South America and back on a 250 Super Sherpa Minimalist Adventure

[JDowns]

This afternoon I wandered around backroads and hiked up pyramids. Never made it out of the State of Campeche (Com-pay-chay). The only main road over to the next State of Quintana Roo is straight as an arrow in most places:



Just set the bulldozers on autopilot and let 'em rip through the undergrowth and pave a straight line seems to be the program down here in the flats of the Yucatan.

Whenever a side road pointed down towards a pyramid the bike turned. Sometimes I ended up at a lake;



or down a road these guys were strutting down;



finally went down this road to the lost world of Balam-Ku:



It got progressively worse and more cracked which is always a good sign. Finally came to a parking lot and paid a 35 peso entry fee to walk up this jeep trail for a half mile out into the jungle:



I was the only one out here in the middle of nowhere. Nice original ruins with living areas and progressively bigger pyramids as you walked through the jungle. I won't bore you with more pyramid pictures. Well maybe just a few.

Nice original wall with great sculpted stone masks inset:



This is fairly recently discovered and isn't on any map. Mexico historical society sent the C team of masons out here to embellish the ruins and their work is so crappy I bet even you can see the junk they piled on the 4x8 wooden lintels they added to make a doorway out of a grand entrance to the lower pyramid:



The Mayans down here were using the same square rectilinear facing stones as the boys over at El Tigre. Really nice work on the doorway and back wall. You can see the Mexican additions on this wall and crap cornice. I don't know what they were thinking adding this stuff to such fine original masonry:



The lower minor pyramid had been mostly rebuilt by the C team with only the bottom four stairs and some sidewall remaining from the fine Mayan work:



more later as the pictures upload on this Yucatan dial up here in Xpujil (Ish-poo-heel)

[JDowns]

The upper large pyramid was the piece de resistance. Half ton limestone stairs two feet tall on the bottom ten steps. These boys were no dummies they put the 500 pounders on the upper stairs. Nothing compared to what Cheops had his boys doing over in Egypt 4000 years earlier mind you, but still impressive:



Fabulous rounded corners on this pyramid:



and climbing a staircase, the caretaker unlocked this doorway:



that led into a huge forty foot long gallery with ten foot tall stone sculptures that were truly awe inspiring. You weren't allowed to use a flash for some reason so these were the sculptures nearest the door. Ten feet tall and coated in red plaster:




The color and size doesn't come through in this blurry pic. Nicer than anything I saw at Palenque. Truly impressive work. These guys were artists. Really nice work out here in the middle of nowhere.

I made the mistake of stopping to eat and ran out of daylight. They didn't want me camping at the lost world, and I really want to follow a road down out in the middle of nowhere near the border of Belize and Guatemala 40 miles into the jungle and see some new ruins down there tomorrow so kept riding until I found a cheapish hotel for 250 pesos. The prices in the Yucatan are like Baja. Mucho dinero. So I spent 578 pesos or 46.24 today on gas food, entrance fees and lodging. But totally worth it.

Adios amigos,
Juanito

[Idahosam]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Okay Idahosam,

Dos Ojos it is after a swim in Xel-ha. It looks like I will be transitioning from Pyramid aerobics to aqua-aerobics in the next few days as soon as I get some swim trunks. I'll spend the money and report back. I owe it to all my devoted sponsors to report back with pics to keep them entertained until their next big ride.

Have you left Idaho yet?

Saludos,
Juanito

You sir are exactly where I want to be! I love Quintana Roo to Oaxaca and back again Met a great guy who runs a small Hotel in Bacalar... so are you ready for this....Hotel Posada I think there's more than one with that name down there.

His names Alain; 250 pesos a night for a room. Chetumal is another little known jewel. I better shut-up

I almost have enough money to head back down.... your killing me man. Oh on the way into Chetumal just past the Check Point across the street from a Pemex is a vendor who sells Pollo Askado well a year ago it was pretty good.

No, really I'll shut up now Sorry

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Idahosam

You sir are exactly where I want to be! I love Quintana Roo to Oaxaca and back again Met a great guy who runs a small Hotel in Bacalar... so are you ready for this....Hotel Posada I think there's more than one with that name down there.

His names Alain; 250 pesos a night for a room. Chetumal is another little known jewel. I better shut-up

I almost have enough money to head back down.... your killing me man. Oh on the way into Chetumal just past the Check Point across the street from a Pemex is a vendor who sells Pollo Askado well a year ago it was pretty good.

No, really I'll shut up now Sorry

My man Sam,

It's folks like you that make this ride more fun. I'm not too bright and can use all the ideas you can throw at me.
Like Alain in Bacalar. Or Dos Osos.

Keep it up. People reading this need to know the good spots to go.

You could sell the Katoom and hit the highway with the proceeds on that other kickass bike of yours. Just an idea. Quintana Roo is calling. No need to freeze your butt off up in Idaho this winter.

Saludos,
Juanito.

[Team Vegas]

In enjoying the ride

[TUCKERS]

Wow! I'm glued to this John.

Nice ruins you found there, I love that stuff.

This is exactly the same time of year I was there for the first time in 1976. Lots of rain down south. Glad you are taking your time and reporting all this stuff.

The accounting is such as bonus, thank you oh so much.

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by TUCKERS

Wow! I'm glued to this John.

Nice ruins you found there, I love that stuff.

This is exactly the same time of year I was there for the first time in 1976. Lots of rain down south. Glad you are taking your time and reporting all this stuff.

The accounting is such as bonus, thank you oh so much.

Yes, I check the weather and it is still forecast to be raining every day in Costa Rica this week. I hate camping in the rain.

Yucatan is a nice diversion. The rainy season is slowly sagging south as November turns to December.

Saludos,
Juanito

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Team Vegas

In enjoying the ride

Hi Team Vegas,

Glad to have you along. It's only a matter of time before you head down here as well. Reading ride reports is the first step down a slippery slope.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[LethPhaos]

Do you have gps coords for the ruinas you found?

[Idahosam]

Originally Posted by JDowns

My man Sam,

It's folks like you that make this ride more fun. I'm not too bright and can use all the ideas you can throw at me.
Like Alain in Bacalar. Or Dos Osos.

Keep it up. People reading this need to know the good spots to go.

You could sell the Katoom and hit the highway with the proceeds on that other kickass bike of yours. Just an idea. Quintana Roo is calling. No need to freeze your butt off up in Idaho this winter.

Saludos,
Juanito.

Aside from your being a witty writer and in all likelihood............. probably an outstanding Orator of BS, You make this very entertaining. So folks like me do nothing more than provide a future preverbal anecdotal from you.

In regards to my Katoom, I too pondered but after all the work I put into it It's difficult to do. I did nothing to that bike (other than oil changes) for three years and flogged it; that said, I think a DRZ 400 would more than suffice for travels south of the border. You do understand your damn thread has me salivating uncontrollably right now. and the colder it's getting here well.....................


Belize, so many people blow by Belize or fail to recognize it's presence on the quest south (mostly due to time constraints) if your in no hurry you can go through to Guatemala putting you close to Tikal.

Belize is a former British colony as in "British Honduras" hence it is a English speaking country, albeit everyone is bilingual. with a multitude of blended ethnicity . Most folks just blast through but I'd say give it a week. Gasoline is very expensive there, last year it was 5.30 a gal USD


Oh where's the location of that last ruins you visited?

[crashmaster]

Sam dont sell the Katoom, you will regret it.

[Idahosam]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

Sam dont sell the Katoom, you will regret it.

My man Vinnie Now after all of what I've done to her these last few weeks Valves, plugs, filters, flush, massage, etc. she's running like new.... I'm ready to head south again. I have other things I can sell, if'n someone would buy them.

So where's your mighty steed packed away?

Sorry John, no hijack, just a slight diversion. and now back to our program.

[Dirt2007]

Happy Thanksgiving from one Zombie camp rider to another.

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Idahosam

My man Vinnie Now after all of what I've done to her these last few weeks Valves, plugs, filters, flush, massage, etc. she's running like new.... I'm ready to head south again. I have other things I can sell, if'n someone would buy them.

So where's your mighty steed packed away?

Sorry John, no hijack, just a slight diversion. and now back to our program.

Diversion away. I've been out in the jungle finding more ruins. Somebody has to keep this thread going while I'm wandering around getting lost.

I've never been to Belize. Always have skipped the Yucatan and Belize. So probably time to stop by and see what's there. My bike doesn't use much gas and it's a small country so why not?

You have good ideas, like not selling Katie Em. Glad you're following this report.

Saludos,
Juanito

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Dirt2007

Happy Thanksgiving from one Zombie camp rider to another.

Thanks!

I'm still wearing my Zombie camp shirt today and it isn't any cleaner than it was yesterday. Especially after climbing pyramids, hiking in the jungle, and sweating like a pig .

Speaking of pigs, I hope to make it to SLAP next year. You guys know how to have fun!

Kindest regards,
Nebraska John