On Ometepe Island. Mar 7, 2006

Isla Ometepe from San Jorge dock

"The Bridge" near the Pamana / Costa Rica border at Sixola


San Jorge ferry dock

Waiting at the cafe for the Ometepe Ferry


The sunset cruise on the ferry to Ometepe

March 2/06

First day on road back toward home. . . 428K, Panama City to David.

We were up early and made our way by taxi to Joe’s place to pick up the bikes. Joe was away but we met his wife Brenda and Joe’s assistant Tracy. Tracy did most of the work on the bikes for us and he was thorough. We had specified a few items that we wanted looked at but Tracy went over the bikes from top to bottom, adjusting and tightening any part or bolt that could be turned or tweaked. Tracy even insisted on re-adjusting Dave’s chain when he discovered that he was riding two up. Great work at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend them to anyone that might need their services. (Contact Joe Hummer at 317-9264 in Panama City or email me if you want more information)

We were on the bikes by 10 am. Luckily, the Pan-American Highway is easy access from Joe’s place to so we didn’t have to navigate though the city. Despite our best efforts to stay within the law and avoid any police encounters we were stopped 3 times today.

1^st. Jen and Dave were pulled over. We were moving slowly through a road construction area. Dave stood up on the foot pegs to stretch his legs. Apparently, in Panama motorcycle riders are required to remain seated! No Kidding… Dave was told that standing on the foot pegs was considered an unsafe practice that could cause an accident. No ticket, only a warning.

Next, Linda and I were pulled over because the police officer thought Dave was speeding? The officer had signalled to Dave to pull over but Dave was past him when the officer’s arm went out. Since Dave didn’t stop he stopped me! Even though Dave did not think that he was speeding (80KPH limit at this point), I was told to tell him to slow down then allowed to continue on my way.

An hour later we stopped at a road side stand for a pop and a snack. As we pulled back onto the road, we were instructed to pull over once again by another officer. What now? We couldn’t be speeding. We were both seated. What hell did we do this time?

We were asked to produce our licence and passports, then follow the officer inside his roadside office. We were asked some basic questions by one fellow (about where we had come from and where we were going) while another officer went out side. This fellow returned within a minute or so to inform us that we had exceeded the 40kph limit when we passed through a town several kilometres back. He told us that he had been phoned with our licence numbers, which he showed us written on a piece of paper. Then one officer showed us on a map where the apparent infraction occurred. He first pointed to a town that we had not even passed through! When we told him that we had not been on that road, he slid his finger to another location on the map.

Anyway… we vehemently denied that we had been speeding anywhere and refused to pay a “fine” of $60. cash each. After several more threats to write a ticket accompanied by our denial of any infraction, we were suddenly given our documents back and told to leave.

As we prepared to get back on the bikes, the girls told us that one of the cops had come out to the bikes shortly after we went into the office and copied down our plate numbers. We figure that these two officers concocted the speeding violation story when they saw us stopped at the restaurant. The paper we were presented with our licence numbers was made by one cop while we spoke to the other and were not relayed by phone.

It is virtually impossible in Panama (and most of the central am countries) to determine the speed limit. By North Am standards, speed signs are few and far between. As you enter a built up area there may be a sign indicating the speed limit (60 usually, 40 sometimes) but at the end of the built up area there is either no sign indicating that you can speed up or a sign which simply says “resume speed” (translated). If you start riding from inside the speed restricted area and see a sign that says “resume speed”, what exactly does that mean? If you don’t remember what the speed limit was prior to entering the built up area the night before, you won’t know what the speed limit is! As we found out, it really doesn’t matter. We did not exceed the slowest highway speed we had seen (80K). Trucks, car and buses constantly passed us, but we were the ones who were stopped. That’s just the way it is here. Even though we were not ticketed or did not have pay anything, it is extremely annoying to have to have to go through this bullshit. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and a deep mistrust of the police.

Despite the delays we reached David by 5 pm and found a hotel. Tomorrow we plan to head north to the Caribbean coast, Boca Del Toro.

March 3/06

It was one of those adventuresome days. We started with the sun and quickly rode into the mountains north of David. Good road and great scenery. As we moved north the vegetation gradually changed from farmland to forest to jungle. Even though this is the dry season it was evident that there is plenty of moisture on the northern slopes of the mountains. It was nice to find some cool air in the mountains but as we descended to the Caribbean coast we moved into hot humid air.

We planned to take the ferry to Boca del Toro, located on an island just off shore, but the ferry only ran once a day each way and we would have had to wait until the next day to catch it. A water taxi was an option but I would mean leaving the bikes unattended for several hours… just not an option for me.

At this point it we were only an hour from the border of Costa Rica and we knew of coastal accommodation about an hour inside Costa Rica. We decided to head for the border. This is where the adventure began.

This area is one of the prime banana growing areas. As I mentioned, it is wet land and there are many rivers and canals. There is also an old network of railways that appear to be unused now. However, the old railway bridges are still used for rubber tire and pedestrian traffic. They must be narrow gauge railway tracks because the road surface is created by nailing a couple of 2x12 planks to the ties, parallel to the outer edge of the tracks. This creates two wooden tracks sufficiently spaced to allow cars and trucks a rolling surface. Alternating traffic in either direction.

Unfortunately, it appears that these bridges receive little or no maintenance. Many of the planks are broken and some are completely missing. Add to this that there is a sparse and dilapidated guard rail. Some sections of the guard rail are completely missing!

The first bridge, of this nature, that we encountered was about 150 metres long and 30 meters above a stony river bed. I couldn’t ride over it. I stopped on the approach to the bridge. Linda and I pushed the bike back onto the edge of the road to assess the situation. Dave just kept going and luckily he and Jenny made it across the bridge in one piece.

After a short assessment, I knew that I could not ride over the bridge on the dilapidated planks. The risk was just too high. If I had to stop anywhere on the bridge I was in serious trouble. My short legs would not reach the ground to hold the loaded bike up. Best scenario was that I would fall toward the center of the bridge and risk dropping my leg between the ties, worst scenario would be that I would fall toward the edge of the bridge and possibly fall though the dilapidated guard rail to certain death.

The options were to get across the bridge somehow or ride all the way back to David and take the main highway to Costa Rica. There was some pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the bridge. The cars and truck had to wait for this slower traffic to clear the bridge before starting in the opposite direction. I decided that I would walk the bike over the bridge. The traffic would just have to wait. With Dave’s assistance, I pushed the bike over the bridge. I walked along the ties in the centre of the tracks while rolling the bike along the planks. Dave pushed and stabilized the bike from behind. This was scary enough for me. By the time we reached the far side, my shirt was soaked from the sweat… fear combine with exertion causes a great deal of perspiration. If this wasn’t enough the bridge at the border was similar. Same construction, but shorter. Another walk and push. More sweat.

The border crossing was again an adventure on its own. Since this crossing was somewhat off the beaten track, it was even less organized than the others. The biggest problems were communication and finding the right location to obtain the next permit. The lack of signage, of any sort, turns a cumbersome but straightforward process into a frustrating game of hide and seek.

An hour after clearing the border we found a hotel in Puerto Viejo, a trendy surfing town on the Costa Rica Caribbean coast. Lots of foreign tourists here. English is the predominant language heard on the street. Most businesses seem to be owned by foreigners.

March 4/06

After a nice breakfast, with real coffee (as Linda says), we headed for Arenal, the most active volcano in Costa Rica. Except for a short section of road from Puerto Viejo to the secondary highway, the roads today were in great condition. Of course there were the deep potholes to avoid but much of the road appeared to have been recently resurfaced.

The speed limits on the secondary highway in Costa Rica are very low by North American standards. The normal limit is 60 kph, dropping to 40 kph through the numerous towns and villages. Occasionally there are short sections where the speed limits jumps all the way up to 80K. We stayed within (or close to) the limit. And we passed several police locations where apparent speeders were stopped. At the beginning of the day, when you have 300 K ahead of you, the speed limit seems unacceptably low, especially if the road is straight and there is little traffic. But once you accept the slower pace, it is quite a relaxing ride. Luckily most of the road was winding through some gorgeous country side. I actually enjoyed the slower pace today. I had enough adventure yesterday! There was a little rain enroute. Only a few light showers. Not at all an inconvenience… actually refreshing.

Jen and Dave had a little excitement today. I have mentioned before how tight some turns can be on these narrow roads. Jen and Dave had to ride into the ditch to avoid an on coming semi-trailer in one of the tight turns. No damage done.

Enroute to Fortuna (near Volcan Arenal) we followed hwy 4 to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui then hwy 140 to Cuidad Quesada. It is a great route through an eco-tourism area. We passed several white water rafting operation as well as canopy tours, hiking, etc. There also was a good supply of hotels and B&Bs along the route. Definitely some of the best roads we have encountered in Costa Rica.

In Fortuna we found a reasonably priced hotel. Around the volcano accommodation rates range from $8. per person to $200. per person. Depends what you want. We opted for a $10. per person room on the main drag in Fortuna. Clean and air conditioned but a little noisy.

Unfortunately, the cloud base was well below the top of the volcano so when it came to volcano viewing we saw “nada”.

March 5/06

We were hoping for clear skies this morning, but it was not to be. Low cloud hung around the mountain and volcano viewing would have to happen some other day. We planned to get an early start and make a run for the Nicaragua border but that didn’t happen either. As we were about to leave the hotel we realized that the main road had been closed for a triathlon. After speaking to the organizers, they let us leave as long as we stayed well right on the roadway. This worked well for us for a few kilometres, but eventually we were stopped for 45 minutes with the rest of the traffic until the bike riders had passed out location.

The road from Fortuna followed the north shore of Laguna de Arenal though thick jungle and rain forest. For the most part it was pretty rough… broken pavement and rough gravel sections, but work was in progress to repair it. A combination of light rain, potholes (huecos) and wet gravel made for a slow ride around the lake, but it was an interesting ride. We saw some wildlife that we were unable to identify and had it not been for the rain, the views would have been good.

After stopping for a bite to eat we decided that we would get to the border too late to cross into Nicaragua. We decide to detour to the pacific coast to find a place to stay. Playa Coco was the closest beach to the highway. We found a nice B&B and settled in by the pool for a couple of hours before supper. A nice break from the last few days of travel. Tomoorrow… Nicaragua and Ometepe Island in Laga de Nicaragua.

March 6/06

After a nice breakfast at the B&B we headed for the border. An uneventful leg through dry rolling terrain. It has been our experience that the western / southern coastal plains throughout Central America are windy. We have not experienced a calm day in these areas since passing through southern Mexico. At times the wind is extremely strong and the gusty cross winds make for unpleasant, though not dangerous riding.

The border crossing went quite smoothly. We had crossed at this border crossing on the way down. That helped find the offices in order. For some reason, the customs officer wanted to know at which border crossing we planned to exit Nicaragua into Honduras? We showed her a map and her first response was that we could not leave the country at the border crossing we had indicated. We said OK, we will leave at another on and we pointed to the map. After 20 minutes or so of passing the map around to various officials they decided that our first choice border crossing was the best one (?) and our papers were stamped. We have no idea what that was all about?

The ferry that carried vehicles from San Jorge to the island of Ometepe only operates 3 times a day in each direction. It is not large and reservations are normally required. We arrived at the ferry dock at 11:30 and inquired about transportation on the 2:30 ferry. After enlisting the assistance of an English speaking local we were told that it looked good but we would have to wait until 1:30 to buy our tickets. We waited for the ferry in the little café across the road from the ticket office.

At 1:30 we paid for our passage and at 2:00 we rode down the dock to the loading area. It is amazing what these guys can squeeze on these ferries but from the line up of cars and trucks it seemed impossible that it would all fit. With a lot of arm waving, whistling and shouting the vehicles are manoeuvred (usually backed) onto the ferry. They are parked close enough that the rear view mirrors must be folded back so as not to hit the adjacent vehicle.

With all the cars on and with what appeared to be just enough space left for two motorcycles, Dave and Jenny were signalled onto the boat. I started to follow but was signalled to stop. Another car had arrived and to our amazement was being signalled onto the ferry ahead of us. This is where it got interesting!

By the time I got off the bike and walked down the ramp to see what was going on Linda, Jenny and Dave were shouting at the loaders. It was obvious that there would not be enough space for another vehicle… our bike. We tried to explain that we both had to go or Dave and Jen had to get off the ferry. The driver of the last car on spoke English and said that he had just arrived and bought a ticket. He was as confused as we were with the loading procedure. He was willing to back off the ferry and let me load but the ferry captain had no time for this manoeuvre, he just stated pulling away from the dock with Linda still on the loading ramp of the ferry yelling, no, screaming at the workers. She managed to jump ashore just before the ferry cleared loading ramp. In a fit of frustration Linda started throwing water, from her water bottle, at what appeared to be the loading supervisor. This turned out to be great entertainment from all the other workers and passengers. The workers laughed particularly hard.

Within a few minutes, we made our way back to the entrance to the dock, settled down, talked to the ticket office and made a plan to call ahead to Jen and Dave, tell them to get a hotel and meet us at the next ferry. The next ferry was not until 5:30, so we headed back to café to wait. By this time everyone had heard the story of Linda’s rant. I think they thought it was the funniest thing that they had seen in years. Soon we met up with the loading supervisor and Linda apologized. There didn’t seem to be any hard feelings.

Hello from Gracias, Honduras. Mar 9, 2006

Hotel Guancascos in Gracias, Honduras


View from the hotel restaurant

March 8/06

After spending a relaxing day on Ometepe we hit the road again, heading for the Honduras border. We had booked a trip on the 9am ferry back to the mainland and arrived early to pay for the tickets and to make sure they knew we were there and ready.

We had breakfast a café near the ferry dock. Linda was thrilled with her breakfast of scramble eggs with a sliced wiener and instant coffee. She is getting used the food and coffee now. She’ll never want a Jamocha’s latte again!

The ferry workers remembered us and we received first class service. None of them wanted to incite the wrath of Linda. No problem getting on this time. We shared the ferry with a truck loaded with bananas and couple of other small trucks.

As we were buying our tickets, a local was telling us that some time ago they loaded two banana trucks on the ferry and as the ferry left the dock it rolled and sank. There was a line up of about a dozen loaded banana trucks waiting for passage to the mainland. We were worried, but only one was backed onto the ferry. Before the ferry left the calmer waters in the bay, the banana truck was securely tied down with thick ropes.

An uneventful ride all the way across Nicaragua to Ocotal, near the Honduras border. We settled into a nice little hotel, had a bite to eat and hit the pit. We are planning a long day tomorrow almost from one side of Honduras to the other.

March 9/06

Up before dawn this morning. Yogurt and cornflakes for breakfast from the convenience store at the Shell station on the corner, then off to the border crossing. It was a cool ride 20K ride to the border crossing through rolling terrain. We were at an elevation 2500 ft. We were all cold when we reached the border crossing at 6:30 am.

This was not a busy crossing point and the regular onslaught of helpers and money changers had not yet arrived for the day. I must say this was a welcome change! This crossing was the best one yet. The offices were labelled. The officials were helpful and courteous. We were through in less than an hour with no hassles or suspicious additional charges.

The roads and speed limits in Honduras were also a welcome surprise. Both were driver (rider) friendly. Most roads were smooth and wide, well marked with good signage and the speed limits were consistent, not fast, slow, fast, slower . . as was the case in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The scenery and topography inland is much more interesting that it was closer to the pacific coast. The roads wind through the highlands. At times you might think that you were in BC riding through dense pine forest. Perhaps near Kamloops somewhere.

We chose a route that was shorter than others but in the end probably took as mush or more time than the longer route. There was about 60K of rough gravel road before we reached Gracias. It took us about 2 hours of riding to cover the last 60K.

We wanted to get close to Copan Ruinas and Gracias had received some good reviews in our Lonely Planet guide book. Well, it appears that they were right. This is lovely little town nestled in the rolling hills. I wish we had more time to stay here and explore the area. The hotel we have is great. Each couple has their own room. Only $14. per night, but it is wonderful. I wasn’t too impressed with Honduras on the way down to Panama but I am this time. The route we followed today was one of the best motorcycles rides of the trip. Great scenery and very friendly people. Honduras is also appears much cleaner than Nicaragua.

We are a couple of hours from Copan Ruinas. These Maya ruins are one of the “big 3” in Central America (along with Tikal and Pelenque ) Our plan is to head to Copan in the morning (after a soak in the local hot springs) and spend the afternoon visiting the ruins.

Then on the Guatemala the next day.

Report from Copan, Honduras & Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Mar 11, 2006

Here are a couple of shots from the Ruinas de Copan


This is the largest Mayan step structure of it's kind. Unlike other that are larger in size, each step on this one is carved with hieroglyphics... very ornate. The cover is to reduce erosion of the detail.


We hired a Tuk-Tuk for the return trip to town.


Highland community in Hinduras, close to Gracias and the Guatemala border

March 10/06

After a brief walk around Gracias and breakfast we headed out for Copan Ruinas. Once again smooth surfaced, winding, wide roads most of the way… motorcycle friendly. As mentioned before, the older roads down here suffer from deep hole-i-tice. Some parts are pock marked and a slalom technique between the potholes is required to maintain a smooth ride. Nice scenery too!

The town of Copan Ruinas is a very pretty town. It is located 1 kilometre from the ruins themselves. Hotels and restaurants are bountiful… especially hotels. Perhaps because of the competition, room are very reasonable. We found a nice place near the centre of town. Only $6. for a double room with a private bathroom and shower. Can’t beat that.

We walked to the ruins on a nice stone path from town. Admission to the site was $10. each. We could have hired a guide (for $25.) but decided to take the unescorted tour.

The site of the ruins dates to between 400 and 800 AD. It is thought that the Copan Dynasty and the area around Copan supported a population of 20,000 people in the middle of the 8^th century but by the 13^th century the area had succumbed to over population. Apparently, according to the available information, urban expansion and farming up the steep slopes surrounding the valley resulted in deforestation and flooding that further reduced the ability of the population to provide sufficient food. By 1200 AD the Copan valley and the city site were abandoned and gradually became over run by the jungle.

The site was “discovered” in the 1890s and work began then to uncover the ruins. Work is still in progress. Many parts of the ruins have been carefully reconstructed and new buildings are still being discovered. Well worth the visit.

After supper we walked to the town square where what appeared to be a local school / club band was practicing its routine. Unlike any band in Canada, this band consisted solely of percussion instruments and marched and danced to the rhythm. The instruments included a triple set of bongo type drums played with sticks, snare drums, base drums, cymbals, washboard type instruments and hand head xylophones, which were the only instruments to carry a tune. The kids were fun to watch and we appreciated the interesting rhythms.

March 11/06

Another border crossing this morning into Guatemala. The more accustom we have become with the procedures, the easier they are. Definitely early crossings are the answer. Also the less busy crossings are easier to deal with. The officials are friendlier and there is less distraction from people trying to make a buck by making things seem more difficult than they actually are. Certainly being able to communicate in Spanish is an asset and by now we have acquired the necessary, albeit basic, vocabulary to be able to ask questions and understand some of the answers… even joke with the officials.

From the border we had to take a round about route to eventually head north east around Lago de Izabal to our destination of Rio Dulce.

Lago de Izabal is a lake located about 50K inland from the Caribbean. It is connected to the Caribbean by a wide river and is a haven / hangout for sailing boats and yachts from around the world. Unfortunately we only have one night to spend here, but it looks like a place you could easily spend a few days (or more).

The roads up here were very good. Some of the best we have seen. The scenery and general appearance of the country side in this part of Guatemala is very pleasant. Clean and well kept. We planned to visit some folks that we had met in El Salvador who own a resort on the lake, but instead we opted to stay at the marina. Staying at the other resort required a 40 minute boat ride that would have precluded an early start in the morning. Tomorrow is another longish day to the Tikal ruins in eastern Guatemala.

By the way… We hear that it is a great snow year in Fernie this season. . . one of the best. We think that it is partly because we decided to take off for the winter. I was thinking that you folks in Fernie might want to start a collection to send us away again next year!

Actually, we are thrilled that is a good ski season... good snow is good for Fernie. Hope you are enjoying the powder. Save some for us in April.

Report from Tikal. Mar 17, 2006

Our friend, the small tarantula

Some signs for a few animals around Tikal



The grand plazza at Tikal


Temple V at Tikal

March 12/06

At breakfast this morning we inquired as to the distance / driving time from Rio Dulce to Tikal. The answers we received were typical… 2 /1/2 hours from one person, 8 hours from the next! We also asked about accommodation. One fellow told that there was a selection of hotels within 5 k of Tikal. This was counter to the information in the guide book, but locals must know, right?

Well it was a great road and it was a 3 hour ride to Tikal. The hotels that were suppose to be 5 k from Tikal were at least 25 K distant… but the camp ground inside the park itself were as advertised in the Lonely Planet guide. Since we reached Tikal earlier than anticipated, we had the afternoon to explore the ruins. Tikal is very much worth a visit.

For those who are driving / riding here, there are two entrances to the site. You must pass through both of them. One entrance is almost 20k from the site of the ruins. This is where you by your entry pass. The second entrance is located just prior to the ruins. It is just inside this entrance that the campsite, parking area, information area, restaurants and 3 in-park hotels are located.

As we rode into the parking lot we were approached by a fellow on a typical small motorcycle with a cooler mounted on the back. It is not uncommon to be approached by vendors selling their goods, but this fellow appeared to asking something else. After a bit of back and forth we realised that he was asking if we had some spare gasoline. He had to ride 30K home and he didn’t think he had enough fuel. I had brought a small siphoning hose with me so within a few minutes we managed to transfer enough fuel from my tank to get him back home. He offered to pay us but we refused to accept payment but he was selling chocolate dipped frozen bananas which he offered us in payment. They were very good.

Before visiting the ruins, made arrangements to camp. We were permitted to ride the bikes across the grass and park beside or camping area. One our concerns was the security of our bikes, luggage and camping equipment while visiting the ruins. As it turned out security is not an issue. The camp ground is monitored by park staff. We simply made sure that our passports and documents were securely locked in our hard luggage and walked to the site of the ruins.

We spent a few hours walking around and climbing over the ruins. They are awe inspiring. Many of the ruins have yet to be uncovered completely. Some are partially uncovered. It is interesting to see the work in progress and to see some of the sites where little work has been done. These sites are still consumed by the jungle.

By the time we returned to the campsite the sun had set. We quickly set up the tents and walked over to one of the hotels for a drink. When we returned to the tents it was dark. One of the camping staff came over with his flash light to see where we were camped. He showed us something interesting, frightening to some. Close to where we camped was a small hole in the turf, about the diameter of a silver dollar. He shone his flash light down the hole and the only word we understood from his explanation in Spanish was… “tarantula”. Sure enough, there was a big tarantula down the hole, staring out at us. Shining the flash light around the area we spied another one out walking around, but apparently smaller than the one in the hole. (see photo) Tarantulas are not poisonous, but that was little consolation to Linda. It made her forget about the snakes for a while though!

Back into Mexico. Mar 17, 2006

The Kismet Inn in Hopkins, Belize

March 13/06

Today we crossed the border from Guatemala to Belize. Another straight forward border crossing. We decided that we would spend only two days in Belize. From the Lonely Planet guide book we selected the small coastal town of Hopkins as our first destination. Hopkins is located south of Belize city.

Belize definitely has a different feel to it that most of the other Central American countries. The British influence is noticeable in the architecture, roads (round-a-bouts) and bridges. English is the principle language of the country although many other languages and dialects are also spoken. Often the English dialects are difficult to understand.

We arrived in Hopkins by 2 pm. There were good roads all the way across the country and not much traffic. Speed signs must be a luxury item down here. They are virtually not existent. We took our lead from the other traffic and cruised at 90 K in the open areas while remaining vigilant for the speed bumps.

Hopkins itself is nothing special. It is a poor somewhat rundown fishing village with some accommodations. A would be beach resort that never quite made it. In Hopkins we found a guest house on the beach. . . the Kismet Inn. It is a rustic place run by Trish, a transplanted New Yorker and here partner, Elvis. Trish and Elvis prepare a meal for the guests if they so desire. The meal always consists of the catch of the day, rice, vegetables, salad and fresh baked bread. It was an OK place but expensive for the quality of accommodation and services.

Everyone ate together at one large table in the dinning area so there was a good opportunity to socialize with the hosts and other guests. This was probably the best part of the stay. We met a couple from Brighton, Ontario. Prior to settling on the shores of Lake Ontario, they had lived on a sailboat for a couple of years and had some good stories to tell, mostly cruising the Caribbean.

March 14/06

Partly due to the costs in Belize we decided to head up to the Mexican border at Chetumal at the base of the Yucatan Peninsular. Fuel prices in Belize were the highest we have seen on this trip.. about $5. per gallon. Thanks to good open roads and little traffic we reached the border just after 2 pm.

The northern half of Belize is not particularly attractive. Mostly flat scrub lands, hot and windy. The southern portion is much more attractive. The Hummingbird Hwy runs south from Belize city through rolling semi-mountainous terrain. The valleys are filled with citrus groves. Mostly oranges, from what we could tell.

The border crossing into Mexico was very smooth. The officials friendly and helpful. Mexico was the only country that accepted our prior visa. Entering other countries we had to get new visas each time. Guess they make more money that way.

Close to the border crossing is the city of Chetumal, Mexico. Looking for a hotel we found our way downtown to a visitor information booth. As Jenny inquired about hotels a motorcycle rider stopped to talk to Linda and asked if we needed help. Gordon, we found out his name later, was riding a 500 Suzuki, a big bike for these parts. He had noticed the motorcycles and was anxious to assist other riders. He offered to lead us to a hotel. We gladly accepted his offered and he led us to a very nice place. After a quick change into some clean clothes we offered to buy Gordon a beer. We enjoyed the conversation with Gordon. Thanks again Gordon for assisting us, it was great to meet you.

As an aside . . . Gordon mentioned that a few weeks ago he had met another Canadian on motorcycle. This fellow was doing research for a travel guide book for motorcycle travellers. It appeared that he may have been affiliated somehow with Horizon’s Unlimited. This was of interest to us because we had just been discussing the short comings of the Lonely Planet guide book. The Lonely Planet guide is designed for back packer / bus traveller and as such, there is very little information specifically of interest to travelers who have their own transportation. (better directions, routes in and out of cities, bypasses, fuel locations, etc.)

Early to bed….

March 15/06

Early to rise…

Dave woke us up at 5:30 for breakfast. We were on the road before 7:00. Flat country across the base of the Yucatan. Just like a hot Saskatchewan with palm trees. We made good time though. Over 600K today. Still it was a long day.

We ended up in a small city of Cardenas in the oil production area of Mexico, not a particularly attractive area. Since we were not in a tourist area, there was limited hotel selection. The first one we found was at a truck stop and there was no secure location to leave the motorcycles. The next one we found had a secure parking lot but it catered to business travelers and was quite expensive ($62.US) for our budget. We stayed there anyway since it was late and there was no other option.

At supper we had another look at the route back to Yuma. The most direct route would be through Mexico City. Another route would be up the east coast and then across north central Mexico. The third option was to cut across the narrow “waist” of Mexico to the west coast and retrace the route we followed on the way south. After bantering back and forth, we decided to cut to the west coast. Our rational was 3 fold . . . cheaper plentiful accommodations, a more pleasant environment and reduced navigation stress. We are definitely in the “get home mode” but we don’t want to rush it, just enjoy it. (actually Miles emailed us that it hadn’t snowed in a few days and perhaps we should turn south again. We choose this route mainly to encourage more snow in Fernie. J ) The west coast route is a slightly longer one but may be shorter (in time) in the long run. We are planning earlier starts on the way back and 30% longer mileage.

Back to the Pacific Coast. Mar 20, 2006

Puerto Escondido... one of the beaches


Linda talking to her Mom on the beach strip in Puerto Escondido

March 16 /06

With the new route plan formulated, we were up before sunrise and had the bikes loaded and ready to go at dawn. We opted to start on the Autopista Cuota (pay highways) to make time. We made good time for the first 100K, then the pay road ended. You can definitely make better time, but the pay roads are expensive. We figured that the charge was about 10 cents per kilometre. There was little traffic on the pay portions. Obviously they are too expensive for the masses.

We made pretty good time on the route to the Pacific coast despite several areas of construction. Once on the coast, the road became more interesting. A nice winding road through the hilly coast line with good pavement, few towns (ie. topes) and little traffic. Normally we would have stopped earlier that we did, but knowing the route and the availability of accommodation, we decided to push on to Puerto Escondido. We covered about 650K. The longest day yet. We rolled into our planned accommodation (Cabinas Edda) at about 5:30 and got two nice cabinas. ($15. each). Having made good time and not to mention that we all had sore butts from the last two long days, we decided to stay and extra night here and catch up on the laundry, internet, phone calls and an oil change for the bikes.

March 17/06

Happy Birthday Leslie. Hope you had a good time and didn’t consume too much of that green beer.

We relaxed today and caught up on the chores. Saturday we are planning to stop just outside Acapulco.

March 18/06

Wow! It was hot day down here. . . especially coming through Acapulco. It seems that everyone here drives their car on Saturdays. It was bumper to bumper traffic most of the way through the city. I stopped as we entered the city to take off my jacket. It was at least bearable in a T-shirt. We only lost our way once and managed to get back on course in relatively short order (sometimes you are lucky).

Once we reached our destination, Pia de la Questa. . . a narrow beach strip about 10K north of Acapulco, we searched out our chosen hotel. We found it right away. Things were falling into place…. until we discovered that it was a long holiday weekend and every place we check was booked up. *%#^@!

Eventually we found a room. The hotel owners knew that it was one of the last ones available and it was reflected in the price. Fortunately there was a nice beach restaurant nearby and we settled in to a good sunset meal.

Meeting other travelers is an enjoyable part of this experience.

March 19/06

We were up before sunrise this morning. Do you think maybe we are getting that “heading for the barn” feeling? Partly, but mostly it is more comfortable to travel during the cooler parts of the day. Also, we trying ride about 400K per day. With an early start we can find a place to stay by 3pm. and relax for a while.

Moving into Northern Mexico. Mar 23, 2006

March 21/06

Yesterday and today again we put in a long day. The coastal roads are nice scenic winding roads but we are all looking forward to our own beds and some home cooked meals. Guess you could say that we are weary travellers at this point.

We pushed on past Puerto Vallarta back to the smaller resort / surfing town of Sayulita. It is not as busy here but still quite touristy. Spanish is not essential here. We have settled into a nice camping spot for a couple of days.

This is our second stop in Sayulita. It a nice place. Much like Puerto Vallarta was 25 years ago. Laid back, nice beach, good surfing. It has that typical half completed, half abandoned, Mexican appearance. Dirt streets, dogs and garbage in abundance, street vendors and temporary food kiosks mixed in with some very good hotels, campsites and restaurants.

We stayed at the Sayulita RV & Trailer Park. Bungalows, with or without kitchenettes are also available. It is a great place. Locate on the beach. Mexican architecture with Germen sensibilities. (Thanks to the nationality of the owner.)

March 23/06

The longest day (in distance covered) on the trip. We decided to take the pay roads when available and covered 900 kilometres from Sayulita to Hermosillo. Considering that it took us 3 hours to cover the first 100K we were surprised to cover the planned distance. There was a major accident on the highway between Sayulita and Tepic. With the bikes we were able to get through the ditch passed a jack knifed semi.

The toll roads in Mexico allow you to make good time but they are expensive. The rate for cars and motorcycles is 1 peso per kilometre ( approx. 10 cents)

Back in the USA. Mar 25, 2006

March 24/05

Hermosillo is only 170 K from the US border. We were on the road by 8:30 on the last Mexico leg. All along the way through Mexico and Central America there have been military check points, but we came across one 150K from the border that was different.

Suddenly the semi trailer ahead of us pulled into the passing lane and stopped behind a line of stopped semis. We stayed in the left lane but within a few hundred metres we came to a halt behind a couple of cars and some semi trailers also stopped in the left lane. The road was now blocked to traffic.

However, there was a trail in the ditch. There were trucks stopped down the highway as far as you could see. We decided to try the ditch and see if we could get past them. It worked but the line up of stopped trucks was at least 2 miles long. At the check point every truck was being carefully checked.. for who know what. We were waved through the check point without as much as a question. It must have taken days for one truck to pass this point!

The border crossing into the US was no problem. We stopped at the Mexico customs so Dave could retrieve his $300. MC deposit. Much to our surprise, it was no problem. The border are is quite secure (as you might expect) but we were asked a couple of quick questions and sent on our way.

We are now 200K from Yuma having breakfast at the “Space Age Restaurant”. We hope to start north in the car later today.

Home Again. Mar 29, 2006

March 28/06

We arrived home in Fernie early Tuesday afternoon. We dropped Jen & Dave at their place yesterday, over-nighted and caught an early ferry eastbound. It is nice to be home. As we drove into Elk Valley it started snowing. A nice welcome home.

From Yuma, we drove north with no delay, sticking to the interstate highways. No trouble enroute, other than some balky trailer lights that refused to work until ½ way home. The little VW diesel pulled the overloaded trailer without any problem.

Unfortunately there was one sad incident that marred an otherwise happy homecoming. Dave and Jenny’s dog “Seda” went missing from their home a couple of days before we arrived back. The reason she disappeared and her fate is yet unknown. Dave and Jen live on a small acreage and Seda was free to roam but she had never wandered far before.

Dave is absolutely devastated. Seda is really Dave’s dog. He had been worried about leaving her, while we were on the trip, and was so looking forward too seeing her again. It has been 4 days now since she went missing. Despite numerous posters, calls to neighbours and the various related agencies, there has been no word of her whereabouts.

March 29/06

Time to get back to reality! The mail pile is huge and there is lots of work to be done on the uncompleted house renovations. I also want to find time to organize the over 1000 photos and summarize the trip.

It was a wonderful experience that we all enjoyed immensely. After almost 3 months travelling and residing with Jen and Dave we are all still on speaking terms. That in itself is a satisfying accomplishment. (There were some tense moments, but nothing too serious. At times, Dave’s adventuresome spirit and risk assessment differed substantially from ours). Linda and I feel very lucky that we had this opportunity to travel with the “kids” in this manner. It is not something a lot of parents get the opportunity to do, or a lot of “kids” might want to do with their parents, for that matter.

The trip was a great learning experience for us all. Not only did we see and experience countries and areas that were previously foreign to us but we were able to successfully challenge ourselves. Although we never felt that we were in danger, we were often on or just outside our normal comfort threshold (all except Dave, that is!).

I’m particularly proud of Linda. Linda was probably the most anxious at the beginning of the trip but she really didn’t let it show and quickly settled in to the uncommonly austere accommodations. Many times she was a moderating and stabilizing influence. Also, she discovered that she can comfortably travel for 3 months with one small bag of clothes and personal items!

Time to start planning the next trip!

THE END

We will now revert to updating our main blog. http://thehidewayoflife.blogspot.com

If you are interested, you keep tabs on us there…

News Fash! Seda Is back! Mar 31, 2006

In the last posting I reported than Dave & Jen's dog, Seda, had gone missing. Well, she has been found! What great news!

It appears that Seda took off on a search for Dave. On the evening of March 24 she apparently decided to take a hike. … to Kaslo. Kaslo is approximately 35K from Jen & Dave’s place. Seda has been to Kaslo several times with Dave & Jen as we have a summer house there.

She was seen in Kaslo on the morning of March 25 and was limping badly. She was treated by the vet in Kaslo and actually had been adopted the day she was found. Dave got wind of her location from the SPCA in Nelson while he was dropping off a poster of Seda. The Nelson SPCA had spoken to the Kaslo vet and Seda fit the description of a lost dog in Kaslo. Jen and Dave drove up to Kaslo and they found Seda sitting on the porch of our house.

Why she decided to head for Kaslo we will never know, but we are so happy and relieved that she is well and back home. This is a much happier ending to a fabulous trip.