Discovering Guatemala
Our arrival at the Chiapas marina in southern Mexico was just two days before our tourist visa expired. It was the perfect opportunity to plan a trip (overland this time) to Guatemala and visit this magnificent country, which we hadn’t seen two years earlier when we arrived from El Salvador. The marina is located about 30 minutes from the city of Tapachula, where we planned to depart with the OCC bus company for Guatemala City. We left Tapachula at 7:00 a.m. on a very comfortable bus. Just a few minutes after our departure, we began to see lush forests, a welcome change from the desert scenery of northern Mexico.
Arrival at the border at 7:45, presentation of passports and exit visa, we have to present proof of payment, we have the electronic copy but we have to print it! Race through noman’s land to find a place to print. Once again, people are incredibly generous and take us from place to place until we can print (an official Guatemalan immigration kiosk). Check-in in Guatemala is much faster, passports are stamped in 2 minutes, no entry fees. Lunch stop at 11:00 at Cafetos. National beer: Gallo. Delicious hamburgers, not cheap though.
Arrival in Guatemala City around 3:00 p.m. There is a mix of small, colorful shops and modernity (all the big American fast food chains). We stop at the store to buy a SIM card and a 15-day phone plan including 7GB of data, all for $5! We walk about 40 minutes through the city to reach our apartment. It is impeccable, 2-bedroom condominium on the 19th floor, swimming pool, gym, etc. In the evening, we walk the neighborhood in search of the Paco restaurant, which unfortunately no longer seems to exist, we stop to eat tortas (sandwiches). The next morning, breakfast at the apartment then departure around 10:00 a.m. towards the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología. The artifacts are magnificent, some dating back more than 2000 BC. A beautiful model presents the site of Tikal that we are preparing to visit the next day.
Leaving the museum, we took an Uber to the city’s Centro Historico. There, after enjoying a delicious Pollo Landia (Costa Rican souvenirs), we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago de Guatemala. Many people were paying their respects to the Pope’s death a few days earlier. We also passed the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, which borders the Plaza de la Constitucíon. We returned to the apartment by Uber.
A long day awaits us, we have to be at the Guatemala City airport at 3:45 for our flight to Flores. The Uber driver booked the day before is on time and takes us to the airport in about twenty minutes. Arriving at 6:45, we are greeted by Natanael, who will be our guide for the day. The Mayan site of Tikal is about an hour away by bus; there are eight of us in total, a small and friendly group. At 9:30, we begin the hike through the archaeological site of Tikal. The conditions are perfect, beautiful blue skies and a perfectly bearable heat. After about fifteen minutes, we arrive at the central plaza. The temples are impressive. It is possible to climb to the top via a wooden structure, access via the original steps having been closed for several years. The buildings have been very well restored in the different sections of the site. The number of visitors to the site is quite limited, which is really nice for taking photos. The tour will continue with several even higher temples.
At 1:00 p.m. we head to the Mezón restaurant. The meal included with the tour is delicious. At 2:00 p.m., we leave the site and return to Flores, with a visit to the small village of Petén, which is actually an island. At 6:00 p.m., we return to the airport and arrive in Guatemala City around 8:30 p.m.
In the morning, we travel from Guatemala City to Antigua with an Uber. Arriving around noon, we check into the hotel we had booked and enjoy visiting this beautiful little town. Several churches and colonial buildings are extremely well preserved. The town is small, so everything can be visited on foot. The roads are paved, there are no storefronts or signs on the facades, and the original character is well preserved. We spend a lot of time in the central La Merced park, right in front of the church that bears the same name. There are many street food stalls offering delicious local specialties (in fact, we ate almost every meal there during our stay in Antigua!). A visit to the market is also a must; the outdoor area is full of colorful stalls selling local fruits and vegetables, and most people are dressed in traditional clothing.
We booked a tour to the Acatenango volcano from Antigua. We got up at 6:00 for breakfast before heading to the expedition departure point. We were a small group of about a dozen people on the bus. After about an hour’s drive, we arrived at the small village at the foot of the volcano and were greeted by our guide. Around 11:30, we began the hike. It would take us more than 6 hours to reach the camp at the top of the volcano. The climb was quite challenging for the cardio (and for morale at the end!). Once we reached the summit, we were greeted by an icy wind and a thick fog surrounding the volcano; we could see absolutely nothing around us. We settled into the wooden cabin that would be our dormitory for the night and warmed up by the fire. Around 3:30, we were awakened by cheers. The El Fuego volcano, located a few kilometers away, was erupting, and the red spray was perfectly visible in the night. A few hours later, we were treated to one of the most spectacular sunrises we’ve ever witnessed. The colors and reflections were sublime, and the view of the chain of volcanoes was breathtaking.
Around 7:00 we begin the return to the village, the descent is just as difficult as the ascent, the ground is extremely slippery, and there are many falls. Around noon we return quietly to Antigua by bus, satisfied with this magnificent excursion.
Our return to Mexico is scheduled for the next day, so we take an Uber to Guatemala City and enjoy a good night’s sleep. The OCC bus ride from Guatemala City to Tapachula, Mexico, goes smoothly.
