Guapos en Guate

Guatemala City is a short, two-hour flight from San Jose, flying Volaris, a low-cost Mexican airline. While we waited for our flight, a woman nearby overheard our conversation about the prices of everything in Costa Rica. Airports are notorious for overcharging but prices were almost as high as at home. This started a conversation and we found out that the woman, Norma, was from Mexico but had been living in Guatemala City for a long time. She gave us the run-down on all the things to do and see in Guatemala (and Mexico). If only we had more time, but instead we would need to be satisfied with a small taste of the country.

Norma was a little worried when we said that we were staying in Zona 1, which includes the historical district. We only had one night before heading to Antigua for two nights so we wanted to be close to the historical centre so that we could get-up early and explore the colonial buildings and houses. We arrived late in the evening and it seemed that the streets were deserted, with a few dodgy-looking characters wandering around.

The next morning, the city looked like a completely different place, with people filling the streets. As we wandered around admiring the architecture and the character of the city, we were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people – and not because they wanted to sell us something or try a scam on us. The people seemed genuinely nice and welcoming. All of the stories about Guatemala being so unsafe seemed untrue. It is true that the streets are monitored by a large number of police with full-on weaponry but we never felt threatened or unsafe, although we only spent one night before and one night after going to Antigua.

Next stop: AntiguaRead more