This has been an awesome and fast week! In four days, I’ve learned so much! Amazing really! Today, we finished early so I took buses to figure out how to get to Parque Central.
First, there are always clouds. Morning is generally sunny. Afternoon, clouds come in. Late afternoon, sun returns. Very little rain here. They are really dry as the weather has been unusual and normal rain hasn’t fallen this year. It was very cloudy as I headed downtown and I knew I would find someplace to get out of the rain, if it did arrive. It didn’t.
Travel plans? Once again, I arrived here without a clear idea of how I would get back up to Mexico or where I would go exactly. Last time, I zipped through Chiapas and Oaxaca on a night bus so didn’t see anything. Local chicken buses are available but….and that’s a BIG but, there are many required. There is no schedule! They might not go until full. I would have to walk across the border and get another bus.
A little bit of exploring and asking some questions and I found several shuttle companies via Pedro that make the run to Tapachula. They are a bit more expensive but are direct and faster…only about 4 hours! I was going to Parque Central to find one company, Monte Verde Tours, which I did.
I’m getting picked up here the morning I want to leave. Cost of the ticket is $225 Quetzal or $29 US.
I wanted to stop somewhere and take an hour or two writing out new words and their use. Last time I was here, I found Cafe Baviera. It’s still there but new since it burnt to the ground about three years ago. I spent a couple hours reviewing notes and doing writing exercises with word usage.
A hostel here, Black Cat Hostel, is owned by the same group of the hostel I stayed at in Flores near Tikal. They also helped me with names for shuttles and recommendations. Monte Verde Tours is the one they recommended and it is nearly half the price of another I found.
And that is where I ran into the only problem of my travel this afternoon! Very surprising!!!!
I stopped by to say hello and visited with the woman there. She told me to look around. While I did, I met two men who just arrived from San Cristobal, one from Slovakia and the other from Switzerland. My challenge: I had to re-learn how to talk in English! WOW! I kept speaking in Spanish since that’s what I’ve done exclusively since arriving but neither speaks a word. I had to catch myself and rethink. Awesome!
Near Parque Central:
Walking back was very interesting. Street markets were open. Food carts were out. I walked by the large market Democracia. And then found the bus for home. One final photo of my walk….
And the night view from my balcony.
