slowdriving.us Week 4 Day twenty one, Sunday 12/9/2007 I drove 307km from Leon, Nicaragua, N12 25.458 W86 51.997 to San Miguel, El Salvador, N13 29.487 W88 10.729
$30.00 Hotel in Leon. The restaurant was open and I had a great breakfast. Again most of the cars are gone by the time I got up, and there were only a couple of us in the restaurant for breakfast.
The hotel pool
The Hotel courtyard.
People rode on anything that moved. Here a guy is riding on top of a wagon. There were a lot of farming vehicles on the road.
Honduras Another day, another couple of border crossings. I crossed into Honduras and drove out the other side in the late afternoon.
A horse drawn cart, with the guy ridding on top of the hay.
Here a guy is hanging onto the back of the bus. the bus was traveling about 45mph.
El Salvador
Crossing the border into El Salvador took a long time. The customs people wanted to go over and over my paperwork. They finally decided that the color copy of the Car's Title was a forgery and not an original. I said it was a original copy, and the copy was a copy-copy. I then showed them the original registration and explained that the numbers were the same on each. I was very happy to get out of there and drive again. It was getting late, but I made it to San Miguel where I got a nice room with wireless internet for $45.00. I walked down the street to the shopping Mall and ate at McDonalds.
Day twenty two, Monday 12/10/2007 I drove 505km from San Miguel, El Salvador, N13 29.487 W88 10.729 to Siguinala, Guatamela, N14 18.403 W90 57.970
One of only two pictures I am in. This was at the hotel in San Miguel. I left without breakfast and continued on toward San Salvador. The shirt I am wearing has pictures of Model A Fords on it. My wife (Patty) made it for me to wear on the trip.
Everyone is getting ready for Christmas. the hotel was nice. They had a security guard with a pistol grip shot gun. Some times this made me think I should not be here, but I was told it is routine. They have not put their guns away from the civil war a few years ago.
El Salvador is a very nice country.
El Salvador has good roads.
I am getting tired of borders, but there still are three more to go. I soon was at the Guatemala Border.
Guatemala This crossing went smoothly and I continued driving north on CA2.
Guatemala had good roads too.
Overturned truck in Guatemala.
By the time I got to Escuintla west of Guatemala City it was dusk. I can't believe the trouble I have finding a hotel. I saw the signs and followed them only to find myself in an industrial park. When I asked for directions no one seemed to understand me.
I continued on north to Siquinala a tiny little town with one hotel. This cost me $10.00. The toilet did not work, I did not try the shower and slept in my clothes. For dinner I walked down the street and found a small restaurant, after eating the woman said I owed her $10.00. I thought a sandwich should not be the same as a hotel room. I took the calculator out of my pocket did some calculations and offered her $3.00 she took it and I went on my way Hotel in Siguinala, Guatamela.
A ten dollar room, no air conditioning, the toilet did not work.
I slept in my clothes after spraying the bed with insect spray.
Day twenty three, Tuesday 12/11/2007 I drove 384km from Siguinala, Guatamela, N14 18.403 W90 57.970 to Tapachula, Mexico, N14 53.907 W92 15.119
There was no place I wanted to eat breakfast in Siguinala so I headed on down the road. I got stuck following lots of trucks.
The road toward Mexico was stop and go I drove 60km in about four hours. I decided then to turn off CA2 at San Sebastion thinking I would cross into Mexico on CA1 up in the mountains.
Every country has corn fields.
There was a Burger King or McDonalds here, I don't remember which. I ate an early lunch here.
Cars pass whenever they want too. Yellow lines mean nothing to the drivers.
This was a beautiful valley full of farms, in Zunil. They had an elaborate irrigation system that allowed them to use sprinklers on the mountain side fields. The pipes came from a stream atop the mountain and then ran by gravity to the fields.
Farm workers, (all women) pulling radishes by hand. This road was also stop and go. When I got to CA1 there was no traffic on the road. A man at a gas station said CA1 in Mexico was almost impassable and not to go there alone. He almost begged me to drive back down the mountain and return to CA2. I followed his advice and drove down the mountain which now had no traffic on it, arriving at the Mexico border just about dark.
The trucks are colorful.
Roadside vegetable stand.
Lots of people of all ages walking along the roads.
Like I keep saying, another day another border. I arrived at the Mexico border just about dark.
Mexico Crossing into Mexico again went well and I continued on to Tapachula where I had stayed before. I had the location of the hotel in Tapachula still in the GPS, I used this to find the hotel. When I arrived in Tapachula there was a street fair going on in front of the hotel. I ate dinner at one of the booths. It was very good. The room cost $65.00
When I arrived in Tapachula, Mexico they were having a parade.
And carnival.
Good food too.
Everyone was in the parade, even the concrete trucks.
I thought this was a Christmas Carnival, but was told it was the "Feast of the Virgin Guadalupe".
The Church.
I got a good nights sleep, I felt good as I was back in Mexico. Just one more country, then I am home.
Day twenty four, Wednesday 12/12/2007 I drove 597km from Tapachula, Mexico, N14 53.907 W92 15.119 to Bahia Huatulco, Mexico, N15 45.788 W96 07.664
I ate a light breakfast at the hotel, packed the car and left. I drove out of Tapachula heading toward Juchitan. I made good time and continued on past Salina Cruz.
A nice four lane divided highway.
Not many cars on the road.
A house in the background miles from anywhere.
Dusty road work.
Mexico had lots of bridges under construction.
Windmills generating electricity just east of Salina Cruz.
There were a lot of them, and the wind was blowing strong.
I did not find any hotels west of Salina Cruz like I expected. By now it was almost dark and I was driving on a very mountainous road. Arriving at Bahias de Huatulo long after dark about eight pm. I found a Best Western and got a room with internet for $68.00. I ate in their dining room. The meal was very good.
Day twenty five, Thursday 12/13/2007 I drove 256km from Bahia Huatulco, Mexico, N15 45.788 W96 07.664 to Pinotepa, Mexico, N16 20.963 W98 03.695
Bahia Huatulco I spent some time site seeing here in Huatulco and did not take the time to eat breakfast before leaving.
This was a resort town.
A couple of guys were fishing. One was snorkeling too.
Best Western at Bahia Huatulco, where I stayed.
Tourist towns had landscaping.
Back on the road again heading north on Mexico 200
A statue at a traffic roundabout.
Still driving along the coast I ran into a road block. Some Taxi drivers were protesting their wages. This traffic jam lasted for over three hours.
Several Taxi cabs had the road blocked.
They were on strike for more money.
It took until late in the afternoon to get them to open up the road.
When they did unblock the road, I could only make it to Pinotepa by dark. Where I found a room for $24.00. No internet. I ate in their dinning room.
Day twenty six, Friday 12/14/2007 I drove 405km from Pinotepa, Mexico, N16 20.963 W98 03.695 to San Luis, Mexico, N17 16.323 W100 56.246
I was up by seven am and heading north again. As usual I did not stop for breakfast, just left in a hurry to reach my next destination.
A cemetery in the far background. Cemeteries here in Mexico are colorful and large.
Another word for speed bump. There were these speed bump signs at every town.
Tall grass right up to the road.
Hay.
Coca Cola bottling plant on right
Tunnel into Acapulco.
Downtown Acapulco.
I could not find a parking place here in Acapulco so I continued on.
Today I continued along the coast in a very hot sun, my left hand got burned badly from the sun. The coast is beautiful.
Traffic jam leaving Acapulco.
Over turned bus along the road.
I passed through Acapulco and on to San Luis, where I got a nice room at a empty resort for $45.00. The owner made me a sandwich. No internet. No hot water.
My lodging for the night in San Luis.
Day twenty seven, Saturday 12/15/2007 I drove 547km from San Luis, Mexico, N17 16.323 W100 56.246 to Manzanillo, Mexico, N19 06.266 W104 20.057
I left the resort in San Luis early and once again no breakfast. I drove along the water for miles.
It's a hundred feet or more to the bottom.
There are no guard rails along the road.
Speed bump sign.
These speed bumps were crossed at less than 5mph. To go any faster would cause damage to the car.
Trash and debris were along the road at a lot of locations.
An hour or so after leaving San Luis I passed a gas station, I had less than 3/4 of a tank of gas showing, but figured I could make it to the next station. A little later I discovered that was the last gas station for over 180km. I put my spare 2 gal of gas in the tank a few miles before the next station.
The convenience store was closed.
Banana plants on both sides of the road.
I stopped at Manzanillo for the night. Room cost $54.00. The internet was in the lobby. Dinner was down the street at a very nice restaurant. I walked across the street to Walmart and purchased oil for an oil change.
Road art.
End of week four, continue on to week five.
|