Heading to Guatemala

So, my plans changed from South Africa or Australia to Guatemala. Mostly because it will be much cheaper, flights look great except for getting to IAH or LAX. And an employee posted a trip report awhile back on our company website that makes it sound easy to get to the places I am going to hit (shuttle vans between airport/antigua/lake atitlan).

Someone I work with has family down there who are going to pick me up and show me around Guatemala city for a day or two. I then plan on heading to Antigua and Lake Atitlan spending 2 or 3 days at each place. I will plan a different trip to head to Tikal.

Anyways, if anyone has any sites/restaurants etc. that I should see/do let me know.

Oh, I am leaving tomorrow night (Friday) and returning sometime the following week, all depends on how I am enjoying it.

Tony

Cool. I like it in Antigua. Nice town, very old, and very scenic. Nice view of lots of volcanos. I don't know about Atitlan lake. I know its a volcanic lake, and here is a list of the top ten listed by this web site. I was recently in Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador. Very interesting lake. Then went up to Cerro verde to view down the crater of Izalco volcano. Guatemala has it all asfar as lakes and volcanos. Have a nice trip.

Top 10 Amazing Volcano Lakes

Oh shoot--just saw this. We had a car and it was an adventure driving to Antigua and Pana. I will find my old notes--look up Sol y Tul restaurant on the lake at Santa Catarina. Crazy French dude named Guy who owns S y T and runs the paraglider biz off the hill above the famous switchback road. On the road from S y T past a small hotel called Casa Polopo in Santa Catarina, there is an Indian guy (former lawyer) who lives facing the lake--his name is Raj and he'll say hello--prob invite you to visit. Hang at Santa Catarina for a day if you can. Guy also has a coffee farm--buy some of his stuff--no regrets!

Los Encuentros is a cool guesthouse/hotel at Panajachel. Short walk into town--cheap rates and they have a hot springs bath that will make your skin red! They have some houses for rent on the lake, too.

Be mindful of ATMs in both Pana and Antigua--lots of recent problems with hidden cameras, etc. New airport is pretty nice.

Oh Shoot again--it's Tul y Sol--sorry...and it's San Marcos la Laguna--ARGHH--to many sans and lagunas etc...
and Guy now has a bedroom he rents...

Well, here I sit in SLC watching one flight leave without me. Problem is I would have made it but I was at another gate trying a different flight. The one flight was delayed and by the time I found out there was no way for me to make the other flight. Numbers wise, the other flight that I would have made-I would have been 24th on the standby list with something like 5 seats. After all is said and done there must have been many no shows as the flight left with 11 open seats. Strange thing is they still showed 5 non revs waiting for seats-must have been no shows and since they were the last of the pack they did not delete them from the system.

Now, because this flight I am waiting for is 1 hour late I have to decide on this flight (50 seats) oversold by 2 and I am #1 on the standby list or the other flight that will now leave at the same time due to the delay, this flight is a 150 seater and I am #18 on the standby list and it is oversold by 1. Problem is the last flight that I would have ended up making looked worse for numbers. I hope I do not pick the wrong flight, cross my fingers. Still do not know what one I will try. I will look at numbers again about 40 minutes before the flights to see what looks better.

You can find lakes formed by volcanos all over Central America. I took this one of BOTOS lake near Volcan Poas. Check out this page. Took photo of Poas, and Botos lake. Check out the Guatemala section. I took photos there too.

"Volcan Poas" Costa Rica by Thestumps

Great, sitting here with a couple of paragraphs typed and somehow pressed the wrong keys and lost all information typed.

Anyways, before the flight information, I am in Antigua now and its 4:45am and some canons and church bells just went off. Glad I was already up.

Back to my flight story. So, after missing the 8:20pm flight from SLC to LAX because there was no way I could make it-it had 24 people on the list on the screen at the gate(I would be way at the bottom as I am just above buddy passes) and showing 3 seats I went over to the United gate to try a flight at 8:55pm that was oversold by 2 but I was #1 on the standby list. Somewhere around 8:20 I find out the flight was running an hour late. Great, not it will leave at the same time as the 9:55pm Delta flight. So go and look at the numbers again only to find out that I would have made the 8:20 flight and it left with 11 seats.

Now I need to decide on a 50 seater and being now #2 on the list or a 150 seater and being at the bottom of 20 or so. Due to the United flight being late and should have left by now, I talked with the gate agent and he said all people are checked in and that he will probably have to get the 2 oversold hotel rooms. At this point I decide to take my chances with someone missing or not showing for the Delta flight. (more canons going off outside my hostel). So of course I have to look at the United flight to see if I would have made it. Great, all standby made the flight. I just can not pick the correct flights today. Anyways after waiting and feeling I am not going to make the flight I got the 2nd to last seat on Delta. In LAX I just had to wait 2 hours for an open flight to GUA, on that flight I got business on I think was a 757. I was hoping to sleep but that did not happen.

In GUA I was picked up at the airport by a coworkers niece. I thought I was staying with her for the day/night and heading to Antigua on Sunday. The next thing I know is we are in Antigua and I am getting dropped off at central park. Because it is conference weekend for the church I guess they had things to do on Saturday so I will try and get back with them Thursday afternoon.

Its 7am in Antigua and I have no money as I thought I would be with someone and would wait until the banks open to exchange. Walking around the banks open at 9am so I walk around checking out Antigua and looking for a possible place to stay. While sitting in the park I was approched by 'Jose', he gave me some brochures of places he was pushing, he was nice enough. The hostel he was pushing called ummagumma was in the guidebood so I went there and checked it out. I also walked around looking for other places. After the banks opended and I was able to get some money I ended up back at ummagumma where I got a private room with bath for $10. Then I took a nap as I have been up for around 36 hours with 4 hours of sleep. Woke back up and walked around the town, now a lot more crowded with people. Found a place to eat dinner, went back to the hostel and had a beer and went back to bed, only to wake up at 2:45am.

Not to many plans today, I am going to get out early to take some pictures before the crowds, get a cup of coffee and eat breakfast. I will probably just relax on the rooftop terrace drinking beers this afternoon.

Tomorrow morning I am going to head to Lake Atitlan for a couple of nights, then back to Antigua for a night and back to Guatemala city Thursday to meet up again with the coworkers niece.

Good news--sounds like you have a loose plan. Enjoy the lake--it's so incredibly beautiful!
here's the link for the posada:
Posada_Los_Encuentros_eng
More than the hostel--single is $35. I'm sure there will be more hostels in Pana.

Cheezus bro. A report of Antigua, Guatemala would suffice, that nonrev story was very loooooooowwwwng. The point is you made it and that's good. Your co-workers neice? Was there a language barrier? Looks like you had no back up plan. Always have money, credit card or something in case plan A goes south. You wouldn't find yourself in that kinda situation, like being in a park at whee hours of the morning. The good note is, that if you got approached by those Mayans selling things in the park, you could always tell them the truth. "I have no money. Really. Honestly." But they would think you were full of it because, NO TOURIST IS EVER SIN DINERO!
I never trust any of that, someone will meet up with you and show you around business. Always plan on your own, don't depend on anyone. You can call them when you settle down and if they don't show up, you at least got your pad and situated. I guess I learned that kinda thing a long time ago when on vessels. I never relied on even my co-workers. In the end, it was all on you. You are lucky in that it is very inexpensive to stay there. I paid 15 bucks per night, and had my own bathroom, shower. Just no television, nothing very fancy but very cheap.

So what's going on? Make it to Atitlan?

Sorry, I had some bad internet connections at times and had other things to do. Anyways, made shuttle van up to San Pedro de Laguna ($10) and stayed at Hostel Pinochio, right across the path from the Budda Bar. All went well, I ended up doing a hike along a portion of the lake from Santa Cruz de Laguna.

Spent two nights there and then headed back to antigua for a night then onto Guatemala City meeting up with a coworkers family for the night.

Back in LAX, I was sitting on my flight heading to SLC and had to get off due to a stupid error on my part. I will not bore you with the details.

Now just waiting another 3 hours for the next flight out and hope I make it.

oops--what happened? It might matter to some people. Hope you had BIG fun--can't wait to hear more about your time at the lake.

Don't know if you do beer or not, did you try some GALLO beer? Funny thing about that beer, here in the states, I have seen the same symbol of the rooster on the lable, but here in the states, since its imported, they call it FAMOSA. (Famous). I guess ROOSTER beer woudn't sell here, sounds too cheezy, but that's what GALLO means. ROOSTER! You try any chicken or pizza cooked over those wood sticks, they use for fire wood, called (leña). Mig, that's all fine and dandy. Now, how do you capital that ñ?

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Originally Posted by offroader

Sorry, I had some bad internet connections at times and had other things to do. Anyways, made shuttle van up to San Pedro de Laguna ($10) and stayed at Hostel Pinochio, right across the path from the Budda Bar. All went well, I ended up doing a hike along a portion of the lake from Santa Cruz de Laguna.

Spent two nights there and then headed back to antigua for a night then onto Guatemala City meeting up with a coworkers family for the night.

Back in LAX, I was sitting on my flight heading to SLC and had to get off due to a stupid error on my part. I will not bore you with the details.

Now just waiting another 3 hours for the next flight out and hope I make it.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by 29palms

You try any chicken or pizza cooked over those wood sticks, they use for fire wood, called LENA. (The "N" with the spanish accent over it.)

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Well Palms we gotta have that Spanish accent. *wink*
(Windows) -Hold down the ALT key, then type 0241 on your numeric key pad, release the ALT key-- and voila - ñ ......leña!
I’ll let you edit your post. :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by offroader

Back in LAX, I was sitting on my flight heading to SLC and had to get off due to a stupid error on my part. I will not bore you with the details.

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Offroader, I’m with M7 on this one - don’t leave us hanging. *wink*
My mind is racing, what kinda of “error” would make a nonrev seated on a plane home, give up his seat?
You didn’t ..........no, you couldn't have done that. LOL! :cool::cool::cool:

Maybe a 38-24-38 could be the cause of a missed flight for anyone right? Mig, see my edit on previous thread.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 29palms

Mig, that's all fine and dandy. Now, how do you capital that ñ?

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Use code 0209 - Ñ :cool:

OK, I was sitting in my seat from LAX to SLC, they were close to closing the door for pushback and I went to turn my phone off. I then realized that I did not have my passport. I barely made it off the plane as they closed the door as soon as I was out. So, quick thinking, I used my passport to get through security so it had to be between security and the gate. I doubt that I dropped it so I went to security. Luckly they had it. I must have missed it when grabbing all my stuff out of the plastic bin. Only bad part was now it was another 3.5 hour wait for next flight, but passport much more important than catching the flight.

29, I tried the Gallo originally but stopped drinking that after I had a Cabro. Liked the Cabro much better. Not sure if you know but they can not sell the beer under Gallo as the wine company has the rights. The only chicken I had was on the way back with my stop in Guatemala City with the coworkers family I showed up during work hours and they took me to lunch at one of the fast food chicken places (not Pollo Campero, but similar).

If anyone goes to Antigua, there is a restaurant called la rincon tipico that ended up being one of the best meals and one of the cheapest. No menu, they just ask what you want for the meat (chicken, pork, churizo or carne asada) and it come with a drink (some type of juice), rice, pasta salad and a salad of onion/cucumber/tomatoes. All for $20 Q (about 3.50 U.S.). Breakfast was $15 Q, not sure what they served though.

I probably would have eaten there the first two nights in Antigua if I would have known, would have saved around $25 U.S.

The hike along lake Atitlan was very expensive compared to everything else ,$43 U.S., for the english speaking guide. If I go down to that area again I will either do the overnight on Tajamulco volcano for approx $90 U.S., or a 3 day hike from Quetzaltenango to San Pedro for around $150 U.S.

Most likely if I hit Guatemala again I will head to Tikal, if the world is still around after 12/21/12. Might go through Belize as I think it would cost less.