Central America 2013: “Yo soy italiano, no gringo”


Hellò everybody.

Excuse me for my english: I don't use google translator and I'll try to use my limited english skills: any correction wiil be appreciate.

This winter I was looking at the countries wehre I've never been: unfotunately a lot. I began to think to Central America. What I know about Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua Panama etc. ? The language wouldn't have been a problem: spanish is really similar to italian.
First I'd like to explain the title of my thread. During my vacation I ascertained that in all the countries I've travelled a lot of people, at the first touch aren't very friendly. Most of them don't like a lot USA citizens. When I clarified I was italian everything was going easy. You can have similar situations all around the world: in Lituania people don't like Russians. same problem between Chines and japanese. In the 60's there are a lot of problems between Italians from north and from South, when people from South are moving to the North, looking for a job.
I'm here just to tell you my vacation and I'm not able to judge this kind of situations: but this is a fact.
My first idea was to drive up to Yaviza a city in the state of Panama, where the road end, because begin the jungle, the Darien Gap that separate Panama from Colombia.



Setted the arrival point all I could do was find a starting point. As in the past, the cost for ship my bike (Suzuki DR 350) was too high. So I began to look for some motorbike rent. However in every state of Central America Motorbike Shops don't allow you to drive outside their countries. Another problem, the rental rate: very very high. Just in Costa Rica Wild Rider Costa Rica - Motorcycle Rental and Motorcycle Adventure Tours, 4x4 Car Rental, Costa Rica Adventure Tours and more ... was possible find a 45 $/day rent for a Honda XR 250, but just to drive in Costa Rica. Just in April I went in touch with www.mxmotoadv.com and the owner Mr Oscar write to me that he can arrange all the documents to can drive outside Mexico...but the most cheap bike is a Kawasaki KLR 650 for 75$/day. My idea si to drive for 24 day and so with the air ticket Italy-Mexico-Italy at around 780 $ my vacation will start with a cost of 2580$ !!!!!!!!
Unfortunately this is my only chance.
Another thing is that I've got to start from Mexico City: with google maps Mexico City is far from Yaviza 2200 miles. Go and back are 4400 miles this means 183 mile / day. With all the customs, roads and the weather ( hurricane season starts in May) this appears a little bit difficult. At the end I decided to start and drive up to..possible and then come back.
This was my way



Safety: it's dangerous travel overland and alone in this countries ? Loking at statistics seems correct
This is the rank of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world

Most Dangerous Cities In The World - Business Insider
(I read this article in Italy when my vacation was ended)

I've gone and slept in someone of this list

N° 47- Cuernavaca ( Mexico)

N° 20 San Salvador ( El Salvador)

N° 12 – Guatemala (Guatemala)

N° 5 – Districo Central (Honduras)

N° 4 – Acapulco (Messico)

N° 1 – San Pedro Sula (Honduras): 719,447 people and 1143 homicide/year

You can see pictures like this in every city in Central America







It's better to don't take shots at this men (police, security, military) they can get nervous.
You can understand that you aren't in a normal situation if you see a man with a double-barrelled shotgun and body armor that guards a bakery. I've followed some basic rule

1) Just drive with the sun light: criminals work in the night and so in the morning they sleep, wake up in the afternoon, plan operations and begin to work with the dark

2) Avoid to sleep in the big cities: I always was looking for little cities (pueblos) more safety and cheaper



I've followed a spanish course for 3 month and I used 2 road maps






2 guide book
one is the Footprint: at the moment if you have in mind a travel vacation are the best



the other is the Jump To...Central America 2013: this is my personal guide book and this is the book of the tenth anniversry



I started on 05/19/13 and went back on 06/15/13

Expenses

Motorbike rent
Sono partito il 19/05/13 e tornato il 15/06/13
In tutto ho percorso 7328 km
Spese
• Noleggio moto --------------------> 1.813 $ (1368 €)
• Volo Italia-Messico a/r-----------> 791 $ ( 597 €)
• Vitto,alloggio,benzina ecc…----> 1789 $ (1350 €)

Totale--------------------------------4393 $ ( 3315 €)

I'm european citizien and so no vissas for all this countries.
First idea was to rent hte Suzuki DR 600, but Oscar wrote to me that the bike was seriously damaged at the come back from a previous rent. The chance to rent a Suzuki 200 (perfect for me ) wasn't possible due to documents to croos the borders: not possible to prepare. So I had to rent the Kawasaki 650. To have less problems at the custom, we agree to prepare a sale contract, okay just a formal agreement between me and Oscar, but in this way I turn out to be the owner of the bike. With a rented motorbike some border could be very difficult to cross. I did a similar thing in 2010 in India, where sell a motorbike to foreign people is forbidden (except in Mubay I think). All the motorbike shops "sell" the bike to the tourist and "buy" it (for less) when you come back.

I started my vacation from the airport of Bologna with a hand luggage of 20 pounds(9 kg) and a bag of 26 pund (12 kg)



I land in Mexico City at 5 am of Monday withdraw pesos and take the subway. First direction is wrong, but when I get the right direction is working time and the mexican subway became a cage as in the MMA, and you've got to fight for your place, to get in and get out



I arrive at the hostel around 8 am, right in time for the breakfast, included with the bed, for 13 $ (10 €)

Inicio - Hostal Amigo





my roommates are sleeping so I lean my luggage and wend to the Zocalo, the main square of Mexico : is the third most wide square in the world, behind Tien An Men and the Red Square.





For two months in the square ther's a permanent presidium of the teachers, for salary reasons









across the square ther's another presidium: old people are complaining for the cost of drugs



Around 3 pm I met Oscar: he will give me the bike Tuesday (tomorrow), so I'll can start Wednesday.



Chedraui is a hard discount and I have gone there to buy food even for tomorrow.





The streets that bring you to this Chedraui are full of food shops and chicken shops
I've never seen so many





what else can you buy if not chicken ?



Tuesday May 20

No problem with jet leg: I wake up at 6,30 am (the first in my room) and I'm even the first for breakfast



My idea, initially , has been to start from Costa Rica or Guatemala and so in my guidebook,Footprint Central America, I don't have Mexico informations. But I've got my personal guide, The Jump To.. and couple of ideas.
One is to visit Plaza del las Tres Culturas, where in the 1968 (during the Olympic Games) police and Army shoot at the students
The second place is the Azteca Stadium, where in the 1970 (during the World Cup) Italy beat West Germany in an epic semi final 4-3 in overtime. In the stadium ther's a golden plaque that remember this game.




Plaza de las Tres Culturas is just 2 miles (4 km) far from my hostel: I can walk







This is the square of the slaughter and the memorial stone







this place remind to me TienAn Men Square, in the 1989: even here there were students, normal people and after a while the Army come and began to shoot: always ideas scare dictatorships

Reach the Azteca Stadium is a little bit complicated: you've got to take subway and a special train, the Light Train ( Tren Ligero)...no problema I can use the landmark gps of my guide






the ticket machine takes my money, but don't give me the ticket, but one ticket inspector write a special pass, just for me



The Azteca Stadium is impressive: is the third most big in the world, with over 100.000 seats



the golden plaque



the statue dedicated to the "fan"





in the late noon I meet Oscar that deliver to me the bike and explain how to use the air compressor in case of a puncture



In the hostel we define everything, I pay the rent, deposit and he give me a "purchase document", so the bike "is mine". Obviously in the document hasn't the notary signature, but who care ? (Remind this for Costa Rica)
Panniers aren't very big, so I decide to don't bring with tent and rucksack and the heavy hood






finish


very nice the hostel owner: he allows me to park the bike inside



Wednesday, May 22

the start



Immediately the mexican jam says "Good morning italian biker": a driver hit my lateral pannier with his car door. Ok it's breackfast time



my first planned stop is the Maya archeological site of Palenque, 540 miles(1000 km) far from Mexico City. In my first day I stop in Sayula De Aleman

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayula_...28municipio%29









along the road you can find a lot of traditional and cheap restaurants




Today is very very hot and the engine of my Kawasaki begin to "stutter": damn !!! I get out the highway, looking for a mechanic. After a while the Kawasaki is going better. I take a rest to fill the tank and I notice that unlike in Italy here in Mexico the high octane gas is in the red pump dispenser and not in the green.
Oscar has told me to use just high octane gas. With the tank full of this gas, the bike restart well. I just have stopped to check the temperature level, but a mechanic told me that is normal to see the marker a little bit high when you're driving slow: today ther're 113°F (45° C)



At dusk I reach Sayula De Aleman and the owner of this shop suggest to me a very cheap motel





The motel is called Lena Loca ( Mad Wood): the owner give to me the room 150 mxp = 12$ = 9€..but not the key:" No se preocupe senor" Ok probably ther's some kind of security





A little walk to the "centre" of the city