Border Crossings

This posting is mostly pertaining to crossing borders in Central America with a motorcycle or a car. Though obviously my experience was with a motorcycle, I'm sure having a car is very similar but brings up it's own nuances. If your lucky enough to be on a regular bus or a tour bus without a vehicle to deal with, the basic procedures are the same except it's less paper work and expense. If your hitchhiking (and I did see at least one person doing that) walking (didn't see anyone doing that) or riding a peddle bike I'm not sure what different procedures you might encounter but just the fact your not driving should make the procedure simpler (if that's possible) and cheaper. I would like to hear from anyone who has hitched or walked through Central America.     

The basic procedures for crossing borders In Central America are as follows. First you need to get your passport stamped out of the country your leaving at migración (migration) and than get your vehicle permit and the permit for yourself canceled at aduana (customs) for that country (it may not be in this order at every country).  Upon entering the next country you get your passport stamped in at migración and than go to la aduana for permits for the vehicle and yourself. That's basically it, migration and customs for the country your leaving and migration and customs for the country your entering. The amount of time and money you spend doing this simple process can vary considerably.

When you get to aduana (customs) to get the vehicle and your own permits they are usually good for 30 to 90 days, but check to make sure their for as long as you want, 90 is the max but they will often put just 30 down if you don't ask them for more (and don't let them charge you more for more days). As already mentioned when your leaving a country you need to first have your passport stamped out of that country and than again go to customs to have the vehicle permit (and your own) canceled. This is very important for in the case of Mexico if you don't cancel your vehicle permit on leaving, you may not be allowed back into the country ever (I'm not sure if this is just with a vehicle or is a life time ban on yourself as well), they figuring you sold it for a big profit without paying duty or import fees.

Its worth noting that the only places you should be spending money (outside of handlers fees or having someone watch your bike if you choose to use them) while crossing borders is when your getting your passport stamped in and out at migration (these are often the cheapest charges ranging from $0-$10) and at customs when you pay for the vehicle permit, your permit, possibly your vehicle insurance (some countries seem to require it, I bought no special insurance for the trip, basically I was uninsured as most motorcycles are that go south of the border, it is way too expensive, hundreds or maybe even a couple of thousand dollars for full coverage for a long trip), and any other charges like vehicle spraying. Having your bike sprayed with insecticides is required to enter Nicaragua and Guatemala and the charge is usually $2-$4. Costa Rica requires vehicle insurance and was $25 for ninety days. Also having copies of everything is important, as many as you need for the amount of borders your crossing. You should have copies of your title (try never to use the original by the end of the trip it will be worn out), drivers license, passport, insurance (whether its valid in that country or not) and vehicle registration. Know where your serial numbers are on your bike, they will want to see them at every border and check them with your title. Handlers will often want to run off with some of your copies or make copies after they have been stamped for another $2. I did not include copying charges in all this because they did not amount to much and having my own I often did not need to pay to have them made (but for some reason often did anyway). It's hard to know what is necessary in regards to copies without being able to talk to an official directly, at least having your own copies cuts down on some of this nonsense.

Nicaragua like Costa Rica is another country that apparently requires vehicle insurance to enter though I've heard varying reports. For me they told me I had already bought some on my trip down and didn't need to buy it going back (the problem with not speaking the language and using handlers, you never know what you are or aren't getting). All this is debatable, certain bikers say they just refuse to pay it and don't. Or you hear other stories of people going all the way through these countries without paying hardly anything. Knowing the language and having a basic knowledge of border crossings can save you a lot of money no doubt, but I've also heard some of the most outrageous claims like one guy saying he only spent $12 to drive from the U.S. to Argentina on border fees.

    Customs is really the place where the hidden fees are, unclear charges and corruption can lie. If your going to get ripped off, here's the place. They may try to sell you bike insurance you don't need, or say the vehicle permit is good for all Central American countries when its not (saying that's why its so expensive), or make something up like your title is not the original so they need to charge more. As in the case of Honduras and Guatemala this is where both the vehicle and my permit came to $250-$300 contributing to a staggering some of $630 just to cross those two borders. On my return trip coming back the total for both borders was about $80! Later in this post I describe strategies one can employ to try to reduce some of these risks of getting ripped off.

                           

                              Mexico 

(Heading South) Texas (Brownsville)/Mexican (Malamoros) Border

$30 Vehicle permit, I put on a credit card, I was told this would be refunded when I left the country (by some people outside of the system), it wasn't.

$23 for a 30 day permit for myself.

$53 total

Time 1 and half hours, mid afternoon

(Leaving Mexico)  Mexico/Guatemalan Border (By Tapachula Hwy CA2)

No charges that I remember

(Heading North) Guatemalan/Mexican Border (By Tapachula Hwy CA2)

(Entering Mexico)

$26.89 for vehicle permit, charged to credit card.

$20 permit for me, I paid cash for this.

$7-10(I believe, it might of been free) to stamp my passport, this was done at the border, different than the check station to get my vehicle permit and personal permit , this was done in Tapuchula almost 20 or 30 miles inside the border.

$56.89 Total to enter Mexico from Guatemala

Time, in the afternoon and evening on Monday, after I actually found both places it took probably a half hour to an hour.

$3-$4 Difference on return trip

(Leaving Mexico) Malamoros/Brownsville

No charge leaving Mexico either time

                             Guatemala

Embassy                                                              WASHINGTON, DC
2220 "R" St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 745-4952, ext. 106, 107
Fax: (202) 745-1908
E-mail: consulado@guatemala-embassy.org                                      I recently emailed the Guatemalan Embassy stating my concerns at the border crossings and if they could comment on my charges or at least direct me to a division within their system to address these concerns. As of this posting I have had heard nothing back from them.

 

(Heading South) Mexican/Guatemalan Border

(Entering Guatemala) (By Tapachula, Mexico Hwy CA2)

$1.50 (10 Quetzals I think!) to get stamped into Guatemala

$243 vehicle permit (I was told this covers all of the Central American countries) I gave the " border official"  $250 which he left with and never did give me my change back.

$50 Handlers fees which he said included bug spraying the bike (normally a couple of dollars) and a permit for me (in Mexico this would be $20)

$5 to the guy for watching my bike for 3-4 hours (he wanted $20 and was not happy at all after seeing what everyone else was getting)

$307 Total spent getting into Guatemala

(Total Time), almost 4 hours

Time and Day, Sunday late morning and into the afternoon.

(Leaving Guatemala) Guatemala/El Salvador Border (Hwy CA 2 Border)

$7 to stamp out passport

$13 for a handler and a guy to watch my bike (both guys really unnecessary since this was not a hard border to deal with)

Total $20

(Heading North) El Salvador/Guatemalan Border (Hwy CA2)

(Entering Guatemala) El Salvador/Guatemalan Border

$5 Handling fee to a young kid who helped me get out of El Salvador (no charge) and into Guatemala

$10 Vehicle Permit and my permit for Guatemala

$15 Total Cost to get into Guatemala $15

45 minutes, total time

Time and Day, Monday Morning about 8:am

$282 Difference between entering from Mexico and entering from El Salvador

 (Leaving Guatemala) Guatemalan/Mexican Border (By Tapachula, Hwy CA2)

$10 Passport stamped out and to cancel vehicle permit

$20 (he wanted $50) Handler Fee, this one I needed

$30 Total to leave Guatemala with handler fees

Time; about two and a half hours in late afternoon

$10 Difference from coming and going

 

 

                            El Salvador 

(Heading South) Guatemala/El Salvador (Hwy CA2)

(Entering El Salvador)

No charge, in fact they have signs saying that you shouldn't have to use handlers if you don't want to in English and that the El Salvadorian officials are more than willing to help.

You get stamped in, get a vehicle permit and an individual permit and your on your way. Still the whole procedure was not quick and in the heat with no water it took two hours.

As with many border crossings usually using a handler will include getting you out of one country and into another one, though if their not welcome like in El Salvador or Mexico they will simply get you out of their country and to the next countries border crossing. This is what happened going into El Salvador, the handler got me on the Guatemalan side and took me as far as he could go on the El Salvador side.

Time was about 5 p.m and it took two hours

(Leaving El Salvador) El Salvador/Honduran Border (CA1 By Valle)

No charges for leaving the country

(Heading North) Honduras/El Salvador (CA1)

(Entering El Salvador)

$20 to pay handlers to get thru the maze at the border on the Honduran side.

That was it, again no charge for El Salvador

Time; it was in the afternoon and the heat was oppressive, it took 2-3 hours total.

(Leaving El Salvador) El Salvador/Guatemalan Border (Hwy CA2)

No charges to leave El Salvador

 

                              Honduras

EMBASSY AND CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Diplomatic Representation in US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermúdez

Embassy: 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702, 2604, 5008, 4596

FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751

Washington, DC (Consular Section) 1014 M Street, NW Washington, DC, 20001 (202) 682 7873 (202) 682 5947/48/49                                                Another Red Flag Country for having corruption at their border

 

(Entering Honduras) El Salvador/Honduras Border (Hwy CA1)

$225 for vehicle permit and my permit. Apparently this covered all the countries in CA, just like I was told in Guatemala.

$40 an extra charge because the border official "decided my title copy wasn't quite right" (this is what the handler told me, I should have been with him when he talked to the official myself".

$20 Fee to have a friend of the handler's drive me back to the nearest town to get more money at a bank. (after Guatemala and now these charges my cash was gone).

$40 handlers fees, guys who watched my bike fee, passport and copying fees, its hard to know at this point what the money was going for.

(Total to enter Honduras)

$325

Time of day, early afternoon, time spent 3-4 hours

(Leaving Honduras) Honduran/Nicaraguan Border (CA1 going towards Estel Nicaragua)

$3 Stamp Passport Out

$7 Cancel Bike Permit

$10 Handler Fee

$20 Total For Leaving Honduras

(Entering Honduras) Nicaraguan/Honduran Border (CA1, By Esteli)

$40 For Vehicle Permit

$2 For another copy of something

$5 Handler Fee

$47 Total to enter Honduras from Nicaragua I don't think there was a fee for stamping my passport in but I don't remember.

Total time leaving Nicaragua and entering Honduras about an hour. I got there at  7:30 a.m., early and there was no one at border. While apparently this is a CA1 border crossing, it seems a lot of the traffic takes the coastal route out of or thru Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. It didn't seem to have nearly the traffic some of the other border crossing had.

$275 Difference between coming and going.

(Leaving Honduras) Honduran/El Salvador Border (CA1)

$3 Stamp Passport out

$7 Cancel Vehicle Permit

$10 handlers fees to get me thru the maze at the border to the El Salvador side

Not totally clear on all these charges, it was all very confusing in the heat and the handler running off for this or that but I'm sure I only paid about $20 total.

Time of Day; mid afternoon

Difference between coming and going, it was all about the same amount spent.

                                Nicaragua

(Entering) Honduran/Nicaraguan Border (CA1 by Esteli)

$20 for vehicle and self permit

$10 Handlers fee

$30 Total for entering Nicaragua, this was a hard border for me to remember, it could well have been a little more than this and may have even included vehicle insurance...also they should have spray' d my bike with an insecticide but I don't remember them doing it.

Time, maybe an hour and a half, it was right at dark when I arrived.

 (Leaving) Nicaraguan/Costa Rican Border (CA1)

$10 or $20 I'm guessing to get everything stamped out and permits canceled.

$10 or $20 for handler who also worked with me thru the Costa Rican border.

$10 to pay officer so he wouldn't tear thru all my bags and inspect them too heavily (I'm sure if I paid this they split it up themselves)

$40 Total this is another border that was hard to remember everything but I'm sure these estimates are right, and I'm sure the handler made at least $20 on me.

Time was early afternoon on Saturday, it took about an hour to get thru to the Costa Rican side.

(Entering) Costa Rican/Nicaraguan Border (CA1)

$3 to get biked spray' d for insects

$7 to get passport stamped in

$10 to pay officer for not inspecting my bags more closely (this according to the handler who barged in and took over again) I'm sure it went to the handler or at least half of it did.

$10 Handler Fee

$30 Total to enter Nicaragua from Costa Rica

It seemed there was not much difference in cost between coming or going.

Time about 9:a.m, it took about an hour to get in.

The handler said I had already paid for insurance for Nicaragua so  I didn't need to worry about it?

(Leaving Nicaragua) Honduras Border (CA1 by Esteli) I know my original post said this was CA2, but I'm sure it was still CA1, just not a busy crossing on this route at this time.

$3 stamp my passport out

$3 to cancel my vehicle permit

$3 in handler fees

$9 total to leave Nicaragua

20 minutes total time

8:00 a.m.

$31 about the difference between leaving Nicaragua at the Costa Rican border and leaving on the Honduran side.

                               

                             Costa Rica

(Entering) Nicaraguan/Costa Rican Border (CA1)

$58 for bike insurance (its required for Costa Rica but was told later it might have really should have been $25 for 3 months)

$22 for handlers fees and any extra costs

$80 total to enter Costa Rica

This was another hard border to remember because I had the same handler who helped me out of Nicaragua and seemed to be ripping me off the whole way. I think the only for sure fee was for the bike insurance which may have been as much as $55 but I think it was less, and I was pretty sure there was no other charges to get into Costa Rica. So about $25 total or maybe a little more is what one should expect to pay without handlers to get in.

                        Leaving Costa Rica

Costa Rican/Nicaraguan Border CA1

No charge to leave (there is a $25 charge to leave Costa Rica at the airport, but I'm pretty sure they don't charge that for driving out).

Tips for keeping your money in your wallet.

1) Ideally before you go spend two years studying and becoming fluent in Spanish.

2) Realistically; write out the actual Spanish phrases you'll need to know to ask directions and cover all the procedures, like ?donde estas aduanas? (where is customs?) how much is it? How much is a vehicle permit? How long is it good for? Where is migracion ?etc. Everything you can think of that you might need to know and have them handy (having practiced basic phrases will help you countless times on you trip, not only at border crossings).

3) Write down what the actual border procedures are, which are you go thru migracion and aduanas of the country your leaving, and then migracion and aduanas of the country your entering.

4) You can try to write to each embassy of the countries your visiting and ask them to send you all the expected fees for your border crossings. It is doubtful you will get many responses, but if you can manage to secure something that looks official with some sort of expected price it could carry a lot of weight. Remember these border guys are looking for easy targets and the more road blocks you can throw at them the better. Guatemala and Honduras were the most corrupt borders and remember all handlers and officials are not corrupt or out to get you, but the ones that are have it down to a science.

5) In the end if you feel like your getting totally ripped off, have a back up plan. You can refuse to pay and either go back to the country you came from and wait for a different time to come back (often if your not driving very far into the country they may not charge you a vehicle permit to simply spend one night. Mexico has a 20 mile buffer zone around the border so you don't have to get a vehicle permit if your simply visiting a border town), or you can look at trying a different border crossing (most countries except for Costa Rica have at least two) spending the time to drive to another one. Going back the way you came to find another one sounds like a hassle (and it is), but it could save you 2 or 3 hundred dollars (or at least give you the satisfaction of knowing you didn't give in to some ones corruption). When planning ones trip if possible one should try to plan on quieter border crossings (like non Pan American Hwy. ones), in an effort to avoid a lot of these hassles.

6) The Pan American Hwy. crossings are the busiest and hardest to deal with. Also with all border crossings try to get there early like at 7 or 8 a.m. Many of these borders close at night and getting to them early in the day can be well worth it. You might avoid crowds and the heat and the bulk of the corrupt handlers. I had much better luck approaching these borders early in the day and on week days.

                          Handlers

Remember, anyone who speaks Spanish well enough doesn't use them. And many who don't speak Spanish at all still suffer thru not using them. It just takes a lot longer to get thru with out them, but it can be done. As someone once put, how much you end up spending at these crossings is directly related to how determined you are not to accept help.

If your going to use them agree on a price before you start, $5 to $10 for some ones help, especially if they can help you out of one country and into the next can be well worth it. Be clear about this, don't just accept someone's help without agreeing on a price, hopefully for both borders.

Paying some one to watch your bike is debatable, most times I don't think its necessary, just carry your most valuable stuff with you, plus I found these guys didn't want to ruin their reputations by petty theft!

Most importantly don't just give your passport or paper work to a handler with money and have them run off to take care of business. Go with them to every window, and give the money directly to the person at the window, this way they can't fabricate charges as easily and you will be dealing with the official first hand, seeing how much is being given to them. This is where I lost a lot of money, by giving the handler money to go pay for something having no idea if they even went to any window or official at all. In fact don't give the handler any money unless you can see who their giving it to. Pretty much the only money you should be giving them anyway is when everything is done and your paying them for their service. They can show you what windows you need and act as an interpreter for you at the window, but that is all you really need them for, again paying them your agreed upon wage when your are all done.

On my way back when I could I chose young handlers, kids about 12 years old who were basically honest and not out to rip you off. These kids would often be run off by the older handlers later on in the day. I thought about just choosing the younger ones over the older ones but I was afraid the older ones would just take their money from them later on so I just used the older ones when they were both present. The older "seasoned" handlers are the ones that are the hardest to deal with, they don't take no for an answer and have the whole rip off system down to an art.

Don't flash much money, do your homework and know about what you should be paying for. But remember if you have to drive 20 miles back to town and take more money out of a bank to pay them, they have you. Refuse, say you only have so much money and if like I said if they still want more, just tell them and no and go back the way you came, either waiting for a different time to come back or going to  border different crossing.

                                Summary

Remember these guys are the pro's, this is what they do for a living day in and day out, they see thousands like us every year. If your not prepared or have strategies for dealing with them the odds are in their favor for you spending more than you should. Be prepared, like I said, how much you spend is in direct proportion to how determined you are not to spend more than you should.

Your best bet is to go early in the day, avoid weekends, and use non Pan American Highway crossings....learn as much Spanish as you can before you go. Also when you see a long line of trucks (sometimes a mile long) before the border, just drive right up to the front of them and start your business. If your going to use a handler, choose one that hopefully speaks your language. As they flash their badges at you trying to woo you with their professionalism, know this is all part of their act. Most of them have no official role to play outside of some times being the lead man for some corrupt official behind them.

Even with all these warnings it is hard to imagine the chaos, the heat and the slickness of these characters trying to get your money until you've experienced it. The good news is it is all doable and you can reduce your risk of losing money by being prepared. The bad news is the crossings are unavoidable and have to be dealt with. They can be unpredictable, chaotic, hot, time consuming and totally frustrating, but I never felt physically threatened or in danger from all these characters. So be patient and guard your wallet at all times, the borders are not the only places where some  people will try to get all they can from you....

 

Honduras and the beginning of Nicaragua

(and also a night out)

Closing in on the Nicaraguan Border

It was hard to leave the Comfort Inn and El Salvador knowing I had to deal with three more border crossings in the next two days to be able to finally get into Costa Rica.

I stopped at a local gas station to fill up. The guys working spoke a little bit of English and wanted to know about my bike and where I was going. I gave them my card with my blogging site on it. Like most of the people I met in El Salvador, they were friendly, helpful, and curious. And in fairness most of the people I have met along the way have been too. I guess here we just had more ties, both in language and in a little more modern perspective.

As I passed more cattle on the road, I thought back to how early on in El Salvador I passed a couple of funerals. They basically consisted of the coffin placed in the back of a pick up truck with the immediate family, I assume standing around it. Followed by mourners walking behind the slow moving truck which was making its way along the highway to the cemetery. No hearses or long lines of cars here.

The hotel where I staid was not far from the Honduras border so it didn't take long to get there. This was going to be a repeat of the Guatemalan border with the handlers "taking care of it all for me" and it ending up costing me about $330 total. At one point I ran out of cash and we had to hire a driver to take us back to the next town and a bank to get more money. The banks ATM wouldn't take my debit card so I went inside. I wanted to cash some travelers checks and they wouldn't take those. They didn't take mastercard so I couldn't use either my debit card or my credit card. Luckily I had a visa card and I took out $500 from that, something I didn't want to do but had no choice. At this rate both my cards were going to get tapped out fast.

The Honduras Border, another place to just wait in the high heat

I paid the driver $20 for the trip, got back to the border and the handler said one official didn't like the copy of my title and if I paid him $40 he would over look it. More B.S. but again I was right in the middle of it all. At this point I had about $600 cash. By the time I got thru this border, the Nicaraguan and Costa Rica borders the next day, it would all just about be gone....

This whole crossing took about 3 hours, in high heat with throngs of people, trucks and cars all going thru the same process, hurry up and wait. There were also 3 wheeled cabs, which were basically motorcycles with three wheels turned into cabs. Two or three people could sit in a protected area behind the driver. Often they were well painted and with decorative emblems and some had political leaders faces on them.It was a dollar to get ferried from one customs to the other.

Honduras, climbing the mountain road to the Nicaraguan border.

With the whole distance across this part of Honduras to Nicaragua about 150 miles, I was hoping to make it to Nicaragua and cross that border by night fall. The roads were good in Honduras, and outside of having to ask directions a couple of times I didn't get lost, and I made good time. I also had one police check point that checked my papers and waved me on, and another one that a young kid was minding that gave me a little more trouble. In fact they were the first ones on the whole trip that asked me to open my bags.

Not far from the Nicaraguan border I came upon the police check point. There were two officers,an older one and a young kid that looked to be no more then 18 or 19. He seemed to have a bit of an attitude, not to mention a gun. They checked my papers, the young one looked at my map I had spread out on top of my tank bag closely perhaps to see if he could find an ulterior motive for me being there.

I unzipped all my bags, they looked at my clothes, toiletries and electronic stuff like my cell phone, headset, mp3 player etc. I was glad they didn't look at or find my laptop. There was a young kid also there watching it all and asked for my gloves, a mirror, my watch, anything I might want to give him. I just smiled and said no, and smiled at the younger officer. Not speaking Spanish I was not sure how he was taking that exchange with the kid, or when they were done checking everything they wanted. As suggested by others in these circumstances, be polite and cooperative, but not overly friendly. I did not like the younger cops attitude, but the older one thru gestures, told me I could leave.

A truck heads up the high mountain pass towards Nicaragua

I arrived at the Nicaraguan border as it was getting dark. Still in Honduras I had to fill up with gas using U.S. dollars, and was given change in dollars, which surprised me. Gas in all these Central American countries was running between 3 and 4 dollars a gallon, about double from what I was paying in Texas, and a third more then in Mexico. By the time I actually got thru all the paper work and into Nicaragua it was dark. While I didn't pay nearly what I had to get into Honduras (either this handler wasn't out to get me as bad, or I was getting smarter, or a little of both), I paid the guy $20 to pay a $3 fee and a $7 one, and that was it. One was for the stamp and maybe another one for copies, I don't remember, I just know he told me one thing was $3, and the other $7. He then asked for his money. I did the addition for him and said he still had $10 left over from what I gave him. He didn't argue and we were done. I am sure that that was just to leave Honduras. And then it was time to deal with the Nicaraguan side. I don't remember what exactly what was charged here (remember this is my 4th crossing of the day, leaving and entering wise) but I know its nothing like entering Guatemala or Honduras was. I am sure there was a handler charge for maybe $10, and a $20 charge for my permit to drive in Nicaragua, and that was it. So the whole process, leaving and entering two countries with two handlers was maybe $50, a far cry from the $300 or so I ended up losing at the other two borders. Still too much no doubt, but better.

So I was now one country away from Costa Rica, and it certainly looked like one way or the other I was going to make it. As I drove away from the border check point into a starry Nicaraguan night, narrowly missing a horse as I saw its behind on my left go by after it suddenly showed up in my headlights standing in the middle of the road, I thought here we go, more night driving. As usual the first town of any size and hotels are miles from the border and also as usual I found myself having to drive at night for awhile after getting thru a border. I seriously considered the possibility of driving all night just to get to the border of Costa Rica and be done with it, having been told its open 24 hours. But I must be getting older because common sense took over at some point, and I realized even if I was able to drive the 240 miles thru the Nicaragua at night, I would be in no shape to drive the next day after pulling an all nighter. It made no sense from any perspective that I looked at it from, but until I could find a town and a hotel, it was still going to be, a night out in Nicaragua.

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