Another example of Guatemala…

Believe it or not I got another flat tire on my motorcycle…in the rain…on the road from Tabacal! Last time the adventure was getting to the tire shop. This time that is where the adventure begins.

I made it to the highway before picking up yet another nail and getting the flat. It was raining and I had already started up the steep windy road so there really was no continuing or going back. I flagged down a truck and we loaded the bike. I stayed on the bike standing in the back of the truck with the dog. He gave me a ride to a tire shop at the entrance to Ciudad Vieja where I met brothers about 14 years old each named Juan and Juan at San Juan’s tire shop. After wrestling with the rim Juan removed the tube and gave it to me explaining that I needed a new one which, of course, he did not sell. The place that sold tubes was clear on the other side of town. By now the rain was falling at a good clip and I started my journey across town. Upon arriving at the shop I showed the owner my tube which he recognized right away. His nodding approval gave me hope until he said, “yep we carry these…normally” His solution was to patch it as best that could be done. I waited for about 10 min to see if the rain would calm…which it didn’t so I tredged back to the tire shop. The streets were more like small rivers at this time. After trial and error, Juan at the tire shop found and patched 4 separate holes. The rain was lighter now but it was about 7:15 and dark!

Riding a bike in Guatemala is not so bad but I never ride at night. My headlight has been bent and shoots up into the sky. I never bothered with it because…I never ride at night. Now not only was it night but raining! I unhooked the top fasteners of the headlight to get it to dangle down but every time I went over a big bump the headlight bounced up and caught back on the upper right fastener so again the headlight was shooting up…and to the right! One thing you cannot do at this point on a motorcycle is use one of your hands to fix it because it is raining and dark, you are blinded by oncoming traffic which is complicated by the water droplets on your helmet visor and you never know when you will hit another one of the many potholes you cannot see. Another issue is that when my bike is drenched, sometimes the throttle sticks…which it did (A very inconvenient problem in my current situation).

On the other side of Antigua, and now thoroughly drenched, I found icy cold fog, which did not help the “seeing where I’m going” problem. Shaking on my bike I comforted myself by saying that I was nearing the top and close to the coldest spot there is and soon it would be getting warmer. On the way down the hill, the highway is under construction with many obstacles and in order to see these obstacles most people turn on their brights. I could only hold on tight and prepare for bumps at any moment.

Finally I reached San Cristobal with its well lit streets and warm air. The last of my ride I actually did take one hand and hold the headlight pointing down at the street because the road leading to my part of town has more than pot holes but just plain holes in the road... large ones…and lots of them! I did make it home safe but that definitely goes on my top 5 list of craziest things I have ever done!