Today has been a day of days.
We left Palenque at 7:30 and arrived at the Guatemalan border about noon. The ride was very pretty through the dense tropical flatlands with the mountains on the west Side. Adrienne compared it to Jarassic Park.
We lucked out at the Guatemalan border. Fortunately there was only one other car there and us. No officials there is spoke a smidgen of English. And right before our frustrated countenance appeared a young Guatemalan man with Virginia license plates on his car. It was like the guardian angel had appeared again. This young man was a truck driver for part of the year in Virginia and frequently made it home to Guatemala. He said America was OK but you have to work to hard to survive. He liked coming back to Guatemala to work a little bit and enjoy friends and lay back a lot.
Our truck driver, instant friend,assisted us no end with translation and paperwork and after about three quarters of an hour we're heading into Guatemala.
Guatamala is a gorgeous country in this area. No cities to speak of just continuous small farms and very small villages along a 2 Lane Hwy that leads to Tikal. One killer with this country is they do not warn you of coming topes (speed bumps)--and of course you do not see them all and occasionally get LAUNCHED!
All seemed too smooth. 2 hours and halfway to Tikal, Dahlia started hiccuping. She was missing so bad that we had to pullover to the side of the road. I thought it was a fuel pump and changed it on the side of the road. However that was not the real issue. We made it another mile or two stopping and starting and stopping and it got to a point where we had to pull over. Wondering what we would do, I decided to get on my bicycle and ride for a little bit to see if we could find a solution to our delema and a place to stay over night. Along the road were numerous small very poor homes and farms.
There is very little money in this area. People have homes that are basically just a couple of bedrooms with the kitchen outside and the kids basically living outside along with the chickens, turkeys, dogs and pigs.
My bike ride took me about a quarter-mile, when I noticed a large fenced off front yard and a long very rudimentary house at the back. I stopped my bike and there happen to be a lady right at the gate. Our second guardian angel of the day.
Like everyone else she spoke not a word of English, and I'm trying to communicate but it was very difficult. I smiled and started my bike back toward Dahlia. Suddenly a motorcycle came up from behind me--it was a young man and he could speak perhaps ten words in English. He insisted that he help us. Our third guardian angel of the day.
It was very difficult communicating with him, but he was persistent in figuring out what our problem was but shortly said goodbye. However it was just for a short period of time. He returned on his motorcycle and insisted that we come with him. I told him we would try to get our vehicle moving. She actually did start and we limped our way the 800 yards to the home with the fence compound. They let us in and we were instantly the hit of the strip. There must've been seven or eight people gathered around all giving advice--IN SPANISH!!
The young man phoned somebody and finally we got to speak to somebody (in English!) and I told him of our problem. This gentleman on the phone said he would find the local mechanic and send him out to us--on a Sunday, if you can believe.
Within minutes the mechanic was riding into our compound on the back of the young Guatamalan's motorcycle--our 4th guardian angel of the day!! The mechanic along with 2 other "helpers" and myself started checking out Dahlia. I was somewhat taken aback by his technique as he revved the "old girl" up to redline and of course she stalled. He did this several times and I could see Adrienne cringing at a distance. He did some testing and still was unable to find a problem. While I was looking at various engine parts, I noticed in the back of the engine'svalve cover, a small tube had come off. I pointed it out to him and he smiled. This was a problem. A small rubber hose had rotted and was nowhere to be found. The young man on the motorcycle doubled the mechanic back to his shop where they picked up the appropriate hose. Upon his return it was just a matter of five or 10 minutes and Dahlia was like new again--I hope
The people are so nice here that everybody has refused any sort of payment for what they have done for us but I absolutely insisted on giving me mechanic a $20 US money note.
The day was not yet over. Not knowing what to do, while we were working on the car, Adrienne joined a small crowd across the road.
Once the car was fixed I was next invited across the road. What should I find but Adrienne and a dozen other locals watching a small town rodeo where contestants were actually riding a big Brahma bull!! It may have been a small crowd (where viewing was looking through the corral fence), but it was certainly a rodeo as far as this area was concerned. Each contestant was definitely at more physical risk than was really comfortable for us!
After each attempted ride (the bull was always the winner) much effort and chasing took place as they they managed to run the bull into the riding Shute. Next, one of the men got decked out ready to ride. It was quite an ordeal as each rider got on this rambunctious animal. Just like Rodeo you see on TV, the contestant would set his body above the bull then have his hands cinched into position and after much struggling the arena gate was open.
The bull burst out of the gate jumping and kicking and within seconds the rider it was on the ground. One of them actually took a good shot from the bull in the butt and was catapulted about six or 8 feet before landing again (I actually videoed it!) It was exciting to watch, what with about 6 different rides taking place in a matter of a half an hour.
By now we thought the day was over. However at 4:30 we had a visit from our mystery English speaking man on the phone who helped co-ordinate our repair job. He just wanted to meet us and say hello. He actually invited us over for supper at his ranch but we politely declined, not wanting to push our luck in the fantastic hospitality of the town.
Next thing you know however was our host's sister dropping over to visit and asking us over for coffee.
I guess there is no dull moment when you are the celebrity of the day in a small town.
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