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Published: March 16th 2011
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I felt quite apprehensive on my arrival to Guatemala city having read a few days earlier about the 'bus wars' there where gang members get on buses as normal customers only to later shoot the driver in the head while the bus is moving and bail off before the bus crashes... due to the bus drivers not wanting to pay for 'protection' anymore...
My apprehension grew as I walked out of the terminal and there was noone waiting for me with a sign to take me to my hostel. I thought I may have to get on one of these crazy buses. And then, I hear some one shouting my name and turn round to see an amazingly friendly face smiling at me as a man with a puppy Shitsu walks over to me and introduces himself 'Manuel' and the dog 'Peanut'. He is the owner of the hostel, and we get in his car and off we go. Me now feeling a lot more relaxed with peanut sitting on my knee.
Quetalroo hostal was great, nice and relaxing, and the owner talks you through how to get to all the best places in Guatemala with how much things
should cost, the best hostels to stay in, he was a great help. He does free city tours too and takes you to the market to eat all the freaky foods they offer. On the city tour we got the bus back, on which I ended up sat next to a crazy drunk man who started telling me that I should trust no one, but should go back to his house with him, when the guy sat behind me started pulling on my arm and telling me to ignore the drunk man and started telling me I am too beautiful not have a man with me... luckily, soon after it was our stop so I escaped just in time!
My next stop was Lake Atitlan... which is just breathtaking. So beautiful. It took two 'chicken buses', a ride in the back of a pick-up with about 15 other people, and a small ferry boat (oversized canoe) to get to my destination - La Iguana Perdida, Santa Cruz. While there I did my altitude diving course, which was freezing, but very interesting and I fell in love with lake diving. It is eerie, spooky and somehow tranquil and calming at
the same time. But yeah, FREEZING! I stayed on the lake three nights (it would have been nicer to have stayed longer) and met some really nice American folk who I later met up with again in Antigua.
So after three days, off I went to Antigua, deciding to get a shuttle (mini bus that costs more but goes direct to your hostel) this time to save time. On the way a Canadian couple got in the who it turned out I had translated for in the hostel in Guatemala City, although I didn't recognise them - ooops. They had the same travel plans as me, Antigua for a night then on to Lanquín. We stayed at the same hostel in Antigua, the Black Cat, Emily and I doing some girly shopping in all the markets during the day, getting some bargains, then starting early on the cocktails before I headed out with the Americans to Cafe No Sé, a wonderful little place with a hidden room which you have to go through a tiny little door to get into.
The next day the Canadians and I headed off in our fantastically cheap shuttle (100 Q) to Lanquín.
We arrived at about three in the afternoon at the Zepher Lodge, which has to be the most special place in the world, a few hours before happy hour. The Zepher Lodge is a cheap hostel in the mountains in Lanquín with beautiful views and rivers all around and plenty of hammocks and a few dogs and cats scattered around which serves great food and drink too! Yeah, unbeatable. I got to my dorm to settle in and discovered there were TWO NORTHERNERS in my dorm!!!!! I had not seen a fully northern person for about 8 months at this point and it was a breath of fresh air :D
That night the Canadians and I stayed up drinking with Robin (fellow northerner) in hammocks. The next morning, luckily, I woke without a hangover as I was going caving and then to Semuc Champey. The caving consisted of swiming though caves with a candle to light the way and climbing the odd waterfall... the trick of course, being not to get the candle wet. It was a great experience although probably one of the most dangerous things I have done. It was fun and exhilerating. Semuc Champey was equally
as great. Beautiful pools of turquoise blue water left where a river gradually sunk underground which has created a system of natural slides in the rock. After an active day I arrived back at the lodge for happy hour before spending the night once again in hammocks having northern chat.
The next day, the northerners were heading to Flores and I decided to join them. Unfortunately the Canadians weren't up in time for me to say goodbye. Off we went on another long shuttle ride. We stayed in Los Amigos Hostel in Flores. The boys only had one night there before going to Belize, and I was not able to go with them so I stayed up as late as I could to make the most of the northerness, eventually falling asleep on a sofa.
The next morning I felt strangely sad and a bit alone, so I went for a wander around the town and arranged to go Tikal. Most people go to Tikal in the morning to watch the sunrise there... so I decided to go in the afternoon, when everyone tells you not to go because it's too hot. Having lived in Paraguay, I decided
that too hot no longer existed. I'm glad I decided this. I had the whole park to myself, apart from monkeys, birds and coatis. It was a magical afternoon of history and nature.
The next day off to Honduras I went.
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