Vamos pa'l Sur: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala

We are at the start of our great adventure. We have been planning for 1 ½ years and we are now going Pa’l Sur…to the south. My friend Paul and I are leaving the 4th of July from Dallas. We will hit San Antonio for some common sense and information. (possibly a breakfast burrito) then later that day, cross into Mexico at the safest crossing we can find.
Paul and I know each other from college. We both were working on our MA degree at Arizona State University (he in linguistics and me in literature) and we played lots of basketball together. Good Times. Through some online college classes I was teaching we re-connected and hatched a plan to head south. He has family in Costa Rica, so the original plan was to get there. For our 21 day trip all those CA crossings seemed a challenge. Our plan is to hit central Mexico, Yucatan, inland Belize, Guatemala and the head home. We will be following some of the same routes that Tricepilot and Raoul Duke have forged. Paul lives in Portland and we had to get his bike here. That was a process. We will trailer the bikes to Dallas where my sister lives and will start the ride there at 4:00 am Sunday morning the 4th.
He and I have great families that support us but think we’re crazy. Many friends feel the same way. We are not phased at all and since we both speak Spanish very well, (we both teach spanish for a living in different capcities) we look forward to the adventure.
We plan to update a little while we travel, wi-fi permittinng. We both have KLR’s so we’re evenly matched. I have so much respect for anyone taking a trip like this because of the planning and prep involved. Amazing!

Very cool (pun intended) - not too many headed south this time of year. Sounds like it's going to be a great trip!

Uhhh, I don't think so. Maybe by 9:00 I'll be awake...

What? You got family support?

I'm the other guy and will piggy back on this RR. Glad to see you got this started and am looking forward to riding.

Here's my 07 KLR650 the day I bought it with 2K miles. Now it has 11.5K miles and has made one trip to Mexico already...it didn't suck on that trip, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with Jeff's newer 09:

Muchas Gracias...I apreciate it. Hey...I ordered some ADV decals a few weeks ago and have not received them. I was hoping to spread the ADV love all over Mexico and Central America. How long do those things take to arrive, or are you not the guy to ask that question to?

:huh

I'll be following along! Should be a great trip. If you guys went to school in Tempe, you know about hot summer riding. Great idea to head down through central Mexico. It's cooler in the mountains.

Have fun and take lots of pics!

Kindest regards,
John Downs

Yes...we went to school in Tempe @ the main campus. We did not ride at all back then. I spent lots of time at Sycamore Creek and Four Peaks on my Raptor... but no dual sport at that point.

Here is a pic of my bike and my son. We attended the "Swinging Bridges" ride in Wentzville, MO a month or so ago. Amazing good times. Great people. Nothing special on my bike yet as far as mods go. It's too new. I bought it last November from a guy in Kansas. In Nov. 09, I bought this 09 with 800 mi for $3,500. It was perfect...No scratches. Now it's got some. I put on a skid plate, Happy Trails alum. black panniers, got a tank bag and a waterproof duffle and I'm ready to go.







Here is me getting ready today while my daughter plays with her new itouch.

Is there any reason why to don't take your BMW instead of your KLR?

He wants to return to his family...

I thought you were just one of those ordinary ADV ride guys telling us all the details of a ride that would make us jealous!

Then I saw that last photo...You're taking 2 Soccer balls as potential Charity or collateral to ease that sticky tension with the over baring parent!

You are a flipin Genius! Being a Soccer guy too I am now TOTALY Jealous!

Have a fantastic Trip! I'll be watching!

Ok, evening before Jeff comes by to pick me up in Auburn, Kansas. Need to fit this into the bags.


That's a bit better. Just need to put clothes in saddle bags and will be all set



Now it's time for goodbye dinner...Enchiladas...cliche, but good!

Watch the weather report, ALEX, hit very hard the border where you will or might cross. Monterrey is totally colapsed. Be extra careful, the weather is terrible and it's raining real hard.

I was going to say that!

http://www.vancouversun.com/Gallery+Hurricane+Alex+touches+down+Monterrey+Mexico/3229783/story.html

If you pass for Toluca, Mexico State let me know and may be I can be with you a part on the road. I live in a small city located directly south of Toluca to 50 Km toward Ixtapan de la sal and Tenango.
I have family in Dallas they live in St Agustine street.

Funny you should ask...I like both bikes but since Paul is on a KLR I liked the idea of being more evenly matched. The BMW seat is very uncomfortable and it is lower to the ground. I don't really have a good reason. I think I just had planned to take the KLR and when Jax (my son) decided not to go...I just decided to proceed.

I mean look at how amazing this bike looks at 6:00 am this morning as we took off...

I can' take any credit for it. I saw Tricepilot do it in one of his reports and I'm copying him...I've got some small kickballs as well. I'm going allow some young children south of the border to have the experience of being picked last on a kickball team.

Thanks for the invite...I don't know if we are heading in that direction...but if we are...we will look you up...

Ok...I need to put myself on record that Tricepilot makes some of the best guacamole around. He nailed it. 9.5. Needed a bit more cilantro for me.

This was very satisfying...!

Not much exciting from the first day. Tricepilot's house was the highlight. 460 miles of slab between North Dallas and Laredo. It was nice to get the boots off...






His daughter can play the piano like nobodys business. I don't know if she does weddings and / or barmitsvahs. (sp) but she is good. Very good!

This was the greatest gift ever...except for the guac. I have not received my stickers in the mail and now I feel legit. I'll do the same for any inmate that needs to stop over in KC for a rest.



It's late here at the Motel 6. Tomorrow will be a long day. We are going to try to get near Matehuala as long as the road between Monterrey and Saltillo is up and running...