The Adventure Continues

Posted on October 28, 2011 by greg

I am back on the road again, the adventure continues.  My attackers may have knocked me down for a couple of days but they did not bring an end to my journey. The bike suffered very little damage, only a broken mirror and some scratches. The right pannier was crushed but was able to be straightened out. The mirror has been replaced and many of the scratches have been buffed away. As for me, my injuries were also minor and are healing well. The large rock that was thrown at my shoulder has left a nasty bruise, but not long term injury, and is healing well. The bike fell on my leg and again fortunately only bruising. The value of the things stolen and the cost to replace what is necessary has set me back a little financially so now I am going to have to use my accounting skills to be more creative, do another budget and watch my costs.

I will not allow three scumbags to ruin my adventure. Guatemala is a beautiful country and with the exception of my three attackers I have met only nice people. I want to leave Guatemala with a positive feeling, so I am staying for another week.  Since the Varadero is sold here in Guatemala I ordered parts that would be required for routine maintenance and in the meantime, I have some rides planned until the parts to arrive.

Details of my attack.

I was leaving San Marcos after spending two relaxing days at Lake Atitlan. The road out of there is a steep climb. I was in first gear on my motorcycle going around a sharp corner when three masked men jumped out of the bushes, one threw a rock at my head and I was able to duck quick enough that it missed me. I accelerated, and thought I was in the clear when I was hit from behind in the right shoulder with a very large stone. This sent the bike up into an embankment and eventually back down landing partially on me. The men approached with machetes, one held me up, demanded my things, while the other 2 thieves cut away my back pack and removed the tank bag from the bike. One of my side panniers broke open spilling its contents onto the road, which the thieves picked up and stole. They disappeared into the forest as quickly as they appeared.

With my bike lying almost upside down I tried to upright it and get out of the area. Within ten minutes la pick up full of locals came to my rescue. They called police and checked me and the bike over. Several Police arrived and took my information and escorted me back to the police station in San Pedro. A crowed soon formed. Back at the San Pedro office the police quickly brought in a suspect in handcuffs. They marched the suspect right in front of me and he gave me quite an evil look. I was then taken from police station to police station in the area (not sure why), and after I few hours I was offered a police escort back to Guatemala City. I was never given a copy of the police report even though I asked several times. The police did escort me to within 100 kilometers of the city, I just lost them somewhere along the way.

I contacted the Canadian Embassy for help on this matter, they took a report over the phone and said they would send me some information and be in touch.  On October 26, 2011 with help from the Canadian Embassy I received a copy of the police report. I also picked up my motorcycle, the scratches don’t look so bad after all, and they give it character.

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Attacked and robbed in Guatemala

Posted on October 24, 2011 by greg

Yesterday, while I was leaving lake Atitlan, I was attacked and robbed by three masked me carrying machetes. They took most of my possessions and cash. Fortunately my injuries are minor and the damage to the bike can be repaired.

Despite this set back and loss I am determined to continue my journey. With some help from friends I am safe in Guatemala City trying to sort things out and get back on the road.

I will post more once I get things sorted out and a new plan is in place.

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Guatemala City

Posted on October 22, 2011 by greg

4 countriesOctober 18, 2011

I spent two very relaxing days at Unicornio Azul and if the weather had of been cooperating I might have spent even more time. The heavy rains and fog prevented any horseback riding but I was happy to just relax and enjoy the good food, wine and best of all the company.

The 6km ride back down the mud road seemed much easier the second time even though the mud puddles seemed deeper. Once back in Huehue I had my bike washed and the chain tightened and was back on the road towards Guatemala City.

The heavy rains have caused many landslides along the Pan American Highway blocking lanes and even closing some sections. Fortunately I did not hit any closures but in a few places the highway was reduced to one lane of mud and rocks. I had memories of the Dalton Highway in Alaska. The detour signs and warning signs were not always well placed, making for a hazardous ride. I managed to tuck in behind a delivery truck that served as a great guide around the hazards, but splashed a lot of water. I was soon soaked, cold and ready to call it a day, only 127km from Guatemala City.

Once in the city I met with Julio and his friend Andres, local guys and fellow riders. These guys were kind enough to show me around the city and take me on a fantastic ride. I was nice to ride with other for a change, especially with guys who knew the way to the best spots. Great views of volcanoes and lake, a unique breakfast and riding some fantastic roads made for another great adventure.  I was also able to change my tires in Guatemala City thanks to help from my new friend, Julio.

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Entering Guatemala

Posted on October 18, 2011 by greg

Entering Guatemala from La Mesilla was an easy and simple process. On the Guatemala side everything you needed was side by side and the fees for bringing the motorcycle in were minor. Leaving Mexico and entering Guatemala took less than 45 minutes.

Immediately inside Guatemala I sensed a change in my surroundings; the people were very friendly and waved “Hola” as I passed, the rugged landscape when visible through the fog was amazing and there were far fewer speed bumps making for better riding.I was only 25 kilometers into Guatemala and already felt like this country was going to be the beginning of a new adventure.

My destination for the first night was Huehuetenango city (or Huehue as the locals call it), where I would get my bearings straight and make a plan for my stay in Guatemala. I had heard that due to the heavy rains recently, parts of the Pan American highway were covered by landslides and that it may be several days before the roads were clear. I needed an alternate route and a new plan. For about $30 USD I found myself a luxury hotel complete with doorman, king size bed, hot water and 24 hour security. The next order of business was food and I set out on foot through the narrow busy streets of Huehue. Cafés and restaurants were abundant so it wasn’t long before my hunger was gone.

A contact that I have made here in Guatemala through the Horizons Unlimited web site told me about a lodge/horseback riding place only about 1 hour from Huehue so I decided to go and spend a night there since I was so close. Navigating out of Huehue was a challenge and I think I circled it twice before I was on the right road. One of my wrong turns took me through the open air Sunday markets and in the first breath took in ALL the smells of Guatemala. About an hour later and after zigzagging through another city I was eventually in the small village of “La Capellania” were I took the dirt road to the left. The dirt road turned out to be a mud road, it has been raining for several days and the roads have turned to a soft mud. At one point I had to ride through a puddle so deep that the mud came up to my ankles, but I made it to the lodge. Whenever the riding gets challenging I just say to myself “you have been to Labrador, you have been to Prudhoe Bay, this is nothing.”It’s beautiful here, even with the steady rain, I might stay two nights.

Links

I stayed at this remote lodge with horseback riding, fantastic food and great views. Definitely worth visiting and staying for a few days http://www.unicornioazul.com

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The Truth about Mexico

Posted on October 15, 2011 by greg

Well the predictions were wrong! I did not die in Mexico. I was not shot, tortured, raped, decapitated nor had my eyes cut out. I am alive and well in Guatemala having a Glenlivet and watching the people walk by.

As soon as I started planning my trip I heard about the dangers of Mexico. The closer I got to my departure and the closer I got to Mexico the more terrible stories I heard. Almost everyone predicted that I would die if I entered Mexico.

All I heard about going to Mexico was “you must be crazy, you will die for sure”, “your bike will get stolen” “those Mexicans will cut your head off”, “you will get raped and have your eyes taken out” “you must have a death wish”, “you’re going to die” “you’re going to die”.  For weeks upon weeks these messages were all I heard and they did play on my mind. In one week I received 10 e-mails about how dangerous it was and how I should not go to Mexico. I did consider not coming but in the end decided to limit my time in Mexico, a decision I now regret.

I am not sure where people get their information about Mexico from but after 13 days of riding my motorcycle alone around Mexico I would like to try and set the record straight about this wonderful country.

I encountered no hostility in Mexico. The Mexicans I met were either indifferent to me being around or very excited to have me as a guest in their country. The further south I travelled the friendlier the people were, but everywhere there were smiling faces.  I never experienced any negativity here; they were always nice and patient with my lack of Spanish.

Driving in Mexico was an adventure. I did get turned around a couple of times here and needed to check my map. Once my map came out of the tank bag people came over and helped me, I was soon back on the right path. The roads in Mexico are not as bad as people say. Sure there are some really nasty potholes that you really need to watch out for, the speed bumps will drive you crazy and you will find areas where the road has been washed away due to heavy rains. Overall the roads were fun to ride. Welcome to the world of adventure motorcycle travel.

The Mexican people took the security of my motorcycle very seriously. My motorcycle when parked was being watched by security and was once even in the hotel lobby for 2 days.  I have travelled 37,686 kilometers on this adventure so far and only one item has been stolen from me and it was stolen in Yukon Canada, not Mexico! Where were the warnings about Yukon? I hope the thief really needed that empty gas can and is using it to help his family.

Let’s be honest, Mexico has its problems, just a short while before I arrived in Veracruz 35 bodies were dumped under an overpass on a main street.  The location of the body dump was less than 1,000 meters from the lobby of the hotel I stayed in. Since I stopped listening to stories on Mexico I had no idea this happened until long after I checked in. The border towns between the US and Mexico have had lots of violence as well. This type of violence in Mexico seems only to be among the Cartels and not against the tourist or average Mexican. Putting the border behind you quickly is good advice.

I did get a traffic “ticket” on the first day. I intentionally left this out of my blog so that I would not get bombarded with e-mails again. The light was yellow, not red as the traffic cop said it was, however I could not remember the Spanish word for yellow, so I argued it was green. In the end it cost me 200 pesos. I compare this to the speeding ticket I got from the RCMP in Newfoundland and I would take the Mexican cop any day. The RCMP officer in Newfoundland was rude, treated me more like a dangerous criminal than a speeder and talked to me as if I was a child (I had 10 years on him for sure). I was going 117 km in a 90 km zone on a long isolated highway with nobody around, not a violent crime. The Mexican cop was polite to me, did not attempt to intimidate me, and in the end he shook my hand and called me Amigo. I got a lecture from the RCMP.

The people are great, the food is fantastic and it will be unlikely that you will encounter problems if you use common sense. Don’t hesitate about coming to Mexico, get yourself down here, explore everything it has to offer. My time here was too short, but I will be back and will be spending a lot more time.

Thank you to the people who had honest concern for my safety, I am blessed to have good friends who care.

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San Cristobal to Guatemala Border

Posted on October 14, 2011 by greg

I spent a full day walking around San Cristobal exploring the city. I was originally going to take a trolley tour but the operator required at least two people and since it was raining so hard no one else came, off on foot I went. San Cristobal is well worth the stop. The narrow cobble stone streets are filled with interesting shops, restaurants and bars, the local Indian people walk the streets selling their bracelets and knitted sweaters, going it a tourist feeling. And since San Cristobal gets a lot of tourists English speakers are easy enough to find.

With my Mexican auto insurance expiring soon I decided to head to Guatemala sooner rather than later, but first I wanted to stop and see some ruins at El Tenam Puente. The turn off to El Tenam Puente was easy enough to find, even in the rain and fog. I noticed that my odometer was going to turn to 50,000km very very soon and this distracted me from watching the road. I drove right past the tiny entrance to the ruins and found myself on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. I thought the dirt road was just part of the route to get there, until it got more and more narrow and steep for almost 10 kilometers, then pavement, and small lake but no ruins. I finally came to a small town called San Francisco and realized that I was way off course. San Francisco was a neat little town, everyone had a pool fed from some natural flowing crystal clear water, and even the tiny little shacks had pools.

Back up the twisty dirt path back to the ruins was a fun off road adventure, I find it harder to go uphill and the road was quite wet. Once I was back on the pavement the rain started to fall so hard that I could not see so I headed for the gas station for cover. Once the rain stopped I headed for the border, stopping for lunch at a place called San Gregorio and had one of the best BBQ chickens ever. I made it to the Guatemala border easy enough but decided to cross in the morning as you never know what delays you can encounter.

I regret leaving Mexico so early and letting all the negative comments from other affect my decision to limit my time here (more on this topic later).

See my route through Mexico here http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view?trip_id=282646  

Links

The Fiesta Inn in San Cristobal was a great place to stay, very friendly and helpful staff, clean rooms and great food. www.fiestainn.com

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Chiapas, Mexico

Posted on October 12, 2011 by greg

October 11 & 12, 2011

I started early today, back towards the main highway to get pictures of the flood that had covered the streets the day before, but the flood waters had receded. It looked as if nothing had happened. A photo opportunity missed.

Needing Pesos I decided to stop in the next big town and find a bank, which turned out to be only 50 kilometers down the highway. The town was busy and had a festive feeling, which was until the police pulled me over. Two police on a 650 Suzuki V-Strom motioned for me to pull over and started speaking Spanish. They were both inspecting my bike and I was expecting they were going to ask for my vehicle import papers. Both officers really seemed to like my Denali spot lights. Instead of asking for my license or papers they just said “a donde vas, Amigo” (where are you going my friend) and shook my hand. I showed them my route on a small map I now carry of North and South America. I eventually asked them why they stopped me (as best I could in my limited Spanish) to which they indicated I was going the wrong way down a one way street.  I told them I needed Pesos. The next thing I knew I was getting a police escort to the bank.

With Pesos in my pocket and freshly shined boots (thanks to a local shoeshine boy) I was back on the highway heading for the town of Chiapa de Corzo. I arrived early enough to do a jet boat tour of an amazing canyon, the river hosts many crocodiles (I saw six in total) and many different species of birds. The tour was about two hours long and only 160 Pesos. I highly recommend stopping here and doing the tour and exploring the city.

A violent storm and nasty smelling pillow kept me up part of the night but I managed to get an early start to what turned out to be one of the scariest rides so far. I started off in light rain for San Cristobal de las Casas, only a short distance away. The fog grew really thick and I could barely see in front of me, the road was also very slippery.  I was able to follow the car in front of me but he eventually turned off. At one point the entire right lane had been washed out, there was no guard rail or warnings, there was also no place to pull over.  As I started too descend the fog started to lift, the road was less slippery and my path was clear again. The locals here dress in traditional Mexican Indian clothing and are very friendly, I waved to people more in this short stretch of highway than I have since I entered Mexico. The rain picked up again and after a short tour of San Cristobal de las Casas I called it a day at the Fiesta Inn.

The Fiesta Inn is very new, just opened last week, and I was happy to pay a bit more for this place than I have the past several nights. The manager speaks excellent English (he studied in Canada) and the waitress I had a lunch spoke English well and offered me tips on the area, the town and gave me maps and brochures.  I might stay two nights, the pillow smells nice.

Links

Impress the Mexican Police with your Denali LED lights from Twisted Throttle. They are, without a doubt the best accessory on my motorcycle. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/5224

 

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The Lizard; The Brotherhood; The Flood

Posted on October 12, 2011 by greg

October 10, 2011

I left the hotel “Villa Serena Florencia” in Puerto Angel a bit later than I had planned today, but it was due to a nice gesture by the hotel owner, Florencia, she wanted to take my picture. She thought I was brave for taking this trip alone and showed interest in what I was doing. I found this a bit surprising, since I have been in Mexico, the Mexicans have paid very little attention to me and have never wanted a photo before. It’s a bit different than other countries I have visited where when a foreigner shows up it is a big event, I guess Mexico gets more tourists due to its proximity to the US and tourists are no longer a novelty. Having my photo taken made my week.

I continued along highway 200 with the intention of getting as close to San Cristobal de Las Casas as I could in one day. Highway 200 is also an amazing motorcycle road, twisty, scenic and far less Topes than other highways. I saw a green lizard in the road in front of me, the kind of green that only exists in nature, and this time decided to stop and get a photo. As I slowed down I noticed something else much more interesting coming towards me, it was another motorcycle, but not just another little Mexican bike, it was a BMW. I could tell by the lights and shape of the bike that it was the GS model, I could also tell by the riders outfit that he was not Mexican but a foreigner like me. In an instant I could tell that this BMW rider was on an adventure ride like mine.

Now before I tell you what happened next there is something I need to explain, especially for the non-motorcyclist. When you buy a motorcycle there are a few things they do not tell you; and the most important thing they leave out is that you have just joined a club, actually more of a brotherhood than a club. The brotherhood comes with unwritten rules, a code of conduct and gives you a general sense of belonging when you see another bike on the road. One of the unwritten rules is “The Wave”. The wave works like this; when you see another motorcycle on the road, regardless of make or model, you are expected to wave at that the other rider. Simple rule, but important. Mexican motorcyclists do not wave.

Now back to the BMW.  When I first noticed him he was only 150 meters away, the lizard had now been forgotten and I assessed the BMW rider to be on an adventure. Without hesitating we both simultaneously raised our arms and waved, passing each other and continuing on our separate journeys. It was a nice thing. Thousands of miles from home and I am still in the brotherhood, it has not forgotten me.

I became a little turned around in Juchitan de Zaragoza and ended up in the center of town. People started to do a double take when they saw me, some even smiled and waved; this part of Mexico is different. This town had an interesting downtown area and I considered staying, but it was early and I wanted to see the area around San Cristobal de las Casas. Some friendly guys at the gas station helped me get back on the right road.  

I was 70 kilometers down the road when I noticed lightening and dark clouds off in the distance. I have not been rained on in several weeks and once the rain started it felt very refreshing, so I did not stop to put on my rain gear. As I entered the town of Santo Domingo Zanatepec I found the streets were flooded and the rain was falling harder than before. I found a hotel on higher ground and called it a day. The plaster is falling from the ceiling of my room, my bed is lumpy; I should have stayed in Juchitan de Zaragoza.

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Relaxing on a Mexican Beach

Posted on October 9, 2011 by greg

I reached Oaxaca early in the day and I started to look for a hotel. The first few hotels I found did not have secure parking for my motorcycle so I moved on towards the airport, where there are usually plenty of hotels. I never did find the airport. Instead I found myself at a gas station pondering if I should stay in Oaxaca or continue on. I am not sure why but I decided to skip Oaxaca and continued along highway 175 toward the coast.

I stopped for the night in a town called Miahuatlan and set out for something to eat. I met Lino, a young guy running an Internet Café called “El Super Raton” (the super mouse). Lino spoke excellent English and told me more about Mexico, his town and luckily for me his Mom ran a taco stand just down the block, finally real Mexican food. Early in the evening I watched a funeral pass by, the most interesting thing was at the end of the funeral procession were three guys selling ice cream. Although it was hot, I decided not to buy any.

I continued along highway 175, which in my books is one of the greatest motorcycle roads ever, with its twists and turns and numerous road hazards makes for never a dull moment, the view is breath taking as well. For breakfast I stopped in a real next Mexican town called San Jose Del Pacifico, nestled among the mountains. I did the best I could to order my food in Spanish, and when the waiter brought my order he said “Do you speak English”, might have helped had he asked me this earlier. San Jose Del Pacifico is worth stopping at and riding around, it’s a small town and will take no more than 15 minutes.

Continuing along the 175 was great fun, often the road became engulfed in overhead tress, blocking out the sun. As I emerged from the jungle like road the sky appeared a very different shade of blue. As I got close I realized it was not the sky but the Ocean, I had reached the Pacific Ocean. I easily found a hotel with secure parking and went for a swim to cool off. I signed up for a tour today and spent the day snorkeling, cliff diving (ok, jumping from a very high rock) and enjoying the sun. It was the first time I met other tourists and having an English conversation was a real treat. I met one couple from California who have been travelling around Mexico by bus, mostly at night, proving once again the Mexico is not as dangerous as people are saying.

Today (October 9th) is Canadian Thanksgiving, I am going out searching for a taco stand.

Oh oh – I lost track of the days again – tomorrow is Thanksgiving – thanks Brett.

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The road to Oaxaca

Posted on October 8, 2011 by greg

While in Veracruz I met with a fellow motorcycle enthusiast and Canadian named Mike. Mike has lived in Mexico for many years and was a great source of information not only on Mexico but riding in Mexico as well. We discussed my concerns as well as my planned route.

With mikes advice I decided to take highway 175 towards Oaxaca. This turned out to be one of the best rides ever. I passed through a few small towns that time has forgotten. I watched men using horses, women washing clothes in the river and not a tourist in site. Some of the small towns along the way even had coble stone streets, which make for fun riding.

The scenery was amazing, rolling green hills, palm trees and by noon I had reached the town of Tuxtepec, which if it had not been for the numerous Topes (speed bumps) I might have stayed and had lunch. After Tuxtepec  I started to climb the mountains that were before me. I had finally left these dames Topes behind and the riding was fun again. I constant climb of twists, sharp turns and no guard rail. On two occasions a large truck came the other way using both lanes, a frightening thing but we managed to avoid a collision. The higher I climbed the cooler it became, some rain started and at one point I had to zip up my jacket. A few things made it hard to relax, take photos and enjoy the scenery, first were the twists and turns that needed all my attention, second was the road construction (some being attended to others just left for another day) and finally were the dogs.  In the middle of nowhere there would be a home or small restaurant with a nasty dog who like to chase motorcycles. The only way to get around them was to accelerate into one to those hairpin turns, scary but fun, fun once it’s over.  The last thing I need out here is a dog bite, I am sure they have not had their shots.

Descending was as much fun as was the climb. I had been feeling a bit tired as this highway took all of my concentration so I was hoping to see a hotel soon, but there had not been a sign for hours.  Finally a Topes, then another one and another, I, must be getting close to a town.  A gas station was the first thing to appear, so I filled up and got directions to the only hotel in town and for $23 and secure parking for the bike I called it a night, only 60 kilometers from Oaxaca.

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