CHICAGO TO FAIRBANKS

The final leg and after a service and new rear tyre I'm off.

 Not really much to say about riding on the interstate highways. Plenty of fuel stations, rest areas along the road and motels aplenty complete with the all pervading smell of deep fried American cuisine

                           

 Leaving the US and entering Canada a very simple affair . At first glance the most noticeable difference is that the population of Canada appears to originate from the Philippines .
 Signing into motels was a little different in as much as there seems to be an assumption that everybody is on the run and photo ID had to be scanned into their system before you are checked in.

 Roads all good and by the time I reached Saskatoon I was in need of a front tyre. Luckily I found one and because of the comaradarie within the motorcycle community was able to jump the waiting list and get on my way without much delay but unfortunately with a much lighter wallet.

 Next stop was Edmonton and because the motel was on the far side of the city I am able to report that it seemed like a city with a bit of charm, I gleaned this from glancing at the architecture and buildings when not looking at the GPS. Its a shame that I am late in the season because I dont have time to do anything other than ride through.
 People say Canada is big but in fact it's not big it's Humungous . Day after day through farmland until finally reaching Dawson Creek and the start of the Alaska Highway.
 There seems to be a belief that travellers need to be fed a deep fried diet

  My mood lightened , this is fantastic, about 1500 miles to Fairbanks and the views just amazing .

 Also amazing is that prices are directly proportional to how far north you travel.
  The service stations and lodgings far apart but not scarce as in other parts of the world .
  The weather thus far has been fantastic but it's late in the season and the heat will give way to winter in the next few weeks so no time to dawdle.

  I don't know how to put into words the shear scale of the beauty, the last time I felt like this was at 4000+ metres in the Andes when I had to remind myself that it was actually me there.
 Just the names of the places are straight out of boys own stories. ......Dawson Creek, Whitehorse, Beaver Creek etc

One big difference between the US and Canada is that in the cities in the US  ( unless you take a wrong direction ) you don't see the ghettos or the people who live there. In Whitehorse for example it's fairly obvious that there is a section of society disenfranchised and resorting to mind altering substances.

 The Alaska Highway is a road to behold, everything that Route 66 wasn,t. virtually unspoiled countryside and truly beautiful, what could be nicer to reach the end of the rainbow.
 Everything was in my favour even the weather was beautiful with bright sunshine and temperatures in the 20s. The only downside to the feeling of remoteness was that food and fuel prices were directly proportional to the miles North.
 
   Eventually Fairbanks and the end of my journey. The beauty of Alaska made up for the mindblowing Numbness of the USA.

 There was no welcoming comitee when I decided that Fairbanks was the end of this trip and in fact I dont suppose anybody really cares that I had finished what I set out to do. I had set out to do it for me and I was there, I did it.

MAZATAN TO LAS VEGAS

The nearer to the US the more everything becomes familiar. Hot as hell and after wondering how the land border crossing would be at Nogales it was a pleasant surprise. No forms and welcome.

 I'm into the land of sameness. Every motel room is the same, breakfast is a joke,
 Interesting experience in Phoenix Arizona.
  I'll have to stop choosing motels based on price. Glad to escape after a worrying night listening to drunken arguments and killing cockroaches.
  Las Vegas has changed  ( or me ) I am left wondering if this is how Rome felt, I saw someone fiddling but didn't get a name.
  How can hotels advertise at one price when the real price is more than double .
 People are being treated as mugs, corporations trying to work every angle to mislead the great unwashed and take every last cent. Restaurants have to bare the name of some celebrity and even Michelin Chefs are needed to brand fish and chips. Are we so gullible or is it just me getting old. ?

FAIRBANKS TO CHICAGO

LAS VEGAS TO CHICAGO ( ROUTE 66 )

I don't know what I expected but I was disappointed. Not much of the original route remains and what does is only for tourists complete with special pricing.

  Apparantly à muffin and a paper cup of coffee is a continental breakfast.
 A biscuit and a coffee in the reception is breakfast to go.

 Is this the future? ??
 Is hospitality to be decided by corporations based on occupancy rates and profitability?
 No wonder so many Americans head South

Progress is very easy but it's no longer much of a challenge

25/3/17 to 2/4/17 St Cristobal to Mazatlan

Lots of road and lots of trafic.Its a bit of a slog at this point but the roads are good and the sun is shining. I try to ride early to beat the sun but it gets very hot just the same.

 Stopped a few days to rest in Guadalajara and got the bike serviced ready for the road ahead.

     Excelent service by" Ride Endless ".Once again a reccomendation from the motorcycle community and one look at the quality of the bikes being worked on in the well organised workshop put me at ease that I had made a good choice.

22/3/17 Comitan to St Cristobal de las Casas

Early start to beat the heat , beautiful road , not too much traffic, stomach holding out and only a bit of discomfort seated nothing could stop me reaching Cosamaloapan now.
 I was busy cursing myself that I would have to pay a toll as I aproached Tuxtla Guttierez but I needn<t have worried.

 The road was closed and speaking to the locals was informed that the last time it was closed for three days. After about an hour and without being any the wiser I headed back to the nearest town St Cristobal de las Casas.

 Ensconced in a good (cheap) hotel with secure parking I set off to find someone to do some repairs to my rattly brake disc. Such is the beauty of motorcycle travel that the Honda garage offered to do the work the next morning so that I could be on my way.

 After a visit to the farmacy to get something to allow me to sit more comfortably I headed back to the hotel to enquire about decent restaurants. I dont know why I decided I knew better but I spent the whole night paying for it. I was now blessed with all three of the unholy trinity of travelling......blocked passage , piles and diarroea.
 About 4 in the morning I started to take immodium but it was a full 24 hours before I could leave the room.

 As it turned out the town is very nice with a lot of charm ( and tourists ). Why is it that Hippys in the quest of being different , all look the same.?

Three days later Im ready to leave.

21/3/17 Huehuetenango to Comitan

On the road bright and early to make the border crossing into Mexico . Expecting the worst I was very pleasantly surprised how easy border crossing suddenly became, apart from having to leave a 300 dollar cash deposit that is.

 I dont know what happened but I found myself on a fabulous road and suddenly everything was perfect. Immediately I decided that I would be through Mexico in a flash and being in need of something to worry about i wondered how I would manage with the extreme cold in Alaska so early in the year.

 Once again a nice clean hotel less than 30 dollars and walking distance to  the shops. After a bit of minor maintenance I decided to test my stomach in a local eating establishment.
 I managed to get back to my room in time and was over the worst of it when it was time to sleep.

20/3/2017 Guatemala to Huehuetenango

More of the same as far as roads and trucks. Realising that as long as there are plenty of trucks I'm on the right road .
 Decent accomodation for 23 dollars.
 Starting to feel the warning signs of an upset stomach but being intrepid had my fill of a Comida típica . The price in the restaurant didn't reflect the true cost in the bathroom.Will I ever learn ?
 By evening things had cleared up and I prepared for the next days travel .

18/3/2017 Copan Ruinas to Guatemala City

Quick hop to the border and fairly straightforward exit and entry . The usual gathering of touts but politely declined. Bit of a shock when paying the entrance fee at the bank and discovered that they would not accept dollars, luckily one of the touts was in the queue behind me so I was able to change money .  Panic over . Funny how in the west we have smart offices doing the same job as a hoody with wads of different currencies.
 Uneventful ride to a smart hotel in the centre of Guatemala . Looks like I'm too late, I'm sure there are places of interest but Hard Rock Cafe, and all the other Chain Restaurants are not on the list of must see places.
  I must be getting old as I just wanted to rest . The going is pretty tough through mountains and the condition of the roads necesitates full concentration.

AT LAST

Finally back on the road. I've reached Esteli Nicoragua and hopefully in the next few days will update the blog.
 The journey has been tough going with plenty of mountains combined with trucks, Not a good combination ! !
 Random ramblings from memory.
        The crossing from Costa Rica to Nicoragua needed fumigation or to be more clear needed a reciept for fumigation. What a joy to find that after getting everything photocopied the documents were scanned into the system.
       A couple of days spent in Granada Nicoragua at a Palestinian owned hotel. Very hospitable but the power of the dollar and the architecture means that there are a lot of tourists and backpackers which means that it's probably more enjoyable being a backpacker than paying over the odds enjoying the efforts at cuisine in the pavement cafés.
 Stopped in Esteli and visited a cigar factory. A lot of women sitting at tables rolling cigars. Whilst we tourists were taking photographs and paying a premium for organic cigars.
 Very nice hotel in Esteli but not cheap. I guess if you can afford cigars. ........
 Next stop Ocotal close to the Honduran border. Nice  (cheap) hotel . The strange thing is that we  (I ?) Tend to think that standards in Central America are going to be lower than North American /European standards. Thanks to my new status as a travelling old fart I am discovering that I have wasted a fortune in days gone by. These family run hotels give much more than the chains.
 It's with a certain trepidation that I head to the Honduran border. I have a vision of marauding tatooed gangs lining the road waiting to take me hostage.
 I was to be disappointed. Met a group of Mexican bikers returning home after a trip to a meet in Costa Rica.
 No hassle entry into Honduras, eyes peeled for pirates and on my way to a resort just outside Valle de Angeles. I'm glad it wasn't raining as the slope of the entrance was puckering in the dry. Beautiful resort set in the rolling hills just outside town. Ideal for a couple of nights to get the blog done and some minor running repairs.
 The owner seemed surprised that I complained that the very things I had chosen the hotel for didn't exist.  No Wi-Fi, no restaurant, No water in the pool.
 At least it was peaceful. Because of the fear of getting back up the driveway I arranged a moto taxi to take me to town. Now the driver didn't actually say " hey fatty get out " but he did ask me to get off until he got to the top of the drive. Luckily he was carrying oxygen to revive me when I staggered back in and he delivered me to a restaurant where I enjoyed  (I use the word enjoyed in its full meaning ) a meal típico. It's obvious that Hondurans know how to live. Where in the civilised west would you find a restaurateur offering to collect you in the evening so you can return for dinner?
  Next leg meant passing Tegucigalpa and I double checked the GPS to avoid gangland.  I was sure there would be snipers along the periférico and I just prayed I didn't take a wrong turn.
  Arrived safely at my hotel in the centre of Comayagua. Once again fabulous and 25 dollars. Had a walk to the centre park,very nice. Had a nice meal in a restaurant owned by a guy who spoke perfect English thanks to his life as an illegal in the US. He only got caught when he mismatched his fingerprints and driving licence. The rest of his family haven't been caught yet so they are still there.
 The roads in Honduras are not really awful they are just bad with patches with bad enough potholes to need a ladder.Needless to say progress suffered.
 Next stop Copan Ruinas near the border and I roll up outside Casa Elena B&B wondering what I had booked. No sooner did I stop outside than I was greeted like a long lost family member and shown where I could park.
  Checking in I was given a drink and then shown to a room set in nice gardens. I have to say that this was possibly the best place I have stayed. Lunch and dinner for 8 dollars for both snd coffee brought to my room mid afternoon because I had said that I enjoyed the coffee at breakfast .
 Now it brings you down to earth with a bump when,as a ruffty tuffty biker, going where people fear to tread, that you start chatting to a group of pensioners from Avingon  at the Mayan Ruins.