How I was taken for one at the Mex/Guatemala border....
I so wish I had done a bit of research on the HUBB before I made for Guatemala....Thank you one and all for the help here that will see great economies for this sucker...
Here is an an extract from my blog, www.vegibike.com.
"....I got done over like a good'un at the Talisman, Mexico / Guatemalan border. Basically I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book and handed over US$160 to my “fixer" who was helping me through the rather vague import procedure. He asked for this money to buy the permit to drive in Central America. Although I questioned him vigorously, he persuaded me that it was essential to drive any further. Off he toddled to get the form, whilst I was kept occupied by his conniving pal for half an hour. When he got back he had all the paperwork and rushed me through the final gate saying it was about to close. Of course at this stage I was none the wiser, and thanked him profusely giving him a generous tip on top of his US$20 pre-agreed fee. Again it was at the end of the day, after 5 hours of steep mountain roads that I thought I better put all the paper work in the right folders etc. To my horror my more thorough look at the receipt showed that it was 160 Quetzales, about US$20. Of course I was livid, with myself as much as anything, and planned to head back the next day to confront the rascal. After a night's sleep I realise that there was very little proof and the chances of him being there for the next month was highly unlikely, as it amounted to several weeks pay...."
If anyone comes across a very short rotund 30ish year old 'fixer' at this border called Manuel (probably not actual), please say that there is an Englishman not wishing him as well as he would have liked to. And then don't use him...thanks..
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