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realised that the first jolt I felt of acceleration was the difference
between a close call and a tragedy. Uncle Bernie has sped up just
in time to intercept the truck so that it didn't hit Uncle Pat! It was
so surreal to have that in my mind while I was packing supplies
in a backpack and readying myself to ride the bike next to Uncle
Pat so we could continue to cover the day's distance while the
police tried to clear the wreckage from the road. No cars were
getting through that road for hours and traffic was backed up as
far as the eye could see.
After about an hour of cycling next to Uncle Pat and trying
to get our minds off what had just happened, Andres, the federal
police officer travelling with us that day, had caught up to us and
had the driver of the truck from the accident in the passenger
seat. He checked to see if we were okay and let us know that they
were hoping to clear the road in the next 30 minutes. We asked
if the truck driver was okay and he gave us a thumbs up which
I couldn't help but notice was not accompanied with the usual
carefree smile, but a hollow and frightened stare. Andres then
proceeded to ask me if I could email him the photos that I took
at the scene of the crash, which is when it really struck home
that we are definitely NOT in Australia anymore. Andres told the
passenger—the very same truck driver who had just collided
with our Winnie after speeding past three police vehicles behind
us and ignoring their directions to slow down, who had flipped
his truck and missed Uncle Pat by no more than a foot was now
being instructed by the federal police officer—to take the steer-
ing wheel of the police vehicle while Andres found a piece of
paper and pen then proceeded to write down his contact details
for me, all the while not looking up to glance at the road once. I
could not help but laugh in disbelief!
august 20
We're about 65 kilometres from the border separating Mexico and
Guatemala. Another country conquered. I'll be glad to get Mexico
behind me, because it means I'm that much closer to the finish and
because the remaining countries of Central America that I'm going to
be running through—Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,
