My first day of bicycling in Guatemala was most excellent. The road started at a 1900 meter elevation, descended to 1700 meters, then it was up and down for a while, then mostly up for long time, finally peaking at 2810 meters just before Pologua. That’s nearly twice as high as Denver. The Pan Am highway is good for bicycling, the grades are not severe and there is a one meter shoulder. It was a clear day and the views were spectacular. Almost all the folks on the side of the road waved. Peculiarly they will often greet me with an “adios”. I stopped at a couple of comedors and got into some conversations. The first flat tire on the bicycle this trip (I’ve had three on the trailer) occurred early on in the day. I pushed it to a gas station and did the repair there. A few guys sauntered up and helped. The best encounter of the day was on a climb around midday. There was a car broke down on the shoulder, and two guys in another car had stopped to help. I pulled up and we started talking. They asked the usual questions. Where are you coming from? Where are you going?  One of them said something about the Mexican flag I am flying on my trailer. I said that I needed a Guatemalan flag now that I was in Guatemala. He stuck his finger in the air, walked across the road, reached in his car window, pulled out a Guatemalan flag! I got the roll of duct tape out of my handlebar bag and we taped the flag to my antenna. Those guys were more happy about giving me the flag than I was about receiving it. They know the joy of giving here.

The last 20 k before Pologua was difficult, it seemed the road would never stop ascending. I had to take breaks and allow my heartrate to come down. I never thought I would see the day my heartrate would be maxed out in low gear.  I pushed the bike a while and discovered that pushing was no slower than riding in low gear. I reached Pologua about 3pm and it cooled off suddenly like it was going to rain. The Hotel Pologua was run by a couple of silly indian girls. They were very nice, and had a lot of questions for me. I got a kick out of talking to them and watching them speak Quiche to each other. They gave me a room on the top floor for $10usd. At 8pm, they brought a dinner of carne asada, rice, beans, and a stack of tortillas to my room for $1.50!  I watched a movie for while then a huge thunderstorm came through and took the cable out.

The next days ride to Xela was mostly downhill, much easier. I passed through a huge market at San Francisco de Alto. The right turn off of the Pan Am at Cuatro Caminos took about 15 minutes, it was a very busy intersection. I was almost to Xela when I saw a white blur out of the corner of my left eye. It was a dog bearing down on me and he looked and sounded real aggressive. I could hear his owner calling him back. He was trying hard to get a piece of my left ankle and I was trying to kick him but he would see it coming and back away. Then help arrived. A chicken bus pulled alongside and the drivers assistant, who always rides standing in the doorway, hauls off and kicks the dog! The dog turns his head to look and I give him a boot in the side. We’re tag teaming the dog. The dog quickly gives up. The assistant and I look at each other with big smiles and give each other the thumbs up. The driver beeps the horn. I can hear people on the bus cheering. A great way to end the days ride, I hate dogs.

I plan on staying in Xela for a few weeks to study Spanish at one of the many Spanish schools here.