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Published: November 24th 2012
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Moving towards the coast!
We decided to take an earlier bus from Tikal, so that meant we had to arrange a local transport instead of the prearranged bus. (Think small chicken bus.) At 11:00 (on time!) the bus arrived and we jumped right on it. We were extremely pleased to see that we were the only ones in the bus (extra-large minivan) and had our pick of the seats. We chose the first row of seats and started to get comfortable. However, one of the hotel staff approached us and said to get into the front passenger’s and middle seats. They looked small and cramped and we thought, out load but only to each other, are you nuts? The staff member assured us that we would find the smaller seats in the front much better in the long run. So, against our better judgment, we complied and moved to the cramped front seats.
The bus left promptly and stopped one hotel over to pick up more people. There was only one person waiting for the bus. He was an older guy who spoke Spanish and asked the driver to wait 5 minutes for his family. We didn’t mind, but
the bus driver seemed a bit miffed because he clearly had a schedule to keep. However, the bus driver did wait the requested five minutes but checked his watch constantly. After the five minutes, the man approached again and asked for another five minutes. The driver said, “No tango tiempo.” (I have no time.) Apparently, the man did not believe him and opened our passenger side door to better speak to the driver. Clay did not like that and we thought we may have an issue. However, then the man closed our door and opened the large side door and stepped inside. The man planted himself half in and half out of the bus, so that the driver could not leave. As this little power play continued, it became apparent that traveler was drunk. After a bit of arguing, the driver took off with the man half in and picked up some locals down the road. It was at this point that the driver tagged in a larger, meaner looking friend to chauffer the bus. The new driver tried to talk the man out of the bus but the man insisted that he was staying in the bus and waiting
for his family. So be it! We drove on some more, and the man would not get in or out. When we arrived at the park security, the officer tried to talk the drunken guy out of the bus. No luck. This guy was not getting out and he honestly believed that the driver would not leave with him in the bus. WRONG!!! The man started rambling about how Europeans are stuck to their schedules (who was European in the bus?!?!?). No one strong armed him, but the driver finally said that we were leaving with or without him in the bus. The man would not relent! So off we drove with the extra passenger. After about two kilometers, the man freaked out (we can only assume that he figured out the driver wasn’t stopping) and started yelling, “PARA!!!” (Stop) The driver did stop but again the guy refused to get off the bus because now we were literally in the jungle with a long walk either forward or backward. The driver asked the man if he would get out if we took him back to the gate and security, and the guy replied in the affirmative. So off we
went, IN REVERSE for a couple of kilometers. When we once again reached the gate, the security guy opened the door and the drunken guy literally fell out of the door. After some choice parting words for us and for the driver, the crestfallen man turned away from the bus and headed back to his hotel and family. Sixty second later, we were finally on our way!
Thereafter, the driver was driving about twice the speed limit in the rain (presumably to make up for lost time). As we said, we were told the front seats were best but we didn’t understand why. We now understand why! The “little bus that could,” dropped off and picked up a veritable potpourri of locals and their wares! The seats in the bus were filled, emptied and refilled again. There were old ladies with fruits, young people with wood and police officers changing shifts. With the addition of the police officers, we now understood why it was so important to maintain the schedule!
When we got to Flores (still Guatemala), we were let off at the bus station (big station, well, relatively speaking, called Santa Elena). The words “bus station” are
being applied very liberally here. It’s a parking lot with various buses, big and small, headed for just about everywhere. Once we were debarked and had a chance to look around the area, we hailed a Tuk-Tuk to take us to the hotel. Our hotel was called Casa Azul or the Blue House. Our driver was unable to locate our dear Casa Azul and somehow, we are not sure how, it was our fault. How dare we ask for a destination he didn’t know how to find. He eventually stopped and asked for directions. Perhaps he was embarrassed or perhaps he is just an inconsiderate ass, but he clearly was not happy with us at the end. (We tipped accordingly.) After our wonderful journey to the hotel was completed, we ventured inside and were very pleasantly surprised at how nice and charming it was. The clerk checked us in and took us upstairs (oh, the pain of my backpack, says Ann ß Ann wrote that!) to a very quaint Key-West style room. It had a nice bathroom and shower (put this in perspective with our previously discussed experiences). In addition, it had two bedroom and two beds, a stocked mini-bar
(at a price) and (insert drumroll here) an AIR CONDITIONER! We didn’t know they existed here! Much like the Loch Ness Monster of Big Foot, you know they exist but you never seem them. J
After settling in, we headed out to find lunch. What we found was a place down the road called “Cool Beans” and it was cool! (see photos). It was cheap, on the lake, and a mish-mash of historical and crazy things hung up everywhere and lacquered collages on the tables that had absolutely no connecting theme that we could discern. It was really relaxing and good people watching, so we hung out for quite a while. A “bucket of beer” special didn’t hurt the relaxing part at all! But, since we are beer wimps, we could not finish it.
Flores is an island, and there is not much there. We did walk around a bit, but it is mostly hotels. Flores is a good central point for taking trips to other things in Guatemala, but it is not, in itself, a destination for much else. We knew we had to get up early (5:45am), and so we went out to find a place
that we could carry out some sandwiches for the evening and for breakfast on the bus in the morning. The restaurant we found was completely awesome. It was located on the second floor of a building and had an open balcony overlooking the lake. The sun was setting and there was a rain storm just across the lake. It was absolutely beautiful to watch the rain slowly ease across the tranquil waters and to feel the breeze that pushed it. We sat for quite a while and had a cocktail (the first vodka (for Ann) and gin of (for Clay) the trip) while we enjoyed the view and waited for our food to be prepared. The owner happened to come along and we had a great conversation with him. He spoke perfect English. Ann found another friend in the form of yet ANOTHER silver/grey cat. He was quite a character and would only drink water out of a shot glass with ice in it. He would sit in a chair and drink his water from the bar top. Truly a hysterical sight to behold! The cat’s name was, “Chi Charro.”
When we arrived back at the hotel with our
meals “para llavar” (to go), we spoke to the clerk and she arranged our taxi for the morning at 6 a.m. to Santa Elena bus terminal. Tomorrow, on to the island life!
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