Hey everyone, it’s Alexander.
Week five brought me from the Pacific coast of Mexico, across Guatemala, and into El Salvador. It’s been a whirlwind of incredible rides, frustrating border crossings, and the kind of moments that remind you adventure doesn’t always mean glamour.
Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'; Though the streams are swollen; Keep them doggies rollin'; Rawhide
Through rain and wind and weather; Hell-bent for leather; Wishing my girl was by my side; All the things I'm missin', good vittles, love and kissin'; Are waitin' at the end of my ride
Rawhide, by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington
The Ride to the Border The week started with a stunning ride from Oaxaca’s mountains to the coast. The views were unforgettable, but the roads? Not so much. By the time I hit Salina Cruz, I was exhausted and, unfortunately, not so lucky with hotels this time. The town was shut down for New Year’s Day, leaving me with gas station burritos for dinner. Oh yes, that reminds me, I had a giant bug hit me dead on while riding, spilling its juicy guts right on my face. Living the dream, right? Gross!
The next day’s ride to Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, was brutal. The wind was relentless, the roads were absolutely awful, and at one point, the bike temp hit 37°C. Why does motorcycle gear have to be black? I was melting. But once I reached Chiapas, everything changed—the roads smoothed out, the scenery turned lush and tropical, and the ride became a whole lot more enjoyable.
Crossing into Guatemala
After a restful night in Tapachula, I made my way to the Mexico-Guatemala border. It turns out that when I entered Mexico through Baja, I never got a visa. Whoops. Thankfully, the border staff were helpful, and after a quick payment, I was on my way.
Crossing into Guatemala was another story. When the customs officer saw my bike’s ownership papers, he questioned why there was an expiry date. Good question. I had no idea what to tell him, but after ten minutes, he handed me a Google Translate message that basically said, “You’re good to go.” Crisis averted.
As I crossed the bridge into Guatemala, I looked over to see people floating across the river on inner tubes, right under customs’ noses. A little surreal and hilarious, but hey, that’s border life.
Guatemala’s northern region is a mix of industrial landscapes and lush farmland of cane, banana, and pineapple fields as far as the eye can see. While on my way, I was getting honked at and was wondering what I was doing wrong. It wasn't until a young lad came up to me and started filming that I figured it out–my bike was getting a lot of attention and people were honking in approval and snapping pictures of it. I pushed hard to reach Antigua by nightfall.
Antigua, Guatemala—A Hidden Gem
I stayed in a castle-like hotel just outside the city, complete with a patio and views of the volcano. It was majestic and I was in awe being there, up in the mountains.
I took an extra day to explore the city—wandering through town, visiting the Museo Nacional de Arte de Guatemala, and indulging in an epic meal (17 pounds of meat and four potatoes might be an exaggeration, but not by much). And the people–the people smile, greet you, and genuinely seem happy to see you and are interested in what you're doing. Antigua is hands down one of the friendliest places I’ve ever visited.
The weather was great–not too hot and not too cool, the coffee was wonderful, and the roads were smooth and toll-free, unlike Mexico, where I paid USD 10 for about every 100 km–and there are a lot of kilometres in Mexico! And while there were no potholes like in Mexico, there were other road hazards; iguanas. You don't want to hit one of those buggers while on a bike! The only problems were the transport trucks, and there were a lot of them. They slowed right down when going up hills bringing traffic to a grind. It ended up taking me five hours to cover 250 km.
Still, the ride out of Guatemala was smooth. The mountainous roads are stunning and the views of Guatemala City’s valley were spectacular as I bypassed the city entirely. Antigua blew me away. It's now firmly on my “must-return” list.
El Salvador—The Chaos Begins
Crossing into El Salvador, I immediately ran out of data. No maps, no Garmin (which I discovered doesn’t even support Central America—thanks, Garmin), and no clue where I was going. I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out where I was and where I was going. In a big city like San Salvador, having access to data and a reliable map is a necessity. Finally, after six attempts to find a SIM card, a lovely lady at a café helped me out.
One thing I've learned on this journey is that once you gross a border, you have about fifteen seconds to figure out their local driving style. Driving in San Salvador is an extreme sport. Drivers are either wildly aggressive or annoyingly timid, and it’s every person for themselves on the road. Add black soot rolling in the wind, sugarcane trucks, and blistering heat, and you’ve got a recipe for chaos. As for traffic, let me tell you, San Salvador traffic makes Toronto look tame.
After a lot of trial and error, I found a nice B&B outside San Salvador, complete with a no-name taqueria next door serving delicious food. By the time I hit Santa Rosa de Lima, I was covered in dust and sweat but ready to push for Honduras the next day.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow’s plan? A double-border crossing—out of El Salvador, through Honduras, and into Nicaragua. It’ll be a long day, but if everything goes smoothly, I’ll be hitting new territory by evening.
As always, this ride isn’t just about the adventure—it’s about making a difference. Every mile I ride is for Inspirations Studio, helping marginalized women and gender-diverse folks find hope and rebuild their lives. We’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go to meet our fundraising goal. If you’ve been following my journey and feel inspired, I’d be so grateful if you could donate or spread the word. 100% of your donations go to Inspirations Studio. Every little bit helps keep this incredible program thriving. Thank you.
Thanks for riding along with me through the ups, downs, and in-betweens. Week five wasn’t glamorous, but it was full of stories worth telling.
Adventure is out there and you don't have to look far to find it.
MotoAgent out.
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