Mexico at last (the final frontier)

A BMW R1200 GS Adventure drives passed as I am getting my Mexican entry into my passport. I go back to the boats but he is not there but I am told he is having lunch in the hotel/restaurant. I find Rudy from Boulder, Colorado and we chat about our trips as we had come from opposite directions, we both order lunch and we share experiences. He's going east and also does not know about the lack of a bridge. He gives me the low down on Mexico. I give him my Guatemala map. In the end I decide to stay here the night and share a room with Rudy in exchange for me buying supper tonight. Six more Mexican bikes arrive and many are riding 2 up ( wife's and girlfriends), they also have a GMC pick up truck for luggage and spares. The bikes are BMW's and KTM's and look new. They are all visiting the Yaxchilan ruins so are in a hurry to check into the hotel and catch a boat this afternoon. We agree to catch up later when they return.
Rudy and I go down to the boats on the river and organise his trip across for tomorrow morning. The price starts at US$ 70 + extra for labour, in the end they agree on US$50 all in the same as I had paid. That afternoon we chat and I make a plan for a route north though Mexico ( Rudy had just done). In the evening I also catch up with the Mexican group of bikers and we agree that somewhere between 13 and 16 days is realistic to get to San Diego, California.

Tuesday 18th March
Mexican style breakfast this morning and then see Rudy + BMW R1200 GS on to the boat, take lots of photo's as was not possible to get photo's of my own bike loading experience! I manage to leave the hotel by 0800 hrs and I head for the Mayan ruins of Palenque. The roads are good but again spoilt by unmarked speed ramps in every small town or village. The speed ramps mean that you have to drop to 2nd gear to pass though the village which is another pain in the back side! After getting lost for about 30 mins I arrive at the Palenque ruins site at 1200 hrs. The site is very crowded and I have to unpack my bike and carry all my luggage and bike clothes up to the main gate for safe keeping. I decide to wear shorts, Crocs and a T shirt only as its extremely hot and sunny. I have to queue for an entrance ticket and have no local currency so pay in US$4.80. The site is huge and there are too many people around ( not as large as Tikal).
I spend about 2 hours on site and get back to the bike and leave by 1430 hrs after walking and climbing miles in very hot sunny conditions. I take even more pictures of the stones and then head for San Cristobal which is a long drive though the mountains of which the last 2 hours are cold. It is now 1830 hrs and just starting to get dark, the roads are very twisty, lots of speed humps and a few pot holes and then miles of fine gravel on tarmac which I hate, so progress is slow. I then run out of fuel in the mountains and my reserve supply is not there ( some how I have already used it without knowing). Luckily I have been carrying 10 litres of fuel in Jerry cans so top up and then carry on after a short worry that I may have a blocked carb main jet. I still can not work out how I mange to used my reserve fuel!
San Cristobal is a nice small old colonial town with little streets, full of cars and people. At the 2nd bank I find an ATM and draw 3000 Peso (US$300) and spreed it around 3 wallets. I then find a hotel with a courtyard at 400 peso which is expensive but again its been a long day. I have a good hot shower and also manage to wash my smelly clothes.
I visit an Internet cafe that evening and discover I have some bad news from the UK ( no one has died) which annoys me for the next few days until I can reply with my views which then makes me feel better and I put the whole matter behind me as there is nothing I can do about it and I need to enjoy myself and remain positive. No one is going to spoil my trip of a life time which had been planned for about 5 years.

Wed 19th March
Up and pack 0700 hrs but my bike is blocked in by a car and I don't manage to leave until 0815 hrs as it takes ages to find the owner of the car. I decide I have to go and try and find the local Aduna (Customs) but after over an hour give up, buy fuel and oil and leave for Tuxtta Gutierrez (TG) about 60 kms away. TG also has an International airport so I will go there for the Aduna as it will be easy to find as all airports are well sign posted. The airport in TG is brand new and 25 kms outside town in the wrong direction. After some hassle parking, I discover the brand new international airport has no Aduna office which I just can not believe. I do mange to speak to an Aduna officer who also speaks English and she just can not believe I have got so far without any vehicle paper work . She informs me the correct procedure would be to go back to the same state in Mexico where I had entered and gain the correct paper work. She finds it so hard to believe that I have been though about 3 or 4 daily army road blocks and got his far she wants to see the bike and number plate. After some discussion she wishes me well and I leave west towards the most windy place in Central America. I was warned that I must cross this area early in the morning on a motor bike. The area is about 150 kms long and I start my crossing at 1400 hrs and of course I am the only motorbike for the whole time. The wind is not constant like Patagonia so I get blown back and forth across the road towards on coming trucks. I do however finally get across the low lying area between the two mountains ranges by 1630 hrs.

This morning I had seen 3 other motorbike travellers going the opposite way so they had crossed the area in the AM. Still it's a challenge to make things more difficult. It also rained hard for the 1st time for weeks so I had to stop and replace my jacket sleeves. It is not too cold just a little uncomfortable. After 2 hrs the rain stops and I soon dry out and warm up and then need my sunglasses again. (on my 4th pair now as always breaking them or leave than at fuel stations- they cost about US$1.50 each time). Today I am stopped twice by the army and at one stop have to unpack for a luggage search. I am however not asked for any papers today!
I continue west on the low ground and then climb up again, 1st hotel closed so find another with some help from the shop assistant in the Farmica.. Hotel 180 Pesos (US$18) and has an enclosed courtyard for the bike.