Pool at the hotel in Guatemala
We had just left the border station at La Hachadura, between Guatemala and El Salvador when a gaily painted bus pulled over to let us pass. Welcome to El Salvador! This would never happen in Guatemala where, as Jogi put it, "they drive like they are in a war."
Northern Guatemala is mountainous, like Chiapas, this gives way to lush green farm land as you go south. El Salvador is beautiful, my favorite country so far. Rugged mountains, good roads, very friendly outgoing people and they take American dollars so no need to hassle changing money. Gas more expensive.......$4/gallon and I'm now using premium on Gabriel's advice since he told me the gas in Latin America is "very dirty."
Border station into El Salvador
Wonderful mountain roads on Central American Hwy 2, several tunnels and we ran along the ocean for a ways also.
The border crossing was tedious, hot, insanely complicated, and hot. We used two tramadores, young guys who guide you thro the process, show you the way from copier to customs, to immigration, back to customs, back to immigration, etc.We paid one $5 to watch the bikes and $7 to the other who acted as guide. Well worth it too. The fact that my sister Sharman's name was on the title of my bike caused a minor problem. I explained to the official that yes, we bought the bike together, but she had since given me the bike. When he asked where she was, I considered telling Jogi to go buy a wig and try to pass, but instead produced the notarized document which attested to the above, and this made everything happy.
Got into Usulutan just at dusk, rang the bell on the high steel security gate to the Hotel Campo Real (the first hotel we tried upon the recommendation of a helpful guy at the gas station was out of business) and a uniformed guard wearing a pistol-grip 12 gauge shotgun slung around his neck, granted us admission. Nice room for $32. Everyone was quite taken with our saga, the bikes and Jogi's GPS, although I explained that it didn't work worth a hoot in Central America. (poor maps is why) Would have made our goal of San Miguel another hour away, but took a wrong turn this morning and went 50 miles in the wrong direction, arriving at the Guatemalan coast instead of El Salvador. I got worried upon seeing all these signs for "Puerto this" and "Puerto that" so we stopped at a park where a bunch of bikers were parked, eating lunch and asked, then back the way we'd came. 358 miles and a good day.
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