Aug '05 TRAVEL STORY: Betsy Schwartz - Mother's Day in Guatemala

Jane and I having crossed the Usumacinta River, climbing up the steep embankment to the Guatemalan immigration office ... Mega-traveler Betsy Schwartz needs no introduction to many readers - the teacher with the dream job of traveling half the year and showing travel slides to her classes the other half has now retired - meaning even more traveling on a Friday. Only Heinz Stucke is ahead of her - may we should introduce them ... here she is in Guatemala, a place quite accessible - and plenty adventurous - to North Americans in particular.

WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

That long straight road on the map leading through the jungle of Chiapas, across the river and over the hills to Guatemala City was full of surprises. Some wonderful, and some not so great.

The biggest upset of all was the fact that what I thought was to be rainforest and jungle with snakes, tropical birds and monkeys turned out to be mostly small cattle farms and cornfields. Apparently for quite some time now settlers have been cutting down the rainforest, burning all the underbrush and either starting cattle farms or planting fields of corn! For nearly 10 days we cycled in areas with such heavy smoke in the distance that at times we could feel it both in lungs and eyes. Other times we cycled through areas that were still burning.

Yes, the governments of both Mexico and Guatemala know what is happening but the situation is very hard to control especially since no other work can be offered as a substitute to these poor settlers. At times I just felt like sitting on the side of the road and crying. Look what is happening to our earth! And we do nothing to stop it.

We found small villages and lots of houses along the whole stretch of road leading us to the Usumacinta River. These villages provided us with all the water and food we needed for this 150 km. stretch of road. At the last minute, before starting on this recently paved highway, a travel company in Palenque assured us there would be a lovely restaurant, about halfway, that most likely had some cabanas that we could sleep in! We found Willi Fonseca's Valle Escondido Restaurant to be like a slice of heaven for the two of us weary and very hot travelers. New cabanas with two rooms and private bath with a large ceiling fan were more than we had ever imagined. Our fish and vegetable dinner was topped only by the fantastic buffet breakfast of fresh fruits, eggs, bacon, beans, tortillas, and juices. It was certainly a welcomed surprise to find this modern and comfortable accomodation for our first night in the "big bad jungle".

Jane and I cycling on our last day just 15 km from our destination.

The following day which was oppresively hot, took us 75 km further on the road to the ruins of Bonampak (means Painted Walls in Yucatecan Mayan). Arriving 45 minutes before closing gave us little time to enjoy the frescoes for which Bonampak is noted. It is a small Mayan ruin with one main plaza where a large pyramid sits. About 20 meters up the steps of the pyramid, you stop at three small rooms each covered in frescoes. It is for these frescoes that the site is named for when you enter each room you find beautifully preserved paintings of either musicians dancing, prisoners of war being tortured by ripping off the fingernails, or bloodletting as a way to be in touch with ancestors. Some archeologists believe all three of the motiffs were part of the ceremony for the new heir to the throne painted sometime in the late 700's AD.

The next day found us arriving at the Frontera Corozal early enough in the day to cross the Usumacinta River and head 35 minutes by a long narrow wooden boat east to the Guatemalan border at a tiny town called Bethel. The boatman kindly helped Jane and me carry our heavy bikes up a very steep sandy embankment and walked us over to the immigration office. It was Sunday and the Mexican immigration office had been closed so we had to leave Mexico without getting our passport stamped. However, the Guatemalan side was open.

The boatman left us in front of the Bethel entry spot, and the drunk immigration officer welcomed us into Guatemala and then proceeded to give us very specific instructions of where we must NOT go on our bikes in Guatemala City! He said Guatemala is a very dangerous place and has lots of gangs, robbers and thiefs. We must be very careful. He relaxed a bit when I told him we would not be cycling in the city as my son would meet us on the main road before we got into the city.

The burning of the rainforest - most upsetting.

Yes indeed, the next 80 km were over a rock and dirt road so we found a mini bus to take us. Poor Pumpkin and Peanut were thrown on top and tied tightly to the roof rack while the driver piled over 20 people into a 12 passenger van and we bounce and sway for the next 2 hours as we speed to the paved road. Once on the new highway, we had only 13 km to pedal in order to reach the ferry which took us across the Rio de la Passion to the town of Sayaxche in Guatemala's most remote department , El Peten. We took a much deserved layover day in Sayaxche to enjoy a river trip to the little visited very small Mayan ruins at El Ceibal. A national park has been created here and our guide and boatman, Lazaro, after leading us up a long staircase of primitive stone steps allows us to fully experience the wonders of the rain forest as he points out howler monkeys, parrots, toucans and kingfishers, as well as long trails of very large ants. Sadly, at this same time, the fires that we have continued to find everywhere are approaching this national park and the army has just been called in to dig trenches around the perimeter to try and protect the park!

All along our whole route we have been as amazed about finding so many people, shops, and hotels as the people we spoke with were amazed at us for daring such a bike ride in this totally hot humid and notoriously dangerous route. There were always 3 questions asked of us: Where are you coming from? Where are you going? How old are you? It is always fun to hear the people gasp when we tell them our age. They seem very proud of us and always wish us a safe journey. I do enjoy seeing how so many people can celebrate in other's successes.

From Sayaxche we worked hard as I was anxious to arrive to the city of Coban a couple of hundred kms away. I had been in touch with my friend Ashley who had been a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala the same time that I was. I had not seen her for 40 years but had been able to get her email address and write to her about our trip. Her son also got involved and had very kindly provided me with much needed information on the road conditions and distances and possible lodging places along this Guatemalan section of the trip. I was anxious to get to her house so Jane and I were able to plan the route so that we could have two layover days with Ashley and her husband, Marcio. It was a wonderful homestay with many hours spent laughing and talking as we reviewed our memories of Peace Corps and caught up with each other's present lives.

A special event happened: We took a bus from Ashley's at 5 AM to go to a national park where the famous Quetzal bird lives. Arriving at 6 AM, and barely steping off the bus, there on a branch of the quaramo tree sits a beautiful female quetzal! As I whisper to Jane that here the bird is right in front of us, the quetzal flies off. After 30 minutes of watching for her return, I notice two people at a short distance from us looking up into a tall tree. Joining them, I see what my eyes never thought they would see - a male quetzal with the long beautiful green tail feathers shimmering in the early morning sunlight. He is with his female. She flies to a nearby tree. He sits a minute longer up in the top of this tree, and then he too flies with his gorgeous 2 foot long tail following behind him. The male quetzal feathers were used historically by the mayans and aztecs to make their headresses. The birds were captured, then released after removing the two long tail feathers. In the next molting season they would grow new tail feathers. I always thought the bird was near to extinction when I lived here in the 1960's. Now I discover that according to the latest count done, it is estimated there are almost 800 quetzals in this national park. Seeing this bird was perhaps the biggest surprise of the whole journey.

From Coban we thought we had only to descend 4,000 feet over the next 150 km. We gave ourselves a couple of days to do this. We quickly learned that it was not a descent until the second day as the first day was all rolling hills that took us higher and higher over the mountains. The temperature was more pleasant in the higher altitudes. Again we managed to find a lovely place to sleep with very delicious soups, salads and vegetable dishes. There has not been a shortage of food anywhere on this trip.

Our last day to cycle was indeed one of descending steep hills on curvy roads. However, the road which has just been repaved, has a shoulder good for bicycles and pedestrians and the best news of all - light traffic! I like speed. Jane does not! So, we managed this just fine. I would speed down the road a short distance and then stop and wait. Jane would get there, then I would take off again! And down, down, down we went! But this particular day we had a deadline!! We had made a plan to meet my son, Chris, between 2 and 3 PM at Sarita's restaurant at the end of this road where it intersects with the main road coming from Guatemala City. I was on an all time high!! I would reach my goal of cycling to my son's house and arrive there in time for Mother's Day. But at the same time I felt some sadness to see such a wonderful cycling journey with my great friend, Jane, coming to an end.

At 1:35 PM a blue Toyota pickup came speeding up the hill towards us. As it approached, the driver leaned out the window and yelled, "Hey, Betsy and Jane!" and then was gone!! I picked up the pace knowing the car would be back as soon as he found a safe place to turn around. Chris caught us, then stopped in front of us. All of us embraced and started talking away, but when Chris said, "Do you want to put your bikes in the truck?" I had to say no, that we really wanted to finish the last 17 km by bike and meet him at Sarita's which is reported to have excellent ice cream! And Chris kindly agreed, asked for my camera and took some fun shots of us cycling over our last mileage as he followed us along.

The rainy season which traditionally starts in May, opened once we were all situated in the truck and driving home to Guatemala City. Thunder, lightning and driving rain pounded us causing the drive to take a little longer than expected. Jane and I marveled at how lucky we were to have finished the entire ride without being bothered by any rain. Brenda and little 8 month old Nikki were waiting for us when we entered the lovely home of my son and his family. We arrived just as planned on the eve of Mother's Day in Guatemala.

Today we spent the afternoon with a reporter from the daily newspaper, the Prensa Libre. She hopes to print the story either this Sunday or next. That interview was followed by another with the cameraman and a reporter for Quatevision, a local TV station who will have a short clipp on the news sometime this weekend. So, we have been busy from the moment of arrival. However, not too busy to have a most memorable Mother's Day with Chris, Brenda and baby Nikki.

It is hard to believe that our cycling is over for this trip. Yes, it had difficult moments but all in all we took it really slowly and worked our way through the heat, the hills, the bad roads, and the bridges. We averaged no more than 50 to 70 km each day to make a total of 1,653 km (a little over 1,000 miles). But what really sticks with me are the marvelous moments. The people we met, the sights we saw, the geography of the land, the information we learned about the Olmecs, the Toltecs, and the Mayans are all part of the wonders of a bicycle trip where you do travel at a slow pace; where you have time to think about what you have seen; and rolling over the land, feeling its every bump, helps you to better visualize what life may have been like for those cultures so many centuries ago.

In short, it was a great trip and I am so happy to be here and now will have a chance to spend time with my little grandaughter and watch her grow. Today we accompanied Nikki and her mama as she went to her class at the baby gym and when she came home she crawled for the first time. And I was here to see it.

Thank you for letting me continue to write to you about my travels. It has been great fun for me.

Our happy meeting with my son Chris at Sarita's Ice Cream Restaurant.

Love, Betsy

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