Guatemala to Alaska and Back

Julio with the (happy to be back in Guatemala) look on his face.

It was a fantastic journey and I'm happy that I was able to be a part of it.

Un abrazo desde Girdwood!

Still smiling after all those miles.
Wishing you Happy Holidays and many more miles of smiles.
Doug & Janet

Welcome back! Wishing you happy holidays and many more wonderful miles ahead!

Thanks Shawn, it was an honor sharing part of the road with you !!

You are right on all counts !!
It was great being your guest twice , I really enjoyed that time, the cooking, eating and
I hope to see you soon down here, with or without your bike .
Un abrazo mi hermano !!!

Hi you guys,
I hope it's not to cold yet up there to keep you from wine tasting
The smile is still there and will stay there, because the best part of our journey was meeting so many wonderful people as yourself . This experience will stay with us forever , THANK YOU !!
We shall meet again ...

Hi Benny,
we still remember the Vietnamese food, your cooking, the frozen yoghurt and your hospitality
All the best to the 3 of you !!!!

No te preocupes, voy a estar alli muy pronto! El Febrero, tengo que ir a Alemania, pero despues quiero ir a Guatemala y El Salvador.

Un abrazo, Vicente.

After we crossed the border , we went towards the Cuchumatanes, the western highlands in Guatemala and my favorite place in the country . 10 month ago when I left for this journey, I stopped here for a couple of days in order to decompress , now on our way back we will do the same .


It didin't take long to get back in our traffic











And to our great mountains and views







And to another , unfortunately very common sight on our roads






After a couple of hours , we arrived at the Unicornio Azul http://www.unicornioazul.com/ , where we were expected and welcomed by the owner, our good friend Pauline.






I love it up there , and since Alaska was all sunshine and warm weather for us , I finally needed some lower temperatures











The next day we received the visit of another inmate, John, Juanito,Tio Juan....aka JDowns. It was great meeting him, being able to ride with him in my favorite part of my country, interchange stories,experiences and views...
Vaya con Dios !!!






One of the things I like most up there in the mountains at over 3000 meters, is hiking up a small mountain in the morning before sunrise and watch the sun coming up slowly and enjoying the incredible views and colors














LIFE IS GOOD !!!!!!!!

Hola Julio,

I was very happy to meet you three amigos:



Thanks so much for showing me around your beautiful country. I miss Guatemala already.

Saludos,
Juanduras

The further down you get in Honduras, the more you will miss Guatemala You are still in time to turn around...
Ride safe !!!
Julio

After leaving the Cuchumatanes there was really no way we could come up with another stop or another excuse to postpone the arrival at our (momentary) final destination, Antigua .
When we left Guatemala 10 month ago, relocation was one of the things on our mind . That's why we gave up our house in Guatemala City before taking off . After 47 000 KM , we ended up in Antigua, a place just 35 KM away from our startpoint.
We shall see how we like it here...maybe this will be the place where we build our new home, a safe port where we can come back to when we get tired from the road...


This was our entrance to Antigua






Our arrival at our momentary home, a place that my friend Jean Luc found and rented for us







And just a few hours after our arrival, we got our first visit , our friend and riding buddy Richard,aka Richsuz, and his wife Suzanne came by.

Well, I know now where to aim for! LOL!
Nice place, good to hear you are "home" safe and sound.

Thanks; would be great to have you down here and to be able to return some of the favors !!!

This is probably my most difficult post : It's time to thank everybody who helped to make this journey an unbelievable and unforgettable one .

There are too many people that who helped us out,so I can not mention them all personally .
I just would like to let you all know, that without all you , this journey would not have been the same . It was just amazing to see how you all came out and made us feel so welcome , to show us around, to help us in every way possible . You gave us the chance to see your backyards through the eyes of a local, you gave us a break from the road , you allowed me to cook in your kitchen, you pointed out all these special places that we could have never found by ourselves, ....you made it so special !!!
We will always have you in our hearts and you will always have a home in Guatemala and we really hope to see you down here one day and to be able to return the favors and to show you our backyard .

MUCHAS GRACIAS !!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!


But there is one person that I need to thank in a special way . Not only did she make this journey so special by letting me share it with her , but she made it possible by letting me live my dream , who on the way turned into our dream .
Without my wife , this would not have been possible . MATIOSH !!!!!!!!

I must add, that it would be an honor for me to meet the legendary ADV/HUBB member in the flesh. I read a lot of you, from you and about you.

Ain't that the truth! She is a wonderful person. I am honored to be her friend. OK and yours too..

Julio & Luisa

I checked back and see that we have been following your trip since Feb 21, 2012. It was wonderful to meet both of you and we wish you all the best in your future rides.

Enjoy Christmas with your family and all the best in the new year.

Dave & Jan

Like me, you have a very cool wife, Julio.

We are lucky men.

Have a great holiday w/ your sons. I know how happy I am when my children are close to me.

Anytime you are up this way, you are more than welcome here.

Yo tambien, cuando vas a estar en California o Alaska. Siempre.

You are a lucky man Julio.

Un abrazo, Vicente