I left Mary´s hotel on thur and headed south , I stopped at Pinotepa Nacional and spent the night in a dive 8 dollars but very secure.














I was out early and made good time untill I got to Zanatepec. I thought I was in Whyoming for a while, very strong winds blowing across the road. I finally stopped at Arriaga at a real clean and nice place 6 dollars.
It was sunny when I left Arriaga and no wind made it to the border then had to go back 22 miles to get my bike cleared out of Mexico, on the way back to the border I stopped at a Sams club for a Hot Dog and a Coke.
I made it through the border and finnaly stopped at Quezaltenango for the night. San Marcos was a hard town to get through. The highways arn´t marked and all the streets are narrow and one way. I finally followed a bus right through, only scarey as hell because the buss drivers are crazy down here. This morning( sun) I did the same thing and could hardly keep up 47 miles an hour on real narrow streets and people everywhere. I wasn´t going to loose that bus. He took me right past a Mc Donalds, Bye Bye Bus I had breakfast and found my own way out.
Today and part of yesterday have been on very winding roads in the mountains. Sat was at 8,000 ft and 11,000 ft getting in and out. Guatemala City is at 5,000 ft. If you have to go through the best time is Sun at 12 Noon. No traffic at all. I am 30 miles from El Salvador and will cross in the morning. I sprang for a 25 dollar room tonight. Checked in at 2 PM.

More later sorry about the pictures.

Sat 1/21/2006

1-21-06 Sat
I left Jim´s house at 8:am and headed for the border with a stop to see an old friend( Wayne Bennet) on the way. He fas a nice rock shop in Tubuc, a small artsie town by the boader.
I had no trouble at the border and about 25 miles into Mexico I stopped to get my bike permit. As I was going in there was a guy with a V Strom coming out, we visited for a few minutes and he left.
It took about 45 min. to get all the paperwork done and I headed South. The weather was still cool enough too keep my winter coat on, the ride was just like Arizona except the drivers are better, keep to the right except to pass, and let you go around. At Guaymas I saw a real Mexican restraunt Mc Donalds. When I stopped to eat I saw a Hotel across the street, and went to check in and then walk up to eat.
The Vstrom was parked outside the first door so I went inside. It cost 50 dollars a night, I had the girl at the desk call the guy with the V Strom. He agrered to share a room 25 each. He is headed south so we will ride together for a few days.

Thats the Mc Donalds real mexican food at last. I had a Mc Pollo, tastes a lot like chicken.

1/22/2006
Left Mc D's at 10: am and headed South, still looks a lot like the Arizona dersert.











Stopped at Culicad for the night parked the bikes in a garage under our room 25 dollars 12.50 ea it´s getting better.









1-23-06 Mon This is the hotel in San Blas the bikes were inside by the room, not in the room. We stayed here The cost was 20 per night 10 each. This was as far as Tom was going, so I coninued on South alone.


















After Matzalan it starts to get pretty warm and no more desert, lots of banana and coconut trees, and jungle.









1-24-06 Tue
Slow road to P. V. Two cruise ships were there when I went through. It looked like Waikiki beach just as crowded. Stopped just north of Manzanilla at a little beach town.
Stopped to ask two guys sitting in a driveway where I could find a cheap room. The one guy was from Fremont Ca. he spoke English. The hotel was two doors down 15 dollars per night and the bike stayed in the room with me.












I know three cokes is too much but it was a hot day. On the way down I took a 12 mile detour to an abandoned hotel. I was going to camp here but it was too scarey. Mike you would have loved this place abandoned 20 years ago.



















1-25-06 Wed
The ride today was beautiful just like big sur only no traffic. Jeff there was a place just down the road from here where the waves were holding for two city blocks no wind ocean like glass and not a sole surfing, you shoulda been there.

I found a room in Zhauntanajo for the night the bike is in the courtyard by my room, locked all night, very safe. There is a guy with a Harley from Canada staying here also. We had dinner together. 12 dollars per night. I will try and do better at posting.

Not a good picture, but it shows the courtyard.

1/19/06
It felt good to finally get on the road again, even if it was overcast, and only 40 degres. I took highway 93 out of town, which lets traffic drive across Hoover dam. One of the modern marvels. I know it looks sunny in the pitures, but they are looking west and I was riding east and south, I didn't get to clear skies until I got 200 miles down the road. The picture is of the dam and the road across the top. The other piture is of the new bypass road that, when done, will allow traffic to get from Arizona to Vegas without crossing the dam. It will probably end up costing as much to build as the dam did,thanks 9-11.
By the time I got out of the overcast the temperature was up to 50 degres but the wind had really statrted to blow as I got to the tail of the front that was moving through. I stopped for gas every 120 miles so I wouldn't have the same out of gas experience as before. The temperature in Phoenix was up to 60 and the traffic was heavy. Since I live in California I know wherever I go the traffic won't be as bad, and it isn't.





When I got to Casa Grande I called an old friend, from my home town Fort Dodge Iowa, Paul Nelson. We met for lunch at the local Burger King, had a nice visit and I took off for Tucson to spend the night with Jim Bond, also from Ft. Dodge.

If you ever need a tow in the Casa Grande area give Paul a call.
I got to Jim's house just as it was getting dark, perfect timing, even though Jim didn't get home from work untill 11:00 PM.

1/20/06
Today Jim was off work so we toured Tucson and visited a few antique shops, somthing we always liked to do back when we both lived in Denver, GO BRONCO'S. Jim has a lot of nice pieces in his home but one of the neatest is this haunted house. You put a penny in a slot on the side and

the room starts to move, a spider comes out of the fireplace,the chair folds, the ghost lifts up and a bunch more starts to happen. the pictures don't do it justice.
I'm leaving for Mexico tomorrow morning and will write more as I find Internet cafe's.
Thanks again Vern and Jim for letting me stay at your houses.

He Finally Got Going Again

01/19/06 Joe finally got going again at 8:15 AM. Probably a good thing as I don't think either Joe or I (this is Vern sneeking in a post on Joe's site) could eat at the Chinese Buffet again today without buying new clothes. Here is Joe puting on his gloves:

Opps, I forgot to put on my glasses:

Ok, He really is ready:

He is actually on his way. The only thing that is wrong with this picture is that I am not in it. I can't think of anything I would rather do than share this experiance with a lifelong friend. Oh well, maybe next time. Vernon Danielson

Last day at Verns ( I hope)

1/18/06
I was all set to leave at 8:00 AM and Vernon had to stick his finger around the gas tank petcock, you guessed it, a leak. Since the tank was full, we had to pump it empty, then take off the valve, and go back to checker auto and get some gas tank leak filler. We put that on the old gasket and tightened up the valve. We now had a Japanese valve, leak no mora, ready to go to Jim's. However, it was now one o'clock and time to go to the Chinese place for lunch. Since I didn't want to drive at night, I decided to stay at Vern's and leave early Thur. morn.
The bike is loaded and I'm ready to leave so when I get up I can go. Vern says he won't go near the tank this time. No pictures because I didn't take any.

Here's the bike being worked on again. Whats that rule on the www.IronButt.com, site about never work on your cycle right before you leave on a trip. Well it's true unless you have an old friend that lives 500 miles from you house and is on you way to Mexico. So here I am at Verns for another day getting the BUGS worked out of piece of shit bike. Not true really every thing is coming together great and I will leave on Wed. Morning, to spend Wed. Night with another good friend( Jim Bond).

It is great to have friend that you grew up with and have been friends for 60 years, they accept you with all your faults and still hang in there.

By staying here another day allowed us to go back to the Chinese buffet and steel more donuts, cookies, and an apple pie, plus having another great meal.

Well all that's left to do is load this stuff and leave tomorrow morning. You can't see all the great home remedies that have to be packed. they are just below the drawers by the garage door. It's great to work at a wellness center with a lot of people that care about your health. I've got cures for everything except getting hit by a truck. I still don't know who will clean the toilets while I'm gone, but a place that will give you four months off to go to Ushuaia has to be first class. OK here it is the shameless plug www.myofascialtherapy.com the best wellness center anywhere. More when I get to Jim's

Vern's at loooong last! Las Vegas NV

1/16/06 Arriving at Vern's place, at last!. After un loading the bike we went to lunch, it was 12:15. Yesterday all I ate was a part of the worst hot dog I ever ate part of. We went to a great Chinese buffet, I had seconds plus what I could get in my coat pocket. We went parts shopping. I got four little keys for the small bags on the bike. Also bought a gasket for the gas tank, a shield for the exhaust, that burned a hole through my right boot, not me just the boot. Also a mat to sleep on camping, the ground was cold last night. After all that shopping I was tired and took a Nap. Vern took a day off work to help me. If you ever need a realtor in the Vegas area call Vern. http://realestatehelp.las.mlxchange.com/ Time to go back to bed, after a little popcorn.

Day One - San Jose to Barstow

1/15/06
I finally got out of San Jose, still haven't worked out all the bugs from the cycle overhaul, but it was time to leave. I needed to break in the new engine so I took Ca 25 out of Gilroy, heading south to Ca 198, both nice twisty roads with lots of opportunities to rev the engine and let it back off to seat the rings. By the time I got to Colinga I had 150 miles and the rings were seated,I hope.
The next 100 miles were on Ca 33 a nice straight road that runs parallel to Interstate 5 only 10 miles west. This gave me a chance to open it up a little, 75 mph @ 6500 on the tack. I decided not to get gas in Bakersfield,I didn't see Buck Owens, But I went past his Blvd. Ten miles before I got to Tehachapi the bike quit running. After looking in the tank and seeing that there was still at least a gallon in there, I knew it couldn't be out of gas. It was 3:30 and starting to get cold with a strong wind blowing. I don't think I have ever been to Tehachapi when the wind hasn't been blowing. I called my friend Vernon Danielson, and explained that I would be late. While he was on the phone I checked for spark, I said I needed to find something to stick in the plug wire and he suggested why not stick the plug in there, I said it was cold I must have had a brain fart, after finding spark I decided to check the gas again. This time I used a light, not a match, to look in the tank.
The gas was all on one side so I put the bike on the curb and let it lean as far as I could without unloading all the stuff off it, it started and made it within two blocks of a gas station in Tehachapi. I put in a little and saw a leak by the fuel shut off so I took it off and fixed it with a tire patch as a gasket. Filled up and headed toward Las Vegas. By this time it was dark, so I ran my piaa light to help see better. Actually not to see better but to see at all. I stopped for gas at Barstow and when I went to start the bike the battery was dead. I decided to not drive at night without lights and just sleep behind the station. It "only" got down to 26 degrees. What a start!!


1/16/06 Today has to be better than yesterday It was still cold in the morning. The frost on my tent didn't show up in this picture. I pushed the bike to get it started, did I mention the gas station was at the top of a hill. It started right up and I headed toward Las Vegas. The engine was running great, Jessie Klein of www.Kientech.com
had put in a big bore kit and did an overhaul and beef up of the clutch. The bike I ride is a Suzuki Dr 350SE. Jessie put in a 441 kit, new carburetor, new heavier springs (front & rear).
I got to Baker, got gas and called Vern. I love it when the temperature gets above 50.

Getting Closer to Blast-off

Found it!

Where's the engine?