yesterday afternoon i arrived in guatemala with no real plan but a few ideas. my hope was to find some other backpackers on the plane, see where they were off to and if it sounded cool i'd split a taxi. well the flight was a whole lot of guatemalans and for what i could see nada backpackers, mmmm poco problemo. one thing i was and am cognizant of is the danger factor in guatemala and specifically in guate city (where the airport is). not wanting to start my trip off with a knife in my gut i quickly struck up a, well i can't call it a conversation as he spoke no english and my spanish is about as good, with my row mate edgar and this kind man offered to barter with a taxi to ensure my safety and help to organize how to get to ... somewhere else (at times like those a plan can come in handy though at other time or most times plans stifle my soul). while waiting for our baggage, having literally waltzed through customs i noticed what i thought was a canadian passport being carried by a bearded ginger haired dude, aha i thought this is my opportunity. wasting no time i went over to him and his two traveling companions. introducing myself and asking where they were going, "antigua" they said..."cool"said i, "want to split a taxi?" and that was that. the taxi ended up being much cheaper than the shared bus with questionable departure times. it was dark when we arrived in antigua so the only logical thing to do would be to check in to some form of accommodations then find a restaurant to fill the ever growing void in me belly and to begin sampling guatemalan beer. a bit of a tradition when i arrive in a new country, decide which local beer is my favourite and then become it's unofficial spokes person i.e. cuba - cervesa crystal, indonesia - bir bintag, prague - staropramen etc, etc...
dinner turned into more drinks at this wicked salsa club with a solid band. the pianist was playing both guitar and a piano AT THE SAME TIME, i love latin music it gets in your soul and just wont let go. many a cervesa later me and the two ozzies (one left after dinner) made our way home, staying at different hostels but a mere block away, great for safety! the sky was packed with stars, the streets were quiet and we ended up chatting out there for another 45 minutes. good times.
the late hour nor the 4 separate sleep interruptions as drunken guest returned to their beds did not deter me for an early rise for one of my favourite rituals, an early morning wander around a new town with my camera in tow. today was exciting as i was sporting my brand new wide angle lens making for some interesting photos. (see below) that takes us to NOW. once this is posted then i am off to my new friends hostel to meet up for some breakfast....mmmm breakfast.
talk soon
Hey D,
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear that you are there and safe. Great pictures, it looks like a beautiful place! I'm looking forward to following you on your adventure!
Love you!
Lara
Hey Damon,
ReplyDeleteYou can probably chill out a bit about security, for sure in Antigua. No one is eager to stick a knife in your gut.
When i arrived I ended up walking from the Airport all the way to downtown Guate City (had to spend a night in the city due to luggage delay). You've got a foot of height on everyone there--so remember that if anything happens you could easily just run away. Machetes are all over the place but you're very unlikely to run into anyone with a gun.
I never felt unsafe at any point while I was there, and i never heard any first-hand accounts of robbery while there. A friend had his bag cut in Antigua, and didn't realize it until he had gotten back to a hotel (cash was taken). So watch out for that--but it's a very different thing form being directly threatened.
Anyway i'm sure the cervezas have eased you up a bit. Relax! You have enough travel experience that you'll be fine.
I ended up going with Gallo while i was down there. Can't remember the other brand.
Dave
lara, thanks and great chatting today no matter how crappy the reception was :-) i certainly hope i didn't get taken for a ride with this phone (entirely possible) good news, it cost very little so a replacement wouldn't break the bank. btw - happy birthday matthew!
ReplyDeletedave, love the info keep it coming! i wasn't too worried about safety until the dude sitting next to me on the plane got quite worried when i told him i had no plans or direction. he wouldn't let me go out alone and offered to take me with him, his wife and taxi driver friend. for an aisle mate very impressive if not overly cautious. so far loving the life here, the people are friendly especially compared to northern standards with so many people going out of their way (and not for money, just to help). pretty sure i'm taking a bus in the morning to panachel, crashing for the night then to san pedro (as per your recommendation) so like i said, keep 'em coming.