Senior kiwi in central america
 

THE TOUR BEGINS

I am now in Guatemala, the starting point for a three month motorbike tour of Central America.

Why Central America? Well I want to learn Spanish. It is a culture I have never experienced and it is small and diverse enough to be interesting and package into the three month window I have available without busting a gut. It caters superbly for my off bike activities of diving and boogie boarding. I want to do the trip on a local bike and Guatemala is reportedly an easy place for a traveller to buy one. We shall see!

I also have a South American tour on my bucket list - but that deserves a longer timeframe and a different , bigger bike. So the CA trip will give me a taster and some experience of this part of the world.

This is my fourth long tour having done my home country, New Zealand on a Yamaha Virago 250 after rediscovering my love of motorbikes following retirement in 2007 after 40 years in the corporate world. In 2011, I bought a V Strom 650 in the UK and travelled solo to Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Spain and points in between. Morocco, Turkey and Albania were the focus in 2012 on the same bike. The blogs are on this site.

Prior to this, I rode a pushbike from the Danube Delta to London, then had a pleasant bike ride from Singapore to Bangkok , followed the Mekong from Vientiane, Laos, through Vietnam, Cambodia and back to Bangkok. I also spent 6 months working as a divemaster on Koh Tao, Thailand taking tourists to dive the famed Chumpon Pinnacle to see its whale sharks. My retirement has been busy and satisfying so far. I will have enough time in my dotage to live vicariously!

These trips have been done mostly solo. My mates still have responsibilities , or in a couple of cases have marital form and are not allowed out to play. I have grown to like not having to make a group decision. While often having a buddy would make things easier, sometimes a lot easier, age, guile, persistence, naivety and a couple of beers at the end of the day usually sorts things out - or at least puts them in perspective! And being older in the countries I have visited seems to have been an asset with people always more than willing to assist and help out when needed. The camaraderie of two wheels.

As a minor digression, the Kiwi is a unique flightless bird named after it’s distinctive, monotonous call. It is also what the world calls New Zealanders. To me, calling us after a flightless bird is a misnomer for a nation seemingly so compelled to get out and see the world. Perhaps it is because we live on an island, miles from anywhere, with a genetic makeup of Polynesian sailors and immigrants who wanted to get away, get ahead and establish their own identity. Perhaps because everything is so new in NZ we need some kind of security we are part of a long established human world. Without doubt, we are travellers and consequently a more apt symbol might be another native, the wandering albatross. What would we be called then ? Perhaps it could start with wan? Any ideas or suggestions to the nearest NZ cultural attache please.

I have been given some great advice from inmates of this website and hopefully my reports will repay those who have devoted their time and energy to documenting their travels and answering my questions. Perhaps it will stir some memories and may even assist those thinking of doing something similar and hopefully, not dissaude them.

BUYING A BIKE
I had done a little research and received (conflicting) advice from various websites. I had ruled out a new bike as the one piece off consistent advice was it would take a month or so to get plates and registration. My travel insurance restricted my bike choice to less than 200cc. I could have changed it, but I grew to like the idea of a using a small local bike and taking my time. I had just spent seven months trundling my motorhome through the sights and sites of Western Europe and New Zealand has a fair share of thin, challenging roads so I am used to a slower pace. Even on the V strom I rarely exceeded 90kph. Dignity is everything!

There was also the thought if I had a problem it could be fixed locally and quickly. My investment would not be bank breaking and there was the option I could just give the bike away at the end of the trip to benefit some locals as I did following my time on Koh Tao.

The plan was to buy in Quetzaltenango but walking around Guatemala City, I passed a large Suzuki dealership. The GN125 was one of my preferred choices so I thought I would have a chat. I explained what I was after to the receptionist and she appeared in a short while with five people, who after a bit of pantomine I worked out were the sales manager, finance manager, legal manager, salesman and someone to take notes. English was broken but understandable.

The enthusiastic sales manager took the lead: They could sell me an ex lease bike , around 35000 kms, fully serviced, insured and would buy it back for 50% of the purchase price when I left in three months. I was reluctant to buy a bike of this mileage but decided to go along, view it and then make the decision. My cost would work out at around $500 for the three months.

But then they could not find a bike. Their discomfort was obvious and they went in to a huddle and the sales boss presented a new deal. They would lease me a new bike, deliver it to Xela, throw in a top of the range helmet , insure and register, for around $220 a month. The legal people would draw up papers allowing me to travel outside the country and I could pay it on my credit card. Deal done and I had hardly said anything. I don’t know whether they liked the idea of my trip, whether it was a slow day or they had a lot of stock to quit to meet an incentive. However, on paper it was that elusive win- win.

Of course, there may still be fish hooks, but with a large, well established outlet I expect reputation is worth more than some small time fleecing. Time will tell.

I had planned on looking at the Honda 125 and the Bajaj Boxer 150 but my first choice was always the Suzuki. I had great experience of the brand on my V strom, it had more power than the others, similar sized fuel tank, centre stand and a front disc brake. It ticked the boxes and I was mobile

BACK TO SCHOOL IN QUETZALTENANGO
I chose Quetzaltenango (Xela) initially for three reasons, although the Guatemala bike purchase scuppered one of them, Reports said there were less tourists and so you are more likely to use your new language skills, there are a couple of website recommended motorcycle dealers who could help in my bike search and it has an unpronounceable, exotic name, sounding like the liquid you swallow before a colonoscopy.

I had emailed three schools, got professional replies, confused myself with the options and kept delaying my choice. In the end I got off the plane, caught a bus to Xela and visited some schools trying to be as objective and professional about the choice I would make. I confused myself even more ,compounded my jet lag and in the end chose the one with the most attractive receptionist . Far better and more efficient than any corporate process I was ever involved in. However, not very PC, but then I am a senior citizen.

A key of the total immersion package is the chance to live with a local family. Part of the process is you become a family member, join their activities, share their lives. When the school wrote that in their homestay recruitment plan, I don’t think they envisaged a retiree with a flatline responsibility graph, focused on buying a motorbike and mangling Spanish with a nasal colonial accent. Anyway after the initial shock , we all adapted well. They speak to me in loud ,slow voices ( the older I get, the more this is happening) and gently correct my Spanish . In return,I did not rearrange the stuffed animals in my bedroom into risque positions.

Willy and Christy are middle aged and tiny. I felt like Gulliver in Lilliput. But they are kind, patient and helpful. The food and amenities are great and it was all included in my tuition cost of around $160 a week. They had a little dog named Leche and my first goal was to understand more Spanish than her by the end of the first week.

After having been footloose in Europe for the last seven months it is pleasing to establish a routine. School starts at 8am, continues until 1pm with a half hour break around 10am.
So now its two weeks , five hours a day of head down , bum up . I will begin to run in the bike over the weekend with a visit to Lago Atitlan and the surrounding villages.

Ride safe

nice intro. if and when you plan to head into nicaragua, gimme a shout. i divide my time between there and miami, so maybe we can hook up for a bit and i can show you a few choice places as i did with a few of your fellow south islanders a few months back (twomotokiwis).

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...2/IMG_3408.JPGhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...2/IMG_3404.JPG

Many thanks for the invite.

Will certainly get in touch when I come through your country. You will find North Islanders better looking than south Islanders

Peter

Good For You
 

Central America is a good starting point for any adventure. .....

I like your idea of keeping the bike cc smaller. As most locals ride these bikes, repair is as far as the next town. As long as you keep your load lite, this will allow you to do much more off roading, visiting the roads, less traveled.

Obviously the more Spanish you know, the more you will be able to connect with the inhabitants. In Costa Rica, it seemed that almost everyone spoke English in the bigger cities. I would suggest taking in a language course for a week or two, digest using what you have learned, and then re-charge when the desire hits.

Connecting is soooo much easier when riding solo.

Keep the rubber side down, Bien Viaje. Dr. Dave

P.S. Try the pescado frito. Good stuff

[IMG]http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...ps16ae8c92.jpg[/IMG]

Let me know if you are coming through Antigua , bier is on me

Senior Kiwi in Central America
 

SCHOOL’S OUT

I had learned enough Spanish in two weeks to get me into trouble. The time flew by, but I suspect not for my teacher, Byron. He was patient, we sorted out some minor bureaucratic issues with the bike, bought tools, a puncture repair kit and planned a route through Guatemala as he hammered home irregular verbs. How many people can say they were taught Spanish by Byron?

The first weekend break, I took a trial run to Lago Atitlan. The main town , Panajachel, could have been a freshwater Kuta or Phuket with T shirt stalls, travel agencies, fast food outlets and bars. My lakefront hotel cost me $13 a night and a good meal was around $7. I could have got it cheaper, but the owner of the hotel found me and the room was clean, comfortable with wifi, cable tv, hot shower covered parking for the bike - and a 5 minute walk to the main centre.

Meander 5 km outside the town and you are back in a way of life seemingly unchanged for decades. Coffee farms, slash and burn subsistence farms and traditional costumes. I did a circuit off the lake, encountered a variety of roads from billiard table smooth to donkey track special. On this trip I met my first sleeping policeman or tumulos. These are raised humps on the road designed to slow down traffic. Whatever policeman they modelled them on must have had another job as a doughnut taster because hit one at more than 10km or on a slight angle and you could get automatic entry for the X games. They are also often just placed at random with no advance warning signs. I wonder if they injure more people than they are designed to save.

I was glad I was on a light bike. I could cruise along at 60 kph and on the hairpin bend dirt roads change down to first gear and plod around at 10kph. The traffic on both the country roads and autopista was courteous, gave a wide berth when passing and kept their distance when following.

The bike was more comfortable than I expected. The riding position was similar to the V strom if a little lower. You obviously had to work the revs higher, but I managed to keep below 5000rpm and even after two hours straight in the saddle, I felt minimal discomfort. I suspect that if I travel over 70kph for an extended time there will be some impact from vibration , but really my experience to date is that away from the autopista you will struggle to maintain a 40 kph average. My initial fuel consumption is around 45 km/ litre, means if I spend more than $5 a day on fuel I will be pushing it.

My two weeks in Xela underlined the town’s laid back attitude and its charm does sneaks up on you. Everything is handy, the people pleasant , nice bars and places to eat and an active cultural scene to cater for Mayan, European and North American tastes. The climate was a pleasant 12 to 27C at the tail end of the rainy season. The temperature drops considerably in January to hit a chilly single numeral. . I would have been happy to stay longer and some fellow students who had originally come for three weeks were in their seventh or eighth week of study. So that says something about the town and the school.
I went back on my second weekend to San Pedro de Laguna on Lake Atitlan. It has its share of crazy characters including a middle aged American who has the map of the world tattooed on his back and fills in each country he visits. So far he has filled in 20 spaces . I hope he doesn’t plan to visit Russia and Canada in the same week. And then there was the middle aged lady , who ran into the pub I was at, yelled I should have been a boy, stripped off and then ran outside naked. I was told she was a pillar of the community and that was completely out of character. It actually didn’t seem out of character for San Pedro!

I left early on a Sunday morning to head for the famed market at Chichicastenango. It was my first experience of riding through low rain cloud, visibility was poor and it wasn’t quite wet enough to stop and wait it out as I usually do but the damp seemed to find its way right through my clothes and the lack of sun made for a cold, rather miserable ride.

The market was, well a market. A few tourists, plenty of souvenirs for sale but nothing really to spin my wheels. There were some quite interesting characters prancing around on the church steps waving and chanting .

CHICHICASTENANGO TO EL TUNCO

There was a road from Chichi to Coban . The guidebook said it was one of the most scenic roads in Guatemala but warned that it was subject to slips . Local advice said the road was open , but I forgot to ask the question- was it paved.

For the first 150 km , the road lived up to its billing. Smooth, undulating, spectacular scenery , nice bends, little traffic. Then with about 50 km to go it all stopped. the road became a rocky , muddy, potholed, track used almost exclusively by old battered trucks carrying rocks from a quarry to Coban. They had churned up the road surface to a sticky morass. I had three choices: go back, hitch a ride on a truck or the least sensible : keep riding . Of course, I chose the least sensible and for the next 50 km , I bumped, wrestled, cajoled the little suzi . I never got higher than second gear and tried to keep below 5000rpm . I looked ahead, relaxed as much as possible and the little bike on its road tyres just kept going. It took us three hours to do that 50 km and arrived in town mud caked and exhausted, but I got myself and the bike cleaned up for $5 and slept the sleep of just. I do not know whether that road made me a better rider. It certainly made me a sweatier one.

My destination the next day was Semuc Champey. The road started well but degenerated and about halfway to my destination I hit some rocks , fell and broke the clutch lever and the gear shift. I sustained a few bruises and had a nice mud streak up my left side like a skunk’s stripe.

I managed to jam the bike in first gear and rig up a bodge that would allow me to start the bike, let out the clutch and go for it. For the next 14 km I crawled up and down that road, judiciously applying power and gunning it up the rises. I found a workshop in town and fabricated a new clutch lever and gearshift for a cost of $10.

I played tourist the next day visiting caves, jumping off cliffs and bridges, swimming in the river and just relaxing but gnawing in the back of my mind was that I would have to go back on that road tomorrow.

There was constant rain during the day and I could just imagine the state of the road. But I was feeling more confident with my super strong clutch lever and new found dirt riding techniques. I let some air out of the tyres, double tied my pack onto the rack and went for it. That little suzi seemed to take on a new life. She seemed to be enjoying the challenge and I didn’t feel any anxiety. We spun up muddy inclines, zipped through water filled potholes and I almost kissed the tarmac when we eventually reached it.

The next two days I wandered along through the mountains. The last few days and something I had eaten had impacted on me and I felt listless and was contributing over much to the sewerage infrastructure of Central Guatemala. In addition, the low cloud and drizzle were not making for much of a holiday atmosphere. Time for the beach.

I decided to head for El Tunco in El Salvador. The border crossing was a breeze, just a stamp out in my passport in Guatemala , a cursory look over by El Salvador officials and a coffee and chat with the border guards who were interested in my trip, my choice of bike and whether they could emigrate to New Zealand. No one asked for any documents for the bike as it had Guatemalan plates. I spent the night in Santa Ana , a lovely town with impressive church and theatre and a lively Friday night show in the plaza. My choice of hotel , at the recommendation of a policeman, turned out to be a brothel. But it was clean , quiet and had safe parking for little suzi. It was only the next morning ,I noticed the hand printed ads for Viagra. George, the owner , had just returned back to Santa Ana after 35 years working in the States. “ This is my pension, and I like to think am supporting a social service.” he told me over breakfast. George , I believe you.

I could smell the ocean well before I saw it. A kind of raw tang and a sharper definition of the sun. Then I saw the waves. Nice little 3 to 4 feet swells sparkling . I found a room, broke out my fins and dived into the Pacific Ocean for the first time in nine months.


I felt immediately at home.

Ride safe


PS: I have pictures but I am finding great difficulty in transferring from Google photo to the site

Any ideas/ tips would be appreciated. I am using a Samsung chromebook

Great report! Glad to see you are enjoying Guatemala. :thumbup1:
I lived there a few years back in the 70's ... traveling on a Honda 50 step through and a Jawa 350 twin. Great times. I lived/worked very near Lago Atitlan in Solola'.

The Surf is quite good in El Salvador. We vacationed there. La Libertad had the best Surf back then. Now? Not sure, ask the locals ... and on the beach try the "Cazuela de Mariscos".

For posting photos, read up on your google photo hosting site about posting to forums, blogs and such. Usually you select a pic, get a URL for that pic, copy URL for selected pic then PASTE it in the post window on HUBB.

The thing many miss is putting on the IMG tags at each end of the URL

Forget making it an attachment. Won't work. Just paste it right in the message window as you would your text. Simple.

Example:
[IMG] URL for photo [/IMG]

There is an example of this a couple posts up the page. Just surround your photo's URL with the image tags ... it should work. Most ALL V Bulletin based forums use this same system.

nice. good stuff. thanks for sharing.

to post photos, you have to copy the link for each photo. above the area where you are typing each post, there is a yellow square that has a couple of mountains on it. click this button and a dialog box will open. past the link for the photo and click ok. voila! pic will appear in your post.

Many thanks will try out next posting

Peter

senior kiwi in central america blog 3
 

It is security gone mad

I have now been in Central America for a month. When I first said I was coming here to ride a local bike, there were sharp intakes of breath and comments that I should buy a gun and “learn how to use it “

Admittedly , I have only visited two countries to date but I haven’t felt any real security concerns. The police and military have a strong presence, I tend to stay in at night and only ride during the day.

Having said that : There are an awful lot of weapons here - mainly in the hands of security guards. Everywhere seems to have a security guard. Even a little cake shop, I frequented had two. One inside and the other outside on the pavement. I think that is a bit over the top as it is likely anyone who is going to rob a cake shop will be a fatty and as soon as one gets within cooee of the shop , the guards would have hopefully clocked them. And any way , fatty the crook couldn’t resist having a taster when making their getaway, so they should be easier to capture, with a mouthful of cake and burdened down with two dozen eclairs.

In Guatemala , in a bid to control drive by shootings from bikes , you have to have your helmet and hi viz vest emblazoned with your bike number plate. I have tried to figure out how that will stop the hits. As if criminals who carry out these killings are worried about a minor traffic infringement.

“ Jose, I told you no more drive bys until you get your helmet and vest sorted. Can’t have you breaking the law , can we”

For some reason, motorbikes are the target of military and police roadblocks. Big , swanky SUVS with blackened windows seem to go through with impunity, while the humble motorbike rider is numero uno target.

In my view, I would have thought Mr Big would be more at home in the SUV than the seat of a Chinese made 125. But then I am only a visitor.

Roadblocks are good fun, once you get over being the object of interest by a gun toting , bored 18 year old squaddie. I always give in strict order, my international driving licence, which confuses them no end. Then my passport, which seems to pique their interest and then finally the bike registration. By this time they are all crowding around, black windowed SUVs and pickups whiz past unimpeded as the roadblock squad look at the visas in my passport, ask how much the bike cost and a million other queries.


LIttle Suzi

I have now weakened and given the bike a name. This is purely out of respect for what she has done for me in the last 2000km. She has travelled some atrocious roads, been as frugal as a kid saving for a house deposit and as comfortable as the V strom I ride normally. We cruise at between 60 and 70 km, park anywhere and has proven simple and inexpensive to repair. I broke my clutch and gearshift levers in a fall, bodged some repairs and a 1000 km later the bodges are still going.

EL Tunco to El Cuco

It was a wrench leaving El Tunco after six days. I had a lovely room, met some nice people, caught some waves but it was time to go. I write this from El Cuco at the southern end of El Salvador. It is a lovely beach resort, traditional fishing village and has some great beaches, which I will explore over the next three days. I think the resort I am staying at ($25 a night) is hosting some kind of mariachi band convention , because there is a an awful lot of competing noise up until about 2300 hours and then it starts again at 0800. I am getting to like the music especially some of the more soulful songs involving a dog, pickup and a lost love.

Well I think that is what it is about

Ride safe

G'day from central Queensland Australia
 

Peter i have enjoyed your trip report so far .will look forward to seeing your photo's.As a half Kiwi i think you should stick with the title .its a comfortable one ,my family came on the George Semore one of the first 4 ships to NZ they came from the isle of mann.Bye for now Regards Noel:D

But how do I get a URL?

Posted Dec. 10th, 10:46am
 

I use Picassa ... a Google photo hosting site.
Best I can suggest is to read up on the Picasa site ... or whatever site you like to use. To learn how, go here:

Setting up a Gmail and Picasa account - how to set up gmail and picasa for openentry system

The idea here is to load up your pics off your camera TO the photo hosting site. Then, you place your pics in Albums. To post a pic to a forum like hubb .... click on Album, then select pic you want. Click on it.

On Picasa, you then select Image Only, then Select Size. I like "original" or Large. Then highlight Embed and copy the URL in the Embed box.

Now you simply PASTE the copied URL into your post on HUBB ... and don't forget to add IMG tags at each end. [IMG] URL [/IMG]

Every photo hosting site is a bit different. I like Picasa and Smug Mug. Smug Mug cost money, Picasa is FREE ...for now. Both are simple once you read up on them a bit and practice a few times.

A very nice way to secure all your pics while traveling and have easy access to them.

bier

Thanks very much for the info. I will sit down and work on this.

Loving Nicaragua

in nica already? well i won't be down until the 23rd so if you think you'l still be in-country send me a pm and i'll give you my local contact info.

Senior Kiwi in Central America part 4
 

El Cuco to Leon

I left El Cuco before the bands got tuned up for the day. It is just over 100km to the Honduras border and having heard horrific tales of the difficulty of crossing the border due to the rapaciousness of the border touts, I wanted to arrive fresh , hydrated and with the right sense of bemusement.

I needn’t have worried. The little Suzuki flew under the helper’s radar. I could see them poised at the side of the road to the border, sun glinting from their home made laminated passes. No one was interested.

Driving into the town of Guasaule, I saw a Canadian plated big BMW surrounded by touts. The driver and his teenage daughter looking stressed. I pulled up alongside, lifted my visor and introduced myself asking could I assist.

The touts all did a second take, looked at me, the bike plates and I could see them doing quick calculations as to where they could make the most money.

The driver looked relieved: ‘ I can do the entry by myself, but I am reluctant to leave my daughter here alone. Can you keep an eye on things ‘

“ Sure, you go first. I think my entry should be easy. “

Ten minutes later he was back. Entry achieved .

My entry could not be simpler. Just went to the office , paid $3 and got my passport stamped. No bike details were required.

I had decided to visit Honduras on my return to Guatemala so I just aimed for the Nicaraguan border.

On the potholed road down to the border, I was passed far to close by a chicken bus, which then drove crazily away,wandering all over the road. A few kms later I came across the bus stopped in the middle of the road , a crumpled kid’s bike and a little body lying nearby covered by a sheet . I stopped and asked if any help was needed but was told an eight year old girl had been killed by the bus. Then the police arrived , made a lot of noise and I decided to move on. Perhaps it was a mistake to stop I reflected later, but then it is always your first reaction as you might be able to help.

Entering Nicaragua was a little more complex. I did not get stamped out of Honduras but the Nicaraguan border guard didn’t worry , just directed me to the line where I paid $12 entry fee, got my passport stamped , then got a 30 day customs entry for the bike and I was on my way.

It was now getting late in the day and with the haze from the burning of the sugar cane field, darkness came quicker than I expected. I had one cardinal rule : don’t ride at night but as it was only 30 km to Leon I decided to push on.

My diary entry later that night recounts a constant rush of big trucks, unlit bikes, wandering pedestrians, dogs and cows. It was a nightmare that lasted over an hour and a lesson learned and reinforced.

I got a nice hotel room in Leon , treated myself to a few cold Tona beers and slept for nine hours. The little Suzuki has travelled nearly 400km that day and my body was feeling it.

Leon is a pleasant city, with some interesting architecture and a well supported tourist infrastructure. Christmas shopping was in full swing , but it was a city and well cities are just cities no matter how graceful and accommodating they are.

Las Penitas

Twenty km to the east of Leon is Las Penitas. It had a good reputation as a surf beach and I was not disappointed. It had a nice break for body surfing , a few bars to watch the sun set over a beer and I got a good room at a Canadian run Lazy Turtle hotel. Ryan and Val were great hosts and invited me back for Christmas.

However, the beach was a gathering spot for stingrays and in four days I saw four people stung. I helped two people, putting their feet into hot water, cleaning out the wound and insisting they get some shots and antibiotics into them . The pain from the sting comes in waves and by the yells and grimaces is excruciating. The secret to avoiding them is to shuffle when you are in the water. As a precaution I wore boots and fins, but I always had the thought of a wave dumping me on top of one. But then the waves were too good to ignore


San Juan Del Sur

This is the surf capital of Nicaragua. The town itself is a bit of a hotch potch , but the waves north and south were worth travelling for. I spent seven days here, surfing, walking, reading and perfecting my body surfing. I met some fellow body surfers and we travelled up and down the coast on our bikes looking for breaks. Most nights I would get back to my hotel sun burned and stuffed but after a couple of beers I came right . Beer- the retirees Red Bull!


Christmas at Las Penitas

It must be a tradition that every Nicaraguan goes to the beach on Christmas Day, drinks to excess, then goes for a swim. Despite the best efforts of the lifeguards and the Red Cross, there were numerous drunken people pulled from the surf and one 20 year male drowned after drinking then swimming. Despite the throng, the crowd were good natured although I would hate to be on the road on the drive back to the city.


Granada

I left Las Penitas on Boxing day and headed back to San Juan , spent two days surfing there and then headed for Granada. This is a lovely town, with pastel coloured buildings, good restaurants, nice lakeside bars and a lovely Irish pub for some well deserved comfort food. As towns go it is the prettiest I have seen on my Central American travels so far. American adventurer, William Walker set fire to it in the mid 1860’s but it was rebuilt it over the following 20 years .

Popoyo

This is a spectacular beach, reached by a torturous 30 km dirt road. I spent New Years Eve, watching the fireworks, having a few beers and a pizza and talking about home with Morrie , a dreadlocked kiwi who was the local surf instructor and a member of the same surf club . He is making a living teaching surfing, running a makeshift taxi service and doing other odd jobs. He is in no hurry to return back home and with his lifestyle it is easy to understand why.

I liked Nicaragua. The people I met were open and friendly, the costs minimal, the drivers and roads by and large good and the towns of Leon and Granada safe and interesting. However, my 30 day bike visa was nearing its end and I needed to head south to Costa Rica.

Safe riding

Senior Kiwi in Central America part 5
 

REFLECTIONS

My trip in Central America is nearly over. I just have a little over 300km to ride from El Tunco back to Guatemala City via Antigua.

In three months , the Suzuki 125 and I travelled 6000km through five countries - Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica and the only problems were self inflicted when I fell off the bike and broke the clutch lever and the gear shift. I bodged a fix and a local mechanic made a permanent job. Cost $10. I serviced the bike twice and the cost was $10 a time including filters, oil and spark plug.

When I first suggested this trip there were sharp intakes of breath from friends and family and I read about horror border crossing stories. I never felt unsafe. My border crossings, even with minimal Spanish , were simple and straightforward, the staff professional and helpful. The only propina I paid was $2 to get my stamp during the Honduran lunch break saving me a couple of hours. I got stopped several times by Police and Army roadblocks but there was never any hint of a fine or shakedown in sharp contrast to my experiences in the Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

I often wonder if my 60 plus age gives me an advantage.

Road behaviour was good. Cars and trucks gave me a wide passing berth. I rode at dusk once and that was lesson enough. Sure the roads were a little basic in places, but the bike handled them well.

Accommodation was plentiful and spending between $10 and $20 a night got me a clean private room with facilities and often breakfast. You can do it cheaper, but after a day in the water or on the bike, a cold beer , shower and a quiet room are to me worth the extra dosh.

The bike was comfortable and I am 6ft 2in and weigh 95kg (210lb). I could handle 300km in a day no problems. I wore kevlar bike jeans,hiking boots and a semi mesh riding jacket. I would stop every hour and drink. I started off with a camelbak but lost it early in the trip. I could cruise at 60/70kph - around 5500rpm, fuel consumption was 40kpl so a normal day's ride cost less than $5 in fuel.

I often shared lodgings with backpackers and they seemed forever rushing to meet bus schedules. I rode mostly in the morning , took some paths less travelled , avoided the need to wait for shuttles to a good surf beach and I seemed to get through borders quicker.

I now head back to Europe, to pick up my motorhome and head for Austria for some skiing . My wife and I will then continue travelling through Europe and head back to NZ in October.

I have a desire to ride my V strom from UK to NZ in 2015. The initial response from the Pakistani and Iranian embassies has been positive and Myanmar now looks possible to transit. So a plan is taking place. Any advice or tips would be gratefully received. I also plan to do South America but that is further down the line.

For me, my journey through Central America on a little local bike met all and often exceeded my expectations. I felt safe, secure and had a sense of independence from the freedom the little Suzuki gave me.

It was a trip worth making

Ride Safe

Peter

pensionada kiwi in the surf....
 

Hi Peter, a super big well done. Read yer report am kinda planning a trip out that way hopefully next year :D So am reading up on riders reports. :rolleyes2: Overland to NZ on the wee strom sounds also good. If you get it together post an account. Enjoy the snow in Austria, according to the weather there seems to be a lot of it in certain places :freezing: .... have fun Vince

Hi

Many thanks , Really enjoyed the ride

Hope you get it together for 2015 travels

Peter

Great summation of your trip Peter. Really good insights into Nica ... where few over landers seem to spend much time. (including me) I had no idea there were Surfing beaches there ... now you've peaked my interest as a fellow body Surfer! :D (at 65 my board Surfing is ROUGH ... but somehow I can still body surf OK without killing myself)

Sting Rays ! :eek3: Thanks for the heads up ... l learned the "shuffle" technique years ago in Mexico.

You're lucky to have means (and good health) to continue traveling. I look forward to hearing about your Vstrom UK to NZ ride. I'm guessing you keep your V-strom in England?

If you manage to get back to the Southern hemisphere, you could buy a nice Honda CB125 (or numerous other bikes) in Santiago, Chile and ride on from there.

All the best, thanks for sharing your travels!
bier

Hi Mollydog

Thanks for this. I no longer board surf also as I am not flexible enough to jump up quick enough. I have now got an inflatable SUP and I use a hand plane and fins for body surfing. makes it easier. and carry on the bike. I find it keeps me fit although a little waterlogged. Still loved being tumbled in the whitewater

Can only put my health down to good genes- my folks both alive and independent at 89. Also don't drink spirits just beer and wine and have never smoked so I think that helps.

Yes my V strom is in UK - but it will need a fettle as it has been stored for 18 months.

South America - but not deep South is on the list and I like the Honda 300 - seems a nice compromise.

Ride safe

Peter