Petén, Guatemala March 2010

Postings/pictures/video about off-road fun in Real 4x4's. (European-centric 4x4's)
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karoja
Posts: 109
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:06 pm
Location: Guatemala

Petén, Guatemala March 2010

Post by karoja »

We just returned from our bi-anual expedition (this time in the dry season, next in the wet) from El Peten, made it up to the Mexican border:

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Karl
http://www.monkeybaymarina.com
712 Camper / 710 M
andy
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Post by andy »

Accion en la selva. Nice, got more pics?
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karoja
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Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:06 pm
Location: Guatemala

Post by karoja »

Thanks Andy, here some more:

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Karl
http://www.monkeybaymarina.com
712 Camper / 710 M
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edzz
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Post by edzz »

Don’t feed the crocodile :lol: :lol: love it.

Ed
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.
andy
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Post by andy »

Thanks for posting more pictures. Interesting that you have to clear the trail in order to proceed. How available was fuel? Looks like it might have been quite a bit of fun.

Is there a rainy season there, or is it more like Florida where it will rain almost every afternoon? I'm wondering because it looks like you could have some serious mud from time to time on those trails.

Thanks again for sharing. I do admire what you have done with your 712.

Andy
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VinceAtReal4x4s
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Post by VinceAtReal4x4s »

Looks like fun!

Im curious how are you set up for security while traveling that region?
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karoja
Posts: 109
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:06 pm
Location: Guatemala

Post by karoja »

Hi guys, thanks for your interest.

The place of the croc is called Dos Lagunas, on the way to Naachtun, one of the walled Maya cities, about 0.8 miles from the northern border with Mexico. Dos Lagunas means Two Lagoons, and you are looking at the bigger one of the two, almost round in shape. If this is teaming with crocs, the smaller one is almost "full to the rim". The croc in question, not to be fed, is a "tame" one, tame in the sense that it approaches the dock and off course, gets fed. This croc, named "Corroncha", has already caused a park ranger the loss of an arm. If you want to bathe, there is a plastic bucket on a rope, and you have to get water precisely out of the same lagoon, the point being that you need to be faster than the croc... Not kidding!

We have a rainy and a dry season, this trip was in the dry one, we also do one a year in the middle of the rain. The mud gets beautiful, to the point that the main trail sometimes gets unusable, and we have to cut a new trail around the mud that closed the main one. Distances for which you need 2.5 hours in the dry season take up to 13 hours. It is a matter of mind over nature, and is definitely character building. Suffice it to say snake anti-serum is part of our medical kit.

Securitywise, we do not worry, but we also each pack a gun; just in case, there are also pumas around. People you find rarely, and this area, straight north from Tikal to the east, is mainly a national park, not sought after by druglords for their landing strips. The area that gets hairy is the closer you get to the western frontier of Peten with Mexico.

Some usful information if you want to join us in the future, there is no mobile phone communication once you leave (and are at Tikal), so you have to be compeltely self sufficient. In order to facilitate communication among our vehicles we all use radios with VHF frequencies.

With regards to fuel, you have to take your own. I have 2 cans mounted behind the normal fuel tank (one in the original position, one below), and took 6 more in a mounted battery inside the vehicle. Originally my vehicle was designed to carry them on top the rack, but once I managed to lay the Pinz one the side I kind of got careful of the weight on top. The ambulance as such is very top heavy. On the rear doors I carry two 5 galon potable water tanks, and one High Lift a sine qua non for this trip.

For cold drinks I have FridgeFreeze 12/24/110 volt cooler. I keep the bottled water on the bottom so I have ice in addition the cool beverages. Nothing better tha an Old Parr whisky on ice in the middle of nowhere!

Hope this information was of interest. Saludos,
Karl
http://www.monkeybaymarina.com
712 Camper / 710 M
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McCall Pinz
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Post by McCall Pinz »

Oh what a great trip that must have been. I wish I could have made it to Guatemala again for Semana Santa this year. Have fun. Stay safe.
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