Central America 2010

The following is my daily log of my third January trip in my RV6A to Central America. Joan decided not to go this time so my friend Bob Each joined me for this adventure. We flew to Guatemala City with friends in a Bonanza, Bruce & Tobey Taber. We left on January 13 and had a rough plan of where we would stop and what we would do, but we had to be flexible as life intervened. For instance we were not able to join Darrel Shy and his 3 passengers in Roatan due to unexpected events which will be revealed.

Just wanted everyone to know that we made it to Guaymas Ok. It took around 3.5 hrs. We had broken skies this morning at 10:00 am so we took off (Bruce’s plane and my plane) and climbed on top at 9500 and were able to stay clear of clouds until the border. From there it was clear all the way to Guaymas. We really had good tail winds hitting ground speeds close to 200 kts. After checking through customs & Immigration we took a taxi to San Carlos to the Best Western Hotel. Just across the street is one of the most popular restaurants, Charlie's Rock, famous for the garlic shrimp and the beautiful view of the bay. We had the shrimp, margaritas, and beer. The weather is nice and so warm you almost don't need a jacket except for in the evening. We are getting up early in the morning for the longest leg of the trip (around 5 hrs.) to Zihuatanejo where we expect it to be much warmer. So if all goes well talk to you from Zwat tomorrow

1/14/2010 Thursday

Bob and I are here in Zihuetanejo Mexico and my computer broke so I am using Bobs. Had a good flight over here from Guaymas (almost 5 hrs.) Mostly smooth air at 9500. Had to go inland over some high terrain and there were lots of clouds and turbulence, and some rain. We are staying 2 days here and then headed for Central America somewhere. While flying along we had flight following. We could hear Bruce and Tobey as they checked in and they could here us so we could keep track of each other. It is really warm here about 90 degrees. Friday Bob and I took the rental car and went to Ixtapa where we had very good fish tacos and drove around the area so Bob could see the buildings and wealth that is in this newer city

We are staying at the Sotavento hotel In Zwat. a nice hotel with a very good view of the bay and beach. The only drawback in the large number of stairs we have to climb. . While we were having dinner at the hotel it started to rain so we moved inside from the deck. Then it rained hard with lighting and the heavy winds of a thunderstorm. It blew so hard that some of the large potted plants blew over and it knocked out our electricity. The management gave us candles to go to our rooms. The water was still hot so I took a hot shower and went to bed

We had a good flight today about 4 hrs. from Zwat. to Tapachula, Mexico. The trip was very marginal VFR with the tops at 13500. We were stuck on top almost the entire trip without oxygen. I developed quite the headache. Bob was just fine. When we arrived at Tapachula the army came and asked for our papers; I couldn't find them. We tore the airplane apart looking for them but I had set them on the wing of the airplane and they had slid off on the ground and that's where the Zwat people found them. Long story short, they are going to ship them to us on the first airplane out, which is Wednesday. So we will have to stay here and wait for them. I think we will rent a car and explore the area. There are some big volcanoes around here and lots of other interesting things to see. It seems like all the people down here are really trying to help us. It is kinda fun.

On Sunday we walked into town to spot a car rental place but could not find one. We were amazed at the size and complexity of this town. There were US chain stores including a Walmart and a Costco. There were blocks of vendors in the marketplace which had locals shopping and buying. This is not a tourist town.

So here we are stuck in …no not Lodi again… but Tapachula, Mexico without a passport. What a great thing. We are having a wonderful time. We (Bob, Bruce & Tobey and I) hired a cab driver to take us up in the mountains to two Coffee Plantations. They were very interesting. We were around 7 thousand feet high. There was lush jungle plants all around with lots of pretty flowers. We took a tour of the further one, Finca Hamburgo, owned and run since the early 1900’s by a German family. It was good that we hired the taxi driver because we never would have found the place. Both of the coffee plantations were beautiful in their own way. Took a lot of pictures. The coffee operation is very labor intensive and dependent on the local Indian populalation for most of that labor. It takes approximately six months from the time the beans are picked until they are ready to be shipped to the roaster. We also got a tour of the coffee museum. You would not believe the road. At times the taxi driver had to get out and remove rocks to get us through. It took all day and we got back to the hotel after dark.

The plantation manager gave us the tour in Spanish, and it was easy to understand him. Our taxi driver did not speak English ether but he also spoke slowly and used easy to understand Spanish.

Today we hired the same taxi driver to take us to a mangrove preserve. There supposedly were alligators and/or crocodiles but we didn't see any. We saw lots of birds, ospreys, egrets, herons, turtles, and many other animals. We were on a boat tour with a Mexican captain. He took us slowly through all the mangrove narrow passageways and then out into the open water. We ended up eating at a restaurant on the beach that served us shrimp and lots of beer. We stayed there late, so the ride back was very fast through the narrow mangrove pathways. I got a very good video of it on my camera. It was a long ride back to the hotel, almost 2 hrs. Tomorrow my papers are supposed to arrive and we can leave for Guatemala. We will see.

We made it to Guatemala City. My papers came in along with my passport. The man in charge of my briefcase “took out the $600.”, called me from Zwat to tell me that “he couldn't send money and that I could pick it up on the way back”. The flight over from Tapachula was a non-event. We climbed out above the overcast to 9500 feet VFR and it was clear on our arrival. We zigzagged through all the volcanoes and made a visual approach into Aurora airport runway 19. After checking in with customs we went to the Aero Club and had lunch. The manager of the club, Alejandro, helped us get a taxi to the hotel and a rental car for tomorrow.

Bob and I are leaving tomorrow for Chichicastenango to the market place, which is only open on Thursday and Sunday. Bruce and Tobey are staying in Guat city to wait for their friends to come in by commercial aircraft.

Today we were supposed to have our rental car delivered to the Best Western in downtown Guatemala City but it never came. After about 2 hours of calling around we finally got a car. The price at $31.00 a day, was good. The rental car guy had one of his employees lead us to the highway out of town. I don’t think we could have ever found the road leading to Antigua without his help. We decided not to go to Chichicastenango because of getting late start from Guatemala. We are staying at the Hotel Antigua on 4a Calle Poinente. The room is only $45. – in cash. It is a beautiful place but has no Internet. There is an internet cafe right across the street, but the internet is free at the park just 1/2 block to the East of here. Bruce and Tobey's friends are arriving tomorrow and possibly they will come here to Antigua. Things seem less expensive here in this artsy crafty place. There are a lot of ex-patriots from the U.S. This is where we met Ern in a Burger King right across the street from our hotel. He comes down here every winter to escape New York’s cold winters. He said he had a Guatemalan wife back in New York, and that he was paying only $8.00 per night for his hotel room. We were here 2 years ago and it is good to be back. There is a zip line ride through the jungle canopy not far from here at a coffee plantation. We might seek that out while we have the chance. After talking to some of the locals we decided not to go to Chichicastenango. They told us that Antigua had all the same stuff in their marked place but at a more reasonable price.

Today Bob and I explored Antigua by foot and must have walked almost every street in the town center. There are many things to see here such as market places where the Mayans sell their goods. Tiendas of all sizes. Museums, coffee shops restaurants, jewelry stores, also little Mayan women selling their goods. I had a good laugh at Bob when a Mayan girl would not quit trying until he bought something. When we came back to the hotel we found that Bruce, Tobey and their friends had checked in to the hotel but we keep missing each other. We also checked out some of the cheaper hotels and many are $18.00 a night. I used the free Internet in the park to call Joan on skype. It was very good to talk to her. Joan tells me how it’s been raining there and that makes me glad I'm here.

Tomorrow we think we will pack up the car early and head out for Panajachel, and on the way stop by the coffee plantation (Finca in Espanol) to ride the zip line.

Yesterday we made the long drive from Antigua to Panajachel. There was some construction on the highway but not as much as 2 years ago. It took about 3 hours to drive it. Most of the road is sort of like a freeway only with people, bicycles, dogs. There are many things that act as distractions along side the road. The rental car we have is good except for climbing a grade, and that is what we have a lot of with this mountainous road. Driving to Panajachel we missed the turn off and drove as fast as we could in the wrong direction. After about ½ hour we could tell something was wrong and stopped to ask for directions. We were told by some Mayan kids that we missed the turn off around 40 miles back. Before trying to talk to the kids I tried asking an older Mayan lady and she didn’t speak Spanish. Before we left Antigua we stopped and looked at the Zip line which stretches from mountaintop to mountaintop. It was going to be late before we could ride it so we will try it again on the way back.

The hotel we are staying at is the Don Rodrigo where we stayed 2 years ago. It is very nice and it overlooks Lake Atitlan. Bob and I got the economy room here at the hotel annex for $45. a day. It doesn't overlook the lake. We are expecting Bruce, Tobey and their friends to arrive. Tomorrow we plan to take a boat across the lake to Santiago and go to the market place there.

Tobey, Bruce, Clyde, & Jane arrived late Sunday afternoon. We all had a good time talking and catching up over drinks and snacks. Bob and I were telling Bruce and his friends about missing the turn off to Panajachel and they also missed it. There is no sign. We decided to take a boat ride across Lake Atitlan to Santiago, a unique Mayan pueblo town. Monday morning I went down to the boat docks and negotiated for a round trip to Santiago & return-400 Quetzals or around $50.. The ride over was smooth water and very rough on the way back. While over there we all took a three-wheel taxi to the 5 points of interest. First was to the overlook where we could see the Mayan women washing clothes in the traditional way in the lake. Next was Memorial park (la Paz) where, in 1990, the military shot and killed a Priest and number of men and boys. This murderous act helped end the war. After that we went to the house of Maximon, which is a mannequin with a cigarette in his mouth. He was supposed to be able to talk with the devil and to have strong healing powers. This is part of the Mayan’s religious belief. While we were there we witnessed a sick man being cured by a Mayan shaman. And the last was an old church that was constructed in 1547. The church is still used today as a college, which is about our high school level.

Today Bob and I drove over to the Filadelfia coffee plantation near Antigua to ride the zip lines. There were approximately 8 lines with the first 5 being fairly easy and the last 3 the longest reaching across deep, wide canyons. The views on the trip across were stunning. My legs and arms would brush some of the conifer branches as I glided through. The young girl guide on staff encouraged me to take videos with my camera on the way across. With all the transitions from platform to platform it took over an hour to complete. There was quite a bit of climbing uphill to transition to the next tower. Bob and I were tired when we finished. We looked around the gift shop, bought some coffee, and returned to Antigua for lunch.

Tomorrow we plan to get up early to drive the rental car back to Guatemala City, check out of the country, and fly to Tapachula, Mexico. There we will check into Mexico and then fly as far as we can north.

Today we drove to Guatemala City and turned in the rental car. What a feat that was with crowded roads and no signs to direct us until we got right on top of them, which meant is was too late. The rental car guy wanted to charge us for the finest of a crack on the tail light, but we outlasted him and he finally gave in, no charge. He then drove us to the Aero Club where we taxied our airplane down to the customs & flight plan area where clearing was a breeze, only taking about 45 minutes. We got off the ground around 11:00 am local. It took about an hour and 1/2 to Tapachula, Mexico. There we were directed to go to the military end of the airport for their inspection. It was quite a sight. A bunch of tough looking heavily armed teenaged guys with big black dogs. It was a breeze consisting of filling out paperwork and talking to an air force captain about aeobatics and their experimental aircraft used by the military. The one I saw was a Lanceair After that we went to the regular check in where the fun began. A guy from customs made us unload everything out of the airplane and then he went through every bag. Then we had to take our rolling luggage into the office and have it x-rayed. After that we had to start the paper work. They tried to sell Bob a $60. entry form which we already had. We didn't buy gas because we thought Oaxaca might be more honest. It took about 2 hours to clear through Tapachula and then depart for Oaxaca, Mexico. On the way to Oaxaca, the controller made us fly the airway to clear the restricted areas. That was quite a challenge finding the enroute charts and programming the garmin 480 with the correct waypoints and staying clear of the restricted areas.

We landed about 4:00pm local at Oaxaca and closed our flight plan. Everyone had already left and that was it for the paperwork. We went to the front of the terminal bought a taxi ticket for about $15. and went in a taxi to the center of town. I couldn't think of the name of the hotel we stayed in 2 years ago (Frailes) so looked at a couple of hotels and decided on Gala Oaxaca for about $50. It is the best hotel we have stayed in so far. The rooms are big, clean, and they all have Internet. Bob and I were both starving. We had not eaten at all since the night before. We looked up and down the street for some place to eat. We were both so grouchy that we finally found this hole in the wall junk food place and just kept ordering until at least I was full. After that we found a good restaurant where Bob ordered sushi and a couple of beers for us.

Tomorrow we plan to go to Zihuatanejo and collect my money that I left there! Then go someplace closer to Guaymas from there.

We departed Oaxaca about 10:00 am. and arrived at Zihuatanejo around 12:30 pm. After being greeted by the army boys with AK47s (you get used to that), we walked to the flight planning office. On the way a guy met me and said that he had my money at home. He wanted to know if I was going to stay the night. I said we were leaving for Mazatlan as soon as possible. He said he was going home for the money and left. We cleared paper work out of Zihuatanejo and waited for my money to arrive. He came back pretty soon and gave me the money. I looked through the money belt and most of it was there. It seemed that most of the pesos were missing. I asked the guy if he wanted a reward and he said yes. I gave him $40. and he wanted more so I gave him 20. more. Then he said he needed money for the taxi and took me into another room and told me to give a guy there money for the taxi. The guy I was trying to give another 20 to looked surprised like he didn't know what the money was for. Anyway $80. to get most of my $600. back was a good exchange I thought. We departed for Mazatlan. It took around 3 hours to get to Mazatlan we had no head wind or tail wind and averaged 160 kts. at 10500 feet. We closed the flight plan and got a taxi to the Hotel Olas Atlas right across from the promenade. I had a good conversation with the taxi driver all in Spanish. He told me all about his family and his extended family, all over California. This is a nice hotel at $58. with Internet. It is a high-rise, with restaurants nearby. We are not sure where we are going tomorrow maybe Guaymas, then home.

This morning Bob and I decided to walk to the Grand Plaza (a shopping mall) in Mazatlan for breakfast. We walked for a half hour and finally discovered that we were lost. I asked a security guard where the Grand Plaza was and he told us the best bet would be to take the bus there. We found a bus stop and waved down a bus because none seemed to stop with us just standing there. After riding for about 15 minutes I asked a lady where the bus was going she said not to the Grand Plaza. So we got off the bus and went across the street and caught the Grand Plaza bus going in the opposite direction. In no time at all we arrived at the Grand Plaza and the hunt began for a restaurant for breakfast. Bob and I were both starving by now and quite grouchy. We finally found a nice place with a breakfast buffet. Of course, being so hungry we ate too much.

After breakfast we walked back to the hotel, packed and caught a taxi to the airport. Clearing Mazatlan was one of the easiest Mexican airports I have ever cleared. It was a 3-hour flight to Guaymas because of head winds. We closed the flight plan and grabbed a taxi for the Best Western in San Carlos. We checked into the hotel and were given 2 free margarita drink tickets. Bob and I went up to the hotel restaurant and had our margaritas. By then it was dinnertime so we just ate there. A good time was had by all being that this is our last night in Mexico. We went back to our room and filed our EAPIS flight plan for returning to the USA. We plan to depart the airport by 9:00 am and arrive at Calexico CA by 11:30 am depending on winds. After clearing Customs at Calexico depart for Oxnard.

Bob and I both admit that we have had a real good time on this trip but are both tired of traveling and are glad to be returning home.

The trip home from Guaymas was mostly uneventful. We departed around 10:00 am climbed to 10500 for a 2.5 hour trip to Calexico. Checked in with customs, had lunch at Rosas Plane Food restaurant and Departed for Oxnard. We climbed to 10500 again, got flight following over Julian VOR. We were directed by Socal to go direct to OCN VOR and then to Seal Beach VOR right along the beach. We were told to descend and maintain 8, then 6, and then altitude at own discretion right over LAX air space. Everything went fine until we switched to Mugu approach. We were then told that Oxnard had a disabled aircraft on the runway and we would have to divert to another airport or hold until cleared. We chose to go to Santa Paula airport where we gassed up and talked to Ron Reed and his friend who were also waiting. We soon found out that Oxnard was clear and could go home.

It was like I stated before - very good exploration trip, vacation, and just plane having fun But we are both tired and glad to be home. Until next time Hasta Luego