Day 1 Return Trip

Uvita CR to Grenada NI

Got my covid test on Monday morning received results midnight. Left Uvita house at 0530 on Tuesday the 24 of Jan. Uneventful ride to the border with Nicaragua. (Penas Blancas) had to go to separate building from customs to pay exit tax. $10 got stamped out and went to get Moto out. Guy told me I needed copies and something about down the road but when I came back he went for lunch. So I cleaned and lubed my chain and waited. When he came back he told me I have to go to Aduana. Doh I thought he was Aduana but I guess he is just the gatekeeper who fills out intital paperwork for bike. Oh well got it figured and got out. Then on to NC border. First I had to show neg covid test then I get declaration form.  bike got fumigated and I had to pay to get a receipt which no one ever looked at again. Then at main building give copy of covid test to nurse who gives small slip of paper which no one looks at later. Then in main building I pay some guy $1 I get an official receipt but no idea what it is for. Everyone pays it though. Then pay $13 for entry stamp. Go back outside get luggage guy to sign my form then show it to police who require some copies license and registration. Then get vehicle import. A guy who had been at customs since 0630 translated a bit for me. He was trying to go CR in his wife’s car but he is not a resident of NC they have a coffee farm. No charge for vehicle import. Then $12 for insurance which I’m glad I bought when police pull me in for trying to pass albeit slowly right before a check stop. Try to shake me down for 800cordoba I smile and pretend there is a problem with google translate but it’s actually pretty clear. They let me go with a warning. Find a place in Grenada for $10 a night (dorm room in a hostel) then meet a local who used to be a tour guide who joins me for supper. He has a beer and a water with me but doesn’t order supper so I give him that much in cash. He seems legit and not high. A little hyper for sure but his English is good and I think he is telling the truth. Says the $ can go further with rice and beans. If I gave money to a drug addict he is highly functioning. Told me covid really affected tourism and put him out of a job. Says inflation is a problem and govt is not very good. Says most people don’t like Ortega. Grenada has a running of the bulls mid Aug and also Easter is a big deal and tourism picks up in April 

Day 2 return

Grenada NC to lake Yojoa HN

Long day of riding. Nicaragua has lots of farming rice and tobacco is mostly what I saw today. Some vegetables. Crossed at los manos it is up high in the mountains. Very beautiful. It is a small crossing and had a lot of trucks but not very many other traffic so it was quick. Nicaraguans very nice friendly Hondurans a bit grumpy but all in all went pretty good. $3 to exit Nicaragua. $37 for the bike and 80HNL for my entry stamp. So many copies needed that I had to pay for and keep walking back between offices for on Honduran side. At the bigger crossing I us ed earlier they made their own copies. Then when I left I needed one more copy of the bike paper. For what reason who knows. I bet they get paid per person and they need copies as proof? Who knows it makes no sense literally the crossing is so small they can all shout at each other. Had a typical breakfast In Nicaragua with boiled plantains. Not the best but filling the rice was good and so was theegg witg tomato.. Stopped for lunch today bc the bbq chicken smelled so good. Had some fish with plantain chips for supper. I’m going to try and make Guatemala border tomorrow with my uvita test have to get an early start. Seeing a nicer side of Honduras in terms of scenery the lake where I’m staygoing is nice but there is mosquitoes here. Tegucigalpa is really in a valley it feels ominous like the whole city could be wiped out by a flood or volcano. It’s super hot there too. Still the people in Honduras are not as outgoing except they love the bike border guy told me about his classic Harley with a stick shifter and I get waves from kids and honks from other vehicles. I feel bad I should wash the bike they keep their vehicles clean here. Some kind of dignitary at the Honduran border today, lots of armed cops modern assault rifles and gear  (looked serious and well trained not bored alert and fit looking) plus a bunch in white dress shirts all with sidearms. Maybe had something to do with change in government?

Day 3 return 

Lake Yajoa HN to Flores GT

Are there any bad days in Guatemala. I just love this country. 

The Itza left the Yucatán region in the 13th century and built the city later known as Tayasal as their capital. They called it Nojpetén, (noj peten, literally "Great Island" in the Itza language).[1] The Spanish called it Tayasal, possibly derived from ta Itza, or "Place of the Itza".[2]

It was here, on the island of Flores on the shore of Lake Petén Itzá, that the last independent Maya state held out against the Spanish conquerors. In 1541, Hernán Cortés came to the island, en route to Honduras, but needed to move on and did not try to conquer it.

The Spanish did not manage to conquer the island until 1697, when they marched in, attacked via boats, and destroyed it. Those who could flee did so, and many Itzá people hid in the jungle for years. From the ruins of Nojpetén arose the modern city of Flores. The modern city can thus be regarded as the second oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Americas, after Cholula.

Got up early to make GT border in time with my test from uvita first 1/2hr 45min in dark it was a bit hairy. Definitely try not to do that again. No close calls but it’s hard to see pedestrians and vehicles without taillights. No charge at all at the border (Corinto) not sure why I wasn’t charged for my Guatemalan entry stamp and then bc I had temporary exit on bike that was fast and free! Awesome quickest border ever. Huge lineup of trucks on the way out. Would be very difficult with a passenger vehicle to get around them bc it was only two narrow lanes. Didn’t meet any cars on the way out. There were a bunch going from Honduras to Guatemala though. Stopped for breakfast at Leonardo’s cafe. Great breakfast and good coffee for a good price. Leonardo used to work in construction in South Dakota and spoke some English. Said if I came back he would hook me up with a place to stay and things to see in the area. he even made me a free coffee after I already drank 2 so I was well caffeinated. They love their sugar here lol I got three or four sugars with each coffee and they could t figure out why I wasn’t using them. After I checked into hotel went to nearby shopping mall and got a new set of glasses and headphones. Will be useful on straight roads in MX. not much secure parking at the hotel but they squeezed me in behind small car. Couple a of kids 14-18 went kayaking and I met them on their way out. Only one paddle four kids I think they did more swimming than anything lol. Had pizza for supper it was not the best but view of the lake was great. Not sure why Guatemala is not on Canadians vacation list but it is absolutely fantastic and realistically you could do a road trip here in winter time. Was feeling pretty wore out on the bike today. I’m pretty glad to be going to Tikal tomorrow. Stopped for a coke ½ hr from Flores and took off my jacket for remainder of the ride. Oh also had a closer call than I would have like when passing a truck today. I always wait till I have clear space and if there is a hill or curve I imagine a vehicle coming around it just as I am committing to the pass. Bike stumbled when I laid into the throttle when exactly that happened. Vehicle appeared around a curve. I think the fuel I bought at Texaco was bad. I couldn’t rev much over 6000rpm. I’m assuming knock sensor. I filled up at puma at a ¼ tank and made some runs to WOP also cleared a bunch of codes beforehand. Had a few stumbles but seems to pull strong throughout now. Didn’t drive far so I suspect bad fuel was still in there. I will try again tomorrow after I drive some. Its possible it’s the fuel pump but I don’t think so bc it pulled strong in top gear just not above 6000rpm. Lots of farming in this area of Guatemala, bananas, palm oil and cattle is mostly what I saw

Day 4 return

Flores GT to Emiliana Zapato

Got up early 5 could have stayed in bed today. Got to Tikal around 7 and walked down the main plaza. I climbed up to the top of a big temple. Just waiting here with about a dozen people waiting for the fog to clear. Then I think we will have a view of the whole place from up high. This is a very cool ruins. Right in the jungle and still feels that way. Howler monkeys and birds and a bunch of the structures are still overgrown and haven’t been restored.Fog cleared and it was so bonito temples jutting out from the jungle with wisps of lingering fog. A lot of walking here so kids should be older but would be a good place to come back. Going to have breakfast and then head for Mexico. Should be the last border crossing that has potential to be chaotic or problematic. Only two borders from an English speaking country now and 3 from home. Oh and tacos, with any luck I’ll be eating tacos for supper tonight. Mexican border was smooth. Longest part was waiting for Guatemala aduana guy to come back to office. No cost to exit Guatemala or for the bike exit. Got a 7 day visa in Mexico no cost. Didn’t have to do the bike. Again no one checked my Mexican papers so it could all go down the toilet when I leave who knows. Find a hotel with ac for $15cdn room is what you would expect at that price but beds are actually pretty comfy. Right downtown and not a tourist hotel but a place to sleep and it’s quiet. My front tire has a slow leak I think I’ll just pump it up in the morning and see how slow it actually is. Had a great supper of tacos and some other sort of taco (more of a quesadilla) with cheese and taco meat and other things that was absolutely delicious. I love the food in this country. Had a few laughs with the hotel guy and the guy who owned the restaurant where I got supper. Power was out a few times during supper which seemed normal. My guess is the wiring in the hotel I’m staying in did it. Probably my biggest risk here is electrocution. Wires hanging out of wall and bathroom switch is sketchy. My guess is this building would be condemned in Canada just for the electrical code violations.

Day 5 return

Emiliana Zapata to Cosamaloapan

Rained all day. Was just a drizzle when I started but I stopped for breakfast bc the rain was getting harder and I thought it would be good to put my rain pants on. Good thing. It just kept raining and raining. My jacket and boots were great at keeping me dry. Pants had the odd leak but not terrible. Gloves are not waterproof and I would say a pair of waterproof gloves is in my future if I continue to tour on the bike. Stopped for coffee every time I stopped for gas bc I was chilly. Found a nice hotel in Cosama for about $28 bike parked in lobby. Had supper at a “fancier” restaurant but it wasn’t that great. Had a marquesita from a street vendor for dessert kinda like a crunchy crepe. It was very good. Nice farming area here saw older international tractors towing up to 5 trailer of sugar cane stalks heaped higher than the roof of the tractor. I don’t think they would go up a big hill. 

Day 6 return

Cosamaloapan to Aldama

At breakfast today met a guy who fixes tires for a living or he does sometimes but he is in charge of the tire shop. He got deported from US for smuggling cocaine seemed very genuine. Said he paid into social security there for 33 years but now isn’t sure he will get his pension. Wanted to know if I could help him find work in Canada. I’ll give it a try but I think the deportation is going to make it pretty difficult. Guy said he worked mainly as a plumber but has done lots of different things. Showed me his us licence and spoke pretty good English. Said he tried to find work in the touristy areas of Mexico but all the jobs required him to have a high school diploma but this guy is obviously bright he just didn’t finish high school. Small cafe where I stopped for breakfast and the ladies wanted a picture with me lol. Tampico and a lot of the coastal towns are very industrial with large ports and refineries. I choose to stay in a small town tonight which I think is a good choice I always feel more secure in places like this. Lots of citrus farming along the way today. Temperatures in low 20s starting to feel cold. Not even feeling like a shower tonight. 

Day 7 return

Aldama Mx to South Padre Island TX

Drove by some beautiful farmland today. Flat like winkler enormous fields both side of the border. Breakfast had maybe the best tortillas I had on the whole trip and a white bean mash instead of black. Supper at Docs in South Padre was amazing! Seafood salad. Mexican US border was a cakewalk. Get stamped out. Not even sure that was necessary then hand in banjercito papers at small booth outside and take toll bridge to US. Had a bit of a cold ever since I got rained on so got a rapid test which was negative! So grateful for hot water. Had a nice long shower and washed my socks and underwear no rush. I showered in the morning today and should have showered last night. A cold shower in the morning is rough. Definitely prefer a cold shower at night.