Bye, bye, Guatemala

Day 79

Antigua is a old city dating from the early days of Spanish colonialism in the area. The entire city is paved with cobbled stones, and many of the buildings date from the 17th century.

There are so many things to see here, and the locals are doing a wonderful job in creating, what seems to be, a sustainable tourism industry. Perhaps the best example of this are the Spanish classes. In this one small town, of perhaps 10,000 people, there are 46 Escuela Español. That's right, there are more Spanish schools here than there are streets named 'Peachtree' in Atlanta. Go ahead and count 'em. I'll wait.

Each school employs local teachers trained in Spanish-as-a-second language. They work one-on-one with students for up to 8 hours per day, often for months on end. Some of the schools are basic Mom and Pop operations, while others have affiliations and accreditations with universities from Canada, the US and Europe.

I signed up for 5 days of instruction, 4 hours a day for $145

Room and board with a local family (with Rebecca safely parked at the school) ran another $80

The instructions are tailored for specific students. Mine was geared to be

Day 80
Delayed the start of my Spanish instructions until this afternoon so I would have time to make a quick run to Guatemala City to visit a Kawasaki dealership for new rear brakes, a flush of both brake lines, a cleaning and re-lubing of the chain, and a full oil change - including a new filter.

GT City is a large, modern city with excellent roads, but suffers, as with the rest of the country, from abysmal pollution. It's aonly a 45 minute run there from Antigua, and you get to traverse some lovely mountain passes along the way.

As for the service - for Q 777, I'm not sure I got full momey's worth. I don't think they flushed the brake lines, as there is no indication with of the brake fluid reservoirs have been even touched.



Day 82

Volcan Pacuya

I went with Dave from Moto-Riders

Met with Aldous and Simon, a couple of Canadian riders going to Panama and Argentina, respectively. Simon is racing to travel on Fitz the Cat in 6 days time out of Panama City, so we shall have to part ways here. I'm in a bit of a rush now - but don't want to miss THAT much of the countryside.



Day 83
Either I've been eating too much volcanic trail dust or simply wearing out my body from traveling too long, but I'm really sick. Fever. Chills. Sweats. Lack of appetite. Weakness.

All the things you want to feel at Christmas time…




Day 84 - Christmas Eve

I manage to sleep almost the entire daylight hours away. I awake just in time to catch the chicken bus to Jocotenango to have dinner with Terersita, Salvador, Tricia, Joanne and their family. Bonus - because I miss the stop (and really, how do you miss the giant salmon-coloured cathedral in the town's main square?!) I am left off in front of a bakery. Q25 for a lovely looking desert cake, and I feel a little better walking into their home without my 2 hands swinging. [LINK to picture of Charles]

[Chicken bus]

[Christmas dinner -- whole pig]

The firecrackers in Antigua are easily the most intense I have witnessed in my life. All week long people have been randomly letting off small ireworks ('boombas') and strings of about 50 firecrackers in the streets.

This went on night and day, for the entire week before Christmas.

At the stroke of midnight to bring in Christmas Day, the sound …

The intensity of the pyrotechnics let off in this one small town, high in the hills of Guatemala, made anyone hearing it for the first time, no matter how well prepped for the event == it made one assume the town was under attack.

Either a foreign Air Force was delivering a direct hit, or Volcan Pacaya was raining down ash and rocks on Antigua.

Without a word of exageration, this is what it felt like.

Day 86

Headed to El Salvador

My fever finally broke last night and as I lay there listening to the last of the firecrackers y boombas rattling through the dessrted streets, I resolved that come the morning, I would finally have to leave Antigua to continue my healing.

For the first time in 4 days, I woke bright and early, packed my gear and headed off to class.

Mi profresora, Veronica, had managed to find us some "Parts of a motorcycle" diagrams in Spanish to use for the final days' exercises.

Brilliant! This woman has helped me immeasurably.

After class I packed up, and said my goodbyes then set off to reach the sunny shores and warmer lower elevations of El Salvador.

Literally as I left the cobbled streets of Antigua for the last time, I saw just a few metres ahead of me the unmistakeable shape of a fully loaded KLR on the road to Cuiad Guatemala.

It's funny how you can be so trusting on the road. We meet completely strangers, exchange shouts of intended destinations over the roar of traffic and we're instantly bonded.

This new crew, of Troy (KLR), Cory (GS 800) and Tim (GS 1200) are an awesome bunch of guys. We're hoteling together tonight just shy of the El Salvador border. A wonderful roast chicken dinner for 3 (Tim's got a special diet) with drinks all the way round for only Q160.

For me, the scariest parts of going on adventures is "How am I going to handle the pressure?"

There's always pressure about something or other, and out on the road for extended periods of time, we tend to run into them in seemingly never-ending series.

Tonight's drama was my commitmment to be "Ride my own ride".

I am forever trying to be a perfectionist, particularly at things I'm not terribly good at [DID YOU USE THIS IN ATLANTA???!!!!!]

This new crew of riders, all being far more exprienced and prepared than I, brought out the fears of "Am I doing this right?"

Ha.

Except not so funny.

In every single adventure I've ever heard of, things go wrong. Par for the course, right. So mine is no different in that respect. Watching and hearing some of the tactics of those who've been doing it longer and more successfully than I, sort of naturally brought me to a place of "Man.. who am I kidding here…"

Thankfully, those feelings passed. And hopefully some of the hard won lessons theses fellow have picked up out here on the road will mesh into my own routines and make the rest of the journey, just a little bit better.

That is the hope.




Day 87

Abother travel day day… Another 5 hours waiting at border crossing AFTER paying a helper and bribing an official…

But then 20 kms of super twisty cliff roads before finding $5-a-night beach front rooms to sleep in…