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Oct.
18 04
Hola from Guatemala:
We
finally crossed into Mexico on Tuesday. Hit the border at 9:00 and
the last vehicle was across at 2:00. Motored that night until 10:30.
Up and at it early next morning and motored hard all day. Rob Stanclik
and I were pulled over by the police in Poza Cruz for running over
the stop bar at a red light and speeding.
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| Story
that appeared in Nacogdoches newspaper |
I don't
know how the two go together but I guess they do. At one time there
were 5 policia and our licences and passports were with them. Since
we were a large convoy of vehicles and 2 of our
trailers were sealed, the officials had insisted we have an escort
with us - at a cost of $600US. His name was Gerarro and he earned
his money that day as far as I am concerned. He talked and talked
and talked and finally 100 pesos or $10 Cad passed hands and we
were free to go. The alternative seemed to be jail.
Anyway the trip continued on with a stop at 8:30 that night at the
worst fleabag I've ever slept in. Another early start Thursday morning
and a long day. Pulled into the border town at 10:30. We are going
to write a book about how to cross Mexico from north to south in
3 days and see absolutely nothing. Most of the roads are appalling
and in every town there are potholes the size of foxholes and every
town or village has at least 10 or 12 speed bumps. You DO NOT cross
these at less than a crawl. There are some good roads but only a
few.
The last night, after we crossed down to the Pacific coast, we drove
through a couple of torrential downpours. There is little difference
in the humidity level between raining and not raining and you seem
to be just as wet in either condition. I'm glad my darling wasn't
along for the ride - she wouldn't have lasted. Each day the temperature
was 95 to 100 and the humidity is about 95%. Arrived at the actual
border crossing at 7:45 and started waiting for Dr, Escobar from
the Guatemalan
mission who took a bus over to meet us and help ease the crossing.
We cleared the last vehicle at 3:45 and were just waiting for Dave
Mole to bring Dr. Escobar up the hill when he radioed to us that
Ted had to come back down and sign some more papers. When Ted got
there, it seemed that they needed to see all our passports and stamp
them again. More time and money passed and at 5:30 we were gone.
Drove to Guatemala City through 5 or 6 tropical storms - fantastic
lightning and heavy, heavy downpours. After
being in the squalor of the border crossing, this seemed like a
treat.
Arrived about 12:30 and started to put our vehicles in compounds.
Dr. Escobar had seriously underestimated the amount of room we needed
and it was 2:30 in the morning before we were straightened away.
We were all very happy to arrive and get the drivers here to meet
there flights out today - Saturday.
We will take some of the vehicles out to base camp today to store
them and scout out the location. The rest will go on Monday. All
in all, a successful trip. Unfortunately we wasted 4 days at the
US - Mexico border.
Another unfortunate occurrence was that Linda Derstine took ill
in Texas and she and Neil were unable to continue with us. By the
time the rest of us got here, we sounded like professional truckers
on our radios. It´s necessary to pass on totally blind hills
and corners in both Mexico and Guatemala so 1 guy gets around and
talks the others around. It gives a bit of an eerie feeling to thunder
up a hill and around a curve passing a semi not seeing anything
ahead.
So
much for that part of our adventure - now on to the work ahead.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Bob Goodwin
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