With the short and lovable lady who cooked me breakfast. We smiled and enjoyed each other’s company without speaking an understandable word!
Mexico City, golfing at the CC of Mexico City and the Golf Club of Mexico, the Turibus tour, and the 1968 Cultural and Sports Olympics certainly were the highlight of my time in Mexico. More specifically, the people I met that embraced me and the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf’ that shared a bit of their life were the fascinating part of my Mexican visit. Today I was positioning myself in Tapachula near the border with Guatemala to cross it early tomorrow morning and make my way to Guatemala City to meet Pepe Rolz. My day was a pleasant drive of about 250 miles on decent roads, mostly divided highway. After saying goodbye to Omar at the Hotel El Cruce and leaving Juchitan de Zargaza, Torch and I drove down a coastal plain with mountains on the left and the not-too-far-though-never-seen Pacific on the right. I stopped in an almost nothing little settlement for breakfast and met a wonderful charming lady that reminded of my Mom and was about the height of Lillian Zodikopf, our family friend. I love the people of Mexico!
Torch with her Go Pro took me where the road lead us, south to the Guatemala border. Such a beautiful ride I took 35 short 2-3 minute videos along the way.
Today was a peaceful day with little frustration. I would hope the same for tomorrow and the border crossing into Guatemala. To prepare I drove past Tapachula, the town where I booked a room for the night before leaving Juchitan de Zargaza this morning and drove another 25 miles to check out the border crossing. I actually drove into the secured area because there was absolutely no one in front of me and right up to the final checkpoint before turning around. Of course now I had to go back through the Mexico Customs inspection. I did not cross over into Guatemala for three reasons—it was getting to be late in the day, I had already paid for the hotel room in Tapachula and I needed to turn in Torch’s Mexico temporary vehicle registration permit and have her sticker removed to receive a credit of $200. Evidently, Mexico, or Mexican car dealerships, do not want Americans driving their cars over the border and selling or leaving them in Mexico. Before leaving the border crossing I did go in and find a nice young lady that spoke English to confirm that the place I needed to go to was not at the border but back north of Tapachula. I had learned this on the Drive the Americas website. Lots of good customs and border crossing information there, both ways north and south! Lesson learned for next road trip south, stop at the vehicle registration place on the way to the Guatemala border.
Arriving at my hotel in Tapachula without getting lost at least for the last 30 minutes!
I did get lost for a while coming out of the border at Hidalgo but somehow found the road back to Tapachula. My Garmin was good when she was good but useless when the satellite connection was not available. Amazingly I drove right up to No. 42 on 7th Avenue South and my bed for the night at the Hotel Suites Bremen. There were no suites and I was missing staying at the golf resorts back in Texas for sure tonight. It was a quiet Saturday night in my hotel room planning a big day of crossing into Guatemala and making it to Guatemala City to meet my new best friend Pepe Rolz. Not only did he have a friend Olaf that could repair Torch’s brakes but I was hopeful to play the Mayan Golf Club with him. I had also made contact with golf course architect Perry Dye and was hopeful to visit the La Reunion Golf Resort & Residences. and play the spectacular Fuego Maya course that he and his father designed.
I was excited to be heading for a third country on the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf.’ Life was exciting and I was tired. Early to bed and early to rise makes and man healthy, wealthy and wise. I was just hoping for a quiet Sunday border crossing into Guatemala and an easy trip to find Pepe. Neither of which is what happened to me the following day…
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With Omar leaving the Hotel El Cruce in the morning.
Past a horse-drawn taxi with limited speed capabilities but with no brake issues either.
No fence pen or guarded security for Torch tonight but hopefully she will be safely there in the morning. She is a beauty!
