Day 14 & 15

Saturday was my last day in Antigua.  I had originally planned to leave for Xela on Saturday morning.  But one of the other students has a car (he is Croatian but has been living in Las Vegas for the past 5 years and drove all the way down to Guatemala from there) and offered to give me a ride.  So come Sunday morning I was quite irritated when he still was not answering my skype contact request to figure out where to meet up.  Instead I took a chicken bus (more about that experience to come).

Therefore my Saturday was pretty chill as I planned to prepare for my departure.  I had stayed out fairly late the night before but my breakfast had been put out on the table for me for when I got up (cereal and a fruit salad with oranges, bananas, and a few other varaties).  When I went out to eat it Aldolfo came around to chat with me while I ate.  So much for having a nice quite breakfast to myself.  I stayed in the morning reading and relaxing.

For lunch some other older members of the family were around.  They did not talk to me much but the Spanish conversation in general was pretty lively.  Ordelia served a delicious soup which I think she said was typical of the Coban area.  It was quite spicy with a little bit of greens in it.  My extras were served on the side for some reason, but the others had the chicken, squash, yucca, corn on the cob, and rice in the soup.

Some time after lunch I finally made it out of the house and into the city.  I had plans of sending my stuff back home to lighten my load a bit but the post office was closed.  All that work for some of the ladies went to the day before to get me a box at the grocery store and I ended up just throwing it away.  While I was walking to the city, in the city, and back I ran into a total of 8 classmates!  For my ultimae (last) meal, I had beans and a tamale with Aldolfo sitting there watching me and keeping me company.

On Sunday I tried to find Damirs (the guy I was supposed to ride with) house and car with no luck  I decided to just go down to the chicken bus depot and make my way on my own.  The first bus was fairly easy.  I had been to the depot before and taken the buses with my school.

For those of you that do not know, chicken buses are all decommisoned yellow school buses from the states and Canada that have been pimped out with all sorts of bright colors.  I think the two I rode on today were really old, from before my days of riding school buses 20 years ago, so I imagine they take pretty good care of the buses. It still amazes me how, the speeds they drive up mountains and around curves, these buses last so long.  Supposedly, there is a documentary floating around that follows some guys process of getting his bus if you want to check it out.

The drivers assistant put my backpack on the rail above my seat.  I had some concern that I was not on the right bus but, eventually, I was the last one on the bus and the driver showed me where to catch the bus to Xela.  Also, during the ride I was only squished riding 3 across for a short period of time. 

This was a little more tricky.  He had just dropped me off on a street corner where I think he implied the bus would come through.  I waited for awhile where it looked like other people were waiting as well.  A couple buses went by and picked up people so I figured I must be in the right place.  Eventually one came by and the assistant was yelling out Xela!  He took my bag toward the back and I headed to the front.  So much for the tour books suggestion that you ¨watch your pack  The bus was absolutely packed, standing room only, and barely space for that.  For probably 45 minutes I was standing worried about whether my hours long trip would be this way.

At some point I got a seat.  Only problem, it was right ontop of the wheel.  Also, guys sat down next to me, so much for the other tour book suggestion that single female travelers only sit next to women and children.  Although, it was absolutely fine.  For awhile, I had also been wondering where my pack had ended up.  From my new seat by the window I could see the buses shadow and eventually figured out that the shadow of my pack was also on the roof of the bus.  I found myself counting out what things in my bag were expensive or irreplaceable.  Luckily, they must do this a lot and my pack was fine.

At one point, most people on the bus got on while a crowd of venders also came through trying to sell stuff.  As the chaos died down I asked a lady where we were but she did not understand my Spanish.  Eventually, the assistant came and got me and told me we were in Xela.  Once off the bus with my pack I was not sure what direction to head.  Somehow I eventually found a taxi.  The driver took me to one of the schools I had researched.  I was impressed with how much more I was able to communicate with him as opposed to that first taxi I took when I first arrived in Guatemala.  Maybe I was actually able to retain a little something from those 30 hours of Spanish classes.  My taxi ride that was less than 10 minutes was more expensive than my 5 hour ride across the country!

After enrolling in the school I was placed in a homestay.  Sylvia seems very nice and there is even a little boy at the house who is about 4!  However, there is no internet in the house so I may not be able to continue the blog as regularly.  Xela is a lot bigger and feels much more cosmotalitan though there are less people walking and out and about.  Perhaps more people have cars and drive here.