Sweltered by the Sun, Buoyed by the Beach
I slipped out of the over-hyped grandiose of Granada in the early morning light, climbed a mellow grade out of town, and was flying along the Guatemalan countryside. Traffic intensified when I joined back up with the Pan-American, but never became a nuisance. A few hot hours later I swung west towards the Pacific coast. […]
One Week: Guatemala to Nicaragua
Guatemala: I have become somewhat unexpectedly adept at starting out on a bike. Four different times I have pushed the first pedal down, swayed with the foreignness of the loaded panniers, and aimed my bike south. One would think I would be good at it, yet each time posses new challenges, and puts me on […]
A Return to the Road
Four months is either a blip of time or an eternity. I experienced both in Xela. When I rode away on Monday I was leaving behind another transitional destination on my trip, a simple pause along my path. Yet, it was also enough time to develop real and lasting relationships that I am saddened to […]
Maps Paint Poor Pictures
What could be described as an adventurous looking line across Guatemala on our maps has turned out to be a full blown leg-burning, bike-pushing, cross-section of this diverse country. Starting near sea level in Rio Dulce and finding ourselves now at 8,000 ft in Xela we were anticipating some of the hard work that would […]
Guatemala – Chapter 1
Guatemala is seeping under the skin like Malaria into the veins. Dirt roads weave together villages and farms; cattle graze and turkey present. At once nowhere, with a simple path proving a link to isolated settlements, at other times, a well trod highway. In the rural and troubled northern province, Peten, where a welcome should […]
Snapshots of Mexico
Welcome to dirt road riding, Mexican style Welcome to dirt road riding, Mexican style View at Picasa Mexico will slowly drift into the attic of my memories when we enter Guatemala in a few days time. It has been a month of cycling, sitting, and seeing; and, although my visit was limited primarily to […]
Sights of the Yucatan
Big road riding towards Campeche View at Picasa I have managed to stay upright all week. This even with some attempts by the Yucatan to offer up toppling sights, nauseating smells, and boring roads. My Yucatan checklist has been fulfilled. I went for a few swims in the Caribbean (courtesy of Cancun and Playa […]
Ready, Set, Restart!
Ready, Set, Go! View at Picasa For all intents and purposes, I am considering today (Wed, Nov. 16) the beginning of my new trip south. I have been off the bike, more or less, since January. Both the stint on the Great Divide this summer, as well as the month just finished in Cuba, […]