Buses

There are three types of bus in Guatemala.

There are the charter buses. These are usually reserved for long distances. For example, Alej and I took a charter bus from Guatemala City to Xela on my first full day in the country. These buses are usually the nicest and the newest. The seat recline and there are seat belts. Though the bus driver might let a few vendors on the bus to sell their wares, it usually only happens when the bus driver or his right hand man (the man collecting money in exchange for money, helping people with bags, etc.) knows the vendor (or is receiving some kind of bonus from the vendor) since the charter companies try to cut down on this kind of hassling. Baggage is stored in a compartment under the bus and the fare is about 6 USD or 40 Queztals. This is the kind of bus that I gather tourists usually take.

There are micro-buses. These are private buses (and I use the term buses liberally; they are really no more than painted vans stuffed with extra seats) that, I take it, are usually owned by the drivers. Their right-hand man is usually a boy in his late teens, no older than me. The boy hangs by one arm out of the open doors calling the bus destination as the bus rumbles down the cobbled streets of Xela, which date back to a time before cars. One ride is about 1.25 Queztals (about a third of a dollar) so this is a popular mode of transportation in a city as sprawling as Xela. You know which bus to take from the Route number hand-painted on the side of the van. I did not see one tourist besides myself on these buses, and I only thought to take one cause Alej was there to keep me from getting completely lost in the convoluted system.

Then, there are what Alej calls "chicken buses." She says she calls them this because they tie chickens to the top of the buses. I haven't seen this yet, but when we took this type of bus from Xela to Pana (a city by the lake that lies about halfway between Xela and Antigua- my final destination in Guatemala) this is where they tied my huge backpack. These buses are retired school buses from the States that have been painted in many different bold colors, which indicate ownership. Seat belts have been removed and racks have been installed above the seats for small baggage. The right-hand man in this case is also the porter, loading heavy bags on top of the bus and looking for potential customers (also by standing in the doorway of the bus as it slowly passes groups of people on the side of the road). Mostly this kind of bus is full of Guatemalans, but on the second leg of our trip to Antigua, Alej and I saw a lot of tourists from out of the country.

Scooter

Riding on the back of a scooter may not be the safest way to get around, but I have discovered that it might be one of the more fun ways.

Black Sand

The sand covering the beach of the area where Alej's grandmother took us to was covered in black sand, the product of years of volcanic rock erosion. The drive there took two hours, past sugar cane fields mid-harvest ('tis the season) and waterparks. The last hour of the drive was spent swerving back and forth on a road so riddled with potholes that it was impossible to take a nap. But it was worth it. We ended up at a parking lot, where we disembarked only to haul our belongings onto a old wooden motor boat that took us to the other side of a river. We were then on an island (or peninsula). We walked to the other side of the little land mass to discover beautiful palm trees and the salty breeze that you only find near the ocean.

The first thing we did was change in to our bathing suits.

The second was head down to the beach for a late lunch at a fish shack on the sand. Best fried fish I have ever had, caught the previous day or that morning, coated in unidentifiable spices and fried in oil served with papas fritas (french fries) and cold Coca-Cola in glass bottles. The left-overs were fed to the stray dogs and pigs that roamed the beach.

After lunch we headed to the beach. The water was warm from the tropic weather that you can only find at similar latitudes. Alej and I spent hours in the water; past the time where our digits got prune-y. We talked about mermaids, swimming, anything, as the waves broke over us. The sun set just before we hit the beach. But our day wasn't over yet.

We hit the pool for a hour or so, only emerging for a scrambled eggs dinner. Then showers, a walk down the beach with our feet in the water, Popsicles made with blended fresh fruit, and a sit-down around the pool tables. We were exhausted by the time our heads hit the pillows in our hotel room.

The day started much in the same way. Back to the beach for another hour in the sea before breakfast at the fish place, back to beach, the pool, more fried fish and papas fritas torn apart and eaten with our hands, back to the beach to wash greasy hands in the salty water and swim. Then it was time to leave.

Black sand is hotter than regular sea. Not because it's volcanic, but because of the color which absorbs more heat. In the mid-day, if you weren't wearing sandals, you were running as fast as your feet would take you to the next shadow.

We showered of the sand from uncomfortable places on our bodies, packed up the room, had a last popsicle,   took the boat over to the mainland, and got back in the car. At first only Alej's 6-year-old cousin was able to sleep on the pot-hole ridden road, but by the time we pulled up at her grandmother's house after dark I had fallen fast asleep. Lots of beach and sun and fish and running on the beach and talk of mermaids will do that to you.

Xela

After a night spent at Alej's mom's house in the suburbs of Guatemala City (think gated, planned suburban community), Alej and I set out on the bus for Quetzaltenango, or Xela (pronounce Shay-la) for short. It is a good thing the city has a nickname, cause this gringa has yet to figure out how to pronounce the formal name. Xela is about 200 km (125 miles) west of Guatemala city, and the ride on the slow-going bus took us about 4 hours of frequent stops where food peddlers got on and off the bus trying to sell us their wares.

Queztzaltenango is a sprawling town with a tourist area centered around the town square. Alej's grandparents, whom we are staying with until I leave for La Antigua (another town in Guatemala) and Alej leaves to go back to college. Their house is about a 15 to 20 minute walk from the center square; a walk, according to Alej, which should not be attempted after dark when one is by oneself. This area of town is really nice; Alej took me to a cafe where she does to read sometimes, and we enjoyed inexpensive cups of cafe con leche (coffe with milk) for several hours while people watching the Americans and Australians, who were practicing their Spanish, and reading our books.

After a couple of days of taking it easy, seeing the sites close to Alej's house (the church, the graveyard, the Guatemalan equivalent of the DMV [Alej needed to renew her license]) we decided to head to La Antigua with her aunt for a night.

La Antigua is a tourist haven. Hostels all over the place, Spanish language schools galore, expensive (compared to other Guatemalan prices) trinkets for gringos to buy for other gringos back home, clubs, etc. We stayed in a hostel where we got a room with a private bath and breakfast ordered off the menu, all for less than 70 Quetzales (about 8.90 USD).

Then back to Xela, for a few days exploring the town square park at night, eating pupusas (tortilla like bread stuffed with cheese and/or meat covered with lettuce and salsa; traditionally Salvadorian) from street vendors, trying carnitas (small tortillas loaded with meat, fried in oil; traditionally Mexican), and discovering the best warm drink ever, ever, ever called ponche de leche (a sweet warm milk covered with cinnamon; Alej's friend Rodrigo said that I probably couldn't ask the vendors what was actually in it cause they wouldn't want me to sell it myself).

We also climbed up (or strolled along - depending on your fitness level; for me it was a climb, yet several locals were running up the road) on the of the seven mountains surrounding the city so that I could behold the entire city. They also have these huge cement slides at the top of the mountains that kids slide down sitting on squashed liter soda bottles and pieces of cardboard. I went down once, but I admit that I found the monkey bars and the see-saw (subibaja in Spanish; up and down) much more diverting.

Then on Sunday, we headed for the beach.

I'm Back!

Happy Belated Holidays and New Year!

It has been a while since my last post. I've been with my family exploring parts of Chile and Peru, and since I was with the people who I really write the blog for, I took a bit of a vacation for the winter holidays.

But after a wonderful excursion to Macchu Picchu with my sister, my brother, and my parents (complete with all the together time this implies), my family once again split up to our respective lives, my sister going back to California, my brother and Dad heading off to watch Stanford compete in the Fiesta Bowl, and my mom to hold down the fort back home in Virginia. I headed off for Guatemala. After a round of hugging in the El Salvador airport, I took a quick flight to Guatemala (and when I say quick, I mean barely half an hour).

Peru was spectacular, and when I say Peru, I mostly mean Machu Picchu. Even after 2 days exploring the ruins and the surrounding area, there was so much I missed. (Photos on Facebook coming soon so that you can see what I explored in Peru). My only comment is that Hiram Bingham (the "discoverer" of Machu Picchu) was not as cool as he thought he was. Apparently, he hired some farmers to show him the area and they brought him to the ruins which THE LOCALS ALREADY KNEW ABOUT. So yeah, maybe not deserving of as much credit as we tend to give him (not that he doesn't deserve any credit, I mean it is pretty cool that the world knows about it now).

We also spent some time as a family in Lima, Peru near the Huaca Pucllana (which my parents and I thought was really cool, but my siblings found boring: http://www.mirafloresperu.com/en/tourist-miraflores-lima-peru/huaca-pucllana.php. I would say if your in Lima and you have a couple of free hours check it out) ruins in the middle of Miraflores (a mostly touristic part of town). Be warned, though, a visit to Lima is a whole new experience of traffic. Just getting in a out of their centro historico could take you 1-2 hours (not counting the actually sightseeing) and the air pollution from the cars is barely breathable.

So now I'm here, in Guatemala, at my friend Alej's house (a good friend from college who is originally from the country).

Chile

There are a couple of things that  I love about Chile.

First of all, there is the way that they treat their stray dogs. Stray dogs are often seen around the city; sitting on street corners, sleeping near cafes, crossing streets in pedestrian walkways, etc. But unlike in the States, these dogs do not appear to be malnurited or mangey. Instead, they often sport healthy looking hair and friendly countanences. This seems to be because instead of rounding up the puppies and bringing them to the pounds, stray dogs are taken care of. Chileans seem to take pride in feeding stray dogs. One of the central parks in Santiago is set up with serveral public dog houses and watering bowls. And it is not too shocking to see people on the street walking by dogs give them a pat on the head or words of appreciation. These are not stray dogs, the city's population has clearly adopted them collectively.

Second of all, they serve avocadoes on everything. I love fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. And Chile, with its California like climate (though flipped; cooler weather in the south, warmer weather in the north), is a prime place for agricultural treasures. All the fruit is delicious. The only problem comes when you discover an overripe apriot or bruised cherry, because unlike the States the fruit is allowed its natural demise. You just have to be careful to pick the best of the crop. Avocadoes are especially popular here. I have seen them on most of my sandwiches and salads, and have even seen them on the hot dogs (on some thing called an Italian hot dog, which is called so because it has avocados, tomatoes, and mayonnaise; the colors of the Italian flag). This phenomenon of perfect fruit extends to their "jugos naturales" or Natural Juice, which is usually some kind of slightly sweetened fruit that has been juiced or blended. The most common types being Pina (pineapple) and frambuesa (raspberry). I  usually order frambuesa, but the domasco (apricot) might just be my favorite (unfortunately, I have only seen it in one restaurant in Valpariso).

Third of all, the best Vanilla Ice Cream in the World is produce and sold in Santiago, Chile in what is considered by some to be the best Ice Cream and Sorbet shop in Santiago, Chile called the Empirio del Rose. If you are ever in Santiago, this is the place to stop for Raspberry and Mint sorbet, Chocolate and Orange ice cream, and of course, Vanilla. Most Vanilla ice creams are plain and are what you have come to expect from ice cream, but the vanilla served here tastes as close to vanilla, cream, and sugar as you will ever get.

Fourth of all, the parks are breathtaking. From Cerrito Santa Lucia (a small hill in the middle of Santiago City with a castle in the middle and a tower from which you can see all of Santiago on a clear day) to the square in the middle of Vina del Mar. They take excellent care of the parks; it seems that every time you walk through a park there is someone there tending the plants or sidewalks.

Fifth of all, which I feel like I have to mention for my dad, there is never a long wait for a train when taking the metro (seriously, no more than like 3 minutes when transferring or after missing the first one). Added to that, the metro is pretty clean and people are pretty good at giving up their seats for people who need them  more. A huge difference overall from the DC Metro system that I am used to.

Sixth, the views from the hills of Valparaiso (a city to the Northwest of Santiago near the coast) are breathtaking and the palms trees of Vina del Mar (North of Valparaiso, still on the beach) provide picturesque shade from the obvious sunlight that heats the sand of the beaches. While Valparaiso's coast is more of a shipping port, you can hop on a commuter train from the Bellavista stop to the Vina del Mar stop (like my mother and I did our last full day on the coast) and ten minutes on the train and you are in a beachy, tourist city with people in bikinis lying on the beach getting a tan.

PS please forgive all my misspellings of Spanish words. I can barely spell in English, let alone a second language.

Vacation

For the past week and and a half I have been back in the United States, enjoying a break from travelling alone in worlds unknown. Instead, I spent the weekends at home near DC with my parents cleaning out my bag and repacking for South America, and the week in New Orleans visiting my aunt and grandmother on my father's side.

My family is heading to South America for our annual winter holidays reunion. The only Christmas that we have ever spent apart was the year my grandfather passed away. Holidays in my immediate family are important for being together. Even the year my sister spent in Australia, we all headed down under to celebrate together.

Why Chile this Christmas? My brother is spending his first quarter of Junior year abroad in Chile. And while my family doesn't need an excuse to travel, we used this one anyways. So for the next 2 and half weeks I'm back with my family.

People often ask me where I got so brave to travel. The thing is, my family travels. It is part of what we do together. Just walking down the street of Chile we compare it to the places we've been together before or the places we've seen on our own.

Of course, the family reunion is not complete until my sister joins us in Peru next week, but we are anxiously awaiting her arrival!