Guatemala is not well equipped with campgrounds and that should come as no surprise, as Central America generally is much poorer than Mexico and far removed from the caravans of RVs that trickle south. By the time you get here most travelers are not North American and thus the demand for hookups and sewer dumps is just not there.
Which is not to say the iOverlander App is devoid of places to camp, far from it. With a population of 125 million versus Guatemala’s 17 million Mexico offers more of everything, a larger middle class, more business opportunities and a vibrant and growing consumer market. In Guatemala and Belize we find less of everything, including dedicated RV parks.
Verde Eventos translates as Green Events and the space within its secure walls is a vast city block sized garden available for rent. If you want to plan a family gathering or business meeting, a birthday celebration or of course a wedding you come here. Or just go take an uncomfortable nap there are suitable spots:
We the RVs are a sideline, lined up along the main alley a hundred feet from the nearest 15amp outlet and served by a cold shower and one toilet a short walk away. In Guatemala this rates as an organized campground at $13 per vehicle per night. The iOverlander description:
And indeed Verde Eventos is a lovely spot. We don’t have a long enough cord to plug into the distant outlets so after a week sitting still and hoarding our electricity in our 600amp bank we are going away for the weekend to recharge our batteries as the sun has been weak and the light hazy for our roof top solar panels. It’s one of those shortcomings that you just have to accept especially south of Mexico.
Outside the walls you can hear the bus station nearby with converted school buses coming and going loudly changing gears. Inside is the sound of bird song and the shuffle of RVers waking up to a new day in this cool misty mountain town.
The afternoon sun builds up and it gets warm but you don’t have to sit here and roast. The city is filled with foreign tourists and all the attractions they want to enjoy on shady streets and in air conditioning.
Rusty and I walk the grounds and while Layne spends the afternoon in Spanish language class we find a shady breezy spot to read after we take a walk outside on the city’s perilous narrow sidewalks.
There are plenty of places to find solitude here.
Heinz a solo traveler from northern Germany bought a minivan in Canada and is driving south hiking and diving along the way. He it was who turned Layne onto the language school where he too is working on improving his Spanish.
His Instagram name is complicated and means (according to Google translate!) “No apartment in Germany.”
We first met him in Mexico at the gathering of travelers at the campground in Oaxaca. That was also where we met a young English couple overlanding in an “ underpowered” pick up and a classic camper shell. Alex convinced Mathilda they would acclimate to not having air conditioning so I asked how that was going. “Not well !” They laughed.
There is a two day hike up an active volcano offered in town and they took the guided tour in an effort to see magma spewing. They got up over 13,000 feet and came back with superb photos and broken bodies. But always laughing.
They showed me their excellent volcano photos and I’m hoping eventually they will catch up on their Instagram.
These are the people we will miss as we turn back to deal with the irritating tooth implant situation. It’s inevitable when you travel that people cross your path and disappear but we had been hoping to run into each other all the way to Panama. I was actually looking forward to sharing a container from Panama to Colombia with the English youngsters. Oh well, we expect to be back here November 1st, dammit, and meeting another bunch of Overlanders.
I enjoy seeing how other people travel and these Germans bought their trucks and campers in California. I envy their ability to park the camper and drive the narrow streets with the albeit large pick up.
Guatemala is volcano country and I was lucky to get this relatively clear shot of the cone overlooking the campground on our first day. Ever since it’s been hazy and mostly obscured.
What do you think about getting married here? I’d keep Rusty out of your feet.
Americans to the left of us, Dutch to the right and our luxurious overweight on road van in the middle of the off road pop top adventure vehicles. They cook outdoors. Ha! Not Layne..!
In the States would be travelers agonize over vehicle selection and accessories but here on the road no one cares. There are advantages in certain vehicles but we are content to stick to roads or well traveled tracks so our inability to get to distant beaches doesn’t bother us. We find solitude by traveling out of season as retirees are able to do and we enjoy the comforts of a suburban home in our small space. It works for all of us in our different ways.
The big white RV above is from France and the tiny VW classic is from Switzerland. When we meet we ask first are you going north or south then compare experiences. The types of vehicles are of little importance. Then we warn newcomers to cover their mirrors or the birds will attack them. Weird but true:
Isaac the manager, below, keeps us in-line and organizes the events. His wife is a teacher and she retires in five years. Then, he says, I’m getting a camper and we’ll see you on the road. Van life is his dream and he’s getting it organized.
Travelers here don’t talk about danger, as by now wherever you are from you know the talk of death and drug dealers isn’t relevant to tourists minding their own business. I’m sorry a lot of would be US travelers deprive themselves of the experience but it leaves more room for us.
You could easily drive past the campground main entrance if you didn’t know the bright green gate was it. Self promotion isn’t done around here.
Pedro and Bruna are in a self converted 19 foot Sprinter from Brazil. They speak Spanish but Bruna used to work for an American bank so she speaks English. Pedro worked for a Brazilian bank so he doesn’t.
As I write they are taking off on a volcano climb of their own following in the English couple’s footsteps. I expect it will show up on their YouTube.
They want to install air conditioning in their van in Mexico as they are tired of the heat and they are planning to spend the summer in Florida and on the east coast.
They already have their US visas so they are looking forward to reaching Alaska their goal. For Rusty a short walk in town and a rest in a neighborhood park is far enough for now.
The fruit market maybe…
But I keep him on leash outside the walls as the sidewalks are narrow and the traffic fierce.
He even gets to sit with us at lunch.
The blue dot marks our spot.
