So after our wee get off life has been interesting considering we (me) are doing very little.
Highlight of my day is lunchtime and tea time, we have also been doing two hours each day Spanish so this is good and take my mind off my ribs but I find it uncomfortable sitting so I move around a lot.
Maya was safely delivered by Gene and Neda who are normally seen riding the GS’s. Nedas bike needed servicing in Guatemala City so Gene cadged a ride with Julio who kindly offered a seat while Neda followed behind on her bike.
Dropping her bike at the dealership they both piled onto Maya, this worked out well for them as Gene does not have a passenger seat on his GS and it worked well for us to get Maya back in our possession, a HUGE thanks to Victor for looking after her.
Something happened to Maya in Guatemala City and the rear brake decided it did not want to leave town and started making smoke signals which is a bumma, seems that moisture from humidity in the brake fluid was the culprit so new pads, new oil and a good clean out and we will be up and running ... not that I can use the bike anyway.
HUGE thanks to Gene and Julio, really appreciate the team effort to get her back here and I promise not to post any pictures of Gene on the KTM ... other than these ones.
Concentrated look
I was the guide boy .... dunno what I could have done if Gene let her go
Squeezed through the entrance
All the way to the back courtyard
So at our place we are staying I am relaxing and resting, every morning we go for a walk to get circulation going which is great, a walk to the market or town centre, the market is a cool place where you can buy anything .. except a camera tripod.
Ellens training coming into full flight here
A reminder and pisstake on Cuba ... very appropriate
This place is CHOCA with fruit and veges, prices ranges dramatically depending on the day and who is serving you, some see whites fellas and go ca-ching and others are asking their usual prices.
Every afternoon the clouds gather and have a scrap, mum nature lets us know she is in control with thunder and lightning served up in generous proportions, in New Zealand this is rare, in Guatemala this is everyday in the rainy season.
From the "sun" deck
See the layers here, just stunning
A couple of minute up here is as good a world class movie with swirls and changing clouds and Huey taking photos of earth
There have been many parades and celebrations, Guatemalans love blowing shit up and everyday there are huge booms which makes one jump if you are not ready for them.
This was a dance on the street, check out their masks
In house here we have a big rabbit who is a real friendly bugger and loves to try and trip you up, who needs a watch dog with a daunting face like this.
He is whiter than me!!
Last Saturday evening we got an email from Phil and Jane on the Ultimate Ride, they were in Antigua for two nights so we caught up with them which was so cool.
Given they only had two nights we organized a dinner at a restaurant called “Por Que No”, which translates to “Why Not” on the Sunday evening.
It was quite the gathering with Gene and Neda, Phil and Jane, Ellen and I and Julio (unfortunately Luiosa was in Guatemala City with work)
We are not sure why but Nedas meal came our first, so with no guilt we said get into it and don't wait for us ..... well she did ....and it smelt great
The team, from the left, Jane and bro Phil, me, Gene, Neda, Ellen and Julio
Gene recklessly graffiting the hat
We showed them “the hat” that started a two page war on our ride report against Voodoodaddy who was offended, it was agreed unanimously he was a dick, obviously the mods thought so too as he is permabanned.
So in good spirits Team Phil and Jane as well as team lightcycle - Gene and Neda signed the other hat ... now there are scrawlings from three dodgy adventure bikers there is no other real estate left in there to graffiti in.
Look inside and you will see the sigs
Good times guys and a great catchup ... may the slow race continue, Gene and Neda no more cheating going around the block to Cuba and back again
. Also in my time to think about life for a while I got to thinking about facts and figures, at the end of my ribs saga in say 2.5 weeks time which will be 6 weeks we have had 18 weeks off the road to failures.
We lost 6 weeks out of the first six months to the DR 650s casing fups by Suzuki and we lost 6 weeks to Ellens crash and regroup and now 6 weeks to my ribs.
In a very strange sorta way we are very lucky considering a lot of people don’t actually have 18 weeks to travel let lone have 18 weeks to recover and get over fails with motorcycle and bodies.
So at 400 days now on the road we have had around 126 days off...without sick pay
, so more than a quarter of the time, this is something we had not factored into our trip so our best plan was to have no plan which has worked out well.Where is this going? .. buggered if I know but I was just thinking about it so I guess anyone considering a RTW trip just think a little more about possible illness or crashes, don’t base your trip around it but place it in the back of your mind.
The consequences of this is we are obviously miles behind where we thought we were going to be, theoretically we should be down in South America around Peru or so, at this point we have not made it half way and we are dead set into the rainy season which or course has other bonuses and trials.
That concludes what has been happening to date, next update when something exciting happens although life has still been great despite me single handedly keeping the Guatemalan medical profession from going into recession.
Luv to all.
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