While we had enjoyed our brief foray across Belize and were looking forward to Guatemala, the exit from Belize and entry into Guatemala was a day best forgotten. The first surprise was a fairly hefty “exit tax” from Belize which supposedly goes towards their conservation efforts but it did leave us feeling a little bit taken advantage of. The Guatemala side of the border was really tiny for vehicle traffic (we think most people cross it on foot) and while reversing backwards, in the chaos, Stuart bumped into a rather solid pole! Initially he thought there was no major damage (but unbeknown to him and which Tania decided to keep quiet about in order to not raise stress levels further, the gas bottle had taken the brunt of the pole and pushed in Mr. Jones aluminium panel behind it. Stuart only noticed this a few days later and fortunately while it is not ideal to have curved piece of “wall” behind the bottle it is not the end of the world and more importantly the actual gas bottle did not get damaged.
In general, since leaving Africa, border crossings have been quite easy and in reality the entry into Guatemala was also, although it did have one annoying requirement – you needed to provide photocopies of vehicle papers and passports with the entry stamp in them before the Aduana (customs) would process the vehicle and to do this you had to go outside to a specific store and pay for them there. On its own this would be annoying but not that annoying however the fact that there was brand new machine in the Aduana office, directly behind the official responsible, which wasn’t being used did make it so…
About 90 minutes from the border is the world-famous Mayan pyramids called Tikal. We had seen other similar pyramids already in Mexico but Tikal is special in that you can camp inside the park with a good chance of seeing Howler monkeys and other jungle wildlife. Additionaly being inside the park allows for witnessing mystical sunrises over the jungle from atop the pyramids befire the general tourists arrive. Sadly, for us, we discovered upon arrival at the gates that despite it being a major tourist attraction, they do not accept credit cards at the entry gate and as we had not been be able to draw any Guatemalan Quetzels at the ATM’s in the border town we had to turn around and give that tourist attraction a miss. At the time it seemed bizarre to us that they had no credit card facilities. And was obviously very frustrating, but in hindsight most visitors will arrive on organised tours where the tour company has already bought tickets/has a concession etc.
Sixty minutes from Tikal is the lakeside town of Flores, which we arrived at in the late afternoon with just enough time to source a local SIM card for our hotspot phone and to take a meander around the pretty island of Flores. Camp for the night was in the parking lot of the local police station, perhaps not so glamorous or pretty but nice and secure.
The next tourist attraction we hoped to visit was Semuc Champey which on paper was only 300km from Flores but as we quickly discovered would be a long journey of over 8 hours (broken over 2 days) thanks to the very slow roads through the mountains made worse by the multitude of tumelo (vicious speed bumps) each village has. The attraction of Semuc Champey is this picturesque turquoise river that flows over multiple limestone rock cascades and pools. After the journey there, we were quite tired and so instead of rushing off and trying to photograph the spectacle that afternoon, we settled into the only camp option available (the back of the local kiosk/shebeen). This would prove to be a mistake for two reasons, firstly some local tour guides where clearly feeling well off from the days earnings and spent the better part of the afternoon drinking, puking and repeating only 20m from where we were camped and then secondly bad weather rolled in, it rained all evening and misty conditions greeted us the following morning meaning no sunshine to create the spectacular turquoise effect. With the prospect of slippery paths to access the pools and no real picture postcard opportunities we cut our losses, packed up and started the long haul out of the valley.
So far Guatemala and its tourist attractions had done little to impress us but we had high hopes for the town of Antigua where we headed next. Antigua is renowned for having retained its colonial architecture and feel but for us it also offered the opportunity to visit a Landy mechanic, who has a very good reputation amongst PanAm travellers. As we had no contact details for him other than an iOverlander pin location, our first stop on arrival in town was to visit his premises in the hope that we would be able to secure an appointment within the next few days. To our disappointment he told us he would only be able to help us in a week’s time as he was very busy preparing his regular customers vehicles for the Land Rover show Antigua was hosting that coming weekend and to which he invited us as well.
As mentioned already, Antigua has done a great job of retaining its colonial charm and architecture with two of probably the most classic examples being the McDonalds and Starbucks outlets. In almost anywhere else in the world, these would be housed in modern fast food buildings with big logos to identify them whereas in Antigua they are quietly located behind an old traditional facade and if you did not know about them you would easily walk right past. We are not fans of either outlet but Tania had read about how beautiful each one was and so naturally we went in search of them – they certainly did not disappoint in appearance or atmosphere inside.
Initially we had chosen a campsite on the side of town closer to the market area and main square but after a couple of days we decided to move to another that looked like it was further from the main part of town but warm showers versus warm ones and free wifi available convinced us to move. Also, we had already walked and seen most of the main parts of town so weren’t concerned about being a little further away while we passed away the time until our mechanic appointment. This decision turned out to be one of our best in a long time, as at the new campsite, over the course of the next few days we got to meet a fantastic bunch of other overlanders (something that we hadn’t had for ages).
When we had first set out on this journey we had had the idea that we would often be meeting overlanders and making lots of new friends, the reality has mostly been quite different in that you don’t meet as many travellers as one might imagine and then as in normal life, not everybody “is your cup of tea”. So, while over the years we have made a few good friends, it has been a lot less than we imagined. In the camp was Christian from Switzerland (travelling solo in a Land Rover and who had been “stuck” in Belize/Guatemala for a while), Debbie & Miguel from the USA (just starting out on their PanAm adventure) and Linda & Christof (winding up their one and bit year trip through North America and Mexico). Many an afternoon and evening, was spent laughing and sharing meals as we all got to know each other.
On the weekend, ourselves and Christian rolled along in a huge convoy through town to the Land Rover show where a special section had been setup for the international guests. Also there was Brazilian lady travelling solo in her Land Rover, who after her husband had passed away just before their trip was due to start and despite zero mechanical knowledge, decided to continue their dream on her own.
After the weekend we spent a day with Will the mechanic, flushing the power steering system and replacing a few items (heater matrix/radiator and suspension bushes) which we had brought back to Mr Jones when we flew from the UK a month prior. After hanging around in Antigua we would have typically moved on but thanks to the initiative of Linda & Christof they had convinced us all to join them on a “slack pack” tour up a Volcano to witness the regular eruptions of its neighbour “Fuego”. Fuego (fire) is one of the worlds most active volcanoes with 3 – 4 eruptions occuring per hour.
Typically, most peoples trip to view Fuego involves a 2 day hike up (and down) Volcano Acatenango to a base camp which consists of a few A Frame huts perched on the side facing Fuego, then for the really energetic they set off in the evening for a few extra hours of walking to get closer to the action on Fuego. Naturally the second stage is not recommended due to the enhanced danger but this doesn’t seem to deter many. Linda and Christof had found a tour company that cut out the hike up and down the volcano by providing a lift in a 4×4 for what was really not a significantly higher price. This 4×4 ride got you to within a few kilometres walk of the A-frame base camp shelters with a perfect (and safe) view across to Fuego. In theory it is possible to buy a permit and take your own 4×4 up to the trailhead which might for a brief moment have been appealing to the two Landy drivers in the group but that appeal disappeared within minutes of being on the trail when we got to experience the sheer steepness and slipperiness of the terrain. The ride up the volcano took around 45 minutes and was as wild as any rollercoaster ride.
The basecamps are literally cut into the side of the volcano and with steep slopes and drop offs all around was definitely not Tania’s idea of a great overnight spot but her fears vanished quite quickly once she had a comfy seat and lots of blankets for the magnificent display that took place just a little way away, each time Fuego erupted.
After a simple but tasty supper prepared by the guides, all 7 of us retired to an A-Frame for a surprisingly cosy and good sleep with no snoring to disturb it. Of course, the lack of audible snoring could just have been due everyone having their heads under the blankets to keep warm.
Christmas was approaching and because all of us had the intention of visiting Lago Atitlan, after our volcano adventure we collaboratly picked a spot on the lake that sounded quite nice and in probably what was a first for all of us contacted the owner, in advance, to find out if he had space for our group which he did have. Although we were all going to the same location, it wasn’t to be a convoy journey (which suited us just fine) but thankfully the two vans did decide to travel in convoy as Miguel & Debbie had a rather scary experience on the final descents to the lake. The roads for this section are very very steep for quite long periods and after our “brake failure” incidents in Ecuador, Stuart decided when faced with them to descend in low range despite it all being on tar. Miguel in his van did not have this option and at one point lost all braking and ended up running off into a ditch! Thankfully Christof and Linda were right behind him and could assist with both getting out of the ditch and attaching a tow strap between their vans to provide braking assistance for the remainder of the trip down to the lake – with adrenaline pumping through the veins they both eventually arrived at camp. That night was a slightly rowdier than normal affair as the relief of having survived a potentially life ending scenario was released, much to the chagrin of some young pretentious yoga bunnies staying in a chalet nearby, even though it was only 21:30. It should be noted that we all dispersed and were in bed very quickly after that but matters were made worse when an email was sent to the owner stating that we had partied until midnight and left refuse everywhere. (It is rather judgemental of us to make such a statement but it is rather amusing (for us) how sometimes those that walk around appearing to be totally at peace with the universe are the least at peace or tolerant of others or influences that might invade, and thus takeaway, from their peaceful state). Sadly, this incident left a rather bitter taste in everyone’s mouths and a desire to leave immediately but with the state of Miguel’s brakes this wasn’t feasible which actually turned into a blessing as 2 days later the yoga bunnies left and we got to spend a fantastic 11 days on the lake.
There are many touristy villages scattered around the lake, most of which are accessed via water taxis but first priority was to find a solution for the Miguels brakes. Fortunately for Miguel & Debbie, this incident had happened while travelling with two Land Rover owners which meant there was some very well stocked toolkits on hand and a reasonable amount of experience to lean on for help and advice. On the first day Miguel & Debbie caught a water taxi to a slightly bigger town nearby in order to buy brake fluid as Stuart was convinced (based on our Ecuador experience) that the fluid had boiled and that a full flush would probably resolve the problem. On the second day, the boys set about flushing the system but very quickly a new challenge appeared – while attempting to open the one calliper bleed nipple, Miguel snapped the bolt. After removing the whole calliper, Stuart and Miguel set off (by land this time) to find a mechanic who might be able to remove the snapped one. A trip across 3 villages, a number of mountain passes and only 20km involved 7 different tuktuk rides, a lift on the back of a collectivo pickup and finally a brief but scary ride in a chicken bus before they were back in camp.
Once the brakes were fixed, the group fell into Christian’s hands who (from previous trips) had already spent quite sometime in the area, to act as our guide. Over the course of couple of days we visited the colourful towns of San Juan and San Pedro. Each time this involved flagging down a water taxi from the dock below camp as they passed by and then when leaving the opposite village hopping on a water taxi that plied the section of the lake our camp was on. In the mornings the lake is quite calm but in the afternoon the winds pick up and along with that the waves, which can make for a very bumpy ride back home, especially if you get a water taxi driver who is a bit cavalier about the waves and his speed, as we did on the one trip – so much so that Christof noticed a crack developing in the hull under his foot during that crossing.
Christmas Eve and day were low key affairs with us getting together as a group to enjoy a sampling of food from each others fridge, while in between catching up with family from around the world.
On Boxing Day, everyone set off to continue their journeys, for Christof & Linda that meant making a quick run to Veracruz (Mexico) as their 18 month trip had come to an end and they had a shipping date for their van, Christian would be heading to the Caribbean side of Guatemala to continue a volunteer work project and Miguel & Debbie would be venturing south with the whole of the “PanAm highway” to explore. We headed to the Pacific coast for what Stuart was hoping would be a fun week or so of surfing.
Unlike it’s southern neighbour (El Salvador), Guatemala is not really known as a surfing destination but it does have one beach break where surfing takes place called El Paredon and so that is where we headed.
Camping options were almost non-existent in town but we did find one low key spot that allowed camping in it’s parking area but unfortunately could only stay 3 days as they had been fully booked out for the New Year period. We weren’t entirely unhappy about this, as they were located only 50m from a huge stage that was busy being assembled for the New Year’s party. Also, as it turned out, the surfing wasn’t spectacular and so a few sessions were enough to satisfy Stuart at this surf break.
In our minds we felt that it would be better to cross into Mexico after the New Year holiday period and so on leaving El Paredon we initially went to the next village about 50km up the coast as Stuart had read that some people had surfed there too. However, upon arrival we did not like the feel of the place and once we saw how dirty and unkempt the only possible camping spot was, we made a quick decision to rather just turn north and head closer to the border. If we got close enough then we felt we would be able to cross relatively early on the 31st.
The problem with plans is they often they go awry! In our case this was when we tried to pack up on the morning of the 31st only to discover that we had “lost” all of Mr Jones house electrics, which we might have been able to ignore if not for the fact that we needed power in order to lower the linear actuators that raise Mr Jones roof. Two hours of problem solving later and we were headed for the border.
The exit from Guatemala was painless and quick but the entry into Mexico was not so. During the course of 2024, we entered Mexico 3 times (twice by air and this time via land) and each time we have had the rather uneasy feeling that we may get denied entry or have hassles. In all cases there has been uncertainty by the customs official whether we require a visa or not (we don’t as we have an American visa which Mexico considers satisfactory) and in the case of this crossing they were uncertain if Mr Jones was allowed to enter (despite him having been allowed entry when we shipped him from Colombia). In the end and after a fairly lengthy process, we were let in as was Mr Jones. Border areas and towns are usually quite chaotic and perhaps a bit sketchy so we try and not stay around them, this one in particular has bad reputation as it on the main illegal migrant route from central to North America and so despite it having been a relatively long day we put our heads down for another 2 hours of driving.
Our first night in Mexico and New Years Eve 2024 was spent in a random gas station/truck stop – just as we had done for NYE 2022 while in the Patagonian Steppes of Argentina.
For more insights into the months travels please follow the links below:
Captain(s) Log: December 2024 (behind the scenes, the highs and lows of life on the road)
Overnight Locations (The places we stopped at for a night or more and therefore an overview of our route for this diary entry)
Maintenance Log (everything it takes to keep Mr Jones purring)
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