The first bus of the day was a coach, quite nice with good seats and a movie in spanish, we had 3 hours on it so reading and sleeping were the best thing to do. Then we were at the Mexican border, how exciting our first land border crossing. We got off the bus and got our Passports stamped by the Mexican side then were bundled into a taxi with 3 other people and were driven to the Guatemalan border to get our stamp there. The drive could have been quick if the road wasn't littered with stalls selling clothes, food, and stuff, and the people on the road have no fear of cars they just keep walking and the cars keep driving.
So here we are in Guatemala got the stamp and everything to prove it!! As soon as we are out of the immigration office we are bundled in to a Tuc Tuc driven by a 12 year old to be taken to the bus depo. Then taken from the Tuc Tuc and told that yes this was our bus, I thought that was quite funny as I hadn't told the driver where we wanted to go yet!!!! So we have a discussion in pigeon Spanish and tell him we're going to Antigua ( at this stage our bags are on the roof and he tells me that we need to change bus). OK, I thought the bus looks cool from the outside and if we just have to change once it shouldn't be too bad. The buses are old American School buses panted in garish colours and 3 to a seat!
So we are on the chicken bus travelling all the way to Antigua, it's a hell of a long way and the seats are uncomfortable but thankfully we have one. People who get on the bus after us have to be the 3rd on the seat and when you have 2 sides where 3 are sitting the people at the edge are just wedged together nicely, hovering with barely one cheek perched on the seat! It wasn't too bad (actually what am I saying it was dreadful but not as bad as later) at least we had a seat and a seat together. Our diver really wanted to get to where ever the hell we were going quickly over taking anything that got in its way.
Then it was time to do our one change so we thought, our bags were taken for the roof of one bus to the roof of another with the random Guatemalan gentleman saying that this was the bus to Antigua. Time passed and our chicken flung itself round the corners of the mountain at amazing speed, you had to brace yourself against the seat across as you crashed into the guy sitting beside you. And then after a few hours we stopped again, but this time there was no bus waiting, we had to figure this one out for ourselves. The man on top of the bus had pointed to where the bus went from as it took off with Stu still inside(he claims he was waiting for me to find out if this was our stop or not) . I had to run after it, jump on , tell him we were getting off and jump off all as it was moving. We wondered up in the vague direction of the point that the next bus was apparently leaving from and asked around. We were told yet again that there was no direct bus to Antigua (no shit) and that we would have to change again.
Onto another bus with us this time no seats together. For some reason I thought this bus was only 1/2 an hour, I was very wrong. About 20 mins into it the crying started(by me , not stu) I just wanted to get off the bus. We were driving on roads that we being build at the time so it was really bumpy, we were the only Gringos on the bus and we didn't know where we were, it was all too much. Again the driver was quick and impatient but I reassured myself that they must make this journey all the time and they always drive like this and make it alive. Still I just wanted to be off.
So here we are in Guatemala got the stamp and everything to prove it!! As soon as we are out of the immigration office we are bundled in to a Tuc Tuc driven by a 12 year old to be taken to the bus depo. Then taken from the Tuc Tuc and told that yes this was our bus, I thought that was quite funny as I hadn't told the driver where we wanted to go yet!!!! So we have a discussion in pigeon Spanish and tell him we're going to Antigua ( at this stage our bags are on the roof and he tells me that we need to change bus). OK, I thought the bus looks cool from the outside and if we just have to change once it shouldn't be too bad. The buses are old American School buses panted in garish colours and 3 to a seat!
So we are on the chicken bus travelling all the way to Antigua, it's a hell of a long way and the seats are uncomfortable but thankfully we have one. People who get on the bus after us have to be the 3rd on the seat and when you have 2 sides where 3 are sitting the people at the edge are just wedged together nicely, hovering with barely one cheek perched on the seat! It wasn't too bad (actually what am I saying it was dreadful but not as bad as later) at least we had a seat and a seat together. Our diver really wanted to get to where ever the hell we were going quickly over taking anything that got in its way.
Then it was time to do our one change so we thought, our bags were taken for the roof of one bus to the roof of another with the random Guatemalan gentleman saying that this was the bus to Antigua. Time passed and our chicken flung itself round the corners of the mountain at amazing speed, you had to brace yourself against the seat across as you crashed into the guy sitting beside you. And then after a few hours we stopped again, but this time there was no bus waiting, we had to figure this one out for ourselves. The man on top of the bus had pointed to where the bus went from as it took off with Stu still inside(he claims he was waiting for me to find out if this was our stop or not) . I had to run after it, jump on , tell him we were getting off and jump off all as it was moving. We wondered up in the vague direction of the point that the next bus was apparently leaving from and asked around. We were told yet again that there was no direct bus to Antigua (no shit) and that we would have to change again.
Onto another bus with us this time no seats together. For some reason I thought this bus was only 1/2 an hour, I was very wrong. About 20 mins into it the crying started(by me , not stu) I just wanted to get off the bus. We were driving on roads that we being build at the time so it was really bumpy, we were the only Gringos on the bus and we didn't know where we were, it was all too much. Again the driver was quick and impatient but I reassured myself that they must make this journey all the time and they always drive like this and make it alive. Still I just wanted to be off.
The guy beside told me not to get off at the town that the guide book told us to and that we should stay on and get off at the next one, that's what I picked up form the break neck speed Spanish he was speaking. At this stage I didn't believe the guide book anymore - they told me that this would be a fun insight into the Guatemalan way of life - it wasn't.
We got off at the next stop to a flood of tears, the thought of another bus was too much to take. I should have know something was wrong when Stu suggested that we get a taxi to Antigua. I couldn't function enough to put my hand out for one. Later Stu told me that the buses stop a 7pm on our clock it was 7.30 he didn't have the heart to tell me. (later on we remembered the time difference we were an hour behind so we had another 30 mins of wonderful chicken bus time).
Our last Bus come in to view we jumped on and there are no seats not even the middle ones - typical of our luck- it could only be worse if we would have driven off a cliff. So we stand and guess what? I cry. We are wedged between 12 people each, 6 in front and 6 behind, there is no chance of falling, which I did on the last bus and was saved by the man beside me but have a massive bruise from his help. Then we are finally in Antigua, we are driving through the back streets away from the market, looking like we are going away from everything and I am going mad thinking that we will have to get out on one of these random streets and not know where we are. Then from nowhere the bus depo came into view and there we were - Antigua.
After a bit of trouble with the map we found our hostel that had been recommended to us. I lay on the bed and had another little cry. Stu then decided that we had to go for some nice food to make me feel better. And this is where the irony comes in, The cost of the chicken buses against the direct shuttle saved us 20pounds. This is the exact cost of a meal and a bottle of wine to make us feel better after a 12 hour day on chicken buses. Such is life.
It had been a very long day started at 8.30am 1 coach, a taxi, tuc tuc, and 4 chicken buses. NEVER AGAIN!!- shuttle buses all the way from now on.
Our last Bus come in to view we jumped on and there are no seats not even the middle ones - typical of our luck- it could only be worse if we would have driven off a cliff. So we stand and guess what? I cry. We are wedged between 12 people each, 6 in front and 6 behind, there is no chance of falling, which I did on the last bus and was saved by the man beside me but have a massive bruise from his help. Then we are finally in Antigua, we are driving through the back streets away from the market, looking like we are going away from everything and I am going mad thinking that we will have to get out on one of these random streets and not know where we are. Then from nowhere the bus depo came into view and there we were - Antigua.
After a bit of trouble with the map we found our hostel that had been recommended to us. I lay on the bed and had another little cry. Stu then decided that we had to go for some nice food to make me feel better. And this is where the irony comes in, The cost of the chicken buses against the direct shuttle saved us 20pounds. This is the exact cost of a meal and a bottle of wine to make us feel better after a 12 hour day on chicken buses. Such is life.
It had been a very long day started at 8.30am 1 coach, a taxi, tuc tuc, and 4 chicken buses. NEVER AGAIN!!- shuttle buses all the way from now on.
1 comment:
I am very familure with your story. I travel in Guate and YES I know the buses. I too cried once when I was lost in Mexico at 2:. This was before my Spanish was understandable and it was a disaster, but VERY funny now. My dughter is moving to Coban . Do you know anything about Coban
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