The slog into Guatemala

Hola todos! Today I will share you the story of the crossing into Guatemala. There are several ways one can do it but the easiest option seemed like using the shuttle bus service via bookaway.com this service is basically door to door. They pick you up from your place in San C and drop you at your new place in Panajachel.

So it was an 0500 start getting up and showered etc for an 0600 pickup. I was the first to be picked up and they went round a few other places including my English pal hostel where most were picked up from including my pal so good to see.

About 0700 we are on the road proper. Goes smoothly till about 0830 when we have a routine stop at a garage halfway to Comitan. We are about to leave but then we pull back in. Joder we got a flat tyre! There is a spare on the bus but it takes a long time for them to change it largely because the wheel nuts are very rusted and no WD-40 in sight and not having the right size iron for it. Eventually we get the nuts off and spare tyre is fitted and back on the bus we go. We drive to the border on the spare for another 2 hours without incident.

Then comes exit immigration on the Mexican side and this is a massive faf. Doing the homework I was not given a paper fmm (forma migratorio). The process is being not phased out but digitised if you flew in though nobody told me at the airport In CDMX if I had to do this or anyone else on the bus! When we left San C they asked if you hadn’t done it to let them photo your passport so they could get someone to do it ahead of your arrival at the border. Anyways we pull up and are queued up to go through and those of us who the guide had to get the forms filled for went to him and had to Bluetooth the digital version over to our phones to show the desk. I got lucky as mine worked and In I went and got stamped.

My English pal and 2 others we not so lucky and had to go into town to find a Wi-Fi connection to make the download and come back. It held us up by 40 minutes. Could have been worse. Of about 20 countries I’ve been before I’ve never had such a drama leaving any of them until now! I can get entry but leaving? Normally it’s a smile and stamp that says “thanks for the money now piss off!!” The online form even had all our entry info already on it right down to the flight number. They already knew so why this? Narcotráfico I presume.

It’s a short uphill climb then our bus parks up and we meet our driver for the 2nd bus on the Guatemala side. We are walked to the checkpoint bracing for another drama but a nice surprise this time it’s actually simple. Quick stamp and we’re in! Survived our first Latino border crossing without needing to pay bakhsheesh! Result! Fair play the guide did us a solid there! Otherwise we’d all be paying the policeman’s ball!!

Now it’s another 5 hours to Lake Atitlan. The landscape changes again with a lot of snaking through valleys that look like some of the valleys from videos of mainland China. I am going to skip over the details but it was a slog being crammed in this wagon like sardines for near another 6 hours.

We arrive at Panajachel about 19:45 and like it says I’m dropped off by my gaff and get checked in promptly and smoothly. Quick shit shower and shave and we head out for some scran and a few beers. Too dark and tired to look round. Tomorrow we will see Lake Atitlan properly. Will it live up to the hype? We shall see………