10: Managua with a Twist, Part II
Flores – Tikal – Antigua – Panajachel – San Pedro de Laguna – Antigua – San Salvador – Managua – Bahia Majagual – Managua
5 March 2002
After three days, early in the morning we left, heading for Flores via a not-much-traveled route.
And this proved to be one of the most memorable days of travel, as we first saw a magnificent sun setting in all the yellows and reds over the green mountains.
And then we rode illegally on the top of the bus for two hours, with nature passing by around us as if in a movie. After a flat tire forced the bus to stop we hitched a ride with the truck behind the bus and continued on the unpaved roads to close by our destination. During the eight-hour trip in the truck we all (Arlen, me, 6 other backpacker and some locals) sat or hung around or stood or lay down in the back of the truck. Arlen slept much of the time on the pile of backpacks as if it were a big bed. After I had done the same, I was covered by a layer of dust, and felt very dirty.
Returning to the heart of Guatemala I again saw the native people in the colorful clothing and the luscious green mountains and valleys. Having now seen all of Central America I think Guatemala is the most beautiful and interesting of the region, and maybe the world. Adding to the flavor are the ancient Mayan ruins and the sharpness of the gap between rich and poor, being more evident here then in the other countries.
The next afternoon we headed to Tikal where we quickly dropped our stuff in our little cabin before hurrying to the ruins to sit on top of the Mundo Perdido structure during sunset. Aaahhh, to see the warm sunlight fall on the canopy of the green jungle and on the tops of the buildings and tall trees sticking out of it. Together with the 25 other people.
At 5 o’clock the next morning we were already rushing through an eerie, misty jungle to catch the sunrise from the top of Templo IV. It seemed disappointing at first because of the heavy mist, but after a while I began to appreciate the mysterious views and sounds as the clouds flowed by, until two hours later everything slowly cleared up and we could see all the buildings sticking out through the top of the jungle.
In the afternoon we returned to Flores, and at 22:00 in the evening we took the 9-hour bus ride to Guatemala City because we wanted to go to Antigua. In Antigua we only stayed 2 nights, just wandering around and watching Jeronimo, the pet baby rabbit hotel mascot, in the garden. We then moved to Lago Atitlan and stayed in Panajachel so we could visit the famous market at Chichicastenango the next day.
I don’t know why this market is so famous, it was pretty big and a lot of local arts and clothing were being sold. There were also a lot of local families visiting the market, and I found the amount of tourists to be bearable. But I was not as impressed as on my visit to the market at Solola, which was more raw, original. I did enjoy our lunch somewhere in the middle of the market, where we were the only tourists eating from the food stalls.
The next day we took a lancha to San Pedro de Laguna on the other side of the lake. This is a popular destination for backpackers, as here are some of the cheapest accommodations in the country (and thus possibly in the world). The town is not special, but that made it more authentic to me. On the second day we tried climbing the nearby volcano with another couple from our hotel ($1.75 per night for a double – and this wasn’t the cheapest!). We tried but got lost in the coffee plantations and forests since we didn’t want to pay for the recommended guide. We did get up pretty far and had some magnificent views of the lake which was actually in a crater, which means the original volcano must have been very, very big.
On the way back we were passed by people who were returning from working on the coffee plantations on the slope of the volcano. Some were carrying bags of more than 50kg on their backs. Later we asked how much they were earning, and were told $3 per day! This made a big impression on us.
Arlen had been surprised about the level of poverty she had seen in Guatemala. This seemed to her to be worse than in Nicaragua and probably has to do with the fact that there is a much larger group of middle-class families than in Guatemala. Why, I don’t know.
After we arrived back from the volcano we went to the nearby solar pools and relaxed in the hot water. This might not have been such a good idea, especially after a combination of the hike, the cold beer we drank afterwards on an empty stomach to celebrate our safe return, and the heat of the water. We both got headaches, and especially Arlen; she got one so bad she almost fainted. Luckily in a few hours this had passed, and in the darkness of the night but by the light of the full moon a lancha brought us to the beach where the full moon party was just getting under way. There was a large bonfire and a good DJ playing European house. I really liked the special atmosphere, and I knew that in Europe partygoers would pay $100 for something like this.
The next morning we got up slowly and enjoyed breakfast before taking a lancha back to Panajachel, and would thus start our journey back to Nicaragua.
On the last bus before Antigua we met an American couple who had been traveling for a year now, with one month to go. Someone in the bus made some public comments about the US deserving the terrorist attack, and an Argentinean backpacker started arguing about America being the cause of the troubles in his country. We jumped in to defend against these extreme opinions. Or should I say Arlen jumped in, since the Americans and I didn’t speak enough Spanish. It was fun to see Arlen discussing in the typical hot-blooded Latino style (wondering how it would be when it turns on me one day!). Although normally we would not be defending the Americans nor their policies very quickly, this was really a little too much.
Upon returning in Antigua we bought our tickets for the TICA bus the next day, which would take us to Managua in two days, staying one night in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. In the evening we dined in an expensive Italian restaurant with the American couple, celebrating our last day in Guatemala. The American couple agreed that many of the problems between America and the world has much to do with the fact that most Americans don’t know anything about the world around them. So, we concluded, they should all travel more, and to do this Americans should get more paid vacation days like the rest of the modern world. It is a mystery why Americans accept so few vacations days, while the productivity is the same as in Europe. Someone should look in to this.
The long bus trip was uneventful, and Arlen was happy to be back in Nicaragua again. El Salvador was expensive in general, San Salvador modern. The countryside was a lot like that of the Pacific side of Nicaragua, with dry, flat landscapes with volcanoes sticking out like pimples every now and then.
The next day was Sunday, and we relaxed by visiting nearby Masaya and its large handicraft market. This was nice, but not as wild as the markets in Guatemala.
It could have been any Western market selling handicrafts. We also went to the top of a nearby volcano, with a view over a beautiful blue crater lake, and in the distance Granada and Lago Nicaragua.
In the evening we brought our big backpacks to her girlfriend Gaby, and together with her baby daughter went out to eat somewhere in the city.
The next day I first went to a travel agency to buy a plane ticket to Lima, Peru, for the coming Thursday.
After this we went with only our daypacks (wonderful) to Playa Majagual, a backpackers “beach resort” near San Juan del Sur. Here we spent two days lounging on the beautiful small beach, resting, eating and enjoying each other, both of us getting ready for the weeks ahead. Arlen would soon have to face her, potentially very angry, family, whom she had left with a fight, and she would also have to start her studies again. And me, traveling for three intensive weeks in Peru and Bolivia. So, late in the afternoon on Wednesday we returned (the 5th), picked up our stuff at Gaby’s and checked in at our favorite hotel.
Tomorrow morning we will be heading early to the airport, and then Arlen and I will be “alone” for couple of weeks. This is probably a good thing for us, since things have gone fast the last two months, and especially the past month was very intense for us and a good test how we function together under different circumstances. The stress of traveling has broken up many relationships on the road, and we think we passed very well. Even though we are thinking about a future together with all the practical problems it will give, it is good to have some time to let it all sink in.
So, it is off to South America again. In a couple of weeks I will finish another entry with many new impressions.
