I just did Mexico in 6 weeks and wish I had more time, but we all do what we must. Currently in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala at the Corazon Maya Spanish School. They do home stays and also have 5 private cabins. While I have nothing to compare it to myself, there are few students here that have told me this school is better than the previous that they have attended.

Good luck and enjoy your time. I always move fast and sometimes wish I would slow down more. If you have any questions about what I did, or saw in Mexico I am Scott Pfeiffer, self employed MotoAdventurer on Facebook. You you can as here.

Thanks for the tip about the Spanish school. That is one of my plans and I have heard that Guatemala is a good place to learn Spanish. Did you ride by yourself or did you have company?
Did you run into many riders along the way?

Sounds like you liked Mexico. Did you have any problems there (police, theft, etc.)?
I have been to Colombia a few times and didn't have any (major) problems (got my phone pickpocketed) and felt pretty safe. But that was without a bike.

Cheers,
Thomas

Yes I am currently riding by myself. I have met a few riders along the way, but so far I have not ridden with any of them.

I have had no problems anywhere yet other than the road from San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque. The road sucked, was very crowded, more topas than any other road I have ever ridden, many ropes on the ground for extortion and too touristy for me. To get to Agua Azul I had to stop traffic 3 times as there was a rope across the road. I ended up not paying all the way to the falls by having all the time in the world and taking up the whole road. While there the child I did not pay to watch my moto took my headlight protector which was just in place with velcro and a tether. Why???? It will only fit my 1190!

How do you get around the extortion? Is that everywhere in Mexico or only in certain areas.

Is Guatemala better than Mexico? I heard that in the other CA countries you have less problems.

BTW, like the 1190. I have a 990 SuperDuke and it is a blast.

Where did you get your insurance for Mexico and how much did you pay?


Cheers,
Thomas

http://www.mexadventure.com/MexicanI...for_Mexico.cfm

Thanks, yes, I saw their website. I will be mostly passing through Mexico but is seems a 6 month policy is about the same as if I estimate 30 days. Also, the six month policy would cover me on the way back.

Do you recommend full coverage or are most of you going with liability only?

Cheers,
Thomas

Hi sorry for my delayed reply, I am new to the forum and figuring it out so didn't get notifications.

I am sure 4 weeks are more than enough for preparations, the main thing is your bike and equipment... the rest can be done quick. Regarding insurance if you can have international insurance directly with your provider in the US it would probably be your best bet as it can cover all countries without having to make multiple policies. Else of course you can buy in each country, many countries will not even require it it depends on you if you want it.

Spanish immersion is a great idea, there are plenty of places along your trip where you could stay a couple of weeks and take daily private lessons for next to nothing. Antigua in Guatemala and Granada in Nicaragua are perfect places for that. Plenty of language schools teachers, overall very nice quiet and safe cities to spend some time relaxing, eating and drinking well,... I took classes in both cities some years ago and they costed around $100 a week...for 4 hours private lessons each day!

Mexico as well as the Central American countries have no shortage of corruption and yes you may be confronted with police trying to steal from you, however it is not something to be too afraid of. In my experience living here and traveling around I had a few experiences with unfriendly cops trying to give me a hard time, but most of the times I get stopped there are no issues at all and the agents are friendly. I speak perfect Spanish which helps, be polite to them and in case of issues without getting upset (I know very difficult sometimes) just show you are not afraid and you have done nothing wrong. Goes without saying that as anywhere don't give them any reasons to stop you: if you break the law they will stop you and fine or expect bribes, if you have done nothing wrong usually you will be fine. It is common in and out of many Mexican cities and states to have checkpoints. Sometimes you can be stopped and asked for documents, driver and vehicle license is usually enough to continue the trip sometimes they may want to check what you are carrying. Any other random police agent stopping you on your way is not allowed to neither ask for your docs nor revise your vehicle unless you have done something wrong. If randomely stopped after greeting ask if there are any problems and why you were stopped. If there is no reason they have no right to do anything. Not saying you have to tell them off or argue with them as unfortunately many of them don't know the law themselves and by wearing an uniform believe they can do what they want. Often simply playing along and collaborating is better than arguing with them, I am giving you this information to be aware of it, again showing them you know the law and are not being intimidated while staying polite usually does the trick with the corrupt cops.

Safety with organized crime or gangs is something to be aware of, concentrated mostly in the northern border regions as well as certain cities and states. It is worth investigating a bit about your directions and cities while you are traveling, asking some locals as well. If you look you can find negative information for every single spot but in reality you are very likely to ride around freely without ever falling in a negative situation. Common sense works best, if you a certain place does not feel right don't stay there! Never ride at night unless you know the area very well. In Central America you can mostly avoid the capital cities as that is were criminality is concentrated and often there is also not much to see compared to the smaller cities and towns across the country. Mexico is different with criminality spread in many wide regions...the Capital City itself is a beautiful city that can't be missed and the right neighborhoods are very safe.

Overall it is great reading you have much more time available as again I believe there is a lot to see and experience...I am sure you will love the trip!
Take your time and don't plan too much, have an approximate route, then take it from there, if you like a place or region spend more time there, if you don't simply move ahead. Do you already have a plan for your route? I would be happy to help and give you some tips if you want