Team Equipt's "Central America Expedition"

Alchemyguy

Observer
Great trip report, fantastic way to live!

I'm curious if the tire chains played nice with the Maxtrax. It's pretty common to chain up out here and I'd hate to invest in a set of Maxtrax to have them trashed up...
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Spoke with Pablo on the phone today, they are in need of a couple minor parts to keep them rolling smoothly. Waiting on a Mexico addy and they are ready to launch. Those 3 are having the time of their lives :cool:
 

Dgurley2000

Adventurer
Spoke with Pablo on the phone today, they are in need of a couple minor parts to keep them rolling smoothly. Waiting on a Mexico addy and they are ready to launch. Those 3 are having the time of their lives :cool:

Let me guess.... replacement bottle opener to replace their worn out one :) Paul, Ben, Beverly - hope you're enjoying yourselves thoroughly! Have you been to Zipolite yet?
 

benedmonson

Disabled Adventurer
Team Equipt's "Expedition Mundo Maya"

Thanks to everybody with their kind words and encouragement!! It makes staying up late in a thunderstorm downloading and editing pic's while fighting off killer mosquitos much easier knowing that there are people who actually take the time to view them and comment!:ylsmoke: Team Equipt is having the time of our lives down here this winter and don't want the trip to end. We actually have extended it by another 2-4 weeks because we are having so much fun and meeting some insanely cool people....

Just a little bit on the vehicles and how they are holding up. Paul's 1999 Land Cruiser 100 Series developed a small almost unnoticeable exhaust leak just before he left SLC. That was 7,300 miles ago and it has now turned into something that sounds more like a street stock car awaiting the first heat race on a Saturday night!:Wow1: Did I mention that it is all stock and has over 246,000 miles on it?
Benjie and Beverly's "Lucy" a 1997 Land Cruiser 80 Series with 224,000 miles on it developed a steering wobble after hitting about 10K Topo's along the way! The wobble has only happened a couple of time and we have traced it to the tie-rod end that if on the front drivers side. It hooks to the steering stabilizer and is easy to repair, if you were not in Mexico. Had this happened in Guatemala or lower it would have been fixed immediately, but here in Mexico they don't carry parts for our LC.
So all in all we have two land cruisers with a combined 470,000 miles on them with almost all stock parts and this is all of our trouble's, we couldn't be happier! Although we have many great friends in the Cruiser Community we called on our amigo Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters in SLC who has the parts in stock and will be shipping them to us in Sayulita where our good friend John Hartley lives. We will be staying there for some beach time before continuing our trip to Copper Canyon later this month.

Now if we can just get this thing they call the internet to speed up a little so we can upload some new pics........
 

benedmonson

Disabled Adventurer
Team Equipt's "Expedition Mundo Maya"

So after our hand cranked ferry rides in Belize and our sweet camp on Corozal Bay we headed into Mexico. This border crossing which is only 1 of 2 for Belize was much easier and we didn't get anymore of our beer taken!:victory: Once into Chetumal we headed for one of our favorite camp spots right on the water in Laguna Bacalar, but first stopped for some good cheap provisions and an oil change. Once we were set up in Bacalar we were joined by a really awesome couple who some of you may know as "Home on the Highway." James and Lauren are a very good looking couple that love to travel and are actually doing it! We all had a blast sharing stories and beer while watching a killer sunset on the lake. Bacalar is very unusual as it is fresh water with seven colors of blue that can be seen during midday when the sun is high. It also helps that it has white sandy bottom and is very shallow. This is one of Beverly's favorite places to swim and we can't keep the dogs out of the clear blue water either. This campsite has become a favorite of ours as we have returned here time and time again.

GPS:
N 18.65174º
W088.40901º
There is no sign and the old man in the hammock hasn't walked in 40 years so please do not haggle over the 75 pesos per person he charges:) It is the only place like this on the lake and I hope that development stays out for many more years. We also donated some medicine to the family.

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Camp on Laguna Bacalar. We love the grass as their is no sand to deal with and no shoes needed.

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The weird unexplained to us stone structures in the waters edge. Limestone I'm assuming and they are slippery like it. One of our team members took a complete face dive when stepping on one!

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James and Lauren of "Home on the Highway" you can view their site here: http://homeonthehighway.com

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Doing what we overlanders do best, TALK!

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More of the shore line right at camp.
 

benedmonson

Disabled Adventurer
Team Equipt's "Expedition Mundo Maya"

After our great visit to Laguna Bacalar we headed out to the coast and visited our great friends David and Ilana at www.costadecocos.com This is a place where the Parrot Head can live like a beach bum. You never know as the chief Parrot Head may walk in to the bar here anytime? Costa de Cocos is a fly fishing/diving haven. We have been visiting here to shoot for fly fishing magazines for years and never tire of living on island time.... The soft caribbean breeze and the Cuba Libre's never stop here, just the way we like it.

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Paul and Heather take a paddle out to see the reef which is the 5th largest in the world.

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A couple of the cook's take some time to do a little fishing. I was glad to hear that they were not fishing for our dinner as the fish were very small.

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They finally caught one of the little critters, just enough for about one bite from what I could tell....

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You be the judge???

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I'm continuing to take photos of my favorite cup from SnowPeak and they always seem to be with my favorite rum.

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A beach scene not far from here.

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Our poor "Lucy" had a run in with a crazy coconut, never ever park under these again!!!
 

benedmonson

Disabled Adventurer
Team Equipt's "Expedition Mundo Maya"

More images from our trip up the Caribbean Sea!

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The dive boat leaving camp for an afternoon trip, love the color of the water here!

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These are some serious reels for catching and landing tarpon, snook, bonefish and permit!

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Just saying....

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I never tire of looking at these trees.

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My lovely wife on the pier.

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you gotta love some serious fish tacos!!!

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A great fly fishing guide down this way is somebody you always want to have on your side.

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From the pier looking back to the restaurant.

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And when it was all said and done this english teacher from Pennsylvania did get snookered....

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Costa de Cocos...

I hope I didn't post too much of this place, but I just love chilling out and chasing some bones on the fly here!
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
Paul, Ben and other

I really enjoy your thread/images!!! this makes me really excited that we are putting the MayaRally together, so we many of us can also experience this great area in less than a year.

I hope you guys will be able to join us again!!!
 

benedmonson

Disabled Adventurer
Nathan, we are very fortunate to be able to swap out photos here and other places for room, board & Beer!!! That is how we roll.... Couldn't afford it any other way.

Christian, if at all possible Team Equipt will be at the Mayan Rally!
 

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