Month: September 2020

Border Wandering

September 27, 2020

Border Wandering

We went to the border of Guatemala to check the restrictions after the recent opening. Also had a package to mail to a friend near Quetzaltenango. It was much easier to just carry it across and send it with a domestic package service.

Nothing much has changed. It’s still open and I crossed 3 times with no issues. There is no need to go through immigration and customs for local pedestrian traffic.

But I did talk with immigration to find out what is required if you want a legal entry Visa further into the country. In addition to the Mexico exit stamp in your passport they now also want a recent (72 hours) proof of a negative Covid-19 test result.

I also checked with Mexico. They want the same from Guatemala. In addition at the border you have to pass through SAT and they give you a piece of paper with basic info that you have to present to immigration in Ciudad Cuahuatemoc. Which is 4 kilometers from the actual border. Like Guatemala they don’t pay any attention to local traffic.

After which we checked out some of the other uncontrolled crossings before finally going to hang out at Lagos de Colon.

2020 09 Las Nubes

Tziscao to Las Nubes

It was pretty humid this morning. But it had stopped raining and the sun came out strong. Usually clear mornings during the rainy season.

We got everything packed and took off for the big first downhill. Still wearing light windbreakers for the chill. More or less descending to near jungle altitudes over about 20 kilometers. At the end of the drop we had breakfast at Francisco I. Madero. Pulling off windbreakers and now in warm temperatures.

We proceeded on to the overlook of the Santo Domingo river and then our banana and pineapple restock point in Nuevo San Juan Chamula.

When we got to the turnoff for Las Nubes the moto guys told us Las Nubes wasn’t really open. But were letting in people for about 15 minutes to take a quick look see and then leaving.

We elected to not ride the 12K in just to then ride another 12K out and proceeded another kilometer or so to the lovely Xbulan Ha campground on the Santo Domingo River. Then, since we had the luxury of the car, we simply left the gear and road back to Las Nubes to take our 15 minutes.

But to our surprise they’d opened the day before. It was pretty unkempt since they’d opened without actually clearning the trails but we got to take an hour or so to tour the whole place.

Returning to the campground we did some swimming and set up camp. Fortunately we had a roof in the campground area because we endured the most amazing lightening and thunderstorm that left us all with ringing ears.

The next day Samuel and Anna had to load up their own gear and continue on their trip of a Chiapas loop. With plans to meet us back in Comitan a within a couple of weeks.

Anna’s comment on departure was that she couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t take this route. And not incidentally hang at our house where we have so many projects going. Truly a paradise.
Here is the ride with elevation profiles and picture locations:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/56023073

2020 09 Las Nubes

Comitan to Tziscao

We got started a bit later than expected. But with a beautiful day and the Luxury of a Sag Wagon with María carrying our gear it didn’t matter too much. We took the highway route to El Triunfo and then the dirt road back way into Lagos de Montebello. That whole section is filled with open pine forests and would be a joy to camp there if necessary.

Near the back park entrance we stopped so Samuel and Anna could hike back to the arch. A place where the stream leaving the lake goes under a stone arch and then into a series of caverns. María caught up to us there.

Afterward the back park entrance where there is always a food post set up by the local community.

After eating; the usual clouds from the rainy season started moving in; and about two thirds of the way a light misty rain started to fall. At the Lake Tziscao overlook viewpoint we took shelter under the roof of an unused food stand and waited for a pause in the rain.

We then went on to the final destination at the parking lot for the Lago International and the entrance to the various artisan stands on both the Guatemala side and the Mexican side.

On the Mexican side they are built by the community and leased back to the vendors. All are vacated at night so the local watchman let us put our tents under their roofs. Couldn’t have been better.

You can find the detailed bike route with profile and pictures locations at:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/55938353