Please read the English version in the second half of this article.
11/20 Palenque--hotel camino verde
11/21 --Frontera corazon
11/22-- 瓜地馬拉花城(Flores)，搭車
我喜歡跨越少旅客的關口，除了挑戰性，越多旅客的關口，往往越折騰的通關手續。續談之前，我先談一個我不太一樣的觀念：原則上，我不會和海關人員爭論『繳費換入境章』這件事。先進國家有一定規矩，不會有爭議，比較有問題的是發展中國家，常有被認為索賄現象。我不爭論的原因有幾個：首先，海關人員有絕對權力讓旅客入境與否，把他們惹毛不是開玩笑的。此外，發展中國家在冷門關口的海關人員常有薪資過低的問題，給他一些小費『支持』他好好工作，不要隨便找旅客麻煩，我不覺得有太多不妥。另外，在語言隔閡下，被旅客認為的索賄說不定不是索賄。
先介紹幾個文章將會不斷出現的地點名稱，或是你可以直接跳到倒數第五段：
Palenque：以列為世界文化遺產的馬雅古城著名的觀光城市。
Bonampak：另一個以壁畫著名的馬雅古城，遺址岔路口位於Palenque南方115公里處。
Frontera corazon：岔路口與Bonampak岔路口位於同條公路上，為前往瓜地馬拉與另一個馬雅古城Yuchitan的搭船渡口。Yuchitan只能搭船前往，無公路到達。
Bonampak，Yuchitan兩個馬雅古城，和從Frontera corazon搭船到對岸的瓜地馬拉都在我的計畫中。至於要怎麼安排，費了一番腦筋。
Yuchitan只能搭船前往，Bonampak需要搭乘接駁車，雖然在我預定線路上，可是我發現由Palenque找旅行團前往比較便宜，來回含門票早午餐運輸等僅800pesos，約47美金，不含導遊，所有Palenque的旅行社行程都不含導遊。
翌日，Palenque到瓜地馬拉的兩個關口，為了安全考量，我決定走交通較不便的Frontera corazon，而不是整路舖柏油的El Ceibo。中間在小旅館過夜後，11/21續往關口前進。也就是說，Frontera Corazon我到訪兩次，一次是跟團去Yuchitan，一次是自己通關。
我在路上預想到瓜地馬拉的狀況。面對80公里的爛路，我不確定我有哪些選項，所以我列出一個絕對不能做的事：搭乘不熟的私人計程車。搭船到對岸的瓜地馬拉後，移民檢查處還有12公里，我怎麼知道我下車通關時，駕駛會不會趁亂把我的行李載走。
但是事情出奇順利。到了Frontera corazon，這個以生態旅遊為主軸之一的小鎮(雖然餐廳桌巾潔淨的詭異)，入住hotel Nueva Allianza，接下來我實在不敢相信自己的耳朵。
150pesos(9美金)住宿(共用浴廁)，300pesos搭船加包車載到Flores。
那麼便宜，而且完全不用傷腦筋，旅館人員十分好心，翌日早上他先帶我到墨西哥移民局蓋出境章，幫我打電話給不知道過哪國時間的官員來開門上工，接下來他帶我到渡船頭。更神奇的是，對岸有個旅遊資訊站，裡面有會說英語的服務員，真是中頭獎。而中頭獎的不只我，還有旅遊資訊站旁邊的換錢小販，因為我拿出快3000pesos跟他換錢，而他提供的匯率也比我兩天前查到的好。搭包車的除了我還有一對德國情侶，男的在爛路上吐得亂七八糟，不知道回去會不會收到『dear John』。看來今天跨界的應該就我們三人。我很高興我沒有騎爛路，除了路真的糟，原來的雨林(在墨西哥還看得到)幾乎砍伐殆盡，黃沙中，半點涼蔭也沒有。Flores雖然位於瓜地馬拉，但是沒有太多貧窮的樣貌，這裡以馬雅遺址聞名，也是我未來一週的重頭戲。
1/20 Palenque--hotel camino verde
11/21 --Frontera corazon
11/22 --Flores, Guatemala by transportation
I like to cross the border less traveled. It's challenging sometimes, but usually with fewer hassles. Unlike some travelers, I don't argue with the customs officers with the “fees of cleaning custom” or fees regarded as a bride for many reasons, which is quite common in developing countries. First, they have absolutely right to decide to let me in or not, and it's not fun to piss them off. Second, I never understand if it's really a bride under the communication barriers. And the immigration officers in the developing countries are usually less paid. For me, it doesn't matter to “tip” them for doing a better job and not to give the traveler a difficult time. I don't prefer to judge someone before I really understand him.
I would like to introduce some locations in this leg. Or you could skip these to the last 5 paragraphs.
Palenque: A charming small town famous for its Mayan city listed in UNESCO.
Bonampak: A Mayan ruins with amazing murals.
Yuxchitan: Another attractive Mayan ruins only accessible by boat from Frontera Corazon.
Frontera Corazon: The Mexico border village with boat launch to Yuxchitan and Guatemala.
The four places above are around the same route. But I found it was cheaper to join a group from Palenque to both ruins, Bonampak and Yuxchitan. My original plan was to to cycle to Frontera corazon and visit the two sites on my way to the border village. So I actually travelled the route twice, once in a van and the other on the paddle. The price of the tour was 800 pesos(47USD), including transportation(vehicle and boat), the entrance fees, and two meals. No one in Palenque provided a tour package with a guide.
After the day of the tour, I decided to take the border of Frontera corazon instead of El Ceibo. The first one, which travelers have to take a boat to cross the border line, received fewer visitors and thought to be safer. But there was 80 km of rugged dirt road on Guatemalan side. Instead of guessing what the situation I will encounter once I cross, I listed one thing that I should never try. That is, DO NOT TAKE A PRIVATE TAXI OR TO HITCHHIKE WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH. The immigration office was located 12 km from the boat launch and I didn't know if the drive will take my baggage away when I am “checking-in”.
But things went much smoother than I expected. I arrived in Frontera Corazon, a border town famous for its otherwise inaccessible Mayan city Yuxchitan and eco tour, although I found the table cloth restaurant in the hotel were too spotless. I asked the hotel staff about the information.
“150 pesos(9 USD) for a single room(public toilet) and 300 pesos for the boat/private transportation to Flores, Guatemala.”
Bingo. So cheap and so easy. The staff was very helpful. On the next morning, he took me to the Mexico immigration office, gave the officer a wake-up call when we found the office was closed at the time it should be open. Then he took me to the boat launch. After crossing the boundary river, the boater took me to the bus stand 100 meters away, where I found a helpful tourist information and also an English-speaking staff. I was so lucky as if I hit the jackpot when I realized everything went so well. And the money changer also hit the jackpot because I exchanged almost 3000 pesos with him.( He provided very good rate.). There were another German couple to join the van travel to Flores, and it seemed that we were the only three people to cross this remote border on the day. And I was glad to not cycle on the dusty and deforested leg without any shadow. I could see some rain forest on Mexico side but almost nothing left in Guatemala. Flores, located in Guatemala, without any poverty appearance, is well-known for the Mayan cities, and also my destination in the coming week.
搭船到對岸的瓜地馬拉
瓜地馬拉邊境Bethel
瓜地馬拉渡船頭的旅遊資訊站與接駁車
好心協助我安排交通運輸的旅館工作人員
路景，墨西哥的雨林還有樹，瓜地馬拉的雨林已成歷史
旅館房間 Nueva Allianza，這附近的村落都走純樸風，有吊扇，共用浴廁
墨西哥邊境小鎮Frontera corazon，也是往無道路抵達的Yuxchilan遺址渡船頭
走得比雞快的豬媽媽和豬孩子
