Stage 17 – Chiquimula to Jalapa

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85,5km – 2246m up – 1280m down – 4689 kcal – 6:30h

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Today we were almost all day climbing, with some relieving downhills. At the end of the day we gained a total of 1000m and were awarded with spectacular views from the tops.

DSC_8387We left Chiquimula with the rising sun, which started DSCN8186to heat up the chilling morning temperatures and painted our shadows to the cut out walls along the hilly road. The first 18km were easy going and one could enjoy the magnificent views on the volcanoes in the area of Ipala. Thereafter we started into the first major climb of the day; still on tarmac. After a long descent pavement ended and the torture started with an 800m climb on lose gravel, in the burning sun. Some of the climbs were DSC_8408again so steep and rocky, that it was saver to push the bike, than risking to flip over. The vegetation and topology in this area and the women carrying all kind of goods on their heads reminded me on some parts in Ethiopia or northern Kenya.  However the heat and needed concentration on the difficult slopes made it almost impossible to look around and suck in everything.

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The lunch stop was almost at todays summit, at about 1600m and short before the rough downhill to San Pedro. Who thought ‘summit’ DSCN8202means the last climb of the day was soon to recognize that this was a wrong assumption. A final, and in its grade unexpected, punishment started 10km before our today’s destination – Jalapa – with 4 very steep climbs of 18% grade. Not everyone had still enough energy to cycle these climbs. ‘Pushing bike and walk the hills’, or ‘find a local who taxi you and your bike uphill’, even if it meant to sit in the back of an open ‘bakkie’ was the motto of the day.

‘Pushing bike uphill’ was only training for what we have to expect on tomorrows stage.

This evening was the ‘burning of the devil’ ceremony all over in Guatemala, a festival where symbolic devils, the symbol of bad luck, are burnt after sunset. However it was too late for me to go and witness it.

Secret TdA Branch ‘El Paso’

Who knew, that TdA has a branch office in Guatemala?

I happen to run into the branch office when I cycled through San Pedro Pinula on the way to Jalapa.

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From outside it looked a bit shabby, but it triggered my curiosity to go inside and find out what the interior may look like. To my surprise a paradise opened as you can see on the following 2 photos I took.

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I will not reveal the secrets of the 5 star special guest treatments I received. However I can tell you that much: They helped me a lot to master the 4 steep climbs that Cristiano set up for us before we could reach Jalapa. ;-)