Semana Santa and Lago de Atitlan - Pictures

Two very traditional Guatemalan sights

Lisa helping out making an alfombra in the street for Semana Santa

The dyed hands stayed with us for days

The finished product awaiting the procession

Where it is destroyed in minutes

We hitched a ride in the back of a freight truck to get around this Massive landslide

It is normal to pack all this gear plus 32 people inside.  I know.  I counted.

Mouthes full of decorative gold are popular.  Long live the Grill!

We went looking for the backroads and found them!

The easy and scenic way across Lago de Atitlan.  Great volcano views.

We spent two weeks taking one-on-one spanish classes

The school also helps out delivering food to some poor families.  This room home and kitchen to four people.  Lisa passing the eggs...

Lisa thinks her teacher Clemente is the most patient person on earth

The floating rocks of Lago de Atitlan.  I loved these!

Chichicastenango - Trying saying that 5 times

Leaving Coban, we headed out on the fairly busy road that is the main connector to Guatemala City. Luckily we were only on this road for maybe 10 miles before turning onto the less used route to San Cristobal Verapaz where we were counting on catching some form of transportation to help us over the steep, gravel road that was wiped out two years ago by a massive landslide. This landslide not only destroyed an enormous section of the road, but it buried over 100 people, some of which are still missing.

Due to the festive and well traveled celebration week of Semana Santa, the buses and collectivos were extremely packed. Finding space took a bit longer than anticipated. We patiently waited, tucked next to a building with our bikes and in the shade. Ryan busily spoke with the drivers hoping for us to hitch a ride when another American couple walked up with backpacks in tow. Ian and Liz are New Yorkers who have spent the last few months volunteering in Nicaragua, and were spending their last few weeks of travel in Central America exploring Guatemala. They are great people and we really enjoyed their company as we were fortunate enough to meet up with them later in another city as well. Anyway, an enormous truck pulled up filled with 100 pound bags of corn and 5 locals standing atop the corn. We were happy to pass all our gear up and hop aboard. Bikes, backpacks, maybe 100 bags of corn and 9 people held tight to the sides of the truck for the 3 1/2 hour ride over the rough terrain. A slow and bumpy climb and descent, we eventually made our way to Uspantan where we stayed the night in a clean, cheap hotel.

Soon after arriving at the hotel, the seasonal rain that usually hits Central America in May and June started and since then, we have had a consistent daily rainfall most afternoons. We now understand why everything is so green. I cannot imagine the intensity of the colors come July. What a beautiful country.

Semuc Champay - Coban (finding a town that is often overlooked by travelers)

Running into Saskia, a lady we met in Finca Ixobell, at El Retiro, the three of us walked into town to catch a collectivo for the hour ride to Semuc Champay. Saskia speaks fluent Spanish, which of course helped us negotiate a cheaper rate in the back of the truck... 15 quetzals ($2) per person. The truck had an open bed in the back with a metal frame welded on to allow people to hold tight while standing during the jolting ride over the rocky and hilly ride. It was quite a trip. I am guessing we were stuffed amongst 30+ people, stopping occasionally to drop off or pick up locals. Although the ride is an hour, it is actually only 9k down the road.

Semuc Champay is an absolutely spectacular and beautiful place. There are multiple pools fed by natural springs, and small waterfalls trickle down the rocks which can also be climbed, connected each pool. The water is completely clear and the water is cold enough to cool you off from the heat of the sun and warm enough to not be a shock to the body. The water is surrounded by lush foliage, possibly feeling a touch southern Asia. It is an almost perfect place and was worth the effort to get there.

Although tempting (ok, I'm lying), we rode into Lanquin and found a collectivo to drive us up hill 2,000 feet on the gravel road. We gladly avoided the difficult road and steep inclines. Phew.

Water taxi outside our hotel in Flores

The one and only easy road in Guatemala...

Guatemala is very beautiful... and rugged.

Lisa waiting for a chicken bus in the only shade around

The incomparable spring fed swimming pools of Semuc Champey

If you sit still, the fish will give your feet a "pezicure", I mean pedicure

Semuc Champey translate as "underground river."  This is where the river ends.

...and the tranquil pools begin

The start of many, many days of rock roads

Near Poptun, we hired a guide to take us back two hours in the jungle to this underground river cave

Wading underground

Sometimes it was too deep to wade

The fearless crew

Rough roads and trying times

Leaving Finca Ixobell, we started riding fairly early, close to 8am and on a road that climbed for 10k. Piece of cake. The sun was out, the humidity already rising quickly and the road was smooth. Great start to our day. The first 20 miles were on a paved road but as we turned right at San Luis, the route turned to a rocky, gravel, rutted nightmare. After a steep initial climb and a short snack to boost our spirits, we were ready for the uncomfortable miles ahead. A few k's and we were back to pavement. Phew! My hands were starting to hurt. Riding Surly Long Haul Truckers, we do not have any frills like suspension. Opting for durability in our gear, even our tires each weigh 2.2lbs. These bikes have been perfect for us thus far, not causing any problems more than a rubbing fender, squeaky brakes or loose cables. Nothing that actually has to do with the bikes themselves. After 15k of more paved roads, we were back to a bumpy ride and loose rocks. What I would have given for suspension and biking gloves (I gave those up along with my biking shorts back in Germany). We had 40+ miles of this route and it was nothing short of absolutely awful.

A fellow cycle tourist had emailed and recommended this route calling it a "rewarding ride". I think he and I have VERY different ideas of rewarding. I hit my wall and this road almost beat me. 2 years into riding and even on the toughest days, I could still say that I absolutely loved what we were doing and wouldn't trade the trials and tribulations for anything. In this instance, I would have gladly given up touring all together to simply be done with this road. How awful is that? Talk about hitting a low point! Ugly conversations going on in my head and a lot of cursing to say the least.

Guatemala and Tikal

Finding a boat to take us upriver to Guatemala

Unloading on a Guatemalan mud bank

Another country and time to change money to quetzals

local iguanas

The massive temples of Tikal

Very tall and steep.  Don't miss a step!

Oscillated Turkey

One can spend days wandering around the ancient city of Tikal 

What is that?  Apparently a Coatlmundi

The grande plaza of Tikal

Toucan in the jungle

Lisa taking it all in.  Tikal is stunning

Palenque and Chiapas - Pictures

Howler Monkeys sound fiercer than they look

First punctured tire ever!  Amazing

Beautiful Chiapas, Mexico

Lisa climbing a Mayan temple in Palenque

They LOVE this tree

The ruins of Palenque



One of the best spots so far

Sometimes spending a few dollars to throw the bikes in a collectivo can save the day

Great camping near a jungle spring and no chance of rain

Riding in Mayan country.  Goodbye Mexico

First days in Guatemala

A 20 minute ride on a rocky, dirt path to the Immigration office, our passports were stamped and we were introduced to the Guatemalan culture. The Immigration officers consisted of 3 men standing outside a small structure. One carried an automatic rifle while the other two just kind of hung out. All three were extremely outgoing and poked fun at one another (at least that is what we gathered with our broken Spanish). Hearing that the road continued on as a rocky, dirt path for 80k, we opted for the chicken bus. Another experience we have been looking forward to.

The bus jerked around trying to avoid the enormous potholes, stopping at the roadside stands to down two or three coco frios and rapidly picked up and dropped off passengers. It was a well oiled process and all the while, cars passing, locals outside there home, all were part of a laughing and joking community.

We got off the bus just outside of Flores, an island in the middle of a lake. People we met did not have much to say about Flores, but we really enjoyed the cobble streets, cafes, views over the lake, swimming and food stands along the water. Although planning on staying for a night, each morning we woke and chose to stay another night. A day spent in Tikal was worth the 2 hour shuttle ride due to a local protest forcing us to detour.

Leaving Mexico

6:15am wake-up time and we were packed up and on the bikes by 8:15. How do we take so long? Taking the busy road for 15k, we turned off on what we thought would be a bit quieter route heading toward Frontera Corozal, the border town to catch a boat upstream and cross into Guatemala. Mexico has been very beautiful, but the traffic is a bit much. Enormous trucks constantly pass us, often releasing fumes into our faces and pebbles all around. This is something I will not miss. With the turnoff, no luck. A few more hours with the trucks and traffic before we were able to remove our helmets and enjoy a road with only a sporadic vehicle passing from either directions. We did not take as many photos as we would have liked. Books about this area have expressed the concern locals have, believing a part of the soul is removed with a photo. Because of this, we opted to take few pictures of the land and rarely photos of the people.

Knowing there were few towns, we stopped mid afternoon when we saw a hotel and restaurant sign. A young man working on a building greeted us and offered a room that was way above our budget. Another option, a free spot for our tent. Our home for the night bordered a stream that originated as a natural spring a few hundred yards away. Such beauty and we could hear the monkeys and toucans off in the distance. It turns out this property is owned and run by a family that is trying to instill a way of life that is good for the them, the community and the environment, something fairly rare in Mexico. It is a ranch that is in the process of being turned into an Ecotourism spot. They grow and raise all of the restaurant food on their property, recycle and give jobs to the locals. Hopefully their place takes off and they can continue to provide great service and opportunities to bring people from around the world.

Palenque

Ruins in the jungle, why yes, I think we will. There are many places to stay inside and outside of the park where the ruins of Palenque are located. We opted for in the park camping at Maya Bell that also offers palapas, cabanas and even a tree house with a slide as a means to get down. After a dip in the jungle stream-fed pool, we made dinner as the sun was dipping below the horizon and as the night set in, so did the fireflies. A carpet of blinking Christmas lights surrounded us as we happy ingested our Mac n Cheese with chorizo. Simply amazing. Running into our New Zealand buddies before getting to the campground, we rode to their place for a few bottles of wine over some story swapping. A great way to start our trip in Palenque.

5am the first morning in Palenque we were awoken by the sounds of the howler monkeys. These animals sound much more ferocious than their small stature would indicate. Their roar carries through the jungle and woke us each morning before sunrise. If I had not known about these monkeys prior to arrival, I would have definitely been intimidated.

San Cristobal to Palenque

San Cristobal, another great city in Mexico that sits in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. The city itself has a bustling zocalo, quite a few tourists but are amongst plenty of local Mayans strolling the streets with extremely heavy loads doing their best to sell their collections of scarfs, pens, jewelry, hair clips, string bracelets, etc. The massive loads these women carry are incredible. A kid secured to their back with long, non-stretchy cloth, a foot deep stack of carpets on one arm, purses dangling from the other and an occasional black plastic bag or two hanging from their fingers. When they aren't selling their goods, they are often found sitting on the benches in the center sewing beautiful and intricate pieces ranging from scarves to three year tapestry projects. The Mayan people have a very different look than what we have seen thus far. Rounder faces, flatter noses, long, straight hair for the women and very short. We feel like giants towering over most of the cities occupants. It is quite a trip to say the least.

Huatulco to San Cristobal

Leaving Huatulco, we were offered a lift in our new friends awesome 1985 Winnebago, top of the line when it was made in 1985, all 50 some odd feet of it. We could get used to travelling like this. Maybe other RV'ers might consider it old compared to their modern, shiny rigs, but in reality it is quite perfect when travelling in an area where the average wage is less than $5 a day. Plus, Russ has no fear of taking this vehicle down roads and dirt tracks that other RVs have probably never been before in his search for uninhabited beaches. Well done Russ.

Similar to our travels, Debbie and Russ go without a plan and stop when they feel like stopping. Leaving on a Tuesday morning, Russ said we could either be at our stop by 1pm or the following day depending on if we found a deserted beach. Maybe not entirely deserted, but the beach where we spent 3 nights was used primarily by local fisherman in their pangas and the occasional car of locals that stopped to enjoy the waves and beauty. The 4 of us were in heaven and spent our days walking the white sandy beaches (mounds of rocks separated several different beaches all along this section of the Pacific), playing a homemade version of Backgammon, eating, drinking, sharing stories, reading and soaking up the scenery of sun and moon rises and massive size birds. Finding a palapa that was once home to a comedor before the Japanese tsunami washed it and its tables away (why did we not ever hear of this?), we had shade and great company. Our "home" was fantastic and we even purchased fresh fish from the pangas that was absolutely delicious. One of the fish, a Sierra was a great reminder of how easy it is to make ceviche.

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas - Pictures

Lovely colonial town high in a mountain valley over 7,000ft

We love the local markets for food and people watching

Crossing a suspension bridge SLOWLY

Hacienda Na-Bolom

House of the Jaguar

Bike hombre...much cooler than the single speed hipsters up north

Traditional Mayan wood, thatch and mud house