| Distance | 25.00 kms | 15.53 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 0 meters | 0 feet |
| Distance | 18,931.96 kms | 11,763.80 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 217,415 meters | 713,304 feet |
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013
My chest hasn't been feeling good since the accident last week so this morning I went to the hospital to get checked out. Verdict: "dinged" ribs on my right side. Uncomfortable but not much I can do about it.
After the hospital I dropped off my laundry for washing then rode out to see the Mayan ruins at Zaculeu. The cost is 5 quetzales for Guatemalans and 50 for foreigners. I jokingly tried to tell the guy I was Guatemalan but he said no, "You look like an Italian and speak like a Mexican". He let me store the bicycle in his little hut though. The place reminds me of Palenque just a lot smaller. Not really worth the 50 quetzales but oh well, it was mildly interesting and passed the time.
On the way back to the hotel I went past a well-stocked bicycle shop. I stopped in front for a minute, thinking hard about what I needed, but I couldn't come up with anything! That has to be a first. The bike is actually in pretty good shape at the moment. When I got back to the hotel I met a traveling salesman from Guatemala City. He invited me to go out to dinner with another colleague of his. The food was good, under 3 dollars, and so was the company. They've got that Mexican sense of humor that I remember well from living in Guadalajara. It felt strange to hear them use a lot of Mexican slang but speak with the "voseo". They said there were 98 speed bumps between here and the border and they are in the process of installing 4 more. I hope I don't wipe out again on one! Incidentally they have yet another word for speed bump in Guatemala: túmulo. Dinner came with two cups of strong coffee which didn't help me get to sleep.
