Day 13 Dec 31

Papers I don need no stinkin papers!
Guatemala was going to be a pleasant site in my rear view mirror. I pulled into the building housing the Aduana (border agent) and was beset by boarder leaches. I was trying to verbally swat them away like fly's when the fat little bastard in the greasy T-shirt that carried the official clip board came up. He had been watching and allowing them to pester me until it was clear I wasn't paying them. He probably gets a kick back from them.
He demanded a white paper that was my vehicle permit, I explained that  did not need one and he informed me I needed to return to the entry border to obtain one.The parking lot incident yesterday is starting to loom in my memory banks, drats. I explain that I cant be here illegally because I have Mexico exit stamps on my passport, dated and Guatemala stamps for entry. Plus there is a legal sticker on my windscreen that cant be got without jumping through all the hoops that you pricks demand. One of the leaches was augmenting this conversation with some interpreter skills, he helped. The oficio was confused enough to recognise I had an issue that was beyond the capacity of his clip board and after I refused adamantly to return to the other boarder he consulted a higher authority. I assured him I would not be intimidated unless he had a gun. Well the authority showed up and SHE was big, and she had a gun, and I was impressed that she would handle this situation. I might be going back to the entry border, drats.
It certainly did confuse them that I was here without that white paper. She took down the VIN and the sticker number and my passport and disappeared in her official office behind a big door with an armed guard. and i sat down on the sidewalk in the sun baking. A little later she came back and the border leach interpreted that she was requesting the paperwork from the entry border by Internet and would soon know if I was legal, you have to remember that SOON is a word defined by cultural values. So I waited.
While sitting in the sun baking a bicycle rider rode up and we shot the breeze. He was an Englishman that had been in Antigua enrolled in a language school for two weeks and was today resuming his trip south. He was packing full panier's on a very adequate bike and was obviously up to the task.I think both of us had many times been approached by people questioning our sanity, we seemed to have a bond, maybe because of this common reaction from people.
It was a pleasant conversation and during the talk he asked me what I was doing for New Years Eve? I said "When is it ?" That response led to a topic of how we both lose track of chronology, our endeavors occupy so much of our attention we lose track of time. When I retired I went through a time of reflection on how the clock controls our existence normally. When you escape the daily planner and pay no attention to the minute hand then lose the a day then a week it is a feeling of freedom that few get to experience. We thought that this freedom could be attained through poverty or the other way by choice. The conversation is cut short by Madam Officio.
The paper has been e-mailed to her and I am Libre. She stamps my passport, Salida (exit) and I am on my way to El Salvador.
The Salvador offices are clean freshly painted and the border agents will have no part of the border leaches hassling me. Leaches were discouraged from entering the buildings and I was reminded often that the services were provided and I did not need to pay anyone for entry or exit. My paper work was prepared and my bags inspected the numbers on the bike were inspected and recorded. I was wished a pleasant visit and excused. What a refreshing change. I had about 11 dollars in Guatemalan money and thought that the border leach that had interpreted for me deserved a tip. I had convinced him that I was broke and had no money, he was disappointed that his tip was so small but as a favor he would tell his Friend at the other border I was en route.
Salvador is beautiful and clean. I passed the English bike rider about an hour later and honked as I went by. I soon thought I had made a mistake by not