Maya Classic Rally Diary

PANAMA – Feb 9 to 13

Finally, after four and a half days of intransigence from the Panamanian customs officials, they relented at the 11th hour and agreed to release the cars on Saturday morning if we paid the ‘overtime’ to all of their officials. This ended a very frustrating time where John had got to know the corridors and officials intimately during the protracted negotiations to release the cars. This was despite assurances back in December that the car clearance was a straight-forward process that would take a matter of hours. No-one believed that but they were playing a game of brinkmanship that even outdid their Indian colleagues. To their credit they were not looking for a brown envelope solution but to break from the past habits and adhere to the rule of law. One of the major concerns was that we would import the cars and sell them locally as the idea of a rally to drive all the way to Mexico was clearly completely alien to them.

Having secured the clearance of the cars, the Lagonda rear brakes were stuck on due to the car moving around in the container from Germany. Alex, our mechanic and Greg therefore had their first job of straightening out the damage and releasing the brakes. No sooner had they started on this job than Jan Johansson in the Alexander Caviezel Lancia Aurelia returned on foot having run out of fuel 200 metres down the road.

Once all the cars were safely parked at the InterContinental Hotel, work began on the final preparation for the 5,000 km rally. Oil and water levels were checked, vehicles washed to remove the dust and grime of a month long confinement in containers, rally plates fixed and luggage and tools stowed for the trip.

Due to the considerable new road construction over the last few months, the route from the hotel to the Pan-American highway had changed sufficiently to require a new recce and revised tulips for the first few kilometres. Once completed we took the opportunity to visit Miraflores Locks and watched three massive container ships rise and fall and make their way from the freshwater inland to the saltwater Pacific. The ships were kept away from the walls by little ‘Thomas the tank engine’ trains running alongside guiding and cajoling the ships through the locks.
A final briefing and a jolly evening followed at the Bristol which has the reputation of being one of the finest restaurants in Panama and it did not let us down. I would like to say that we all got to bed early but that is not quite true!
This being Carnival week the police are in evidence everywhere and on Sunday morning police sirens made an impromptu alarm at 05.30 on our departure day.

Feb 14th – They’re Off!

So it was that by 08.30 all were mustered in the parking area champing for the off. The send off was courtesy off the Head Chef of the hotel with much flourishing of the Panamanian flag. Not quite Jamie Oliver but a legend in his own lunchtime here.

The fact that this is Carnival time means it is Bank Holiday traffic that slows to a crawl through the villages wherever there were fiestas.

All cars made the lunchtime rendezvous without mishap with the exception of Bill Bolsover whose speeding misdemeanour cost him $50 (down from $100), paid to a speed cop who, on finding them to be English, stated ‘God Save the Queen’ and having pocketed the $50 rather than officially fining them $100 with three penalty points, as first charged, sent them on their way wishing them a ‘Merry Christmas’.

During the day scenery changed from the concrete jungle of hi-rise buildings and complex three lane duel carriageways of Panama City to normal single track A road through green and tropical countryside. The backdrop of flat topped mountains remind us that this is a volcanic region.

Just before arriving at the hotel, Steve Hyde could be seen hosing down the forecourt of the filling station before the hotel, having overfilled his car by six gallons! He also managed to douse his trousers at the same time, hence arriving at reception without them!

Everyone having completed a 479 km journey the bar was hit hard. This being Valentine’s Day, the restaurant was much in demand and as the Valentines gift of Toblerone had melted quickly in the goody bag, it had hardly been enough to sustain us all, so the late supper was more than welcome.

Feb 15th – On to Puerto Veijo

Today dawned bright and breezy putting everyone in good spirits and ready for the drive through the hills to the Costa Rican border. First job of the morning was to fix the petrol tank of Michael Haentjas’s Lagonda that had sprung a leak the day before. Alex and Greg got onto the job and soon had it sorted. Next up was the Lancia Aurelia of the Caviezel/Johansson crew which required remedial work underneath. The XJS required a new tyre after having had a blowout the previous day so the Finlasons set out for David for a new tyre.

This morning the scenery is stunning. Evidence that the hills are formed from the lava is shown in the undulating contours and rich vegetation from the fertile volcanic soil. Some fields are strewn with the black rocks from previous eruptions. The steep hillsides are prone to landslides and the road surface is pretty broken in some sections. The route crossed over the impressive La Fortuna dam on the way to the border. Despite this area being very rural we passed a thoroughly modern Panamanian woman in national dress chatting on a mobile phone. A real mix of the old and the new.

Then the border! We met our Panamanian agent Homer, (no relation to Bart), who very efficiently took us through the exit process from Panama. One by one all passed across the single lane old cast iron railway bridge with track still in-situ and rickety planks laid on either side to support the cars. It all felt very wobbly when crossing as it was possible to see the river flowing beneath through the gaps. Fortunately the railway is no longer in operation.
The Costa Rican formalities were not quite so swift to put it mildly. Step one of immigration pretty straightforward but it was after this that the fun started at the insurance office inside the pharmacy where the lady typing out the forms seemed unfamiliar with the process. Names, passport numbers and addresses were all filled in the wrong places. Numerous photocopies of various documents were required throughout the afternoon as the very nice lady in the customs office methodically provided customs clearance for us.
The biggest problems came when we tried adding additional drivers to the policies. The whole concept of adding a second driver seemed alien and sent them into a spin. The fact that the various vehicle registration documents came from several different countries also confused the poor insurance lady which was only resolved when Greg and Sean took matters into their own hands and commandeered the computer and prepared the documents themselves! Given that this was in the heat of the day and there was little air-con in the office it was an exhausting and time consuming process.
Then it transpired that one of our party had left before clearing the final customs formalities and so had to be recalled from the hotel 45 minutes away. The nice lady at customs agreed to stay late to do the documentation so finally the last three cars headed for the hotel as the sun went down. Fortunately we had gained an hour on crossing the border which helped eek out what was in the end a long day for some.
The final part of the drive was beside the beach and white waves of the Caribbean. There is a real feel of the beachside culture here and the friendly staff and open air bar were all conducive to a relaxed evening. The atmosphere here is summed up by the resident three toed sloth and off spring clutching to their tree in the hotel garden.
Consensus of opinion was that there was no need to dash off in the morning and so a later start of 12.30 would allow those that wanted to go swimming in the surf, walking or take a trip to the rain forest canopy via the treetops. Reluctantly we were all on the road by 13.15.

Feb 16th – The Way to San Jose

The first part of the drive to San Jose followed the coast with the azure sea and white breakers. Some beaches had black sand from previous volcanic activity. Large numbers of banana plantations lined the road with blue bags protecting each large bunch, making a colourful sight.
It was probably the inertia bought on from our previous relaxed evening that caused the lack of impulsion to get on to our evening destination in San Jose. Heavy container traffic around Limon (the major container port for Costa Rica) made overtaking a tough job, especially for the right hand drive cars. The heavy trucks soon petered out as we began the climb up and up into the rain forest. As the name implies – it was a rain forest – with torrential rain the whole way up. The temperature dropped and a heavy mist came down. Once over the top at 1590 metres elevation, the skies cleared and we were into a lovely balmy evening. It turned out to be a real ‘drivers day’ and enjoyed by all despite (or because of) the conditions.
The last 10 kms to the hotel were a challenge for the Navigators! Most managed to follow the road book and way points to the hotel without mishap. Two cars however did go off track and due to the labyrinth of streets around San Jose got into difficulty and so arrived after dark. As these cars had extended their time back in Puerto Viejo and did not leave until after lunch, it is agreed now by all that getting off promptly at the set ‘Rally Time’ is best practice.
The two American Chevrolets of Hyde and Bolsover required some attention to their suspension having been unlucky and found some potholes too large to cope with. So the local mechanics were called in preparation for an early repair in the morning.
Michael H’s solo effort should be mentioned in despatches as despite getting lost he used his experience to hire a taxi to lead him to the hotel and he thoroughly enjoyed his adventurous day.

Feb 17th – To La Fortuna via the Treetops

It was an early start for some, who, having arrived late last night decided to show a good example and get off after breakfast. The promised quick repair of the Hyde/Bolsover cars did not materialise which meant they had a late start.
The route was relatively short to La Fortuna but in the mist and rain proved a challenging drive. Most opted to go direct to the Tabacon Hotel in La Fortuna, but the adventure twins of Sean and Howard Finlason, stopped of for a zip wire tour of the forest canopy. Wet but exhilarated, they were bussing when they arrived at the bight stop.
No other incidents were reported and the group settled into the bar in usual fashion swapping stories and tales of the drive.
La Fortuna is famous for the Arenal Volcano which heats the spring waters that run through the Tabacon grounds. The hotel has harnessed the spring to provide a memorable open air spa.

Feb 18^th – Rest Day

We went to sleep and awoke to the same torrential rain.  This did not dampen the spirits of our intrepid group, some of whom (Sean and Howard Finlason, Alexander Caviezel and Jan Johansson) started off at 07.30 on a quad bike adventure followed by a spot of white water rafting, but this was the Finlasons only.

La Fortuna is famous for its hot water springs and thermal spa, all heated by the Arenal Volcano.  The Tabacon Resort has harnessed the waters to create a spa that flows through the grounds of the hotel over a couple of hundred metres, providing hot, steamy, fast flowing waters with waterfalls leading to hot pools to bathe and relax in. Even the swimming pool uses the hot waters of the volcano.

The rest of those who wanted a relaxing day chose to visit a butterfly farm and an eco farm.  Others simply stayed on site and took full advantage of the spa.

By early afternoon, the skies brightened enough to encourage the Crew to take the Sky Tram and Zip Wire experience. First of all we were gently taken up the side of the mountain in a gondola cable car and our guide gave information on the fauna and flora below – but then the fun began on the zip wire.   We were suspended by a strap from a pulley (attached by two clips) that in turn was hooked over the wire linking the high wire above the forest canopy.  We were then launched one at a time to hurtle from point to point, at one stage at 100kms per hour along an 800 metre cable across a 200 metre deep gorge above the treetops! There were seven zip wires in total making this a breathtaking and exhilarating experience. We all needed a very stiff drink or two afterwards.

Feb 19^th – To The Nicaraguan Border

Today dawned dry but by the time of the off at 08.00 rain had resumed in earnest.  The Caviezel Auriela refused to start and the cause was diagnosed as a faulty ignition coil.  The offending item looked like the original so had done good service although it picked an awkward time to expire. A new one was sourced from a garage in La Fortuna and they were soon on their way.  Otherwise all the others got off at Rally Time with the exception of the laid back Jamaican crew! Just after turning out of the Tabacon there were roadside works with a novel way of controlling the traffic.  Due to the distance between either end and clearly a lack of radio communication, the last car through would carry a red flag and hand it to the man at the other end who then waved the waiting cars through and repeating the process.  Brilliant!!

The first part of the drive took us over the Arenal Dam, winding its way around the east side of the lake. It was a real driver’s road with series of twists and turns, rising and falling in quick succession. Today was not a day for sightseeing due to the heavy rain but nevertheless all agreed it was a great drive.

Once around the lake, the descent saw the scenery change from lush forest to tinder dry plains.  Further on we joined the Pan American Highway at Cana where the temperature rose quickly by some 10 degrees.

While driving round the Arenal Lake, Bill Bolsover broke a leaf spring at the rear of his Chevvy. Fortunately this occurred near a town with plenty of workshops so he received expert attention making good progress for the rest of the day.  Steve and Janet Hyde stopped as well and it was three hours before they were back on the road and therefore arrived at the border last rather than first as intended.

The border process was made easier by the local freelance ‘agents’ who organised all of the paperwork and some queue jumping for a price.  All told the crossing took one and a half hours as opposed to at least twice that if we had done it ourselves.

On the other side of the border, a huge wind farm development appeared that had sprung up since the recce last year.  Given the constant wind here this is sure to be a successful venture.  Further on the twin volcanoes of Isla do Ometape were the backdrop to the huge lake that had breakers big enough for surfing crashing onto the shore.

Granada turned out to be a real hit with everybody, especially as their annual International Poetry Competition was taking place while we were there.  This meant that the town was buzzing with live music and various stalls which were all within an easy walk of our hotel.  Our meal in one of the best restaurants in town offered ‘paradilla’ grills of steaks and kebabs.  The locally caught fish served to David Daniels was an unfamiliar species but was reported to be delicious!

The genuinely original town provided a fitting backdrop for the classic cars which attracted attention outside the hotel.

Feb 20^th – Up Through Nicaragua

The next morning an early start was ordained as we had a 398km drive ahead including a border. The roads were really excellent and looked as though they had been resurfaced recently.  Everything looked uneventful until 100kms short of the border when the Lancia Aurelia started making a worrying rattle.  Almost simultaneously the Lagonda of Michael Haentjas started misfiring with the two cars stopping on a hill within 200 metres of each other.

The Aurelia problem was diagnosed by mechanic, Alexander, as a broken pulley with the parts awkward to get at.  Once extracted, Greg, Alex and Caviezel, (whose car it is), and Jan Johansson went back 10 kms to the last small town where they found the village welder……who was also the local barber! They had to wait in the queue for him to complete his haircutting duties before he could attend to the welding.  Later on, Greg took advantage of the facility for a tupenny all off!

Meantime, Alex attended to the Lagonda that then ran smoothly for the rest of the day.

The Aurelia repair took some 3 hours from start to finish by which time most of the other cars had gone through customs into Honduras.  Compared to other customs, these were relatively painless taking a total of just 45 minutes.  The most significant part of this drive was the climb up the hills to the border on the Nicaraguan side where we were treated to a magnificent orange display of flowering coral trees.

By contrast, as soon as we entered Honduras, we were in a densely forested alpine landscape with an abundance of conifers.  Roads were good and traffic light until we arrive in Tegucigalpa (the capital city of Honduras), which is a buzzing metropolis, readily embracing the global market with international brands such as McDonalds, Baskin & Robbins, Nissan, Ford and HSBC to mention a few.  There is currently a water shortage as the rains have failed for a couple of years so we were unable to get the cars washed.  Fortunately, beers are still plentiful!

The only reported problem was the brakes of the Bolsover car which required adjusting; a job undertaken by Steve Hyde.  The evening briefing set 08.30 as departure time for those wanting to see the Mayan ruins at Copan which close at around 4.45pm each day. Fortunately they open at 8am so those who missed the afternoon viewing had time the next morning to see this significant site.

Feb 21^st – Tegucigalpa to Copan

Being a Sunday morning, traffic was light as we left the city and headed up country towards Copan and our first Mayan site.  This was a long drive with 398 kms to complete along generally good roads with heavier traffic today which is always more arduous for the right hand drive cars.

Our hotel is situated 2.8 kms from the ‘Copan Ruinas’ site and despite the heat of the afternoon sun it was well worth the walk around, copy of Lonely Planet guide in hand.  Sean and Howard Finlason did the full monty tour the next morning that included a guided exploration of the tunnels beneath the ruins.

Feb 22^nd – The Day of Days on the road to Antigua

The plan set last night was for a ‘Rally Off’ time of 09.00 so that those who wanted to visit the Copan Ruins in the cool of the early morning could do so before driving on to the border which is only 14kms ahead.  We were soon made aware that the border crossing was closed due to a political demonstration for teachers who were striking for a 16% pay increase, not to mention the fact that they had not been paid since November!  Although the crowd that had gathered were far from angry, it was apparent that they were not going to make any exceptions to the blockade of the border and let us through.  The best solution was to return to the oasis of our hotel, 14kms back down the road, and await developments.  Swimsuits were unpacked and a lazy couple of hours ensued. Word on the street was that the border would be open at 5pm, but at 1.45 we heard that the protesters had dispersed and we should get down to the border asap. With a few of us out on sightseeing tours of the town or car maintenance jobs, we didn’t get to the border until 3.00pm.

The focus of the problems appeared to be a ford that we had to traverse on the way to the border (we had done it twice now). Both of the Chevvies and the Bentley of Geoffrey Foster-Taylor appeared to pick up water or stones and required brake adjustments.

One final time through the ford and we were back at the border for what had been anticipated as the least troublesome border on the route.

That transpired as wishful thinking with the last cars getting away into Guatemala at 5.20pm as the sun was setting.  Obviously this was not ideal with 255 kms ahead of us, but with the rest day promised for the following day we were hoping for a clean run to Antigua. But the best laid plans of mice and men…

All was well for the first 160 kms and then we came up to the mother of all traffic tail backs. Comprised mostly of lorries we decided that waiting at the back of the queue might mean we didn’t get in until the next day. We decided to overtake the line of stationary traffic which seemd to go on for ever. Later we estimated it was at least 5km long.  We eventually came to a halt some 250metres from the accident which had caused the tailback.  After a wait of about 30 mins the line began to inch forward, then gained momentum as the traffic was now able to pass the accident spot.  Fortunately, being near the head of the queue meant it was relatively simple to pass the slow stuff and wind up speed again.

The sun sets here at around 18.30 so it was a long dark drive which caused problems for both the Lancia crew and Bentley, both of whom suffered alternator failures. They eventually got in tired and hungry at around 1.30am.  While our hotel here (Casa Santa Domingo) is a very gorgeous and an historic building, it transpires that the kitchens close at 10pm and they only put on room service for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Thank goodness, Sean Finlason used his initiative and tracked down a take away pizza joint in Antigua town and came back with a pile of huge and welcome grub.  Meantime, John Brigden had retraced the last part of the route back to support the Lancia who were arranging a change of battery. Meanwhile the mechanics came in last with the Bentley having rigged up the battery charger pack to provide enough power for engine and side lights only.

After such a long day for all we were relieved to sink into our comfy beds and a long sleep – but, as befits the day of days, there was an earthquake at 5.30am, shaking most of us out of our slumbers. Happy to report that it was just a rumble and there was no damage to the building. An aftershock at breakfast attracted little attention from the staff who are obviously used to such tremors.

Feb 23^rd – Rest Day in Antigua

The phone first went at 06.34 with the request to get the cars parked in the street outside our hotel to move to the car park – a police request.  Later we found out that this was because of roadworks that needed to dig up the whole street and had started to dig around the standing cars!

Feb 23rd – Did the earth move for you?

The answer is YES for all of us!

Not a group love-in but a substantial earthquake which rattled Antigua city at 5.30 in the morning.  At breakfast plates were rattling as an aftershock followed.  Even the staff seemed slightly alarmed by this one but the Rally took it in its stride.  This was a rest day for some but for the mechanics (Alex and Greg) it was business as usual as they had two alternators to fix and a number of smaller jobs on a variety of cars.  For those with a free day and wanting something different to do a helicopter rideto see a live volcano seemed like a good idea. However they were disappointed as the tour company were unable to find a pilot.

Antigua is a wonderful little town that has been ravaged by earthquakes and eruptions over many hundreds of years and yet still retains some of the original architecture and style.  It is a centre for the arts in Guatemala with numerous galleries, locally made jewellry shops and jade factory for which it is justifiably famous. All of these are accessed via a network of cobbled streets from a central square with feature fountain, overlooked on one side by a church and the volcanic mountains behind. The Casa Santa Domingo (our hotel) offered all of the above in abundance.  In its sprawling grounds there are ruins of old Antigua, a museum and artisans workshops.

24^th Feb – Where do we begin?

No earthquake today but drama of another kind!

With a journey of 515 kms and a 9 – 10 hour drive ahead of us, an early start was required to make it manageable.  However the Lancia struggled to get out of the car park and by the time it was ready to continue on the Rally, more than an hour had already been lost for the car, mechanics and other crew.

Having been cocooned in the Santa Domingo for a day, we had forgotton about the teachers who were determined to cause more disruption, this time in Guatemala City, on the road we had to take to Flores.  With the ensuing traffic chasos and diversions due to marching protesters, it took more than two hours to do the first 25 kms.  The knock on effect of this was to cause further mechanical problems for the Lancia which was eventually put onto a low loader with their crew split between the car and the cab of the lorry.

Michael Haentjas who had been joined this morning by his friend Martin Bohn then also suffered a mechanical problem (which turned out to be a loose differential wheel) and they too were loaded onto a truck and delivered to Flores at about 10.30 pm.

Meanwhile, the rest of the cars struck a problem at a small river crossing where the ferry, powered by a single 75hp Yamaha outboard, struggled against a strong gale that we were told was the precursor of a hurricane that was about to hit Belize.  The pilot of the ferry, regarded by those in the know, as incredibly skilled, picked his times to run the ferry albeit at a much reduced frequency.  The Bolsovers for instance boarded the ferry and it was 45 minutes before the pilot risked taking them across against river flow and crosswinds.

Today was also the day that the dreaded ‘tumulos’ (sleeping policemen) appeared in force. It was the unmarked bumps that had the potential to destroy a front end as we came barrelling up to them on the brow of a hill.

All of these problems were offset by spectacular scenery along the Rally route. The temperature in Guatemala City was some 34 degrees while in the hills it took on an altogether more pleasant feel, down to 19 degrees at 1,500 metres.  The lushness of the greenery was a welcome relief after the parched central plain. The long mountain range provided a majestic backdrop for the fertile hillsides which were cultivated extensively with maize, tomatoes and other crops.

To celebrate the end of the longest day so far, Sean Finlason instigated a shots session which resulted in a very jolly evening.

25^th Feb – Now for Belize

This morning dawned hurricane free, much to everyone’s relief. Those wanting to see the Mayan ruins at Tikal set off early as there is another border crossing into Belize today.  The others took over the local Toyota dealership which had the best workshop facilities in town.  The Chevy of Bill and Biddy Bolsover needed some new leaf springs that were fashioned from Toyota Carolla parts.

The Lagonda of Michael Haentjas had it’s differential removed and taken to the garage for high tensile bolts and a once over.

Alexander Caviezel took his Lancia there too in the hope that the problems were not as terminal as thought the day before.  However, he and his merry crew were to be disappointed and they retired the car and will now fly ahead to Mexico, hire a car and continue the journey.

Once again, the teachers decided to intervene in our border crossing out of Guatemala, disrupting the progress of our early runners into Belize. By the time the late runners arrived at the border the teachers had got bored with the protests and melted away. As borders go, the formalities were pretty straight forward, we would like to think that this is due to the past influence of the British being well organised and logical. Our man on the ground, Gustavio,  shepherded the cars through for a small consideration each.

Then it was on to Belize City which is the transit town for our journey into Mexico. A straight forward road from the border meant that all arrived safely.

Sean Finlason took the opportunity to do some deep sea diving, which meant taking a small aircraft from the local airfield to a diving centre on San Pedro island, for a night dive. He planned to be back in time for breakfast the following morning.

For those remaining behind, the search was on for a good restaurant, clearly hard to find in Belize City.  The group ended up at The Celebrity Restaurant which proudly boasts picture menus and very large portions! The food was good and the amount on each plate too large. The wine was young and expensive.

The Best Western Biltmore Plaza was conveniently situated on the outside of town and while fairly basic, is widely regarded as the best in town.  Belize City is currently a murder hotspot and police clearly have their hands full with shootings and general law and order although we did not encounter any sign of violence.

26^th Feb – On into Mexico

On departing the hotel, the first thing of note we encountered was the line upon line of lorries, laden with raw sugar cane waiting to enter the processing factory which was belching black smoke as it converted the cane to sugar.

The rest of the journey to the border continued through lush countryside and over bridges across full flowing rivers with vegetation down to and over the waters edge. The occaisional unmarked ‘topes’ keeping drivers and navigators on the ball.

The border crossing itself was reasonably straight forward compared to some of our past experiences, probably due to the fact that it is used by alot of foreigners, unlike many  of our previous borders that seldom see international travellers and even less with their own vehicles.

Once in Mexico with insurance under our belts, the road to Tulum is long, straight and flat. The scenery is for the most part unremarkable but there was the odd tantilising glimpse of the Caribbean Sea through the trees.

27^th Feb – Blue Tulum Rest Day

Accommodation for our rest day was at the Blue Tulum which is an all in package, including alcohol!  As good international travellers we really got our monies worth. The hotel is probably now wondering whether they should reconsider this option.! Despite the connotations of an all in package, the food, we all agreed, to be excellent.  To ring the changes on our second night, most of us went into Tulum to the Buenos Aires Argentinean Steak House which we had discovered on the recce.  The food was as good as we remembered.  During the day some visited the local Mayan sites which differed from those previously seen to date by virtue of being on the coast.  The evening briefing set 08.30 as Rally Off time tomorrow.

28^th Feb – Drive to Merida

For those serious about seeing Mayan ruins, today was a big day.  On route was Chitchen Itza, the Ruta Puuc and Uxmal.  Chitchen Itza is a must for anyone coming to this region as it is a World Heritage and world famous site.  Ruta Puuc takes in several minor but equally interesting sites while Uxmal has some of the most unusual ruins.

Steve Hyde and Janet decided to skip the ruins and take a short cut to the hotel only to be caught speeding and fined $75US for their trouble.

Our accommodation is at Hacienda Temozon, once a major producer of sisal, and now a fine example of this period’s colonial architecture. It has been sympathetically restored retaining the cool interiors yet up to date facilities, including a Mayan Spa, that brings the ancient Mayan healing practices to a modern age.

Tonight we had a group hug and all dined together on one long table.  Predictably the evening did not end quietly with Sean Finlason instigating a tequila slammer session.

1^st March – Rest Day at Hacienda Temozon

There were a number of sore heads at breakfast in the morning that was taken on the open verandah overlooking the garden and ultra modern designed pool.  The highlight of the day for many can only be described as one of the world’s great little railway journeys!

In the heyday of the Hacienda in the mid 19^th century, the Hacienda had an intricate network of narrow gauge tracks linking the distant sisal fields on this vast estate.  Now, however, the track system is a shadow of its former self with one line operational, running from the Hacienda to a 60 metre deep cenote (an underground waterhole).  The track is now warped and very uneven with the experience further enhanced by the Heath Robinson rickety flat beds that serve as the carriage. It is pulled by a long suffering donkey, guided by two ‘drivers’ with a rope each for steering and a hand braced against the donkey’s bottom to prevent the contraption running into the donkey on the downhill sections as there are no brakes!  The reward for this 45 minute each way white knuckle, Indiana Jones runaway train ride is a dip in the ancient cenote, accessed down 25 near vertical steps.

Cenotes were often used by the Mayans to dispose of bodies although there is no evidence that this one is used for anything other than a fresh water source.  The whole experience is utterly unique and will give the nannying health and safety brigade apoplexy, who, if they had their way, would probably close down the whole experience.

Rally time for the next day set at 07.30 as we have a long drive to Palenque.

2^nd March – Coastal Route to Palenque

Today we are sorry to say goodbye to Howard Finlason who had to return home for business reasons, but we are happy to welcome his son in law, Rob, who is joining Sean in the XJS for the last few days. We thoroughly enjoyed Howard’s company with his amusing tales, ready wit with a talent for poetry as evidenced below. We all look forward to rallying with him again in the future.

Maya Rally Ditty

By

Howard Finlason

The strangest crew set out ten days ago

To ply the roads north to Mexico

A ragtag team of beginners and pros

Are we going to make it

God alone only knows

From the British Isles to

the Jamaican shore

The Swiss, The Swedes, The Germans would tour

Little did they know what truly was in store

From potholes, blowouts and body flashes by a whore

As the orange scarfed baron wends his lonely way

007 and Lady Galore frolic and play

While the Highlander burned and the Islanders drank

Churchill and Franklin formed a think tank

To work out a way to keep the Chevys ahead

The elderly Lancia’s having a really tough time

But her resilient crew form an incredible line

Of fortitude, humour and ladies quite fine

But for Alex and Greg she’s one hell of a grind .. (the Lancia that is)

As bad as this ditty is it really can’t end

Until we big up our Leader and his wonderful friend

Who carry our luggage, wait with patience and coax

While swearing, we’re sure, those damn Jamaicans, what a hoax!!!

As for the journey, it was a long days drive on paper so everyone was encouraged to be out by 07.30 for the 600 odd kilometre leg to Palenque.  The roads however were in general long, straight and flat which meant good driving averages with everyone beating the projected 10 hour driving time by an hour or more.

Our drive today left behind the dry overgrown scrub and small trees that have lined most ofour route in Mexico to date.  Then, suddenly, the sea appeared on our right as we hurtled up this section of Gulf of Mexico coastline.  Turning inland again at Sabancuy, the countryside became less desolate with cattle and arable farming making use of this obviously fertile area.

For those wanting to know the current positions here are the top 6:

1. Steve Hyde *

2. Bill Bolsover *

3 = Michael Haentjes *

3 = Geoffrey Foster-Taylor *

5.  Alexander Caviezel *

6. Sean Finlason *

All those with an asterisk against their name are under scrutiny by the rally committee having been reported by the stewards for various offences. Final placings will be published after finish.

3^rd March – Over the Hills…

As Palenque is such an unusual Mayan site everyone was encouraged to make a visit, even if they felt they had seen it all. Comparing notes later, all agreed that it gave a graphic insight into how the Mayans lived. The advanced architecture and good preservation of the site made them all the more fascinating.

The drive to San Cristobal La Cassas was one of great contrasts. At first we climbed more than 2000 metres through cloud and lush scenery, but once we were over the mountain the temperature went from 12 degrees C to more than 24 in a matter of minutes. The sun came out and the scenery was laid out before us.

The journey passed two of the fabulous Mexican waterfalls – the Cascada Misol-Ha and the much larger but to some eyes less spectacular Agua Azul which has become rather over commercialised.

One downside of this journey was the number of Topes which began to really frustrate the drivers, taking the shine off what was otherwise a great drive.

On arrival into San Cristobal we headed for the old part of the city which has a famous cathedral and square which was a great attraction for locals and tourists alike.

As we had a long drive the next day to the finishing line in Veracruz, a departure time of 8.00am was set.

March 4^th – Over the Finishing Line

Bearing in mind the long day of some 600km that lay ahead some of the drivers were anxious for the off, and Steve & Janet’s car could be heard reverberating around the hotel as he moved his car from the garage at around 6.00am ready for the off.

The initial drive out of the town and towards Tuxtla was terrific. The road followed the countours of the mountain, showing views over the plains more than 1500 metres below. It was surprising to all, just how high we still were as the previous evening we felt we had dropped out of the hills into the town.

The views were all too short lived as we soon struck the busy town of Tuxtla which we had to traverse before finding the new ‘highway’ which would take us all the way to Veracruz. The highways was a toll road but many of us failed to see where the tolls were being spent as many sections were in need of repair. The highlight of the journey along the toll road was crossing the vast  Pressa Vezahualcoyotl lake via the Puente Chapas bridge. Otherwise the road itself was rather boring, although the occasional military or police checkpoint assured the attention of the drivers.

We are delighted to report that everyone arrived safely at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which is conveniently placed in Bocas del Rio the upcoming tourist area of the Veracruz. Not much to write home about although Elton John is staying here in April – in the Presidential suite of course – when visiting Mexico for a concert tour.

That’s about it for now and we are signing off. We look forward to seeing a number of crews on the upcoming Cuba and Tiger rallies in the near future.

And, we will find a way of displaying more photos in the near future.

John Brigden