The Day and Night from Hell..........

Sunday, October 25th : Guatemala City

Most of the day Saturday,  I ran parallel to the Pacific Coast.  I wanted to take a quick jaunt down to the Ocean, and see what it was like.  I missed the turn and started running out of time. I haven't seen the Ocean since Mazatlan. aand I miss it. 

Everything was going well, I was nor stopped even once by the Mexicans. They seemed more interested in what was going the other way. About 50 kilometers from the Guatemalan Border, I got waved to the sideof the road by two guys wearing what looked like very official badges of some kind.  It looked sort of like credentials for a NASCAR Race.  Official Government looking stampings all over them. They told me I needed a guide to take me through customs.  One of them was to accompany me to the border.  You gotta be kidding me.

About 25 kilometers later two different guys show up next to me at a stop on a motorcycle.  You need a guide senhor. "I don't need you guys!" and I took off at a high rate of speed.  The moto wasn't a big bike and I figured I could lose them. But, I made a wrong turn, and they came swerving up behind me.

I decided to give in.  I let them lead me through the town down winding, narrow sreets, which would nhave been very difficult for me. We ended up at what looked more like a farm than a border crossing.  There were about five buildings arranged in a circle. My guide sent me into the first Building. I sat down with a nice gentleman who stamped my passport and relieved me of about 350 pesos.  Easy enough.

We went to the second building, and a nice lady took my passport and all the information on my car.  It sonuds easy, but there were no markings on the outside, or inside of any of the buildings. Aldeo, my guide then took me to a third building where they sprayed the inside of Yota with some ghastly liquid. Then we went to a fourth building to fill out some kind of forms for the police.  There was no copying machine or, if there was it was broke. In the middle of all this, my drivers liscense had fallen out of my papers.  Someone saw a girl pick it up and run off with it. Aldeo's buddy chased her on the moto and got it back. Dear God! Aldeo and I  then had to drive into Guatemala to get copies made. Everything else was done. Yota had been let in  by then.  In the process of doing that, I banged my head on a street sign and put a huge gash in my forehead,  Blood was streaming down my forehead. Aldeo grabbed a towel from the back of the car and made me press it hard against my forehead.  I took a long time to stop bleeding.  The copies were made and Aldeo said he would deliver them tothe police whom they were for. He seemed to know everybody by name, and by then I trusted him and told him so. He called me Amigo, I called him Hermano and we parted company. I hope he gave them the copies. If not, maybe I  am a fugitive in Guatemala.

To drive into Guatemala, even from Mexico, is a culture shock. Guatemala is to Mexico what Mexico is to the States. a much poorer Southern Neighbor.  At first. the whole place looks like one big ""favela".  (Brazillian word for slum).  It was getting late, but I figured I could drive the main road to the capital at night.  It was OK except for one missed turn where I ended up lost in a medium sized town.  IIt was Saturday night, and the streets were teeming with merry-makers. It's scary, because you can't just stop  and ask for directions.  You have to pick your spot carefully. They are nice people for the most part, but  ethnically, they are more indigenous, and a foreigner really stands out.

The markings on the highway are often poor.  There are often no reflectors.There are huge dust clouds. And, everyone passes without regard to the solid line.  Nevertheless, I pulled into Guatemala City at about 9:00 o'clock.  I asked a very nice looking man who was buying gas where I could find a hotel. He said he wa s going that way, and I could follow him.  I did and he led me to the Barcelo Hotel. It was the swankiest place in town I'm sure. Not my kind of place. I should have stayed there. I figured it would be easy to find something else near here. So I did.  It turned out to be another of those "rent it by the hour" places.  There are many, I suppose,  but this one was the worst. 

"You want to rent for the whole night"  the guy at the window asked me.  "Yes I do. I want to sleep here." ''OK, that'll be alright".  "600 Quetzales".   I really should have left by now,but , I was tired. The guy didn't take my money.  He just said "You can go to the room."  Odd, Oh well. I parked Yota in the garage, then went up the stairs.  There was no door handle, no lock, no nothing, just a.blank wooden door. What the?

I went backto the office and asked, "How do I get in?"  "Go knock on the door!"  Go knock on the door?" "Yes, they will let you in" "Let me in, but its my room."  "Si senhor, but they are still cleaning the room."            "Cleaning the room, You mean somebody just.........""    Nothing but a shrug.

I waited and then knocked again.  The cash drawer built into the door slid out. Some gargly voice came from behind the door.  I deduced that it was time to pay.  Dear Lord! I had wanted to use my credit card that night because I was short on Quetzales.  I had asked about that and they said sure.  But there was no way I wiould hand a credit card to someone I couldn't see in a place like that.  so I put in 400 Quetzales and a bunch of pesos.  The Pesos came back with some words about Mexico.  "What about dollars?"  "OK"!  "How many?"    "15"!    "Here's a $20."    The $20 disappears.  Nothing else happens.   I bang on the door. 'Wheres my change?  40 Quetzales come back out.    Then the door slides open.  Inside there is another door to my left.  so thats how they do it.  To my surprise, the door I came through slides shut and latches.  I try to move it but it's locked in place.  I'm locked in the room.
 
"Hey open the door, I gotta get my stuff."  The door slides open.  I unload Yota, bring what I need for the night,  I had jammed the door by then.  I unjammed it, and let them close the door.  I was a prisoner in my room. the room was beautiful, very luxurious, with a Jacuzzi and mirrored ceilings.  "How do I get in to these messes?"   I put a hot towel on my head to nurse my wound,and looked up at the mirror.  That was the best laugh I had all day.  Other than a lot of racket all night, nothing else happened.  They let me out in the morning and I moved to a proper hotel whrere I am now.  I did a little sight-seeing around the city today , and will head off in the morning.

Is this for real.  Yes, I'm afraid so.  Have I considering turning back?  Yes, I have.  Will I?  honestly don't know.  I've not felt threatened by anyone, On the contrary, they have been super nice. but I suddenly feel conspicuous, and to feel conspicuous is to feel uneasy.

Guy            Not much photography today.  The capital is beautiful in the central zones. But.........