self help....

a friend in need ....

weather

...as accurate as any forecast...

another common road hazard south of US

.... eyes on the road mate!

now that i have seen the real Chihuahua!

... for those who don't know - Chihuahua is a state in Mexico - with the highest murder rate in the Americas!

great minds ...

a take on Tom & Jerry

Take One....

Yes, this statue in Frogner, Norway is the greatest statue of all time!

Bumper Stickers!

no drive is complete without them........

Route heading North to Vancouver

View Larger Map

Route heading South to Antigua

View Larger Map

Day 35, 36, 37 - US & Home (return)

NOTE: these posts relate to my return trip as I had to turn back from Guatemala

After 17,000 km and 37 days - driving through all kinds of terrain under all imaginable conditions – I am home!

The smile and ‘welcome home sir’ at the border felt GREAT! Particularly after the number of searches I have gone through – some at gunpoint – the Mexicans were at least nice about it – they would always shake my hand before and after a search – while pointing automatic weapons at me!

Did you know that repos cannot repossess a vehicle on the reservation (actually no law other then the reservation police applies on the reservation) so they hang around the nearest Wal-mart waiting for the vehicle to show up!

I wanted a long road trip and I certainly got one! It had some glorious moments and a few nasty ones but all in all – what a ride!!!

The most important piece of equipment (other than the obvious) was my trusted 10 dollar electric kettle! It provided me with coffee for my early morning starts and, in a pinch, hot water for an instant meal

Pity, I could not make it to SA but maybe the gods saved that for another day J

Hasta la Vista!

Day 32, 33 & 34 - US (return)

NOTE: these posts relate to my return trip as I had to turn back from Guatemala

Day 32 was Pathfinder maintenance day - took hell of a beating in Mexico and needed repairs.

Day 33 and 34 have been the best days do far - driving North through New Mexico, Colorado and Utah has been awesome - with NM and Colorado being the best! Actually its a kind of natural beauty that no photograph can ever do justice too.

Did you know that in Utah - restaurants will not serve you beer or wine!? The ones that do have a limit of 3??

Good thing I am just passing through - a man could die of thirst in this dry desert!

Day 30 & 31 - Mexico (return)

And yes the night was very peaceful!

....and I am back in the desert again 

Now on the most dangerous area in the Americas (Ciudad Juarez)! Here I was all geared up – checking for IEDs (kidding) but hey at the very least I expected a heavy military presence – but, not a sausage in sight!!??

Either the news is old/propaganda or the Mexican security forces did not get the memo?

I think that they have been fighting a losing war against the cartels – so they made a deal – we will go away and spend time in fancy hotels (and harass the wayward Canadian tourist) and you stop killing each other and get on with the traditional family business of cocaine transportation! Live and let live so to speak!

Amazing, did not see a single soldier or cop (everywhere else in Mexico they are all over the place) – on the other hand, to give them the benefit of the doubt – maybe they just had great camouflage!

Finally, cross back into US at El Paso, Texas

Day 27, 28 & 29 – Mexico (return)

OK, here is some Mexico trivia –

• Mexico introduced chocolate, corn and chillies to the world!
• One of the largest windmill farms is located in Mexico - thousands of windmills in 140 square miles! BTW each blade is the length of a airliner wingspan (lots of smog and wrong time of the day for photography - but to give an image) 

• The most popular car brand is VW and the most popular car VW Jetta
• Mile for mile - Mexico has the most expensive highway system in the world – I should know!

Now a story on my number plates – in Mexico most people think the vehicle and I are from Colombia – guess they just ignore the British side of things J

Have passed one vehicle with BC plates in the mountains – resulted in a lot of arm waving and honking – god I love families in mini-vans as long as they are in Mexico!

After 3 days of driving and at time retracing my route I get to a small chaotic town and not a hotel worth the name in sight – my rule in this situation is to just keep driving in the direction I  am going and sooner or later I find something and this time guess what I found!

Now, these places are very hush hush – one drives in and faces a metal barrier and a one way glass window - all transactions are similar to a drive by ATM – communication is via intercom. Perfect for a clandestine encounter and then I show up – “Hello! Is anyone in there!!??” They must have taken me for quite the wanker! J

After some confused Spanish behind the one way glass – the manager walks out and we had the good old chat – he showed me how things worked and well I did not have the love but did have an auto so I was welcome!

It’s amazing how clean this place is – better then the so called motels in the US or in Canada

It’s like a drive in garage - you drive in and close the shutter behind you and then open a door and walk into a very clean suite with very confusing horizontal ‘S’ shaped seating with guidelines and a menu that is best left to the imagination – other than that it could be just another home in the suburbs! J

Day 26 – Guatemala

The stay at the hacienda was absolutely marvelous! Two things I am certain off this trip – New Mexico and if ever own a house it will be designed as a hacienda – needless to say it needs to be in a temperate climate!

....here are some more pics of Antigua

....one of the volcanoes surrounding the town

....Pathfinder certainly looks comfortable in its private hacienda parking!

Have some news (will not classify it as good or bad) - it is what it is

Based on various factors of which the two most important ones are the increased shipping costs from Panama to Colombia and the wait time before I can actually get my vehicle in a container and on board a ship - the trip beyond Panama is no longer financially viable – and as I have already been to countries south of Guatemala to Panama, I have decided to turn back from Antigua as it’s a wonderful place and therefore fitting for a u-turn

So, heading home but it’s a long way back! And as I am taking a completely different route back - will keep the blog and snaps going!

Day 25 – Guatemala

Second time I have been to Guatemala and it’s the second time I have been ripped off at the border – cheat me once shame on you, cheat me twice shame on me – guess that makes me an absolute idiot!

The roads can best be described as a long rumble strip – full of potholes (more like craters) – some of them looked like meteorite strikes! I actually saw a cow walk into one and disappear! J

OK now on to the auto motels – Mexico had a few but in Guatemala there is one every 50 or so km!? There is obviously a lot of love going around!  The basic ones just have a concrete one car garage with a rubber curtain – the more luxury ones have a room that opens once you feed the meter in the drive in garage and has a TV, ac, bed etc. One was called ‘Happy Past-times’ – not in a frigging garage mate!

Getting closer to Antigua – the roads improved miraculously – the town is obviously the show case of Guatemala (sadly the mannequins were facing the right way)

....approaching Antigua - that's a railway in the distance

....just outside Antigua - still grow maize - staple diet of the Mayan

It is a special place and expensive (same prices as Vancouver) 

Have never lived in a old hacienda - damn good reason to check in! This is the outside.... 

....inside 

....my rooms the one on the right

DAY 23 & 24 - Mexico

First thing Monday morning I head for the Banjercito office ( I had deposited a few hundred bucks for the car and in return got a permit to drive around Mexico) well here I am at the border all set to hand in my permit  - just so they are never accused of efficiency – they moved the frigging office!? I say your website and the place I got the permit says I have to go to Tapachula!!?? Yeah, well – shit happens! They of course were kind enough to draw me a map!

As a result I had to drive 150 km back the way I came from – but it’s done!

I guess Santa Maria tests us all – but some it tests more than others.

Have permission to leave Mexico so will try and do so tomorrow morning

In the next post I shall touch upon the much talked about Central and South American auto/love motels!

I bet that post gets the largest number of hits!!

Day 20,21 & 22 - Mexico

Greeting from Tapachula on the Mexcio/Guatemala border

Lots and lots of driving and being stuck in traffic jams – one lasted over 4 hours!

Today started with another jam out of San Cristobal but did make a good story – apparently the locals are not happy with the government and the toll roads (surprise!?) as the locals cannot afford the toll roads and do not even indirectly benefit. So they decided to set up their own toll by blocking the road with a rope and anyone who wanted to cross had to pay 20 peso (very reasonable!) and that was my toll payment for the day! Cheapest day of driving so far in Mexico!

My first full day of no toll roads and the road was pretty good – better than some of the so called toll roads – but narrow and very challenging to drive as it meandered through the mountains, through small villages – the road was barely wide enough for the Pathfinder!

Had all the challenges of hard mountain driving – rock slides, mud slides, thousands of meters straight drop off the edge of the road ( no guard rail) At one point I had to use 4X4 while driving through a mud slide – the mud was wet and still sliding! J

Have not done this kind of driving since my army days

But, the real danger on the drive are the never ending speed breakers (more like car breakers) called ‘Topes’ they are rarely marked and if you hit one at any speed other then dead slow – well let’s say the experience will make a believer out of you!

Moreover, I got to see a side of Mexico most tourists rarely see – and I am glad I did!

In one of my walks through town looking for a bank/ATM I came across a store selling jeans for women – now in Mexico or any other country south the posterior of the female mannequin is more pronounced compared to what we see! Now in most window dressings the mannequins face out – this store had them facing in! Isn't hindsight a beautiful thing! J

I have reached my final destination in Mexico – will spend the weekend here (Tapachula) doing some paper work, recharging - as very tired from all the driving and of course planning my route into Guatemala!