El Salvador and Honduras : permaculture, heat and problems

Paisaje escondidoEntering El Salvador

The border post of Anguiatu isn’t very used by cars and travelers. It is an important commercial road though. For 10 minutes, I was passing a long line of trucks waiting for their inspection. Hookers were saying hi from a high balcony and others were walking between the trucks. It’s a merchandise transportation’s parallel economy we should say…

I exchange what I had left of Guatemalan quetzals for American dollars. El Salvador got rid of it’s own money for Uncle Sam’s one at he beginning of the 2000. Here, I’m not yelled “gringo” at like in Guatemala, but they simply take for granted in the discussions I’m United Statian. “And your family in United States?” I’m being asked. “When are you going back to Los Angeles?”. On what I’m answering: Continue reading

Guatemala: kids, mountains and volcanos

El NahualEntering Guatemala

I got in Guatemala with Anita, whom I was cycling with since 4 days in Mexico. Our days together were on the countdown though, as after only two days in Guatemala people were waiting for me in Quetzaltenango for a first period of volunteering. The objective in Central Americas is to take the time to know a little bit more those countries which would have been quickly crossed if I was only cycling. Volunteering is a way to slow down and learn.

The border town was busy, with shops swallowing up the street, the road getting narrower. There were a lot of pedestrian circulation but not much cars. It’s needed to be cautious along the administrative process of getting out and getting in the next country, a thing I’ll do often in the next months, navigating through money changers and other sellers. Continue reading

Mexico: report

Mexico heads

The first bike-paddle strokes in Mexico were the first ones in Latin America, which will be of the rest of the trip, but still, it was for sure North America. We heard a lot of stories about Mexico (mainly from United Statians!) and discovering it by ourselves was a pleasure, where I never felt uncomfortable and even less in danger. Even though I made less kilometers than in USA or Canada, I spent more time in Mexico, stopping more often, longer time.

Numbers and letters Continue reading