hello all...just an update on border crossings ...I just returned from a trip from US to Honduras......8 riding days to Roatan Honduras from Wisconsin

first of all....crossing into Mexico...we crossed at Reynosa (Near McAllen TX)...be sure to track down the temporary vehicle permit sticker before getting to a checkpoint 20 miles south....cost was about $32 and about 1/2 hr.....

We crossed in Guatemala at Tecun Uman near Tapachula MX...it was a 2 hr wasted ordeal...we did use a local young man who helped and I flipped him 100Q ($13 US) for his assistance...this crossing can be corrupt....I carried many copies of my papers, but we still needed a few of stamped passports so the copy shop was a few (<10) pesos....BTW....be sure to have your original title to show....if you do not, you will be escorted to a lawyer's office who (for $45 US) wil type up a paper saying it is ok for you to travel with your vehicle....but otherwise it was about40Q ($5.3US) to get thru the make work exercise of shuffling papers...even before the legal entry permits, they did bring us to an office and told us it would be $50US each for an exit permit that we pay right there.....to which I said "BULLSHI@@) and marched out without any further discussion or problems and we proceeded.....just be storng and say NO...and they respected that....

Ok here is the good part....Guatemala to Honduras....first of all Antigua is nice with some great roads up the south side that was not ont he map....this road is now my #1 favorite in Central America...new pavement, great designed curves and transitions....and Antigua we found a nice little biek repair shop to change oil, 10 minute proceedure ....$20 for 2 KLR 650 (we supplied the filters)....Honduras Crossing..I read alot of horror stories of 4 - 6 hrs and many fees and corruption...I cannot reccomend enough the off the beaten path crossing at El Florida (crossing into Honduras near Copan ruins)....I tell you, the road was fantastic...the borders was very simple....and secure and nbody there hawking you...about 40 people around....10Q to exit Guatemala (and all the step by step instructions are posted in english what it costs to enter and exit)....permits into Honduras....shuffle some papers get some stamps on scraps of paper, give them about 600 lempiras ($35US) and in under 30 minutes we were exited from Guatemala and the gate was lifted for Honduras....simple and nice friendly smiling people....we shared some chocolates and nuts and the local boys cleaned up our rims for a few lemps...a treat indeed this crossing was after the bad stories I have read.....anyhow....that is my update for now....go light go fast go NOW!, tally ho, Jeff

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