Day 1
"Well, now that I think of it, a girl cycled into town a while ago and left her fully set up touring bike at my boss's place.....". And with those silky words, Sophie from the mountain bike touring company delivered a distinctive directional shift concerning this walkabout. But wait, let's back up 24 hours to get the full picture.
Squeezed next to a rather "curvy" Mayan woman on my second chicken bus of the afternoon, hoping that my pack containing all my personal effects, which was delicately wrapped in plastic bags and a potato sack (thanks magical woman) for an improvised watertight seal was stable on the roof as we almost rode on 2 wheels around sharp bends, I had "what alcoholics call....a moment of clarity".
You see, my travels, while extremely enjoyable and interesting, were becoming somewhat monotonous. Go here, see this, move on. Sure, I had met some wonderful people, seen some awesome things and learnt more from cultures than I thought I would already, but there was still something missing.
Now, I am not one to not appreciate the special things in life that are afforded to me. I realise that not everyone has the opportunity to climb volcanoes, relax at meditation retreats, have interesting adventures with local families trying to fix holes in the arse of your $7 pants, while floating freely through life with limited responsibilities.....however, should my good fortune preclude me from seeking a deeper travelling experience? I think not. While the above mentioned experiences have been just that, experiences, I was / am seeking more fulfillment in my travels, more independence, more immersion in the culture, more of.....something.
As if years of having an older brother cycling around the world, planting ideas in your head wasn't enough, as if having a fully set up bike sitting in storage in Vancouver wasn't enough.....it takes a chance encounter with an awesome foursome of Kiwi lads to convince me that I need to get "off the beaten track".
A sunny afternoon in San Marcos was interrupted by the gental hum of 4 stroke motorbikes rolling over cobbled streets. Long story short, the guys from http://www.angelstothehorn.com/ are riding motorbikes from LA to Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Maybe I can meet you in BA and ride a bike back north" was my off the cuff comment, to which they assured me I could do, as they need to sell their bikes after Christmas anyway.....but we will leave this adventure to another blog (I am still pursuing this idea though).
Although the idea of riding motorbikes in South America is ridiculously enticing, it is months away and doesn't solve my current dilemma. So no good there. They did however, start a chain of events that is quickly altering my walkabout. After reflecting on just how jealous I was of their independent travels, I decided that that is exactly what I need to be doing, maybe not on motorbikes just YET, but something.
So what has all this got to do with Sophie and her boss's unused touring bike you ask??? Well, after arriving in Antigua after several relaxing days on Lake Atitlan with friends, I was feeling somber. Feeling as if I wasn't living in line with my core travel values. Quickly tiring of heavy backpacks, generic tourists and hostel living, I set off to explore this beautiful colonial town for bike stores, motorbikes for sale, tours, rollerblades.....anything to set me free again.
First stop - Mountain bike tour company number 1......$25 a day to rent for one day and then $15 a day after that....so a quick, 10 day improvised bicycle tour would cost me $160USD....hmmm, I could buy a bike for that I thought....
Second stop - Bicycle tour store number 2...."we only rent cruisers" said the nice young ex pat American. But you might want to try the big market at the end of town, there are people selling everything up there.....
Third stop - Big market at the end of town...."solo bicicleta parqueo (only bicycle parking)" says amigo number 1....hmmm, still no luck. Walking around and perusing the towns people's bikes, I briefly considered buying a used bike from a local and retro fitting it for my needs, but I just couldn't imagine pounding the Guatemalan hills on massive hunks of rusted steel with my back pack on.
Fourth stop - random bakery...."una....ummm...muffin por favor"....who would have thought a chocolate muffin for 1 quetzale (15 cents) would start my mind thinking so efficiently again. I spotted a nice, yellow, Specialized mountain bike sitting in the store next door. After downing the muffin, I struck up a conversation with the shop owner in broken Spanish and English. "3,500 Q" "no way man....2,000 Q max!" Silence.....then with his perplexed eyes darting between me and his amigo who thought the whole episode was hilarious, I decided to leave it to him to muse and I would return later....
Fifth stop - sandwich house and free internet.....maybe google could help I thought. So off I went on my electronic magic machine, hoping it could solve my issues. A sandwich, pineapple juice and some chocolate cake later, I was off to Mayan tours, tour company.
Sixth stop - Mayan tours....As I walk in, I am greeted by 3 local men who are elbows deep in a roasted chicken and a few bottles of coke, "Mayan tours, si?"...."Yeah man, sorry, how can I help"...."sorry man, we only rent bikes for tours, no sales.....maybe try Ox adventures just down the street"
Seventh stop - Ox adventures and tours....and it was here that, somewhere between offering me a job as a bike tech and tour guide and convincing me that their hostel is better than the one I am in, Sophie lays those magical words on me. You see, it seems that cycling from San Diego to South America was better in theory than practice for one young woman 18 months prior and now her fully loaded touring bike was sitting in Sophie's boss's yard, awaiting an eager new owner...
Eigth stop - Sophie's boss's place...."welcome man, I'm working from home today" says Victor, an ex pat from Portland, Oregon who had moved down and set up his tour company. So after convincing me that I want to be a bike tech and tour guide (which is sounding more and more appealing), we decided to check out the bike in question. Fully loaded with top of the line front and rear racks, a handlebar bag, bottle cages (with literally the same water in the bottles since 18 months ago) and 2 flat tires, the decent looking Surly LHT was just waiting for a new rider. So we agreed to meet in the morning for coffee and a trip to the local bike mechanic to make sure everything is in the right place before I drop $500 on the rig.
Day 2
Sure enough, right on time, Victor arrives to meet me for coffee at the best coffee place in town. After downing literally the best cappucino I have ever had, and watching Victor shake after his triple expresso and "one for the road" coffee's, we are off to the bike mechanic. "Neccesito una sevicio completo por favor"...and with that, our old mate is straight to work, giving the rig a complete once over, installing a new chain, rear tube, seat post and seat, all for the tidy sum of 485 Q (about $60 USD) which will be deducted from the purchase price.
With all the generous help afforded to me by Victor, I decide to do the right thing and move to his hostel, where I will "have the place to myself". It's a little more expensive, but he promises the fact that I can use the kitchen to cook will make up for it as I don't have to eat in restaurants.....well, it turns out that it is just me and one other person (and Sheyla the dog) in a massively large and luxurious hostel, complete with 2 living areas, sound system, ping pong, kitchen and all the amenities.
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| Upstairs living quarters |
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| My humble abode (and Sheyla) |
Day 3
Wake up and realise that overnight a disgruntled ex employee of the hostel / adventure company has decided to use his old key to break in and steal, amongst other minor things, the ping pong table's net. I mean, really, the net? Apparently he made the table and wasn't happy with the compensation received. It seems that lsoers are everywhere in this world.....suffice to say that Victor had less time to help me today.
So off I went to our mechanic friends shop to find that he had completely tidied up the new bike, now dubbed "Greenhorn", and its ready to roll. After a quick run around to the market and various other stores, using my excellent Spanish (hand gestures) to buy some essentials like a helmet, bike lock and a pump and repair kit......I figure with that and a map or two, I should be right to get all the way up to Belize and back. The fact that it has been raining non stop all day and I plan on leaving in the morning shouldn't be an issue....what's that? Oh, the storms are coming and they are already diverting flights from Guatemala City??? Hmm...what are the odds......
Sure the bike is a bit small for me and sure my back will probably get sore and sure I don't know what to do with my hiking pack, or where I am going, or the terrain I will be riding (presumably hilly, muddy and wet), or a clue about most things, but............Walkabout 2010 has just morphed into Rideabout 2010.
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| Trip planning begins |
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| Greenhorn and I....ready to roll!!! |
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| Hopefully 2 maps will cut it.... |
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