The Road is a Harsh Mistress

Monday March 31

Well, recall I mentioned looking for dark spots on the road which could signify oil? You can´t see dark spots of oil on a dark road however as I discovered in the Chiapas Mountains about 50 miles from the Guatemalan border. I came around a very sharp curve heading uphill, front tire hit a patch of oil (I walked back later to confirm this), washed out and down I went. Initial thought was, ¨what in hell happened, this was so easy?¨ Jogi was right behind, we pulled the bike up, wheeled it off the road before some car came along to squash me good. Clinically, my right ring finger is broken at the distal phalanx or tip.........knee pads did their job so no other injury. The tip of my finger was canted off a bit so I yorked on it some (excuse the fancy medical jargon) to straighen it out and did a makeshift splint with some bandaids. More importantly, the bike was relatively unscathed, at least from the outside. Guess I helped break its fall.

Limped it into nearest town of Comalapa, but by this time the bike was suddenly dying and becoming increasingly hard to start. Found an interesting little hotel where the room resembled a barn, but clean and the fan worked. Now bike wouldn´t start at all, so we pulled off the gastank, changed the spark plug, but little improvement.

Jogi went down to a nearby Internet cafe where it was mentioned that a pretty good motorcycle mechanic was close by. About 9 PM, Jogi returns with Gabriel.....wheeling his Honda 250 dirt bike into the tiny hotel lot. He manages to start the bike, takes it for a test ride thro town, but returns on foot nearly half an hour later explaining that the bike died so he left it with a friend. Jogi rides off on his bike, and together they push it back. Gabriel tells us he thinks the fall knocked debris from the tank into the carb and that he will return next morning to clean carb and tank. I was too tired and upset to do much more than peel off my filthy clothes, shower in freezing water and fall asleep.

Prior to The Fall, we had been enjoying an interesting day. First, a wreck between two trucks on a little bridge had traffic backed up for about half a mile, but we rode to the head of the line, and found about a three foot space between the immobile vehicles we could ride thro. It´s good to be narrow even if my mirrors almost touched the trucks as I went. Then, in Chiapas we rounded a corner and again traffic was stopped.........this time for a demonstration against high electricity prices. The protest was designed to shut down the major road to show the government how unhappy the people are. Thinking the flyer which was proffered was some ad for a fiesta, I almost said no, but noticed Jogi reading his so took one which was good or there would have been major offense given. Chiapas is a very poor state, heavily Mayan and was the locale for the Zapatista Rebellion in the nineties when the people there revolted against the national government (which typically gives this area short shrift) and actually took over several towns. This was quickly put down by the Mexican Army, but the spirit of rebellion is strong here and you see many pro Zapatista signs on buildings and car windows.

So we sit in the hot sun and are quite the hit with the young guys who crowd around and ask questions about the bikes, until we ask about leaving. We had ridden to the head of the line where the peasants had made a crude barrier of stones and palm branches. One fellow who looked important said we could pass, but when we attempted to go, a rather angry crowd blocked out way and made it apparent they didn´t like the idea. So, Jogi took their picture which pleased them....probably thought now their little protest would make all the Western papers....., but still no pass. There was much laughing mixed with loud arguments between the ¨they are just tourists and this isn´t their issue, let them go¨faction versus the ¨to hell with them, nobody passes, it would be disrespectful and besides we need to show we´re serious¨group. After a while it was agreed we could go and the crowd parted, a small opening was made in the barrier. Jogi decided to show off and popped a wheelie as he rode thro, but it went awry, the rear end sashayed out and he barely kept the bike up by using his feet as outriggers. This was well received by the crowd who no doubt thought it had all been purposefully done for their entertainment. I was loudly encouraged to do the same, but politely declined and awa



TUESDAY APRIL 1ST

7 AM sharp Gabriel (yes, just like the angel) shows up on his bike with a sack of tools bungeed on back, holding an oil drain pan and a can of spray carb cleaner in his right hand. The guy was just great, pulled the carb off and expertly disassembled it in no time at all. And yes, the main jet was plugged. All done and put back together in about 2 hours and the bike runs great. I twisted the handlebars back straight on the forks, and we proceeded to Gabriel´s house



Passerby watches the oil change

where he showed us his collection of old and wrecked bikes and quads, then to the store for some oil and then back where he changed oil on Jogi´s bike for good measure. Didn´t get out of town till nearly noon, but at least I have a functioning machine.

Border crossing at La Mesilla went very smoothly. Quite quick and absolutey hassle free....would that the other might follow suit! Rode about 150 miles. What a beautiful part of Guatemala......mountainous.....very steep, everything lush and green with both pine trees and palms. The buses here are painted bright colorful designs, everything looks much more festive than in Mexico. Tonight we are staying at a nice hotel in Matzatenango......$30 night WITH Internet obviously. In Guatemala, they don´t have the national gasoline company they did in Mexico, so good old Texaco, Shell and even Esso are found. Gas here is also sold by the gallon instead of the liter....about $2.80 for regular.

A trying 24 hours, but I´m happy now.