After almost 6 months riding through Mexico, I have finally entered Guatemala. I can’t even begin to describe how good it feels to be here. My beautiful horses have now reached legend status as far as I’m concerned. I’m so proud of Bruiser, Frenchie and Dude! They are my heroes.

Central America is a magical land. When I was 18-years-old, I backpacked from Guatemala to Panama. Traveling by bus I fell in love with this place. Life is simple and calm. The landscape is breathtaking and the people are extraordinary.

Fresh out of high school, I followed the “Gringo Trail,” south bouncing from hostel to hostel. I met a lot of people traveling from all over the globe and saw a lot of volcanoes, ruins and beaches. It was a completely different trip then the one I am on now.

I am super excited to enter the interior of Central America and see how people live. This is the beauty of traveling horseback. It gives you an opportunity to travel as a local, to enter peoples homes and see their reality. It is a unique experience.

Through the small border town of El Ceibo I entered Guatemala around 3:00pm on Monday, July 15. I got my passport stamped and found a place to rest the horses for the night. Being near the border, I thought it would be better to start my ride the next morning. This is a hot spot for drugs entering Mexico on route the United States.

In recent years the drug traffic has turned Guatemala into one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Just two years ago, 27 campesinos were slaughtered and decapitated on a ranch near La Libertad – where I will be in a week’s time.

I trust that just like in northern Mexico, the local people will help keep the horses and I safe.