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Chichicastenango -> Quetzaltenango -> Huehuetenango

Tuesday, March 13th, 2007

We are back in Guatemala and it was such a great feeling to be back in the Guatemalan highlands.  This area of the country is so spectacular.  Most of the places we have been lately have been dusty, brown and brittle due to the lack of rain (it is the dry season now).  Somehow this area has remained greener than any other place.  Over 50% of the population of Guatemala is indigenous and you are constantly confronted with the Mayan tradition and colorful clothing, weaving and textiles.  I think it is by far one of the most interesting areas of Central America. 

After leaving Guatemala City we stopped in Chichicastenango.  There is a renowned textile market that takes place every Thursday and Sunday in this town.  We got there on Wednesday evening and watched the town transform itself into a bustling lively market.  Matthias isn’t so into these markets, but I sure am.  He let me out in the morning (with an empty wallet) to scope out the goods.  I came back with a list of a few things that I wanted to by and he came back out with me and did the haggling.  I’m terrible at it, and Matthias was able to talk all of the vendors down to a price he was sort of ok with. 

Market in Chichicastenango

 

The next stop was Quetzaltenango – more commonly known as Xela.  We spent two weeks in Xela in October taking language classes.  We met up with Matthias’ old teacher and did some shopping.  Up in the highlands it is really cold – like highs in the low 70’s and lows in the 40’s.  For the last several months we’ve been in areas where the temperatures are always in the 90’s (and sometimes higher).  Honestly, it is too cold for me, and I’m looking forward to getting back into warmer climate.  However, Xela is such a great town and we’ve really been glad to have a second chance to explore it some more.  We’ve found a nice hostel (next to Neuroticos Anonimicos – Neurotics Anonymous en español) with parking, wireless internet, and the cutest group of 3 little Mayan kids that William and Julian have been playing with.  Xela is working out for all of us.  We have been able to take care of some errands and today we went back to some hot springs near here, set high up in the mountains in the cloud forest.  The drive up there is jaw-dropping and I think it was just what I needed to get over the cold I got since being in this frigid weather.    

Next we are off to Huehuetenango.  Huehue (pronounced way-way) is close to the Mexican border and we plan on spending two nights there.  It is rumored to be one of the most scenic stretches of the Guatemalan highlands.  We’ll take a small day trip on a chicken bus and after that we’re off to Mexico again.

Julian in Chichi       Yoda Van in the Guatemalan Highlands

What The Hell Were We Thinking?

Friday, December 15th, 2006

Last week in Tortuguero was one of these moments again where Allison and I just shook our heads and wondered: “What the hell were we thinking?” We were going to the rain forest and were surprised that we were rained on. We learned that it’s a bad idea to go to the rain forest without at least an umbrella. Even if you are from Seattle and are somewhat used to rain, I don’t think Seattle has ever had rain like we had in Tortuguero. Another not so bright moment was when we were stopped at a blockade near Oaxaca, Mexico and decided to follow a local guy who told us he knew a way around the road block. He led us to a group of guys with machetes and shovels who turned out to create some sort of road in the woods for us, but when we first saw them we weren’t really sure what their intentions were. In 95 degree weather I ended up driving the Yodavan through terrain that most SUVs would struggle with, including a river. This definitely wasn’t one of our brightest moments.

 

I also didn’t feel too intelligent at the Mexican – Guatemalan border. For some reason I was under the impression that if I needed Guatemalan money (Quetzals) I would probably find an ATM of at least a bank at the border. The only opportunity to change money was with some con-artists with big bundles of money who offered to change our left over pesos. I never trusted these guys, but at this border we were so unprepared that we barely even knew the name of the currency and the exchange rate and we didn’t even have a clue what the bills looked like. That’s bad!! We needed some Quetzals for the border crossing and we just had to take a chance and have some guy change money for us. I exchanged 200 Pesos (US $20) and had absolutely no idea what I would get in return. It turned out that we just got enough for the border crossing and 2 beers before we found an ATM.

I am sure there were more moments of limited intelligence on our trip and I will make sure to continue to share them in our blog, because in retrospect the things that didn’t go as planned are the most memorable ones and also the funniest. Overall I think we are doing pretty well. Most people would have to agree with that too, unless you are one of the people who think that our trip itself was a bad idea. But if you know me, even if we had all stayed at home, I’d still be constantly running into situations in which afterwards all I can do is shake my head and wonder “what the hell was I thinking”. At least these stories from the road are a little more interesting.

Adios Guatemala

Monday, November 6th, 2006
As we did for Mexico, we thought we would summarize some of our impressions of Guatemala.  We’ve been here for nearly 6 weeks and have seen quite a bit of this country. [Continue reading this entry]

Day of the Dead

Sunday, November 5th, 2006
Today was our last day in Guatemala. We have been here for over 5 weeks and we have seen more than we are able to comprehend. There are only 2 sites we still would like to see, but I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Guatemala City and Stories of Fileting a Whale

Tuesday, October 31st, 2006
We just started the last week in Guatemala and we are taking one more week of Spanish classes in Antigua. Antigua is one of the most beautiful cities we have seen on our trip and yet I don’t really like ... [Continue reading this entry]

Recuperating At Finca Tatin

Friday, October 27th, 2006
Our next stop was the Caribbean Coast and the Rio Dulce area.  When we were leaving Semuc Champey we caught a bus with 2 Spanish girls and they had recommended a place called Finca ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Worst Outing So Far

Monday, October 23rd, 2006
Our map of Guatemala has a section where it lists the number of kilometers between cities and the anticipated driving times. You could really throw this information in the garbage because it more or less useless. Matthias (being German) wants ... [Continue reading this entry]

Swimming With Divine

Friday, October 20th, 2006
The drive to the coast really was something else. Yet again, we put the Yoda Van to the test and he got us where we needed to go. As soon as we had descended from the highlands it became hot ... [Continue reading this entry]

Duct tape, No Lights and a Whole Lot of Smoke

Tuesday, October 17th, 2006
Despite being in the same city for over 2 weeks, every day is filled with amazement, new experiences and new things to see. Saturday was our last day in Xela and we decided to join some of the teachers, Paul and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Market in San Francisco El Alto

Monday, October 16th, 2006

Friday was our last day of classes at our school and we decided to go to a market in San Francisco El Alto with our teachers and William and Julian. The market at San Francisco El Alto is supposed ... [Continue reading this entry]