Flores Poptun (Finca Ixobella)
109,2 km, 6:14h, Ø 17,5 km/h, 899 hm
Early start? Ha! You knew it, right? Got up at 6am and had breakfast next door (that really is a big change to Mexico and Belize, there were actually places open before 8am!). Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions, beans, cheese and fried bananas, orange juice and coffee.
At 7:30am I was ready to go. Temperature was already 24 degrees C, but it was comfortable. After 20km the first the first soda break, after 40 km the second, then the distances between the breaks became shorter with the increasing temperature. I stopped counting after a while and was surprised that I made some progress at all, considering all those breaks. There were so many kiosks along the road and I was glad that I had money this time to buy plenty of em;-).
So it was the first time today that I really got to talk to some guatemalan people and they were all very friendly. At my last stop I some fruit juice which I saw a lot in Mexico as well, but never really tried. It only cost 1 Quetzal and tasted pretty good. After almost 100 km I was pretty tired when I sat there and drank my juice out of the plastic bag, but the woman who sold it to me didn‘ t take I don‘ t understand for an answer and so we both tried hard and actually had something like a conversation. She thought I couldn‘ t make the last 12 km anymore today though it was only 2:30pm!!! She said that in most people in Guatemala have some kind of motor-bike and asked me why I didn‘ t get one?!? No answer.
When I reached Finca Ixobella near Poptun I just dropped my bike and lay down in the grass for a while to rest. I was pretty exhausted.
Then I took a shower and life came back to me;-). I walked the short trail to the Laguna which looked pretty nice, but there were so many famlilies swimming, playing and yelling that I didn‘ t stay. So I walked back to my tent and finished my book (Bel Canto by Ann Patchet) hoping to find another one at the book-exchange here. Meanwhile a group of about 40 teenagers pitched their tents only 30 m away from mine great!
I think this is a great place, but a bit too touristy for me. Considered taking a day off here, but don‘ t think that‘ s gonna happen unless I get up REALLY late.
Now I‘ m waiting for the All-You-Can-Eat-Buffett hope it‘ s as good as it sounds!
Anja