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The Adventure Begins... Tejas A La Tierra

I did that road the other way about 5 years ago, but I don't have any video, thanks for the memories. I did see this on that road:

Hey Andy, I clicked on your links and read about your trip to Ushuia. I wish I would have met you while I was in Austin. I would have tapped you for alot of info. Anyways, thanks for following along.
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... San Cristobal de las Casas

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I'm not really sure what to make of San Cristobal de Las Casas. It's a town nestled in the highlands of Chiapas.
Here is the full story... San Cristobal de Las Casas

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And while staying in San Cristobal I decided that I would check out some ruins in an area called Palenque. The site was about 5 hours away. I didn't really feel like riding there, so I did the more typical tourist thing and booked a day tour.

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And was able to check out a few sites along the way.
Here is the full story...Palenque Day Trip

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And there's always stories about the people you meet along the way.
Here are some of my impressions on...Travelers
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... On The Road

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After one month on the road and it appears I've traveled about 3000 miles along this route. This line looks pretty straight, but believe me there have been a thousand twists and turns along the way. Sometimes it seems like it was only yesterday when I started, but there have been some long days too. I've had some amazing rides and some that I'd rather not have endured. I think that my little accident slowed me down for a week, but I'm almost fully recovered now. What lies ahead...Guatemala.
 
Thanks for sharing your trip, and you are in my prayers for safe travels and health.
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Todos Santos and All Saints Day

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On November 1 in the cloud covered mountain town of Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Guatemala there is a horse race to celebrate Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day).

Here's a link to the story with photos and a video
 
Hey, if any one has not yet checked out Troy's website with full stories and videos, you are missing out. Awsome!

Bob,

Thanks for the kind words. My website does have all my stories, photos and videos. I try to post updates here on TWT, but I'm a little selective. I usually don't post what I've had for dinner or trivial stuff.

I enjoy reading y'alls comments. When the road gets a little rough or lonely I often reflect on y'alls encouragement. It keeps me going.
 
I was in the town of Panajachel and staying at a hotel called Hotel El Sol.

Emi was looking pretty haggard from traveling 4000 miles over asphalt, gravel, dirt and through rain. I thought for this 4000 mile anniversary that I'd treat her to a little tender loving care.
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Across from the hotel was a moto taller (moto service shop) called Multiservicios Dany. The manager's name was Elesao. Nice guy. He offered me a package maintenance deal for a cleaning, oil change, air filter cleaning, chain and sprocket lube. The total cost was about $45. I felt like it was a time saver and bargain for me. They did a great job and Emi came out sparkling.

The second thing to which I wanted to treat Emi was a shorter pata (kickstand) which would result in a lower lean and more stability. Down the street from Multiservicios Dany was a metal taller called Adulam Soldaduras. I spoke with one of the fabricators named Isaac. He said that he could do the work.
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Now Emi is all cleaned up with a new shoe and ready to hit the road.

For the full story visit this link on Motorcycle Maintenance
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Santa Catarina, Lago de Atitlan

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While I was at Lago de Atitlan I took a little day trip to Santa Catarina, Atitlan. It's a small town that sits on a hill along the lake.
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Traditionally the town has been a quite fishing village. These are some of the traditional lanchas (boats).
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The town is also noted for having master weavers that produce hand woven brilliant blue textiles.
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It was a fun day trip and a scenic ride around the lake.

For the full story visit this link on Santa Catarina Lago de Atitlan
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Chichicastenango

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Some travel guides claim that the largest outdoor market in Latin America takes place in Chichicastenango. I don't know if it is true, but I went to check it out.
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Chichicastenango is well known for its famous market days on Thursdays and Sundays where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden items, pigs, chickens, machetes, and other tools. In the central part of the market plaza are small comedores (eateries)
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Among the notable items sold are textiles, particularly the women's huipiles (blouses) and masks, used by dancers in traditional dances, such as the Dance of the Conquest.

For the full story visit this link on Chichicastenango
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Antigua

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Good Old Antigua.
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Beautiful colonial architecture. The center of all the best things about Guatemala.
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There's lots of motorcycles here.
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There's even a Moto Cafe (6 Calle Oriente #14 Antigua, Guatemala Tel: +00 502 7832 9638). Check it out if you get a chance. Nice folks there.

For the full story visit this link on Antigua
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Lightening the Load

I have decided that it was about time to lighten my load. I've been on the road for about two months and have just about figured out what I need and what is a convenience. There's probably still room for some trimming, but this is what I'm losing.
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Some books, map of Mexico, iPad, camera light, frisbee, tent, backup harddrives, souvenir textiles, fishing gear, some kitchen gear, extra hat, extra long sleeve shirt, knee brace and light hiking shoes. In total it was about 8 kilos or 18 lbs. And it is weight that I was carrying up high on my bike... not good.

For the full story visit this link on Lightening the Load
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Crossing the El Salvador Border

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I got up early to start my journey. I had packed my things the night before so it was relatively easy loading my bike. Plus, the fact that I had lightened my load by 18 lbs made my task even easier. I stopped at a gasolinera on the edge of town to fill my tank. And then I headed south.

For the full story visit this link on Crossing the El Salvador Border or The Coastal Road
 
I've been following your website posts using an RSS reader. Your content is amazing. Can I ask how you are producing and editing videos on the road? What devices, what software? Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
 
I've been following your website posts using an RSS reader. Your content is amazing. Can I ask how you are producing and editing videos on the road? What devices, what software? Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Thanks for the compliment. I'm shooting with two different cameras. A Panasonic GH2HK and TS3D. The GH2HK is good. The TS3D has a very short battery life so I would not recommend it. It is water and shockproof, but the short battery life is a killer when shooting adventure films. I use an Apple MacBook Pro with Final Cut X to edit. I compose music with GarageBand. The MacBook Pro is powerful and stable enough for video editing, but I does weigh quite a bit for this type of traveling. I'm thinking of moving to a MacBook Air 13". I'm hoping to get a new iPhone soon and I will experiment with shooting stills and video, editing and posting with it. Right now I have an iPhone 3GS with an app called BlogPress that I use to post to my blog. It post text, photos and I just found out that it can post video. I'm hoping to us it more because carrying around one device would be great.

Cheers,

Troy
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Juayua Street Food Feria

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I decided to chill for the morning and soak up some sun on the beach. The arena (sand) in this area is black sand due to the historical volcano activity. To me the sand gets much hotter under my feet, but it seems to have some crystal elements that make it sparkle which I like.

While hanging out I learned of a town called Juayua. Every Saturday and Sunday they have a street food feria (festival) that attracts people from all over El Salvador. They have typical food, but also some unusual items like alotes loco (crazy corn), rana (frog), culebra (snake) and iguana. The only issue was that the town is located in the western highlands which I had already passed. I made some quick assessments and figured out that it was only about 50 miles away. Nice! I could do 50 miles. I didn't realize that it would be so easy to get around this country. I packed and set off on the road. I backtracked along the coastal route.

It was Sunday morning, and like in the states, it appears that everyone with a motorcycle was out riding. I latched on to a group of four riders. It's typically safer riding in numbers. One was riding a standard, two on choppers and one on a dual sport.

I headed west then north. The route north is called the Ruta de Las Flores (Route of Flowers). The road wound through some small towns and the fuana along the road was lush. I noticed some flowers, but perhaps not as many as I expected. Maybe I just needed to go further along.

I found the town and checked into Hotel Anuhuac. It was about 1pm. It was the perfect time to go get me some street food.
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For the full story with additional photos check out this link Juayua
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Las Siete Cascadas

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While staying in Juayua I heard about this area called Las Siete Cascadas (The Seven Waterfalls).
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I met some other travelers and we decided to check it out. The Hotel Anahuac connected us with a guide named Douglas... he was great.
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Here's one of the waterfalls.
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This is Lauren from Tasmania and another waterfall. Her self proclaimed nicknames was Osita (little bear).
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At the end we arrived at this waterfall which had a nice pool in which to swim.

For the full story with more photos check out this link Las Siete Cascadas
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... A Ride Around The Hills

I woke up this morning and had absolutely nothing planned. I had a simple breakfast of an apple, pear and banana. It was nice having something light. I sat in the hammock for a while. Then I decided that I felt like taking a little day trip. I went on a hike the day before so something different was in order. There is a stretch of towns linked together by a road called 8W or La Ruta de Las Flores. I thought that I'd take Emi out for a ride along this route.

I removed my bags from Emi and headed out.
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The first town was Apaneca. The town is noted for having painted murals on many of the houses. I rode street by street and snapped a few photos.
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I suppose one could look at these simple murals as amateur drawings. But as a collection I think they make interesting folk art. They definitely capture the sentiments of the towns' people about their surroundings.

I'll post the entire collection of photos in another post.
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Just outside of Apaneca I saw a sign for La Luguna Verde (The Green Lagun). I decide to check it out. 4 km is not too far. It started as a asphalt road, then turned to cobblestone, then to gravel, then to dirt and finally to rocks. It was a little unexpected, but it was a fun ride with Emi.
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When I arrived at the laguna I found out why it might be called the Green Lagun. Although it is more of a lake covered with green, than a green lake. Sometimes it is not the destination, but the journey... that is the fun part.

I continued on...
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It was about 1pm and I was getting a little hungry. I saw a sign for a restaurant for El Jardin de Celestre (The Celestial Garden). Pretty lofty name... so I decided to check it out. There was an intricate manicured garden on the inside. The dining area was very tastefully decorated. Bread with butter, herbs and olive oil and Salvadoran Enchiladas. Tiramisu and Chamomile Tea. And all the food was delicious. I could have taken a nap right there in the restaurant. But, I decided I should ride on.
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The next town that I came across was called Ataco. It is noted for it's artesania and wall murals.
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The first thing I noticed when I entered the town was this unique looking church. I'm not sure what style of architecture this might be, any guesses? They also had a nice park.

It was getting late so I needed to start heading back. It was a nice day of exploring without really having an agenda.

For the full story with more photos check out this link A Ride Around The Hills
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Tire Repair

I did a little dual sport riding the other day.
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When I returned to the hotel I noticed this... a nail in my rear tire. You'll notice that the tire is still fully inflated. I didn't know if the nail had not penetrated all the way to the tube or if the Slime that I put inside my tube had protected and sealed the leak. It was late in the day, so I decided to wait until the next day to attempt the repair.

The next day the tire was still holding pressure. I've repaired a flat tire on my motorcycle before, so I felt comfortable repairing it. But I wanted to see if there was a llanta taller (tire shop) nearby that might be able to help. I asked the owner of the hotel and he indicated that there was not a taller in Alegria, but there were a few tallers in the town of Berlin about 5 km away. I headed down the road.

When I arrived in Berlin the first shop that I found was closed. I rode around a little bit looking for another. I saw a young guy on a little Suzuki 50cc motorbike. It was what one might call a pit bike in the states. I asked him where I might find a taller. He gave me directions... una cuadra alla y dos cuadra alla, alli por el banco. I told him that I was not familiar with the town. He said that he'd show me they way.

He push started his bike and we were off. We got a few looks as we roads through town because my bike dwarfed his... a rider in full moto gear on a Suzuki DR650 following a kid on a Suzuki 50cc wearing shorts. We arrived at the shop in just a few minutes.

Issrak was the jefe (boss) of the shop but he had a bunch of kids hanging around, learning the trade and working. Issrak was a big strong guy... the type of guy I like working on my bike.
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First he removed the rim and tire from the bike. He propped up the bike on an old tree stump.
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Then he removed the tire from the rim. Notice his little apprentice attentively watching.
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Then he removed the tube from the rim and checked it for leaks in a tub of soapy water. Good news... no leak.
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This was the culprit. Issrak removed the nail from the tire. Apparently the nail just went in sideways and penetrated a knobby.

He then reset the tube, tire, rim and sprocket. Then he put the tire back on the bike. The whole process from the time that I rode up to the shop to the time that I rode away probably only took 15 minutes. Great service. When I asked him how much he would charge me he said US$2. I was shocked. I just shook my head and gave him US$5.

In the states to repair a tire would probably have cost $50 and I would have had to leave it in the shop for half a day. This little trip to Issrak's shop saved me quite a bit of time and worry. It probably would have taken me a hour and few few bruised knuckles to change the tire myself. T

I'm simply amazed at the quality, speed of work and honesty of the mechanics and fabricators that I've come across in Latin America. Buena Gente (Good Folks).

For the full story with more photos check out this link Tire Repair
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Three Countries In One Day

After my wonderful beach experience in Playa El Espino I decided that it was time for a change of scenery.

Sometimes it's just necessary to cover some distance. From Southern El Salvador I took the coastal road East and then North to the border to the town of El Amatillo.
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I bypassed the long line of trailer trucks that were waiting at the border checkpoint.
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The exit procedure from El Salvador was smooth and I was through in about 15 minutes.

The entry procedure into Honduras was a bit more problematic and it probably took about an hour. The Honduras immigration and customs department required multiple copies of all my documents. They also charged me for a visa, vehicle permit and municipal road toll. I had most of my documents in order, but it still took some time.

Once I finished with the entry procedures I rode through the Southern part of Honduras for about 2 hours.
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There wasn't much remarkable about the ride. The road was covered with potholes. I took them on as a bit of a challenge, weaving around them as if they were barriers on a obstacle coarse. The Honduran roads were for the most part long and straight. There were mountain ranges in the distance. Lots of cattle fincas (ranches). A few volcanos.

I arrived in the border town of El Espino.
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The exit procedure for leaving Honduras took longer than expected... about three hours.
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The agents hinted at "lubricating money", but I decided to wait in line with everyone else. It was close to 6pm by the time I got through.

For the Nicaraguan side since it was already dark I decided to hire an ayudante (fixer) for $10. He got me though immigration, customs and the local police inspection in about 15 minutes.

I generally don't like to ride in the dark. It's harder to see the pot holes, farm animals, other automobiles and bandidos (bandits). About the same time that I was leaving the check point another car was passing through the border, so I decided that it would be smart to follow it. I was able to leverage their lights and their path. Also, strength in numbers. It worked.

I followed the car for about 20 km to the town of Somoto, Nicaragua. There we parted ways and I found the Hotel Pan Americano to spend the night.

For the full story with more photos check out this link Three Countries
 
Re: The Adventure Begins... Roads In El Salvador

Here are some short videos that I made about the roads in El Salvador.

This is a short 2 minute video which documents the journey along the Coastal Road of El Salvador from the border town of La Hachadura to the town of (San Blas) La Libertad. Check out this link to watch the video.

This is a short 45 second video about moving against traffic in El Salvador. Check out this link to watch the video.
 
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