Ruins and Rust: Texas to Patagonia, AND BEYOND, in an older 4runner

[Ruined Adventures]

It's finally our turn!, we are Brenton and Shannon, a young couple experiencing a quarter-life crisis (for lack of a better explanation). No longer satisfied with Texas-life, we set a deadline to leave this place come hell or high water. With our careers on pause, we've decided to seize the opportunity and travel until our heart's content...before kids and a mortgage get in the way.

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The beginning of our journey will take us through Latin America...exploring exotic cultures, hunting for wild places, learning from our neighbors to the south, and discovering how we fit into this crazy world. We hope to sell our vehicle in South America, then fly over to South Africa where we will hunt for a kitted-out Hilux to continue our travels.

Our vehicle for the first leg is a 1987 Toyota 4runner, which we have appropriately dubbed "The Border Runner". Powered by four cylinders and happy-thoughts, slow and steady will hopefully win the race in this steed. Here's a short video, showing the last-minute preparations and our final departure from Texas...find out more about our trip at Ruined Adventures (http://www.ruinedadventures.com)



http://vimeo.com/36683105

[southfarms]

Good luck and happy trails! Please keep us updated.

Stephen

[Streakerfreak]

Good luck guys!

[MCObray]

Gnarly. Good luck and as a youngin', I look forward to watching your progress.

[trailsurfer]

Looking forward to following your trip reports. Let me know if you need any advice/or info on Mexico to Panama. Just finished a moto trip that way.

[Christian P.]

Congratulations on finally being on the road!!! The 4Runner is great choice, should be easy to sell - that's a great plan. Buy local, eat local...

:)

[mph]

Killer video. Safe travels!

[whistle pig]

Wonderfull! I've been following your build report and looking foreword to the trip. video show 258k on the Toyota. Is that actual miles on the motor also? Have a great trip and "keep the dirty side down".:coffeedrink:

[ab1985]

Subscribed. Good luck!

[mervifwdc]

Awesome that your on the road. It's an amazing feeling that takes more than 6 weeks to sink in. Enjoy!


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.904107,-6.898040

[Ruined Adventures]

Wonderfull! I've been following your build report and looking foreword to the trip. video show 258k on the Toyota. Is that actual miles on the motor also? Have a great trip and "keep the dirty side down".:coffeedrink:
The Toyota actually has a few thousand less than 258k. I swapped in a gauge cluster from an SR5 so I could have a tach and full gauges. I planned on waiting until the mileage matched exactly, but I got impatient with around 3k difference.

The engine was rebuilt at around 205k because it needed a new head gasket.

[bobDog]

Subscribed....looking forward to your adventures.:coffeedrink:

[defrag4]

Ya boyeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, now stop mucking around up north and head south!

[mochodurazo]

are you runnig the 3VZE or the 22RE?


Sorry, i found it myself, 22RE.

[dorton]

Subscribed.

I love seeing these old yotas making these awesome treks.

[jcdespaux]

Good Luck, Hope to be setting out in my yota next summer for a trip from TN to Alaska.

[whistle pig]

Hey guys! Its been a while since we've had an update. Everything going ok?:ylsmoke:

[defrag4]

According to facebook they headed up Washington way to visit some family and do final adjustments, I believe they are wrapping things up and headed south now though!

[waterweber]

Brenton and Shannon stayed with us in San Diego for a few days and crossed the border on Tuesday morning headed to Ensenada.
They seemed very excited and ready to get on the road. We were privileged to spend a few days with them just before they left.
Good luck and safe travels!

[JasonRedwood]

Awesome! subscribed. I hope be off on a similar trip in about a year.
safe travels

[Ruined Adventures]

Sorry folks, we've run a little behind on our updates...we've been very busy having fun :) We're currently in the wine country outside of Ensenada, Baja Norte getting to know some Muskoka Foundation friends.


Brenton and Shannon stayed with us in San Diego for a few days and crossed the border on Tuesday morning headed to Ensenada.
They seemed very excited and ready to get on the road. We were privileged to spend a few days with them just before they left.
Good luck and safe travels!
Thanks for the road blessings, we had a blast staying with you guys! Very unforgettable experience. Thanks again and please send our love to Pirate and Spider tambien!

Starting from where we left off, as Defrag mentioned, we may have taken a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/03/wrong-turn-at-albuquerque.html)...


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After that, we had The Last Straw (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/03/last-straw.html)...


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Don't worry, we'll finally get caught up and then we'll have the interesting parts very soon :sombrero:

[Ruined Adventures]

Brenton is usually the one writing the updates, and that's fine with me (Shannon), but I figure every now and then I'll throw in my two cents and let you know what I'm thinking about this epic adventure of ours.


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Lunch with a view

Our drive down the Pacific Coast was beautiful. I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to which coast I find more appealing, I prefer the rocky west coast. I have never been much of a beach girl. Ask my mom, vacations "down the shore" in New Jersey consisted mostly of me crying because I couldn't stand the sand in my swim suit. I also prefer to go no further into the water than waist-deep. This might be one of the few things I don't have in common with my mom.


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"Go fly a kite!"

Driving down the coast of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, I enjoyed looking out into the water and watching the waves crash against the rocks in the distance. The rocky beaches also mean sand in your bathing suit is less likely.


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Not that we would be going into THIS water anytime soon...BRRRR!

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Stumbled on this gentlemen and his ladies, somewhere near the Redwoods

We spent each night of our westcoast drive camping in state or national parks. Our "no driving at night" rule wouldn't go in affect until Baja, so we often drove into the night before picking our spot to sleep. When we really needed showers, we'd pay a little extra to stay at the nearest KOA. Brenton says, "Look at how adventurous we are, going from KOA to KOA!"


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Our timing was impeccable because we've had our pick of all the best campsites.

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The Border Runner seemed even smaller while we passed thru Avenue of the Giants.

Our first stop was in Cardiff-by-the-sea, California to visit one of my good friends, Nicole. Nicole and I have known each other since high school, when we cheered together. She has always been one of my favorite people. She is sweet, kind, and soft spoken. You'd never guess she can bench press more than guys double her size. We stayed the night with her and her family, then enjoyed breakfast with them the next morning. It was a short but sweet visit.


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We also met with some fellow Pan-Am veterans, Chris and Kristin of The Darien Plan (http://www.thedarienplan.com/). They did their trip back in 2009 and along with another couple, they started the website, Drive the Americas (http://www.drivetheamericas.com). It's a resource for people like us. It was great to chat with them over pizza and beers and ask them lots of questions.


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Our final U.S. stop was at our friends Vicki and Pete's in San Diego. We stayed two nights here enjoying time with Vicki, Pete, and their cute little pugs, Pirate and Spider. We met Vicki and Pete at Overland Expo last year and have kept in touch with them since. They are just as excited about our trip as we are! They are planning an African adventure, set to depart in 5 years. We are so excited for them and can't wait for their big adventure. Unfortunately we were having so much fun with them, we completely forgot to take pictures of the four of us together! But we did get pics of their puppies, Spider and Pirate...guess which one's named Pirate.


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[Ruined Adventures]

Finally, it was time to cross into Baja. We were crossing at the Tijuana border. I later read this is one of the busiest border crossings in the world. You don't say? As we approached the border we felt like cattle being herded into a pen. We were asked a few questions, the border agent peeked in our windows, and we were sent on our way. Since we crossed much later than we planned to, we were in a rush to get as far as possible from Tijuana. As a matter of fact we never actually stopped to get our tourist cards, instead we got caught up in the herd of cars headed towards the city center. Oops.


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We were feeling intimidated to say the least and it took us about 15 minutes to find Mex 1D, the toll road to Ensenada. What were we going to do about the tourist cards?



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We arrived at our first stop, El Rancho Faro (The Lighthouse Ranch). This was our first volunteering stint with the Muskoka Foundation. There was a little confusion on our part, as to what was going to be happening at El Rancho Faro, but things eventually got straightened out and we were able to spend about 4 days getting to know the people.



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El Ranch Faro is an all girls orphanage in the beautiful wine country of Northern Baja. The orphanage is a new partnership for Muskoka, so Brenton and I were there to get to know the people and the area and get some insight into what Muskoka can do for them. Our favorite part of our visit came on our last night.



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One of the ferocious guard dogs at the Ranch. This is Ocho, he enjoys barking all night while you try to sleep.


Our last night there, the director of the orphanage and her husband came to us insisting that we stay in their pop up camper. We were trying to explain to them that we were very comfortable and warm in our car and that they didn't need to go to the trouble. They clearly weren't buying it, so we told them to look for themselves. Apparently they were under the impression that we were sleeping in our reclined bucket seats this whole time. They were amazed that our set up wasn't your typical SUV. The kids gathered round and we spent a couple of hours giving them a tour of the truck and, at their request, showed them pictures on our laptop of the different places we have traveled to. Brenton and I just stood back and watched their faces light up with curiosity and amusement.



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Showing them the accomodations in our casita.


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Here they are looking at our pictures from Overland Expo '11...you should've seen their faces while looking at some of the rigs. Suddenly ours had lost its lustre!


And those pesky tourist cards? On our last day at El Rancho Faro we got up early and drove to Tecate. After some reading, we figured this would be much easier. It's a much smaller and less crowded city and border crossing. Good choice. We found parking easily, just a block from the Migration Office and the entire process took no more than 15 minutes. We now have officially 180 days in Mexico, yay!



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This little doll gave Shannon a bunch of free spanish lessons.


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This little guy was a ton of amusement...once he finally warmed up to us.


We said our goodbyes to El Ranch Faro and headed south once again. We made our way to the town of Vicente Guerrero. We pulled up to our camp for the night, Posada Don Diego Resaturant/Bar/Trailer Park. We picked our spot and went in the restaurant to pay. After a quick glance at the menu, we decided we couldn't resist the temptation to have some good seafood. Shortly after we sat down, another couple sat at the table next to us and we chatted with them throughout our meal. Bruce and Lisa are from Canada. They had driven to La Paz and were making their way back north. They have been doing this trip for eight years so they had plenty of excellent recommendations for us as we head south. We told them our ultimate plan to drive to Tierra del Fuego and Bruce thought for a minute, then simply said, "every young couple should do that trip." We agree.



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A typical view from MEX 1, anywhere in Central Baja.


The next morning we headed towards the town of Cataviña. On the the way we stopped in El Rosario to fill our gas tank and our two jerry cans. El Rosario is the last (reliable) place to fill up for almost 200 miles. Although we saw these entrepreneurs once we pulled into Cataviña. While we topped off our tank, it was hard not to grin...especially considering the extra dollar per liter these guys were charging.



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Not long after passing through El Rosario, the landscape begins to change. There are all types of cacti: cirio (or boojum) trees, cardons, barrel cactus, chollas, and agaves. This area is known as the Sonoran Desert Vegetation Region and some of these species of cacti are only found here. As we got nearer to Cataviña we entered another impressive area known as the Catiñva boulder fields. This has been my favorite area so far. Huge boulders as far as the eye can see with these beautiful and unique cacti dispersed throughout. It was breathtaking. Just outside of Cataviña is El Marmol, an abandoned onyx mining area. We spent some time exploring among the chunks of onyx and hiking to an old mining entrance.



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(Shannon was getting a little nervous driving here, but I was having a ball while pushing the limits.)


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In case you've ever wondered what Onyx looks like in the raw.


Our next destination was Bahia de Los Angles (Bay of Angels). Up to this point in Baja, the weather had been mostly overcast, windy, and cold.

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We were really hoping for some sunshine and warmth, and we weren't disappointed. As we approached the town, the skies opened and sun was shining. The Bay of Angles is beautiful. Our view to the west is a large rocky mountain range and our view to the east is the beautiful blue waters and the islands guarding the bay, the largest of which, Isla Angel de la Guarda, is 45 miles (75 km) long! The protection these islands offer gave me some reassurance our second day here when a local gringo told us that an earthquake had hit Acapulco and we didn't know yet if there would be a Tsunami as a result. What? A Tsunami? No one seemed overly alarmed but I watched the waters closely. I am happy to report, there was no Tsunami.


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We don't know how long we'll be staying in Bahia de Los Angles, but this little oasis has kept our attention for several days now. We've been enjoying the company of our camp neighbors, talking with the locals, delicious seafood, perfect weather, and of course there's always the views. This is what it's all about.


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[trailsurfer]

Thanks for the great update!

[unURBAN]

Thanks for the update! Those pics bring back good memories!

E

[ab1985]

Excellent update. I'm glad to hear things are coming together so well. I'll be following along intently!

[HARDTRAILZ]

Awesome pics. Best of luck and safe travels!

[BurbanAZ]

awesome trip loved reading through the first couple pages, cant wait to see more

[Ruined Adventures]

Thanks for the encouragement!

We try to keep our posts short, but it's so hard to sum up our experiences! We typically have more content on our blog if you're interested. As a matter of fact we just did a post about our dog (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/04/what-about-shady.html)...I didn't include it here because I know Expo cares more about truck-porn and beautiful places :sombrero:

[Ruined Adventures]

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After 6 kilometers of slow paced driving across vast salt flats and hard-packed sand, corrugated roads, we finally reach Laguna Ojo de Liebre. We idle up to the kiosk and pay the security guard 65 pesos ($5 US dollars) for our entrance fee, as Shannon mutters something about "I guess things have changed here", noting that our Church's guide said the entrance fee was $3 dollars. I pull around and eyeball the sign that reads hot showers and grin at the idea. Reminding myself that "hot showers" can be loosely defined in Latin America. My last shower in Guerrero Negro was tepid at best, but at least it had some pressure to it. The showers in Bahia de Los Angeles were hot indeed, but a steady drip when the valve is fully open.



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Laguna Ojo de Liebre is a well known sanctuary on the Pacific side of Baja Sur, where you can charter a panga, a tiny fishing vessel, to take you out and see some of the thousands of grey whales that call the Laguna home. We step inside to the beautiful new information center/restaurant and read about whale migration and interesting facts. The panga trip would cost $40 USD per person, although we could probably sneak Shannon in for the child's price at $34 dollars. We decided that we will have many more opportunities to see ballenas gris, or any other whales down the road. The further south we get the less gringo-prices we see, so we are optimistic that we will find a better deal.



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The only Grey Whales we've seen so far.


We get back into the car and follow the dirt road that leads to the camping spots, while admiring the beautiful view that parallel each site. The lagoon is a beautiful emerald green near the shallow shore, which turns into a darker greenish blue in the distance. There are several mountains in the distance, but we are essentially in a desert surrounded by sagebrush inland and green flora towards the sea. We pass one empty palapa after another and finally spot a large tent under the sixth one from the restaurant. It appears no one is home and maybe they've been camping there for at least a week. We keep driving past at least a dozen more sites, all more empty and inviting than the first. We settle on a site that lays on the point, at the entrance to a narrow channel. We figure this will be our best position to spot a grey whale from the beach, since the spots along the channel are much closer to the shore. We may possibly be the only campers in this secure campground, and we have our pick of the litter. Considering there's no burning regulations, I forage for something to put in our fire ring, but being a desert I find mostly dead sagebrush and kindling, then I score on a broken sign post. This will come in handy when the sun sets and temperatures drop later in the evening.



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We sit inside with the tailgate down to avoid the afternoon winds, reading in peace and hearing the occasional gull. We look up often from our "front porch" view of the waters behind us, hoping to catch a glimpse of las ballenas gris as they catch a breath, but we find nothing. We enjoy our dinner and admire the sunset, then light our fire as we feel the approaching cold. Our massive bonfire lasts for about five minutes, only 3 of which burn intensely enough to provide any warmth. Oh well it was worthwhile, if only for a moment.



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After the last sliver of daylight is gone we close the doors and the windows to our casita and read some more. We stayed up a little late last night, catching up with family online and polishing off the equivalent of a 40 of Pacifico. Each morning I wake up at sunrise and admire the view for a while, then go back to sleep for another hour or two, gradually allowing the sun to wake me up…no alarm clocks here. We spend our time devouring some more books, reading about the road south of here, and planning our next move.



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We've earned this perfect weather, after weeks of enduring the cold winds of el norte and the chilly nights in the mountains of Baja. While the sun burns intensely, the soft sand is a perfect 60 degrees and I find myself exploring with no shoes on. While soaking in the sun, our thoughts wander in the breeze. Occasionally I find myself thinking what my friends at work are up to at this very moment. No doubt some poor sap is ending his painful 12 hour shift on the Rescue truck, cheering for freedom while the sad reality hits that the rest of his day cannot be salvaged. Oh well, the overtime is nice…how else would we have funded this break? Meanwhile the rest of the guys on duty are probably already doing a massive pile of dishes, then cleaning the kitchen so they can quickly get to bed or spend a few hours glued to the recliners. I look over at our pile of dishes from dinner. One pot, one pan, two plates…so much more manageable then the pile that used to haunt me at home.



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My worries have shifted from paying the utilities, to reserving a cabin on the ferry from La Paz. I ponder if I should've bartered with that soldadura who welded my license plate to our rear swingout, or if I should just appreciate the free crash course in Spanish engineering terms. I look under the dirty side of our little home, inspecting it for anything that needs to be fixed or addressed. Relajese, I tell myself. Relax, everything is going just fine for now.



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Occasionally I look to the road we came in on, expecting to see some Mad Max-esque road bandits barreling our way with guns and medieval weapons, ready to lighten our load of all worldly possessions. Relajese…the boogey-man that everyone warned you about is a figment of every possible fear, personified into a scary mexican that forces them to lock their doors tight and peek over their fences.


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It's a shame to witness the negative effect that the media has had on the tourism industry here. For the 24 hours that we're camped in this far-flung place, not a soul comes down the road and we enjoy the splendor of another uncrowded beach. So while you're wondering if it's safe to drink the water, we're chugging down every last drop while we can. Staking a claim on each little piece of paradise we find.

[Vizoo]

Nice update guys!! Do you have an estimated date to reach the east coast (Cancun)?

Renato & Jack
Americas 2011 Expedition
http://www.americas2011.com

[Ruined Adventures]

Thanks guys! We won't be going to Cancun. We backpacked the Yucatan two years ago (and feel like we could easily go back at anytime after our trip) so Palenque or Belize will likely be as close as we get to the Peninsula.

If I were to estimate our time until the Guatemala or Belize border, I'd guess maybe 3 weeks? Not sure, there's so much between here and there, but we are in a rush since Mexico is fairly expensive compared to what we'll experience in Central America.



Nice update guys!! Do you have an estimated date to reach the east coast (Cancun)?

Renato & Jack
Americas 2011 Expedition
http://www.americas2011.com

[Vizoo]

Thanks guys! We won't be going to Cancun.

Our car is parked in Cancun, we will be back there to resume the trip in April 13, going straight to Playa del Carmen and Belize.


If I were to estimate our time until the Guatemala or Belize border, I'd guess maybe 3 weeks?

Our path may cross somewhere in CA, do you have a Spot? Ours can be seen on the tab LOCATE US at our website americas2011.com, it is offline now since we are in Miami.

Happy trails,

Renato

[hks3sgte]

excellent photography. I'll be following this

[Ruined Adventures]

After relaxing in Laguna Ojo de Liebre for a couple days we headed inland through Southern Baja. As the sun was quickly dropping beyond the horizon, we rounded a bend and approached the charming small town of San Ignacio. A welcome sight on a desolate drive, San Ignacio is a palm oasis that sprouts from a small valley in the desert. The arid, cactus-ridden terrain gives way to a plush green grove lined with date palms. As we wound our way past the spring-fed river we found ourselves in the center of town, greeted by a large central plaza surrounded by small shops and an 18th century Jesuit mission.


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All of the nearby campsites were deserted and we were ready for some amenities, so we chose to camp on the edge of town at the Rice & Beans Hotel. Despite the cheesy name, Rice & Beans is a mostly respectable restaurant that has a large parking lot for RV camping and a hotel. At the restaurant we bumped into a few friends we met at Bahia de Los Angeles, Mike & Joann, and we had a nice dinner with them while exchanging details from our past week. The next day before leaving we bumped into a group who were driving a couple of really nice FJ-55's. I said hello and snapped a few photos. I chatted with the owners for a few minutes, mostly about where we're from and where we're going from here.


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After leaving Rice & Beans we explored the central plaza some more, then we spent a couple hours admiring the Jesuit mission. This mission has a very interesting history, including the fact that it took over 35 years from start to finish. The Jesuits and local indians were often slowed down by disaster including but not limited to: deaths from malaria, typhoid, typhus, measles, indian rebellion, volcano eruption, drought, and several floods. Almost sounds like the Oregon Trail right? Only I doubt they blew all of their money and time hunting buffalo.


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Even more impressive is the story about one of the devout and talented Indian workers who helped construct the mission. Although he couldn't see, Andrés Comanaji Sistiaga used his sense of touch and knowledge of construction to actually direct the work crews as they laid walls entirely out of lava rock. They called him "Andrés el Ciego or Andrés the Blind. Makes all of our accomplishments seem kinda bleak, right?


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After checking out the mission and feeling inspired, we got in the car and started planning our next stop. Before we could even thumb open our atlas, we were surrounded by "Pigs"...no not porky pigs and not pigs with a badge. We were surrounded by the sweet Landcruisers that we spotted at Rice & Beans. In case you don't know, the 50-series Landcruisers are commonly referred to as pigs because their front end has a snouty look to it.


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Now that they had randomly caught up to us, they asked us a few more questions about the road ahead. We don't always choose to tell people that we're headed for South America because usually people don't get it, but we could tell we really liked this fun bunch of retirees & trying-to-retirees. Apparently we peaked their interest and we started poking more at each other's vehicles and talking about "truck porn". Turns out Ruben (in the green/white LC) actually spends some time on Expo every now and then, which I kinda guessed by looking at the way his ride is outfitted.

Next thing we know, these guys are popping beers (it was around 1pm) and making us the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had, right here in the central plaza of this tiny pueblo. Locals were driving by with their eyes clearly not on the road, watching as a bunch of gringos party-down and show off their old Toyotas. Meanwhile the local Policia pulls up and we all act like junior-high schoolers, hiding our drinks and trying to act like everyday tourists.


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An hour or two later we decided to hit the road and let them continue on their way, this time waving and grinning as we say goodbye to new friends from a chance meeting on the road. This is why we love Baja...easy to strike up a conversation and you can throw a party anytime, anywhere.


To Ruben & Andrea, John, Vicki, Jack & Vicki...thanks for the memories and thanks for the drink!

[Wheelingnoob]

What a great adventure!

[CParnell]

This is great stuff, keep it coming!

[FlinthillsBen]

I love the Oregon Trail comment! You have to be of a select age group to know that! Better up your rations and slow your pace.

[Ruined Adventures]

On our way to Mulegé, we passed thru Santa Rosalia which has a unique history. This place is very different from any other town you might see in Baja, thanks to a French company that built a copper mine in the 1800's. Many of the houses are covered with brightly colored clap-board siding, looking more like they belonged in the French Quarter than any part of Mexico. The old mining operation and several other historic buildings are supposedly constructed of wood imported from the Pacific Northwest. A less appealing sight is the "interesting" prefabbed church, designed by the same Gustave Eiffel who is famous for his tower in Paris, France. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures as we passed through.



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"The Grade to Hell"


Since my sister was supposed to be induced for labor that day, we decided we needed internet access to keep tabs on her situation. At Hotel Serinidad we started our interrogation with the front desk, asking about the availability of WiFi when we were greeted by the owner…the infamous Don Johnson. No not the same Don Johnson from Miami Vice or Nash Bridges, but I was still impressed by his friendly demeanor and hospitality.



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"Did my sister have the baby or what???"


When we asked how much it would cost to just camp in our vehicle, without any RV hookups he asked "How much have you been paying to camp so far?" I responded with a range from $50-150 pesos per night, and he quickly matched our bottom price. We tried to find a regular parking spot out of the way, but he insisted that we park in one of the RV spots since they were empty. What a nice guy!



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No one messes with Don Johnson's guests...no one!


The next morning after an AMAZING breakfast from the hotel restaurant, I was trying to find out the latest news on my sister when Shannon walked up frustrated and told me that we were being kicked out of our campsite. "What? It's not even close to noon yet!" Apparently a sizable caravan had arrived and the leader had reserved most of the sites surrounding us, including ours. Even in this nice campground outside of town, this guy felt that it was absolutely necessary for the safety of his herd to be unseparated. The caravan leader was less than tactful about the situation, but we kept our cool and remained friendly about his requests for us to vacate. No worries, we were planning on leaving soon anyway…although I was still unsure about my sister's baby!



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Huevos de Caballo = awesome breakfast


After Mulegé, MEX-1 meets the Sea of Cortez at Bahia Concepcion, which literally translates to Conception Bay. After seeing the water, this actually made sense because here we found some of the most beautiful beaches in Baja...very motivating if you know what I mean. Don't worry, even with the romantic scenery and inspiring name we managed to resist the temptation...no surprises coming up in our Ruined Adventures family.



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With Semana Santa (Holy Week) quickly approaching, we were in somewhat of a predicament because we had to decide where we would wait out the chaos. Beginning on the Sunday before Easter (Palm Sunday), Semana Santa is a very important religious holiday in Mexico and most of Latin America. Not only are there grand celebrations for the occasion, but this is also when the majority of Mexicans get 1-2 weeks off of school or work. This can be a great time to witness unique celebrations in San Miguel de Allende or Patzcuaro (both on mainland Mexico), but in places like Baja it's best to avoid the beaches during Semana Santa. After a year of hard work, you better believe that most Mexicans will haul butt for the beaches to party all week, crammed in like sardines along the water. With little bathroom or trash facilities on these beaches, you can only imagine what happens with such a large crowd.



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A taste of Semana Santa in Baja


We've heard stories of gringos waking up to find their lone campsite on the beach has been completely surrounded with overcrowded hordes of locals, so tightly bunched together that they'll secure tents to your stakes and tie tarps to your guylines. We met one fella towing a camper who said that he had people making a shelter under the tongue of his trailer! He said everyone there had their own stereos, blaring music loud enough to drown out the neighbors and resulting in a deafening blend of sound. One could argue that this would be the perfect opportunity to interact with the locals, but I prefer uncrowded campsites with wide open spaces and a little more quiet. Feel free to call us snobs. The beaches during Semana Santa are often compared to Spring Break in South Padre Island or Daytona Beach, and we're honestly a little old (and boring) for that kind of debauchery.



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With only a couple days left, we decided to get our fill of beachside camping at Playa Santispac and then head inland before the madness would begin. The water was amazingly clear and we managed to find a palapa with plenty of shade to tie up our hammock and catch up on some reading. We were about 100 yards from our only neighbor and a short walk from a restaurant where we could indulge on fish tacos and Pacifico balleñas.



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Our time at Playa Santispac was mostly uneventful and very relaxing, at least until a seagull decided to steal our ziploc full of sponges. Apparently he figured Scotch-brite sponges would make a good meal, but without hot sauce to give it that "kick" he eventually gave it up, leaving it afloat. Thanks seagull, for giving me an excuse to get wet!



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[Ruined Adventures]

Sorry about the MASSIVE pictures...photobucket is a pain to use. Once we're done with the Baja posts I promise it'll get better :sombrero:

[Ruined Adventures]

I love the Oregon Trail comment! You have to be of a select age group to know that! Better up your rations and slow your pace.
Haha, I use Oregon Trail references probably more than I should...we're a dying breed. If cholera hasn't killed us the Indians eventually will.

[Ruined Adventures]

After getting our fix of sand and sun, we decided our best bet for avoiding the Semana Santa crowds was to stay away from the beaches. We'd heard really good things about Loreto and it sounded right up our alley. Even though it's a city on the water, it would be easy to distract ourselves in town.



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While trying to find a place to camp we got lost for a minute, but eventually we found a good spot close to all the action. Once I had the BorderRunner tucked into some shade I busted out the laptop to see what I could find out about my sister. Internet...dead. Oh well that's Mexico for you...



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Searching for dinner, we walked a couple blocks and saw this setup straight out of a horror movie...looks like they were making homemade pork rinds? Eventually we found a stand with a little sign that read "mariscos". I was sold. Me being a sucker for clams, I shrilled like a little girl when I saw almejas on the menu. Well, this was our first big menu misunderstanding of the trip...



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While "almejas fresca" obviously meant fresh clams, I ASSumed that they would be steamed. That's the only way to prepare clams, right? I couldn't have been more wrong. They arrived raw, and we laughed for a minute over the misunderstanding. "No biggie", I've had raw oysters before.


Before I dig in, Shannon is shrieking in horror. As she squirted lime on the clam she noticed that the clam actually did the hokey pokie in protest. We tried a few more times, just to make sure we were on PETA's radar. Sure thing, these suckers were ALIVE and not happy. Our waiters watched and laughed at the silly gringos for a minute, then they gave us a crash course on eating LIVE clams, Mexican style.



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First you squirt lime in the clam's eyeballs, then you throw some soy sauce on there to confuse the little guy (are we in Japan?), then add a little picante sauce and lime in case the lime didn't piss off the clam enough. I really didn't like the flavor, but I can fake anything fairly well (how do you think I became a firefighter?)...so I painfully choked down my share with a smile. Unfortunately Shannon isn't as good at faking (or so she claims), so I end up having to eat most of her share too. Thanks honey.


Eventually we made up for the live clam experience and ordered something right for a change. Later that week we had a fisherman come up to our campsite selling fresh lobster. 100 pesos later I had two plump lobster tails and we were ready for some langosta! I've never cooked lobster before but I didn't let that stop me. I figured I can't screw up as long as I use two sticks of butter, right?



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Aside from stuffing our faces, we finally managed to get the interwebs to work again...we were happy to hear that my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! Eventually we caught the happy family on Skype and it was great to see the little guy on camera.



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Loreto was a great place to spend Semana Santa. We were expecting to see tons of foreigners come into town that week, escaping the beaches, but it was mostly quiet around our campsite. Luckily there was a real friendly group of "locals" to keep us company.



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[Ruined Adventures]

Maybe it'll be my job (Shannon) to bring the audience up to speed when we've had a lack of blog writing. It's been a while so I'll have to thumb through some pictures and journal entries to remember it all.




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Fellow travelers mentioned that when you're on a trip like this, time really slows down. Sure, I thought, I can see that. You're moving at a slower pace, not paying attention to that almighty clock that everyone is chasing. Well, I had no idea just how much time would slow down.


I keep a handwritten journal that I write in almost every night. For some reason I was looking back at my old entries. I read something about the couple of days we spent in La Paz, BCS, and then I looked at the date. In my head these days spent in La Paz had surely happened a few weeks ago maybe even a full month ago, but no. Six days! That's how long ago it had been. I said to Brenton, "Hey, do you realize it was only six days ago that we were in La Paz?" He didn't believe me either. I had to retrace our step even further back to prove I hadn't just written the wrong date.




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So does time slow down? More than I ever imagined. It made me think a lot about how we live our lives. I'm not trying to get too deep here, but think about it. How many times have you thought to yourself, Man, I can't believe another year has passed by. Where did the time go? I know for me each year always seems to go by faster.




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What if we could all slow down? Maybe it's not possible to live every day in this way, but what if we took more time, longer periods of time, to just slow down? If even a fraction of my life I was able to live in the way we are now, shoot even if it's just this trip (though I don't think this will be the last) I would be so much more satisfied with my time on this earth. In the end, I don't think I would feel that life passed too quickly, that I didn't do the things I really wanted to do. How great would that be? I am so happy to have the opportunity to have these experiences.


Now, on to what's been going on with Ruined Adventures. After Gettin' Raw (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/04/gettin-raw-on-baja.html) in Loreto we headed off to La Paz. We only stayed in La Paz for the night to check on the ferry situation. This would be where we ship from Baja to Mexico's mainland. Unfortunately, the ferry offices were closed the day we went so onward we moved to Todos Santos and Pescadero.




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One of the many tourist attractions that has capitalized on the famous song.



Todos Santos was a total gringo town, and not really my cup of tea, even though it was a nice place. I know some people love it, but it was pricey and you couldn't get someone to speak Spanish to you, even if you paid them. Pescadero was in the start of Reggae Fest Baja so beach camping was out of the question. Apparently they had the whole beach reserved for the event. We considered parking in a nearby parking lot since the reggae was relaxing, but then they started playing some horrible hip-hop so we were on our way. Luckily a local pointed us in the direction of a really nice surf camp off the beach and we stayed there for the night.




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My good friends Michael & Jaime hooked us up with their friends Mac & Kate who live outside of La Paz in El Sargento. We stayed with them for two nights in their beautiful home. Both nights we were spoiled with delicious, fresh, homemade dinners. We really enjoyed Mac, Kate, their neighbor Steve and their cute pup, Paco.




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After two relaxing days in El Sargento we headed back to La Paz to give the ferry a second shot. Being it was the end of Semana Santa, we were worried the ferries service would be backed-up and trying to recover. We were afraid we'd end up having to stay in La Paz for another couple of weeks just waiting for our ride to the mainland. Well, we got lucky. We arrived at the terminal ferry around 11:30am and we soon had tickets for the ferry departing at 4pm that same day.




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Since we had traveled through Baja, this is where we would take care of importing our vehicle and paying for our tourist visas. We chose to ride on TMC Ferry so that we could have access the our vehicle during the trip. The ferry actually departed at 5:10pm and we were on our way to Mazatlan, a 14 hour journey.




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For more Baja Sur pictures, click here: Baja Sur (http://s1048.photobucket.com/albums/s374/RuinedAdventures/Baja%20Sur/)

[Ruined Adventures]

Our ferry arrived in Mazatlan early the next morning and we spent about half a day exploring the city before heading south to San Blas, Nayarit. It was nice to finally make it to mainland Mexico and switch from desert to lush coastline.

San Blas was one of Brenton's favorite places from when he and his sister backpacked Mexico in 2004 and he really wanted to bring me there to share in some of his nostalgia.



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San Blas is known for it's laid-back demeanor and easy surf break for beginners. We were greeted by "Pompis" Cano, the national longboard surf campion who owns Stoner's Surf Camp and offers private lessons and we quickly settled in.



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We spent several days in San Blas, jogging on the beach, riding bicycles through town, and hanging out in the plaza at night. We also met Diana and Stephane, a very nice couple on vacation. Diana is from Monterrey and Stephane is from France, though he is currently living in Monterrey too. We spent time with them and a friendly group of mexican bikers on the beach. It was great Spanish practice for a while, as we explained our route to the bikers...until their drunk buddies pulled up and drove their Harleys up THROUGH the restaurant and onto the beach, getting stuck in the sand and blaring "Hot For Teacher" while the old caretaker was trying to sleep. It was bizarre for a second but our new friends managed to shoo them away. The next night the four of us had dinner and drinks together (no rowdy bikers in attendance).




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Next we moved on to Tepic where we explored for half a day before heading to Jalisco and settling down at Laguna Santa Maria del Oro for a couple of nights. For me, it was a breath of fresh air. Finally, we were surrounded by grass, big green trees, and mountains. Laguna Santa Maria del Oro is actually an old volcanic crater that is now filled with water. It's incredibly beautiful and our campground was right on the water's edge. Our second night there we were treated to a live mariachi band while overlooking the lake. Each night we entertained ourselves by watching the industrious ant colonies that surrounded our camp, and playing cards. It really doesn't get much better than that. We left the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for some Tequila.




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We got to the small town of Tequila just a little too late for a tour at Jose Cuervo, but not to worry, we just happened to arrive on the 482nd Anniversario de la Fundacion de la Villa de Santiago de Tequila, and Tequila know's how to party. The plaza was filled with vendors, musicians, carnival rides, and fireworks. We enjoyed some delicious margaritas, micheladas, and pastor tacos while taking in the celebration. We slept in a locked parking lot that night and the next morning, rather than waiting till late afternoon for a Jose Cuervo tour in English, we headed to Casa Herradura in the next town of Amatitan. I had read that though this operation is slightly smaller than Jose Cuervo, the grounds themselves are much more beautiful. We were happy with our decision. We got an English tour just ten minutes after we arrived with a small group of seven. The distillery was beautiful and at the end we all sampled tequila together, my personal favorite being the "plata", although Brenton had to finish most of the tequila for me.




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The agave pulp...sweet and tasty to chew on




Our next destination was Guanajuato. Another place that had been a favorite of Brenton and his sister's on their previous trip. It didn't take me long to see why. It's hard to explain other than the city just has a feel about it and an attraction. It's a small town with lots of history and plenty to see and do. We camped the first night on the panoramica then explored around town until we found a hotel with hot water at a decent price. Since we already knew we wanted to spend some time here, we arranged to stay for a full week at Hostel Cantarranas in the Centro Historico. This would be our first time staying in a hotel on this trip. The couple of campgrounds in the area are all outside of town and we wanted to be close to the action. Guanajuato is full of steep, narrow & winding alleys and each one is different from the next. The architecture is beautiful and colorful and the city never seems to sleep. We made two hikes up to the statue of Pipila, one for sunset and one for sunrise. The view was breathtaking.




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One of many rooftop dogs in Guanajuato


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After Guanajuato, we headed to San Miguel de Allende where we paid way too much to camp for two nights. We can't complain (too much) though, we met some really nice overlanders from Germany and Belgium. Joachim & Barbel have been camped out in San Miguel for three years! They are a very nice couple, and they gave us some great information and campground GPS coordinates for our drive south. Bernard & Alexandra are traveling with their three young girls, ages ten, five, & three in a 2002 Land Rover Defender. We spent a night exchanging stories and information with Bernard & Alexandra.




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The architecture in San Miguel is similar to that of Guanajuato but more monochromatic and minus the steep hills. San Miguel in general is a pricey area and is filled with retired North-Americans and European ex-pats. The city is incredibly clean and the plazas are beautiful and well kept. For our third and last night in SM, we ninja camped near the plaza principal and the next morning headed to the incredible church of Antotonilco.




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The Santuario de Atotonilco is an amazing church just outside of San Miguel de Allende. Pilgrimage to Atotonilco is a goal of many Mexicans as it has a significant role in Mexico's independence and is viewed as a very important sanctuary. The walls inside the church are covered with beautiful murals and different stories from the Bible. Only a visit would do it justice, but it is worth a mention and a couple of pictures. From here we made our way to Dolores Hidalgo.



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Dolores Hidalgo is a small town with a nice plaza, beautiful pottery, and some interesting hand spun ice cream flavors. One of our first stops was at one of the many ice cream vendors in the plaza. We were given samples of every flavor they made. Some were great, some I don't know why they ever thought it'd be a good idea to turn it into ice cream. Brenton tried all of the bizarre ones, including the shrimp flavored ice cream. I couldn't bring myself to try the shrimp; avocado and beer were adventurous enough for me! As we were strolling around the plaza that night, out of no where all of the lights in the plaza and the church went out. We thought they must have had some sort of power outage; and then the loud music began to play. On the entire face of the church they began to show pictures telling the story of the town's past and it's role in the fight for independence. It was a really neat experience that we happened to randomly stumble upon.




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Next stop, Guanajuato round two.

For more pictures from Mazatlan to Santa Maria del Oro, click here: Mazatlan to Santa Maria del Oro (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51245496@N02/sets/72157629864047561/)
For more pictures from Tequila to Guanajuato, click here: Tequila to Guanajuato (http://imgur.com/a/80yU2/all#0)

[waterweber]

Awesome!

[Stuartag]

Bernard & Alexandra are traveling with their three young girls, ages ten, five, & three in a 2002 Land Rover Defender. We spent a night exchanging stories and information with Bernard & Alexandra.




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Small world! We camped next to them in Moab May 10th. It would seem difficult traveling the world with 3 young kids in a Land Rover, but each one went about his and her business just like it was normal to be doing what they were doing. They seemed to have the routine down.

[Ruined Adventures]

Glad to hear they went to Moab! They are certainly a cool couple and their kids seemed so well behaved. Very inspirational indeed.

[BBslider001]

Why NOT get too deep? A trip like this SHOULD make you think and ponder and maybe even make a few changes? I have been to Mexico, Baja CA, and other places to feed my exploring bug....it has changed my life in amazing ways! Living life by the rising and setting of the sun is the onyl way to go in my humble opinion. Great trip! Enjoy....I'll check out your blog as well. This is inspiring me to hit the dirt road again, BUT....no laptop for me :)

[Ruined Adventures]

Why NOT get too deep? A trip like this SHOULD make you think and ponder and maybe even make a few changes? I have been to Mexico, Baja CA, and other places to feed my exploring bug....it has changed my life in amazing ways! Living life by the rising and setting of the sun is the onyl way to go in my humble opinion. Great trip! Enjoy....I'll check out your blog as well. This is inspiring me to hit the dirt road again, BUT....no laptop for me :)
It certainly has been eye-opening already. We feel our attitudes, daily needs, and abilities to deal with obstacles is constantly evolving. We can't wait to see what this all accumulates into by the end of the trip and it's exciting to see what doors it will open for us after our journey is over.

Thanks for the kind words. It's certainly a trade-off having a laptop, frequent internet access, and terabytes of memory storage, but it's been great because we feel like we can watch our nieces and nephews grow up while we're away. If we were on a shorter time-frame we'd spend less time editing photos or Skype-ing, but since we're going slow, we're still able to enjoy the moment and occasionally connect back home.

[TurboChris]

Terrific read and wonderful photos, Thanks!!

[mergen]

Thanks for the share. Wonderful story. Keep on moving :beer:

[Ruined Adventures]

Thanks, we've certainly kept on but I'm afraid our updates are behind...after the wedding we should be able to catch up! :Wow1: We're currently in Guatemala, stay tuned for more details.

[Ruined Adventures]

First of all I'd like to formally apologize to our readers, all five of you, for the serious lack of updates we've had over the past few months. I hadn't realized how far behind we were until we won the award for "Most Slackerest Blog" (new word courtesy of James at Home On The Highway (http://www.homeonthehighway.com)). Between fighting Shannon over the keyboard and actually putting the computer away to actually enjoy our trip, it's been a little tough to update our experiences. I'll do my best to sum it all up to date, and get things back on track.


We've had a few highs and lows over the past few months...

http://i.imgur.com/WnJzcl.jpg

In Mexico, we fell head over heals in love with the small town of Guanajuato. Admittedly I already had a serious love affair with GTO, but after I introduced Shannon to the charm and beauty of this pueblo magico in Central Mexico, it became a full-on complicated love triangle. We spent over a month there and could have easily just put the 4runner up on blocks, and slipped away into the daily grind as full-time expats there.



http://i.imgur.com/GsVHrl.jpg


In Mexico City, while shopping for a wedding dress and size 4 heels for Shannon (an experience that all overland travelers should seek out) we were robbed not once but twice by taxi-drivers...well robbed may be stretching the truth a bit. There were no weapons involved, no threats, and we didn't even notice it was happening but after the ride we realized that one driver slipped us a fake bill in change and the other had given us an out-of-circulation bill that was worth less than a dollar. Another souvenir for the road and another lesson learned.



http://i.imgur.com/PChXAl.jpg
Occupy Oaxaca in full effect...teachers on strike made it difficult to appreciate the downtown architecture



In Oaxaca and Chiapas, we blazed through at least 4 of the unofficial roadblocks that we had heard so much about. Basically two people holding a rope or cable across the road, we were warned that these were attempts to stop you while men in the bushes come out to rob you. Admittedly it appeared that these were all simply attempts to sell elotes or tamales by the road, we drove through anyway, not really in the mood for a snack.



http://i.imgur.com/f69L8l.jpg
I'll be happy if I never eat another chapuline (grasshopper) again



We crossed paths with Crossing Latitudes (http://www.crossinglatitudes.blogspot.com), who we went into the Sierra Norte with, eventually giving a ride to two colorful characters in a small mountain village. The six of us followed a lead towards a nearby party and stumbled on a 600 year-old religious tradition in a small village that I couldn't even pick out on a map. We were treated like royalty and the villagers were warm and friendly. I may or may not have consumed fire-water straight from a gasoline jug...I survived, but for a second I thought that I may go blind.



http://i.imgur.com/cKoR2l.jpg
Going where the wind takes us



http://i.imgur.com/7AKP5l.jpg
The reason for the celebration



http://i.imgur.com/6T8mHl.jpg
Our new friends Mindy & VJ (http://www.vjkesh.blogspot.com/), Aaron & Aneta (http://crossinglatitudes.blogspot.com/)



Our border crossing experience to Guatemala was gentle at La Mesilla, however the nice man at Migración did ask for the unofficial Q20 fee for each of our visas. Thanks to Life Remotely (http://www.liferemotely.com) and WikiOverland (http://www.wikioverland.org), we knew what to expect beforehand so we kindly asked for a receipt.

"The stamp in your passport is the receipt." He claimed.

Without skipping a beat, I replied "That's cool, but I just need an official piece of paper that says I give you Q20 and you give me the stamp to receive the visa."

We went back and forth like this for a while, referring to notes that I had made on a piece of paper. Since I had obviously done my homework and I was not going to budge on the matter, he quickly changed his story to "You pay the 20 quetzales for the visa when you LEAVE Guatemala" in a disappointed tone. Sure buddy.



http://i.imgur.com/Ux5qTl.jpg
Not a bad view for the next month



http://i.imgur.com/CmCcml.jpg
Tractor-powered ferris wheel of death in San Juan La Laguna


We spent a month in San Marcos La Laguna and this was our second time finding home away from home. A quiet village on Lago de Atitlan, we spent three weeks taking spanish lessons from Homer of San Pedro Spanish School. We now feel very confident with our spanish conversational skills and we've definitely noticed a difference in daily interaction. We made a few friends on the lake and even managed to pick up some informal lessons in Kakchikel, the local Mayan dialect...although the local girls giggle every time we attempt to pronounce it.




http://i.imgur.com/Ov9EGl.jpg
One of many lancha rides across the lake


http://i.imgur.com/SNfppl.jpg
Our new friend Sean (http://hondavstheworld.com/), we bumped into him at one of our favorite haunts in San Marcos La Laguna



My sister and brother-in-law came to visit us in Guatemala and they brought our 4-month old nephew so we could finally meet him. This kid is so awesome...not only does he live in Madagascar, but he's going to have more stamps in his passport by the age of one than most of my friends back home do.




http://i.imgur.com/PKn7Fl.jpg
International man of mystery in training



http://i.imgur.com/Bhu3vl.jpg
Getting stamped out of Guatemala, officially in "no man's land"



We decided to make the short trip to El Salvador for some surf and sun. On the way there we had a few options to get to the coast...




http://i.imgur.com/DmoY1l.png



http://i.imgur.com/nuU9al.jpg
Easy does it



http://i.imgur.com/0jIHgl.jpg
Enjoying a beer on the ferry to Monterrico


This border crossing experience was a little more interesting now that we were officially in Central America...we had read stories about the "helpers" that approach like zombie hordes and harass you into paying them to get your paperwork completed. We decide along time ago that we wanted to do it the hard way, completing our paperwork for ourselves and hopefully becoming border-crossing pros. We did not however, expect the helpers to barrage us on motorcycles, before we even got near the border. Imagine the final chase scene from Mad Max: Beyond The Thunderdome...post-apocalyptic thugs chasing us on bizarre machines riding alongside the 4runner for the chance to hop on the hood, while screaming "Let me help you! I will take care of your papers!"



http://i.imgur.com/aWJqJl.jpg
Approaching El Salvador's border


While I may be exaggerating a little, the description is not too far off. The sketchy moto-helpers were riding through oncoming traffic, tapping on my window, pleading to be the one to help us take care of the border crossing red-tape. Once we parked at the border, we had at least fifteen helpers literally surrounding us in the 4runner before we even stepped out. They were all banging on the windows and claiming to help us "for free", while we just sat for five minutes in pure shock. We had to brush them off and make our way to the migración, but one helper who spoke very good english would simply not leave me alone. I told him we wanted to do everything on our own and we already knew what to do, but he was like a fly in my ear at every step. He would tell me what to do AS I was already doing it, while I was politely telling him that he was actually making the process more difficult since we could not hear the border officials talk to us. I finally ditched him when I needed a copy of our vehicle title...he waited for me at the copy-shop while I went to the 4runner to get a copy I already had. Overall the border took us almost 3 hours, most of that time was spent waiting for the kind folks in El Salvador's aduana to notice us and actually give us the time of day.


http://i.imgur.com/FtqUGl.jpg
Note the convenient handle above the bed and the toilet paper dispenser


We got lost trying to find Parque Nacional El Imposible, stumbling past MS-13 graffiti and eventually ended up staying for the first time in an auto hotel. In case you're not familiar, an auto hotel is a place where you pay by the hour and they have a little garage for each room so you can hide your car from sight. The menu had condoms and lubricants...probably not the best way to welcome your family to Central America, but it was unforgettable no doubt.



http://i.imgur.com/nE7NXl.jpg
Keeping a low-profile in gang territory


http://i.imgur.com/lCsCjl.jpg
Sunset in El Salvador


http://i.imgur.com/arpgil.jpg
The volcano of Parque Nacional Cerro Verde




While in El Salvador my brother and I got to enjoy some surf at El Zonte, where I was desperately trying to avoid swallowing the water while half-drowning. The surf break is about 200 yards from a river outlet that is undoubtedly flowing with sewage. Needless to say, while attempting to duck dive my lower lip was ripped open by the powerful surf and I ingested more crap-water than I had hoped.




http://i.imgur.com/cPKqLl.jpg
The break at El Zonte


A week later when we finally found Parque Nacional El Imposible (it is indeed fairly impossible to locate),where I spent 48 hours trembling in bed with a fever of 103, surrounded by hallucinations of a tombstone that read "DIED OF DYSENTERY" while wondering if Shannon would continue the journey without me or find an El Salvadorian sancho to replace me. Unfortunately Shannon eventually got just as sick, so we took turns nursing each other to health and trying to cool each other down.





http://i.imgur.com/mDf8q.gif



So that pretty much brings us to present day, with a couple of exceptions. The 4runner is currently out of service right now for some maintenance and repairs, so we're trying to figure out our next move from Antigua. We may write a few updates that will fill you in on some of the specifics that I've left out, but for now we will consider our story updated. James, you can stop harassing us now...

I almost forgot to mention the highlight of our trip so far: 31 of our favorite people came from all over the world to see us on the lake...




And we got married!


http://i.imgur.com/WXsDCl.jpg


Stay tuned for more details on our recent nuptials. :sombrero:

[Ruined Adventures]

http://i.imgur.com/C3DxEl.jpg
Our friends Kamil & Zuzanna (http://www.horsefeathers.eu/en/blogs/zuzana-salz/pan-american-journey-part-i/) we met in Mexico City (and again in Oaxaca, and again in San Marcos La Laguna)



http://i.imgur.com/ZaGwyl.jpg
Watch out for this dude if you go to Mexico City, we caught him peeing on our rig while we were sleeping inside



http://i.imgur.com/meYxal.jpg
Laundry Day at our campsite in Oaxaca



http://i.imgur.com/uiFOel.jpg
Some of our new friends at the Oaxaca Campground




http://i.imgur.com/5qHRgl.jpg
Found an apartment in Oaxaca for $5/day with no furniture and serious mosquitos...no problemo!



http://i.imgur.com/PysUml.jpg
A short hike in the Sierra Norte



http://i.imgur.com/0a5wBl.jpg
With Crossing Latitudes, exploring a watch tower and suspension bridge



http://i.imgur.com/LPQVhl.jpg
One of our favorite campsites in Oaxaca, despite the fact I was sick as a dog



http://i.imgur.com/7ZcWYl.jpg
Pulling up to Monterrico on the "fun-ferry"



http://i.imgur.com/wrHdAl.jpg
Stealing as much air conditioning as possible from the Aduana office in El Salvador



http://i.imgur.com/l1vfWl.jpg
The guest bed in our sleezy auto hotel...still can't figure out why there was a little closet-sized garden?



http://i.imgur.com/X8lfal.jpg
Obligatory overlanding photo for Parque Nacional El Imposible



http://i.imgur.com/X2Dtbl.jpg
Sweet little Suby we saw in El Salvador



http://i.imgur.com/rxk2Ll.jpg
Tuckered out little traveler



http://i.imgur.com/llfmnl.jpg
Everyone has their preference



http://i.imgur.com/0RFNhl.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/MPfqgl.jpg
I ain't skewered...

[bobDog]

Thank you so much fpr remembering us

Nice update ... feels like you might just stay there.



Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

[Elbee]

Love it!

[RMP&O]

Great trip report! Loving it!

And the tan LandCruiser looks almost exactly like one I saw in Playa Azul a few years back. I even had to check the plates to make sure it wasn't the same one!

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/18654_1085551716953_3781176_n.jpg

[Toyotero]

Ha ha ha, that "stealing AC" photo is hilarious... I've been in that situation many a time.

Amazing photos guys... Guanajuato looks like an incredible city.


I wonder how many times OR Trail has been quoted by ill travelers in C.A?
I can count 2 :-D (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52364-La-Vida-Nica?p=825503#post825503)

Congrats on the successful hitchin' down there. MJ can't wait to see the photos.

BTW, I posted this elsewhere (your blog I think), but this is an easier medium to communicate.. Are you guys interested in living with a Guate fam in Antigua for a while? I'm still in contact with the fam that I lived with for 5 weeks there, they are awesome. They have 3 kids who were just great kids, although I think one is off in med school now in Guate city or Cuba. The son is learning silver smithing like his father, who runs a silver jewelry smithing shop in the back room of the house. He is one of the smiths who makes the stuff that ends up for sale in the Silver museum in town and the airport. Anyhow, if you guys are interested I'll get you their info... it's much better than staying in La Posada Ruiz #2 every night :-P and living with a Guate fam is cheap... I think I paid like $50/week for furnished bedroom, shared bathroom and 3 hot meals per day.

Keep on truckin'!

[upcountry]

Uh-oh. You got married. Now its all over.

Haha.

My wife and I met in Beleize in 1999 on a study abroad program. We travelled to Costa Rica by boat and bus that summer/fall. We got married in 2000 and spent the next three years in Panama as Peace Corps volunteers.

12 years later still going strong.

The kind of trip you are on will give a bond stronger than anything. Take the time to get to truly enjoy each other before returning to the life of work, bills, kids, and stress.

Thanks for keeping going on this thread.

Chao pues.

[Ruined Adventures]

The kind of trip you are on will give a bond stronger than anything. Take the time to get to truly enjoy each other before returning to the life of work, bills, kids, and stress.
That was kinda what we were hoping for...we like to test the relationship early on before life gets complicated! We suppose it's an opportunity to grow with each other and learn everything about each other from the get-go.


I wonder how many times OR Trail has been quoted by ill travelers in C.A?
I can count 2 :-D (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52364-La-Vida-Nica?p=825503#post825503)
You're a trendsetter Gene! At least when you mentioned dysentery, it was legit...I never went to the doctor and I believe that it was just a bug that I'm now over. It's hard NOT to reference the Oregon Trail on this trip...

Thanks for the heads up on your friends here in Antigua, but we don't plan on being here long. The 4runner should be ready for us this Wednesday-tember, and we need to head to Belize and back for a new vehicle import permit and CA-4 paperwork. Say hi to MJ for us!


Great trip report! Loving it!

And the tan LandCruiser looks almost exactly like one I saw in Playa Azul a few years back. I even had to check the plates to make sure it wasn't the same one!

Thanks! That's a very similar camper indeed! The one in our picture belongs to Claude and Erika from Switzerland, I believe they've had that camper for 13 years now and they've been in Latin America for the last 8 years if I recall correctly. Very cool couple, we really enjoyed getting to know them.

[hrt4me]

this is a great trip report, and my wife and I hope to follow in your tracks in a few years

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?

have you encountered any extended periods of rain so far?

[Ruined Adventures]

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?

have you encountered any extended periods of rain so far?
Great questions. I'll look around in our pictures, but especially here in Guatemala there's been some cool and unique vehicles. Guatemala is heaven for Toyota enthusiasts by the way. Immediately after crossing the border we realized that there's a 20:1 ratio of Toyotas to other makes. We've seen lots of doublecab Hiluxes (what do you call a pack of hiluxes? Hiluxi? Hileex'?), doublecab Mitsubishi pickups that are similar to the Hilux, newer Nissan Patrols, lots of Suzuki Samurai pickups, diesel Defenders...I've been seeing tons of an interesting SUV called a "Galloper". We're heading back into Antigua today and I'll take some pictures for you and hopefully find a good connection to upload them.

In regards to rain, the first half of the wet season here in Guatemala has been pretty tame. For our first month here, we had several days without rain but when it did rain it would be for a few hours in the late afternoon, settling down eventually. We only had a 2-3 days in the past month that seemed to rain hard for most of the day. They typically have a week-long break during the middle of the wet season that's called the cannicula (don't quote my spelling on that), but I think this year it was several weeks long. We've also been told that it seems the wet season can seem brutal some years, then the next year it's tame like it is now. While we were in El Salvador we only had one night of rain, and it was a large storm that blew through overnight. We had to hunker down because we were on the coast and it got violent for a minute there. The wet season supposedly picks up in September, so we'll see what happens :sombrero:

[hrt4me]

thanks for the quick replies; whenever I travel, I always enjoy seeing and comparing vehicles which the major car manufacturers don't sell in the U.S.
BTW, Hyundai sold the Galloper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Galloper) between 1991 and 2003

I haven't gone through your entire build thread, so I'm curious what you do to cover the windows to block out any light when you sleep in the rear cargo area?
We just got some dark mesh screen material (akin to a screen door) and plan to cut the material in a shape slightly larger than the rear passenger windows (sold the Gen1 '85 T4R and now have a Gen3 '97 T4R on the way) and glue magnets around the edges; that way, we can stick these screens to the outside of the vehicle at night and sleep with the windows cracked (or down) and prevent bugs from getting inside the truck...

also, have you had any issues with the fuel quality on your travels south of the (U.S.) border so far?

[Ruined Adventures]

Good to know! I didn't recongnize a Hyundai symbol on the Galloper (or Galloper II that I see more of), thanks.

We had curtains originally to block out the sunlight, but I didn't like the original design so I tore them down, planning to redo it. I planned to sow velcro strips to curtains, and attach velcro tape to the interior edges of the hardtop, making it removable...We honestly rarely need the extra privacy. Our windows are limo-tinted, so you can't see inside unless we have the LED's on at night. If we're worried about it we use our spare sheets and our towels, clothes-pinned to the bungee-cargo net we have secured inside the hardtop's roof. Keep it simple.

I have cut out no-see-um mesh panels that I can cover the windows with using magnets, but we never use them because usually all we need is to open our roof vent-fan and turn it up. The vent-fan has mosquito mesh, so that keeps them out just fine. Sometimes if I need more flow, I'll open one window and cover it with the mesh.

Some of the Pemex stations in Mexico have pretty crappy fuel. I actually just had to replace the fuel filter because it was clogged up. I've never replaced the fuel filter and simply hoped I was good to go since the tests that Toyota has done on their "lifetime" fuel filters shows pretty extreme use, but I suppose after all these years anything's possible.

[Ruined Adventures]

I love these little vans, I'm not sure what the model name is for them but they're super narrow with a very short wheelbase:

http://i.imgur.com/Py7RVl.jpg

For some reason I really want to rock one of these to Ushuaia...Shannon would look adorable driving it :sombrero:

http://i.imgur.com/4GOPLl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/C61fgl.jpg
The rare doublecab Powerstroke Ranger :coffeedrink:

http://i.imgur.com/amwiql.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/WSiCll.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/FIm6Vl.jpg


And I'm sure some of you recognize these guys: NoLimitX (http://nolimitx.com/)

http://i.imgur.com/Lgyoil.jpg


You can see more in our new imgur album (http://imgur.com/a/vUUCI#0), specific to the vehicles we encounter along the way.

[Ruined Adventures]

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?
By the way, you should check out this blog (http://thebluetruck.smugmug.com/Travel/Road-Warriors-1/20001269_j23Rzx#!i=1578136420&k=qPX8VNS)...he has an album of vehicles he's seen along the way south, much of them being Toyotas. He's got a pretty sick Landcruiser too.

[Ruined Adventures]

Shannon and I try really hard to keeps it real, but admittedly the corporate world has sunk it's teeth in...

More details on our 'Sponsors' page (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/p/a-word-from-our-sponsors.html)

[mjohns2]

This is an awesome report of your adventures and thank you guys so much for your steady stream of updates. I think I’ve read your report 3 times so far, it’s very informative.

First and most importantly congratulations on the marriage. I do have a quick question though, do you have any lessons learned in regards to needed or not needed equipment.

For example, I remember reading you guys ditch the frig, did you guys miss it after a while?
Do you guys feel the dual battery was a must, considering no frig?
Did you guys feel the winch was a necessity?
And anything else I might have missed that you guys felt should have been added.

Thank you again and be safe.

-MJ

[Ruined Adventures]

Occasionally we miss the fridge. Yesterday we finally had a delicious sandwich and I commented on how nice it would be to carry mayonnaise and deli meat...and then Shannon reminded me how long it had been since we had seen legit deli-meat that wasn't ridiculously processed. Imagine everything looking like Oscar Meyer's mystery meat...it's usually difficult to tell the difference between turkey, ham, chicken, etc. I'd still say that a fridge is unnecessary, it's more of a luxury.

Even though we ditched the fridge, considering how much we use the ceilings vent-fan and the other 12v fan, along with charging all of our cameras...I'd say the dual batt was a must for us, however plenty of people get by without all the fans and your mileage may vary. We're just taking a little more time in Central America which means more hot and humid. The dual batt probably could have been done for less, but I was trying to keep both batteries under the hood which meant going with Odyssey batteries.

We actually don't have a winch and we don't plan on getting one anytime soon. Obviously a winch is a big investment, and sure we were halfway into the modifications necessary for one, but after asking ourselves several times 'Do I really need a winch? (http://www.overlandexpo.com/overland-tech-travel/2011/8/31/do-i-really-need-a-winch.html)' we ultimately decided no. I know a lot of people will think I'm foolish, but we decided we would rather throw a little caution to the wind, just to keep things interesting. Part of the adventure is the trials and tribulations that we have to endure, so I decided if I have to work my butt of for 48 hours just to get out of a mud hole then so be it. For this reason we carry enough food for at least 72 hours and water for a week, if push comes to shove then we'll have to leave the rig and hike to find help.

My sister and brother-in-law live in Madagascar (very 3rd world) and have had some great trips to the other side of the island in their little Suzuki Santana, usually with no tools or recovery gear. They've had a lot of breakdowns and they've been really stuck, but they always manage to figure it out and it turns out to be a great adventure. I think sometimes on the forums we get a little obsessed about it, but since Shannon and I don't have to be at work on Monday, we have no kids onboard to worry about, and we're both medically trained and fairly sharp individuals, we take the occasional calculated risk. Not to mention I have wicked kung-fu skills. After reading RadioBaobab's DRC thread (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/50799-Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-Lubumbashi-to-Kinshasa), part of me said "I want to suffer like that". I know how that sounds...idiotic, right? Well that's how we roll sometimes.

For recovery gear we do have some waffleboards that we picked up for free, a real shovel, a kinetic strap and regular tow straps, 1/2" static rope, and a Hi-Lift to winch ourselves out the hard way. I have practiced and trained with the Hi-Lift so I feel up to the task if necessary. When I finally have to get unstuck the old-fashioned way, I guarantee you I'll spend a few hours analyzing why I got stuck and hopefully I will become a better driver because of it.

[Ruined Adventures]

We wrote a short article, discussing the finer points between driving, backpacking, cycling, or traveling the world by motorcycle. This one's for all of our readers who are contemplating how to go about their journey...however we would love some feedback in the comments section if you have relevant experience, feel free to contribute to the discussion!


Overland Advice: To Drive, Or Not To Drive (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/08/overland-advice-to-drive-or-not-to-drive.html)

http://i.imgur.com/ue1AWl.jpg

[Wiley]

Congrats, what a great place to get married

[Wiley]

You guys really need to work on your update frequency.

[Ruined Adventures]

Sorry Wiley, we've been a little distracted lately by vehicle issues and Guatemala's Independance Day :sombrero:. Since you've called us out...


Our Wedding Day (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/09/our-wedding-day.html)


http://i.imgur.com/EFqkZl.jpg

Even though we had been engaged for a year (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2011/07/were-engaged.html), we didn't actually decide where our wedding was going to be until about three months before the actual event. After seeing photographs of Lake Atitlan and getting confirmation from several other about how amazing the lake was, the decision was made to have our wedding there.


http://i.imgur.com/9eh5Sl.jpg

We decided to keep the wedding to family and invited only a few of our closest friends. We wanted to keep things as simple as possible. We were originally planning to have our wedding alone (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2011/10/whens-date.html), with no guests at all, so this was a stretch. Considering the short notice, we figured ten, maybe fifteen people would commit to the occasion. You can imagine our surprise when thirty-one loved ones RSVP'd.



http://i.imgur.com/NT2ztl.jpg


Our good friend Katie recommended staying in San Marcos La Laguna at Hotel Aaculaax (http://www.aaculaax.com/). At Aaculaax we made friends with the owner Lily, who recommended talking to her friend Ana who happens to be a wedding planner and owns a hotel in Santa Cruz La Laguna.



http://i.imgur.com/6likgl.jpg

Our honeymoon suite at Hotel Aaculaax (http://www.aaculaax.com/)...only a slight adjustment from sleeping in the 4Runner.


http://i.imgur.com/e5yCTl.jpg

The honeymoon suite's balcony at Hotel Aaculaax (http://www.aaculaax.com/).


Wedding planner? No thanks, sounds expensive and you know wedding planners…they always go over the top. That's what I thought anyway. Brenton and I met with Ana and her assistant Karen at Hotel Isla Verde (http://islaverdeatitlan.com/), a short fifteen minute lancha ride from San Marcos.

After talking with Ana and Karen for less than an hour, I was proven wrong. Ana and Karen were both down-to-earth and didn't try to make our wedding anything we didn't want it to be. Not to mention, their whole business is based on being eco-friendly, which is something we appreciated. We waited about a day for word on what the total cost would be and again we were pleasantly surprised. For what they were quoting us, we didn’t feel like we could do it on our own for any less. It wasn't long after that we decided to do our wedding at Hotel Isla Verde (http://islaverdeatitlan.com/).



http://i.imgur.com/e4ayCl.jpg


Our family all arrived within a couple of days of each other and we spent the first few days exploring the beautiful city of Antigua. On the third of August, we all piled into a bus and made the three and a half hour drive to San Marcos La Laguna on Lake Atitlan.



http://i.imgur.com/n3GpCl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/u2PoAl.jpg




The first night we enjoyed a wonderful meal and drinks at Fe Restaurant. We called it our "non-rehearsal dinner" since we didn't plan on actually rehearsing anything. Half of our family stayed with Brenton and I at Hotel Aaculaax (http://www.aaculaax.com), the other half stayed about fifteen minutes down the main road at Pasaj-Cap (http://www.pasajcap.com/). Both places were wonderful, beautiful, and our hosts were amazing.



http://i.imgur.com/XxQ2Al.jpg

The first course from our amazing dinner at Fe Restaurant (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g315771-d1747003-r60688441-Restaurant_Fe-San_Marcos_La_Laguna_Lake_Atitlan_Solola_Departmen t_Western_Highlands.html).


http://i.imgur.com/nRuCYl.jpg

...and of course we had to wash down that incredible dinner.



http://i.imgur.com/COuecl.jpg

The breathtaking view from Pasaj Cap (http://www.pasajcap.com/), where we had a bbq together. This is also a great place to camp if you find ever find yourself in San Marcos La Laguna.



The next day, the fourth of August, we headed over to Santa Cruz in lanchas. I headed over a couple of hours earlier to get ready. Brenton and the rest of our guests came over in two different boats. As people arrived they enjoyed the incredible view and drinks from Hotel Isla Verde (http://islaverdeatitlan.com/). We decided the ceremony would start at four o'clock, though I didn't actually come down until four-thirty. That's not too bad right? Brides are supposed to make a fashionably late entrance.




http://i.imgur.com/Qwf3El.jpg

The lancha ride to the wedding venue (http://islaverdeatitlan.com/).



http://i.imgur.com/YXISMl.jpg

The beautiful bride (finally ready) with her support team.



We married on the dock, surrounded by our family, with "the most beautiful lake in the world" as our backdrop. Amazingly, we didn't get rained on either. Remember, we chose to get married in Guatemala, in the rainy season, in the late afternoon. That's prime time for a downpour.



http://i.imgur.com/qm0tol.jpg

Exchanging vows.


http://i.imgur.com/lopZhl.jpg

Our officiant has a problem with pacing, especially when public speaking.


Did I mention my now brother-in-law was our officiant? We couldn't think of a better person to do it. As Brenton mentioned in the previous post, his sister Marissa, her husband Jay, and our nephew Cooper came down a couple of weeks before everyone else so we could spend some time traveling a bit with them. It was at this point when we asked Jay to officiate. We didn't give him much time, so we're grateful he agreed.



http://i.imgur.com/4P42Bl.jpg

Note the Mayan girls enjoying the show through the windows.


http://i.imgur.com/2bElpl.jpg


Brenton and I decided to write our own vows and we also wanted Jay's part to be unique and personal. We looked up traditional vows and found some aspects that we liked, gave them to Jay, and told him to go wild. You could tell that Jay had poured his heart and soul into the role, and we couldn't have been happier with our choice to have him as our officiant.



http://i.imgur.com/Tbppkl.jpg

You may kiss the bride!


After the ceremony we enjoyed incredible food, dessert, and a fun night of dancing and spending time with the people we love. Our day was amazing and everything we could have wanted.




http://i.imgur.com/AEhubl.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/OYCw9l.jpg



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http://i.imgur.com/LrFVzl.jpg

Things got a little emotional during the father-bride dance.



http://i.imgur.com/ThOTcl.jpg



Since we were still on the lake, I surprised Brenton with a night at Hotel Isla Verde (http://islaverdeatitlan.com/) exactly one month after our wedding, on the fourth of September. Since tourist season is slowing down right now, we almost had the whole place to ourselves. We enjoyed a romantic dinner and slept in a comfy room with an amazing view of the lake.



http://i.imgur.com/KvguZl.jpg

A nice little surprise, the girls at Isla Verde pulled out all the stops for us...again!


We are so grateful to all of our family and friends who made it to our wedding and for all the wonderful people who helped to make it possible. We couldn't have asked for more.

[DiploStrat]

Congratulations and safe travels. (And pack your woolies for the altiplano!)

[Wiley]

Sorry Wiley, we've been a little distracted lately by vehicle issues and Guatemala's Independance Day :sombrero:. Since you've called us out..

If I had known it was that easy I would have pestered you ages ago!

[Ruined Adventures]

Another month has passed along with another long period of silence on our end. We've since crossed several borders and it's hard to believe how much has happened since we left our little bubble of peace in Lake Atitlan. For the sake of consistency, our story will pick up where our last broadcast left off, but in regards to our 4Runner.

Of course, if you get impatient and once every month or two isn't enough for an update...you can keep closer tabs on us with Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RuinedAdventures).




http://i.imgur.com/G0APPl.jpg



Apparently when folks head south, once they get to Guatemala, the miles really begin to add up and it's typically time to replace a few things. Toothbrushes, book lists, maybe a timing chain. The 4Runner was starting to misfire terribly since we left for El Salvador and our wedding was quickly coming.

I decided now would be a good time to let someone else do the work and cross my fingers that the rig would be waiting for me after the wedding. Luckily, fellow travelers Home On The Highway (http://homeonthehighway.com/) and Capitol Southbound (http://capitolsouthbound.com/) had already been in that boat, so we followed their recommendations for a mechanic in Guatemala City.




http://i.imgur.com/gmK9Rl.jpg



Driving in Guatemala City (or any capital south of the border) can be a little intimidating. Take the typical mishaps of driving in Latin America, Guatemala's lack of useful signs mixed with plenty of nauseous one-way boulevards, a notorious reputation for crime, and you've got a giant bowl of scary spaghetti to get lost in. The very thought of driving through Central America's largest city is enough to put any tough-guy Clint Eastwood into the fetal position, sucking his thumb. No problem though, we had been practicing for this…couldn't be worse than Mexico City right?




http://i.imgur.com/sp6iIl.jpg



Even though I had studied several maps of the city and I already had the GPS dialed in for this little venture, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried for the drive to the mechanic's shop in Zona 8 (see: sketchy-ville). You see, my first time driving into the capital was to meet with my sister, brother-in-law, and my 4 month old nephew when they flew in for our little side-trip to El Salvador. Sure we got really lost before we up with them, but at least I had the best navigator in the world helping me thru every wrong turn (I'm referring to Shannon of course, not the GPS). Only this time I would be driving solo, while Shannon entertained the first of our guests who were starting to arrive in Antigua for our wedding.




http://i.imgur.com/HilaUl.jpg



Of course the 4Runner battled me every second of the drive. It was like dragging a spoiled child to the dentist to get all of their wisdom teeth pulled. Knowing fully well that we're too cheap for proper anesthesia, this was going to hurt, and the 4Runner was kicking and screaming the whole way in protest. I didn't even think that I would make it to the top of the first hill as I left Antigua…but like a broken horse, the 4Runner eventually submitted and miraculously dragged me all the way to Guatemala City in a fit. I was amazed when I realized that I didn't get lost in the city once, and I even made it in decent time, though I was hardly able to break 45mph the entire drive.




http://i.imgur.com/Nmwmxl.jpg



I met with Adrian of Krazy Kustoms (http://krazykustoms.blogspot.com/), and I was glad that we had found him to work on our baby. Not only was he a nice guy, but he seemed passionate about his work. We chatted for a while and I got to know him, and I felt at ease as I handed him the keys to our home. So what do we do now? I suppose I just sit back and enjoy the fact that several friends and family have come together in Guatemala just for our little wedding (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/09/our-wedding-day.html). This should be no problem while some stranger manhandle's our little girl right? Right?




http://i.imgur.com/FdSlgl.jpg

[Ruined Adventures]

http://i.imgur.com/KNkRil.jpg


After our last wedding guests left town we still had some time to kill while the 4Runner was getting some surgery. We met a couple of fun German backpackers, Fabian and Puck, while hostel-hopping and they had convinced us to tag-along on a day-trip to climb Volcan Pacaya. It was less than $9 usd per person, and we were tired of worrying about our vehicle, so we were game.




http://i.imgur.com/uQOsel.jpg



We didn't realize we would be part of a large tour, but we still enjoyed the short 1.5 hour hike up this active volcano. The tour guide was in his sixties, but he was built like a 25 year old. He said he makes the steep hike twice a day, 6 days a week.




http://i.imgur.com/JA9sol.jpg



The guide's dog was following the whole day too. We named him 'Black Fred', in honor of Guanajuato Fred (http://www.ruinedadventures.com/2012/07/guanajuato-fred.html), because this dog was obviously a badass too. He climbs volcanos every day, what does your dog do? Lick himself to sleep?




http://i.imgur.com/9m2jOl.jpg



It was funny to see a mini gift shop at the top of the volcano, allegedly selling "Lava Jewelry", but no one was there and we didn't see any molten gems on display. We did get to see some interesting thermal vents and Shannon even climbed inside. Then the tour guide roasted some marshmallows using the heat from one of the vents, the typical volcano tour photo op.




http://i.imgur.com/zO3VXl.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/uO4g2l.jpg



Fabian has been carrying around some traditional liederhosen around Central America, for an "art project" he's been doing for university. He takes a photo wearing the liederhosen in random places that you wouldn't see in Germany. So we talked him into bringing the liederhosen. At the top of the volcano, he snuck behind a rock and changed for us. It was a good laugh, and everyone enjoyed the irony.




http://i.imgur.com/O3VpPl.jpg



Unfortunately they try to sell all the tourists on taking this trek, even some who physically shouldn't. A woman with hip problems was told that the hike was "easy" and she would have no problems. They offer a horse ride to the top for a small fee, but there was no option for the slippery walk back to the bottom. The poor thing seemed to be having a terrible time, but luckily she had some nice German boys to help her down the volcano.




http://i.imgur.com/gPgJml.jpg



For more photos of Volcan Pacaya, go to our Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.511259472221743.136922.286651054682587&type=3)


Later that week while we camped at the Tourist Police headquarters, the Antigua area made international headlines. The nearby Volcan Fuego had been more active than usual, and we were fortunate enough to see some eruptions. Over 30,000 villagers were evacuated to the southwest of the volcano, but luckily we were safe in Antigua since we were to the Northeast, even though we were only 6 miles away.





http://i.imgur.com/xsc3pl.jpg




http://i.imgur.com/7cZl4l.jpg




http://i.imgur.com/XvMUnl.jpg




It was very doomsday looking, but the locals all just continued with their day, so we followed suit. From our campsite at night we could even see the lava pouring down the side of the volcano, with an occasional eruption. It was a powerful display to witness and I feel lucky to have been there at that time. It's also a humbling experience, knowing that one minute we can be living our every day lives, the next minute we could be running our asses off while 10,000 degree lava chases us. Just a friendly reminder to take stock of what you have, and of course it's never a bad idea to sacrifice a virgin for the sake of the villagers.



http://i.imgur.com/W59RHl.jpg