We spent the next two days kicking back at Zephyr Lodge (we found out the fourth night was free so of course we stayed). Tom asked reception about where we could get some repairs done for our panniers, and it turned out the hostel had a big workshop onsite as they're expanding the property. So they had the guys and the tools needed to repair and reinforce our panniers without us having to go anywhere on the crazy roads – so ideal. They took off the bent metal that held the panniers to the bike, straightened them and reinforced them with steel before spray painting them to match the bike. We also found out that all the bouncing had caused the muffler to loosen, so we got this tightened up too. As well as a wing mirror and an indicator... 9 hours of constant jiggling seems to be able to loosen anything!
We could not be more thankful to Zephyr Lodge and their guys for helping us out like this. Of course we paid them for their time but the time and effort they saved us was substancial, when they were not obliged to in any way. They have also given us a wealth of information about onward roads and suggested routes; it's these people you meet and the relationships that are forged which make a trip like this even more special and memorable. We’d heard awful things about the road to Coban, so set off nervously towards the mountain town. However after the first 11km of gravel road, we were greeted wih tarmac! Beautiful tarmac that we hadn’t see for five days. And even better, it stayed! And not just to Coban, but all the way to Antigua where we arrived two days later. Our only issue was the back brake decided to stick at one point after completing the 11km of gravel - we think the bouncing pannier (the non-reinforced one) rubbing on the rear brake lever caused the problem. But a bit of fiddling and a cool down and she was right as reign. But we'll probably have to get this pannier stabilised too at some point to prevent this happening again - smoke and the smell of burning is never a nice experience whilst on a motorbike.
The ride was gorgeous; swerving corners through the cloud forest of the Alta Verapaz where it was lovely and cool. We stopped about half an hour past Coban after around 4 hours of riding, in the protected rainforest. We stayed in an Eco Lodge dedicated to protecting Guatemala’s national bird – the Quetzal. We went on a lush rainforest nature walk in the afternoon, followed by one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever had served with local biscuits (‘galletas’) yummm. Our little cabin was a magnet for a host of moth and butterfly species, and it was lovely lying in a our comfy double bed listening to the cacophony of birdsong outside.
All the way to Antigua the quality of the roads was excellent, and the first ¾ of the journey was stunning – first through the highlands and then coming into the lowlands of the Baja Verapaz. Sadly once in the lowlands there started to be a lot of rubbish at the sides of the road, taking away from the beauty slightly, however there were still many twists and curves so we were happy enough. The Guatemalans' attitude towards overtaking is slightly terrifying, with seemingly no regard for the risks of overtaking on bends or on blind hills. We just make sure we hang right back and go slow enough to avert should we be faced with oncoming traffic. Witnessing a few near misses today is ensuring we ride as safely as possible (don't worry Mum)!
We were very pleased to be just passing through Guatemala City as it seemed like utter chaos and rather unattractive. I am sure there are parts that would be lovely to visit but for us we passed through the traffic and smog as quickly as possible.
And as we arrived in Antigua, despite being soaked through (for the first time!) we were extremely happy with our decision. As one of the three surrounding volcanoes loomed above us, we pottered through the cobbled streets in search of a hostel. We found one in moments, and spent the afternoon wandering around the old colonnial capital. I’ll save the details of this beautiful town for the next post!
