| Location: | Panajachel |
| Mileage: | 9,300 |
Guatemala! The change is immediate at the border. It feels more intense, chaotic, poorer, colourful and happy. There a blue and white flags strung up everywhere and kids selling Guatemala flags – we will be in Guatemala for Independence Day. There have been changes at the border. Passports are quick and there is no tourist card to complete. Even the two guys on Customs rip through our bike paperwork. You could almost describe it as quick!
Everyone squeezes up through the narrow streets lined with busy market stalls and onto our first ride in Guatemala. The view is incredible. Jagged green mountains with bands of cloud and mist. Then wet season kicks in again. The rain pours down and the fog over the mountain tops is thick – we can barely manage 20mph and pass numerous accidents where locals have overshot a bend and ended up in a ditch. Even Aaron ended upside down in a ditch – by trying to squeeze past a huge truck that had come to a standstill. We all arrive in Pana, wringing wet!
We have found out that the highland road we take from Chichi to Coban is probably impassable. A result of a previous mountain collapse and that the detour is treacherous, closed again by recent torrential rains. As the weather has continued to be very wet, we take the decision to ditch the highland route and from Chichi head to Antigua. From here, we have to cross Guat City – not a nice prospect. We normally avoid the big cities.
