The Road to Copan

After tidying up the bike I carried on in the hope that I would find a petrol station soon, where I hoped I could also get some food if my remaining credit card would work.

I kept travelling this very rough gravel road wondering if I had not made a big mistake not to turn around for fuel, but it was too late now as I stopped to look inside the gas tank at mid afternoon only to see about a finger of fuel remaining inside the tank, maybe only twenty kilometres left.

Feeling I was the only person on the road in the mid-afternoon sun was disheartening. Then a few more kilometres and there was a BP station, in the middle of knowhere

It looked like it had just been built, The only people there were two armed guards with pump type rifles and a guy at the till inside. It must have been near to 40 deg's C, but I was sweating more as I didnt know if my card would work here. I filled the bike with fuel and nervously nodded to the guards before walking in to pay. Yes, they did take credit cards and yes it did work. From everything bad to suddenly, everything good, this travelling has everything. There was'nt much to eat, only sweets and buscuits, but it will do until I get to Copan, where I can get some visa cash, What a day that went form desperate to relaxed.

So off to Copan where I arrived late in the evening and found a cheap place to stay.

This excitment was all I could stand for one day

So this is Copan, which is a big Mayan center with many archaeological sites of ancient temples and buildings, but the next morning my first job was to find the Wells Fargo office with my claim number to collect another $US 500 cash from my visa account to continue my trip. That all went through OK, So with money in my pocket I could now relax and take in what Copan had to offer.

Some of these sites are several hundred years BC, Amazing to think that these people were so far ahead of the Europeans at this time.

The left picture is the site of an ancient ball game that is played between the two slopes, It all had a meaning but I'm not sure what it was. The other picture is a place of gathering, maybe for meetings of some kind.

I had some good times in Copan and met some American travellers who suggested that a ride to Tikal in Guatamala would be very worth while, So after a couple of days rest in Copan it was off to Guatamala with an early start, as the borders close early in these parts.

So it's goodbye to my new best friends and once again off to the unknown. The ride to the border was only a few kilometres and I arrived quite early. It only took about an hour to get everything done with the help of this persistant kid that kept offering to help. I could'nt get any sense out of the customs guys until I used this young man to assist me. It turns out in the end that the boy was the son of the man in charge of the border crossing. I had to pay a dollar to just about everyone, even the guy who had to spray my bike for bug's (Who did'nt until I insisted he did for his dollar) Then with my passport stamped I was able to explore another new country on the list.

It was soon mid afternoon and I wanted to see the western coast of Guatemala and find a place for the night which I did called Rico's. Once again I was the only guest and nobody spoke any English. There was a pig tied up next to a tree with plenty of fruit for it to eat. I had a small room next to the bar area. Then I was invited to Rico's birthday party which was nice but mainly if I did'nt go I would be kept awake anyway.

Then I found out why the pig was tied up as It was going to provide the food for the party. Then later that day a guy came to dispatch the poor pig with the blunt end of a large axe. It was quite amusing to watch this older chap, sneak up behind the unsuspecting pig and gave it a mighty blow on the back of the skull with a large crack of bone

I was hoping that one whack would do the job, but unfortunately the pig went crazy, pulled it's tether out of the ground and ran about in all directions with everyone trying to catch it. Once caught it was dispatched with it's thoat being cut. Not that nice to see, but that's how things are done here, with the kid's joining in as well. Not all things were so hectic, as the place had some very tame Parrots that just hung around the place looking for food, but very colorful all the same.

The pig was roasted for several hours and by the time the whole family and friends arrived the pig was just about done. I must say that the bit of pork I had was very tender as well as a fruity flavour to it, I guess it was it's main diet. I did'nt stay long as I could not really talk to anybody and that the party was more of a family affair, but I was grateful for the food that I did'nt have to pay for, but trying to sleep next to a party was impossible but I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth.

The next morning I was not looking forward to finding my way through Guatemala city with no maps and just a compass, but that was the task for today. I left Rico's place before anybody was awake, Fortunately having paid for the room on arrival I could leave without distrubing anybody. Guatemala city is not hard to find, but when you get there it all becomes a fight for survival

Entering the city I decided to stay on the main roads thinking I would soon find a sign for Antigua town about thirty kilometres the other side of Guatemala city. Then my road came to a fork with a gas station in the centre, I took the left turn which took me into a very grubby part of town to narrow streets, So turning around I went back to the gas station to fill up and ask the way to Antigua. There was a guy who said to follow him in his 4X4 jeep where he would point me in the right direction, for which I was very grateful. I followed him Until I saw a sign to Antigua, gave him a wave and we went our own ways once again. The twists and turns he had shown me, well I would never have found my way, It would have taken me hours, even with my compass for help.

Antigua seemed a nice little town deep in among some volcano's, which was why the capital was moved to the new location of Guatemala city.

I took the cobbled streets to the main square where I stopped for a look around. Just off the square was a hotel on the main road in that I had passed by, so I thought I would try it. This worked out fine, I was concerned about where to leave my bike when I was shown a place in the corner of their restaurant, so after unloading it we dragged it inside and put a cover over it so not to upset the diners.

Even though I thought I would stay a few days, I was not to know for how long. I had a nice little room with my own bathroom at the top of the hotel, so I was quite lucky with this I thought.

That evening I had a walk around the streets and found this very tidy Triumph tiger cub 200cc bike parked on the cobbled street. Not often you see them in that condition, probably built in the 60's.

Then off to find something to eat with a beer. I was not very hungry so just a snack would do, and probably all I could get on a Sunday evening.

I met this lady selling hand made rugs and table coverings while I was having my Ham and Pineapple sandwich. I bought one to send to my Mother back in the UK and thought I just had enough room to carry it.

After an hour in this cafe I decided to make my way back to the hotel for an early night. It was a trying day, as I dont like cities very much and always seem to get lost in them, Maybe I should have bought a sat-nav at the time, but it's too late now.

I went off to sleep pretty tired, but was woken with stomach cramps at around 2am. So glad I had a on suite. Not to put too fine a point on it, I spent the rest of the night emptying from both ends and was totally knackered  by dawn.

I could not eat anything, but could only drink 7 UP for liquids.

Well, this lasted until the Friday, and by the end of the week was not in a good state. I couldnt go out to get food, I could only manage to get down to ask if I could have yet another days stay which luckily I could.

Had no idea what the guy on the counter must have thought, as I was shaking in front of him, trying not to be sick. I was there for 6 nights without seeing anything of Antigua town. The hotel had cost me a lot more than I had planned and I had only eaten a few biscuits in those awful 6 days. I had put it down to that Ham and Pineapple sandwich, the ham must have been the culprit. I had decided to move on from Antigua and continue on to Tikal the next day, if all was well with my stomach.

I reckon I must have lost almost a stone in weight during that week.

I had no strength at all and could barely move the bike to load it up, I don't think I could have gone through another bout of that. I was now worried about eating anything, but you have to change your attitude if you want to keep going.

Tikal is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the largest Pre-Columbian Maya sites in this region, but first I must find a place to stay nearby before my visit tomorrow. By a lake I found a unique opportunity to rent a tree house for next to nothing with a great view near a small village 12 kilometres form the rain forest I will see tomorrow, all being well.

It's the first time I've rented a tree house, but just another new experience that a trip like this can offer.

Not 5 star but with a great view. That evening I was determined to eat something as I was feeling a bit wobbly today. I walked alongside the lake where there were fireflys making like a firework desplay to the village where there was a small restaurant. I remember I ordered a large cheese omelette. I sat outside the reataurant to continue watching the fireflys as the sun sets they disappear. My omelette was just what I needed and hoped that I could enjoy my day at Tikal tomorrow. A dark walk back to the treehouse and I was out like a light.

Such a hot night that I was up early and down to the cabin for a light breakfast with orange juice freshly squeezed and a sort of mixture of nuts with milk, but very nice. Then Off on the bike leaving my gear behind in the treehouse to explore Tikal.

After the short ride to the enterance of what looked like a Tarzan movie set, I paid the fee and parked in the car park with only a couple of other cars for company. This was a rain forest full of beautiful bird life as well as some pretty wild looking monkeys howling all around the place, but I never expected to see anything like this in my life time.

Tical dominated the region Politically, Economically and Militarily from the 4th century BC. and the only Gods that they were out to impress was the Sun God's.

The Mayan's used to offer young virgins and anybody else they could find as a sacrifice to their God's, and it is said that these step's used to run with blood as hundreds were offered to avert famine and warfare, or any other threat to the city.

When you think that these civilisations began here from 1000 BC to 900 AD when Europeans were living in caves and mud huts it's very impressive, but things were to change when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.

What a day I had, it was like living in a different world, and to get a feel of those times gone by, was a great experience.

I was so pleased I took the advice of my fellow travellers in Copan to come and see this, but now it was time to get back to the tree house for my final night before heading toward's Mexico the next day. With yet another visit to the same restaurant and the same Omelette, entertianed by the same fireflys, I finished what was to be a wonderful day.

Next morning I was up early with a shower from a hose pipe tied to a tree and very little privacy at all, but nobody seemed to take any notice so when in Rome, as they say.

By the time I had packed up the bike and waved goodbye to my hosts I was sweating once again. It must have been around 40 deg's C

It took most of the day to get to the Mexican border in very hot conditions, The bike was feeling a bit odd on the back and the oil tempreature guage was almost reading 120 deg's C, which was as hot as I wanted to see it.

I had decided that I did not want to visit Mexico city with it's 26 million inhabitants, so opted to cross over to the east side and head to the United States from there. I was conscious of my time frame and did not want to get to the States too late in the summer, or get snowed in, in Canada.

After all the paperwork done and my carnet (Vehicle Passport) signed in, I was allowed into Mexico for the first time.

I was heading for Tuxtla and then the coast via Villahermosa. Now these roads were bad, and one of the safety features of Mexican roads were the Totes, (speed humps) placed unseen at the entrance to small villages and even where only a couple of houses might be. It took me half a day to make allowance's as to where they might be. These totes were unpainted not signposted and in most cases, a complete surprise.

Bang, when you hit them at anything over 30 Km/h was a huge jolt to the system, knocking your hands off the bars' and feet off the pegs. Some worse than others. The concrete totes were up to 100 mm high and there could be three or four lines of them in a row. Some were like hitting curbs.

This put me off sight seeing unfortunately, as you were looking out for these things in the most unlikely places, like long straights where it should have been safe to relax a little, but dangerous if you did. Plus the fact that your wheels and tyres also got a hefty punishment at the same time with a chance of breaking a frame.

I did manage to stop at a couple of places and eventually arrive on the east coast just south of Veracruz. Once on the coast road to Veracruz the totes were not so bad, I guess it depended on whos province you were in. I was having a reasonable ride now and quite enjoying it until I reached the outskirts to the city where you had to stay allert for the manholes with their covers missing. It was hard to tell if it was a patch job or a big hole, but I did manage to miss them.

The bad news was that I ended up on my backside in front of a bus que at an intersection anyway. The city roads were concrete slabs, not very evenly layed and with my eyes consentrating on the traffic rather than the different hights of the slabs

Ended up kicked off onto the ground, very embarrassing in front of the bus que and lucky not to be hit by their bus. which was about to stop anyway. I was helped to my feet and the bike was picked up. It was only a slow get off but I had twisted the front forks a little and grazed my knee. I passed through Veracruz which was the place where Hernan Cortez landed in 1519 and called the country New Spain. Cortez found the natives decorated in gold, which was all he could wish for, and from then on devastated the Mayan and Aztec peoples and established a trading capital inland where Mexico city is today.

Just a few kilometres outside Veracruz, I stopped at another Bella Vista hotel by the waters edge, not that nice but good enough to straighten the bike and rest my knee. By the morning it was difficult to pull my jeans over my knee and also having a small cut to the side did'nt help.

My rear tyre was not looking good, after all it had got me from Santiago, Chili to here, but it also had quite a split in the side wall. I was hoping to replace it in the USA where I would have a good chance of getting a good tyre, but felt it was too far gone should I hit more totes. I got as far as Tampico where I found a tyre shop.

Tampico and the tyre service shop. They had a tyre almost the right size but I had never heard of a six ply motorcycle tyre before as that number of ply's is normally for trucks. It was called a "Duro" which was as hard as rocks and one I had never heard of before, but it will have to do.

I was not far away from Tampico when I saw a line of trucks as far as the eye could see. Maybe an accident or something, so I slowly made my way along the still traffic until I had found the reason for the hold up. It appeared the locals were objecting to some new government tax on their farming equipment, so the only real way they can force the government to think again was to block the main arterial route to the USA border. Not a bad idea for them but not so good for everybody else.

It seemed all in good spirits for now as some union was supporting it.

The BMW at the head of the protest with it's rather skinny new rear tyre. After an hour or so phones started to ring people got into some heavy talks and within a short time the guys let us go. I must have passed 50 kilometres (30 miles) of trucks in the opposite direction all jamed up at this small village. I hope they got what they wanted, as they were good fun.

Once passed all the held up traffic the roads became quiet, but the clouds were building up all around. The east side of Mexico feels as though you are on a high plateau of land about to meet the very dark sky. Stopping to put on my wet gear the rain began. It was torrential with lightening all around. I'm not normally worried about storms, but the colour of the sky and the fork lightening was a worry. I kept going as best I could riding passed houses with only mud floors and  corrugated tin roofs in the poorer villages. The road was difficult to follow as there were mud slides crossing my path, and these also hid the pot holes and totes, which was an added hazard. Never mind, the rain slowly became less intense and  by the end of the afternoon had cleared to a fine evening.

This was going to be my last day in Mexico as I had stopped only a few kilometres short of the USA border and thought it better to enter the States fresh in the morning, having no idea how long the Mexican and US customs would take. Coming from Mexico I was guessing that I would get a hard time, but we will just have to wait and see. I found a small restaurant which had rooms to rent which was just the job, and the nice lady made me a Pizza that I had with a beer. The bike was still cutting out when I moved the handlebars, so I guessed that there was a bad connection somewhere in that area, I'll fix it when I get to Brownsville just over the border, so not many miles to go tomorrow, With that it was off to my bed and a good nights sleep, even though it was next to the main road.