March 23-31, 2013
Semana Santa, or Holy Week, was this past week. The National Holidays in Guatemala are Thursday and Friday, but I was lucky to have the entire week off. I decided to take advantage of it and visit some sights of Guatemala since when I arrived in January, I began work the following day and hadn't visited anywhere yet.
Although I could have extended the trip, I decided to make it a quick one. For one, I'm actually quite the "homebody" and wanted to have some downtime at home for a few days as well. And, two, I didn't want to leave my Loki-love for too long. I'm so fortunate to have lovely neighbors and friends who volunteered to care for him so he was well-looked after.
San Marcos, my town, is a big destination spot for many during Semana Santa, and as such, crime goes up LOTS during this week. I was really worried about leaving my house so in preparation, my landalord built me a "safe", we installed extra locks on the door and windows, and I had my friend's teenage sons come spend the night at the house while I was away. This helped keep the house safe, care for Loki, and gave the teenage boys a little escape from home for a few nights. It was a win-win!
So, come Saturday morning, Loki and I went for a quick walk around the lake and to buy a few stock items for the trip. Then, I grabbed my new e-bags backpack (a life-send, really. My favorite new bag ever. And combined with my new "bag in a bag", it's even better!) and set off to the town plaza to wait for my shuttle. It was set to arrive at 8 and I figured it would arrive around 9 or 9:30, typical Guatemalan time. But, to my surprise, it arrived around 8:10, just in time to save me from some black dog that decided I was prime meat. He kept humping my leg and was so strong I couldn't get the damn thing off me. Loki was freaking out trying to protect me and I was laughing so hard I didn't know what to do. Some guy finally helped get him off me and we had a joint effort, mainly Loki, trying to shoo him away.
I had considered buying a "package" bus deal to have all of my "bus" tickets ahead of time since it was Semana Santa and I was afraid the prices would go up. In the end, I decided not to since anything can happen here to delay and if I were sick, it rained, or the bus broke-down, etc. I would not have been able to change my ticket. It also worked out cheaper in the end for me not to buy the package.
Day 1: San Marcos to Flores (335 Q shuttle--should have been 70 to Guate and 160 to Flores)
So around 8, I piled into the van with a million other people and we drove to Guatemala City, arriving around 12. During that time, I changed shuttles twice, avoided a meltdown when I lost my chapstick at a rest stop and realized I would have none for the entire week but some Aussie chick had found it and gave it back, witnessed a road bike race, and confirmed my decision that moving to San Marcos was the best for me. Being amongst cars, traffic, noise, city-life is not for me. In fact, cities cause me lots of anxiety. I much prefer my pedestrian-only, lakeshore town of San Marcos.
I was dropped off at the bus station and had about 2 hours to kill before my bus took off to Flores. I was nervous when the shuttle driver just left me since I had no ticket in hand (but had paid for it) since you hear stories of people being ripped off like this. Luckily, the woman did have my ticket, although the price on the ticket was 160 Q and I paid 335 Q ($43) : ( Oh well, you live and learn. During my bus-station stay I met a couple from El Savlvador who were moving to Belize to look for work and a boy from Flores who has a chronic illness and comes to "Guate" (what we locals call the capital city) monthly for treatment. He was on his way home for Semana Santa and on my bus. We looked out for each other's bags during bathroom and food breaks. I had lunch at a very underwelcoming place across the street where they tried to serve me rotten mango-juice. I asked them to try it to see if the taste was right. They swore up and down that it was okay, never actually tasting it. Later, as I was eating (and not drinking the juice) I saw one of the workers sneak over, taste it, and then casually carry the bucket of juice (yes, bucket) to the back where I suspect they tossed it.
I was on the golden line of buses in Guatemala but still didn't have high expectations. It's a good thing since the double-decker bus I started on was comfortable, I had an entire row to myself and, there was a movie playing, all this with one minor hiccup---the air conditioning was broken and the windows did not open. So, about an hour into the ride, we changed buses to a broken-down, single-story, shitty-ass bus. The bathroom was disgusting, but I was just glad it existed at all. I had a row to myself for a good part of the ride, then was smooshed in for a good chunk as well. At least the windows opened on this one. I overheard another passenger say it was a 50Q bus (about $7).
We left Guate at 2pm and arrived to Flores around 12:30 am. We only stopped once and there weren't many options for food. Luckily, I had packed a small bag of just food so I was able to munch all day and buy water and fruit from the vendors on the bus. At one point, some officials got on the bus to search for fruit. I flat-out lied to the woman as she squeezed an entire bag of apples through my bag. Lucky for me, she sucks at her job and my expensive, yummy apples were saved.
Flores is a little island town in northern Guatemala. While nice in its own right, most people go there to visit the Mayan Ruins in the next town, Tikal. My first impressions of Flores as we drove in at night were of big shopping malls with pizza hut and payless, but as we crossed the bridge to Flores proper, I was pleasantly surprised. I had a reservation at a hotel and had called, several times to confirm that they wouldn't give away my room since I would be arriving late. Sure enough, when I arrived at nearly 1am, I was greeted with a "Oh, sorry, we had to give away your room because there was a big group." Fortunately, she walked me next door to Hotel La Jungla and they gave me a room and could not have been more accommodating throughout my stay.
They gave me a room close to the reception so I didn't have to go far so late but mentioned that I'd have to change the next day when a big group came. At that point, all I wanted was a bed so I didn't care. The room also had a tv so I fell asleep to Extreme-Couponers and A League of Their Own. The hot water and pressure in the shower were great--it was so nice to shower! In the morning, I changed to another room. It was on the 3rd floor, bigger, and had a balcony...but no tv. While I'm normally not a tv fan, this was a vacation for me and I wanted the option. I asked about another room but they were all full and they wouldn't be able to confirm until the afternoon. Lo and behold, when I got back from touring all day, they found me a room with a tv, better view, and my stuff was all there and waiting for me!
Day 2: Tikal Ruins (Shuttle from Flores to Tikal 80Q RT; Park 150Q)
The hotel helped me arrange a shuttle to get to Tikal Ruins (film site of Apocalypto), even buying the ticket for me when the guy never showed up (80Q RT). I rode the 1.5 hours in the van listening to the guide say very different things in Spanish and English. In Spanish, it seemed as though he would just drop us off and in English it sounded like he'd be a guide. I asked him about it and he told me that one family had paid for a private tour but if I wanted to join I could...so I did! I regretted this decision a few times as we walked around in the HEAT for FIVE hours, but glad I did : ) I was also lucky to pay the "local" price as the entrance fee to the park (25Q) versus the 150 Q tourist price.
The tour of the ruins was great. It was fascinating to learn about the history of the Mayans and to interact with the lovely family from Norway. Guatemala has over 20 indigenous languages, and according to my guide, Guarani (the native language in Paraguay) is derived from Guatemala...I'll have to look into that one. Also according to him, Guatemala was originally "Coat' malan" which meant land of many colors.
I arrived back at the hotel around 5, bought my ticket for travels the next day, had a fantastic shower, and then wandered the streets of Flores a bit, watching locals swim in the lake. I stopped for dinner at a water-front place and had an excellent seafood meal while watching the sunset. The entire town reminded me of Luang Prabang, Laos. I was back in my room by 7pm and watched Mtvs "Catfish" until I fell asleep.
Day 3: Flores to Semuc Champey (Shuttle 125 Q to Lanquin, free to hotel--should have been 80Q to Lanquin)
I woke up early and went for a run around the lake. As I started, I saw 3 guys running so I joined up with them. They were from Flores and one worked for the Board of Ed. I would have liked to run longer and talk more, but I had to rush back to catch my shuttle to Semuc Champey. I was happy to at least have my body move a little since it was another long travel day. As I got ready, I tried to unplug my ipod charger and got shocked! It was a bit unnerving and I called the hotel staff to unplug it for me after that.
The shuttle van was over an hour and a half late. At one point, I saw a van drive by, really full, and thought to myself, "gee, I'm glad that wasn't mine." One minute later, a girl walked up to get me and, sure enough, it was mine. I had to climb over 5 rows of seats to get to the very back row where they smooshed 6 of us in. This was really fun for both my sciatica and claustrophobia. There was absolutely no inch of space left in the van when they stopped to pick up 4 more people. At that point, 5 people decided to get off and take a "chicken bus" instead. In the end, there were 26 of us in the van and I only had to share the back row with 3 other people. By that point, it felt luxurious big--it's all relative! On a side note, for those of you concerned about traveling alone as a female, out of 26 people on the shuttle, only 4 were guys!
Right before my trip, I had posted about missing my Dutch boys. The Universe listened and sent me some lovely Dutch people on this shuttle :) It was a good thing too because during the journey, we were hit with a rainstorm and the driver had to climb on the roof to tie a tarp on the bags. The Dutch boys climbed up and helped while we girls stayed inside nice and dry. I was lucky because my lovely new eBag is smaller than a normal backpacking pack so I was the only person with their bag inside the bus and with dry clothes upon arrival!
The trip lasted a long time. Along the way, I saw many sights. One thing that stood out was the dress of the women in this region. In my area, the women's "skirts" are literally just a piece of fabric wrapped around and tied with a sash (much like the dress in Cambodia). But in the northern region, they use similar fabric and patterns but it's sewn into an actual skirt. Anyway, we were supposed to leave at 8 but didn't actually leave until 10:30. They said we'd arrive by 2...we got to Lanquin around 5:30pm. We arrived to the center or town in Lanquin and a bunch of pickup trucks, jeeps, etc. from all the hotels were waiting to drive everyone to their hostels. There were only 3 of us going to mine and I was anxious to arrive to the hostel. But, the girl had to stop at the health center so I had to wait another 1.5 hours before arriving. During that time, I grabbed dinner and met some Brits who were in country for a wedding.
I stayed at Utopia Eco Lodge and enjoyed it a lot. We arrived after dark and were pleased to learn that the "no electricity after 10pm" rule is no longer in effect. I had booked a dorm bed but was starting to feel a bit sick so I splurged for a private room and was glad I did since I ended up waking up not feeling well several times. I also had to pee about 6 times during the night and was able to do so in a bottle in the room instead of having to disrupt everyone and venture downstairs and outside in the dark.
In the daylight of the morning, I was able to see the true beauty of the hotel as it's set in the rainforest, along the river. The hotel reminded me of Bamboo Island in Cambodia as it also had a system where each person gets a tab for food, drinks, etc. and pays at the end, had a limited USB stick of internet usage, and one communal area where everyone comes to eat, relax. All the food is vegetarian and one set meal (no menu). Since I wasn't feeling well, I only had 2 meals there, but they were both really good.
At breakfast, I met a few people, including a guy from Malta and a couple from Canada and we all decided to hike to Semuc Champey National Park together. It was a bit rainy still but we set off anyway. It was about a 40 minute walk along the river to the park. Along the way, several trucks full of people passed, including one with a family from my school! I later ran into them at the park, along with my new Dutch friends. Once at the park, I was able to sweet-talk my way into the local entrance price again (25Q vs. 75Q) and we enjoyed an hour hike to the top to see the views of the waterfalls below. It was quite beautiful, but took all my energy out of me and I really started to feel sick. So, after dipping my feet a bit in the water, I decided to call it a day while the others stayed to swim. Again, the park reminded me of the Kuang Si falls outside of Luang Prabang--almost eerily so.
I decided to splurge for a ride back since I wasn't feeling up to the 40 minute hike back. And, of course, couldn't find any rides. I started to walk back and only made it a few minutes before calling the hotel to see if they could pick me up. As I sat (laid down, actually) on the side of the road, I saw the same family from Norway from Tikal. Also, a guy pulled up who I had seen at the Tikal ruins and offered me both a ride and/or to sit in his car while I waited for the hotel. I love the trust and comradery amongst ex-pats.
Remi, the French co-owner of the hotel, showed up a few minutes later and drove me back in the pickup. Back at the hotel, I had lunch and then a 2 hour nap. In the evening, I watched movies in the lounge (40 Days and 40 Nights and Y Tu Mama Tambien), ate dinner, bought my shuttle ticket for the next day and paid my tab, and then called it a night. I was joined in my room by a Russian guy who grew up in Colorado and works as a Forest Ranger. He had been camping but was camped out from the rain and didn't have anywhere to stay. He shared the room with me (no funny business) and split the cost so it helped us both out. Turns out he knew a guy in my town too...small world!
Day4: Semuc Champey to San Marcos (Shuttle--I paid 280Q and I'm sure it should be MUCH cheaper)
I was up at 4:30 am to get ready for a 5am shuttle. I wasn't sure if it would be on time since it's Guatemala, and it was raining. At 5 am, I sat at the bottom of the hill and saw a truck pull up and honk it's horn. I began the climb up the hill, which turned into more of a slip-and-slide and fight to stay afoot in the muddy rain. My flip-flops kept sliding and sticking at the same time and I almost fell several times. I was trying to hurry as I saw the truck turn and then there was silence. No lights, no sounds. I thought for sure the truck had just left me and I almost gave up and headed back down the hill. Luckily, I continued and made it to the top to find the truck still there. We stopped to pick up about 16 more people (I was the first one on and secured a seat inside the cab while the others were in the back, in the rain) and arrived to Lanquin around 6:30 am. As we huddled ourselves into the shuttle there, I was again fortunate for my eBag since I was able to grab and go and get a good window seat in the shuttle while the others had to wait for their bags. I had time for a quick bathroom stop and to buy water. As I got in the van, I noticed my favorite Norwegian family yet again!
We left Lanquin around 7am and made it to Antigua around 2pm. We only stopped once around 8:30 am at a McDonald's. There was a mall next door so I ran in there and found a grocery store so got some nuts and fruit. It was a good thing because we didn't stop the entire rest of the day. I was supposed to have an hour in Antigua to grab lunch but since we arrived late, there was no time. We arrived, I hopped off (small eBag in hand) and literally ran to pee and then catch the shuttle. And then I watched as we left behind the 6 other Dutch who were supposed to come but were getting their bags off the roof of the first shuttle. I told the driver, but he didn't care and kept going.
We only stopped once at a gas station and I ordered a quesadilla since I was about to die (it was now almost 5pm and all I had eaten all day was a banana, chips, and a few nuts). By the time we arrived in San Marcos, it was almost 7pm. I was SOOO excited to be home. It was a great feeling to really have it feel like "home" after only 2 months. And, the best part of all was my Loki-love greeting me as I stepped out of the shuttle. He was down in the plaza chilling with his friends and had impeccable timing. He barely let me walk home he was so excited to see me. The feeling was mutual.
Back in town, the next day, I gathered my laptop, money and passport from Josh' safe, met his parents, went to San Pedro to see the "Alfombras" and spent the rest of the day lounging at the lake, joined by a local family at my school, kayaking, and enjoying being home. It was beautiful and a great Holy Week experience in Guatemala.
Semana Santa, or Holy Week, was this past week. The National Holidays in Guatemala are Thursday and Friday, but I was lucky to have the entire week off. I decided to take advantage of it and visit some sights of Guatemala since when I arrived in January, I began work the following day and hadn't visited anywhere yet.
Although I could have extended the trip, I decided to make it a quick one. For one, I'm actually quite the "homebody" and wanted to have some downtime at home for a few days as well. And, two, I didn't want to leave my Loki-love for too long. I'm so fortunate to have lovely neighbors and friends who volunteered to care for him so he was well-looked after.
San Marcos, my town, is a big destination spot for many during Semana Santa, and as such, crime goes up LOTS during this week. I was really worried about leaving my house so in preparation, my landalord built me a "safe", we installed extra locks on the door and windows, and I had my friend's teenage sons come spend the night at the house while I was away. This helped keep the house safe, care for Loki, and gave the teenage boys a little escape from home for a few nights. It was a win-win!
So, come Saturday morning, Loki and I went for a quick walk around the lake and to buy a few stock items for the trip. Then, I grabbed my new e-bags backpack (a life-send, really. My favorite new bag ever. And combined with my new "bag in a bag", it's even better!) and set off to the town plaza to wait for my shuttle. It was set to arrive at 8 and I figured it would arrive around 9 or 9:30, typical Guatemalan time. But, to my surprise, it arrived around 8:10, just in time to save me from some black dog that decided I was prime meat. He kept humping my leg and was so strong I couldn't get the damn thing off me. Loki was freaking out trying to protect me and I was laughing so hard I didn't know what to do. Some guy finally helped get him off me and we had a joint effort, mainly Loki, trying to shoo him away.
I had considered buying a "package" bus deal to have all of my "bus" tickets ahead of time since it was Semana Santa and I was afraid the prices would go up. In the end, I decided not to since anything can happen here to delay and if I were sick, it rained, or the bus broke-down, etc. I would not have been able to change my ticket. It also worked out cheaper in the end for me not to buy the package.
Day 1: San Marcos to Flores (335 Q shuttle--should have been 70 to Guate and 160 to Flores)
So around 8, I piled into the van with a million other people and we drove to Guatemala City, arriving around 12. During that time, I changed shuttles twice, avoided a meltdown when I lost my chapstick at a rest stop and realized I would have none for the entire week but some Aussie chick had found it and gave it back, witnessed a road bike race, and confirmed my decision that moving to San Marcos was the best for me. Being amongst cars, traffic, noise, city-life is not for me. In fact, cities cause me lots of anxiety. I much prefer my pedestrian-only, lakeshore town of San Marcos.
I was dropped off at the bus station and had about 2 hours to kill before my bus took off to Flores. I was nervous when the shuttle driver just left me since I had no ticket in hand (but had paid for it) since you hear stories of people being ripped off like this. Luckily, the woman did have my ticket, although the price on the ticket was 160 Q and I paid 335 Q ($43) : ( Oh well, you live and learn. During my bus-station stay I met a couple from El Savlvador who were moving to Belize to look for work and a boy from Flores who has a chronic illness and comes to "Guate" (what we locals call the capital city) monthly for treatment. He was on his way home for Semana Santa and on my bus. We looked out for each other's bags during bathroom and food breaks. I had lunch at a very underwelcoming place across the street where they tried to serve me rotten mango-juice. I asked them to try it to see if the taste was right. They swore up and down that it was okay, never actually tasting it. Later, as I was eating (and not drinking the juice) I saw one of the workers sneak over, taste it, and then casually carry the bucket of juice (yes, bucket) to the back where I suspect they tossed it.
I was on the golden line of buses in Guatemala but still didn't have high expectations. It's a good thing since the double-decker bus I started on was comfortable, I had an entire row to myself and, there was a movie playing, all this with one minor hiccup---the air conditioning was broken and the windows did not open. So, about an hour into the ride, we changed buses to a broken-down, single-story, shitty-ass bus. The bathroom was disgusting, but I was just glad it existed at all. I had a row to myself for a good part of the ride, then was smooshed in for a good chunk as well. At least the windows opened on this one. I overheard another passenger say it was a 50Q bus (about $7).
We left Guate at 2pm and arrived to Flores around 12:30 am. We only stopped once and there weren't many options for food. Luckily, I had packed a small bag of just food so I was able to munch all day and buy water and fruit from the vendors on the bus. At one point, some officials got on the bus to search for fruit. I flat-out lied to the woman as she squeezed an entire bag of apples through my bag. Lucky for me, she sucks at her job and my expensive, yummy apples were saved.
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| Lakeside sunset in Flores |
They gave me a room close to the reception so I didn't have to go far so late but mentioned that I'd have to change the next day when a big group came. At that point, all I wanted was a bed so I didn't care. The room also had a tv so I fell asleep to Extreme-Couponers and A League of Their Own. The hot water and pressure in the shower were great--it was so nice to shower! In the morning, I changed to another room. It was on the 3rd floor, bigger, and had a balcony...but no tv. While I'm normally not a tv fan, this was a vacation for me and I wanted the option. I asked about another room but they were all full and they wouldn't be able to confirm until the afternoon. Lo and behold, when I got back from touring all day, they found me a room with a tv, better view, and my stuff was all there and waiting for me!
Day 2: Tikal Ruins (Shuttle from Flores to Tikal 80Q RT; Park 150Q)
The hotel helped me arrange a shuttle to get to Tikal Ruins (film site of Apocalypto), even buying the ticket for me when the guy never showed up (80Q RT). I rode the 1.5 hours in the van listening to the guide say very different things in Spanish and English. In Spanish, it seemed as though he would just drop us off and in English it sounded like he'd be a guide. I asked him about it and he told me that one family had paid for a private tour but if I wanted to join I could...so I did! I regretted this decision a few times as we walked around in the HEAT for FIVE hours, but glad I did : ) I was also lucky to pay the "local" price as the entrance fee to the park (25Q) versus the 150 Q tourist price.
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| Me and a ruin. |
I arrived back at the hotel around 5, bought my ticket for travels the next day, had a fantastic shower, and then wandered the streets of Flores a bit, watching locals swim in the lake. I stopped for dinner at a water-front place and had an excellent seafood meal while watching the sunset. The entire town reminded me of Luang Prabang, Laos. I was back in my room by 7pm and watched Mtvs "Catfish" until I fell asleep.
Day 3: Flores to Semuc Champey (Shuttle 125 Q to Lanquin, free to hotel--should have been 80Q to Lanquin)
I woke up early and went for a run around the lake. As I started, I saw 3 guys running so I joined up with them. They were from Flores and one worked for the Board of Ed. I would have liked to run longer and talk more, but I had to rush back to catch my shuttle to Semuc Champey. I was happy to at least have my body move a little since it was another long travel day. As I got ready, I tried to unplug my ipod charger and got shocked! It was a bit unnerving and I called the hotel staff to unplug it for me after that.
The shuttle van was over an hour and a half late. At one point, I saw a van drive by, really full, and thought to myself, "gee, I'm glad that wasn't mine." One minute later, a girl walked up to get me and, sure enough, it was mine. I had to climb over 5 rows of seats to get to the very back row where they smooshed 6 of us in. This was really fun for both my sciatica and claustrophobia. There was absolutely no inch of space left in the van when they stopped to pick up 4 more people. At that point, 5 people decided to get off and take a "chicken bus" instead. In the end, there were 26 of us in the van and I only had to share the back row with 3 other people. By that point, it felt luxurious big--it's all relative! On a side note, for those of you concerned about traveling alone as a female, out of 26 people on the shuttle, only 4 were guys!
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| Views from the back of the van. There's still another half of the van to the right you can't see... |
Right before my trip, I had posted about missing my Dutch boys. The Universe listened and sent me some lovely Dutch people on this shuttle :) It was a good thing too because during the journey, we were hit with a rainstorm and the driver had to climb on the roof to tie a tarp on the bags. The Dutch boys climbed up and helped while we girls stayed inside nice and dry. I was lucky because my lovely new eBag is smaller than a normal backpacking pack so I was the only person with their bag inside the bus and with dry clothes upon arrival!
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| Rain storm en route |
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| Dutch boy saving the day by tying a tarp over the bags on the roof. |
I stayed at Utopia Eco Lodge and enjoyed it a lot. We arrived after dark and were pleased to learn that the "no electricity after 10pm" rule is no longer in effect. I had booked a dorm bed but was starting to feel a bit sick so I splurged for a private room and was glad I did since I ended up waking up not feeling well several times. I also had to pee about 6 times during the night and was able to do so in a bottle in the room instead of having to disrupt everyone and venture downstairs and outside in the dark.
In the daylight of the morning, I was able to see the true beauty of the hotel as it's set in the rainforest, along the river. The hotel reminded me of Bamboo Island in Cambodia as it also had a system where each person gets a tab for food, drinks, etc. and pays at the end, had a limited USB stick of internet usage, and one communal area where everyone comes to eat, relax. All the food is vegetarian and one set meal (no menu). Since I wasn't feeling well, I only had 2 meals there, but they were both really good.
At breakfast, I met a few people, including a guy from Malta and a couple from Canada and we all decided to hike to Semuc Champey National Park together. It was a bit rainy still but we set off anyway. It was about a 40 minute walk along the river to the park. Along the way, several trucks full of people passed, including one with a family from my school! I later ran into them at the park, along with my new Dutch friends. Once at the park, I was able to sweet-talk my way into the local entrance price again (25Q vs. 75Q) and we enjoyed an hour hike to the top to see the views of the waterfalls below. It was quite beautiful, but took all my energy out of me and I really started to feel sick. So, after dipping my feet a bit in the water, I decided to call it a day while the others stayed to swim. Again, the park reminded me of the Kuang Si falls outside of Luang Prabang--almost eerily so.
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| Semuc Champey, Guatemala |
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| Kuang Si Falls, Laos |
Remi, the French co-owner of the hotel, showed up a few minutes later and drove me back in the pickup. Back at the hotel, I had lunch and then a 2 hour nap. In the evening, I watched movies in the lounge (40 Days and 40 Nights and Y Tu Mama Tambien), ate dinner, bought my shuttle ticket for the next day and paid my tab, and then called it a night. I was joined in my room by a Russian guy who grew up in Colorado and works as a Forest Ranger. He had been camping but was camped out from the rain and didn't have anywhere to stay. He shared the room with me (no funny business) and split the cost so it helped us both out. Turns out he knew a guy in my town too...small world!
Day4: Semuc Champey to San Marcos (Shuttle--I paid 280Q and I'm sure it should be MUCH cheaper)
I was up at 4:30 am to get ready for a 5am shuttle. I wasn't sure if it would be on time since it's Guatemala, and it was raining. At 5 am, I sat at the bottom of the hill and saw a truck pull up and honk it's horn. I began the climb up the hill, which turned into more of a slip-and-slide and fight to stay afoot in the muddy rain. My flip-flops kept sliding and sticking at the same time and I almost fell several times. I was trying to hurry as I saw the truck turn and then there was silence. No lights, no sounds. I thought for sure the truck had just left me and I almost gave up and headed back down the hill. Luckily, I continued and made it to the top to find the truck still there. We stopped to pick up about 16 more people (I was the first one on and secured a seat inside the cab while the others were in the back, in the rain) and arrived to Lanquin around 6:30 am. As we huddled ourselves into the shuttle there, I was again fortunate for my eBag since I was able to grab and go and get a good window seat in the shuttle while the others had to wait for their bags. I had time for a quick bathroom stop and to buy water. As I got in the van, I noticed my favorite Norwegian family yet again!
We left Lanquin around 7am and made it to Antigua around 2pm. We only stopped once around 8:30 am at a McDonald's. There was a mall next door so I ran in there and found a grocery store so got some nuts and fruit. It was a good thing because we didn't stop the entire rest of the day. I was supposed to have an hour in Antigua to grab lunch but since we arrived late, there was no time. We arrived, I hopped off (small eBag in hand) and literally ran to pee and then catch the shuttle. And then I watched as we left behind the 6 other Dutch who were supposed to come but were getting their bags off the roof of the first shuttle. I told the driver, but he didn't care and kept going.
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| Women walking in the Good Friday Procession |
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| "Carpets" made from sawdust. Others from fruit, veggies, grass, etc. |
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| Making the sawdust carpet for the parade. |
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| 2 of these 3 cuties go to my school |
There are many places which are worth the visit. You need to choose the one which can help you relax and leave all the worries behind. Therefore it is required to choose a top notch destination and make the most of your trip.
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