to San Miguel: quest for a 700c wheel

June 15, 2017

"I think we should take a bus all the way to San Miguel" Patrick says this morning. Part of traveling is deciding how to deal with unexpected problems on the road and come to a decision after weighing the options and risks.

Patrick was able to bend the rim walls back and seat the tire with lower pressure in the inner tube. Do we risk riding on the soft tire and hope nothing more happens or worsens the problem? Or the rim could catastrophically fail to where you would not even be able to roll the bike with the gear or worse cause a crash. Internet searches and talking with our hotel host found no decent bike stores in Chocuteca. We contacted the two warmshowers hosts in town but have not heard back by this morning. The next larger town on our route is San Miguel in El Salvador so that is where we will bus to today.

Early, very early, we ride to the bus station a few blocks away and find a bus to the border town of El Amatillo. It's a chicken bus, and today that turns out to be an apt name. There is a 10 minute wait before we take off as the only passengers, but trolling for more. After another 30 minutes driving around the streets of Chocuteca we finally reach the main road. This bus is a hop on and hold on type of bus, as they pick up or let off passengers almost at a rolling stop and taking off again before passengers find a seat.

At one point there seems to be a macho race with another bus...almost causing an accident, as our bus passes the other bus then immediately has to stop to let off a passenger and the other bus passes only to also have to stop to pick up passengers. Then our bus catches up and he pulls over in front and blocking the other bus from taking off again. Periodically, the conductor has to jump off the bus and punch a time clock.

"This road would not be fun" Patrick says and Rachel thinks "not safe". There is no shoulder, the traffic is horrific and there is road construction going on. But we make it to the border unscathed by 10:00am, Patrick lifts bikes and gear off the bus while Rachel watches and counts the bags. Immigration goes quickly leaving Honduras with only a check of fingerprints from one hand, then crossing a couple hundred meters over a bridge to El Salvador side, there is no entry stamp in the passport or a fee to pay for El Salvador. Riding on, not far is the bus stand. Patrick asks the men, "San Miguel?" "Yes, right here" they indicate, a few minutes later, a bus backs up into the spot. At first, the driver says "no" to the bikes, then he has second thoughts and waves us to the back door for the bikes. They are loaded in the back row, the gear goes into the bus storage. This ride is more sedate and we arrive in Santa Rosa by 11:00am. So our first impressions of El Salvador is framed by a window, only seeing snapshots of peoples lives and not able to capture from a bus.

Just before stopping, the conductor gives Patrick a big explanation in Spanish about what is happening. After we got on the bus, he said this bus is only going to Santa Rosa, so we expected to have to find another bus. All the passengers get off, but the conductor indicates for us to stay on, the bus then goes through the city to a bus parking area. The driver then points to his watch and says 40 minutes. Patrick pieced together, the conductor as trying to let us know we could get off but we would only find small buses going on to San Miguel. When we didn't understand, the decision was made for us, just stay on this bus, wait and continue on in 40 minutes. Our first impression of the El Salvador people is that they are resourceful and helpful.

After the wait, we are off again, the road is much better and the ride goes quickly, we arrive in the rain to San Miguel. Just across the street from the bus station is the Kings Palace Hotel, checking it out, it's a nice room. There is a pool though with the rain not inviting right now, more importantly there is water and we do not waste time looking any further for a hotel. Patrick quickly heads out to look for a bike shop.

Google maps shows only one bike store in town so Patrick starts walking towards it, while Rachel shops for food supplies at the store next door. On the way to the bike shop, Patrick sees another bike store. The guy does not have any 700c rims, but he directs him around the block to another store that might.

It's a wild goose chase, but that's how these things typically go when you do not know the town.The second store looks promising, they have one 700c aero rim, but it is very narrow and he would have to build the wheel. It probably would not work with the wider tire we use. So Patrick keeps going, looking for the store shown on googlemaps. It does not exist. Back towards the town center, he walks again past that first store and goes in to explain his first suggestion did not pan out. He ponders the issue and decides there is another store that might be able to help. The directions are too complicated so he stops a taxi and tells him where to take Patrick. The shop is on the other side of the town and does not look like much at first. They do not have new 700c rims, but after some searching in the "back room" they find two wheels. One has a nice Belgium made Alesa rim, but it is a bit narrow. The other one is wider, but it is some unknown Chinese make. It also comes with a tire that still looks good. For $25 (El Salvador uses American dollars for currency) "I am set!" At least for a while. We doubt this wheel will last 7,000k, but hopefully it will get us back to the States where we can find something better. They spent another half hour cleaning the wheel and replacing the ball bearings with new ones.

With the new old wheel fitted in Patrick's bike, we walk to the city square and find a fast-food Chinese restaurant for an excellent dinner. Tomorrow we are rolling again!

Loading on the chicken bus to El Amatillo in Choluteca.

The driver in orange and his conductors. He drives like a maniac and almost kills us all.

Chicken bus. Old school buses from the USA.

During the ride many people hop on and off trying to sell food stuff.

At the Honduras - El Salvador border. We were warned to be careful here, but there are not a lot of people this time of day and things seem fine. We can see how that can be different though in hectic situations.

The bridge between Honduras and El Salvador. Patrick stops for an "exit interview".

Two guys from the Honduras tourism department interview us before we leave the county. We feel bad having to admit we only spent one night in their country.

Our first interactions with the El Salvador people are great. These three guys direct us to the right bus.

After first saying "no", the bus driver takes pity on us and loads the bikes in the rear seats of the bus. The bags go underneath.

Old US school bus now doing duty in El Salvador.

Guy selling cold drinks on the bus. He speaks excellent English and complains the sun has not been out for three days. It is not hot enough for his business.

The King Palace Hotel in San Miguel. Right across from the bus station.

Nice courtyard and pool at the King Palace Hotel in San Miguel.

San Miguel plaza. Notice the volcano in the background.

Today's ride: 1 km (1 miles)
Total: 33,256 km (20,652 miles)

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