With much trepidation and the beginnings of nostalgia, Ryan and I bid farewell to Mexico. So long Aztec temples, daily earthquakes, favorable exchange rates, and flavorful food. Hello Guatemala? I confess to not know a thing about Guatemala, and I suspect the Ryan doesn’t either.
Our entry point into Mexico’s southern neighbor was La Mesilla, which follows a twisty valley into the high country. The first thing we noticed was a marked difference in road conditions. While the drivers were unnecessarily courteous, the roads were anything but. Tire-eating potholes, landslide debris, and impromptu rivers kept our progress slow and our traveler egos in check. Then there was the diesel. In an effort of good will, US municipalities shipped decommissioned school busses to Guatemala. They fell into the hands of aspiring Nascar drivers and emit plumes of diesel exhaust that even Scott Pruitt would find offensive.
Thankfully, Guatemaltecos make up for the shortcomings of their infrastructure with over-the-top hospitality and warmth. Never before have I gotten so many compliments or honks of encouragement. Even Ryan got the occasional road salute of “gringo”, or my favorite, “mister”. And in the high altitude towns where Mayan dialects were the default language, people would go out of there way to say good morning, good evening, or have a good trip!
Lago de Atitlan
Our primary destination in Guatemala was Lake Atitlan. Nessled underneath three massive volcanoes, it’s clear that this lake was the result of some explosive history. Roughly 85,000 years ago, this was the scene of a massive eruption that sent ash all the way to Florida! The caldera walls caved in, water filled the resulting crater, and now thousands of Guatemaltecos and expats call this place home. For good reason. See photos below for proof.
On the way, Ryan rode me down an impossibly steep “road”. I tried my best to handle the constant braking, but at the end it was just too much. My brake pads were on the verge of self combustion so I popped one out to get Ryan’s attention. A lack of rear brakes was quickly noticed by Ryan, and we limped the rest of the way to the lake. At our AirBnB I got my monthly washing, new brake pads, and a prime view of the lake. Ryan went off to attend Spanish classes, meet some fellow gringos, and eat every vegetable he could find in the market.
The Coast
With Ryan’s tan officially gone and his surfboard looking less practical than ever, it was time to find the ocean. So, we set off from lake paradise and headed West. A thrilling 6000 vertical feet later, we were on the volcanic sands of Monterrico. With the volcanoes shimmering in the distance and Manta Rays jumping in the surf, this was the perfect ending of tour de Guatemala. Ryan surfed some fun closed-out beachbreak with shockingly friendly locals. They shared every wave, hollered indecipherable spanish encouragement, and even disclosed all of their secret spots. I guess we are a long way from Rhode Island after all?
The Fronterra
With salt in Ryan’s hair and also in my quickly eroding chain, we made the final day’s ride to the border. Everything was going as planned until we encountered a line of idlying trucks about 7km from the border. “No, they can’t all be waiting to cross the border” thought both of us. Yep, as it turns out, hundreds, perhaps thousands of trucks were all waiting to cross. We stopped to get some info from a trucker who had ingeniously slung a hammock under his rig. He said, “you know how you have day of the Turkey? Well, we have day of the fair and the border officials are trying to capitalize by charging us 300 Quetzales to cross. None of us will pay so we’ll all wait until tomorrow at 7am”. Ryan and I were planning to spend a final night in Guatemala and slip across the border the next morning. But, the thought of thousands of groggy and behind-schedule truckers on our heels was sufficient motivation to ride a couple more hours into El Salvador.
So, that’s it for now. Guatemala, you are a charming country with even better people. We are sad to see you go, but the pointbreaks and pupusas are calling.
