If you have never been to Guatemala I recommend making it one place you must visit. This trip I opted to travel from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Raul from whom I rented an apartment was very helpful and accommodating. Raul provided his direct telephone number to me and was able to assist in obtaining a shuttle all the way from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico to Panajachel, Sonola, Guatemala. Raul assisted us in handling the entire transportation of our journey from San Cristobal to Panajachel and was very responsive to our inquiries.
Traveling to Guatemala
The trip to Panajachel was long, to say the least. The travel time from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico, is noted as eight hours and forty-one minutes, and that is without interruptions. If you plan on traveling on a Saturday or Sunday, you are out of luck when it involves a shuttle. First of all, Sunday is observed as a holy day and many San Cristobal locals do not work on Sundays except in the market and service industries in the city. Our trip began at six o’clock on a Monday morning causing us to miss our reservation at our hotel the previous Sunday. The shuttle will make several stops along the way for food and restroom facilities. There is also a 30 to 60 minutes wait at the border as the tourists and travelers receive their customs stamp in their VISA leaving Mexico and then traveling approximately 3 kilometers to the Guatemalan customs to receive their entry stamp.
The First Leg
The first part of the trip from San Cristobal to the Mexico-Guatemala border was quite seamless. There was one stop at a restaurant and gas station, which in the USA we refer to as a truck stop. It was a 45 minute stop where travelers were able to purchase food at one or the two restaurants. One restaurant was a buffet style restaurant, where the other was a service restaurant. Each were reasonably priced and served average food, based on USA standards. For the area and culture where we were, the food may have been considered above average. That is based on the several restaurants we had visited during our Mexico travels.
After The Break
At the forty minute mark, the driver opened the door to the bus, blew the horn and called out for the travelers to load. After about ten minutes when all the passengers were loaded, we were on the road again. The trip to the border was still one hour and thirty minutes. Having been on a fully loaded tour bus for nearly two hours already, another hour and thirty minutes was going to be a “walk in the park”. Fortunately it was a relatively quick ride since after the first stop many passengers interacted with each other, developing short term friendships that made the trip more pleasant and enjoyable.
Continuing To The Border
During the following one and one-half hours, there were amazing conversations about practically every topic, many of which were esoteric in nature. Most of the chatter was about manifestation, operating in higher frequencies, collective consciousness, and the important points that are seldom discussed in the media, and, however, are topics of discussion in higher vibrational communities and above the 2D and 3D paradigm. The drive to Centro de Distribuciones del Sur, Mexico, where we would receive our Mexico exit stamp at customs was quite pleasant.
Upon arrival at Centro de Distribuciones del Sur, Mexico, all the passengers were required to off-board the bus and get there stamp after showing their passport and VISA documents. Those who flew into Mexico didn’t require a VISA document, as that was handled by the airlines, generally. I opted to travel into Mexico via shuttle from Austin, Texas, through Nueva Laredo, Mexico, and had my VISA document. Because my stay was less than seven days, there was no exit fee at the border. Previously there was a five day maximum stay before the “tax” penalty was applied. That was updated to seven days several years ago after my previous visit through Mexico while traveling to Honduras in 2014 and in 2016 traveling to Peru.
The Delinquent Traveler
There is always the one person that fails to remain compliant and then say, “it’s not my fault. I didn’t know.” It is that one person who is in the line that puts a pause on the entire trip for all the other passengers thereby being an inconvenience. I don’t know how many times I have expressed it is the individual’s responsibility to perform their due diligence in all their dealings and interactions. One would think that this is a common responsibility that each person is required to remain accountable. There is always that “one”, and this trip was no different. There was that “one guy” who stayed beyond the seven days, didn’t have any money, and it wasn’t his fault that the airlines changed the schedule. I just have to say, that anybody who is half-way responsible checks their email and text messages periodically as most of the travel companies rely on repeat customers and to build continuity exercise communication protocols that at times become annoying. There were other options I am sure.
When the travel delinquent finally made it through the line a second time (another tour bus came through and he had to go to the end and wait), we were on the road to La Mesilla, Guatemala; another 3 kilometers away, and only about 10 minutes.
The La Mesilla, Guatemala Border
We arrived at La Mesilla, Guatemala, close to the scheduled time. It was a relief there were no unexpected events during the first portion of the trip. The passengers that have taken that route previously expressed how seamless the trip had been thus far. That was certainly good news and a relief that this had been the above average trip this far south of the US and Mexico border.
Once at La Mesilla, Guatemala, we disembarked the shuttle bus only a few hundred feet from the Guatemala customs. The driver walked us to the customs station and waited while each of us filed through customs and received our entrance stamp. As we exited customs and were officially on Guatemala soil, the passengers all convened on the street only 50 feet from customs where we awaited the net shuttle bus. As we all engaged in conversation and began interacting with our newly made acquaintances we received news that there had been a rock slide on the highway that blocked our route. The news was that we were now delayed by anywhere from two to four hours, placing arrival at our final destination well beyond acceptable arrival. That meant instead of arriving to Panajachel, Guatemala, by 6:00 o’clock post meridiem (6:00 p.m. or 18:00) when there may have been an iota of daylight remaining, we would arrive at around 10:00 o’clock post meridiem, certainly to be dark. That meant a private water taxi at approximately $45.00 USD per person as opposed to $3.25 USD on top of navigating unfamiliar territory to the hotel I reserved several months earlier in the dark.
Get Us A Shuttle
Eventually, as we stood outside customs awaiting the shuttle, we were receiving mixed information regarding the delay from people who had been making inaccurate assumptions. At that point I reached out directly to the shuttle service to get accurate information about what was the cause of the delay, how long it would be and what they were doing to resolve the issue. It seems that at about 30 minutes after contacting the shuttle provider a replacement shuttle was provided. It was a van with a large luggage rack on top that sat 12 people. It appeared that it hadn’t been used in months, and was stored in a lot behind several other cars and trucks. However, a driver came and started the van and had people move the other cars. Within 30 minutes we were loaded and getting on the road. I must say my travel partner after everybody was loaded on the van, decided she needed to pee just one more time. This seemed to be the pattern when traveling with her, and as everybody waited (asking me where she was), it is a good thing she did. She found one man’s wedding ring behind the van that had inadvertently come off during luggage loading, and she also saw my “baja” that I brought (which was my only warm piece of clothing). I can say that there had been some frustrating moments traveling with my recently obtained travel partner, specifically one with whom I had never traveled previously and spent only 3 nights sleeping in the same house in separate bedrooms prior to this trip. I will go into this later, however, as it has already been highlighted in my San Cristobal experience.
On Our Way to QUETZALTENANGO
The driver of our shuttle took an accounting of all the passengers, assuring none were missing. While other passengers had only moments ago asked where my “girlfriend” was, the only response that could be mustered was “she’s not my girlfriend, only my travel partner.” This had become a common occurance and familiar event at several stops during this trip thus far. Responsibility for one’s actions – or inactions – to ensure their boarding becomes quite exhausting. There have been far too many travels that could have been more fulfilling had the chaperone role been prescribed to somebody else. This pattern would become the final deciding factor in continuation of remaining travel partners. Eventually it became expected as being similar to a B-rated comedy, and there was some humor in watching the skit. my travel partner would, however, become a valuable asset during the travels as time went on.
Mid-Afternoon Departure
At approximately 2:45 p.m. we began the Guatemalan part of the journey. The suggested travel time is roughly five hours and thirty minutes without stops or breaks. This wasn’t the first travel experience for me, and there was no question the trip would be longer than the suggested five and a half hours. There would be at least two stops, one regularly scheduled stop for restroom and food, and another for those disembarking in another city along the way. This leg of the journey was surely going to surpass the six hour mark and possibly even seven hours.
First Guatemala Stop
The first stop on the second leg of the journey was near the town Huehuetenango, as I recall. We were merely two or two and one-half hours into the drive when the driver pulled into a combination gas station – carwash for a restroom break. This break was probably twenty to thirty minutes, and not the forty-five to sixty minute scheduled break. It was evident the driver wanted to get the trip completed and at the twenty minute mark boarded the van and started the engine. Once again we had to wait on a passenger to board the van so we could leave. The driver accelerated the engine, indicating it was time to leave. When he put it in gear and began leaving, the passenger finally boarded the van. Save the fifteen minutes we regained by shortening the stop.
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
It wasn’t long into the second leg of the Guatemala travels before night fall blessed us. As the shuttle van climbed the steep mountain edges, the sunset was definitely something you wouldn’t want to miss. The mountains were some of the steepest mountains I had traveled in a long time. The driver was excellent at navigating the terrain as we came upon the previously reported rock slide area. I was very thankful that junction was surpassed prior to night fall. The trucks and heavy equipment were finishing the last large boulders and rocks from the roadway as the van approached the slide area. Within thirty minutes of passing the slide area, the sky became completely dark. If you have never been in remote mountainous regions where cities and towns are tens of miles apart from each other, this can be quite the experience. The sky is absolutely astounding. One would never know how beautiful the night sky can be until deep into the forest on a mountain edge overlooking a valley some 7,000 feet below. A gentle silence came across the passengers as some gazed out the window and others nodded off to sleep. Although awkwardly seated, several were able to find a position comfortable enough to catch a few minutes of sleep.
As we came to the peak of the valley we could see Quetzaltenango in the distance, probably another one to one and one-half hour drive. The city lights in the middle of the jungle were absolutely radiant. Although the drive was merely another 25 to 30 miles, the travel time would prove to be well over an hour due to the treacherous and winding road down the other side of the mountain.
Quetzaltenango couldn’t have come soon enough. It was a relief knowing the previous four and one-half hour drive now behind us, leaving only another two and one-half hours ahead of us. At this point simply making to Panajachel was the focus point. I had already missed an entire day at the Eagle’s Nest for Winter Solstice 2022 and my focus was more on the experiences ahead of me, rather than missing the entire day and many of the performances, events and activities upon which my heart had been set. There was nothing I could do to change the facts. It was certainly time to exercise the philosophy of being present and living in the moment, the same philosophy that I had taught and preached for years prior to this adventure. I was full into having to be present and remain compassionate.
Panajachel
With an uneventful arrival to Panajachel, Guatemala, in the dark the public ferries had stopped running for the night. This meant the only means of travel to San Marcos was to employ a private shuttle or wait until morning to get a public ferry. With the latter, that meant trying to find a hotel or hostel in Panajachel in the middle of the night when everything in the town was closed. I contacted the hotel where we were scheduled to stay for the three days of Winter Solstice Festival held at The Eagle’s Nest. Opening day had already been missed in its entirety and willingness to missing another day was far from desirable. Besides, previously paid lodging expenses were also at risk for which the desire to lose another night not utilizing a hotel room was less than favorable. The hotel that was booked in Panajachel the night before that would be available upon arrival was lost due to the inability to travel on a Sunday from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, to Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala.
The bloke at Maya Casas contacted a private ferry for us and we took that across the lake in the darkness of the night. It was Q$250 – for those who are unfamiliar with Guatemala currency, that is Quetzals 250 or about $35 USD. Although the exchange rate during my stay was Q7.8269 per United States Dollar, the local exchange came in at Q7.0 if exchanging outside a bank, otherwise the banks were between Q7.2 and Q7.4 per US Dollar. The positive aspect of the private boat experience was that it was about a fifteen minute ride across the lake from Panajachel to San Marcos. That was a quick ride considering it was pitch black, cold and with high humidity. The public boats I would learn later were only Q25, which was roughly $3.20 USD and took about 35 minutes from Panajachel to San Marcos. The owner of the Maya Casas is referred to as a bloke because his attitude and customer service skills were less than favorable as I learned on the phone when trying to coordinate our arrival. The following day we checked out of Mayan Casas (located at Mayan Casas 61-80 Z-0 Barrio 3 san marcos la laguna, 07016 San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala) without hesitation.
Fortunately, my travel friend was able to manifest accommodations in San Marcos la Laguna.