Mexico/Guatemala via Texas May-Jun 2013
 

Heading to Mexico and Guatemala in the May/June 2013 time frame. Exact date to be determined. Currently live on the Florida panhandle. Plan to move through Mexico fairly quickly. I will spend more time in Guatemala to learn some Spanish. And, then further south to Costa Rica. Glad to have company if anyone is planning a ride south at that time. This is my first time on a motorcycle trip of this nature so any suggestions would be appreciated. Have read that a good entry point into Guatemala is La Mesilla. Any route suggestions from Texas would also be helpful.

If you are coming through Veracruz, let me know and I will send you a ride guide in PDF.
Your first mistake is the idea of going through Mexico quickly. If you do the infamous "green blur" type of ride you are going to miss a lot of interesting things. If you cross at Matamoros, you can come down via the Sierra Madre Oriental and then ride the Teziutlan massif zone from Teziutlan all the way down to Tehuacan and then do Oaxaca and Chiapas and cross into Guatemala. Try to contact Guaterider on this forum for info, as well. If you do the rout outlined above you will need a week or so if you are moving point to point on a daily basis and do some limited sightseeing. If your budget is tight, get Sjoerd's guide books. Even if your budget isn't tight you should get them as there is a huge amount of solid useful information for you. Do the aforementioned and you'll be happy for sure.

Mexico
 

Thanks MikeMike. I don't want to slight Mexico because i know it is a beautiful country with much to see. My main reason for moving quickly to Guatemala is to learn Spanish. I plan to have an extended stay in Central America, however, i know very little Spanish and Guatemala seems to offer some of the best schools in the region. Having said that, i can easily spend a week in Mexico, enter at Matamoros and swing toward Veracruz. Best route from Matamoros to Veracruz and beyond would be appreciated since i know nothing about the Mexican roads. The budget is ok for that. I will buy Sjoerd's book as well. Thanks, again.

I agree 100% with MikeMike, speeding through Mexico is a big mistake ! Too much you would miss, even without speaking the language .
Let me know what you're interested in , and I can give you some ideas for Guatemala.

Guatemala
 

Thanks for the advise. I'll slow down a bit through Mexico. And, i plan to spend at least a month in Guatemala and maybe more if i continue to make progress with the Spanish. I will contact u for some ideas of things to do and see in Guatemala when i know the arrival dates. If there is a way i can contact you directly, please let me know. Thanks, again Guaterider.

I´m in souther méxico right now and planning on doing various, if not just one big ¨trip¨ through much of méxico then perhaps heading to central america. Maybe we could meet up at some point....the only thing is I´ll be having a 125c...the honda tool to be exact.

Hey gnosis89,

Thanks for the response. I'll let you know on this thread what dates i will be leaving the states on my journey.

Actually I agree with your point about moving thru Mexico quickly. If you don't know much Spanish, how are you going to communicate there?
Much better to go to Antigua, pay someone $5/hr and get the basics.
Mexico will be there on your way home.

About 50% or more of the travelers that come through here, know little or no Spanish. You pick it up along the way. A little here and a little there. I maintain that rushing through Mexico to get to Guatemala is a waste. There is a pace to travel in Mexico that you acquire and go with you get in sync with it, setting long days in the saddle with a green blur going by, invites problems. Plus, even though tolls are half price, the only way to rush through Mexico is to take the cuotas all the way or at least 3/4's of the time. That'll get pricey even at half the cost, after awhile.
Do the green blur if you want, but you'll be leaving too much to see on your way back.

Spanish
 

Well, after thinking about it, you're right Mike. I can at least ask for" el bano", order a" Cervesa", order a "Taco" and complement the "Bonita Chica's". That's about all i need to know right?

I live in Fairhope, AL and plan to leave for Latin America before May 1st '13. This will be my third such trip on Adv. Moto in two years. Spent last summer in Alaska....did Prudhoe Bay and Inuvik....the trip was just under 16,000 miles total. Now my goal is Ushaua in Terra Del Fuego through as many countries as I can manage.

Like you I speak no useful Spanish and plan to do probably two immersion courses....one in Mex. and one in Guatemala.....at least that is my plan at the moment. I plan to take four months in Mex. and Guatemala to learn the ropes...so to speak.

Hey John...We are virtually neighbors. I live in the Destin, Fl area about 2 hours from you. If you have any interest, i'd be glad to ride over your way in the next couple of weeks. I'd love to pick your brain since you have done this for awhile. Let me know and give you my personal info via an instant message. Thanks, Gale

guatemala
 

looking forward to see you guys in Antigua

Cheers

Taz

returning... Centeral America to Alabama
 

Just after the holidays I will be returning home ( Birmingham, Al) after 7 months and 10,000 miles. I have been in Mexico and Central America. I had no spanish, no internet skills, no gps, had never done wifi before. etc etc. It was wonderful. Do slow down for the wonders of Mexico. These people brought me to the brink of tears repeatedly with their kindness. I would sometimes point and oink to indicate pork taco. But it is hard to do it wrong. I mean it was a great trip for me and I could have done a lot of things different. No regrets. The next trip I will have a gps, already lots more comfortable at the keyboard and know some spanish, will pack lighter etc etc. But for the first trip, it was a good as travel gets. I was surprised at how different the culture is in each country and north vs southern Mexico For a full report see 'ratbikemike in Mexico" on ride taleshttp://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/...a/IMG_3424.jpg

Guatemala
 

Hey Motomundo...Thanks for your response. It's nice to know i'll have some friends i Guatemala.