I'm currently sitting on a couch at Quetzalroo hostel in Guatemala City writing this blog post. I flew out of San Antonio early yesterday morning after finding a cheap storage facility for my car while I'm traveling for 2-3 months, attempting to hitchhike to the airport, before deciding to use the rational approach and catching a bus. Uber wasn't an option since my phone is deactivated. There's on point in paying my phone bill since I can't make calls in another country anyway. I rely on free alternatives WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger while traveling. I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and flew on the same flight as my friends from Austin who are organizing the retreat at Lake Atitlan. I've been eagerly awaiting this journey for a few months, and it's just getting started! Here's an aerial photo I took moments ago from the hostel rooftop...
Hostel Rooftop - Quetzalroo, Guatemala City
I missed my connecting flight in Mexico City yesterday after literally sprinting to the terminal. Afterward, I had a miniature mental breakdown and immediately began searching for a way to reschedule my flight. I barely speak Spanish which made communication quite difficult. My friends had already left the airport and were headed to San Cristobal. After asking for directions multiple times and walking like a stray cat around the airport for over an hour, I finally found the right person to speak with at Interjet. She provided me with a voucher for complimentary lunch at Wings. I will never turn down free food, specially since I'm consistently broke. I literally have $150 in PayPal right now, which I exchanged into 1,000 Quetzals. Thankfully, everything is very cheap in Guatemala. For example, the hostel was only $13.
Complimentary BBQ Wings at Mexico City Airport
After waiting at the airport for over 8 hours, it was a relief to get on my short flight to Guatemala City. The airport was surprisingly empty at night and I caught a taxi to the hostel for $11, which was definitely overpriced, but I was just glad to have a comfortable place to sleep after a whirlwind day. I roomed with two nice ladies from Costa Rica; San Jose and La Fortuna, and told them of my upcoming adventures shooting aerial video for the tourism website. I'm catching a round-trip private shuttle to Semuc Champey later this evening. It's a majestic multi-tiered waterfall about 8 hours from Guatemala City. Apparently there's a big pool party there this weekend. Check out the stunningly beautiful aerial photo below...
Semuc Champey Waterfalls
Thanks for reading! This post is part of a continuing series during my travels. You can follow along with my experiences here. Donations are appreciated, especially if you're already a fan of my work.
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