We officially enter North America

April 23, 2023

Today we officially enter North America crossing the Guatemala/ Mexico border but first we need to get to the border.

This apparently modest challenge was first impacted by the mist enormous Guatemalan traffic jam caused by an accident some 5/ 10 miles in front of us. Waze told us it was a modest hold up in the next village but when we learnt that the road was completly blocked (ie no oncoming traffic) and that people had already been waiting 2 hours, we were off (remember the three rules; 1 Get to the front, 2 Smile, engage, perceiver, 3 When given the green light, go like hell and don’t stop). We got to the front and within minutes the road had opened and we were off once again. A very lucky escape!. Our second Guatemalan challenge occurred some 500m from the border, yes 500m. Nigel and Ham were stopped by the traffic police who wanted to see all our papers. Since they couldn’t make head or tail of any of them it was all a bit of a waste of time. We never did figure out whether they were simply trying to roll us over or not but it ended with a motor bike escort to the border, all of 500m.

Guatemalan immigration and customs were quick and then into Mexico. Immigration took minutes and then we had to get our Temporary Import Permit. This apparently straightforward process which at all other borders has taken about 30 minutes took three hours. As David Ayer tells us, in such circumstances you must think like a cat. This time it even tried the patience of a cat. We were sent off to get copies of all our documents, then told we needed three copies and then most of them were given back to us!!!! Finally around mid-day we had the TIP and we were into Mexico.

Our introduction wasn’t great since the roads through the towns and villages seem to be littered with speed bumps of in the main a vicious variety. Great care need to be taken, we don’t want to break another leaf spring. But once we were out of town on the Mexico 200 Pacific Highway we were on excellent tarmac duel carriageway all the way to our hotel. Nigel had requested a hotel on the Pacific beach since we won’t see the Pacific again, tomorrow we start to cross over to the Caribbean coast.