Logistics

The best laid plans of mice and men , in one blink of an eye, transcend to rat shit.
This is an E-mail I sent to a bud who is planning a trip South, I am not sure my experiences are indicative of what another traveler would encounter
I did not keep accurate records of my expenses, I have to guess. My recollection is that from Mexico south I spent an average of 20 dollars a night for lodging, and three hundred miles a day average would have consumed six gallons of gas, the price was so variable I would budget 30 dollars a day. Food and beer are another wild ass variable, my eccentricity's required 1 meal a day. Beer was a huge variable depending on my appetite, so I would say 20 dollars a day for my sustenance. Not enough,to eccentric. I spent about 40 dollars on repair crap and 150 dollars on bribes.
I transited all countries south of U.S. in about 10 days, ridiculously short time. I think I was under 100 dollars a day. I used credit card, bank card for cash withdrawals, and started with about 200 dollars in my pocket all of these methods served me well. I carried back up credit card, the foreign phone numbers for lost cards in several locations and 2 calling cards for contacting people stateside. I had an old laptop PC that came with me and carried a Ipod that had E-mail capability. The laptop crashed and I did not use the Ipod to its full advantage, my fault I just didn't get around to it. The lap top would be left out next time, Ipod in.
I would bring a little more cash the next time, but not to much, each person has their comfort level. I did leave medical power of attorney with contacts in the states and lists of credit card numbers with trusted friends.
I talked to several people that are making and have made the trip with sleeping bags and camp gear. My level of comfort is a credit card and tooth brush.
Your question really started me thinking, thanks again for stirring up the thought process. Maybe this page should go on the blog. The logistics of an endeavor like this are so variable you can't pin them down.
I am communicating with shippers now to see if I can ship the bike stateside. The main reason is because the Guatemalans limit the time I have to re transit their country. Locating a shipper has been a hassle but mainly because I asked the wrong people at first, presently I have a couple of contacts that are trying to be helpful, I am optimistic that I will have info that will allow me to make a definitive conclusion in a timely manner.
That's about it good travels to ya