Xela to Antigua Guatemala

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July 5th,

Left the shared house yesterday as they had booked my room out, but it was good, because we all had some pizza and watched a movie before I checked into a hostel for the night. The hostel was cheap only, 35 Q, bargain for a bed, but a little noisy due to the traffic at six in the morning, and a little painful, not sure if I had bed bugs for company last night, but something bit me!

Just before 6 this morning I could here a girl from the house that I had just moved out of. I actually thought I was in my old room for a minute, but it was Josan and Rhainon, waiting for the bus outside of the hostel that I was staying in. Man she can't half talk for that time in the morning, and so loud! Going to miss that place.

After visiting the doctor in the morning, (everything is ok, and the secretary greeting me with "Hola Fillipe, Inglaterra es moi malo, en de cup del mundo"), I made my way to the bus terminal in Xela, my shoulders are still hurting, as although I through out a lot of things to reduce the load, my stuff was way heavy. One backpack, one guitar and one "recycling" bag full of Spanish books and shoes tied on the sides all over the place. I looked very strange!

I managed to get a micro bus from the terminal, not sure how that happened, some dude just asked where I was going, grabbed a bag of mine, and I took chase, to find him putting my stuff in the micro bus. They put my main bag on the roof, and for the full duration I kept checking the rear window to make sure that my bag wasn't lying on the floor behind us. On the way to Antigua, there were many landslides, meaning that some times we were driving on the other side of the road, only once was it scary with another car coming head on with us, great driving, but think I'd have just hung back if it were me driving.

To get to Antigua from Xela, you have to get a connecting bus from Chimaltenango? Not sure of the spelling,. so after rushing out from the back seat of the microbus,dropping books over the place I waited for the connecting chicken bus to come through. This place is a little unkind, have heard some bad stories from friends about travellers waiting for a bus, and being robbed, so I was on alert. No problems for me though. Different matter for some lady with a very young child who got of the chicken bus, (it would turn out my chicken bus to Antigua), I don't know what happened but she got of the bus and before I knew if she was on her backside, and she fell on her very young child. she was crying out for the police, and no one would help her, (I didn't, and am feeling guilty for not doing so, but hey I've only just worked out what I'm ordering in the cafes for lunch, so my Spanish would not have been advantageous), so after five minutes of her hitting some chap full in the face, things started to calm down, everyone was watching but not helping. The fella ran off and I thought it was the end of it. After getting on the bus, and sitting and the very back, I heard "Watch out, or something like that, haven't learnt that word in Spanish yet!", and next thing i know a rock has hit the rear window, just behing my neck, fortunately, it didn't break and we carried on for Antigua.

Well drama over, or so I thought, only to end up in the bus Terminal in Anitigua, I missed the stop I wanted to get of, and as a result had to walk another half hour or so to get to the hostel, that I am currently in. Well I made it!

I've booked my ticket for tomorrow, and am listening to some Manu Chao to get me in the mood. Leaving here at 9 in the morning, heading to Guatemala City, then El Salvidor, night stay there and then Nicaragua, from where I'll update you (the family).

Love and miss you all, sorry for lack of photo's but trying to keep up the hobo look at the moment, not sure flashing my camera all over the place will help me out!.

Really going to miss living in Xela, so hope that I can return in the near future. On a bright note, I've been speaking Spanish to the fells who work in this hostel, whilst everyone else is happy to be speaking English. Made a decision, total immersion from now on!

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Comments

[MJKite]

Awesome
Hey Phil, great read... sounds like an absolute adventure! Can't wait to read some more :)