Interesting days

Yesterday (the 7th) we tried to exit guatamala for el Salvador...... Even though the distance to the border wasn't far.... The roads took their toll by breaking and shaking our vehicles...

Although guatamala has a reasonable reputation for roads, 10 days of torrential rains had the effect of washing away bridges, roads and creating potholes the size of landmine craters.... Even though we advanced carefully, the van ended up with a fractured tyre, broken plastic mounts under the bonnet, and Gilbert ended up with two badly damaged rims.

Retiring in Acajutla after a very slow and frustrating border crossing into el Salvador, we awarded our beachside hotel as the worst accommodation for the trip. Our rooms at $10 per night came complete with a colony of cockroaches, dirty bathroom with only cold water, no toilet seat, no mirror and no vanity..... The pedestal mounted fan did work effectively drowning out any outside noises. Our evening meal however was quite good... Though I guess waiting for over 4 hours for formalities at the border makes anyone hungry. Why pick this crappy hotel you ask? It was all we could find!!!

This morning we awoke with fresh enthusiasm as we headed to sonsonate to try to fix our wounded vehicles.... The van ended up with a new tyre, some cosmetic work after an altercation with a truck, Gilberts bike had both wheels sent off for renovation in an effort to make them round again!

What led us to the repair place was an el salvadorian called Germany, who like most people in this country are on island time. This inevitably means that half an hour is half an hour, which actual half hour nobody knows .... Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Gilberts bike a prime example... Half an hour to repair his rim... Ended up being 8 hours.... With an totally unsatisfactory job.

Germany described to us a hotel and suggested we stay there... When compared to our previous nights accommodation this hotel sounded like a palace; big beds, jacuzzi, secure individual parking adjoining the room, shower with screen, fridge, clean, etc etc.... With rob in tow on his bike he succeeded in taking me there to arrange a booking for the night. Rob was very taken and elected to pay and stay.... On arrival at 7pm the rest of us quickly came to realise that this was a hotel with a difference. Auto-hotel means "a place to drive in, park so nobody sees your car, talk to and select one of the local girls through what looks like the breakfast servery box, do whatever you want with her, and leave." the downside for us that being 8pm by this time, it was too late to look elsewhere. Another problem was that when you book this hotel it is only for 8 hour time slots.... And unlike the "half hour" so readily quoted, is enforced by the heavily armed security. For some reason this rule wasn't applied to Robs room..... Even more unusual as he arrived before noon and left at 7 in the morning.

Update... It is now Wednesday the 9th and we are patiently awaiting germany's arrival at the panel shop. Astroboy's grille is being glued back together.... On his arrival we will head to San Miguel.

Gilbert meantime has decided that his front wheel / rim needs replacing. At 8am he hit the road for San Salvador in the hope of finding and fitting a new 21 inch front rim. His rear wheel seems to be ok., though we all have our concerns. Perhaps heating the alloy to make it more malleable for the repair has made the alloy brittle????

More soon...

NB. The love hotel was chosen by Martin, I wanted to look elsewhere. All I did was read my book honest!! Rob