The journey continues....

Aside from a short, but necersary story regarding a certain mountain goat, the communications from this author have been distant in the last 3 weeks. During that time however, I have not been sitting on my hands, oh quite the contrary, I have been pushing my body hard up hills, repairing punctures roadside, swimming in beautiful waterfalls and over indulging in fresh seafood and delicious rum punch. But more of that later, let's pick up where we left off, the start of the inagraul Greenhorn journey.

Sep 4 - 17.....the hard(ish) ride to Belize

After a few last minute stops at the market to pick up some relatively important supplies, such as a pump, helmet and bike lock, it was time to see if this cycling thing was for me. It wasn't long before I realised that maybe a bit more planning could have went into the first few days as I struggled to actually get out of Antigua and heading in the right direction! I did make it though and was greeted by a rolling highway that had been closed (to cars) due to some landslides. Quite a nice start for me though as I rolled nicely up and down a vacant highway while I adjusted to riding a fully loaded bike. The first 30km of vacant road would soon be a distant memory however, as I entered, somehow managed to land smack bang in the middle of, and then departed Guatemala City, covered in black diesel smoke, ears ringing from car horns and people whistling encouragement at me. My first 3 punctures, a helpful motorbike rider and 97 km later, I arrived at my first stop. Sanarate....a little town who were holding their weekly fiesta, for reasons that were unkonwn to me. It did however work in my favour as I enjoyed a big meal of street tacos and ice cream. Day 1 complete!




Punctures.......joy

 Day 2 of cycling revealed itself as "educational". It certainly displayed to me the highs and lows of travelling by bicycle. Climbing, climbing and more climbing greeted me all day as I struggled up 1,500m of ascent, regretting doing so many km on my first day and ruing my stretched derailer cable that had me limited to 7 gears all day. Although this wasn't really an issue, given the amount of climbing to be done! So that was the low's, the high's involved crusing up and through some very scenic and remote villages and stopping to meet some locals at rest stops who were always interested, and confused, in where I was going and why I was cycling. The day ended with a short bus ride into the next town as a storm rolled in, darkness fell and my derailer issues got the better of me.



Rest break with some interested onlookers in the background


The following few days involved more resting than cycling, just how I like it! A day off to rest and get the bike sorted - and get the overheating lock of hair on my head trimmed, followed by a half cycle day (complete with more punctures), followed again by 2 very relaxing rest days in Lanquin, home to the natural and beautiful Semuc du Champey. 2 days of hammock swinging, swimming in natural pools, swimming in the river, exploring caves, underground rivers and coming face to face with more than my fair share of friendly bats. Realising that I had taken as many rest days as cycling days however, it was time to mount up again and keep pushing through the hills.

Semuc du Champey

Exploring caves - check out the friends flying above my head

Overexcited school kids

Deciding to get off the pavement and onto the more remote "road" toward my final destination was a decision initally regretted, however it turned out to be very rewarding. The scenery was specatucular as I climbed and dropped through valleys and fields over bumpy rocks and deep pot holes. These 2 days were definitely my most interesting as I wound my way through villages where I would be greeted by blank stares, cheerful kids and some very interested amigos wondering what a gringo was doing cycling through their world. As I reached the top of one hill, I was greeted by a group of over excited school kids who had lined the road and were dancing and singing encouragement for me as I rode past. I couldn't resist a photo and although they were initially unsure of my intentions, once they realised that they could look at themselves on the screen, they were more than happy to throw a few poses.

Guatemalan hillsides

The second day of my dirt road journey also bought with it smiles and challenges. After staying at quite a dingy and overpriced hotel, I left the comfort of the 400m of paved main st and was back in the dirt and mud. 5 hours many confused onlookers later, I was again roadside, struggling to repair another tire issue when a shiny new pick up pulled up beside me. My plan for this day was to always get a bus to my final destination after the days riding as I was behind schedule, and my new friend turned out to be the perfect option! As quick as that I was riding in the back of his truck through the fields and villages, admiring the landscape, yet feeling a little sick from the quick increase in ground speed. All of a sudden though, the speed receded and we had pulled over for no apparent reason.....then I saw what I had been hoping for all day - a restaurant! Apparently my new driver and his partner had the same idea as me and we pulled up for a delicious feast of eggs, beans, rice and tortilla. He must of been impressed enough with my efforts, because he didn't let me pay for my lunch and continued to drive me all the way to my planned destination. Given the size of the hand gun in his holster, I wasn't about to argue!

Boat ride

So a short, but very scenic boat ride later, I had arrived at my destination of Livingston, Guatemala. Right on the banks of the Carribean sea and home to a very different side of Guatemala. The local indigenous people, Garifuna's, represented a culture more akin to the Carribean islands than that of the Guatemala I had got to known over the past month. This was refreshing and interesting and I took the chance to have another rest day at a great hostel I found and met some wonderful people to hang out with, some of which I would meet again later in my jorney.

Dwellings near Livingston



Flat Belize roads

 So after a hot, yet relaxing break, the bike and I were on another boat, again arguing with the captain over the fact that I refused to pay extra for my bike when other people didn't have to pay extra for their bags (I won), and was on my way to chilled out Belize where I was greeted by flat roads, English speaking people and some crazy rain showers that made the first day's cycling there a little interesting. Making the most of the flat roads, I managed some respectable kilometers on the first afternoon and arrived in a small town called Independence. Well, on the outskirts of town actually.....turns out that hotels in Belize are slightly less affordable for a traveller on a busget, so I ended up spending the first night in my tent, pitched underneath the carport of a friendly service station owner who let me use the bathroom and a much needed shower, free of charge.

Breakfast of champions....

My friend for breakfast one morning

Campsite - night 3 in Belize

The next 3 days cycling proved to be good and bad. Good because I could really get some distance behind me on the flat and paved Belize roads without any mechanical issues, however the ride was slightly less enjoyable than the riding in Guatemala. Sure, the scenery was beautiful, rolling hills to my left and coastal views to my right, but the wide open and vacant land of Belize made the small village experiences fewer and farer between than I enjoyed in rural Guatemala. So before I knew it, 4 days and 320km had passed by and I rolled into Belize City, sweaty, tired and hot around midday and headed straight for the dock to catch a boat to scenic Caye Caulker.

when in doubt, follow the signs

Sep 18 - 24.....less cycling, more rum

So after 650 km, 14 days and one sore arse, I decided it was the perfect time to park the bike, meet some friends that I had bumped into along the way and spend 5 very awesome and very relaxing days on a beautiful tropical island somewhere off Belize City. And that I did. Now I won't bore you with all the details of my time on lovely Caye Caulker, essentially because it can all be summed up quite quickly - lots of rum, no shoes, very little time with a shirt on, lots of swimming, snorkelling, canoeing, eating cheap and fresh lobster and a little more rum.

View from out the back of the hostel

An impromptu canoe trip out to a deserted boat turned into an afternoon to remember as we chilled out, watched the sun set, drank a few quiet rums and jumped off the top deck of the delapidated vessel into the crystal blue waters below. Defintely a day I won't forget quickly. That was followed by another great day on the water, complete with snorkelling with sharks and sting rays, then spear fishing our lunch which we cooked on a deserted island some miles away. A tropical paradise indeed...

Full canoe

chillin out on the boat

our lunch time island

the expert fisherman.....

catching lunch

lunch

some rum

no need for more rum...

You can't live in fantasy world forever though and the higher prices of Belize were definitely taking their toll, so after 5 nights, the "family" split up and continued on their respective travels. A few north to Mexico and myself and my new travel partner, Julia, heading back West and into Northern Guatemala as we wound our way back down (via bus this time) toward Antigua. No point rushing though, so I made a day stop in scenic Flores to visit some very impressive Mayan ruins, followed by a few days in a small town called Poptun where we found a great resort out in the woods, full of hammocks, great meals, some hiking and just a dash more rum at the on site bar...

Mayan ruins.....Tikal

So there we have it, it turns out that 3 days planning, a undersized bike and very little in the way of cycling experience counts for nothing. A great experience I must say this cycling gig. Tough at times, but very rewarding in the end, particularly when it ends with a week of carribean waters and warm sunshine....so now I am back in Antigua, catching up on some chores before departing for El Salvador next week to hunt down a long lost mountain goat - and yes, I am cycling there....

The less exciting part of travelling.....5am, 10 hour bus rides