Buses: Commerce and Boredom

Look out of the window or get a grip. 

 

Vendors come on buses before they depart as well as during transit to sell food, drinks, books, medicine and anything else they can carry.

This man is selling a device to easily thread needles.

Deep fried, thin sliced banana. Think potato chips.

These sellers wait until the bus fills up before going on board.

Two Days Later

I checked in to my hostel in Oaxaca 30 minutes ago (8:30 AM)  and learned that it's Friday. My journey from Antigua began Wednesday morning so I've been traveling for two days. Five buses, two taxis, two microbuses, one overnight in a bed, one overnight in a bus.

Can You Say Quetzaltenango?

 This boy is dirtier than the engine that's wrapped around him, in the chaotic outdoor bus terminal in Xela (pronounced SHAYla) which is easier to say than Quetzaltenango.
I needed to stay overnight in this city because I wouldn't have been able to cross the border before dark.

  

 These girls gave me directions from the terminal to the local bus stop. Each one suggested a different route but they agreed that it was two blocks away, instead of the half-mile that I remembered from last year.

 I decided to take a taxi to the hostel but the first driver gave a price of Q30 (quetzales). I said no,  because I always argue the first price, which prompted him to immediately lower it to Q25. My reply was Q20, but he said no so I walked on even though I realized the price was actually Q25. This is the driver I connected with.

A poor copy of the Parthenon was worthy of a quick picture,  just to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating.

Goodbye Antigua

 The arch at the former Santa Catalina convent, which is now a luxury hotel, with Volcan Agua in the distance.

One more illustration of the number of motorcycles in Antigua, Guatemala. Here, they are everywhere.

Misjudged Travel Time

Five hours in buses and I'm stuck for the night in Xela (also known officially as Quetzaltenango) instead of Tapachula across the border in Chiapas, Mexico.  Buses in Guatemala don't usually travel at night so four hours of buses tomorrow will bring me to my desired destination. Then I'll look for the first-class bus station where,  if I'm lucky, I can buy a reserved seat for the overnight bus to Oaxaca.

Memories

Minding the family business selling pirated DVD movies, this kid has little to do but watch one of his discs.

The main fountain in Antigua's central park is a tourist attraction.







This three-wheel two-seat taxi made in India gave me the impression of a silly kid's toy as I viewed it through a doorway while having breakfast.

My Former Home

My packs are ready to leave my home of three weeks. That's my bed at lower right.

On the Road Again

I'm leaving Antigua today and will spend about five hours on buses like this before reaching Tapachula in Mexico where I hope to get a reserved seat on a first - class bus for the twelve - hour overnight trip to Oaxaca. Wish me luck.

Cargo carrier

 Babies usually ride on their mother's back, securely wrapped in a piece of colorful cloth.

My Favorite Hero

Bob Espon'ja is featured on a child's t-shirt but adult sizes aren't available.

So this four-year-old then tries to sell me other shirts. 

Matrimony

Many weddings take place in LA Merced Church as buses arrive filled with families and guests.

Some are more elaborate than others but all attract a throng of onlookers after the ceremony.

 

Dining in the Market

Complete meal with a drink for less than US $2.00.
There's no menu and no prices. It's noisy, crowded and doesn't appear to be very clean. But these crowds know it's sanitary and keep coming back.
The woman at the entrance will usher you in. They'll tell what they have and you tell them what you want. Customize it any way you like.
The food is good and service is speedy.

This is the take - out aisle where you'd buy food to go. 

Sunshine

A young girl walks home from school hand in hand with her mother.

The strong sunlight intensifies the city's bright colors and it's historic architecture.


The colorful sky forms a backdrop for chimneys.

My shadow makes the early morning walk to language class.

Temple to Clean Clothes

This structure, like many others through Guatemala, were built as communal laundry facilities, with numerous wash tubs for women to use.
This one in Antigua is no longer used but most others still function.

Happy Travelers

Vicky and Mikey are friends from Vancouver, British Columbia, who are backpacking through Central and South America.
They're dining on a pancake lunch cooked by Mikey at the hostel and tomorrow will head to Honduras on their way south.
We've been roommates for two weeks so I'll miss their good humor.

Spanish Class

 People from around the world come to Antigua to learn Spanish. Class consists of one student sitting with one teacher talking together for several hours a day. After one or two weeks, a student can begin simple conversation and after three or four weeks will feel confident in the language.
Ana, at right, taught my daughter, Ariel, two years ago.

   

School Director Mario Castellanos holds a tray of cookies to celebrate a student's birthday. Tecun Uman is my favorite school and I return at times to refresh and improve my grammar.

http://www.tecunumanschool.com/

Students and teachers gather outside during a study break.

 

These are two teachers who have taught me over the years. Lily is working on her new tablet as Rosa looks on.

Aura is my current teacher. 

Don't Touch the Baby

A man considers buying a used typewriter in the crowded Antigua market while a small child sleeps on a table among various items for sale.

Menú Translator Needed

Even with a dictionary, some menu items don't translate. There's no way to know what you're ordering.
What would a foreigner make of the terms, Southern fried, cheese steak, thousand islands, torpedo, grinder, etc?

The Old Fashioned Way

If you wanted to scrape paint from a concrete wall, you could use a machine to sandblast it in a few hours. But if you are in Guatemala, the preferred method is to hire six laborers to do it in two weeks. And, the men cost less than the machine.

Breakfast From a Pickup

I buy a breakfast from this family each morning at 7:30 before going to language class. The sanitary conditions are not ideal but I've learned that food sold from the same location each day has to be safe to guarantee repeat customers. And, the food is custom made to order, flavorful and inexpensive.