs ( tire repair shops ) every where in Mexico. We had the tire repaired in less than an hour. The repair man was excellent. He had only basic rudimentary tools, brute strength and incredible patience. He charged me 30 pesos or $2.50, I gave him a 10 peso tip for his good work. Once the tire was repaired we went back to the hotel loaded the bikes and ate some breakfast.
As we left Juchitan the cross winds were incredibly strong with gusts upwards of 100 km per hour. Our lean angle on the bike's was at least 70 degrees. The challenge with gusts of wind like this is you need to lean into the wind, then suddenly the gust dies down and you are over steering and riding on the incorrect side of the road, then it picks back up and you are under steering and almost on the shoulder of the opposite side of the road. We made our way through the Chiapas region of Mexico. There were at least two hundred windmills along the road. The Chiapis region is very beautiful with wild grasses and mountains everywhere you look. At one point I noticed the clouds boiling over the mountain top. We arrived just outside if Cuidad Hidalgo when we were accosted by two men asking us if we are crossing into Guatemala. We said yes and they offered to help us. My first instinct was not good. I consulted with Mike but he had a good feeling about them. They showed us how to export our bikes out of Mexico getting the official release form. Then they said we had to go the border because it is closed Sunday for the day of the dead.. No Problem. We asked them to lead the way. Ohh..no they donīt have a car. They will come with us. Mike and I looked at each other incredulously. They want to get on the back of our motorcycles which are fully loaded. Are you kidding me. They said "no problem we help you at the border". The hairs are standing up on the back of my neck. I directly asked them how much for their help. They said $20.00. Okay seems fair,considering we had no intent on crossing into Guatemala until Sunday but were forced to move across the border due to the border closing Sunday. Yes they got on the back of the bikes, no helmet or anything. It ended up being a 50 km drive to the border. During our approach a driver in front of me put on his blinker to turn left. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes as safely as possible with my " friends" weight being fully transfered down onto me. We stopped just before impacting the vehicle. We arrived at the border and were asked for our passport, ownership and Mexican release form. The gentlemen scurried away with our belongings. They sprayed our bikes with some sort of insecticide. We waited for the official who came back with paper work that we filled out. He left again...we waited..... and waited.... and waited....he finally reappeared and asked us to go to the back side of the immigracion building. This was totally wrong with me. He applied a SAT sticker claiming it is good for all of Central America. Then he asked us for $750.00 American. We donīt have that kind of money on us! "Banco" .. he replied as he clutched our passport. Heīs got us ! I am so angry with these guys and myself why didn't I trust my first instinct. I run to the bank and withdraw the equivalent of 300.00 dollars American, the max the machine would pay out. I went back to meet him and Mike went to the bank machine. He came back frustrated his card wonīt work. The official then guides Mike on his pedal bike to another bank machine. Riding around with our passports. Itīs completely dark now. Kids just down the street are setting off fire works breaking glass windows. A couple is making out against a wall less than 20 feet from me. Iīm standing here guarding our bikes, itīs dark and we have no idea want the hell is going on. Mike comes back ..no luck, his card wonīt work. I reached into my money belt and had just enough money for Mike. We got our passport and effects back. I had enough smarts not to pay our original friends any money until they showed us to a hotel that had secure parking. I paid them their money, Completely irate at this point. I met a Guatemalan who spoke English while Mike was checking us into the hotel. Very friendly man who has just applied to a University in B.C. We got our bikes parked. The area is a slum at best. We are hungry but we dare not go out to get any food. They only thing we can purchase at the hotel is Pop, water and juice.
I bought a Pepsi, and noted immediately it was in a glass bottle, itīs edges completely etched from being recycled so many times the bottle reminds me of my childhood.
We went to bed hungry and in very foul moods.

Sunday November 2
I awake this morning very hungry,depressed and angry with myself. How did yesterdayīs events happen? I go outside the hotel and find a man sleeping next to the hotel on the street and someone else urinating on the hotel wall. We walked up the street trying to get our bearings. We found a gas station and a sign showing us the direction to Cuidad Guatemala. No place for breakfast. This border town of Cuidad Tecunamen was horrible and we got out of there as quickly as possible. Due to the recent events I thought it to be a good idea to split my documents up. I placed one of my visa cardīs in my left sock just in case we get robbed.
We stopped at a road side stop for a banana and orange for breakfast.Not very filling. As we make our way to Guatemala city I canīt help but notice how clean the country side is. There are sugar and banana plantations everywhere. A huge difference in agriculture from Chiapas less than 100 kmīs away. Everything is very lush and the farmers take great pride in their goods for sale. The country side has a very nutty smell to it.
I have witnessed very scary situations when it comes to Guatemalan transportation. A husband,wife and infant on one motorcycle no helmets. Or 50-60 people in the back of pick up trucks. I cringe to think what would happen to those people if the vehicle was involved in an accident. We ascend from apx 250ī to over 3500 feet, buses belching their exhausts into our faces, it was so bad I held my breath while behind and when passing them. We pulled over to get pictures of the volcanoes. As I pull away from the side of the road my left foot catches the huge bump of asphalt and it throws my foot back and hits the pannier. It didn't hurt but I almost dropped the bike. We missed our turn off to Antigua Guatemala, and we are lost in Guatemala city. We pull over to ask for directions and fill up at a gas station. Mike tryīs his bank card. Still no cash advance possible. I reach down into my sock.... a huge lump develops in my throat. My visa card is not there. It must have fallen out when I almost dropped the bike. Iīm at my breaking point and for the first time during this trip I ask Mike " Do we really have what it takes to do this trip"? We figure out how to get to Antigua after asking 4 different people. We arrive in Antigua Guatemala to our relief. It is amazing here. The streets are cobblestone and the buildings are clean. We find a hostel and go out for a great cup of coffee and supper. We realized during supper we haven't eaten a real meal since yesterday morning. The city is very touristy and safe, our hostel is clean and our host is fantastic. We should get a good nightīs sleep.

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Largest Mexican Franchise	My border "Friend"	expensive sticker	Volcano
breakfast time	Panam Guatemala

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