ok this is going in reverse from here!! I am in a very funny place this evening without any internet to distract my attention from maybe getting caught up on this blog. Funniest story every of crossing a border. I was really depressed after my first expierence a couple of days ago, when entering Guatemala. This was the first crossing since Tijuana which was a piece of cake. Worst thing that happened there was the truck stalled for a minute and I thought I was going to lose Wade and Krista. My Amigos for the trip south into Baja. Very nice couple, as nervous as I was, not so much Wade, but I am so happy they waited for me to get my papers in order to travel with them. The cusisine was out of this world. Thanks, Krista for the sushi lesson! Back to the crossing, the day before was incredible, the federal police, along the entire way were great, but for some reason below Santa Cruze, they kept asking for stuff. Playboys, dollars, sunglasses..anything of value. I only responded in classic southern..."WTF are you guys saying"..No espanula..They would give up and just wave my dumbass along...Funny but left a bad taste in my mouth for Southern Mexico.
Then I get to the border of Gautamaula...OMG..what a nightmare..people running up to the truck as far away as 50K wanting to help me get the papers right. I thought I had everything in order and enough copies to satifie everyone. Not even close. I get out of the truck and "Carlos" grabs my stuff and passport and says "Go", not come, but Go. I just rolled with it. Trying to make sure he was always in sight. We went to get copies, went to the fumigation outlet, everybody wanted money, exchange pesos for whatever they use. I still do not know the exchange rate. But feel I got a great deal....right...as it turned out only about a surcharge of 10 percent on a couple of hundred. Since this was my first real crossing, all I could think, was I was signing the truck over for a dollar to Carlos. But, he moved me right along. It took about 3 hours, but there were people there over 5, that did not get any help from the Carlo's. $50. and I felt not real good about the whole thing, but looking back on it, very satisfied, expecelly after hearing other story's today.
A few days later, I pulled into the border town of El Salvador, same thing, these guys run up and in broken english say they will help me. I set a limit of 40. for today. The line was so long. These guys just say follow them. they are running in front of the truck, waving me into the oncoming traffic lane and we went right to the front. They grab your paperwork and you see them 10 minutes later asking for 1.00 for copies and such. Out of Guatuamala border in 10 mins. Truckers and others were waiting for hours. Then they said follow. We wait for the oncoming traffic to clear and off we go passing, at least 30 more trucks and cars. right to the front. another 2.00 for that chap. Then we double park right in front of Migration office in San Salvador. They point me to the declaration office and cannot be of assistance. Just wait in the back of the line. Around 25 guys are standing in this weird ass line. I stood around, had a huge trucker take my picture, the food must be the same at truckstops around the central america, as in the U.S. I struck up a conversation with a guy transporting used school buses from Ohio to use a chicken buses here. He saw me a few days ago in mexico and said he had been in this line since 9am. I told him about using my dumbass southern the whole way down and he justed laughed like hell. I said watch....went to a window, stood for 15mins before a guy walked by, and I said TOURISTA..EVERYBODY ELSE IS COMMERCIAL, I AM TOURIST, CAN YOU HELP ME...my friend is rolling in the corner. I swear, I was out of there in 30 mins. All these guys were fuming. On my way out I yelled VIAVA SAN SALVADOR. Paid my omiegos 30 dollars and off I go. My friend will never forget how Forrest Gump I was!!!! Saved at least 5 hours! Still the tears of laughter retelling the story again. So now, after a lovely drive, in both countries, you just have to get away from the craziness of border towns. I am ready for the border of Honduras, bring it on, MO!
Now I am going to work backwards for a couple of weeks. This blog is hard to write, as I travel along, I cannot decide if it is for my memory or so my friends and family can keep up with me. I get emails reguraly telling to update. After so many miles, I cannot keep up with the exciting or the everyday stuff. I am very fortunate to be able to travel and see and meet new people everyday.
My last stop for a few days was in Porto Escondido, a wonderful place. If you ever want to experice Mexico, this is the place! I met two wonderful Aussie girls. They just opened a resturant and turned me on to Aussie Pies. Veggie. The surf was incredible and the homes and cost of living on the cheap side. Top ten places I have visited. Enough gringos, that you can get by with little or no espanola. The hotels on the beach are 20 bucks a night. Very clean and nice.
My drive down from Mazatalan was not very eventful. Acapulco, I loved, hung out at a very old school hotel on the beach, Margaritas. Tuna salad for lunch, really a cheap place to travel too.
The memory is fading but the days were bright and the temps perfect for sleeping at night. My friends that RV. Do not travel Baja in anything over 18 feet. the roads are crazy, you could be traveling on a nice two lane with hardly any pot holes and it ends without any notice. Just rubble and stuff. In the states, they would close the whole damn thing. I went across a bridge made out of 5 inch pipe, about 24 inches on each tire and nothing in the middle or on the sides. This was on a major road with just a short notice the lanes were narrowing. the whole bridge had washed away and this was a temp. Looked long term to me! As I get further down the roads are getting better, if nothing else more of a medium for cyclist. P>S> never ever cycle down the baja!
the folling is some pics I took since my last update. I hope you enjoy them.
I am writing this inside the walls of a funny as hell place in San Salvador. The music is blasting from disco outside the property, but only 9 dollars including pool and electric. Earplugs are a neseccery in central america!
What do I eat? mostly I pull up to a frutia and just buy a pineapple, some banannas, melon, apples, oranges, avacados. Just enough for the day. Vegtable stands are every mile or so. Also they roll like crazy on the floor, after a big jolt. Eggs are easy to do. If I am lucky, smoke will be present and I will find Dorado or Marlin tacos. The bomb! The beer is always present, less then a dollar. Last week I ran out of Ives bacon! Hooked making BLT with avacodo. If visting Uvita, please bring me more!! Five gallon bottle of water is easily refilled for around 1.30. I clean up with the well water. No problems.
Oh and how could I forget the TOPES! Speed bumps from hell. I bet I have only seen 10 traffic lights since San Deigo, but these things do the job! Some are marked, some not. One i did not see lifted the camper off the bed of the truck and came crashing down to break the spring. I cannot began to tell you the carnge in the fridge, it has since given up. The truck and camper are going strong. Knock on wood! Just about 300 more miles.
