Amatitlan, Guatemla to Coatepeque, Guatemala
December 18, 2009

Mountains in Guatemala
Welcome to
Parrot
Monkey

We set out this morning from the water park and took the route probably southwest to the city of Escuintla and then north. First part of the journey was great with four lane roads and great surface. I had almost reconsidered the road conditions in Guatemala. This journey was all downhill, on 5-6-7-8% grades but just one big mountain. Then we went north and the four lane went to two lanes and the road surface went to pot. It must be the overloaded trucks because the road did not look that old but the shaking never stopped. We ran into lots of sugar cane trucks here and lots of sugar refining companies. The trucks lumber along at about 20 mph and the traffic really backs up.
This part of the journey was on somewhat flat delta so maybe Guatemala does have some parts that are flat (but not many).
We stopped for groceries at a Plaza de los Americas which always has a Mega grocery store as well as lots of other shops in it. Sort of like a two or three story shopping center but anchored with a supermarket. Lots of people in it possibly doing Christmas shopping. Yes there was Christmas music and all of the decorations were up.
Next a stop for lunch at Taco Bell (you heard that right Taco Bell and Burger King, Pizza Hut and Mac are all here in the larger towns. Makes you feel sort of at home but hoping that the original little sopas (diners) do not disappear and all we have is American fast food in the world. It is sort of unusual here to see two armed guards standing at the doors of a fast food restaurant. They have security here everywhere and I mean with shotguns and the whole bit. We passed a gas station that even had a guard tower that looked like you see at a prison with gun slots high up on the second floor.
After a burrito and some fries we left and were in luck because I spotted a butane tank place. Yes we were getting low on fuel for the water heater, stove and the refrigerator. So we stopped and were let in the gate by the guard and filled the tank. That should last till we get home.
Tonight we are staying at the Costa Real Resort facility with a pool that we took the plunge into earlier to refresh ourselves. They have parrots and monkeys on the grounds and they are a real treat to watch.
I was not able to get onto their internet even though they gave me the password so this post will have to wait with the others that I have not sent in about a week. So when you hear from us we did not drop off the face of the earth and were not kidnapped. All is well with Lorne, Bev and Scruffy.
We are only 70 Km from the border so tomorrow we will again cross into Mexico. If we get out of Guatemala, OK then getting into Mexico should be easy as I already have the vehicle permits. And that folks is the last bad time consuming border we should have to cross. Although with all of the stamps now in our passports I expect coming back into the US we will be scrutinized more thoroughly than in the past.