Into Guatemala and to Quezaltenango (locally known as Xela)

Guatemalan intercity busses
Originally uploaded by louise_parmenter

Crossing the border into Guatemala was both a stressful but rewarding experience: firstly with my 20kilo backpack and a 8kilo rucksack I had to take 2 minibusses to get to the Mexican border, then a taxi over to the Guatemalan border, where I had to charm the customs officers into not charging me an unofficial, unreceipted payment to enter the country (I was warned about this in advance). From there I took a tuc tuc (motorbike taxi) through a very crowded market to the bus terminal, where I had to squash myself into a Blue Bird (ex US school bus) for a 3hr trip to the next big town of Huehuetenango (Hue-hue-ten-ango). But on setting off I noticed the promising landscape into which we were driving – lush mountains, volcanos and rich in traditional (Mayan) culture. From Huehue (a traditional village in the north-west) I moved south to Quezaltenango (Xela); a more wealthy, modern town, close to some interesting Mayan villages, where I spent a few days visiting volcanic thermal springs and just relaxing.

Here are the photos.

DISTANCE TRAVELLED (OVERLAND) SINCE USHUAIA: 29,206KM