Guatemala March 2023
The border crossing into Guatemala from Belize went smoothly. We have now got used to the way they work. However, our poor understanding of Spanish always adds a little more stress to these situations.
It was the usual procedure. Check out of Belize and Then check into Guatemala and get the Temporary Import Permits for the Truck and the Motorcycle. It's always a hot sweaty few hours but we were eventually spat out the other end successfully.
In 2006 the Central American Nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua ( Known as the C4 Countries ) all signed the Free Mobility Agreement that allowed their citizens to pass from each of the countries easily. This also means that once you enter one country the Visa clock starts to count down. We were granted a total of 90 days of entry to the C4, which meant that we had to get ourselves down to Panama and be back in and out of Guatemala before the 90 days expired. You can apply for an extension but in our case, it hopefully won't be required.
We headed for the Lago Peten Itza. It's the third largest lake in Guatemala, being about 100 square Kilometers in area.
Parking on the lakeside for a few days was exactly what we needed.
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| Lago Peten Itza |
Having tried a few garages we discovered a "Hino" Truck dealer called Codaca in Santa Elena near Flores and the two Mechanics Luis and Rember got stuck into it. As suspected, being 35 years old, it needed a little persuasion, which meant that we had to stay outside for the night. Santa Elena is not a place we would usually choose to stay in but we slept better knowing that we had an armed guard with a pump action shotgun watching us all night. We moved on the next day all sorted. Luckily we carry all these spare parts.
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| All looks good for 35 years old |
The Mayan empire spanned over 300,000 square km from Mexico to Honduras and included all of Guatemala. You could spend years visiting all the archaeological sites, so we had to be selective and the largely restored ruins at Tikal were our next destination.
The National Park of Tikal, which means "City of Voices," was created in 1955 and declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979. It's one of Guatemala's largest and most popular excavations.
We set off into the park early as we knew the temperatures would be off the scale by lunchtime.
It was amazing but quite a hike around all the temples.
The Rio Dulce, Sweet River, runs for 43 Km between Lago De Izabal and the Carribean coast at Livingstone. For most of this distance, the River is very wide, so it actually feels like another lake.
Whilst driving through Gutemala our Alternator decided to play up and kept cutting out. Luckily this is a spare I carry so a quick swap in Finca Ixabel appears to have resolved the issue.
This will be our third time in Guatemala and its fair to say that on the previous two occasions we hardly explored the country . We only visted a few chosen locations like Tikal and Rio Dulce.
This time we wanted to see more of the Volcano and Lake Region and headed almost directly toward the Colonial town Antigua.
It took several days to get there, battling through heavy rain, flooded roads and endless traffic jams.
We did stop on the way to visit the archaeological site of Quirigua. These Mayan ruins date back to between 900 and 200 AD and was primarily used for ceremonies. It has been beautifully restored and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. We were allowed to camp in the car park. The only downside being was that it was next door to a very busy Banana Plantation that was loading loudly trucks all night.
Guatemala City was just bumper to bumper, built up and industrial. We didn't stop, just crept through.
At times we wondered if we had made the right choice to spend time in Guatemala.
On arrival in Antigua, the first thing we did was take a wrong turning and found ourselves in a narrow cobbled street heading for the centre of town.
After a 10 point turn we were back on track and made it to Vagamundo Camping , which is just on the South east side of town about 2km from the centre.
This was what we had waited for. A beautiful site in the shadow of three distinctive volcanoes. The dormant Volcan de Agua to our south and Volcan de Acatenango to our west. However, also to our west was the very active Volcan de Fuego.
This was a spectacle, throwing huge clouds of Volcanic smoke and ash into the sky anbout every 15 minutes.
We couldn't stop watching it.
At Night it was even more impressive
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| Fuego Erupting in the backgound |
In June 2018 Fuego erupted spewing out an 8km high stream of smoke, Ash and lava. Although the official death toll was recorded at 201 people, a further 260 people are still missing.
At the time of writing this blog, we have been in Antigua for over 40 days and it's fair to say we love it.
It's a beautiful Colonial town with cobbled streets and endless wonderful restaurants, bars and coffee houses. The Guatemalan people are extremely friendly and hospitable. Antigua, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, is home to 60,000 people siting at 1500m high. It has in excess of 500,000 visitors each year.
Tourists are well recieved and the cars and motorbikes drive really slowly. They even stop to let you cross the road.
Most of you will know that the last 18 months for us were pretty crap, with health issues. Antigua was exactly what we needed, I have never felt so relaxed and chilled out in a longtime. I would be bold enough to say that Antigua is probably one of our favourite cities in the Americas so far. We absolutely love it, although it really not good for the waisteline.
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| Arco De Santa Catalina |
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| Volcan De Agua |
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Iglesia San José El Viejo |
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| Embarrassed Simon in the Market with Pat |
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| Parque Central |
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Royal Palace of the Captains General |
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| El Calvario Church |
Sitting in the square drinking coffee, was one of our favourite pastimes. It was great experiencing the local culture.
Christmas and New Year were really relaxing. The town was buzzing and the atmosphere was great. However, Guatemalans do love really loud fireworks which the like to set off at any time of the day or night.
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| Arco De Santa Catalina |
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| Cathedral San Jose New Years Eve |
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| New Years Eve |
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| New Years Eve .... Simon Photo |
The weeks either side of Christmas are full of festivals and parades, one of which is the Baile de Gigantes y Cabezones (dance of giants and big heads)
Full of Culture and History the town is a great place to discover Historic Buildings, Museums and local history.
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| Santuario San Francisco el Grande |
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| Santuario San Francisco el Grande |
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| Santuario San Francisco el Grande |
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| Santuario San Francisco el Grande |
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| Ruinas de Santa Clara |
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| Ruinas de Santa Clara |
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Ruinas de Santa Clara  |
The View across the city from Cerro San Cristobal was stunning
Another high viewpoint was the Restaurant Tenador which was located in a large, free art gallery. It was created by a local man called Efrain Recinos who offered to display works from local Sculptors and Artists
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| I think the heat finished our boots off |
A more sedate experience was Pats morning at the Chocolate museum creating her own bar and learning the Guatemalan processes for creating chocolate. Unfortunately, it tasted awful and the jury is still out its presentation.
Although most places within the town are walkable within 15 minutes, it's great fun to experience the "Hop on, Hop off Chicken Buses". Each trip only costs 3 Quetzal, which is about 30p ( UK)
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| Thanks Simon |
One very young puppy, who was the only survivor of his 6 siblings, that had been dumped at the gate.
Sadly Eddie's condition deteriorated over the next few days. We took him to the Vet who administered Antibiotics, an IV drip and anti parasitic drugs. The Vet warned us that his condition was grave.
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| Out with the old |
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| In with the new |
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| 120kg out |
Antigua at night is alive with great Restaurants of every type of food , Bars and Coffee Houses.
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| Antigua Brewing Company |
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| Antigua Brewing Company well stocked Cocktail Bar |
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| Antigua Brewing Company |
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| Antigua Brewing Company Band |
Camping Vagamundo was a great meeting point and we were soon joined by our old friend Simon from Switzerland. We last saw him about 18 months ago in Costa Rica.
We were also lucky enough to meet Morag and Martin.
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| Morag and Martin, wonderful friends |
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| Jonas and Matilda with rescue puppy Alma |
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| Sandie and Karsten at Restaurant "Porque No" for Karstens Birthday |
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| Restuarant Porque No |
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| Old Friends of Several Years Doris and Herbert |
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| Pizza Night. Doris, Herbert, Sandie, Karsten and Shelagh |
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Sundowners with Sandie, Karsten, Nathalie, Patrice and Neils |
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| Iris, Marcel and Simon |
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| Fondu Night. Karsten, Herbert , Doris , Nathalie and Patrice |
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| Doris and Herbert |
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| Patrice , Nathalie and Doris |
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| Pat and Eddie |
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| No Need to wash up with Camp Dog Bruce on hand We keep trying to move on but are finding it hard to leave this very special Town and all the fantastic friends we have met here . We will let you know what we do next. Hasta Luego February 2025 |
This is a Volcanic region so every road is either steep uphill or down and is always twisty and windy. All your traveling time estimations based on the distance are useless.
In addition to this, we really got ourselves lost in the towns of Patrizia and Patzun, thanks to Google and a local Police Officer who sent us the wrong way down very narrow streets.
Luckily a local guy on a motorcycle took pity on us and showed us the way out of town, we eventually got back on track.
At one point we even had to do a small river crossing.
Lago de Atitlan is a huge lake that sits in the crater of an ancient Volcanic eruption. Most of the main towns in the region are situated on the lake shoreline. It is approximately 18km long by 8 Km wide and has an area of 130 sq KM. It also has a maximum depth of 340 m
Because of this, the access to these towns always involves tight twisting and very steep downhill approaches. Thank God for Low Gears and Exhaust Brakes. Without these we would have been in real trouble.
Some of the towns were actually too steep and dangerous for our vehicle so we headed to the rather touristy town of Panajachel, which we knew was a more feasible approach.
Parking on the edge of the lake gave us magnificent views across the lake at the towering Volcanoes Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro
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| Atitlan Sunset |
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| Thanks Sandie |
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| Karsten, Sandie, Sara, Ben and Pat |
The 40 minute boat ride to the the western town of San Pedro La Laguna was pleasant but wet as it bounced through the waves splashing loads of water through the side windows onto your lap.
From this point on everything in San Pedro is seriously uphill. We had plenty of places to visit so opted for a Tuk Tuk that struggled to ascend the steep streets.
The Views from the Mirador across the lake were pretty impressive
Upon arrival at the Museum, they asked us to sign the visitors book and supply our dates of Birth. Feeling a bit suspicious of this I instinctively supplied slightly inaccurate dates. At the end of our tour, they presented us with Mayan astrological charts based on our false dates of Birth. Feeling totally embarrassed and foolish, we didn't have the heart to tell them and simply thanked them and left.
Unfortunately, the day ended with Pat being stung on the face by a Bee. Obviously, this could have been a lot worse, It could have been my face.
Another town at the western end of the lake is San Juan La Laguna. Its famous for its textiles, Honey and crafts.
San Juan itself was a lively busy town.
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| Painted Houses of Santa Catarina Palopo |
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| Painted Houses of Santa Catarina Palopo |
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| Alan representing Guatemala and New Zealand |
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| She couldn't keep her hands to herself |
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| Alma 1st in 1500m 50 to 59 Years |
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| Alan 1st 6 km |
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| Alma |
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| Alma 1st Place |
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| 1st in the 3km over 60's. Not bad for 75 years old |
Right by our camp was the "Reserva Natural Atitlan" Stand by for loads of Butterfly Shots.
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| Mexican Silverspot |
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| Julia Butterfly |
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| Blue Morpho |
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| Rusty Tipped Page aka The Brown Siproeta |
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| Owl Butterfly |
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| Monarch Butterfly |
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| Mexican Longwing |
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| Pink Spotted Cattleheart |
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| Zebra Longwing |
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| White Nosed Coati |
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| White Nosed Coati |
Having spent 26 Nights together on the lakeside we all had to eventually go our separate ways so a posh farewell meal in the Hotel Atitlan was the order of the day
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| Pat, Sandie, Karsten, ben, Neil and Sara |
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| Hotel Atitlan |
The Fuentes Georginas hot springs is located 2500m above the the town of Zunil in the Province of Quetzaltenango.
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| We found the Hot Spot. Thanks Sandie for the pictures |
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| Might have spent a bit too long in there |
The road back down was more pleasant through rich farming land
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| Orange Striped Sister |
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| Western Flycatcher |
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| Here She Comes , Only took 5 hours |
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| Female |
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| Female |
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| Female |
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| Female |
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| Male from a Long Distance |
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| Male |
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| Male |
In recent years, we have been dividing our time almost equally between travelling in the Americas in Cloud 9 and being back in the UK, either staying with family or travelling in our other camper.
Our journey back to Cloud 9 in Oaxaca, Mexico, was trouble free. We are always a bit nervous about returning, especially after more than 6 months. You are never sure what surprises you might get.
On first inspection, the truck appeared to be exactly as we left it, but during the first night we became aware that we were not alone and that we had picked up a few dozen freeloaders..... Cockroaches.
Although relatively harmless in that they don't carry diseases or eat through your furniture, the thought of them scurrying around in the night and hiding in dark corners during the day was an issue.
Once we got the vehicle back to our favourite camp ground "El Rancho" in Tule, we quickly employed a local guy to sort them out. He explained that this was a very common situation and relatively easy to resolve, but would require us to empty the entire vehicle so that he could spray his chemicals into every corner and crevice. As all Overlanders will tell you, emptying the entire vehicle is a real pain, so we were especially thrilled when he told us that he had to come back in two weeks time and do it all again.
Unfortunately, we also discovered that we had somehow developed a crack in the windsceen, whilst the vehicle had been in storage. We have no clue how this happened, but it was creeping south down the screen
We contacted a Windscreen company who injected it with resin to stop it getting any worse. This has worked really well on that crack. However, another crack running parralel has now appeared. I think the screen will need replacing soon.
With Christmas rapidly approaching, we were determined not to let these small setbacks spoil the festivities.
Pat made me construct a Christmas tree out of some old scrap metal hinges that I had replaced on the cupboards in the truck.
Christmas is big in Latin America, and every small town really makes a great effort to embrace the fun. Tule is no exception.
Before leaving the UK we had ordered a new Roof Fan to be delivered to us in Mexico. As usual the customs had taken a great interest in it and it soon became apparent that we weren't going to get it any day soon. Knowing it would take several weeks we started to work through the inevitable list of jobs that needed doing on the truck. All overlanders know about this list.
Our step needed a complete overhaul. The brakes need some love, and we had developed some minor spots of superficial corrosion that had to be stopped in their tracks.
Our friends Doris and Herbert directed us to an auto paint shop where the young girl mixed some new paint for us by eye. It was a perfect match, without the use of any technology.
Cloud 9 has a flexible connection, known as a crawl through, that connects the cab to the cabin. It's made if two aluminium frames and Neoprene. Over the years the Neoprene has endured endless sun and UV . It had started to deteriorate. We bought with us a new sheet and created a new Crawl through.
At Christmas time, the big day in Latin America is the night of the 24th. Our traditional Christmas Day, on the 25th, is relatively quiet and relaxed. We booked a table at a local restaurant and selected typical Oaxacan items from the menu.
The biggest job, well, most expensive, was replacing the 4 tyres. They have done us well. We have put about 85000 km on them and never had an issue. Not even a puncture. Although the old ones still had quite a lot of visible tread, they had now reached about 15 years old and had spent a lot of time sitting in the sun. This is never good for tyres.
Pat spent ages and eventually located the tyres on an online supplier called "The Tyre Club", who were very helpful and very patient with our appalling command of Spanish. The second issue was finding a local garage to take delivery and fit them for us. At least 30 garages were contacted, who didnt want to know.
Eventually, we found a guy who only dealt in second hand tyres. After many pleading messages, he agreed to take delivery and fit them.
The day came for the switch. I have never enjoyed watching tyre fitters more. The boss man and his employee turned out to be the nicest people ever and we really enjoyed working with them.
It was facinating to watch them work together.
Street dogs are everywhere in Mexico. Surprisingly, most of them do OK but are always happy to have a little help. A friend of ours "Anke" is dedicated to helping those local to the campground in El Tule. Pat was happy to help out, but it was a constant battle to stop her from bringing one home.
We had ordered a new roof fan. We have fitted three Maxfanns, all of which have failed. We decided to go with the new kid on the block called Nomadic Ark, who make a similar product.
Getting things delivered in foreign countries can be a real pain. Firstly it ends up costing twice as much and secondly you end up in a daily battle with the customs. Pat was in touch with the customs and DHL every day for several weeks.
Eventually, our roof fan cleared customs and was delivered. It was fitted and we set off south towards the Pacific Coast.
It's worth noting that about one month after fitting, it failed completely.
Just west of Puerto Escondido, we managed to catch up with our dear friends Spencer and Cathy. These guys have toured the world on a motorcycle , but in recent years have made this part of Mexico their home.
We headed south along the Pacific Coast, spending a few days in some of our favourite spots, such as Zipolite and Bahia San Agustin.
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We set off for the border, but didn't get far. There is a notorious section of road ( Ruta 200 ) that runs parallel to the Pacific coast near La Venta. The area is famous for high winds and is the home of hundreds of wind turbines.
Unfortunately, the road is regularly closed to high sided vehicles, because the winds are too strong. This was one of those occasions, and we had to sit it out for a few days at Playa Bamba
The winds dropped, and we headed for Central America again.
Four of the Central American Countries have formed an alliance known as the CA4. They work together on trade and immigration issues. They are Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. When you enter the first one, you are given 90 days in your passport to pass through all four. Last year we entered Guatemala with a view to travelling into El Salvador, which is the only CA4 country we hadn't been to. Unfortunately, we were completely seduced by the beauty of Guatemala and the food in the city of Antigua. Day 89 came, and we were still in the first country.
This year, we were determined to make it to El Salvador.
We crossed into Guatemala, and it instantly felt comfortable. We headed for Antigua to meet up with our old friends Sandie and Karsten again.
You may remember from our last Blog that the exhaust fell off the truck in Mexico. We had a new silencer fitted, but the entire exhaust system is now 14 years old.
Well it happened in San Sebastian, it all fell off again . this time, breaking nearer the front.
It fell out the back onto the road, but was luckily avoided by the traffic. We were unable to stop immediately. I went to retrieve it to discover that a very kind guy with a pickup truck had already done so and brought it back to us.
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Antigua is situated in the shadow of a very active Volcano called "Fuego". It didn't disapoint us, bursting into life about every 15 minutes.
The city of Antigua is one of our most favourite places in Central America, but it is really not good for the waistline.
Sometimes coincidences happen.
Our cabin was constructed by a relatively small family firm in Germany called Ormocar.
What are the chances of 3 vehicles with cabins made by Ormocar all tuning up on the same campground in Guatemala at the same time.
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We were now nearing the border with El Salvador. One more stop at Camping La Combi near Barrio El Campamento.
We have rarely had such an enthusiastic welcome. The owner not only produced a British flag for, but also set out two chairs in the perfect position to watch the sun go down.
We are really looking forward to El Salvador as it will be our 26th country with Cloud 9
