Antigua Guatemala Hotels
|
  | |  |
Guate and Antigua
Entry 20 of 22 | show all | print this entry |
Buenas tardes amigos!
Well yesterday I logged in 90 days here in Guatemala. Tomorrow I have 6 weeks left until I fly back to the states. I am very much looking forward to seeing all my friends and family again. Today after teaching I was just reflecting on things back home and I came to an interesting realization. I realized that I have my own comfy couch and reclining chair. I have my own tv and dvd player. But none of this time have I been missing any material things except for my car (for good reason). The only things I have missed are things that are not things, but people. I have missed my family, friends, my church family and my extracurricular activities at church. All the things boxed up in my parents house could stay that way forever and I would not mind. I was very happy to realize that I can live without a lot of THINGS, but not the people I love and all the friendships I have come to cherish.
Last week I felt bad about being gone all but one day to take care of my visa extension in the Capital. Yesterday I checked in with the woman who works the nursery, Senor Clemon, to see how tough her mornings were last week without me. I was sad to hear that many of the kids had been home sick at some point last week, but I was glad that she only had 4 kids each day. This week the sweet natured girl, Fernanda is now sick and not so sweet natured. She pinched me good yesterday and I have the bruise to prove it. But Danielle had been fighting a cold and ear infection the last couple weeks and this week she is the cute talkative kid I meet when I first started there. You can see how much better she feels now because she was all smiles today and talking a lot and playing and trying to gallop like a horse.
Things are a little frustrating with my English classes. 2 weeks ago barely any students showed up, apparently because they had exams to study for at school. If they had mentioned this to me I would have cancelled classes that week and gone to the Capital then. But one never knows anything down here until the minute it is happening like today I could not get off the bus in my normal place due to road construction that the driver did not even know about until he got there. We all piled off on down the road and hiked back down to the main road going into and out of La Esperanza. So last week I had to cancel classes for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to go to the Capital. I had originally thought to leave Wednesday, but I was warned it could take a few days and waiting until the end of the week was not a good idea. Turnout for my classes today was not very good. I am hoping more will show up the end of this week and get back into the routin again for just 4 more weeks. If not I guess I will need to find something else to do in the afternoon the last few weeks I am here. It is just a challenge here because of the difference in culture and I met only a few of the parents so I have no connection for motivation unless I run into some of the kids when I am walking to and from the church to the bus stop. But I trust that God has a plan whether it is to continue teaching or finish doing something else.
Okay, now for my journey from last week. So Tuesday I was ready 5 minutes before I was to be waiting for my shuttle van. 20 minutes later I was in the van ready to go. Then I found out we had to pick up 11 more people. Ummm...where are we going to fit 11 people and all there luggage. I was happy I just had my backpack. Around 8am we finally left Xela. I had no idea that the time they told me was when they start picking people up and not the actual city departure time. So then we get to Cuatro Caminos about 15 minutes into our journey and we pull into a gas station. What!?! Please tell me we do not need gas already. No we were dropping off half the people in our van. They were going to meet another van to go to San Cristobal, Mexico. On the road again...okay now we are moving along and we finally get to Los Encuentros where the rest of us switch vans, some to the lake and 2 of us to Antigua and then on to the Capital referred to as Guate here. On the road again...okay we are close I can feel it, but oh we reach Chimaltenango and no no one has to switch vehicles here, but the driver decides he wants a 10 minute break so we stop at another gas station. Finally we hit Antigua where myself and another man change vans yet again to go to Guate. I had thought this would be the most efficient way to Guate, but I did not ask enough questions before booking. It took us 5 and a half hours to make a 4 hour trip, not couting the time spent driving around Xela. Normally I would not be anxious, but I was hoping to get to the Migration office that afternoon.
At 1:30pm I am dropped off at my hotel. Okay, I have one hour to ditch my bag, get a cab and get to the Migration office before it closed at 2:30pm. Upon entering my hotel I find out they have no space for me. The housekeeper is explaining to me in Spanish what is going on. The first time I did not catch much so I asked her to repeat and the second time I caught the vast majority, but still had to ask questions. I had booked online so I am guessing they ran out of space but did not update that online. Luckily they called another nearby sister hotel to get me a room at the same price. The lady from the other hotel was coming to get me. Okay I am in a strange, big, dangerous city that I do not know. I am going to trust these people and get into a car with a stranger. Luckily she looked and acted nice and I had no other choice. Her hotel is a bed and breakfast and was actually really nice. By this time I am tired from traveling and very hungry. There is no way I am going to make it in to take care of my passport today. So I ask her if there is a restaurant nearby. No, nothing but they can order in McDonalds. Yuck!!! So in my room I am trying to use my brain that does not want to work to figure out what to do next when the phone rings. She is going to make me lunch, but she only has chicken is that okay. Yes, great, fantastic! Awhile later I went downstairs and had the most fabulous lunch of marinated chicken breasts with no bones for the first time here, tomatoes and avocadoes drizzled in a yummy dressing and a side of creamy parmesan pasta with tortillas and ice cream for dessert. Wow!
The woman who owns this hotel is very nice and speaks English after living abroad for many years. She was very friendly and always making sure I felt at home and did I need anything. I found out from her that the next day, Wednesday, August 15 was a holiday and all government offices would be closed for the Day of the Assumption (of the Virgin Mary? I do not know I am not Catholic). Great, I came to the Capital and now I am wasting 2 days because I was not smart enough to check up on anything for this trip. Back up in my room I realized this was my first trip in Guatemala alone that I had to take care of the details on my own. And I did a crap job. Nothing like my Europe trip. Finally the tears of frustration came out. I had not slept well being anxious about my passport and everything just hit me at once. But luckily through experience I knew how to let it out and then pick up the pieces in a positive mindset. I knew there was nothing I could do about it now so I would just wait until first thing Thursday morning and pray that I would have my documents in order by the end of the business day Friday.
Tuesday afternoon I relaxed and then had dinner again at my hotel. She made a wonderful Spanish omelette that is shaped like a pizza only made of eggs, potatoes and herbs and spices with a yummy salad and fresh tomatoes. I met a girl about my age from Italy also staying there and eating dinner. She let me know that they will cook meals for you if you let them know in advance you are eating there. So Wednesday morning after my free and yummy breakfast of fresh fruit and pancakes I got ready to go out. I asked for a taxi to a nearby museum of all the Guatemalean traditional textiles. She called around and none of the museums were open, but her husband could drive me to zona viva. Zona viva is where they have, you guessed it a mall. What else is open on a holiday but the mall. I went there to get out and walk around. I did not need clothes or shoes. There is a street leading from the mall about 6 blocks that you can walk up and down for other shops and restaurants. I found a little passage with about 5 shops in it with things made by artesians here in Guatemala. I found a great gift for my dad! I was very happy with how the day was turning out. I went to Applebees for lunch. I was surprised to see this chain down here and I thought what the heck let me see how a chain other than McDonalds is in a foreign country. And it is exactly the same, although the names of the dishes to order are in English the descriptions are all in Spanish. Luckily I am not a picky eater. Then I got a taxi to go back to my hotel. You always have to agree to a price beforehand and I knew this guy was overcharging me. He said it is only 6 US dollars. I wanted to say I do not care how much it is in US dollars it is the fact that you are ripping me off based on my appearance that really irritates me, but I just said fine and got in.
Thursday morning I packed up my belongings since I was moving to a hotel much closer to where I needed to be, hopefully cutting down on my taxi fares. After checking in to my new place and dropping everything except what was vitally important to process my passport I got a cab. I was dropped off at the address in my guide book forgetting that it was published 4 years prior. I walked in and found out I was at the wrong address. Luckily I was only 4 blocks away. I walked in the direction they pointed me towards and prayed I would not be robbed. I walked as fast as I could looking like I knew exactly where I was going and I had the look on my face that I have developed over the years (unconciously) that I mean business and stay away. I knew I was close, but I was confused at an intersection that was diagonal. Luckily there are security guards at every bank, store and business that deals with a lot of money or merchandise and I went up to one who seemed friendly and asked for help. He pointed me in the right direction and 2 blocks later I was there. I have learned from Europe and here that you have to learn to ask other people for help and I try my best to do this now.
I had assumed that because I would be at an office dealing with tourists that they would speak English to me. Wrong. I do not know if they knew English and would have spoken it to me if I seemed confused, but it was all in Spanish and I must have appeared to understand what was going on. Once I found the right floor and window she let me know what I needed photocopies of and she gave me a form to fill out. Then I was back at the window and she was filling out a form. I understood from her that I needed to pay 114 quetzales, but the rest was a mystery and she was out of her chair and gone. Luckily the guy behind me spoke fluent Spanish and English and he directed me to the bank teller window to the right. Oh, that is what that is for. So I got in line over there and paid and then what? I went back over to the other window and waited to ask what was next. She took the receipt in my hand stamped something and gave me a copy. Then she told me to come back at 3pm later that same day. Wow, the same day! I had seen a sign saying that if you turn in your documents by Noon you get it back the same day, but you never know. If you come in the afternoon you have to come back at 10am the following day. So even if I had gone in Tuesday I still would have had to come back Thursday. This was working out for the best in the end. I walked about 4 blocks away to hang out at yet another mall to kill the next 4 hours. Then I was back at 3pm with passport and new stamp letting me stay in Guatemala until Nov. 15. Gracias a Dios! Thank you to God!
Back at my hotel I was able to eat and relax since the most important part of my journey was over. I had talked to the front desk at the hotel for a ride to Antigua for the next day and another girl my age was also going to Antigua so that worked out to get a shuttle van together. I met her the next day and she is also from the United States. It was a blessing because we walked around Antigua together and had dinner together that night. We set a time to meet for dinner on Saturday night. It is so nice to not eat alone all the time. I did it just fine in Europe, but now I do not like it at all. It is okay in your own home, but in a restaurant it is much nicer to have someone to talk to and share your travels with. I realized how blessed I was by all my friends in Xela since I was alone for the first time and I was a little bit lonely for the first time here in Guatemala.
Antigua was a nice, safe, touristy town where you can walk everywhere you need to go. I definately prefer that. It was the Spanish Colonial Capital until major destruction by an earthquake like 200 years ago or so (do not quote me on this fact). Then the Capital was moved to Guatemala City. I finished gift shopping in the artesians market and walked around looking at all the old churches just enjoying the blue skies and sunny, warm air. But it was definately really warm here and I was happy to be going back to Xela where it is much cooler. Now that I am adjusted to the cool days here I can not take the heat elsewhere! It is in the 60s most days and cools off 10 or more degrees at night. Just perfect.
In Antigua I marveled at being able to see the moon and I missed seeing the stars at night back home. Xela has too many lights to see the night sky. And back in Xela it was really hot yesterday. I got a headache from how intense the sun was and I was craving for a cool down which we did get. But the air pollution here is really starting to bother my eyes, my lungs and nose. I am also looking forward to cleaner air back home.
Well I am back in Xela volunteering again. Time continues to fly and I made a list of the things I still have to do here in Xela before time runs out. I miss you all and think of you often. Please pray for the people in Peru suffering from the earthquake, the people affected by Hurrican Dean. Also pray for a friend of mine suffering with gallstones and a friend who is an alcoholic and drinking again but trying to quit again.
dianaj25
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries from Guatemala or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
2 votes 
