High Speed Chase

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When you plan and trip like this, one that involves driving through crime filled third world countries, you tell yourself a few things. We will only travel by day, we will only travel on the main roads, and we will stay away from places that are notorious for crime. Once your on the trip however, you forget these things...
but we will get to that.

After a few wild days in Antigua, involving open mic heriocs, live, active lava flows, and a night that can best be described as Desperate Housewives Antigua, we set off for Lago de Atitlan and the fabled drug hippie mecca od San Pedro. On our last night in Antigua we met two nice swedish girls who were going the same way as us so we offered them a ride and taste of the real american roadtrip. It all started out innocent enough as we made our way down the Pan American highway. When we approached the lake our map indicated that we could take a fairly major road around the south side of the lake and arrive in San Pedro. After a minor car accident with a local cab, or tuk'tuk we were heading out of San Juan La Lago when the road changed swiftly from pavement to dirt, and from dirt to rocks. Nothing we couldnt handle we say to ourselves as the swedes giggle in nervous laughter. Just as we a pass a sign that reads San Pedro 15 Km and pickup truck flags us down and asks us where we are going (Bartons spanish has improved I have to admit). When we say San Pedro he tells us to be very careful, that this road is extremely dangerous and that it is a notorius site for robbings, assaults, and even murders. SHit......
stay calm.... make sure the girls dont freak out. Luckily they didnt hear what the guy said. As we bounce down the death road at like 30 mph, taking craters and huge rocks like they are traffic cones we start to see a truck behind us. Its flying and has two or three not so nice looking guys waving machetes at us and telling us to pull over. Barton hits th gas and for the first time on this trip I am fearing for my life. The Subaru has all the velocity we need to burn these guys but not before they get a rifle shot or two off (pictures to follow... we lost a window in the process) It was all smiles afterwards as we made it safely into San Pedro and got wasted at the Allegre, i plugged it so i could get a free drink. The next morning we got a bus ride to the town of Xela. We had signed up for a three day trek from Xela back to San Pedro. The organization, Quetzalltrekkers is a non'profit group that puts all of the proceeds to helping local children. The trip was great and the hiking was similar to a three day trip into the porkies, for those of you who know what Im talking about. There were cloud forrests, funny Germans, and exploding shower heads. There was exhaustion, dehydration, and constipation. All in all a great trip and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Just back to San Pedro where we wil began Spanish classes tommorow. Then its off to Honduras and the Bay Islands....
okay... so this entry is only 85% true.... but i will leave it up to you to decide which part is false...
hint... we are down a window..... i swear

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Photos

Fukkers
do you see what happens Larry?

POTATO BARTON
BARTON PATOTING POTATO OUT OF A POTATO

Viva Norwega
Our dear and extremely sexy friends from Scandanavia

Revolution Antigua
nuff said...

Inferior Scandanavians
brave but boring swedes who survived the high speed chase