#1 - The Road To Belize:
#2 - Belizean Highs & Lows:
#3 - Hola Guate:
#4 - New Years in Guate
#5 - K'Ekchi Lands
#6 - Mud Mountain
#7 - Banu Semuc Champey
#8 - Puro Guate
#9 - Quiche Farm Days
#10 - Sacred Spaces
#11 - From The Lago to The Playa
#12 - Lago Livings
#13 - Mama´s Visit
#14 - Antigua Adventures
#15 - Flying To The Beach
#16 - Guate Coast Road
#17 - Vamos A El Salvador
#18 - Riding El Salvador
#19 - Into The Heart of El Salvador
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Bykings Conquer Playa Del Carmen! / Pedal The Globe Launches to Central America!
(Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico -- Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala)
So things got off to a pretty quick start for the Bykings and I on arriving at Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo.. David Bravo, one of the founders of the Bykings, had gone off to Playa early to help kit up a new Byking, and first female of the group, Ana.
So things got off to a pretty quick start for the Bykings and I on arriving at Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo.. David Bravo, one of the founders of the Bykings, had gone off to Playa early to help kit up a new Byking, and first female of the group, Ana.
Ana kitted up for Central America
In this time David and Ana got well connected to the cycling/progressive communities in Playa. Through warmshowers.org they got in touch with ‘La Embajada Mexicana De La Bicicleta’ who run a community bike shop where one can fix, and work on ones bike free of charge. La Embajada’s owners Ivan & Mitzi also host cyclists in their home, and organise a weekly bike race in the city with prizes.
Embajada Mexicana De La Bicicleta, Playa Del Carmen
Another cycling group David and Ana got us in touch with, also through warmshowers, are ‘BiciNeta.’
Designed by Javier Resendiz
Bicineta is a dynamic group who run weekly tours around the city, promote bike riding, and even organise long distance cycling tours around the Yucatan and surrounding regions. Javier and Clara, the founders of BiciNeta, are a radical couple who are highly involved in progressing Playa Del Carmen, and promoting community & personal well being. They were hosting David and Ana at the time that I, and the rest of the Bykings arrived in Playa. I had the pleasure of spending the first week of my stay in Playa at their apartment.
Javier Resendiz (photo from his Facebook)
Clara Guerra (Photo from her Facebook)
Through Javier & Clara the Bykings and I partook in some other cool projects/events in the city as well. Such as a Transition Town group they got us connected with. David had been heavily involved in the beginnings of Transition Queretaro in his home town, and so it was a nice synchronicity that Javier and Clara were members of the group in Playa. I’m glad to say that I saw my first Transtion meeting in Playa, and it was nice to actually see this international movement in action. I had already read and heard about Transition back when I was living in California months earlier. For more information on Transition Town you can get to there website here: http://www.transitionnetwork.org
But that’s not all… Clara happens to be a wedding planner. The Bykings and I helped her & Javier put together a Caribbean beachside wedding party.
The Bykings & Wedding crew @ boda en la playa Caribe
Bicineta are also good friends with a group that organizes free weekly movie showings in Playa, CineClub. One of the Cineclub showings we went to was extra special because they linked up with Cine Movil Toto who are currently going around Mexico & Central America promoting pedal-powered movie showings. I got to meet the founder of the company, and take part in pedalling for a movie. Really cool technology! My only criticism is that the seat is a bit uncomfortable. But besides that it was great to take part in making the electricity for a large projector, speakers, & computer. It took four bikes, and rotating cyclists. We peddled for 5 documentaries, and later more to power the speakers for a Q & A segment..
Pedalling For Movies (Photo by Cineclube)
Pedal Powered Generators for movies! (Photo by Memo)
We had well earned our week at Javier & Clara’s house, but they are a couple who live in a small apartment with another roommate. After a week it was time to push out, also the entire Bykings group was split since we couldn’t all fit either at Clara & Javier's or at Ash & Andrea’s (friends of Bykings) apartment where the other half of the team was staying. That is when the Universe aligned Ana with Pablo Nieto, through warmshowers, and bada-bing bada-boom the Bykings had our own pad! Pablo was out of town and he told Ana we could all stay there until he arrived about 2 weeks later.
Our pad in playa
Bike parking/kitchen
Living room/workspace/communal sleeping grounds
Master Bedroom/The only bed..
Our apartment in playa
With our own space and comfortable set-up the Bykings and I got to work on our personal projects. We also partook in some joined efforts to make some spare change by making & selling tortas & bracelets. I spent most of this time editing the Conquering Yucatan series, and tuning up my bike. Some of the Bykings got jobs, some focused on selling their own art/jewellery, and the common theme was work…
It was around this time that it became fully clear that I was to separate from the Bykings in Playa. My original cycling compadres that I had followed up the Yucatan Peninsula, Andre & Ben, had spent all this time that I was with the Bykings renting a house in Tulum. There they had lined up an interesting gig doing a promotional video for a beachfront hotel, La Zebra, in exchange for free beer, food, and access to cenotes & private beaches. Check out their rad hotel promotional vid here: La Zebra Video
Their departure date for Central America was coming up, and the Bykings were all anchoring in Playa to make some coin during the high season. I had the chance to stay longer in what I don’t feel strange calling my beloved Mexico. But my instincts were pointing me south. I even counselled the Iching, which has been instrumental in guiding my path so far, and in allegorical words it told me clearly to “penetrate foreign lands”.. It is eerie how accurate this ancient council can be.
Their departure date for Central America was coming up, and the Bykings were all anchoring in Playa to make some coin during the high season. I had the chance to stay longer in what I don’t feel strange calling my beloved Mexico. But my instincts were pointing me south. I even counselled the Iching, which has been instrumental in guiding my path so far, and in allegorical words it told me clearly to “penetrate foreign lands”.. It is eerie how accurate this ancient council can be.
Yin Yang & Hexagrams
I took off. Met Andre & Ben after 2 months apart in Tulum, and chilled in this little paradise getaway w/ them for a few days until their lease was up.. and boom we shot south!
Ben, me, and Andre about to take off on new adventures..
Andre and Ben were on quite a buzz to cover serious ground right from the gate, and it was tough for me to adjust to their pushed pace at first. The Bykings and I had been riding in more of a group formation, taking our time, enjoying all the sites we could see, asking for food in every little town, waiting up for the slow-pokes, etc. Andre and Ben were on the express trail where you better keep moving or you might just not make it to camp that night. With that said we did manage to secure some badass camps:
View of first my first central american sunrise on the Belizean Caribbean
They zipped, I more sputtered, to the Belize border in about 3 days from Tulum. Earlier that week when I was in Playa, right before leaving, I told my father about the Bykings and I selling bracelets and dreamcatchers, my father asked me for a dreamcatcher for christmas.. I had never actually made one before, but it was a good opportunity to learn! Thank you pops! You are the reason I now know how to make dreamcatchers..
My first dreamcatcher
I had to take advantage of still being in Mexico, and so in the city of Chetumal on the Belizean border I shipped off my first dreamcatcher to Mar Vista, California. It includes two “Pavo Real” bird feathers from a dead bird I found on the highway. I asked for the dead birds permission before I took two of its feathers. Afterwards I threw the bird into nature where it will have a better final resting place than the side of the highway. The middle feather is a bright pink flamingo feather I found in the flamingo lands on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula..
To add to the craziness of my final day in Mexico I found out that I had lost my debit card right before leaving Tulum, and while in Chetumal I was also going to need to refuel on money. My little tricks for saving money and making a couple coins wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy the big mighty bureaucratic powers that be. Their agents are the ones you need to go through to get the little stamp in the little book to pass through the little space in the man created line that exists which we call borders.. These guys want papers not coins. They want papers with big numbers, papers with big numbers that I don’t got. Especially since I was 2 months over my visa, and they were probably gonna wanna take a big bite :/…..
Belize border (photo from internet)
I had to mainline to central Tatt station for some refuelling. So I got a Skype call going out to big T, Gale T, my father, and I was like, “Hey dad, big news… Im on this line, and I need these papers…. Please!” He said something like, “Absolutely, I will send out a relief packet of papers through the digital lines that be!” Money-gramming? We can call it that. He sent out the digital signal, and I went and retrieved papers from an electronics store in Chetumal who have a partnership with these ‘Money-grams’ people. I am eternally grateful for the sponsorship I receive from my number one human backer on this venture of mine I currently call ‘Pedal The Globe:’ Gale Tattersall. I love you dad, and thank you! :)
Anyways these needs of mine concerning retrieving papers ($), and shipping off dreamcatchers were the reasons I ended up crossing the Mexico/Belize border at night and alone. It was a scary 8k night bike ride from the border of Belize to Corozal, the first town on the Belizean Caribbean in the north of the country. I had only my front light, the batteries were dying, and I could only keep it on if it was on flashing mode. The road was narrow and without a shoulder. I had to go off into the dark dirt side of the road about 10 times as speeding shuttles, buses, & cars went zipping by honking at me, and it made it even more intense with my strobe light. I was more than relieved to arrive in Corozal in one piece. Upon arriving in town I talked to my first Belizean while in Belize (besides customs folk) on the side of the road. I asked how to get to the town centre. He was a friendly man of African decent, and his chilled out nature made me feel more comfortable about being in his interesting little country. I was after all a little shaken up after my first night death ride in Belize, and leaving my beloved Mexico all at the same time…
Although we had quite the adventure on our week pedalling in North/Central Belize. I will not get into too much story here because it has already been covered by one of my cycling compadres, Ben. You can the read the story of our Belize adventures here on his blog 'Play it By Ear': A Bike Ride Through Belize. I will mention a couple things about Belize though:
1) What an interesting and diverse country it is… Chinese, Garifunas & other African decedents, Mennonite & other european decedents, Mayans, North American immigrants, as well as mixes in between. Everyone’s bilingual, between a wide variety of languages and that I saw at least English, Spanish, heard there were three different Mayan dialects, Creole, Garifuna, Mandarin, German and perhaps more..
1) What an interesting and diverse country it is… Chinese, Garifunas & other African decedents, Mennonite & other european decedents, Mayans, North American immigrants, as well as mixes in between. Everyone’s bilingual, between a wide variety of languages and that I saw at least English, Spanish, heard there were three different Mayan dialects, Creole, Garifuna, Mandarin, German and perhaps more..
Roadside beer break w/ Garifuna bar owner
Mennonite in traffic
Wing Sing a Chinese operated market
2) San Ignacio near the Guatemala border is a cool little town with a beautiful river, and a lively little weekend market. If you stay there I recommend the “Centre Hotel” right in the town center. It was relatively cheap, clean, and the manager was one of the friendliest & chill Belizeans I met, Glynn.
San Ignacio river
San Ignacio street corner
Bomba in front of "Centre Hotel"
3) Got to trade my Mexican flag for a badass Belizean flag bandana.
Gallon Jug flag trade (Photo by Andre Fatini)
4) I met a cool Canadian couple Paul & Teresa. They’ve each lived in Belize for 20 + years, and they were opening their bar the week I was there. JJ’s is an upstairs bar.. All the signs are up already so one of the days I was snooping around town I decided I’d go up for a beer only to realize it was a bunch of dirty workers in overalls with construction tools laying around.The bar wasn’t open to the public yet but Paul invited me to a few beers, and I chilled that evening with a few Belizeans drinking their very tasty Belikin lager.
The bar to be...
My curiosity for Belize wanted me to stay longer but I was already a day behind Andre & Ben. I had stayed back in San Ignacio to rest a sore knee & ankle. I knew the guys would be taking a few rest days in Las Flores, Guatemala, where they wanted to spend Christmas. It was about 100k away from where I was in San Ignacio, and if I wanted to maintain the pace we’d been pedalling at I would need some rest before moving again. The next day I shot out solo to Guatemala to catch up with the locos Andre & Ben. A day and a half later I was in the beautiful sinking island of Flores.
Sunset from our perch in Flores
We would be there for a week camping on the roof of a hotel, and it was nice because I finally got to fully rest up. As well as play some music, finish up some work on my Conquering Yucatan series, & do some uploading :D.. The view was spectacular, and it would be difficult for me to tell you a time when I had a nicer office to do my Pedal The Globe biz:
Hammocks & tents on da roof
My office in Flores
Our next destination was south to the Guatemalan Caribbean, and our plan was to make it there for new years eve. That meant we were back to our crunching big kilometres routine..
We made it to Rio Dulce the little river port town on the 30th of December. There isn't too much in the town of Rio Dulce, except it's where you can catch a boat down the Rio Dulce river and to Livingston. We were on schedule, thing is, it was pouring buckets of rain..
All night and well into the morning the water kept coming down. Rio Dulce town isn’t particularly pretty, we were camping in a football/basketball court under the highway which shortly after we woke up was taken over by serious footballers kicking missiles around, and so when the rain lightened up a bit we took our chances. We hopped on a cold wet boat to Livingston down the beautiful Rio Dulce river..
We made it to Rio Dulce the little river port town on the 30th of December. There isn't too much in the town of Rio Dulce, except it's where you can catch a boat down the Rio Dulce river and to Livingston. We were on schedule, thing is, it was pouring buckets of rain..
All night and well into the morning the water kept coming down. Rio Dulce town isn’t particularly pretty, we were camping in a football/basketball court under the highway which shortly after we woke up was taken over by serious footballers kicking missiles around, and so when the rain lightened up a bit we took our chances. We hopped on a cold wet boat to Livingston down the beautiful Rio Dulce river..
Bikes on boats to Livingston!
Andre riding the Rio Dulce (Photo by Ben Fehlen)
Livingston is a unique town famous for its Garifuna population. It is also a vacation gateway for Guatemalans & foreigners looking for a little downtime. It is like an island in the sense that it's only accessible by boat, and has an easy going beach vibe. I wish I could tell you that we had an easy going time in this cool little town, but it was actually a rather peculiar five days.
For one it was raining half the time which brought a lot of brown water from the river, and so even during the sunny times the water didn’t look like the green/blue Caribbean you see in the photos. Secondly, our compadre Ben went down with a heavy stomach bug & it was bad enough to where he had to do multiple trips to the town doctor. To round it off, on the last day we were in town I had a disk slip in my back which rendered me almost motionless that night, and not too much better the next day. It wasn’t all bad though, and we did do some cool things..
Like our Brazilian Brigadeiro venture. Andre and I made and sold Brazilian treats. We about broke even (considering the amount we ate you could say we made somewhat of a profit). That was a fun and nice experience, and definitely something I plan to get into some more down the road!
Like our Brazilian Brigadeiro venture. Andre and I made and sold Brazilian treats. We about broke even (considering the amount we ate you could say we made somewhat of a profit). That was a fun and nice experience, and definitely something I plan to get into some more down the road!
The supplies:
We didn't realise the drying process took so long... So we put the soft brigadiero mix on cookies from the local bakery and sold them as "Brazilian Brigadiero Cookies!"
We looped back around to Rio Dulce again and camped at the same exact spot exactly a week from the night we spent there before catching the boat to Livingston. The next day we started our trek into rural Guatemala, and it was the last day we’d see pavement for over two weeks..
It was also the first day we’d get introduced to the K’ekchi’ people. Our first night in K’ekchi’ lands we made it to a little tiny town where we got permission to camp in a community centre. The towns kids, and even some of the adults were so surprised/excited/confused? to see us that they circled the community room we were in, and spent hours just staring,pointing,and laughing at us. Andre took the opportunity and played them some music. He did after all have a free audience.
Andre playing for the towns folk
The next day was the beginning of a chapter I’d like to call "The Adventures up Mud Mountain." There was lots of up, lots of mud, lots of adventure, and yes lots of mountain. I’d say all in all we spent more time pushing our bikes then actually riding during this section. Between the steepness of the hills, the large rocks & potholes everywhere, and the mud all through our drive trains & chains it was literally impossible to bike some of it. However, it was beautiful:
Bomba on mud mountain
A view from mud mountain
What a treat was up the mountain and in the valley on the other side. I’m talking about Lanquin/Semuc Champey. A place of beautiful natural wonders including jade green rivers, huge caverns, natural pools, etc etc...
Due to these natural beauties Lanquin has also turned into quite a tourist hub, and after 3-4 days before being in an area that felt very far from modern accommodations, we were quite pleased i'll admit to turn a corner and find a little town with all the creature comforts available to the modern day human. Like panaderias, wifi, comedores, and open air markets..
The natural pools of Semuc Champey
'Chire Nimaa' the K'Ekchi owned camp in Semuc Champey where we stayed
Our camp along the Rio Cahabon in Semuc Champey for 10Q a night each
Mother and kids of Chire Nimaa
Busy intersection in Lanquin
Just as hard as it was to get there it was equally hard to leave, and for that reason we stayed in the Lanquin valley for about a week before we finally pushed our bikes out of there. I say ‘pushed’ because the 13 k out of Lanquin to the highway was one long uphill dirt road on steep grades.. Really steep..
Up, up, up we went...
When we finally made it to the paved highway it had been dark for a bit, and we were excited about the prospect of food and sleep. Good news is there was a superb little mountainside cafeteria/tienda right where the dirt met the pavement that served fresh mountain coffee, hand made tayuyos, bananas, pan dulces, donas, muffins and more! We munched hard, but when we asked if we could sleep there the answer was ‘nel.’ They pointed to a school up a hill, and said our best bet was to camp there. The prospect of unloading and bringing all our things up another steep hill to a so-so camping spot was not the most exciting idea at the time and place we were at. Luckily for us, a pickup driver was parked right by the path to the school, and he curiously inquired as to what we were doing. When we told him our plan to camp at the school he told us that he was about to drive to Coban, about a day’s ride from where we were, and that he could take us and our bikes free of cost…. So just like that we were transported to Coban. "Phhhhhooooooooouuuuuu!" we went in the back of a pickup in the darkness of night with a chilly mountain breeze kicking, and large black mountains about..
We arrived in the city of Coban, the first city we’d been in for a while, right around 10pm. The pickup driver dropped us off in front of the Cathedral in the central plaza. We loaded our bikes up and went off in search of a place to crash the night. We didn’t have to look very far, as our luck for the night wasn’t over yet..
A motorcycle riding hotel owner, Antonio, passed us on the road. He saw us with our loaded bikes, and maybe it was the look on our faces, or just the fact that we were 3 'gringos' pedalling around the city at night with all our belongings, but he instantly knew we were looking for a place. After a quick moment of street side negotiations, we all agreed to 30Q a night each at his hotel. We pedalled behind him to a low-key part of town, so low-key that for a moment following him we all got a bit hesitant as his hotel is literally hidden down a little alley-way off a small street in a quiet area. It was legit though, and perhaps because of the price, friendly hospitality, and the fact that we’d been away from a city for a while, we ended up crashing at Antonio’s ‘Eco Hotel’ for 3 nights..
A motorcycle riding hotel owner, Antonio, passed us on the road. He saw us with our loaded bikes, and maybe it was the look on our faces, or just the fact that we were 3 'gringos' pedalling around the city at night with all our belongings, but he instantly knew we were looking for a place. After a quick moment of street side negotiations, we all agreed to 30Q a night each at his hotel. We pedalled behind him to a low-key part of town, so low-key that for a moment following him we all got a bit hesitant as his hotel is literally hidden down a little alley-way off a small street in a quiet area. It was legit though, and perhaps because of the price, friendly hospitality, and the fact that we’d been away from a city for a while, we ended up crashing at Antonio’s ‘Eco Hotel’ for 3 nights..
Ben, Andre, Antonio, and I at 'Eco Hotel' in Coban
During these days we all got our city needs meet. The day we left Antonio did a photo shoot of us with our loaded bikes to use as promotion for his Eco-Hotel. So if you spend some time in Coban, don’t be surprised if you find Andre, Ben, and I on a hotel brochure somewhere..
Riding out of Coban we were flying. Or at least thats what it felt like after not having pedalled on pavement for almost a month. These next couple days we really went balls to the wall on our accommodations and tried out a bit of central plaza camping in the little towns we passed..
Town square camping in San Cristobal Verapaz
One good thing of travelling in numbers is you can literally camp almost anywhere, and be relatively cool.. Obviously taking the proper steps in the process, like asking the towns folk or municipal police for permission. They will almost always say yes in my experience, and once you get permission from the people who would be the ones kicking you out, then you're pretty much golden..
It really helps to get a early start on the day when our camp is situated right in the heart of town. The hustle and bustle of a town waking up just on the other side of our fabric walls doesn't make for the best sleeping in conditions:
View from my tent in the morning..
We were nearing and heading towards the mystical lake of Atitlan. Before then however, is a farm I found on WWOOF.org located somewhere in rural Quiche. I’d been talking to the owner Ron, and planned to spend a week volunteering there 'mas o menos.' The guys were gonna come with me until the morning when we were rolling out of a little place called Chicaman..
All of a sudden as we were starting the day, an exotic part of Andre’s bike just went “SNAP.” Andre’s bike, Salsa, was down for the count, and wouldn’t be back up anytime soon. Our guardian angels had other plans for Andre and Ben, and as had been the case throughout our trip, the solution came quick. Andre’s bike snapped literally in front of the pickup truck they’d be taking straight to Lake Atitlan. The driver was sitting on the side of the road the moment it happened, and it didn’t take long for Andre and Ben to strike up a deal for a ride from that exact point straight to the lake.
All of a sudden as we were starting the day, an exotic part of Andre’s bike just went “SNAP.” Andre’s bike, Salsa, was down for the count, and wouldn’t be back up anytime soon. Our guardian angels had other plans for Andre and Ben, and as had been the case throughout our trip, the solution came quick. Andre’s bike snapped literally in front of the pickup truck they’d be taking straight to Lake Atitlan. The driver was sitting on the side of the road the moment it happened, and it didn’t take long for Andre and Ben to strike up a deal for a ride from that exact point straight to the lake.
Where Andre's bike went down/ Their ride to the lake
Andre & Ben getting ready to ship out
As is common in bike travels things change quick, and all of a sudden I was now pedalling rural Guatemala alone. I estimated that I was roughly a 2 day ride from the farm, and being that I was only 50 k’s away I made the decision to pedal it. Some of my highest adrenaline moments, and perhaps some of my most frightening experiences since being on the bike were between me and the farm.
I didn’t know this at the time though, and my first day riding alone was relatively smooth. I ended that day in a town down in a deep valley, a place called Sacapulas. I was gonna look for an economic hotel, as camping in town squares solo isn’t a practice I’m necessarily too keen on, but the first building I saw rolling in was a Red Cross. So, as one of my rules is to sleep free whenever I CAN, I asked if I could crash there just for the night. I told them that Red Crosses had helped me all through Mexico, and they were like, “Uhhhhh, ok!” They opened up a community room upstairs for me, brought me a mattress, and even let me take a shower. The power of simply asking can be huge!
I didn’t know this at the time though, and my first day riding alone was relatively smooth. I ended that day in a town down in a deep valley, a place called Sacapulas. I was gonna look for an economic hotel, as camping in town squares solo isn’t a practice I’m necessarily too keen on, but the first building I saw rolling in was a Red Cross. So, as one of my rules is to sleep free whenever I CAN, I asked if I could crash there just for the night. I told them that Red Crosses had helped me all through Mexico, and they were like, “Uhhhhh, ok!” They opened up a community room upstairs for me, brought me a mattress, and even let me take a shower. The power of simply asking can be huge!
The next day I rolled out of Sacapulas quick because these guys don’t see many gringos down in their arid valley, and my golden locks were like a beggars magnet. After about 5 mostly drunken beggars approached me I had to get out of there, and didn’t quite fill my stomach in the morning. Buying food after you tell people you don’t have money perhaps isn’t the brightest move.. Also I thought maybe there’d be a comedor on the edge of town, but nope. In hindsight leaving early and quick was God sent because my route that day was up and over a mountain into another valley, and I wouldn’t have made it had I not left when I did.
Guate; There's nothing flat about it! / Bomba above the Sacapulas valley
The Ride up Boogie Man Mountain
It all started when I met a very friendly Guatemaltecan man at a comedor about half way up the mountain out of the valley. Right where the highway to Huehuetenango merges with the Coban-Quiche highway, which I was on. The friendly man was a driver for a company, and he told me that he’d seen me the day before somewhere near Uspantan. He gave me a pair of sunglasses, and told me that if I was headed to San Bartolome Jocotenango (near the farm) there was an old road that would save me a few hours of pedalling.
Intrigued by this prospect I kept an eye out for this road. Like he said, a bit after reaching the top there was a thin dirt road that took off up a hill between a papeleria, and a little tienda. I confirmed with the tienda owner that the little road went to San Bartolome, and the owner said, “Yes,yes, it’s the old road, and it will save you a lot of time!” Then he pointed to some cell phone towers visible at the top of a ridge in the distance. He said, “Make it up to those towers, and then it’s all downhill from there, in the valley..” Excited, I took off up the thin dirt road to San Bartolome.
San Bartolome, by the way, is only accessible via dirt roads. According to the tienda owner it’s not very pretty, and there isn’t much to do there. He had been curious about why I was going there. Apparently not many people from the outside go to this place, and I was taking the lesser known road at that. To give you an idea of San Bartolome:
Market street in San Bartolome Jocotenango
The beginning, and most of the way up was relatively chill. Some people laughed at me, others pointed, and the vibe from the locals wasn’t too much different than lots of other places I’d been to before in Guate. There was even a very friendly family that wanted to take photos with me, and I took a photo with almost each member of the family individually as well as group photos. The father even jokingly offered me his daughter in marriage, and she was a beautiful mayan girl. A little on the young side but the look in her eyes, and her fathers comments did get me thinking of her for the next 20 minutes or so up the mountain..
That was until it started.. I mean until I became the boogie man that is. I can’t say exactly which curve of the mountain it began, but it started suddenly and once it started it wouldn’t be over until the climax. The first runner was a lady carrying wood on her head. She saw me, and immediately cut into the woods sprinting faster than I’ve seen any mayan man or woman run before. The first time I thought it was a bit funny actually. The second time I began to get slightly worried. A mother was walking from her home with her little son, and when she saw me she grabbed the kid and ran fast back into the house slamming the door. The third time things started feeling a bit ominous. A group of kids were playing on the street when a hushed, and very worried mothers voice in Quiche beckoned the kids to stop playing and run inside. As they ran into the home they each shot frightened glances as me.
A bit after that is when the motor biker passed me staring at me as he went by slowly. He stopped about 10 feet ahead of me, and wouldn’t take his eyes off of me when I went by. Thats when I started getting a little paranoid. But it wasn’t until I passed a middle aged couple with a young woman that I started feeling fear.
The fear was passed to me by the middle aged mayan man who ran to catch up to me when I got caught on the wrong gear going up a steep hill. I turned around suddenly when I heard the sound of running and heavy breathing, and the middle aged Mayan man was right behind me. He walked alongside me for a bit trying to catch his breath with intense fear energy. The man asked me to see my papers. Confused about his request I declined that I had papers. He told me that to be in those lands I needed to have papers, and that the people of the area are their own security. I told him that he had nothing to worry about, and that I was on my way to work on a farm nearby. He told me the road was dangerous for someone like me, and to not stop until I got to where I was going.
The man’s comments put me at disease. All of a sudden all of the events that had just passed were weighing on my mind, and I was biking scared. The beautiful pines, cool mountain air, and similarity to parts of my home state of California turned from nostalgic to eerie pretty fast. I finally made it to the cell towers, and didn’t look back as I let gravity take me. I was going down hill now, and trying to go fast on the rocky & bumpy dirt road.
Then something happened that shocked the fear out of me. The motor biker who had passed and stared at me earlier passed me again, but this time with a passenger on the back. It happened on a desolate part of the road, and they stopped about 15 feet ahead of me in the middle of the path. They jumped off the bike, and the hooded passenger pulled out a shotgun from inside his jacket as they approached me. My first reaction was to say in Spanish, “Take what you want!” as I put my one free hand up, and held my bike with the other. The armed man replied, “We don’t want your things..” For a split second my imagination ran a bit wild, as I tried to make sense of what was about to happen. Then the other man exclaimed, “Papeles!” I nervously shuffled through my front pannier, and pulled out my passport. The driver took it, and examined it for a moment. He asked me what I was doing there. I told them that I was going to do some farm work in a little hamlet named Cucul, near San Bartolome. One of them replied, “Oh yes Cucul, it’s right passed San Bartolome, you’re getting close!” The driver passed my passport to the armed man to look at, and then they both started laughing. Relieved, I said “I thought I was about to get robbed!” The armed man said, “No hombre, we’re the security around here! Have a good day!” He returned my passport, I said good day, and took off with my nerves running wild.
I was more high with adrenaline than scared at this point, and even one of the poorest conditioned roads I’d seen for a while was cake as my body was pumping with my own natural drugs. Soon later I was down the hill in San Bartolome, and some drunken rugged cowboy looking mayans weren’t mean looking enough after the shotgun incident to frighten me much. I ate at a little comedor that one of the friendly drunken mayans suggested. I needed a little comfort, and sometimes those tiny little comedores “mmmmm-mmm!” they can relieve the tensions & stresses of being out in the big world all alone. With a nice stack of standard hand-slapped real corn Guatemaltecan tortillas on the side I was happy and full. I left the comedor feeling a lot warmer in mind body and spirit.
On my way out of town I ran into a well traveled and smart Guatemalan man when asking for directions. To my luck he knew Ron and Quiche Organics. He jubilantly told me how to get there, even offered me a ride, and said I could leave my bike at his house since its a tough trek down to the valley. I thanked him for the offer, and told him that I’d like to attempt taking my bike down there. I don’t really like to leave Bomba lying around you see, she’s pretty precious to me..
On my way out of town I ran into a well traveled and smart Guatemalan man when asking for directions. To my luck he knew Ron and Quiche Organics. He jubilantly told me how to get there, even offered me a ride, and said I could leave my bike at his house since its a tough trek down to the valley. I thanked him for the offer, and told him that I’d like to attempt taking my bike down there. I don’t really like to leave Bomba lying around you see, she’s pretty precious to me..
The path to Ron's valley
It was indeed a tough hike down the valley. Slowly walking Bomba on full brakes down the super inclined and twisting path. At times it was barely wide enough for me and the bike alongside.
The kids up the hill had pointed to “Don Roni’s” place, and I had seen from above the little wooden house down in the valley on the other side of the river. But 20 minutes later in the valley after passing a few small wooden homes, crossing a nice little suspension bridge, and following a stone-lined path I ran into another super inclined hill..
The path down to the valley..
The kids up the hill had pointed to “Don Roni’s” place, and I had seen from above the little wooden house down in the valley on the other side of the river. But 20 minutes later in the valley after passing a few small wooden homes, crossing a nice little suspension bridge, and following a stone-lined path I ran into another super inclined hill..
The valley
I got near the little candle-lit wooden home, and the dog wasn’t slow to let me know I was in it’s turf. A comforting voice came out from inside, “Kanche, kanche! Rio is that you!?” “Yes!” I replied back. I was finally there.. The amazing veggie stew I had for second dinner, followed by Jamaica tea put me right to sleep good! My day as the local boogie man was done, and my two weeks of farm work had just begun..
Me working in the garden
One of the other volunteers Matt sorting coffee beans
How can I best summarize my two weeks at the ranch? Well it was surely the best food that I ate in a long time. So good in fact that I’m convinced I could easily & happily eat a solely vegetarian diet if I had access to those ingredients on a daily basis…
Whats growing in the farm:
More than 5 types of lettuce
onions
cilantro
tomato
chard
carrots, kale, beans, squash, cucumber, radish, coffee, bananas and many more things...
Ron’s Mayan neighbors grow plenty of corn too so for a few Quetzalaes or simply some greens we also had access to fresh tortillas harvested, processed, ground, hand-slapped, and heated right across the river. Juana, Bartolo’s wife, did most of this work with the help of her three boys and one little girl. The water came from a spring on the side of the mountain above Ron’s house pouring about fifty gallons of fresh water an hour right outta mama earth. So much water that there’s an excess even after quenching the needs of 4 homes, a farm with plenty of plants, animals, and humans.
Was there work involved? Yes only from 7am to 6pm with a plentiful lunch break somewhere in the middle. Every morning started with a hearty breakfast of oats, tahini, nuts, fruits, bread and jams. Of course with coffee picked on the mountainside, dried, peeled, toasted, ground, and brewed at the farm. Snacks around midday included maybe some coffee and cake we made the night before, or 6-7 cacao beans for a boost. Lunch and dinners were a gorging session of veggies in nut stews, noodles or rice, tortillas, plenty of greens, beans, all mixed together and 70%ish from the surrounding land.
With that being said I was amazingly happy holding a hoe, shovel, bucket, hose, or any of the various other things I needed to carry throughout the day for 10 or so hours. On a farm the work never really ends. It’s a series of maintenance moves aimed at feeding, quenching, protecting, and overall simply giving love to the many plants & animals that in turn provide you with food. I did everything from watering, pruning, bedding, seeding, and taking the one sheep and two rams out to eat in the pasture everyday then back to their little home at night.
One of the food gardens
With that being said I was amazingly happy holding a hoe, shovel, bucket, hose, or any of the various other things I needed to carry throughout the day for 10 or so hours. On a farm the work never really ends. It’s a series of maintenance moves aimed at feeding, quenching, protecting, and overall simply giving love to the many plants & animals that in turn provide you with food. I did everything from watering, pruning, bedding, seeding, and taking the one sheep and two rams out to eat in the pasture everyday then back to their little home at night.
The sheep:
Macho may look like a sweet fella but trust me you’d be scared if he popped up behind you like he sometimes would when untied. He’s known to look people up and down licking his lips before he leaps horns first. A feisty fella he is indeed, always after his beloved Blanky, and quick to prove he’s the man around town. Handling him can be a real challenge, and most of the time I couldn’t do it without Ron’s help. Yup, more than twice my age and bone skinny, Ron is surprisingly quite the rodeo master. Sometimes he’d even entice Macho to a duel. I’d be off to the side hoping Ron didn’t slip, and end up pegged on one of those sharp horns. Blanky and Bandito were easy. Just walk em where you want em to be, and tie em off.. Bandito sure was cute though with his little prancing hops all over the place.
El Macho
La Blanky
El Bandido
The house
It was a nice time of learning, working, and eating well. I left the farm refreshed, and feeling clearer than before. I was even dreaming almost nightly, and for a couple nights after leaving. The power of fresh clean food & water combined with working daily out in nature was a recharge on all levels. I will miss the ranch the new friends I made, and worked alongside. Ron's crew consists of mostly himself, one of his neighbour's Bartolo, and volunteers who come by. Coincidentally, a motorcycle traveler, Mathew stopped at Ron's farm while I was there. He is also capturing his travel from Arizona to South America via motorcycle. You can catch his videos here: Pan America
Bartolo & Ron
I left the ranch heading for the sacred lake of the Maya, the volcanic lake of Atitlan. There was only 90 k’ish between the ranch and the lake, but Ron insisted that I didn’t ride the stretch between Santa Cruz Del Quiche to Los Encuentros. According to him it would be suicide. He even bought me a costal (big rice sack) where I can stuff all my packs that way it would easier to catch the chicken bus in Quiche. I stayed with a Guatemaltecan family in Quiche who were friends of Ron. They too told me I shouldn’t pedal the ‘suicidal stretch.’ I flipped my special coin just to make sure, and all signs pointed to the chicken bus. I took advantage of the spare time the bus afforded me, and took the advice the family gave me to visit the ruins of Q’Umarkaaj.
Q'Umarkaaj Main Plaza
What is left of a structure
Quiche people in prayer @ Q'Umarkaaj
I was the only “tourist” there, whereas everyone else I saw was present for worship. I heard chanting, praying, singing, and saw people making offerings.
Offering at Q'Umarkaaj
I left the sacred sight and hopped on a chicken bus en route to another. In fact, I jumped off the bus up the hill in Los Enquentros, and rode down the final 20k or so to the magical lake. "Wow!" is all I have to say about that ride. I rolled into Panajachel, got a bite to eat on the side of the road, then rode to the end of the street as far as my bike can go. This is what I saw at the end of the road:
Volcano San Pedro & Lake Atitlan
That was about 2 months ago. Lots has happened since then. I connected with a hostel on my first day through couchsurfing.org. A place called Sotz.
Sotz
Kitchen/office
The hammock where I usually sleep
I stayed my first few nights around the lake there doing volunteering work, and even worked a paid gig with the old manager Santiago. They let me keep some of my bags in the storage, and pssshooou I took off light for the Pacific coast where a rainbow gathering was occurring.
Rainbow gathering on Guate coast (Photo by Vera Rscht)
I arrived on the final week, and stayed until the end of the gathering helping with the cleanup. Got a ride back to the lake with the clean-up crew, and boom now I had a bunch of friends who were all around the lake. We all stayed at Xep’s house when we first got back. He had lent a bunch of supplies to the rainbow, and coordinated the cleanup. He’s got a big house, and properties all up one of the sides of San Pedro Volcano.
I left Xep’s after a few days of taking it easy, and helping out a bit around the land. Leaving Xep’s house there are only two options. One is via boat, and the other is on a skinny walking path that goes to the road. I took Bomba on the skinny path, and was on my way around the lake to explore when I ran into a truck load of hippies I had met at the gathering. They were on their way to San Lucas Toliman to go climb Volcano Atitlan. The tallest of the three volcanoes around the lake. How could I say no?
Us above the clouds on top of Volcano Atitlan (Photo by Vera Rscht)
Music on the volcano top (Photo by Vera Rscht)
Volcano Atitlan and her vapor holes
After descending the next day we were all buzzing from the energy we received up at the volcano top. Although our physical bodies were quite sore.
Long way down
(Photo by Vera Rscht)
The hippies left San Lucas via hitchhiking, and I on my trusty steed Bomba. The funny thing is I was more sore walking than peddling, so it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. Leaving from San Lucas offered me the opportunity to cycle a more true circle around the lake, as opposed to starting from Xep’s.
The next town I got to was Santiago Atitlan. I asked my spirits as I rolled in to secure me a free place to stay, as I hadn’t paid for a place to sleep in over a month. I wanted to continue the pattern. I went to a cyber cafe, and online I found out that a friend of mine Krista was in town.
I had met her two years ago up in Vancouver Island at the world rainbow gathering. We met up, and she got a place for me to stash my bike at an English school some of her friends were volunteering at. We walked around town, ate some food, and then went down to the docks to smoke a joint. It was getting late, and I still didn’t know where I was going to sleep.
Right as we were getting up to leave the dock a boater, that coincidentally we both knew, pulled in after his long day of work. Miguel the friendly captain of ‘El Pescador’ joyfully invited us to smoke another with him. As we were chilling on the boat all the cards fell into place when he heard I didn't have a place to sleep, and invited me to crash on the boat. He said I could look after his ship for the night..
Krista swinging street kids. (Photo from her Facebook)
I had met her two years ago up in Vancouver Island at the world rainbow gathering. We met up, and she got a place for me to stash my bike at an English school some of her friends were volunteering at. We walked around town, ate some food, and then went down to the docks to smoke a joint. It was getting late, and I still didn’t know where I was going to sleep.
Right as we were getting up to leave the dock a boater, that coincidentally we both knew, pulled in after his long day of work. Miguel the friendly captain of ‘El Pescador’ joyfully invited us to smoke another with him. As we were chilling on the boat all the cards fell into place when he heard I didn't have a place to sleep, and invited me to crash on the boat. He said I could look after his ship for the night..
The next morning I took off to San Pedro La Laguna. ‘The party town,’ as was dubbed by several people I had met, was indeed the party town. I wasn’t planning on spending the night there, but things changed quick. Within a couple hours of rolling in two different people bought me beers, I ran into a Quebecois friend Bianca that I had met at the rainbow gathering in B.C as well, she showed me a place to camp for 15Q, and I got drunk with her & her friends for the first time in months. We partied that night with international people from all over the world at an open mic show.
San Pedro swallowed me up for 2 days, although the drinking/party scene isn’t my current trip, it was nice to flow a moment in different currents. I rolled out after a good dose of free spirited party mode, and headed for the little town of San Marcos La Laguna. That’s where most of the hippies were at, and I had heard it was the ‘zen’ town. One thing is for sure, it’s pretty darn tranquilo over there.
When I got into town I snooped around a bit and after running into some sisters I had met at the Guate gathering I had an idea of how to get to Merlin’s house. Merlin’s house is where the rainbow family was at, and that’s where I was told to go. I didn’t find his house but as I was looking for it I ran into none other than Merlin himself. We walked a couple of blocks down the hill, and bang I arrived at my home for the next week. A magical place that is open to all cosmic travellers who happen to stumble upon it..
San Marcos dock
When I got into town I snooped around a bit and after running into some sisters I had met at the Guate gathering I had an idea of how to get to Merlin’s house. Merlin’s house is where the rainbow family was at, and that’s where I was told to go. I didn’t find his house but as I was looking for it I ran into none other than Merlin himself. We walked a couple of blocks down the hill, and bang I arrived at my home for the next week. A magical place that is open to all cosmic travellers who happen to stumble upon it..
My camp at Merlin's
Magic house
Firepit moment @ Merlin's (Photo by Krista Robinson)
Around that time is when I found out that my mother was coming to visit me at the lake. Perhaps had it not been for this I wouldn't have left Merlin’s so soon. But momma was coming, and for that reason I took a boat with Bomba back to Panajachel where my adventures around the lake had all began. I intuited that I should go there a few days before my mom arrived, and get everything ready. Half of my things were still at Sotz Hostel, where they had received me with open arms the first time around, and so naturally its where I received my mom.
My mother and I @ Sotz
The new manager Eris was now running Sotz. Coincidentally he had been at the rainbow gathering on the coast, and when I left Sotz for the coast is precisely when he was returning from the coast to Sotz. We must have crossed paths somewhere on the road. With plenty of things in common we connected quickly, and since then Sotz has been like a home to me in Panajachel. The hostel is open to volunteers and travellers who are willing to put in a bit of work in exchange for a place to sleep & some food. Lindsay, is also a friend I made at the lake, and if you're around lake Atitlan and want some good/healthy hippie treats like nut butters/milks, trail mixes, cacao treats, coconut oils, etc.. you can email her at Gypsykawok@gmail.com or you can just find them at Sotz!
I surprised my mother at the airport in Guatemala city, and the 14 days she spent here at the lake with me were turbulent, exciting, adventure packed and filled with adrenaline as I took off for another loop around the lake with momma! We climbed Volcano San Pedro without a guide or light, and made it down just before dark..
I surprised my mother at the airport in Guatemala city, and the 14 days she spent here at the lake with me were turbulent, exciting, adventure packed and filled with adrenaline as I took off for another loop around the lake with momma! We climbed Volcano San Pedro without a guide or light, and made it down just before dark..
My mother and I on top of Volcano San Pedro
Climbing back down & hoping we make it before sun down
We explored the towns of Panajachel, Santa Catarina, San Antonio, San Pedro, Cerro De Orro, San Marcos, Tzununa, Jaibolito, and Santa Cruz all round the lake. Also we went to the biggest market in Guatemala and maybe Central America in Chichicastenango..
My itinerary with momma was quite ambitious and physically demanding. It didn’t help that she had way too much luggage, and perhaps wasn’t quite expecting the Guatemala adventure tours I took her on. Her shopping needs were also important which at times I failed to recognise. So yes there was a bit of turbulence but at the end of the day it was all love, and her visiting me was the best present I could have received.
Market day in Chichi
My itinerary with momma was quite ambitious and physically demanding. It didn’t help that she had way too much luggage, and perhaps wasn’t quite expecting the Guatemala adventure tours I took her on. Her shopping needs were also important which at times I failed to recognise. So yes there was a bit of turbulence but at the end of the day it was all love, and her visiting me was the best present I could have received.
Me and momma in Guate
I also received lots of gear upgrades, a ton of new filming accessories, and some new cameras. Thanks to my pops Gale, and my beloved mother Thereza. I now feel a renewed responsibility to continue this work of capturing and posting the reality that I am experiencing. Maybe one reason I’m so behind in posting all of this is because I recently took a nice month long break from the computer, and camera. Now I will go back with some new artillery!
My compadres the Bykings arrived at the lake just when my mother was leaving, and my connection to Eris and Sotz Hostel was instrumental. Eris allowed them to crash at both Sotz and his other hostel Orion’s Garden in Santa Catarina doing volunteer work.
The group has fluctuated between 6-9 people since I last saw them in Playa Del Carmen.
View from deck @ Orion's Garden (picture from their website)
The group has fluctuated between 6-9 people since I last saw them in Playa Del Carmen.
The Bykings looking a bit more rugged in Guate (Photo from their Facebook)
Currently the group lies at about 7 people, 8 including me. The last month since they’ve arrived at the lake lots has happened, and it was a bit of work arranging places for a group this large to all stay. Without paying to sleep, as is our way. But fortunately I made lots of connections in my short time here, and between helping Eris run Sotz Hostel during the busiest week of the year (Semana Santa), helping my rainbow brother Xep out on his beautiful property on the side of Volcano San Pedro building a compost toilet, and chilaxing at Merlin’s house in San Marcos making cosmic jams and magic cakes, we've had plenty of options..
However, the group couldn’t wait to move and split for Antigua then Guate City where they’ll be awaiting me. Ironically, I spent all this time here at the lake because I waiting for them, and now they've come and gone and I'm still here. The tables have turned and now they'll be waiting for me I hope. I just couldn't leave yet. I still had some farewells to give, some uploading to do, some essential to get sorted, plus I had to finish this story! My end at lake Atitlan is filled with responsibilities and some chores.. But when I need a break from my 'work' this is where I currently find myself, and where I've been the past two amazing months:
Lake Atitlan, Guatemaya
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