December Ride: Laredo TX to Guatemala
 

Looking for intel on Mexico. Leaving from Laredo TX, no reason just trying to avoid Tamaulipas as per US State Dept.Here is my tentative route, I'm looking for your guidance and expertise. This is my first Adventure Ride. I am a "Harley Guy" with many miles in the saddle across the US. I'm a complete NOOB to this type of trip. I don't drink or smoke and will not be visiting any places that would be suspect. Just there for the adventure...No hablo español

I plan on riding 85 to 850 to 40 maybe stop at Parque Nacional Cumbers de Monterrey for 1st night or pushing through to Matehuala, San Luis Potosi. Ideas, comments or advice for my first leg?

Down 57 to Teotihuacan get some Aztec Culture. Ideas, comments or advice for my second leg?

Shoot over via 132D catch 136 to 140D/143 to 180 and hit Heroica Veracruz just because of a Warren Zevon song...but am open to hit some other gulf town of interest. Ideas, comments or advice for my third leg?

150D to 145D, 180, 180D, 186 to Palenque, Chiapas see the Mayan Ruins.Ideas, comments or advice for my fourth leg?

Cross over into Belize at the Corozal, Comité Proterritorio, Chetumal, QR crossing than into Guatemala at Benque Viejo Del Carmen. Ideas, comments or advice for my fifth leg?

Head over to Yaxha - Nakum - Naranjo National Park. then meet my daughter in undetermined Guatemala location. Ideas, comments or advice for my sixth leg?

Donating bike at end of journey to a sustainable farm. Flying back to Michigan. Want to find a KLR650 at a reasonable price outfitted and updated to accomplish this.

I know I'm asking a lot, any advice would be appreciated, Thanks!

Er ... uh... sorry to shock you , but Nuevo Laredo IS IN TAMAULIPAS too .

But really that does not matter a whit.
Your State Department warnings are very cautious statements and if you were to take them to heart you would never visit Mexico ever. And that would be a shame .
What you should be doing is getting actual background info on any recent events that might relate to ANY of the border crossings you might think of using and base your go/ no go decision on that .
Within the last year I have used the crossings in Matamoros, Reynosa and Nvo Laredo ,Mexicali and Ojinaga with no experience of danger.
Flare ups of a type involving police and army activity can happen anywhere but then the situation will stabilize . Become aware of where those " hot spots " might be at the time you plan to travel and decide on the border crossing point then .
Do your own research and make a judgement .

Yes you do have many questions and an obvious lack of good information. Let's see how we can help you in the next while. Your naïveté is endearing ( to some perhaps ) but it could get you into problems.
Please leave any notion of iron butt style US rides behind you when you cross the border. For your first day of your first trip into Mexico trying to get to Matehuala is wildly , dangerously optimistic. And your guess about finding a place for the night inCumbres de Monterrey shows you do not yet understand what that park is .

A pm is coming your way.


As to finding a good recent vintage kitted KLR I don't think you will have much trouble there , folks here are always praising their eBay finds .

Your State Department warnings are very cautious statements and if you were to take them to heart you would never visit Mexico ever. And that would be a shame .

I get it...That is why I am posting these questions. I only picked Laredo because I could get out of Tamaulipas faster that way. I used to have family in McAllen and went to Matamoros often during the 80s. I have been given advice by them to stay away.

Please leave any notion of iron butt style US rides behind you when you cross the border. For your first day of your first trip into Mexico trying to get to Matehuala is wildly , dangerously optimistic. And your guess about finding a place for the night inCumbres de Monterrey shows you do not yet understand what that park is .

Hahahaha, yes we Harley Dudes do Iron Butt riding it's true, just did a 1000/24 two weeks ago with my Club Brothers. But the distance from Laredo to Matehuala is only 336 miles. Are you sayng a 400 mile a day average is too optimistic? I thought I was being realistic. Would stopping in Monterrey be better? It sounds like you are saying I have not planned enough days to ride through Mexio...Please let me know.

As far as "Staying in the Park" I imagined it was a drive through the mountains with some turnouts on my way to Matehuala. I plainly asked for suggestions and advice for each leg of my trip...

I appreciate your input Sjoerd, that is why I am asking these questions. I thought I could get some great tactics and reconned routes. I stated that I was a NOOB in traveling in Mexico. All good stuff, thanks for your help. I think as a maiden voyage, this should be doable...

Yes 400 MILES in a day of riding in Mexico is too much for fun or comfort., trust me.That is over 600km,and get used to km because that is what all the road signs and the distance reference markers are given in. No big deal , don't waste any time converting.At your normal travel pace it takes about an hour to cover 100 km so treat the the upcoming distances like decimal divided hours, easy peasy - like 275 km could take 2 and 3/4 hours.
But the kicker is that you will not be able to travel at such a steady speed , there will always be slowdowns for many reasons - traffic and changeable road conditions, towns and villages, gas stops and just going slow to enjoy the scenery. And for goodness sakes don't let yourself fall into the gringo trap of immediately getting onto any and every express toll road to avoid experiencing Mexico.
You say you " used to have family in McAllen" who now advise against travel there. Not questioning their motives , but if they no longer live in in McAllen their current advice may be unreliable, reflecting the views of the slanted USA news reporting.Many Americans living in the border area have never set foot across that border yet readily spout off on the danger they perceive .
On your first day beginning at Laredo you will use an hour or two in the combination of border processing and carefully finding your way out of town. Don't race out in a panic, get a look around .Stick to the LIBRE to Monterrey.
Thread your way through and by the time you are to the entry road to Cumbres de Monterrey, aka " highway 20" atCola de Caballo waterfalls your day will be so far used up it will be time for a hotel there.You will not want to start into that section before evening .
The curvy 20 does take you across that great bunch of mountain scenery but it should take you hours before you come out the other end onto Mex 57. It is surprisingly wild and rugged and worlds away from Monterrey just on the other side of a ridge or two. Rustic villages and little hardscrabble farms ,great scenery and slow going.
So no , 400 mile days are not something to try for. Remember no riding after dark..... livestock on the roads, debris, stalled vehicles without lights and major headaches if you have a flat tire.
If you get a KLR you will be set for relaxed cruising and exploring and never worry about feul because they have a tank with a 500km range- more than you should want to use in a day.

Stated in a slightly different way, consider this:
On your ironbutter rides you can't tell me you cover that distance between a civilized relaxed breakfast and dinnertimes with a leisurely lunch and roadside stops thrown in.I wager it takes you between 16 or 18 hours , close?
Remember , you are planning the trip for December into the tropics, not June in the upper midwest where you have long daylight with lingering twilight at either end.No riding the highways in Mexico and CA after dark•
With the short daylight of the season and normal lifestyle habits you have only
about 8 hours on the road available before you need to find a place for the night . So your 1000 MILE = 1601 km day " ain't ever gonna happen in Mexico" and realistically even HALF that distance is impractical unless you get up an hour before sunrise and do nothing but push and ride from the moment you have light .That is no way to treat a trip like this , your first experience of Mexico.
Your ironbutt ride amounts to THREE DAYS and MORE of riding in Mexico and CA . Don't treat it like a nuisance in the way of getting to your destination point .
If you can't afford the time or patience then get an airplane ticket .
Done properly you wil have plenty to keep you entertained en route
while covering around 400 km ( yes) each day . Less is just as much fun .

Re: donating the potential KLR at end of trip- is that really a practical idea? Consider if you want to RIDE BACK if you have so much fun on the sway south?
Also if you donate ( DUMP) the bike there will YOU pay the import taxes for the recipients ? A KLRis a big tall heavy machine not of much interest to the local youth, so it will be little use except for tall gringos. As usual with donated vehicles the recipients have no mechanical aptitude nor money nor access to good technical assistance so the bike will quickly Degenerate to scrap and immobility at the first minor problem.If you want to give them support in their missionary position one would think money would be the most useful.

Wow! 250 miles/400 klicks? That seems really short. Iwasn't trying for 1000 mile days in the saddle but 250 miles seems really low. I am aware of the metric system...I served in the military and NATO standards were our standard. You sound a bit condescending hahahaha.

Great info about the short days...I did not factor that and you're right our midwestern summer days are long and we ride sun up to sun down. Thae last 1000/24 took 19+ to do but we took our time and took some back roads.

I did understand that there was to be no riding at night. I had not planned to do that at all.

I had planned 5 days to get through Mexico. It looks like 7 days to get to Guatemala, does that seem better? Then do 2 days, lyout the 3rd day in Guatemala? More like 300 mile/490 km? I really appreciate your comment "That is no way to treat a trip like this , your first experience of Mexico." You are absolutely correct there. I do want to enjoy my journey. BUT I can't just tool around either I'm on a mission.

Sadly I will not be traveling back north...I will have to leave the scoot. I checked with InGuatdeTurismo they seemed happy to help facilitate the donation. The farm seemed happy to have an extra vehicle to use. There are many international workers evidently.

Help me out bro, don't tell me I can't do it. Tell me how I can do it. I'll listen to you and accept your experience and knowledge.

When I rode through Mexico, both ways, on my Central America trip, I'd be lucky to cover 400ikm's in a day. The only exception was on the way back in northern Mexico where there was no traffic and straight, beautifully paved roads. I left from south of Chihuaha at 6:00am and managed to put in 850km's by 2:30pm and found a motel in a dusty town before the heat did me in. I was also on a mission to get home to BC for an appointment.

I took all the "libres" (free roads, mostly two lanes). I'm sure you can travel a lot faster through the country by taking the "cuotas" (toll roads) but you won't see much of Mexico that way. Fives days to cross Mexico, or even 7, seems to me like more of a race rather than an adventure trip. From the looks of it (I've only travelled some of the shorter sections of this route in the south) you've chosen regular non-toll roads. Those are pretty much all two lanes with lots of traffic including slow moving vehicles and a steady stream of oncoming traffic, making it difficult to pass. Don't expect to be getting anywhere in a hurry. Back home in BC, with our plentiful 2 lane highways I count on 100km's/hr plus breaks and I can usually stay fairly close to that. In Mexico I had to almost double my time ...and I'm accustomed to busy two lane mountain roads.

While I absolutely love Mexico, especially the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Guatemala is to die for (OK, cue the dying jokes :innocent:). Only three days for Guatemala seems like self imposed torture. There's so much to see and so many amazing roads. Also, once in Guatemala you will "fondly look back" on Mexico. The roads in Guatemala are even twistier and you pretty much have to create your own passing opportunities, traffic permitting. Mexico is slow, Guatemala is slower ...at least compared to riding US Interstates.

Anyway, it's your trip and you can probably do what you're hoping to do. Expect to pay lots of tolls and expect to not see much of the two countries you're visiting. Expect to leave at the crack of dawn and ride all day chasing the sunset and hoping it doesn't get there before you do. Expect to not do a lot of sightseeing. Expect to drop the idea of first heading into Belize and expect to be picking a shorter and more direct route.

I have a few suggestions for sights and interesting things along the way through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. But quite frankly, they all require more time.

Good luck on your trip. Any ride, no matter how intense, is better than no ride.


...Michelle

It's like that scene in "Stripes" with Bill Murray; "C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin."...I have really need to re-think my travel time. Thanks, I will try to see how much more time I can devote to this trip.

I really had no idea that it would take so long. First I get Sjoerd telling me I'm "danerously optimistic" with my milage, now Scrabblebiker...I can take a hint.

Looks like I have to go back to the drawing board.

Thanks for the help, I do appreciate the comments. I will post more once I get a better idea of re-routing and stops.

THANK YOU MICHELLE for those words from real experience . We are getting the message through to him now:)
I had another note assembled last night so here that is.

You CAN do it.
But you do need to adjust your plans .
Riding regular roads in Mexico at a tourist pace will take longer to match what your Midwestern daily rate of progress would be.
Riding 400km in a day in Mexico and CA while not using toll express roads can easily fill a day. If you stick to just riding the major highways and blitz by every town and village you could get over 500 km in the wide open northern desert regions but not in the crowded areas like around central Mexico ,Veracruz , Tabasco or mountain regions .

You could race across from Texas to the Guatemala border in 5 days IF AND ONLY IF you took the shortest route and toll roads.But that does not fit the routing you listed.
Also in your first post you mention a number of places and ruins sites you wanted to see. Each one of those can easily eat up a day in getting to the location and then actually visiting it.It is not like you will find everything neatly in a line .
Cumbres de Monterrey are but a time consuming wonderful detour. Teotihuacan is an hour or two off the " fastest route " and once you get there you can easily spend many hours wandering the site , the whole day no actual advance to GT will be made . Same for visits to VERACRUZ and PALENQUE. etc etc
Of course you should visit as many places as you can make time for , 7 days is better and MORE days could only be better still .
You listed in your first post the route plan going into Belize at " Corozal" ( really from Subte Lopez ,/ Chactumal MX ,to Santa Elena BZ. ) then into Guatemala .
Speaking of shortest and fastest route , do you know that there is an excellent border crossing from Mexico into the Peten of Guatemala which will let you chop off the day or two you would use to get to that crossing into Belize.? It is the El Ceibo border southeast of Tenosique and several hours from PALENQUE and it hooks you directly into the Guatemalan road network .
To do this apparently " once in a lifetime trip" you should free up lots more time for the actual transit to your destination. Probably you have committed the gravest error by setting a specific date for your arrival. That ties you down . Never make promises you do not know are possible .

Okay, okay...I'm a little hard headed. I am trying to reconfigure my plans to do this...I'm trying to do 14 days. Does that sound better? I have to be with my daughter in Guatemala by 16 December 2016 to fly back to the states with her.

9 days through Mexico, 3 days in Guatemala with 2 days built in for the unexpected. Does that sound more realistic?

I was only going to Belize at the suggestion from the Guatemalan Tourist Board so I could hit Yaxha - Nakum - Naranjo National Park.

Sjoerd, I have been listening to you the whole time, I believed you, I just was in shock. With Michelle's added information I am a true believer! doh

E
 

Ha, I knew it ! You made promises before realizing what was involved.
But it is good to read now that you can come up with a two week spell to do this trip , much better.
And once you have done it there is a good chance you will trade the HD for a new comfortable lighter ;) bike with high ground clearance and begin laying plans for another ride into Mexico .Wanna bet ?

"Donating" the bike in Guatemala will cost the receiver quiet a bit of money and paperwork (I've done it several times) .

BTW , Yaxha, Nakum can be reached without going through Belice .

14 days is definitely more reasonable. It's all a question of what you want to see or not see. But I would consider a bit more time for Guatemala. It may be tiny compared to Mexico but the going is simply that much slower in Guatemala. As I mentioned earlier, your original plan could be doable ...but at what cost or sacrifice. I just went back to Google maps to retrace my route from 2010 and most of my days in Northern Mexico were around the 400km mark. My riding time in Guatemala consisted pretty much of full days of riding for a whopping 250 to 275km's per day. I'm sure you can cover more than that but it should give you an idea of what it's like there compared to Mexico, not even mentioning the USA.

I'm actually becoming quite excited about your trip and I'm always happy to see newbies heading out on adventures like this. The more we all travel and get to experience the wonderful people all over the world, the better off humanity will be.

...Michelle

Riding in Mexico is like riding on 2 lane back roads in the US. 250 miles takes a good amount of time, especially when you stop to eat the great food and see the beautiful things.

In San Luis Potisi, be sure to visit this hostel. I's owned by a biker and is super friendly. http://advrider.com/index.php?attach...10-jpg.396614/

Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende in the same area are wonderful.

In Guatemala, don't mis San Pedro de Atitlan.

http://advrider.com/index.php?attach...06-jpg.408926/


A bit of a scary ride going in on a big bike but If I can do it, you probably can.

http://advrider.com/index.php?attach...ta-jpg.408372/

Great stuff!!! Yes, I will take twice as long as I originally planned.

Sojourn: I did make plans to be somewhere by a certain time...But, I can leave earlier so that helps tremendously. But, I will keep the beloved Harley :scooter:, maybe add another bike to the stable? My church sponsors an orphange in Zambia, sounds like the next trip :clap:

Guaterider: I was aware of that. I was imagining stating a low value say $1000.00 USD then paying the import duty for them. Any idea what kind of money we're talking about? What expertise do you have with this? I'd like to hear any advice you might have. :cool4:

Michelle: I will try to average about 350 km a day due to stops and sightseeing. I know I can do more some days, less others, especially in Guatemala. That makes it abound 10 days and would give me about 4 extra days to play with. I am excited for this adventure too! :mchappy:

VicMitch: Thanks for the shout outs and hotel info, plus the ride on 14...you did that on a Kingpin? :thumbup1:

I really appreciate all the help. This site and the people are top-notch. Thanks! Sorry for all the Emoticons, but I just figured out how to use them.

I'm breathing a sigh of relief
 

I'm breathing a sigh of relief :clap:

Now that you have a bit more time I'd like to recommend a place along the way. It may not be your cup of tea but I absolutely enjoyed it ...but then I love trippy things.

Google "Gardens of Sir Edward James". It's just outside of Xilitla and seems to be near the route you're taking.

Sir Edward James used to do peyote and then design trippy and weird art installations while under the influence. If you get there first thing in the morning before the tours arrive you'll have the place to yourself. It's in a sweaty and jungly area. I walked around all by myself listening to the jungle sounds while walking all over what I called "Escher meets Alice in Wonderland".

I second the recommendation for San Miguel De Allende. It's probably one of the more expensive places to visit along the way but still cheap compared to the USA.

Since you're planning on visiting Yaxha (I camped right at the site and loved it) you should also consider Tikal. Yes it's overrun by tourists but you can stay right at the site. There are hotels (not cheap) and there was even a cheap campsite back in 2010. You will then have the site almost to yourself in the very early morning and in the evening. It's a wonderful experience once the disrespectful masses of tour groups, who often treat it as an amusement park rather than a sacred site, have left.


...Michelle

I am currently in San Pedro la Laguna Guatemala, and have done much of the route you are planning on, some of it several times. When I ride from San Antonio, I usually cross at Piedras Negras/Eagle Pass or Laredo. I spend the first night in Saltillo, and the second in San Miguel, as someone mentioned earlier. San Miguel is worth taking a day off the bike for, but you may not want to that early in your trip. After the first couple days, you will get an idea of the conditions, but remember, those will be the fastest highways of the whole trip, in northern Mexico.

This trip, I took twelve days to get from San Antonio TX to the Guatemalan border at La Mesilla. That included a few days off the bike to see Maya ruins and Xilitla, as some mentioned earlier. I think you are in the ballpark with your schedule, but it will leave less time for sightseeing than you think. Yes, there will be days when you ride all day and go 200 miles and you wonder how that happened, but it does. Other days on the toll roads, you can go 500 miles without much trouble.

RR.Hatzler---- Take note here that Andy T has done this trip a Number of times ,he now knows the border routines well and is familiar with the routes to take. He can now pace himself and make the destinations in comfort while he can pass by much he has already seen and explored earlier .He is probably never consulting a map or GPS for this trip now.He speaks Spanish, I think .
He is not going by way of Cumbres de Monterrey either, for which you expressed an interest.

You as a " freshling" at this will most probably find yourself fumbling around at times and stopping often to check your map or GPS. You might actually get " lost" a few times. ( DO NOT WHILE RIDING look at tank bag maps or the GPS screen. Stop the bike first!)

From the border to Saltillo is a fairly long ride for beginners and a late hour of your crossing and time taken for processing can crimp your available time for riding from the Laredos significantly .
From Piedras Negras border the ride is longer inside Mexico but less complex , and the border paperwork is handled NOT at the border but 53km " inland".
All kinds of stuff you need to know. You should stop often to look at things that strike you as different and give yourself the time to do short exploring rides through several blocks of the towns' centres you find along the way.They are not much like in " Michiana" ( although they do have Mexican restaurants
= )Do you have a good paper map of Mexico already for planning ? AAA has a good usable map for this but not very fine detail .

Whoa!
 

I did not realize there was a second page y'all had posted on.

Thanks for the added info and advice! I plan on taking this to heart, believe me. I can possibly stretch my number of days but want to stay in the 14-day area. I have a little flexibility at work.

I'm still looking for a KLR or DR to do this trip on. I'm checking Craigslist (lots of KLRs, but few "Farkled-Out". On Adventure Rider there are a couple in my neighborhood. I actually met a guy from Greenfield, IN at a coffee shop in Goshen, IN interested in selling his (maybe), was hoping to get an e-mail from him.

Michelle, Gardens of Sir Edward James sounds like a winner to me and camping on site at Yaxhall and Tikal sounds fantastic. I will research San Miguel De Allende. Always great to here about your adventures and route!

AndyT, I just might leave from San Antonio, TX as I have a "brother" there and he would store the bike for me. The cities you mention are new to me, would love more feedback on your route and what to see along the way.

Sjoerd, as always words of wisdom. Hahaha we have a lot of Restaurantes Mexicanos Auténticos. How do I order your book?

If. finding Page 2 of this thread surprised you , you will have another surprise if you tap on the blue link at the bottom of this post ;)

My partner and I stayed at that hotel when we flew into Cancun and rented a car to get outta there as fast as possible. It's indeed very lovely and away from the hustle of Chitzen Itza itself. If you're in the area check out some of the cenotes. You can swim in a small underground lake. All the water in the area is basically underground in the limestone. I can't for the life of me remember the cenote near Piste where we went but it was pretty cool.


...Michelle

The value of the bike will be established by Aduanas (custom office) and not by your statement .
Unless you will have a really ancient bike , it will cost you anything from $1000.00 up .

Okay, here's a bit of refinement. My plans are to leave from San Antonio and go through Eagle Pass 200 miles, 2 hours. Ride to Saltillo spend the night 280 miles. Try to do this all in one day if possible. 480 miles, I know thats a lot...

I'd like to ride by, around, through Cumbers de Monterrey Park. Road out of Saltillo 57D south to 20 East to Santigo. Take 85 South to Linares than back west on 58 through the park again to 61 south to Pablillo than La Ascension into Matehuala? Is that doable in a day, just riding stopping for the odd picture and lunch? 480 kms = 300 miles they say 8 hours might be too much? I could stop if I see a place depending on daylight.

So tha's the paln for the Day-1 and Day-2, feedback please...

Hold it right there! Stop dreaming !
You are regressing to your old ways doh , and I thought we were getting along well in the process of counselling and retraining you .:rain:


Look at what you just wrote ..San Antonio to Eagle Pass in ... " 200 miles , two hours" !!!!
Wake up , that is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN , and certainly not on a KLR ....
And your envisioned first day is 773 km which includes navigating unfamiliar roads and doing the border processing ( FMM & TVIP) at the km 53 customs terminal on Mex 57 at ALLENDE , COAH, plus a gasoline stop and pee breaks and a photo stop ( .... one , maybe ?)
Totally unrealistic assessment
You should feel satisfied if you get as far as MONCLOVA , COAH the first evening before dusk .
That ends any fantasy of completing the
" second day" as you imagine it . That in its own right is also far too greedy for distance .Once you leave the major highway you will be on narrow paved rural roads which get very curvy into the mountains and your travel speed will drop and you will want to do more than stop only for potty breaks , I hope .
As a first time passage on these roads you should feel obliged to give them all the attention they deserve . Don' t blast by every village and city - slow down and ride into the center, see what sort of shops , houses, streets , there are. Notice the names of automobile dealerships ,some brands not seen in USA .Discover the fragrances ( both the good and some unpleasant ) of Mexico and how they differ during the day.
Out in the country observe the desert features and agricultural practices of Mexico. Stop at the various vista points as you get into the mountains and try to identify some of the distant towns you see as related to the dots on your paper map.

There is nothing wrong with the chosen route you described when considered as a route
.Wander as much as you desire but get off that bad habit of wanting to do so bloody many km in a day .
. Again this is not an ironbutt contest to get a little piece of paper that certifies you are able to cover xxxxxxxxx units within 24 hours , somebody else' s decision that you did such and are a certified tough dude . Nobody cares.
Find yourself a bunch of free time and start your trip , ride comfortably each day to wherever you get , NOT stuck to some route you now set up out of ignorance of what awaits you roadside in Mexico .
If you cannot find more free time then shorten your loop of Mexico to something that can be done in the available number of days .

Thank you! I get it, that's why I'm posting each leg of the ride so I can get your sound feedback. I posted a typo on the San Antonio to Eagle pass: 144 miles, around 2-3 hours. Sounds more like 3-3.5 hours realistically. I had picked Saltillio because Andy T did it on a KLR on his trip, maybe he did it from Lareado.

I can do Monclova (end Day-1), spend the night proceed into the Park and ride around till it starts getting dark (end Day-2 in Santiago?)

Ride aroound the park south to Matehuala (end of Day-3).

I would then like to hit the Cave of Swallows and Xilitla (Day 4 to get there, Day-5 to explore) Does that sound okay?

Remember, I welcome your expertise and sage advice.

Since you have never been there it is understandable that you do not quite get what the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park is . Do not expect to find a set of groomed and signed loop roads with parks service markers pointing out the features nor a set of official tourist welcome centers with toilet buildings. When you ride in you can not have any clear idea as to when you will exit.
The marked off park area wraps around the south and west of Monterrey to protect the rugged landscape from commercial development by the cement industry and urban sprawl of wealthy enclaves seeking privacy in nature.
West of Monterrey toward Saltillo you can see entire mountainsides already mined away and the valley is a mass of suburbs climbing the slopes . There you are actually riding through" park" area on Mex 40 and other busy highways.
In the area you are thinking of you will be travelling on state and township paved roads, gravel if you wish , in the extended Cumbres region but not officially park .
It is a set of sharp mountain ridges squeezed together in a set of arcs, with a mix of small villages and tough farming, orchards and ranching in the valleys. The eastern part is the most rugged, if you come from Saltillo you will be riding up into the broad valleys that spread out from the Cumbres and you might wonder where the rough land is . Very scenic stuff , fun to ride through on the 20 and other roads that connect across it east to west . Certainly you can put together a very interesting ride loop set around there, check your detailed paper map. You can spend a day doing that or more days, it all depends on how enamored ,or distracted , you get by the scenery .

This leads to your planning method. It appears you are trying to micro-manage every hour of your daily activity .You can not do that .
If you do make it to Monclova for the first night, have breakfast, ride to and through Saltillo, lunch maybe ? it will be after noon before you even find the roads leading into the Cumbres from Mex 57
and you will not have time available to do any riding around . You will probably get nervous about making it through there before dark, then you race along 20 to get to Santiago.

Timing is everything, preferably start on such back road projects early in the day and have the time to get through in relaxed style. You will be surprised at how much fun it is to not make much headway .


I just surprised myself - actually succeeded in putting an attachment with this post, the Roji map of the Monterrey and Saltillo area , for you to see the available roads of the Cumbres area and the green outline of the protected "Park "

Double the time you think it will take. Riding in a third world country is a LOT slower than the States. I had one day in Mexico that I was only able to cover 75 miles. The signage also sucks, plan on getting lost a lot and do not get frustrated with the locales when you ask for directions. They know nothing of highway / road numbers only town names.

Actually Mexico is not a third world country although probably all Americans still refer to it as such. It has known as a "NIC" and has been for many years. Big difference between the two. Carry on.

I am getting the idea that I need to slow down and really cut back my expectations. I wanted to get the "Cumbers Experience" but I might just cut it short, I want to spend time at the Mayan and Teotihaucan sites more. Cave of Swallows and a couple of Colonial towns.

I understand that I must be flexible with my time because of roads, getting lost and traffic. I have 14-days to get to Guatemala. I could possibly take longer if necessary but I think 14-days is a good amount.

Still looking for a bike to do this. A KLR650 with the mods is my preferred but am open to others as well. As I posted, I wish to donate it at the end.

I'm looking for some good maps and of course there's the Guia Roji Carrateras Mexico 2015 (Spanish Version) available on Amazon. It's in Spanish but is the most up-to-date. There's a Guia Roji Tourist Road Atlas 2002 in English. I was wondering how big of a deal the year differences make. Here in the Midwest there's been a huge amount of roadwork and they've even re-designated roads and built new highways. So I'm concerned about that. How big of a hindarence will the Spanish Version be to this English speaker.

Is there a Guia Roji equivelant for Guatemala?

Also saw some nice National Geographic Road/Adventure maps that are laminated..I realize theres a scale difference but liked the details offered on the Nat Geo maps of Mexico and Guatemala.

Spanish is NO drawback when it comes to
Maps-- the town names are the important bit and the road designations and distances will easily be explained if you know how to read a map .
The ENGLISH version ( never saw one) will only have English translation for all the editorial writing which is really just fluff for the tourist trade .
No Guate equivalent exists .

A 2002 ROJI is really too old , roads have been drastically changed and added to . You can get a 2016 edition through several online sources and a few bookstores

Your best bet for road maps of Guatemala are sourced from the Guate Tourism ministry , don't know any online seller though. But excellent Central America maps can be. bought from ITMB Publishers. ( in BC , Canada) and Halweg and Michelin and others from Europe

As Sjoerd Says
 

I second Sjoerd's advice for maps. I used the ITMB Mexico map for large scale planning and then bought the Guia Roji map book/atlas when I got to Mexico. In 2010 there was a stunning amount of road construction going on. So a 2002 map would, in my opinion, be next to useless. As Sjoerd mentioned already, there is no reason to avoid the Spanish maps. The town names are all Spanish or indigenous regardless of which edition of the map you use and a kilometre is a kilometre.

For Guatemala I used an ITMB map.

As with any map, especially in less developed countries, don't assume that there is an actual road on the ground just because there's a line on a map.

...Michelle

Pulled the trigger on the ITMB for Guatemala and the Guia Roji for Mexico. It's getting real now!

Opinions: San Antonio, TX to Laredo or Eagle Pass?

Either crossing is good , just depends on which route you want to follow south.

Laredo puts you on Mex 85 south to Monterrey and along the east side of the front ranges of the Sierra Madre Ote. You will see a variety of landscape and plenty of greenery in nature and agriculture , turning to downright lush tropical stuff and cloud forest south of Tamazunchale. Then you cross the divide and find yourself on the arid interior plateau .

By way of Eagle Pass you will be on Mex 57 and travel south in the upland of Mexico on the west side of the Sierra Madre and it will be a much drier type landscape , semi desert and desert , fewer towns , often long flat plains .
So it goes .
Your choice .

Read the entries for the selected border crossing towns and get details on where you do the processing for entry.

Well, another step closer...I picked up a 2002 KLR650 with under 30,000 miles. Have my shots, bought my maps got the latest edition of SB's Cheap Hotels and I am planning on crossing at Laredo and going down 85. The first day I will make it as far as I can, then make plans as I go.

That is the perfect plan for a trip like this :scooter:

...Michelle

Thanks Michelle!

I'm getting it together and trying my best to not rush it!

Working on outfitting the bike and myself for the trip.

San Pedro de Atitlan.
 

Isn't San Pedro de Atitlan on the southern road that is know for highway robberies?

I don't know...is it? Are you referncing the road to Lake Atitlan from Tapachula? I will have an escort from the charity Mayan Families that will take 200 to Quetzaltenago t0 CA-1 to Panajachel.

For RRHartzler and Scrabblebiker
 

Hi guys,

I wanted to email you privately but it seems that I can't. So first RRHartzler if you plan to cross by Loredo by December it will be nice to consider to travel with me. I was planning by the same time to go to Mexico by there. I'm Canadian and right now I'm in Texas. Oh right I'm French Canadian and I'm learning Spanish now, I might be helpful on that matter. Also I'm never been in the army, I'm more like a hippie (a cool one). So I live day by day and can show you how to enjoy your trip better. I also can learn from a military guy to be more organise I guess, wont hurt. Let me know...

Scrabblebiker I need info for Canadian rider traveling into Mexico and central America, like about the motorcycle title. Never heard about it until recently.... even read something about it online that we don't have it in Canada. What are the paper work I mostly need for crossing border??

Thanks.
You can message me privately if you want and can.

Dany

Dany ,
If your Quebec Or Alberta or ??? bike ownership papers are anything like Ontario's you have no thing labeled " title" . As long as you have the official slip that says it is your OWNERSHIP AND REGISTRATION you are all set and will have no problems . You can only show what official proof you have and it will be okay.
Just be absolutely sure that your name is printed the exact same way letter for letter on your drivers license, ownership/ reg ., your passport and all credit cards .
Do NOT have one with Dany , or Dannie or another with Daniel be ready to show the originals , but have some photocopies ready

I have to get a phone for use in Mexico. Can I d that on-line or do I wait till I get to Laredo? Also, what about a SPOT Tracker, are those things worth it for Mexico and Guatemala?

Dany, I sent you a PM and am interested. What are your plans?

Re: telephone for in Mexico. What you want or need may depend on your pattern of phone use . If you are the type who makes lots of phone calls throughout the day or you feel insecure without the possibility of dialling a number at any moment of the day then you might want what the posts here call a " disposable Mexican phone" . I understand they are fairly cheap for use over a number of days or weeks.How many people do you know in Mexico who you must call?
If like me you are not a phone " phanatic " and are satisfied with a call now and then consider just using Skype over the Internet from your hotel at night or from restaurants and other hot spots. That way I can make $6 worth of minutes last several weeks .

" Spot " devices are a form of security blanket but don't really do much if you behave yourself.
It is just a beacon to show the home folks where you are roughly or get the search and rescue folks in the USA attention so they can contact the Mexicans and tell them where to start looking for the buzzards . Really , are you going to be riding alone so far into the wilderness ALONE that you need it in case you run out of gas or have a flat ?
If you crash out badly you are either a goner or the locals will have picked you up before any rescue team from the US. can show up.
Ergo , don't crash ! Ride with care and caution and there is no excuse for needing that beacon .

Always great advice Sjoerd...I just wanted a phone to call home and let the family know where I am and what my status is. Am I correct in assuming that if I buy a "cheap Mexican phone" I will be able to text home?

I could use Skype and didn't think about that. I'm not failar with it. We talk to my daughter with Whats App

I only know about " cheap Phones of Mexico " and all cell phones from what I have read , so I am guessing , but they all appear to have alphabet keys so there must be a use for them . I Read that you can buy a phone like that in Mexico and use it for weeks for something like 20 dollars , then put t into the recycling bin, if inclined.
I only have an iPhone with NO package deal or subscription and SIM card removed and it does fine with Skype that way and a lot of other useful stuff. Cheap ! :p I am

We bought SIM cards for our smart phones in many countries on our trip south including Mexico. They are cheap and allow you to text as well as give you some data which can be handy when you are away from wifi.

Great I'm glad I didn't really want to do the trip myself, only if I have to. Well I dont have actual plan. Only that I want to cross the border before the 14th of December (its my birthday) and I'm going to Merida to the Yucatan to visit a friend. I dont know for how long I will be there so our road will split out in the Chiapas. Other than that I'm free like a bird. I hope to be able to camp and visit the natural and historical places of Mexico. I also think its safer to avoid big cities.

Do you have a unlock phone?? If the case you can get a sin chip for mexico and there is few good and free apps to txt and talk with people anywhere in the world. Im in touch with my friend in Merida ever since I left Canada. Check ou "WhatsApp"

Back in the USA
 

I wanted to thank everyone for their input and help putting together my ride from Michigan to Guatemala. I travelled over 3770 miles and donated my 2002 KLR650 to a wonderful charity Mayan Families.

It was a crazy trip and had oly one hiccup: I lost my title somewhere in Mexico (maybe they kept it at Nuevo Laredo, in all the confusion), this necessitated me going back to Tapachula, MX to get paperwork proving that I was in Mexico legally. The paperwork was finally sorted in Guatemala and the bike delivered to Mayan Families.

Mexico is truly a wonderful country to ride. Unbelievable roads and scenic beauty. At one point, it took me 7 hours to ride 254 kilometers traveling from Oaxaca City to Puerto Angel. The roads twist and switchback that much. I turned my bike more in those 14 days than I have in 20 years of riding in the states.

Thanks again, if there's anything I can do to help please feel free to reach out. You can see my journey at Lake To Lago | if interested.

I'm glad your trip was a success. Mexico is one of my favourite places in the world and I'm happy you got to experience it as well ...Oaxaca is the cherry on top as far as I'm concerned.

Ps: I think you may now understand why Sjoerd and I were skeptical of your initial time frame for this trip :innocent:

I hope you get to do another one of these trips, or at least inspire others to do the same :scooter::scooter:

...Michelle