Nuevos Amigos y Nuevos Paices

Day 87 kt:52 ta:2147 gps: N 17 degrees 39.335' W 101 degrees 33.393'
Day 88 I stayed in Zihuatenejo

When I finally made it to the beach, I was famished because I was sick of my palenquetas and cans of tuna. I didn't care that Zihuatenejo is a tourist trap. I ate at the first restuarant that I could find. I even ended up renting a room for $20 which is way too much for what I got. As I always do when I rent a room, I took a shower, or rather attempted to take a shower. There was no water pressure from the shower head so what I took was actually somewhere between a whore-bath and a shower. I actually lathered up with soap but I had to use the sink to wash off all of the soap. At least there were toilet seats at the hotel. Hell, there was full cable at the hotel so I ended up watching a lot of CNN to get my news fix. Those who know me well no that I am a total news junkie.
The next day when I was sitting at an internet cafe right before I planned to leave, I saw not one, not two or three, but four cyclists touring the coast of Mexico. They are Collin from Vancouver Island, Canada; Scott and Casey from Portland, Oregon; and Mu Son from Denver, Colorado. I decided it would be fun to hang out with these guys for a while. We ended up staying in Zihuatenejo. I helped with translation at the bike shops as Casey is the only one with strong Spanish skills. We all ended up playing a game of three-on-three basketball with one of the locals. A rather sizeable crowd gathered to watch us. We then went out to eat and split one of those monster platters that the restuarants make for large groups of people. When we went to camp on the beach, we were shooed away by naval officers because we were in a military zone. We then grudgingly rode to the other side of the bay where we slept under the stars.

Day 89 kt:89.4 ta: 2609 gps: N 17 degrees 18.418' W 101 degrees 03.343'

The first full day of riding with the group was a fun one. We are all in good riding shape and we were able to come to a pretty comfortable consensus about most things: we all agreed it would be nice to lunch by the water and we all agreed it would be nice to camp on the beach. I definitely feel safe camping on the beach with four others. I made a huge campfire since there was an abundance of driftwood just lying around. Mother Earth is usually good enough company but it is always nice to have conversations with others besides yourself around the campfire.
We had an experience this morning with some horrible service at a restuarant in Zihuatenejo. The waiter literally fucked every order except mine. He didn't even seem to be trying. I think it should be mentioned that the Mexican concept of food service is very different from American standards of what constitutes acceptable food service. Here, if you complain about your food, you will still have to pay for it and you will probably be laughed at. The best system of food service is probably somewhere between the American and Mexican standards. I think that the American customer is completely spoiled with restuarants that will happily recook their food and take it off the bill when people don't like it. They best way to get what you want here is to keep your order very simple.

Day 90 kt: 129 ta:1978 gps: N 17 degrees 00.568' W 100 degrees 05.923'

We made good time today because we all resolved to hammer it all day long. We all seem to follow the same rhythem: we were all up at dawn and all wanted to eat and rest at the same time. We should all make it to Acapulco tomorrow around 11:00 a.m. so we can all run errands and hopefully be out of the city by 2:00 p.m. None of us really want to stay there.
When we were riding along the highway today, we came across a huge traffic jam. We pushed our way past all of the traffic only to find police blocking traffic from both directions. As cyclists are all natural anarchists, we didn't pay any heed to the roadblocks and rode right through. The source of the traffic jam was a gasoline tanker that had one of its tires explode, forcing it to skid out of control and pierce its tank, causing quite a conflagration. By the time we rode by, the tanker was completely burnt out and I am sure that it tied up traffic for many hours. I am sure glad to be on my bike.

Day 91 kt:37.9 ta: 647 gps: N 16 degrees 50.828' W 99 degrees 54.505'

In the past, I have compared Acapulco to rectal cancer. I think that I was probably a little harsh. It is more like bad indigestion. This was once a beautiful place but, has since, been ruined by the explosion of tourists. There are now high-rise hotels all over the place, but never fear intrepid explorer, there are actually affordable placese to stay and to eat. The place that most of us stayed at only cost about $9 per day. There are no toilet seats but there is ample water pressure. Considering that I have grown used to having no toilets or running water, this seems quite luxurious to me.
We arrived in the city early and originally planned to pass through but Casey had a serious run of bad luck with his rear wheel. His luck is worse than mine. By the time we reached the city, he had popped nine spokes and had to push his bike, while lifting the back wheel, to the nearest bike shop. Being that it is Domingo and a holiday nonetheless, we were unable to find any bike shops or laundromats that were open. Hopefully, we can all take care of our chores tomorrow morning and leave in the early afternoon.
I guess that I should mention the name of the holiday today: it is el Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos. Who are the tres reyes magos? They are the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus. On this day, Mexicans eat Pan de la Rosca and give each other gifts in honor of the three wise men. If you find a little doll that has been baked into the bread you are obliged to make or buy tamales and atole for all of your friends and family on February 2nd or el Dia del Calendario. I saw something hilarious today: after a presentation of Blancanieve y los Siete Enanos, there was a dance competition between little boys and girls for toys as prizes. Latin rhythems are already kind of sexualized but a little girl stole the show when she started pole dancing with the microphone stand. I couldn't stop laughing.
After I returned to the hotel, I just hung out watching American movies dubbed in Spanish while waiting for my friends. When I returned to my room, I discovered, to my horror, that ants had found my food and had invaded my room. They completely covered my bed sheets and most of the food in my bag. At least they weren't fire ants. I didn't have much food left, anyway. When I told the doorman, he gave me some new bed sheets and sprayed the room with industrial insecticide. Now that is what I call service.

Day 92 I stayed in Acapulco
Day 93 kt:109 ta: 3157 gps:N 16 degrees 46.531' W 99 degrees 11.975'

We ended up staying in Acapulco one more day to take care of all of our errands. It was fun. There is pretty good food for cheap all around town and I was able to get my internet fix. Four of us went to see El Amor en el Tiempo de Colera. I appreciated the irony of seeing a movie in English with Spanish subtitles that was translated from Spanish to begin with. We, being four burly, unshaven men did not seem like the typical demographic who would want to see what was marketed as a chick-flick.
Leaving Acapulco was not easy because there was a large hill with lots of traffic right outside of the city. However, after we left Acapulco, the land was flatter and there was less traffic. We all make pretty good time together. It sounds like we are probably going to part ways in Puerto Escondido. Maybe, I will stay an extra day and try to surf.

Day 94 kt:87.6 ta:2358 gps: N 16 degrees 38.578' W 98 degrees 31.803'

Sometimes there is so much livestock roaming free through the towns that us city boys have some amusing encounters with the creatures. We were all awoken last night by some copulating horsed outside of our tents. They definitely make some funny noises. In the morning we were awoken by a symphony, or cacophony if you prefer, of roosters. Anyone who has ever been around roosters should know that they crow well before dawn. It is like the roosters get together and say, " Okay everyone, it is 4:30 a.m. It is time for yall to wake the fuck up."
I finally got to try iguana for the first time today. I am not joking when I say that it tastes like chicken. The texture of the meat and skin is definitely different but if I closed my eyes I could swear I was eating at KFC. I loved the red sauce that they served it with.
We were on a pretty good pace today until we made it to the town of Juchitan, Guerrero. It was there that we stopped at a store to rest and buy some supplies. There was a man in front of the store shoeing a horse while listening to an excellent band practice in the open lot next to the store. We ended up hanging out at the store and listening to the band for a while. I even got the band to play a couple of cumbias so my friends could hear one of my favorite genres of music. Before we knew it, there was only an hour left before sunset and we had to leave and find a campsite. I am glad that we stopped and listened to Los Juchitecos as they called themselves.

Day 95 kt: 87.7 ta:2540 gps: N 16 degrees 19.963' W 98 degrees 00.901'

Today, we passed through the part of the Guerrero coast that has a heavy African influence. There is even a museum dedicated to the African influence in Mexico in the city of Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero. I can't say that I learned anything that I didn't already know but I did have fun playing with all of the African instruments they had in the museum. I even found Chilate in the city. It is tasty but I can't say that it tastes much different from chocolate soy milk.
We finally left Guerrero for the state of Oaxaca today. I swear it almost seemed like it got another 5 or 10 degrees hotter once we crossed the border. We climbed some long ascents in the heat today. It is the kind of climbing that would make you have a heat stroke if you aren't careful. We are all hoping that we don't have to do as much climbing tomorrow but we are ready if we have to.
The spot we camped at was next to a lovely waterfall. It is too bad that the city of Pinotepa, Oaxaca dumps all of their sewage into the creek that the waterfall flows from, or so we were told. The campsite doesn't smell bad or anything, but we were told not to swim near the base of the waterfall. I still thought the sewer cascade was quite beautiful as many different kinds of birds flocked to it to bathe.

Day 96 kt:137 ta: 3574 gps: N 15 degrees 51.687' W 97 degrees 07.911'
Day 97 I stayed in Puerto Escondido
Day 98 kt:116 ta: 4565 gps: N 15 degrees 45.640' W 96 degrees 07.352'

On the morning that we left for Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, we were all pretty determined to make it to the city before sunset. We took very few breaks and had actually already ridden 80 kilometers by noon so we actually rode into town several hours before sunset.
Puerto Escondido is quite a touristy place by now but there are ample amounts of economically priced hotels. The place that four of us stayed at was called the Hotel Mayflower but it was actually more like a hostel. For about $11 a night we got a room with television, free internet, and free billiards. The place was filled with Europeans though there were definitely quite a few Americans and Canadians. Everybody seemed to be in a festive mood so a good time was had by all. The only complaint that I have is that there was a club close to the hotel which played obnoxiously loud techno until about 5 a.m. The church that was almost contiguous to the hotel would then ring their bells at about 6 a.m.
I went surfing, or rather, made and attempt to go surfing with one of the Oregonians. We both stood up so we got to feel pretty triumphant. Apparently, the big waves don't come to Puerto Escondido for another month and a half so we didn't get completely thrashed by the waves.
Today, we rode a shorter distance than when we rode into Puerto Escondido but it was significantly more grueling. We had to deal with rolling hills all day long and were all pretty exhausted after riding a hundred kilometers. Our campsite is in the city of Santa Cruz Huatulco, Oaxaca. It is one of those cities that the government built just for tourists but we can still camp on the beach. This may be the last night that we get to camp on the beach in Mexico as the coastal road is going to start curving inland soon.

Day 99 kt: 114 ta: 4884 gps: N 16 degrees 04.411' W 95 degrees 24.109'

We all got a staggered start this morning. The Oregonians started riding about 40 minutes before the rest of us. I was really not in the mood to play catch-up so I decided it was time to become an autonomous decision making unit, again. Despite all of this, I still ended up putting in a pretty grueling day today. The rolling hills along the coast of Oaxaca really add up. Combine this with the heat and I feel quite exhuasted and famished at the end of the day.
Another piece of my gear broke today: my sleeping pad which I have had for at least seven years finally bit the bullet. It still seems to hold a little bit of air but there is a serious leak through the valve and some of the the internal air chambers have busted and there is now a large bubble in it whenever I inflate it. I am still going to keep my sleeping pad because, even though it no longer provides a good cushion, it still provides a layer of insulation for those cold days that lie ahead. I expect to see more frigidly cold days in both the Andes and in Patagonia. Someone told me that there is an REI in Buenos Aires. Maybe I will try to replace it there.

Day 100 kt:67.1 ta:1716 gps: N 16 degrees 24.603' W 95 degrees 05.020'

I was determined to make this day a lazy day. I suceeded in grand fashion. I slept in until the sun rose rather than wake up before and I took a two-and-a-half hour internet break in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca to go with the two lunches which sandwiched my internet break. It looks like it is going to be flat tomorrow so I think that I will try to get another good day in.
If anybody ever asks, there are definitely virgin beaches in Oaxaca. They are unspoiled because they are still relatively inaccessible. I am sure that there are developers out there that want to build high-rise hotels along the entire coastline of Mexico.
I keep telling myself that I am not going to shave or cut my hair until I reach Buenos Aires so I can have some extra warmth in the cold places I plan to travel through. That being said, I am start to look thouroughly homeless. My beard and mustache are as long as they have ever been and really bother me anytime I eat anything like a sandwich or a taco. I don't know if I have the willpower not to shave it before Argentina.

Day 101 kt:101 ta: 1573 gps: N 16 degrees 28.314' W 94 degrees 19.324'

Despite many breaks and even a nap, I was able to make some good distance today. If I can keep up the good pace, I should be in Guatemala in less than a week.
I saw a wind farm today. It is the first place in Mexico where I have seen one but, in all fairness, there don't seem to be many parts of Mexico with a wind strong and consistent enough to power a wind turbine. I have seen a few isolated rural houses that have solar cells though there could be many more here as Mexico has an abundance of sunlight. It seems that solar power is a viable energy source in about 80% of Mexico. When I think about it, there is a large stretch of Africa where solar power would be a viable energy source. I would completely support an initiative to install solar cells in rural villages all around the developing world. The thought of these countries developing and using more fossil fuels to power their development frightens me very much. If we keep consuming energy energy in the same rate and fashion, the human race should be extinct in about 100 years. Nuclear energy is not a viable option to clean up the mess we have created. If it was, it would be no big deal that Iran wants to build nuclear reactors. As far as I know, there is still not a viable manner to deal with nuclear waste. Whenever the government tries to bury its nuclear waste anywhere, people rightfully freak out.

Day 102 kt:106 ta: 1330 gps: N 16 degrees 00.204' W 93 degrees 39.756'

I had some trouble sleeping in the mango orchard where I stayed last night. The road where I was seems to be a major trucking corridor as semis roared by all night long. I also couldn't seem to get used to the new bulge in my sleeping pad.
There were mountains to my left threatening all day long but the road I was travelling on stayed in the coastal plain. I guess I am getting a break until Guatemala where I will have to charge right into those mountains. I am told that I am going to rise from see level to over 8,000 feet. I had some good long, hilly days along the Oaxacan coast so I think that I am up for the challenge. It should be remembered that all of these mountains are mere speed bumps compared to the Andes.
The countryside is beautiful hre. Many of the mountain peaks look they are composed of different minerals than their neighboring peaks so they have a cool, multi-colored look. Some of the mountains along the Oaxaca-Chiapas border are speckled with trees that bloom with yellow and magenta flowers. I am healthily in Chiapas territory now and I think that the scenery should be more of the same tomorrow.
The plants are a little different here but the one thing that really lets me know that I am not in Texas any more are the birds. Today, I saw a kingfisher, a flamingo, and two birds which I can not name but which I can describe: the first appeared to be some kind of hawk with a red beak and blue mask and the second, which seems to be quite common here, seems like a large jay bird with extra long tail feathers and a funny looking crest on its head. Birds are extremely elusive when you want to take their pictures so I still have not gotten any good pictures of them. I am tempted to spend a whole day stalking birds with my camera. If I do this, I think it will be further south as the earth's biodiversity increases as you approach the equator.
I travel to a lot of places that are neglected by the Lonely Planet readers. There are generally less tourist attractions in these cities but they sure are cheap. In the town of Arriaga, Chiapas I found tacos for 3 pesos each. I ordered eight of them. I finished that off with two scoops of ice creams and a small coconut horchata. My double-desert still cost less than two scoops would in a more touristy place.
I had a minor wipeout on my bike today. It was at low speed so I am fine. My front saddlebad had to be bent back in place, though. I am glad that I have a steel frame bicycle or the part I had to bend back in place would probably snap right off. This is the second time that I have had to bend it back in place so I am worried that it will snap off if I have to bend it back, again.

Day 103 kt: 80.3 ta: 1668 gps: N 15 degrees 03.917' W 92 degrees 24.606'

I got a fare amount of slacking off into my day today. I keep reading the news online wherever I find an internet cafe. Nothing new seems to be happening. I keep secretly hoping that one (or all) of the U.S. presidential candidates is assassinated so I will have something interesting to read about.

Day 104 kt: 98.4 ta:1668 gps: N 15 degrees 03.917' W 92 degrees 24.606'

Even after two hours of internet surfing, two long food stops, many 420 breaks, and a bath in one of the many clean tributaries that Chiapas has to offer, I still got a good amount of riding in today. Provided that my dealings with both the Mexican and Guatemalan bureaucracies go smoothly, I should be in Guatemala by midday tomorrow. I guess that I am going to have to bid my beloved Mexico adieu. Until we meet again my love.
I have been giving all of my gear the ultimate road test. My tires are almost bald though I plan to ride on them until I have chronic problems with flats. Both pairs of my pants/shorts have holes where I sit on my bike seat and neither one of them has effective back pockets anymore. My sleeping pad is kaput though I have figured out how to make it more comfortable by underinflating it. My GPS works great for logging my trip distance and total ascent but the map is wildly inaccurate outside of the United States. I am usually several kilometers off of the highway according to my GPS even though I am right on the highway. I have seen important cities omitted from my GPS map and more recently they seem to be switched around as they are sometimes 30 kilometers off mark. The topographical data, though not entirely accurate due to the inaccuracy of my map, is still useful. All in all, I am glad I purchased my GPS device. I just wish I hadn't wasted that extra hundred on the World Map software.
I rode until right before sunset today and did something I don't usually do: I asked a family if I could camp on their property. They said yes and even brought me a whole bunch of water. The moral of this story is that the next time that a Mexican shows up at your doorstep asking for assistence you should show them some good old-fashioned American hospitality. I am not being sarcastic. Anyway, I am grateful to Bartolo and his family for being such gracious hosts.

Day 105 kt:75.8 ta: 1832 gps: N 14 degrees 46.407' W 92 degrees 06.181'

I was awoken by a flock of chickens roaming free this morning. It was fun watching them interact. There were several roosters among them. They didn't fight to the death but they definitely did fight. They usually only fight when there is a woman involved. Pretty much all of the roosters would do their mating dance where they walk tall in circles around the hens only to be rebuffed or chased away by the bigger roosters. I started thinking about cockfighting, animal cruelty, and the relativity of different cultures. Cockfighting doesn't seem to be all that cruel when one begans to ponder the lives that most American chickens live. A chicken in the U.S. will live its entire life confined to a cage. I don't know how much training goes into a champion rooster but I kind of get the feeling that they just naturally fight anyways. What is more cruel: allowing a rooster to live mostly free life than putting it up against a stronger rooster in a cockfight or keeping a rooster caged up its entire life only to meet an efficient, mechanized death? I am not condoning cockfighting, I am condemning factory farming. Cultural relativity is crazy like that. It is kind of like how we say Muslim women are so oppressed because they have to wear a burka but our own standards of beauty are so oppressive that the average American woman hates her body because it doesn't hold up to our rigid standard of beauty. I wonder how many Muslim anorexic women there are? If there are any, they are probably in Dubai, U.A.E. which seems to perfectly meld the Muslim aesthetic with western profligacy.
I crossed the border today with some annoyances but here I am in Guatemala. Talisman, Chiapas is like any other border town: it is filled with beggars and hucksters. The hucksters swarm you like flies. I think that I even got hucked by a huckster today when changing my money. Oh well, I should have enough to reach Guatemala City. The next time I am in a border city, I think that I will shoo them away just like flies. No necesito ayuda ni tengo dinero. Larganse. I will have the exchange rates written down and I will only use the moneychangers on the streets if there are no banks. I won't respond to any comment made in English and I will pretend I don't even speak it. If the people speak English to you at the borders, they probably want your money. If anybody offers help, I will shoo them away. If they offer help, they probably want your money. I had one guy following me around saying he would show me the immigration building. I did not need his help since I can read. He, of course, wanted money for his "help". I told him I didn't have any. He was disappointed but he left me alone after that. The next time I pass through a border town, I won't smile; remove my sunglasses (I learned that trick from the cops); or speak to anyone who doesn't work in immigration, customs, or sell food. I don't like to put up walls like that but it is a defense mechanism.
I smuggled the remaining weed I had in my bicycle handlebars. My pipe was in my seatpost. I didn't even need to go through that trouble since no one stopped me to search me when I entered Guatemala. Both Mexico and Guatemala are self-sufficient in marijuana production so I don't think either country is too concerned about it crossing the border. It should be mentioned that Mexico has immigration checkpoints starting in Oaxaca and increasing in frequency in Chiapas. I do find it hypocritical of Mexico to so strongly enforce its own border to the south when it cries fould at U.S. immigration policy. I say this as someone who supports the removal of all barriers to immigration everywhere. In a perfect world, I could cross the border of any country while smoking a joint and without asking my own government or any other government for permission to do so.
The average Guatemalan is definitely poorer than the average Mexican. You can see the increased poverty in everything. The police here don't drive brand new Dodge Chargers but beat-up old Nissans. The colectivos, as the trucks or vans that transport people are called, are weighed down with more people and there are usually even people hanging off the edges. This happens infrequently in Mexico but seems to be a regular occurence here. Some of the people here can't even afford to build houses out of refuse scrap metal and, instead, use plastic tarps to make makeshift tents. I even seem to see more women and children doing heavy labor. They do the labor that I usually see donkeys doing in Mexico. I still haven't seen a donkey, strangely enough. I saw several old ladies carrying large loads of firewood on their backs and, I swear, I saw a five-year-old carrying a 50 pound sack of something on his back. Well, maybe he was older than five but he was pretty fucking small. None of these things are things that I would never see in Mexico but they seem to be a common occurence here.
Tomorrow, my joyride on flat land shoud be replaced with grueling mountain climbing. I am barely above 100 feet right now and I should have to pass over 8,000 feet on the way to Guatemala City. Woo hoo!

Day 106 kt: 44.8 ta: 2421 gps: 14 degrees 42.036' W 91 degrees 47.336'

I was still in a somewhat foul mood from yesterday's border experience when I woke up this morning. A little riding took care of that. I soon found out that there are, indeed, cash machines between the border and Guatemala City. I have now reupped on cash and no longer have to worry about running out of cash before I reach the big city. Before, my plans were to haul ass to the big city where I could restock on supplies but now I plan to take a more leisurely, or rather more grueling route to the capital. I am going to go through the mountains through, what is called, Tierra Fria to get to Guatemala City. I will pass through el Lago de Atitlan, Antigua, and Chimaltenango where there is a cool organization called Mayapedal that I want to check out.
After my cash situation was resolved, I spent a lot of time farting around in Coatepeque, Guatemala. I spent some time on the internet reading the news and and looking up exchange rates for all of the currencies of the countries I plan to pass through. I had previously made the mistake of not writing down these rates but will not make this same mistake, again. I try to learn from bad experiences. I wondered around the city looking for typical Guatemalan food rather than the Mexican standards which are still ubiquitous. I found an old lady selling a deep fried vegetable called pacaya along with another vegetable she called hierba mora. They were both delicious and cheap.
After eating my lunch, Guatemalans started giving me gifts of soda and vitamins. These are two things that I did not particularly want but I think it was the gods way of telling me that I could let down my guard and trust people again. I went ahead and took this as divine commentary and immediately let down my walls.
I am camped out on top of a hill that is under construction to probably be another monotonous suburb. I have an excellent view as I have climbed to almost 3,000 feet, again. My campsite is in an old abandoned house that still has a roof. This is good because it looks like it could rain tonight. The jungle has quite suddenly engulfed me. When I was traveling along the coast of Chiapas, it seemed like most of the area was either ranchland or under some kind of cultivation. Here, it seems like the jungle pervades everything.
Before I set up my tent, I saw a huge flock of hundreds of parrots. I tried to get closer for a good picture but to no avail. I find myself wishing I had a camera with a 30X optical zoom. With that I could have a lot more good pictures of birds. I am still looking for monkeys and I am sure that I will encounter them at some point in my journey.
A lot of people have written me telling me how cold and miserable Austin is right now. I say to them that the grass is always greener on the other side. It is very hot here and I have a heat rash chafing my inner thighs. I can't wait to reach la Tierra Fria. When it is summertime in Austin and everyone is writing me about how hot it is in Austin I will probably be freezing my ass off in Patagonia. I knew that I was going to experience extreme weather condition when I started this trip. I am well equipped for all weather conditions and I look forward to the challenge.

Day 107 kt:38.9 ta: 5893 gps: N 14 degrees 52.190' W 91 degrees 37.289'

I don't think that I am going to see flat terrain again for a while. I ascended high enough today that low-lying clouds fogged up the road. The road was very steep to make my day very challenging. Normally, I can climb hills without getting off of my seat most of the time but I was out of the saddle for most of the day today. When I got to the city of San Juan, Guatemala, which is right outside of Quetzaltenango, I was at such a high elevation I had to dig out some of my cold weather gear. I expect more of the same all the way to Guatemala City.
Guatemala definitely has a more indigenous feel to it than Mexico does. Though I definitely heard people speaking indigenous dialects in Southern Mexico, it seems like half the people I run into here speak some Mayan dialect. I even say a teenage boy speaking Mayan on his cell phone. Many, if not most, of the women still wear traditional dresses and carry babies on their backs and loads on their heads.
Most of the people that I have met that have been to both Mexico and Guatemala scared me into thinking that the food of Guatemala is horrible. Thankfully, this is not so. I have enjoyed Guatemalan tamales, which are called chuchos, and I had a really good masa empanada called a doblada that was filled with a mixture of cooked carrots and chicken. I look forward to discovering more flavors.

Day 108 kt: 35.2 ta: 1980 gps: N 14 degrees 53.497' W 91 degrees 25.429'

I woke up this morning to the sound of loud trucks passing by the hotel where I stayed at. This is not the first time that I have been awoken by loud noise. If it is not loud trucks, it is roosters. If it is not roosters, it will be monkeys. At least I am not awoken by the screeching of an alarm clock. That is the most loathesome sound. I tried to stock up on peanut butter, granola bars, and water in San Juan but to no avail. I couldn't find the former two anywhere and the latter could only be found in half liters and five gallon jugs with nothing in between. Fortunately, Quetzaltenango was only 10 kilometers away and I was able to find all of those things there. I have a feeling that I will be having supply issues all throughout Guatemala.
It is going to be cold again for awhile and this definitely makes me slack off a little more. I spent a whole lot of time just sitting in marketplaces soaking in the sights and sounds. I have a feeling that I will be doing a whole lot of this as there are many interesting sights and sounds here in Guatemala. Maybe I will even take some pictures.

Day 109 kt: 64.2 ta:3659 gps: N 14 degrees 46.297' W 91 degrees 10.996'

When I woke up this morning, I was lazy as expected and did not want to leave my warm sleeping bag. Who would have thought it would be cold above 8,000 feet. Most of Guatemala is quite mountainous so it is surprisingly cold in many parts of the country.
The portion of the Pan-American highway which I travelled on today is mostly under construction. The government is expanding the two lanes to four lanes and they stop traffic in both directions for large periods of time. They, of course, let me pass and I had the road to myself quite often. There are also disadvantages to the road being under construction: I had to go over some rocky stretches of road; I discovered a new road hazard in the form of falling rocks loosened by construction equipment; and, when they inevitably let the drivers through, they are pretty pissed off. All that being said, I did make it to el Lago de Atitlan.
I am in the town of Solola, Guatemala which is on the northern border of the lake. The place where I am staying at only cost 20 Quetzales per night. This somewhere between $2 and $3. I could literally stay here for years without working with the money I have saved up. Granted my room is pretty spartan but I like that. If I keep finding rooms this cheap, I might not camp in the rest of Guatemala.
One of the things that sets Guatemala apart from the rest of Spanish speaking Latin America is that there are more evangelicals than Catholics. I see very few old Catholic churches and lots of new Evangelical ones in the countryside. I am going to have to look into the history of Evangelicism in Guatemala. I have a feeling that Evangelical dominance probably has something to do Catholic neglect and all of those Christian Childrens' Fund commercials I saw when I was a kid in the 1980s. I kind of miss the Catholics as the Evangelicals more aggressively proselytize as they see it as their duty to save all of us sinners. I want to scream, "I don't buy the religions that others sell." but I always end up being more polite as I am an ambassador of good will.