Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The shuttle here was quite the experience. It ended up being rather full, with 13 passengers in total. There were moments it was actually kind of scary, because we had an insane driver who seemed to have a penchant for close calls. Thankfull, though, we did make it in one piece, all luggage here, too. He put all the luggage on top, where there was a rack, but no ladder, so he climbed up via a tire and then an open window. We met a very nice older couple from New Mexico, both fluent in Spanish, on a day trip from Antigua. We also met someone else, whose name I don't know yet, who hoped to stay at the Black Cat with us and will probably try to move tomorrow (they were full when we arrived -- more soon).

Crossing the border, and most of the way through Guatemala, there are amazing mountains everywhere. Much like travel through El Salvador and western Honduras, the roads just wind and curve, offering spectacular vistas and shots.

We spent a good deal of time in Guatemala. On several suggestions we decided early on to bypass Guatemala City and go straight to Antigua (the old capital). Guatemala City (often called just Guatemala, a la New York [City]) was best to have just skipped. It looks like all the trappings of a city with none of the cool stuff. An overnight trip to Chichicastenango (from Antigua) had to be in the mix, for their world-reknowned market Sundays. Then we concluded our time in this westernmost of the Central American countries by going to the Mayan ruins of Tikal, in the northern reaches.

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