I drove from Seattle to Santa Rosa de Copán (western Honduras) in 1994.
That was so long ago that my experiences are probably of only historical
interest, but for what it's worth, here's what I learned along the way:
* All drivers should speak passable Spanish and not be short tempered.
You will have stupid problems with petty officials, and not speaking
the language or losing one's temper are excellent ways to turn a small
problem into a large one.
* Spend your nights in tiny towns not listed in the tourist guide.
Skip the big cities. Hang out in the central plaza, make friends with
the locals, swap jokes. You'll feel like you're in a latin Lake
Wobegon.
* Use the ¨tramitadores¨ (middlemen) at border crossings instead of
doing the paperwork yourself. The border officials are sick to death
of explaining the procedures to dim tourists. Use the middlemen who
already know the ropes, and you will get through faster and cheaper.
Yes, cheaper, even including the middleman's cut. Try to force a petty
official to explain what to do and your wallet will be sorry.
* Want to go to jail in Mexico? Have a gun on board. Can't stand the
thought of driving unarmed? Then fly, don't drive.
Warren Post
Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras
http://srcopan.vze.com/
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