Whatthetenango?

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As the Ancient Myans did no believe in linier time, I´ll be writing this with them in mind.

shoshie
When I arrived at Flores, the diving board to Tikal (the biggest, baddest Myan ruins in all the land) I was accousted by a few lads saying "shoshie, shoshie". Assuming this was some Mayan diatect from this part of the land, I desperately searched my guide book for some kind of language help, but of course, "shoshie" sound a lot like "shoe-shine" and judging by those backened hands and wooden boxes they´re carrying.... well clearly, I´m an idiot.


Having a bad couple of days
(try and follow this)

So I want to get from Quetzaltenago to Antigua, check some lava-flowing volcanos, and get to Coban. OK.

Getting the chicken bus from Quetzaltenago I overshot my change over at chimaltenago and ended getting off at Chenaltenango, then back tracked to finally get to Antigua with enough time to MISS the volcano trip.

Next day, I got the bus from Antigua to Chimaltenango assuming I could get straight through to Coban....not a chance. "you have to go back to Guatemala city (opposite direction) to get to Coban" - why of course. Get to Guatemala City, loose my hat! catch a taxi across town, (which costs more than a bus half way across the country) get some food and get on a bus for Coban.

Finally. I Finally get to Coban, get another taxi 100 meters down the street to my Hostel, get in, get horrible allergies, get sick from food poisioning (from Gautemala shitty, I mean City), throw up and go to sleep.

No one said travelling would be easy.


the Miguel and Tie show
These guys were some of the craziest cats I´ve met so far. Hitching down from California, they did street performing, singing for their supper so to speak. They had their act down, and between singing rude songs, preaching from Miguel´s bible/notebook and being generally over-the-top they tought me some poi tricks, which I´ve since taken on.

Gringotenango
This is the name given to Panachel, on the shores of lago de Atitlan, becuase a bunch of very "out-there" gringos moved there in the 70´s, but the lake is spectacular. Surrounded by Volcanos the lake itself is a giant crater (up to 270m deep) and all the surronding villages are very chilled out, especially San Pedro. In fact, its so chilled out that the police don´t really even go there and the richest person in town is the woman who does the rounds selling chocolate cake in the early evening. Hmmm.

Tikal
Extensive, pristine and spectacular ruins. Even If there were no ruins you´d have to go, just to see the Túcan, monkeys, wierd rodent things and all manner of other birds and insects running around. I swear I even heard a Jaguar in the early hours of the morning - from the safety of my tent.

Well this is goodbye to Guatemala, for now. Thanks for the beer, thanks for the tortillas, thanks for the ancient ruins and thanks for not killing me in a chicken bus.


end transmission.

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Comments

[Manda]

pfft
If it was easy it would be boring and everyone would do it. And lets face it Gregory James - you never take the easy road. G'Luck Manda