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Week 2
Day seven, Sunday 11/25/2007 I drove 357km from Puebla Mexico, N19 04.414 W98 13.615 to Oaxaca Mexico, N17 05.263 W96 44.775 This picture looks like a lot of the mid west, a field of corn stubble. It was almost dark when I arrived in Oaxaca. I found a small Motel along the main road. No internet, but there were several small sidewalk restaurants nearby, I walked to one and had a good meal.
Day eight, Monday 11/26/2007 I drove 421km from Oaxaca Mexico, N17 05.263 W96 44.775 to Juchitan Mexico, N16 26.635 W95 01.354 View looking down on Oaxaca. As I was driving into Juchitan I found a grocery store where I bought some fried chicken from their deli. Next I drove down the street to an old high rise Hotel. There was an internet cafe next door.
Day nine, Tuesday 11/27/2007 I drove 577km from Juchitan Mexico, N16 26.635 W95 01.354 to Tapachula Mexico, N14 53.912 W92 15.121 From Juchitan I continued down the coast to Tapachula, my last stop in Mexico before I go into Guatemala. When I stopped at a Pemex to get directions to a hotel in Tapachula, a guy standing there pointed to the right front of the car. I got out and he pointed to the right front brake rod. The pin was missing. Now I know why it was pulling to the left when I tried to stop. I tried to find an auto parts store. I did find a Home Depot under construction, but no hardware or auto parts store. Then I saw a Ford dealership, I pulled in. Soon everyone in the place was standing around my car. One of the mechanics put a bolt in place of the missing pin and I was off and running again. While I was driving on into town I made an illegal turn on to a one way street going the wrong way. I got pulled over by the local police. When they discovered I was trying to find my way to a Hotel near the Police Station they told me how to get there and to be careful of the one way streets. I may have been lucky, but no one gave me any real trouble.
Day ten, Wednesday 11/28/2007 I drove 481km from Tapachula Mexico, N14 53.912 W92 15.121 to Los Cobanos El Salvador, N13 31.732 W89 48.474 Mexico, My challenge for this day, crossing a border. This crossing took over two hours, and cost me $10.00 for a translator-guide-helper. These helpers are at all of the border crossings helping those who don't speak Spanish or are lost and confused. They work for tips. First I had to get stamped out of Mexico, then into Guatemala, there was a small fee for each event. Some of the fees have to be paid in the countries currency. There are money changers at the borders willing to exchange money. The Guatemala Quetzal exchanges at about 7.5 for each dollar. I prepared for this by looking each country's exchange rate up on the internet. I also had a small calculator to check the exchange. Guatemala, Guatemala went quickly and I was at the El Salvador border by five in the afternoon. El Salvador, I did not see anyplace I wanted to stay in Guatemala near the border, so I headed into El Salvador. This border crossing took longer that I had hoped, but I was learning the routine. Fortunately El Salvador uses the US dollar for their currency. There was no need to make any exchanges. I was now starting into a strange country after dark, with no clue as to where I was going. When I found a Gas station, I asked for directions to a hotel, fortunately for me one of the guys spoke good English. I was directed to go on down the road and turn right, drive to almost the end of the road, there would be a nice place on the right side of the road. I could not miss it. I followed their instructions and found a Golf Resort on the Beach. The restaurant was still open and I ate on the veranda overlooking the ocean. Internet was available in the Rental Office.
Day eleven, Thursday 11/29/2007 I drove 290km from Los Cobanos El Salvador, N13 31.732 W89 48.474 to San Miguel El Salvador, N13 28.603 W88 11.050 I awoke in a beautiful villa at the Las Veraneras resort. The resort looked like a Del Web Sun City on the beach. I wished I could have stayed for several days but I was on a mission, drive south, and drive I did. I arrived in San Miguel just before dark. Lodging was at a downtown high rise hotel with internet. Dinner tonight was at a Wendy's across the street.
Day twelve, Friday 11/30/2007 I drove 462km from San Miguel El Salvador, N13 28.603 W88 11.050 to Manauga Nicaragua, N12 08.741 W86 10.286 El Salvador, Leaving San Miguel I headed toward Honduras taking the inland road, staying on CA1 was beautiful, but no place to safely pull over and take pictures, as the road was in the mountains. The hills are getting greener. Honduras, also came and went quickly as the distance across the county at this point is only 160km (100 miles). Again I needed to exchange my money for the Honduras Lempira at a rate of 19 to one dollar. Soon I was in Nicaragua, I think. Nicaragua, It was a challenge remembering what country I was in and whose money I should be using. The currency for Nicaragua is the Cordoba with an exchange rate of 18.7 to one dollar. CA1 as beautiful as it was, took much longer than it looked like on the map to drive. It was dark again long before I reached a place to stay. It was hard to see with the oncoming lights, so I followed a semi-truck through the curves and down the mountain to Managua. The first place I could find was a Best Western across the street from the Managua Airport. This was a nice place but cost $75.00. I ate at the Hotel. It was the worst meal of the trip.
Day thirteen, Saturday12/1/2007 I drove 374km from Manauga, Nicaragua, N12 08.741 W86 10.286 to Caldera, Costa Rica, N9 55.899 W84 43.171 Nicaragua, Leaving Managaua I took a short cut to Masaya on the CA1. It was a beautiful drive, but I had to drive 16 Kph (10mph) for almost two hours. By noon I was at the Costa Rica border. Costa Rica, The Costa Rica border was the most congested. Trucks were lined up for miles. Tour and Chicken (local) buses would drop a load of people at the border every few hours. This border took about three hours to cross, and I paid my helper to get me to the front of the line for my visa. Corruption is ok when it is used to ones own advantage I thought to myself. The Costa Rican money was the most difficult for me, due to the large notes. The Costa Rica Colones exchanges for 518 to the dollar. Let me get this straight, one US dollar is equal to 518 Colones, so to fill my gas tank it costs about 18130.00 Colones, that's eighteen thousand one hundred and thirty. It took me a couple of try's to get enough money at the ATM machine, I just could not get used to withdrawing bills adding up to fifty thousand.
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