In Guatemala! After six months in Mexico

This is the family I stayed with in Cacahoatán. The children are 2, 7, and 14 years old. The grandmother, left, and mother, right are both named Victoria. 

I met the grandmother (Victoria) in her restaurant and she invited me to stay with them. 

Their house is a modern north-american style, built by some Canadians who once lived here 6 mothers out of the year. 

Many extended family members were in town, and I could not remember their names and relationships. There were many small children, and we had a birthday part for the eldest, who was turning 14. 

Birthday party with many small children. 

Awesome spiderman piñata. Piñatas are fun. I think if I have a birthday party someday I'd like a piñata.

A local news organization heard about my story. They wanted to do a live interview! The news organization was a man named Belisario with a Facebook page and several hundred viewers. 

Here is the interview:

Belisario spoke very clearly, so I could mostly understand his Spanish. I'm accostomed to answering questions like his, so I appear more fluent than I really am. I though he was a good interviewer because he encouraged me to just talk. 

Later that day I had another interview with a group called AzabacheTeVe. It was totally different from the first interview. AzabacheTeVe makes content for TikTok, so they wanted to create something edited, humorous, and fast paced. The interviewer did most of the talking and made a joke of the fact that I don't plan on biking back to the US from Argentina. This is fine, but not what I was expecting. If the interview is ever published, it could be found here: https://www.tiktok.com/@azabache_teve?_t=8e0pGVPAbiE&_r=1

This is a drink of fermented pineapple and raw cane sugar. The fermented flavor was mild and sweet. Tasty!

They took my to a carne asada restaurant.

The man on the right is the brother of Veronica and son of the other Veronica. He plays the guitar at events and you can hire him to serenade you and your partener. Very cool! The meat was delicious. Thank you.

Later we went to a rock formation call Pico de Loro, up in the mountains. They took drone shots of me and my bicycle:

Cool.

¡Viva México! Jaja

Can you guess what Pico de Loro🦜 means? 

I said that Pico de Loro was perhaps the most beautiful place I had seen in Mexico. Then I said it again for their camera. 

They also took promotional video for Veronica and her restaurant, who is organizing a bicycle race to celebrate the restaurant anniversary. 

Promotional banner.

Coffee is the principal crop here. The beans are ready for harvest when they are red. 

Originally from Ethiopia, coffee arrived in this area of current Chiapas in the 1830s. 

In the early 1900s, wealthy Germans came and basically bought the whole operation. One of them was Enrique Braun, whose sister was Adolf Hitler's wife. 

In the mid 1900s, the land was returned to the workers. 

In front of the house of Enrique Braun, which is now a museum. 

In the gift shop, a picture of Eva Braun, who married Adolf Hitler. 

Veronica and Veronica gave me a Jesus token. 

Religious people often seem to think that faith and belief in God will change outcomes. Sometimes this seems absurd to me because I see no empirical evidence for the existence of an unseen-supernatural-humanoid above the clouds. But belief influences actions. And actions define the course of history. As an Idea, God seems to be very real and very powerful. 

Some people who 'believe in God' believe that God exists in a literal, physical sense. Others people who 'believe in God' believe that God is a Force, an Idea. Perhaps I am not so different from this 2nd type of believer?

5 July 2023

Finally time to cross into Guatemala!

I stopped at Veronica's restaurant El Bolillazo one last time and ate for free. Veronica gave me a ton of food to take with me. Then she and a relative accompanied me across the border and helped me acquire local currency (Quetzal).

I made a YouTube video about my first two days in Guatemala:

At Mexican Immigration I was missing the recipt showing that I had paid for the tourist permit. Then, they said I was supposed to have left Mexico yesterday. They were right; I had been in Mexico for about 180 days and 3 hours. I had to pay the fee again of 550 MXN (33 USD).

Friendly people in Guatemala:

My route towards Huehuetenango went to the west of the volcano Tajumulco. It was about two days of climbing from sea level to 3000+ meters (10,000+ feet).

Someone gave me a plastic rain poncho. 

Steep steep steep.

During the afternoon there was crazy thick fog and rain so I wanted to find a campsite early. 

I ask a man in a car if he knows of a place I could use my tent. He says I can follow them back to their house and also asks if I have USD. He wants to exchange some Quetzal for USD. Back at his house it's clear that he is intoxicated which makes an uncomfortable situation for me. Because I want to make sure it's not a problem with the rest of his family that he's inviting me in. They let me inside an empty room, and I exchange 45 USD for Quetzal with him. Then he starts to ask me for money to stay there. I just want a place to use my tent. I wouldn't mind paying 5 USD to stay somewhere, but the way he asks is uncomfortable because he is drunk. So I say to him and his family that I will just leave. Then his family tells me I can stay there, it's no trouble to them, and that I don't have to pay. We chat and I share the sweet bread that Veronica gave me. Their 10 year old son makes me some instant ramen. 

This is the family. Not pictured is the teenage daughter who the the drunk man though I should marry. She didn't want to be photographed. 

They lived in this small community.

6 July 2023

Pure climbing today. 

Beautiful sunrise.

These three-wheeled taxis are common in Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guatemala too. 

I spoke with some native Mam speakers:

This is the town of Tajumulco. Most women wear traditional clothing. The fabric patterns are intracate and specific to the town/locality. I have been told they are very expensive. 

I reach the summit of the climb in the afternoon. At a small military base I get permission to sleep in an empty room. 

Empty room.

They are about my age.

Later, about 8 police officers arrive and we all share the room for the night. They are staying in this town temporarily to help with a 20-year ongoing land dispute.

The weather is cool and dry which is such a relief that I smile and laugh because of it.

7 July 2023

Due to road closures, I still haven't reached Huehuetenango in the afternoon, so I look for camping. 

Someone suggests that behind this abandoned building would be a good and safe place to camp.

Later, a woman tells me that if the owner finds me camping there, he may be angry, so I should leave early in the morning. In that case, I will leave now and find another place. Does she know of another patch of flat ground where I could use my tent with permission? I ask. She invites me into her home.

This is her 10 year old son milking a cow. 

This is milk from the cow which the 10 year old just milked. It is warm and delicious. Will it make me sick?

They feed me and I talk with their son and show him my recorder. He takes a video of me playing the recorder and then we sleep. In the morning they feed me breakfast with eggs and cheese from their cows. Thank you. 

8 July 2023

My friend from middle school, Julian Santos, heard about my trip on Instagram. His dad, Mario, remembered me. Mario goes back and forth between the US and Guatemala frequently for work, and invited me to stay with him in Huehuetenango. 

Mario and I overlooking Huehuetenango.

Mario was born and grew up in Huehuetenango. He met his wife in the US while there for business, and has now lived there more than half his life. 

In Huehue I also bought a new rear tire and rebuilt my brake calipers.

Thank you so much for hosting me Mario. I look forward to seeing my friend Julian again someday day when I return to the US. He has a son now. Respect. 

12 July 2023

I leave Huehuetenango with good weather and good roads for cycling. 

In Momostenango, I ask about camping and someone suggests talking to the police. A police officer suggests the church. The church doesn't know a place. A different police officers suggest a hotel. There are still hours of daylight, so I leave town. Then I talk to Edgar.

Edgar. 

Edgar worked in DC and other parts of the US for 10 years. 15 years ago. He used the savings to start his business here in Momostenango. This is a story I hear frequently. Edgar feeds me and I shower at his brothers house, where they give me bread and coffee. I sleep under a outdoor roof on his terrace. Thank you Edgar. 

In the morning someone gave me breakfast and I didn't even have the chance to ask his name. People do so many nice things for me I feel happy and also sad because I know I won't be able to remember all the nice little things.