Ians_ride_to_Guatamala

Note:

2007-12-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

Readers should be aware, that the nature of this blog is such that the start of the trip is at the back, and the end of the trip is at the front... if that makes sense!!! If you want the story to unfold you need to start at the back and work forward.

Also, if you get to the bottom of the page, there is a small button that says "older posts" this will take you (not entirly unsuprisingly) to some older posts.

Thanks for reading, Ian.

PS since doing this trip, I have started a new motorcycle related business. We are offering Rental BMW's, and guided tours of varying types. If you would like to find out more, please have a look at our web site, http://http://www.motoadventure.com.au/

Back in Tassie.

2007-03-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Home in Tassie

Starting in Tikal northern Guatemala, and after 5 days of constant traveling - 6 buses, 5 taxis, 4 plane rides and countless kilometers of walking I have suddenly found myself back in a totally different reality.

Helen welcomed me back with open le.....er.....arms. Our home sparkled with the wonderful views and the warm sun streaming in... comfort, clean air, ordered life and society.

No doubt on Monday I will return to my workplace. My boss will almost certainly have the dirtiest, most boring, shortest time frame and under-quoted job in the history of the company waiting for me, as payback for my long absence.

I will be absorbed back into the river of everyday reality like a raindrop in a river, with virtually everyone around me totally oblivious (and why shouldn't they be) to the intense reality I have just experienced on my journey.
I say reality, because this journey has been far more for me than just another holiday. Holidays for a week or so on a beach are part of the workday reality of everyday life. My journey, for me , felt completely different to that.

I have had two months living in a very intense movie, 3d, ultra sharp technicolor, sensorama, smellorama, and full doby soundtrack.. I have met a constant stream of wonderful people who have treated me with friendliness, respect, tolerance and downright hospitality.*.

The Mexican and Guatemalan people I met along the way, happily put up with my ignorance of their language, and tried hard to understand my mispronounced baby talk Spanish, virtually to a man they are cheerful tolerant people, getting on with their lives. I loved their love of their jangly music, and good humour in difficult situations, like the hundred or so people packed onto the chicken and pigs bus in Guatemala, laughing their heads off at being so crowded.

The other tourists and travelers I met along the way, often shared only a very brief time together, which can be a slightly sad experience, as these people are probably the ones who would best understand the kind of reality a journey like this constitutes, and would perhaps be potentially wonderful friends, if they shared ones workday reality.

The other people who made my journey such a wonderful experience were all Americans.
Mar, who sold me the bike, drove me around, took me to a wrestling match, and told me about life as a patriotic American. Paul and Nadine who put me up in their home, and shared their passions for line dancing, and the grand canyon and space exploration and Mexico. Ben who put me up, drove me around, was my mate, and showed me the fun side of Houston, and Jeanie who took us to the rodeo.

So now its back to business, the end of the blog. I have enjoyed doing this, its been kind of a diary for me, and a proxy postcard for my friends, I hope it hasn't seemed too self absorbed and that readers have enjoyed it. See ya.

Guatmalans still laughing despite the completely overcrowded bus being driven at insane speeds on unbelievably bumpy, windy backroads, which we were forced onto as we were not allowed on the main road which was closed so that the president of the United states could travel upon it.

The rodeo in Houston, 60,000 people, a stadium the size of the MCG. Everything is big in Texas.

Guatamala

2007-03-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Mayan temple recently retrieved from the jungle at Tikal, northern Guatamala.

Crater lake at Panajachel with one of the surrounding volcanoes just visible.

Religous festival Antigua

Classic Guatamala pigs and chickens bus.

Market day Antigua

Guatamala

Well after those whimps at NASA chickened out on sending up the space shuttle with a few dents in it (hell I mean, my BMW had a huge dent in the tank, and still got me to Mexico and back), my plans were shot to pieces. So rather than continue in the USA to Florida, I decided to sell the bike for a pittance, and return to central America.

I am writing this from Flores in Guatamala.

I have just spent all day clambering around Mayan pyramids at Tikal. Outside this internet cafe is the sidewalk taco shop. I sat for an hour or so at a plastic table on the sidewalk, taking in the tropical clouds, the boats on Flores lake, the pretty senoritas buzzing around on their scooters, the happy chatter of the locals as they buy their 5 cent taco,s. I helped the Taco lady move her stall when the rain started.

I know I said in another entry thatI had come to love Mexico and the Mexicans... well Guatamala is even more so. Free of the burden of the bike, I have been travelling on local and long distance buses, staying in local hotels and eating mostly off the street stalls... Absolute bliss, I love it.

Alas tomorrow I head for home... the long way. Plane to Guatamala city, bus to Mex border, bus to Mexico city, plane to LA, Plane to Melbourne, Plane to Hobart...

Guess I will have to reaclimatise again, still that should be easyish with all the comforts of home.. But then theres the return to work to deal with!!!!.

Texas

2007-03-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

Inside ice bar. When in Texas........ and I quite like the sign in the background. Would be appropriate for Joes Bar.

Sunday afternoon outside Cruisers Ice House. Inside some of the best Blues ans rock it is possible to find.

This is my host and mate Ben

Saturn 5 rocket at Houston Space centre. They went to a lot of trouble to fake those moon landings eh!!

Little house on the Texas mexico border

Sad Moment Leaving Mexico

Texas...

I met a gentleman on the Mexico border. Ben, from Houston, big bloke on a Yammie cruiser.

Ben is one of the friendliest people I have ever come across. He would start talking to strangers at the drop of a hat. (a trait I noticed with a lot of Texans as it happens).

Ben invited me to stay at his home. He unfortunatly lost his wife to cancer last year, is retired and lives alone. We lived for the 6 days I stayed there like a couple of old batchelors (Bens 63).

His fridge is stocked with plenty of Bud light, water, wine, but little else. Who needs food at home, thats what they made restaunts, bars and pizza delivery boys for.

Ben introduced me to his friends, and even his girlfriends, he took me wherever I needed to go in his hot black Caddie. Helped me find the camera I should have bought before I left Aussie, found a dealer to purchase my bike and a Fed Ex office to send my excess luggage home ( I should have just bought a plane it would have been cheaper)

Best of all, I told Ben, I would like to go to New Orleans, mostly for the live music... No need for that he said, and over the weekend, we rode to a couple of the greatest venues I could imagine, right there in Houston. Aparantly a lot of New Orleans musicians left after Katrina, and ended up in Houston (and other places I guess). These venues are hole in the wall places they call Ice House´s. Cruizers on a Sunday afternoon had the best live blues I have ever heard, for free. I got some short movies of these people to prove it but cant put them up here. Believe me that ice house experience was world class, and a highlight of my trip.

One of Bens friends is an engineer at the space centre houston, he was the one who first told me my plans to go to Florida for the space shuttle launch were in tatters with out me knowing it.

Launch postponed till June probably. So I had to come up with yet another new plan. That is to catch a plane back to Mexico, and travel around on local buses for a few weeks, which is what I am doing now.

Up to the USA Border

2007-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

Sombrero Shop in Tuxpam on the Gulf Coast.

This must be the most diabolical bridge , ever devised for motorcycling.

Shiny 4" pipes, IN LINE with the direction of travel. I came off the other end, completely sideways with a car coming towards me. Somehow scrambled back to my side of the road, but boy!!!!..

Coming down off the central plateau, towards the Gulf coast, the scenery changed to very familiar looking. Green, rolling, looked like Tasie only hot.

Traveling North

2007-02-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Toluca

Beautiful hill city of Taxco about 150km south west of Mexico city, built on the side of very big hills. Biking around here was all 2nd and 3rd gear, with wonderful scenery at every turn.

A complete change of pace,Toluca, 75 km West of Mexico city, clean streets and old Spanish buildings.

Me happily contemplating climbing the pyramid of the Moon

2700 year old pyramid of the moon at Teotihuacan just north of Mexico city.

Beautiful clean food stall in Teotihuacan.

Well I guess as this is basically an electronic diary, made public, then it would mean little if it was all sunshine and light. Life just isnt like that.

As I said in the previous blog entry, I basically lost my nerve in Acapulco. Didnt want to get back on my horse. I was kind of paralized by not wanting to go on with the bike and not wanting to go back. I thought, every kilometer I go on, is a kilometer I have to return.
So in the end I decided to turn round, and not continue to Guadamala border. I had had too many scary moments on the road south and basically didnt want any more.

So I headed north, with huge regrets. As soon as I left Aca... everything changed, the riding conditions became normal, enjoyable. I went via beautiful mountain, desert winding roads past amazing towns built on the sides of hills, to Toluca. Could not believe I was i the same nation.
Traffic stops at traffic lights, give way to each other, the footpaths are flat, and the rubbish goes in the bin rather than o the ground. Old spanish buildings and a cool climate.

So that experience, and the days on the road since have convinced me that I should not have turned around, it was just the crazy hot overpopulated west coast the was the problem.... I regret that decision. I am now on the Mexico USA border, and spent last night agonizing about turning around again, heading back south. I love Mexico, I love the mexicans for their zest and enthusiasm for life, the noise, the music, street life, friendlyness and tolorance of an ignorant Aussie who cannot speak the lingo .

The riding has been superb, beautiful scenery everwhere, and I have even become at home with the size of the Beemer, can now do feet up full lock u turns with all the luggage on board. A very important skill bearing in mind Mexican road signage.

In the end I have decided to continue into the USA, try to unload the bike and most of my luggage, and maybe return to Guadamala by plane, and travel by bus for a few weeks.

Anyway thats todays plan, who knows what I will have decided by tomorrow.

Pics of Acapulco

2007-02-20T20:48:00.000-08:00

Found this pic of the longshot of the cliff diving place.

Markets near my Hotel. Those tomatoes are 5 pesos per kilo = 5 cents.

Clara at Jugo narango stall.

You thought Stephanie close had good view Helen! get a load of this!!!

They actually start very high. you can see the camera is looking up here and down in the image below.

The famous cliff divers. Didnt get any good still pics of this as I was taking movies.

This taxi is about to try to reverse out of the traffic jam. Unfortunatly not noticing my huge Bavarian beast. Knocked me over. I needed his help to get the bike on its feet. Just a few more scratches to add to the many already there. But no harm done we departed amigos.

One of the many little beaches around the bays of Acapulco.

Nice place for a beer.

There are some rather outstanding things about Mexico.

Acapulco

2007-02-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

What can I say... Acapulco.... must be one of the craziest, clamorous, glamorous, dirtiest, violent outragous places on earth, and I loved it. Kind of a down and dirty experience, bit like an asian city on steroids.

All the cops carry very big guns, in the street all the time. And they look positivly meek compared to the military. They drive around the streets in army trucks with a dozen or so men with machine guns poking out in all directions. There is a virtual war going on between drug lords and the authorities. Last week a local police station came under attack and 4 cops were killed, the military had to come and bail them out. The cops get around in convoys at night, I saw them bailing up two flsh dudes in a Mustang convertable, guns everyware, about 5 police cars, and a dozen police on rather tasty little road trail bikes. Given the war I could see the sense in their target. Unfortunatly I dont have any pics of these things, too many trigger happy young mexicans around to go getting a big black camera out and pointing it at them.

I ground to a halt in Acapulco... Riding down the coast of Mexico, is much further than I thought, and the unremitting bad roads poor drivers, dangerous situations, just blew the stuffing out of me. After the final 70km taking me 2 hot dirty clutchslipping, horn blowing fender dodging hours, I arrived in Aca... absolutly buggered, then had to cope with the homosidal taxi drivers. Millions of the aggressive little barstards, driving as fast as they can, diving through any gap they can, giving way to no one, least of all hot, exhausted lost Australian bikers.

I collapsed into the first hotel I came to and stayed there for 3 days, not daring to get back on the bike.

As a result of all that, I have decided I have had enough of trying to ride to Guatamala. I think if I had a companion to goad me on, and for me to goad on, then we would probably have been there now. But I have decided to turn inland and cut back across to the top corner of Mexico, see if I can unload the bike. Buses seem a better proposition at the moment.

Tomorrow I will put up some pics.

Some more Pics Feb 11 2007

2007-02-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

Some interesting Mexican architecture.

Death is never far away on Mexican roads.. This is about the most humble roadside monument

I have seen, some are mighty.

On the road to Pueto Azuel then Accapulco.

This is the ´love hotel´ pretty fancy eh!

TAME! Saltwater crocodile is the main attraction for diners at this beach cafe. The brave tourists even swim in the ocean at the beach behind. There a heaps of very big Salties in this stream but they dont always stay there... I did not swim there.

Typical Malaque street My hotel is the white building in the distance.

This is the beach behind my hotel in Malaque. (not actually the pic I was trying to download but you get the general idea)

Halfway through Mexico

2007-02-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Mexico is BIG... well not so much wide, but very very long.
I had planned to zip through Mexico in about 5 days, then R & R in Guadamala.

Mmmm, best laid plans and all. Five days of flat out travel from San Diego, had only got me around half way down the length.

The fifth night, when I did my last blog, made a rather stupid mistake.. Thought I had booked into the best bargain hotel I have ever seen.. Lock up garage, superb facilities, ushered straight into garage when I first arrived (dog tired, and dirty from the road) room service cheap, with first class food, and wierdly two channels of óver the top ´the whole chicken´style porn on the TV. All for around $21.00 per night. In my fractured phrase book Spanish I established that check out time was 8 oclock. Well I thought, this is all very weird, never heard of a Hotel like that, but then again I am an alien in an alien world.

I was quite happy with everything, and eventually got off to sleep, only to be suprised by the phone, at 1.00 am. I thought maybe Helen had called and got the time wrong.. Turned out it was reception, at first in Spanish, to which I crankily responded that Yo no comprehendo´´´ My tormenter immediately turned to perfect English, informed me that my 8 hrs was up, time for me to go!!!! I was very angry, but in the end paid for another 8 hours, it was the middle of the night, and didnt want to get up and they had big security guy´s which I had previosly found comforting..

I left that town the next morning in the fouulest mood possible, which lasted all day.

Beautifull ride through stunning country but all I could think about was the rip off, and the lousy Mexican roads, and how long this was all taking, and I think I´ll just bloody turn around, and head for home.

Anyway, after a terribly long unpleasant day on the road, quite by accident, I stumbled into what I thought was another dusty Mexican village, and thought I was going to have to sleep in a cocoroach infested slum with noisy traffic roaring past all night.... Wrong.

The town of Malaque, on the west coast about half way down Mexico, is a low end tourist town, still very Mexican, but with many beautiful hotels, fabulous beach, great eating and a very active community, both tourist and Mexican... Cock fights, Bull fights, and a national festival tonight.

I ended up in a beautiful Hotel on the beach for $25 per night, and have ended up staying 3 days..

I am now relaxed and ready to continue. Have come to grips with it taking a long time to travel on Mexico, and am determined not to let it get to me again..

By the way the rip off hotel turnrd out to be an enormous cultural mistake by me... It is what they call a love hotel... Extended familys with lots of kids and granparents mean very little privacy for parents, who sometimes escape to the love hotel for a few hours privacy... Lesson learned.

I would be interested to recieve any comments, so I know if anyone is out there.

Ian. Feb 9 2007

Some Pics

2007-02-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

One week later

2007-02-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

It is taking way too long to do this, took an hour for that previous one.. so Ill cut this short..
I am currently deep in the heart of Mexico. Place called Tepic, about half way down on the west coast.

I love it, very different place to Australia, iindeed very different to the USA... I had had just about enough of huge freeways, giganting shopping centres you need a car to drive between the shops, in the car park, they are so big.

Strangely Mexico reminded me of home, I felt at ease as soon as I hit the place. Everything is human scale. They have main streets with shops in them, and the roads are two way and dangerous as hell just like at home. The locals are on the whole friendly though not all that interested in another gringo on a motorcycle... some are pretty impressed with the size of it but... as am I.

It is very comfortable, and amazingly econonomical.. 59mpg yesterday.
The big tank was worth the nearly weeks wait, gives me a range of nearly 600 km I think. Cant sit on it that long thats for sure.

The fist night in Mexico I stayed in a reasonable motel well off the street, woke around midnight to an unusual high pitched clamour, I thought it must be a disco I haddnt noticed something. Upon investigation, I found it was the entire under 25 male population of the town, in a traffic jam in the the main street, with their stereos turned up full, playing melodic Mexican mustic.. That first day was fun..

The last three days have all been exciting, to various degrees... but no trouble as predicted by nearly every American I spoke too, most of whom asked if I would be 'packin heat'.

Ill just put up a few pics for now, time to go and find a street burrito.

Cant get the pics to download at the moment will try again soon.

Jan 29/30

2007-02-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Blogging with a Spanish language blog page is tricky... Just lost the fist attempt at this due to pressing the wrong button.

On Sunday Paul and Nadine took me to their favourite place, The Grand Canyon, to do their favorite thing, clambering down impossibly steep, ice covered paths, then clambering back up them. I think the whole idea is to EXPERIENCE the G C rather than just looking at it. Well I experienced it, so did my calves, and my thighs.... Great experience P and N, thanks so much. Thats them in the top pic, still looking happy despite the slippery climb.

Monday morning I rang Mar, "hows the bike" "well man , all finished, perfect ready to go! except for the tank"... I decided to stay with P and N one more day, to give Mar a chance to change the tank..

Paul has the best job in the world, and a few others for that matter. Amonst many things, he controlls some of the cameras on the Mars Rover, like on Mars!!!! I sat and looked over his shoulder whilst he did it. Amazing stuff.. what an experience. Thanks again for that Paul.. Come to Australia sometime I,ll show you how I draw pipes.

Top Pic, is Paul operating cam on Mars...

Got out of Flagstaff about one hour before the snow started which lasted two days... drove through quite a heavy snow shower, but fotunately it mostly left me alone. Got back to San Diego (8 h drive( got the bike rego-ed and insured all in one hectic day.

Days - 4 to +5

2007-01-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Nadine Line dancing.

Mar with the dissasembled BMW.

I have been a bad little blogger. Life on the road is hectic, it has been very difficult to find time to get to a computer.

A brief summary of the trip so far.
Day minus 2, a couple of my friends bought me a few drinks at the world famous Joe's garage, and sent me home a little useless. James Benham, (who must have way too much time on his hands), presented me with a very useful, alternative phrase book for use in central america. This is it:-
Motorcycle related

Could you extract this small mammal from my motorcycle please?
Podrías extraer este mamífero pequeño de mi motocicleta por favor?

Could you extract my motorcycle from this large mammal please?
Podrías extraer mi motocicleta de este mamífero grande por favor?

My motorcycle uses petrol not diesel you idiot.
Mi motocicleta utiliza el diesel de la gasolina no tú idiota.

Could you push my motorcycle to the next town please?
Podrías empujar mi motocicleta a la ciudad siguiente por favor?

Where is the nearest bus stop?
Dónde está la parada de autobús más cercana?

Social occasions

Yes I knew Steve Irwin, he lived next to me.
Conocía sí a Steve Irwin, él viví al lado de mí.

Hey, this is good shit man.
Hey, éste es buen hombre de la mierda.

Your grandmother is very attractive. Is she married?
Tu abuela es muy atractiva. La casan?

No I'm not a homosexual, but after a couple more Tequilas I'll be willing to learn.
Ningún no soy un poopokero, pero después de que un par más Tequilas yo esté dispuesto a aprender.

This food tastes like shit. But it's beautifully cooked.
Este alimento prueba como mierda. Pero se cocina maravillosamente.

Dealing with nasty people (including police)

Don’t shoot. I’m Australian, not American.
No tirar. Soy australiano, no americano.

No that is not marijuana in my panniers, I just had a crash in long grass.
Ningún que no es la marijuana en mis panniers, acabo de tener un desplome en hierba larga.

Last night I was attacked by bandits, and they stole my motorcycle.
Ayer por la noche a los bandidos me ataqué, y robaron mi motocicleta.

No I won't carry drugs into Australia, but I know someone who can. Now put the gun down please.
Ningún no llevaré las drogas en Australia, sino que sé a alguien que puede. Ahora poner el arma abajo satisfacen.

You won't put the gun down? Of course I can take your drugs to Australia.
No pondrás el arma abajo? Por supuesto puedo llevar tus drogas Australia.

Thank you very much James, I am sure that will form the basis of my spanish communications, if I ever bloody get there that is.

Day 0:

Helen bravely dropped me at the airport in Hobart, and let me go.

Relatively uneventfull and pleasant flight to LA. My neighbour was an Aussi/Yank biologist, Randle?? I have to thank Randle for the gift of a book, "The blind watchmaker". I have found it amusing and a very handy scource of ammunition for animated conversations in the USA.

Day 1:

Arrived in LA.. That is one BIG mother of a city. Just the place to be dragging a backpack, a travel bag and a bloody crash helmet around. I wanted to get to Oceanside, near San Diego, to pick up the bike, so decided to catch the bus... Found to catch the bus I had to catch another bus half way across town. That took 1/2 hour waiting, then around 1 hour, to get to the other side of town, where we had a flamming traffic accident didnt we!!! Only minor, but enough to hold us up for another flamming hour!

Anyway, finally got myself to Oceanside, found a motel and got in touch with Mar.

"sorry dude, the bike is not ready to go."

BUGGER.. The bike is in Mars friends garage, partially dissasembled, as Aden (mechanic) had discovered the front brake not working properly,. Aden had it apart but by Friday night still not got it back together.

Day 2:

Friday, all day spent driving around San Diego, looking at the bike, visiting Aden at work, shopping, trying to transfer money to purchase the bike. In the end the whole day dissapeared, and I still had not managed, to get the bike, get the rego transferred, or the insurance organised.

This is a crazy place, everywhere, it seems even the shops are a half hour drive on a freeway. Everything seems to take forever. Constant heavy traffic in every direction, and me still jetlagged, my head was spinning by the end of the day.

Day 3:

Saturday: I gave up on trying to organise the bike, decided to hire a car, and come to visit friends Paul and Nadine in Flagstaff Arizona for the weekend. 8 and a half hour drive.

Paul and Nadine lovely people that they are, fed me, gave me a beer, and immediatly after dinner took me out to a cowboy bar. It was fantastic, kind of a cowboy museum, stuffed mountain lions, and waggon wheels. Lots of tuff dudes with cowboy hats, line dancing, and other traditional dances. I even had a go at a two step, though that mostly involved one step on Nadines foot and the other off it.

Day minus 5

2007-01-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

Late onset mid life crisis, sale of my business, losing mum, who knows why, but for some reason I have decided to go for a little motorbike ride to central America.

Dont know where I will get to at this stage, just planning to get on the bike and head south from LA.

Yesterday I paid a deposit to Mar, of Oceanside CA for his 95 R1100GS.

He is having it serviced, and a long range tank fitted.

I am heading oput in 5 days.