After a bumpy landing in Guatemala City, we were delighted to collect all our luggage in perfect condition. Passport control and customs took just 35 minutes. A bus transfer to a nearby mid-range hotel (50 US dollars) suited us very well, and our fears of spending the night at the airport were quickly forgotten.

At breakfast, behind a safe pane of glass, we realised what was waiting for us on the ride to Antigua. Monday at 09:00, the best time to leave the city after the rush hour, seemed right to us. The 45 kilometres to Antigua were all smog, exhaust fumes, sooty, smoking buses, noise and "Wild West" traffic. There are (almost) no rules about right of way: the "faster" one goes first, and there is very little room left for bicycles. After five hours and a few "ups and downs", we reach Antigua at 1,500 metres above sea level.

Antigua, known for its more than 80 language schools and for tourism, shows us a completely different side of Guatemala. The contrast between the tin shacks by the roadside and the restored buildings could not be greater. Antigua, once the capital, was destroyed by an earthquake and has now been rebuilt. The streets of the whole town are paved with natural cobblestones, so we had to push our bikes to the hotel.

There are no places to camp, but simple accommodation can be found from 25 US dollars. At first we only wanted to spend two days in Antigua. But our Spanish left a lot to be desired, so we did not want to miss the chance of an intensive course. A private teacher, 1 exercise book and 1 ballpoint pen, a wooden chair, bring your own toilet paper: our first day of lessons had begun. Cost: 510 US dollars for 2 people, including board and lodging with a local host family. Other countries, other customs: after the first night we had already moved back into a hotel.

With 5 hours of intensive lessons from 08:00 to 13:00, we still had enough time for trips to "Lake Atitlán" and the active volcano "Pacaya". Tourists are taken to the distant starting points by shuttle bus (max. 13 people). On the pot-holed roads, a trip takes up to 3 hours (one way). If the shock absorbers, brakes, gears and lights all work properly, you have picked the right tour agency.

Shaped by tourism, Antigua has a special place in Guatemala. The poverty and low incomes of the people are not obvious at first sight. One night with a middle-class host family showed us the gap between "having nothing" and "the bare necessities" you need to live.

With our Spanish improved, we are ready to head for the border with Honduras, 400 kilometres away. From Antigua (1,500 metres above sea level), one good push on the pedals and it's 45 kilometres downhill, and we are at 560 metres above sea level.

We are escorted by the police through the noisy, smog-filled town of Escuintla. Our helpful escorts say a friendly goodbye and give us directions so we can safely reach the plain of "Santa Rosa". More than 30 degrees of heat and extremely high humidity weigh heavily on us. Dripping with sweat, pedalling becomes hard and exhausting. The long, heavy rain showers before Chiquimulilla bring the refreshment we have been longing for. And so, soaked to the skin, after more than 100 kilometres, we reach the place where we will spend the night.

From Antigua onwards, the hotels get worse and worse and less and less clean. The rooms are damp, mouldy, dark and cramped, and shared with uninvited vermin. Our sleeping bags are a great help again, even if only as "fitted sheets" in the hot, sticky rooms. The nights are filled with barking dogs, crowing roosters, vehicles without silencers, mosquitoes and TVs turned up far too loud. Under these conditions we found ourselves wishing we were back at a campground next to the squeaking "Pacific Coast train".

To get to Honduras as quickly as possible, we divide the remaining 250 kilometres into 5 daily stages. A mistake we will pay dearly for straight away. On the "easy" stretch of "only" 37 kilometres from Chiquimulilla to Cuilapa, we have to give up, completely exhausted, after 11 kilometres. We get up the endless climbs of up to 15 percent over 5 kilometres by pushing. After 4 hours, the 3 litres of water that are normally enough for us are already gone. The remaining 6 kilometres to the top of the pass at 1,400 metres above sea level, and the rest of the way to Jutiapa, we conquer on the loading ramp of a tow truck.

We will certainly remember how exhausted we were on this unusual day. Our decision not to give up is rewarded with a varied ride without any draining ups and downs. The vegetation looks greener and more lush, and the cows, pigs and chickens wander right up to the edge of the road. The houses look better kept, and the roads are well paved, without potholes and free of rubbish. We are looking forward to Honduras.

The border crossing went smoothly. The people are curious and interested in our adventure. We are happy to tell them about our travel experiences, our equipment, and that "Suiza" is in Europe.

After 402 kilometres we leave Guatemala with these memories:

Climbing the active Pacaya volcano and seeing liquid lava at dusk

The market in Antigua, where almost everything is sold, used or new

Roosters crowing from 3 in the morning, dogs barking all night

Language schools competing for every student

Poverty, mobile phones, TV, traffic, smog

Black clouds of exhaust from the chicken buses (old US school buses)

Motorbikes loaded with 4 people (the whole family)

The 11 most exhausting kilometres on the way to Cuilapa

Restaurants?

Cold showers take some getting used to

Biker info Guatemala

Maps:	www.reise-know-how.de Maps and travel guides for Latin America
Food:	Carry enough for 2 days. Snacks can be bought on the way
Water:	ONLY mineral water is safe (buy PET bottles) Top up your fluids whenever you can!
Stages:	Find out about the elevation profile, distances, road conditions and places to stay. Don't underestimate the time needed.
Bike path:	Locals get their driving licence in 2 hours! Hence the "Wild West" behaviour on the roads. On the Pan-American Highway a rear-view mirror is a must. Lorries and buses create a strong suction! Potholes, ruts, missing drain covers, and old and new asphalt that don't match
Transport:	Bicycles are carried on the roof of public buses (old US school buses). It's a good idea to have your own straps (4 x 50 cm) ready and to tie the bikes down yourself. A tip is good motivation.
Climate:	Very varied climate depending on altitude. Hot, sticky and very humid. Sun protection! In the mountains, local rain and fog are possible.
Hotels:	Hotels are cheap. Bed linen and hygiene are not up to European standards. Laundry is mostly washed in cold water.
Camping:	In our opinion, basically not possible. There are no safe campsites. "Wild" camping is not recommended. Most land is fenced with barbed wire and guarded by dogs.
Internet:	Internet cafés, laundries, hotel lobbies. PCs with "Skype" and a camera are available. Wi-Fi access is rather rare (slow or broken)