Organized Crime at the Border and its,

Better to be an honest drunk, then a dishonest holy man......Yogi Bajhan

River close to the Guatemalan Mexican border

I felt like I made it! This was a big step, getting into the Central American Countries themselves. This feels like the second leg can now start. Just getting thru customs itself was a huge hurdle. A first step to this part of the journey.
The place I staid last night was ok, at least it felt safe. Now in Guatemala everything feels a little different, maybe some early judgements on my part, but my experience at the border left me very skeptical, tired, and feeling like I just got taken to the cleaners, and this by what I thought was a sanctioned government official......
Anyway the trip this morning was probably the best of the whole time south of the border. The roads were very good, few speed bumps or construction. In fact most of the trip from Tapanatapei ( as usual the towns don't have signs telling you what they are, and the map is so small I can barely read it, even with glasses, so I hope this is right ) was 4 lanes. The whole feeling sort of changed too. A little more modern, cleaner brighter clothes,(of course it was Sunday) and the Sierra Madre Chiapas are well worth the view. Of any place I've seen so far in Mexico this area with it huge mountains, almost like the Rockies, and its fast flowing rivers thru granite boulders, reminded me of Banff in Alberta Canada as well. And while I'm unsure of the access to a lot of this range, or the hiking or camping options, of all the places in Mexico it seemed the most capable of recreational activities. I even saw some cyclist's with modern riding gear who gave me a thumbs up.
I continue to see more VW Bugs. The older models before they discontinued them, 60's and 70's models. Also three wheeled bicycles with the two wheels in front and a place to sit. Apparently taxis, peddled ones. Later at the Guatemala border there were many motorized ones running as taxis.
I also saw lizards on the road as I wizzed by at 60 mph's. One which I think I hit, came running out into the road on his hind legs! The other scurried off on all fours, both were about a foot long. Another animal on the road looked like a cross between a rat, a skunk, and a possum. It had a rats tail, a white and black spotted fur like a skunk, and the head of a possum. It was the size of a large rat. So many new creatures down here, I can't wait to see my first tarantula!

There have been buzzards the whole way since Texas. Their really the most populous bird I continue see. They circle up high and join what may be bald eagles hunting along the highway, probably for road kill. With locals also coming out and walking the highways ane searching the medians and ditches for what I'm not sure, there isn't any returnable bottle law that I'm aware of down here.
It was also very hot, I put on skin protection about 3 times with my face shield and sun glasses which seemed to help. I was getting baked yesterday and today on my face, even with SP30. Temperatures had to be in the mid 90's with heavy humidity. I wear a sweat shirt, pants, and gloves to help protect me from the tropical sun while I'm riding. My face is mainly what's exposed. All the clothes aren't bad when I'm moving, but as soon as I get in traffic or have to stop, I become drenched in sweat. Its worth it for the protection from the sun.
I saw a prison today too, it looked like an old concrete, barbed wired, dirty almost crumbling structure. There was a Police station and check point out by it on the highway. Otherwise I would have taken a picture, perhaps another time.

My middle finger was so swollen last night I could barely sleep for awhile. Its from all the clutch work on those roads and speed bumps. Its just constant, hundreds of times a day. Today wasn't too bad, but Guatemala looks like its going to be more of the same. I want to get on the road as early as possible tomorrow.

This hotel about 40 miles from the Mexican border doesn't feel very good, like the worst I've staid at yet. The guy who apparently runs the place was in the court yard with a shot gun. He's was walking all over earlier with it, even by my window, this place seems weird., but the reality is many places do have armed guards in Central America, houses are guarded with barbwire fences, locked gates, and all kinds of security. When I pulled in it was about to get dark and rain, so I didn't have a lot of choice. How many times would you rent from a proprietor that has a shot gun at his side, in fact holding it while you give him the money, 150 Quetzales, or about $30. For other customers it may make them feel safer. It just makes me feel uneasy.

I probably paid too much, I have to get better at haggling, or at least start trying it. Like when I was in Costa Rica earlier this year, and not knowing the language, the culture, anything, I would leave my hotel room each day with the idea of how much money I can save by being prudent, and not just paying the first price that comes along. And then at the end of the day reflect on what could have been done differently and what actually saved me money. This is really how a lot of international travel needs to be approached, and of course its how most people in the world have to approach their day every day.
After I get all my gear up in my room I am dying for some water, and I was going to go down to the gas station and buy some a hundred yards down the road but it sounds like there's people partying outside my room and I'm sure the one guy still has his gun.
The guy who took my money originally didn't speak much English, ( probably because my Spanish was so bad!) then he did seem to understand, and now I just noticed there is a lock on the outside of the door coming into my hotel room, but not going out! Yes this place is a little weird. Hopefully that's as far as it goes, however the wall size mirror sitting across from the bed makes one think differently. I would have went out for water, but not being able to lock anything up I just don't want to risk it.

Organized Crime at the Border

Ok my great border experience. I'm not even into Tapachula yet, the last big town before the border and there is a guy with a badge waiving me down. He says he works with the Guatemalan border and will help me go thru all the necessary paperwork. Fortunately I read in Dr. Frazier's "Riding South" book how he handled it some 10 years ago. This was sort of the only guide I had to go by.
So I have a good idea its a good idea to pay a small handling fee to someone to expedite the process. And for some reason Sunday is suppose to be a very bad day to cross. More expensive and it takes longer. Though what Dr. Frazier paid and what I paid seem quite far apart. Except today I'm paying for five countries at once, which I'm told is because now there is an international permit. And to verify this to myself I had read on the State Dept.'s site that in 2004 or so, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua became G-4 countries so that you only needed to buy one permit and get stamped in once to travel thru all countries. I am planning on this information to be accurate. Instead of back then when you had to pay for each one as you went thru, causing a lot more time, and put together, probably almost as much money, though I can't wait to get some feed back from others who have gone thru, because if it turns out to be too much I will probably send a letter to the embassy or whoever about it with the receipts.
In retrospect I don't know how anyone could get thru all the procedures and paper work without knowing Spanish. On exiting one country the vehicle permit must be canceled, passport stamped for leaving one country,apparently stamped for entering the next. A new permit for oneself and the bike for the next country, as well as the bike being sprayed around the tires with a pesticide for mosquitos. This I was later told was probably just water! Every procedure comes with some cost, everything, even the smallest of things, like a dollar to get a passport stamped...There's handlers fees which include bribes and finally paying someone to watch my bike.

For me my goal was to get across the border today, Sunday, and get it over with. Joel the guy who's helping me says no vehicle permits will be issued for 2 days after today because of holidays. All saints day or something. The day of the dead....maybe the day of the naive!
I feel lucky because after all this, and as long as its going to take, if the roads were anywhere near as bad as they had been yesterday I probably would have got here too late, and not been able to cross until Wednesday! According to Joel.. Again my feeling is, this is such a big step of the trip, no matter what it costs, I just want in, one step closer to Costa Rica......An attitude that will cost me more then I think.
First Joel takes me across the street after I park my bike, to an office where the guy is going to cancel my vehicle permit for Mexico so I don't get charged the import fee after 30 days. OK, so he does that and then tells me he collects U.S. change and shows me some quarters. Ok I think he's going to buy some from me, but just takes two quarters and Joel says lets go. I'm thinking of Dr. Greg's story again that you just have to expect bribes all along the way here. Well 50 cents doesn't seem too bad..............I'm dumbly thinking this is cool I'm in on all the things you hear about, living the alternative life, whatever, its hard not to sort of get high or as Grant Johnson who with his wife lived on the road on their motorcycles for ten years said, " get addicted to this motorcycle travel life". So I need to keep this in perspective I keep telling myself. I am also not 19 anymore and the thrill of a whole new experience is not there the same way it might have been in my youth. Here I feel I have a lot of time and money invested in this trip with some sort of schedule to stay with, and I'm hoping just to get thru what ever way I can and make the whole trip work. A characteristic of my youth was certainly not worrying about tomorrow, getting high on today, or at times maybe whatever that might find its way my way!

As Danaan Perry said in one of his spiritual way tapes as we moved away from the psychedelics, the extreme highs and the extreme lows of the 60's and 70's. Those methods of getting high just weren't doing it for us anymore, and for him at least they were replaced by a sense of expanding from where we were at, instead of all the ups and downs, that came with trying to get high, and then having to deal with the lows. I can only say too, that some of the motivation of doing drugs back then was a desire to feel, and be different then what we saw around us. A lot of it was just hippie stuff, some made it out of it ok, others didn't. Some of us are still working thru it all.

While I was more of a child of the 70's, not the 60's, a lot of what teachers from that time talk about have resonance with me, also part of it is growing older. Things change, what we use to like to do no longer holds our interest, and that's ok.This trip is not a wild ride back into youth, in fact in many ways its a way of trying to accomplish things I couldn't do in youth. Things like planning ahead, measuring the risks and the rewards, knowing to a large degree what I want out of this trip, and doing it. I know in ways I am not any happier doing it this way then how I use to travel as a "care free youth". The younger self, and the older self, in a sense want the same thing, "freedom", they just go about it in different ways.

Many different quotes come to mind from various teachers thru the years, I'm not going to mention all the sources here, but they all hold the truth that the true source to happiness does not lie in our own efforts, or even our own dreams. Something I think most of us sense as we're wrapped in all our plans for the future, and even me with the apparent exoticness of this new, old situation for me.

"Let go and let God"........"Love yourself first"......, "No resistance"....., God is the answer to every problem, and the problem to every answer"......, "The purpose to life is knowing yourself and treading the lower path in a liberating way". Its been a long time since there was anything new under the sun, but, at the same time every moment is brand new and will never come back. As I remember Ram Dass saying once in one of his books, "you have all the time in the world, but don't waste a minute".

On some level I'm thinking of all this as I give Joel a ride on the back of my motorcycle the 10 miles or so to the Guatemalan border. On my bike that has absolutely no room for a rider, suddenly takes one. With me almost riding on the tank, and Joel riding behind me, we navigate the rough roads to the border, and the ensuing den of organized crime!

Before we left the Mexican border we had to make copies of everything at one of the stores. My passport, registration, drivers license and title. And yes they always asked me if it was the original title, and I always said yes...Just like Greg said to do in his book. If you take out the original, by the end of the trip it will be in shreds.
They also tell me if I hadn't used my credit card I could have gotten the $30 back that I paid for for my vehicle permit. But they won't reimburse me with a credit card! Something the guy at the Mexican Border purposively asked for.
The thing is during this whole experience its hotter then hell, I'm trying to carry my tank bag, helmet and gloves with me, and continue to fumble thru and find what they keep asking me for. Basically its all in the tank bag, but every move make I'm surrounded by four or five guys looking at my every move ( after we get to the border), waiting to exchange money, or give me advice or lord knows what. It was really hard to concentrate on exactly what was happening, getting the title, drivers license, copies out, vehicle permit from Mexico, my passport, etc. All multiple times, at different windows, usually on the street, surrounded by guys, in terrible heat and crowds.
Well ok so we get to the Guatemalan Border, I'm sweating like crazy Joel has already told me if anyone asks to exchange money don't do it, we'll take care of that later. In fact don't stop for anyone. Ok so I guess I decided to go the whole way with Joel. No other choice really that I knew would be better. So we drive by the hordes trying to get us to stop and I don't which makes them very mad.
So the first thing I have to do is park the bike and a guy tells me I need to go into a building with my passport, and he tells Joel to leave, or go across the border or something. I get the idea then that Joel has a place, but he is down there in rank.... Maybe way down there. I go in find a line and the lady stamps my passport. I ask about my bike and she points up the street, I have to go farther I guess to the border. I think she's stamping me into Guatemala, but in reality she stamping me out of Mexico! I thought you did that when you came in, not when you left. I guess she did check my permit for me in Mexico too, but that was it. So I find out later I need a stamp for Guatemala, 10 Quetzales, about $1.50 I think, just for the stamp.
Ok that's done, we had parked the bike down an alley where I was surrounded by 4 or 5 guys, and I thought well this is it, I'm in an alley they can do whatever they want to me. However the first place we checked was closing in a half hour, I guess they did permits. They were set up in the end of this alley in front of a fenced in parking area . Can you imagine our customs doing business in the back alley with private street guys running the in between for them. That's the thing we were just a hundred yards away from the entrance gate and all that. Even Mexico didn't run their border this way.
So ok Joel's going to find someone else to do it. He says wait here. A few minutes later he comes back, tells me to take the key, but leave the bike, these 3 guys are going to watch it. I take my tank bag that has all my important stuff in it. Before we leave though what appears to be a customs guy comes down the alley to check my bike. He, or thru Joel asks me to tell him what is in the bags, any weapons, or drugs I assume he asks Joel, I tell him no, and he asks me if there's any computers. I tell him I have a laptop and Joel just says no to the guy, and he walks off.
This alleys about 6 ft wide, and it seems strange, but when you see how narrow the street is that runs thru the gates, I guess they need every spare space they can get and it makes sense why the procedures are done here and there, and everywhere they can find a space. Or really where the handlers can all run their business!
Ok so now we're on our way to see the guy who is going to clear my paper work and get my permits. He is not on an alley, but is down in sort of subway entrance and there is little offices with one computer and a desk . All in these open little spaces. The guy kind of reminds of Skinner in the X-Files. Looks real business and professional like. He looks at everything gives me a price, between him and Joel who's interpreting for me they tell me it will be $243, U.S., to get my bike in. I like go over it several times, making sure they did it right. 10 years ago I'm thinking Greg did it for $40, plus a $10 fee to the handler and a couple dollars to the guy who watched the bike. At least at one border this is what he paid. Supposedly this will be good for all six countries. We'll see I guess, but at that rate, while expensive it would be about what Greg paid. But he felt he was really getting ripped off...Another guy had paid $10 to get in at that time. I didn't have much choice, I didn't have anything to compare it too, had never been here before so I just paid it. All I had was 50's so I game him five of them. He said he owed me $7 and would be back. He also said he was doing it for 42 days, I asked for ninety, and I think he gave it to me. I don't see anywhere on the receipt how long its good for.
So he leaves, and its me and Joel and another guy who we picked up somewhere after Mexico stamped me out. We're all just sitting there waiting for Skinner to get back. Then another in between guy comes in, its his day off and he drunk. He decides to sit down and say and ask the same questions over and over. I think about asking him if he's ever heard of AA, but I think better of it.
So an hour goes by and we're all still there. Those guys get up to leave, get some food, check on the bike, whatever. Before they go I ask Joel how much for everything? Trying to nail down how much more this is going to be, and how much money I should exchange to Guatemalan currency. Finally he says if I give him $50 that will take care of the permit for me, the spraying of the bike, his fee, and that's it. So I give him another $50 plus $50 more to exchange for me into Guatemalan currency. He says that's it, don't pay anyone any more. Somewhere here, I offered more money then I should have, I know it. But I'm trying to get it all squared away so I know exactly what its all going to cost. He tells me we're square, I ask him about the guy watching my bike for what turns out to be 3 hours. He says just throw him $5. I'm thinking he should pay him out of his money, but all these guys want their money.
So they leave to exchange money, and the drunk guy comes back with a beer for each of us. I tell him no I don't drink. He sort of thinks I don't want to drive and drink, and is ok with that, that seems smart. However he won't stop talking, and I'm ok with this for about an hour and a half, but in this case he's just talking at me, not with me.
So just after Skinner takes off Joel comes back and says they went to lunch, whoever they are and it shouldn't be too long.. We wait, and wait, and the guy keeps getting drunker, and Joel's waiting there with us, and the other guy. Then he goes to get something to eat, they order me something and deliver it, fried chicken and fries of all things. Hadn't seen either in my travels in Mexico. And a Pepsi, so at least I get to eat. The other two guys take off, but you know who stays, the drunk guy. I can't even eat and he's still talking to me. Now I'm starting to get annoyed. If anyone at my job showed up on their day off, drunk, and tried to run the whole show, they'd be fired, period. Or sent to rehab. What's worse is we've been waiting now for almost two hours for these guys to get back from lunch with my paper work. Boy they didn't need to go to lunch before they took my $250.
On top of that the drunk is telling me I shouldn't have paid more then forty dollars! I'm getting madder and madder waiting, thinking they have everything. My passport, my title, my $250, and when the border closes when ever that is for the night It will be closed for two days, and I'll have to wait.
So Joel finally comes back and tells me my bike is fine, gives me my exchange money which he actually did earlier, says they should be done with lunch soon. I ask him what time the border closes for the night, and he says four o'clock, and its three now!
Ok this is no longer a fun exercise in patience anymore. Joel can tell I'm getting a little stressed, meanwhile the drunk keeps asking me the same questions and calling me his bestest of Amigo's. Joel sits down and I tell him that the guy told me I had way over paid. I asked him did I? He really didn't give me an answer, perhaps because partly its out of his control, but I don't think he undercharged for his role in it.
So he gets up and leaves and comes back with Skinner, who promptly halls the drunk guy out to be admonished I think. I'm thinking good, maybe we are finally rid of him for awhile. After all its your office, do you always allow guys to sit at your desk and drink beer while you conduct business? Well he may have admonished him but he came right back in and left off where he was.
At this point I think Joel said an hour, and I said the border closes in an hour. He then said twenty minutes and left. Then Skinner came back and said one momento. Well that sounded better, after two hours we were finally getting some action. Right, so now its down to the wire. Joel wants to go pick up the bike and get it sprayed we have to get cracking. Of course the drunk guy is with me every step of the way, I really should have just told him to please leave me alone for awhile, I kept hoping he would leave, but he didn't.
We get to the bike and there's 3 guys watching it. Like everything Joel is saying hurry hurry, can't wait. I tell the one guy follow us and I'll pay you. So we get to the sprayer, the guy sprays the bottom of the bike. I give the guy $5 to watch the bike like Joel said, I also remember Greg had given his guy $2 10 years ago. It didn't sound fair at all, and the guy said he wanted twenty. I asked Joel thinking these guys work together, but I'm sure its everyone for themselves out here, which is too bad. I thought the guy looked honest, and he did what he was told. I was just feeling burned by it all. Mean while the drunk is still in my face talking about what who knows. The whole time he followed me, even to this point. I give the guy another five and he says he wants $20. I tell him I've just paid way too much as it is, and I point to Joel. That's it, and of course Joel is yelling at me to go to the next window, move the bike again. And of course the drunk is still right there next to me.
Skinner comes running up with my paper work, I forget to ask him about my $7 in change. He's too far away anyway and is gone right away.I go to the window and sign a paper and go back to bike to wait. Joel says I'll need my drivers license. I start looking for it and can't find it anywhere. In all the confusion I have no idea where it is. I have so much different paper work and money to keep track of I'm going thru everything right there on my bike, but I can't find it. Mean while the drunk guy who was also at the window wanting to take over and sign the papers for me, and then complain is at the bike still talking. I'm just about losing it now, and Joel asks if I'm alright. Its like I'm ok, but why can't you get this drunk away from me for five minutes! I can't lose my license, what a hassle that would be to get a new one, and have it sent to Costa Rica. And what if I got pulled over before then? No matter I can't find it anywhere, and now they say I don't need it.
At one point I give my 4 year AA coin to Joel and tell him to give it to that guy. I wasn't going to bring it up but I was so pissed at him at that moment, I thought well maybe when he sobers up he'll look at it. Joel wants to keep it and make a necklace out of it.
Ok so a guy comes out with my final paperwork and checks the vin# and everything and says I'm all set. The guard at the gate in a rather snazzy uniform opens the gate and lets me in. Almost like the gatekeeper in the Wizard of Oz now that I think about it.
My entourage of four is still with me, I take one last look at the guy who watched my bike and I feel bad for him, I tell him again I'm sorry. He reminds me of a migrant worker I worked with on a farm one time. Sort of gentle and honest, but at the moment pissed. Of course so am I and I feel the same way he does. About the only guys who came out well was Joel and Skinner. For Joel this is his only job, and probably his only way to make money, I wasn't too hard on him. He also told me he has a wife and kid. But for the paper processor, Skinner, it seemed like he was probably really calling the shots. And to just let all these guys bring in people like me, and get a cut yourself, while most of them, like the guy who watched my bike got almost nothing. I guess its just they way things are done, even Joel said it was too bad, and not right. But the government gets most of it, I'm not sure about that either. If it was in the U.S. I might agree.
So everybody walks me thru the gate and into Guatemala, I do have to say one thing they were there for the whole ride. Right up until we all shook hands and said farewell.
Joel asked me one more time if I wanted to exchange anymore money, I said I was pretty sure I had enough. Again hard to not question the motives. And then I again told him to give the AA coin to his coworker, and explained what AA is how it can help people to quit drinking, or maybe just find god....... Joel seemed to understand and gave it to him.The guy doesn't even understand English, but perhaps one day he'll learn what it says and is suppose to mean, who knows.

Its better to be an honest drunk, then a dishonest holy man...... Yogi Bajhan

In retrospect the most honest person I dealt with at the border was the guy who was drunk. He's the one who told me the truth, over and over and in a way tried to help, even when he was drunk and ended up just getting in the way. Thru my pre' judgements of him, the situation, the others who weren't drunk, the uncomfortable heat, and my desire to get thru regardless of the cost, I really missed an opportunity to listen to him and then try to do something about it. Its funny, its like in all that confusion, and organized crime, God sends an honest drunk to me to tell the truth. And its true, drunks really can be the most honest and caring people (its often why they drink so they can feel that way), especially when their drunk. And the professionals, the clergy men, the wolfs that hide in sheep's clothing are the ones to watch out for. As Yogi Bajhan said, " it really is better to be an honest drunk, then a dishonest holy man".There are lessons for us everyday, we just have to know where, and how to look.
So that was my experience at the border. (on one level no more real or less real then any other experience). I knew is was not going to be easy. It took almost 4 hours and $310. But I'm in Guatemala tonight, and that's what I wanted. And hopefully the other borders, like they say, won't be as hard....
Warm thoughts to Debbie, Guatemala has always made me think of you, or vice versa.

The road gets a little shaky for awhile

Puente is the Spanish word for bridge,

not river as I mentioned in an earlier post