Road with mango flavour
2.04.2018 Nancinta 37,6km /// 3243,92km
That time I left El Salvador without huge problems, and visit in window of Guatemala part, showed me how gonna be here. Full chill out! Officer sat in front of shot down computer with huge newspaper. He took my passport, found free space, and without checking my data just put stamp. He started to count days, which I can still use in CA4 region. I crossed my fingers and I thought that he can make mistake. And he done it! Only for one day but still š So my adventure with Guatemala need to end before 24 of April.
During first two days I didnāt had single coin, because ATMās couldnāt read my bank card. But I had a lot of food from El Savador so I didnāt thought about that. I didnāt found special differences between El Salvador and Guatemala. Only road was in worst state. And I found much more green fields, with huge trees which gave me a lot of shadow on road. Thatās incredible, that when I was few days ago in El Salvador I felt there like on desert. And here like in real jungle.
They don;t clean side roads very often…
And people? Definitely they saw a lot of crazy tourist who are riding on bikes in front of their houses. But still guy with long hair who is just walking is still for them like something really interesting. But not any more like alien from different planet. Thatās why I greeting around hundred people every day! Sometimes they stop me, just to talk a little bit. Amazing and friendly people! Even when they shout āGringoā I feel that they wanna hug me with that word. Like Eduardo Silva who emanated with strong and good energy, like sun. In first moment I thought, that heās a little bit crazy. But later, that ācrazyā guy gave me not only beautiful talk, but also a lot of mango fruit!
A little bit strange names of bridges…
Eduardo Silva
After few kilometers I saw where he found it. Directly on street! All side road were covered with mangos! Trees are banding with fruits and nobody never will pick it up. They are here almost without value! But for me are like biggest treasure. Everyday I eat a lot of them š
Also I didnāt felt hungry micro village Nancinta. When I rolled my trolley on main square, everybody watched me. There in few second I met Rafael with kids, who brought for me dinner, coffee and fruits. When I ate that and camped on stage, another family came with food! That time with pupusas. And that group of local folks invited me for few beers in front of shop. I felt secure when I realize, that I drink with cops. But when we end night, they just went in car, even that they were completely drank. Wellā¦
Good asphalt is ending š
Profetas
I found more and more houses like that one
Houses on left side, rubbish on right side
Call to family in United States
My place!
3-4.04.2018 Escuintla 75,5km /// 3319,42km
Iām passing first small cities and I found huge difference between Guatemala and El Salvador and Honduras. New buses with chrome elements, motorcyclists have special jackets, farmers have red flags when they walk with cows on streets, side roads without holes, signalization on cross roads, special places where You can wash dogs, shops on patrol stations. Civilization!
People also have higher culture, if on side roads I donāt meet another CDās with 150 reaggeton songs, but disk with Deep Purple š I just donāt know what mean, that I found it on sideroadā¦
Next night I spend in front of tourist center. I didnāt wanted to pay 15 Quetzales, so I camped outside. Simple! Iām moving on more flat terrain, and around 4pm I enter to Escuintla. After Internet things which I done in McDonalds, I moved to main square to ask in church for place to stay. But it was completely closed! Day was coming down, and whole city wasnāt so safety place to camp. To completely dark I had something like 30 minutes, so like crazy I run across that urban monster, to find some place to camp in fields outside city. When SUDDENLY, I found hidden church! So lucky! I asked inside if I can spend night there, and with night guard and his dog, I slept calm and safety. To edge of city was far far away, so I donāt know what I could do without that shelter.
5-7.04.2018 Antigua Guatemala 34km /// 3353,42km
I moved to Antigua Guatemala. I need to walk only 34km, but more than 1000m up, gradient and curves makes me crazy. I done stops every 3km, and people with huge smiled took pictures of me like in safari. Drivers stopped near by, they wanted to talk. But I didnāt had energy to say single word. I was crass, but only thing what had value for me, was to reach another curve.
Finally I reached old capital of Guatemala. Ania and Adam, polish couple, wrote to me that if I want I can stay in their hostel. But they had full in that time, so they organized me place in other place, which was my base for another 3 days here.
Antigua make good impression. Narrow streets, colonial architecture, local women walking with colorful baskets on heads. Monitoring, security, cleanness. Disadvantages? Extremally expansive! Tourists with dollars in pockets change prizes. And cobbled streets. Maybe city with them looks cool, but itās really difficult to walk on that thing!
From roof of apartment where Ania and Adam live, where we spend two talk active nights, itās possible to see all panorama of cities and 3 volcanos. Couple told me, about possibilities to go with tour on them, when suddenly one of them erupted on our eyes! Fountain of red magma was amazing! Under us city colored with night lights, above us geyser with red magma, and inside us cold, local beer. I think that means happiness š
That volcanos became here with some reason. We were near two tectonic plates. I realize that because of biggest earthquake, which I felt after one in Atacama in Chile. I felt dozens of earthquakes here, but every time my heart beat faster. Who saw condition of buildings and local construction methods, know why.
8.04.2018 Patzicia 32,8km /// 3386,22km
Finally I cut roots which I started to plant in Antigua, and I move. After few days in one place I have a lot of energy. Mountains I eat like candies. In small city I met on main square few old folks waited like kids around ice cream trolley. Even after looong talk they didnāt believe me that I push my trolley all way long.
In church I asked only for permission to camp in front of church. But finally I had place in class room, plate of dinner, bathrooms and even socket! Anyone have doubts why itās good to ask in churches for place to stay?
I need to make decision. I can walk down to Altitlan Lake, which is one from biggest attraction of Guatemala, or walk around in easier road. Vision of walking down 1000m, and later hiking up another thousand on narrow, dangerous roads, wasnāt so pleasure. I hope that down there I will miss only tourist camps.
But which road I will not chose, I will need to work hard. Became mountains. And with them land of animalās people and freezing fog.
