Drokpa Journal

Dates Traveled: February-March 2000

We caught a bus to the Guatemalan border and were immediately accosted by people wanting to shuttle-bus us to someplace in Guatemala. Normal buses are definitely cheaper, but they don’t run as frequently from the border, so we rounded up 7 other travelers and watched as the driver tried to cram 9 gringos - complete with backpacks, into a van. It was cramped and we all became friends immediately - out of necessity! We were headed for Flores, which actually sits in the middle of Lake Peten-Itza and is connected to the shore (and the town of Santa Elena) by a single road. The road was under construction, so we all piled into a small boat to make the crossing. Nice way to arrive.

Ruins of Tikal

Left the hotel at 4 the next morning to walk to Santa Elena to catch the bus for the ruins of Tikal. It was a nice walk, as the full moon was reflecting off the lake. Arrived at Tikal around 7 and immediately went to the Grand Plaza to see the main pyramids. Unfortunately, there was so much mist that you could barely see the ruins. Climbed one of the pyramids outside the main complex which gave us views of absolutely nothing but mist over a jungle until the mist started to burn off. At that point the tops of other pyramids started to magically appear. Evidently this same shot was used in a Lucas film, but not sure which one (aren’t I a wealth of useless trivia!) Most incredible sound was of the howler monkeys throughout the jungle. The monkeys aren’t that large, but the sound they emit is a definite roar - don’t expect it to be a monkey when you first hear it, and a sound I definitely won’t soon forget. Also saw spider monkeys, koatimundis (like a lemur), fox, many birds, etc. Nice to walk through the jungle setting, see the animals, and enjoy the ruins. Definitely a place worth visiting.

Guatemala City

Left Tikal that afternoon, returning to Santa Elena to kill several hours before catching our overnight bus to Guatemala City. While killing time in a restaurant I happened to glance up at the overhead fans and there, dangling just above the table, was a very effective No-Pest strip. It’s stuff like that - things that you wouldn’t see at home, that I love most about traveling. Bus to Guatemala took 8 hours, dumping us at 4:45 in the morning. Against all rationale and Lonely Planet warnings, Natalie and I simply walked a few blocks to find a place to stay. Like most capitals, Guatemala City is dangerous and not a place to be wandering around in the dark.

We spent the day wandering around and hanging out in plazas watching people. Like all Spanish-speaking countries, the machismo runs very high in Guatemala, with frequent whistles and cat-calls aimed at the passing women. Drivers have actually elevated the artform, with horns that actually sound like a whistle….amazing.

Guatemalan Bus Experience

The next morning was our first taste of real Guatemalan bus travel, and it was great! Buses in Guatemala are old U.S. school buses (presumably no longer safe enough to carry kids), but painted bright colors and adorned with various religious artifacts and statements about God. Even without these items it’s easy to know that the drivers believe in God by the way they drive! There is no such thing as a blind curve, and the bus drivers are the bullies of the road - overtaking other vehicles at any opportunity and forcing oncoming traffic to accommodate. Sometimes this means there are 3 vehicles abreast on a road that supports 2. It’s fun.

Most of the time you can’t see the oncoming traffic because there are so many people inside the bus. On one journey I figured the bus could safely hold about 45 people, and we must have had 80! Feel like a participant in a fraternity prank to see how many people they can fit in a VW Bug. Amazingly enough I was on a bus a few days after the aforementioned 80-person ride that was more crowded. I didn’t fit on the buses as a kid, so I certainly don’t fit at 6′2″ - head hits the roof, and knees hit the seat in front. It is always expected that 3 adults will fit on a seat, though this number goes as high as 6 with kids. If you happen to have an aisle position you’re lucky to have half a cheek on the seat, and the only thing keeping you propped up is the pressure from the person in the seat across the aisle - we are literally wedged into the bus. As if that isn’t enough, a person will periodically walk the “aisle” to collect money for the fare - pushing and shoving his way through the mass of bodies. Others hop on the bus to sell drinks, newspapers, nuts, candies, food, etc. On one less crowded bus I counted as many as 10 people on the bus during a short stop trying to sell stuff. I’ve also concluded that Guatemalan buses serve as the medium for infomercials in a country where most people can’t afford a t.v. I’ve seen guys on the bus selling a miracle snake oil that cured headaches, backaches, stomach aches…..basically any kind of ailment you may have. People were snatching the green liquid up like it was going out of style. On another bus somebody was selling a powder to cure parasites, etc. The salesmen are always quite persuasive, and one time I thought I picked up enough Spanish to hear, “…but wait, you also gets this amazing Ginzu knife. It slices, it dices, it can cut through this metal can and still slice this tomato with ease”, but I could be wrong about that. Sometimes it’s actually hard to even hear the salesmen, as the radio is typically blaring. Think there is only one volume in Guatemala - damn loud! Anyway, riding on the buses is a great experience….one not to be missed. There are more expensive shuttles that some of the tourists opt to take, but they are missing out on something truly incredible.

Antigua

Ok, back to our story, where we were heading towards Antigua - the formal capital. Antigua is a great town - a bit touristy, but still has a good feel to it. There is a beautiful central park where you can hang out and watch the people, and wandering the cobblestoned streets is also rewarding, with the colonial architecture and views of the surrounding volcanoes. There are obviously people with money in town - whether they made it here or brought it in I’m not sure, but we saw Mercedes Benz, BMW’s, and, amazingly enough, a stretch limo by the park at night.

Lake Atitlan

Only spent one night in Antigua that time - heading to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan the following morning. Took 3 buses to get there, but as soon as we were unceremoniously dumped in some small town or crossroads people would whisk us and our packs to a different bus. It’s chaotic. Panajachel is sometimes called Gringotenango - place of foreigners, with good reason. However, the setting is nice right next to Lake Atitlan and the views of surrounding volcanoes adds to the scene. The following day we took the one hour trip across the lake to a different village - Santiago Antitlan, to wander around the market.

While in Santiago we also stopped into the house currently holding Maximon, which is a cross between a Mayan God, a fierce Guatemalan conquistador, and Judas (Lonely Planet description, not mine). It’s a local deity despised in other villages. The effigy, with wooden mask, resides in a different house each year. There were several people sitting around, there were offerings of cigarettes, rum, Pepsi (he doesn’t like Coke!), as well as numerous lit candles and incense. One of the most bizarre scenes I’ve witnessed. The clothes of the indigenous people absolutely explodes with colors. The women wear a bolt of colorful woven fabric wrapped around as a long dress, and tie it up with an equally colorful sash. Shirt is also something woven with colorful motifs. Many of the women carry babies on their back in another colorful cloth fashioned into a sling, and, if these women are selling something, typically do so from a woven basket carried on their head.

Quetzaltenango (Xela)

The following morning Natalie and I split, as I headed to Quetzaltenango (Xela). I hooked up with Dennis, a guy from Holland, as we were both interested in climbing a nearby volcano - Tajumulco, which is the highest point in Central America. Unfortunately, we discovered that the climb only takes place on the weekends (it was currently Wednesday), so I had to figure out what to do. Didn’t want to stay in Xela for those days. It is actually a town of 90,000 people, and is the second largest in Guatemala, but wasn’t much to do in the area. Instead, I opted to catch the bus early the next morning for Chichicastenango and the Thursday market.

Chichicastenango

Day didn’t start out well, as I tried to leave my hotel at 5:30 A.M. but was locked in. Had to bang on a door to awake the owners - I’m sure they loved me (had to do the same thing a few days later…too many early starts) Market in Chichi is quite a spectacle, with people coming from all over. Unfortunately, it is geared primarily towards tourists rather than the locals, but it was still interesting…..color everywhere. Spent the night there and then returned to Xela the following day.

Tajumulco Volcano

Signed up for the climb of Tajumulco, and then attended an organization meeting that night. It was a good group of people from all over the world - 18 people in total including the two guides. We divided up the tents, stoves, pots, group food, etc., talked about the climb, and then returned to our respective hotels to prepare for the early morning start.

Left Xela by public bus at 6 AM, transferring to a second bus an hour later. We ended up eating a breakfast - on plates no less, while standing on this bus, as there were no seats available. Locals must have thought we were crazy. In fact, it was this bus that was the most packed I’d encountered since arriving in Guatemala. Ended up standing for the 2 hour journey and was still crushed. Basically the adventure was simply getting to the trailhead - the rest was easy! Hiked for 4-5 hours the first day before setting up camp, starting a fire, etc., and then wandering a bit higher to view a pretty spectacular sunset. Next morning we left the tents at 5:30 for the 30-45 minute walk to the summit and sunrise. View was great - a carpet of clouds with various peaks/volcanoes in Mexico and Guatemala peaking through. We were also able to look out and see the Pacific. Tajumulco is the tallest point in Central America, but only stands about 13850′ (4220 meters). Nevertheless, it was nice to be there for the view….definitely $35 well spent, considering the organization we went with provided all food and most equipment. Definitely went with a good group of people.

Returned to Xela and a well-deserved shower. Unfortunately, right as I snapped the lock shut on my door I thought, “You know, I should have checked that key”. Sure enough, the key the guesthouse provided didn’t work the lock. Amazing what goes through your mind when your only accessible possessions are sandals, shorts, a towel, and a bar of soap in a country where you don’t speak the language. Luckily they were able to find a key that worked after about 10 minutes.

Huehuetenango

From Xela I went to Huehuetenango. Nothing special here - simply a stop for people heading to/from Mexico. However, I ended up spending two nights in town trying to get over a cold. Stayed in an absolute dump, but it did have t.v., so the highlight of my time in Huehue was catching the movie Stripes….one of my favorites.

Todos Santos Cuchumatan

Next was Todos Santos Cuchumatan - a highland village of about 6000 people, who all dress in traditional clothes…men included. For the men this includes red pants with white stripes, a white shirt with various colored stripes and a large colored collar and cuffs, and a small hat with a blue-wrapped band. The people are actually Mam Mayan. Todos Santos sits at just over 8000′, so weather-wise it was a welcome relief to not have the stifling heat. Signed up for a 5 day Spanish course, and opted to live with a local Mam family for 7 days. Family I lived with was great - mother with four daughters and one son, though one daughter worked/lived in a different home and the son worked in a different village and only returned on the weekend. Living conditions were fun, though not for everyone. There was no shower - all washing of clothes, food, dishes, and bodies was done in the same outdoor sink. The outhouse had a door that didn’t close completely, and the nastiest looking toilet I’ve seen….no seat/cover, and no parts in the tank. To ‘flush’, you inverted a coke bottle into the hole in the tank, filled the tank with water from a spigot above the tank, reached in and removed the coke bottle….voila! Received my meals in the kitchen, which, like the families sleeping area, had a dirt floor. Got used to having a little grit in my food from time to time. Dirt floor was also the receptacle for partially finished drinks, and spitting. I swear that one daughter could be a big-league baseball player in the States - she must have spit 20 times within a 5-10 minute conversation - all right there in the ‘kitchen’ while I was eating. Cooking stove was fueled by firewood.

Family typically talked in Mam - which is the traditional language. All school subjects are taught in Mam, though they do learn Spanish as well. It was always fun hanging out with the family - especially the youngest daughter, who was 5. My room was nicer than the families, with a concrete floor, and was located on the other side of the wall from the kitchen. This wouldn’t have been bad, except Josefina (the mother) was the tortilla queen of Todos Santos, and would start making them at 5:45 in the morning. I’d awake to the slapping of the corn dough as she whipped out hundreds of tortillas. Other nice touches were the huge pig that lived in a tiny pen out by the outhouse - every time somebody approached it would grunt/squeal for 15-20 minutes. Dogs and roosters usually joined in to make a full orchestra. It was a great place to hang out for 8 days.

Discussions in class, as well as with Josefina, revealed a lot about what they endured during the violence of the early 80’s. People were killed at random by the guerrillas, so most fled to the surrounding hills or into Mexico. Many lost friends/family to the troubles, and returned after 2 or 3 years to find their house/possessions burned. These people have been through a lot. In discussions with my teachers I also discovered how common it is for Guatemalans to enter the U.S. illegally to work. Seems many had either done it themselves or had relatives in the States now.

In all, Todos Santos reminded me a bit of Himalayan villages, with the dirty, happy children, the smell of woodsmoke, and the abundant trails up the mountains right out of town. Took several hikes while in the area. Difference is that Todos Santos is accessible by car/bus. Nice thing about Todos Santos was that it didn’t cater to tourists - Saturday market was strictly for villagers and their needs. Josefina said she made about 70 Quetzalas selling tortillas at the local market. When I did the math, it turned out she’d sold about 350 tortillas - all hand-made and cooked on a stove fueled with firewood, for a take of less than $10. Another nice fact was that I was never approached on the street to buy some trinket. It was nice to escape all that for a week.

While in Todos Santos they celebrated Carnaval. This basically consisted of taking eggs - which had been hollowed out, filled with confetti, and painted bright colors, and smashing those on other’s head. I was the recipient of quite a few. Later the ammo was upgraded to flour and complete eggs.

Couple other things of fun interest noted while in Todos Santos. One is that the truck that delivers coke/pepsi - in bottles, has an armed security guard that rides on back with all the bottles…..why? Next is all the brand-name and professional sports team clothing rip-offs. Tommy Hilfiger seems to be a popular brand to imitate, and I’ve seen numerous caps with the wrong colors for a particular team or the wrong mascot (an eagle for the Chicago Bulls?!?). Best one I saw was a Charlotte Hornets jacket. There was a lot of work that went into the coat, but the wording was Charlot Ornets. Close enough. Reminds me of “The North Face” clothing in Nepal, in which the white paint from where the words were spraypainted on the garment has run down the sleeve/leg.

Antigua

From Todos Santos I returned to Antigua. I had wanted to climb the volcano, Pacaya, outside of town. It is extremely active, so I thought that would be good. My first day back I read some e-mails, and happened to have one from Natalie regarding her climb of the volcano. Seems as her group was going up many others were coming down - having just been robbed at gunpoint. Lonely Planet book also describes the danger, stating that sometimes banditos even relieve people of their clothes. Her group decided to continue and met no bandits on the way to the summit. Upon returning to their bus for the trip back to Antigua they encountered 4-5 guys on horseback blocking the road, brandishing swords and machetes (which Guatemalans believe accessorize all outfits. Think each Guatemalan male is given a machete at birth) It was only after a few minute standoff that they noticed the guys were so drunk they could barely stay on their horses - evidently the take from the travelers in the previous group was enough to get plastered, so the bus driver simply drove through. Now, some may have read that and opted not to take the trip the following day, but you know by now that I’m not that smart. Remember, this is the same guy that had a bout of pulmonary edema in Nepal in ‘97, decided it was a fluke and so returned in ‘98, only to get it again (stay tuned, as hopefully later in this little adventure we’ll return to Nepal for round 3). Anyway, the following day I joined a group and headed out of town for the hike which could be best described by the word, uneventful. Two hour bus ride to trailhead, two hour climb to summit, peered into crater to see glowing red rocks, breathed more sulfur gas than I’m sure can be good for any one person, and descended in the dark back to the bus and subsequently Antigua…..no banditos to be found anywhere.

Guatemala Is…

Guatemala has been great, and definitely cheap. With the tax return I just heard I received I figure I could travel - at my current rate of spending, for just over 3 months. Funny how you put everything into length of travel time when you’re out. Guatemala will also always be friendly people who are quick to smile - hard to believe that a 36 year civil war just ended in 1996 - a civil war in which 200,000+ people were killed. Guatemala is also great sights, overcrowded buses, colorful clothes, soft drinks served in a plastic bag (kiosks want the bottles for the refund), and much more.

Guatemala Photos

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