Guate

Above: Livingston in Guatemala.

Tuesday 5th January 1988

The alarm clock squealed at 04:00 hrs., thanks to the new battery, and we packed up and stumbled into the gloom. We bought a ticket for the boat at a wooden hut, which cost us one Guatemalan Quetzal each, and we boarded the boat just as the heavens opened.

Luckily, it was a fair-sized boat, and the deck was covered. All available deck space was taken up with people and luggage. We bobbed along, standing uncomfortably for an hour and a half, arriving at the jetty in Puerto Barrios at dawn.

It was still pissing down, and we sploshed along the main street to the Bus Station. A bus was just about to leave so I washed down my antimalaria pills with Coca Cola and we jumped aboard the 06:45 hrs. to Guatemala City at a cost of 8.50 Guatemalan Quetzals each).

Guatemala City, locally known as Guatemala or Guate, officially Ciudad de Guatemala is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita (English: Hermitage Valley).

Guatemala City is the site of the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu, founded around 1500 BC. Following the Spanish conquest, a new town was established, and in 1776 it was made capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala.

In 1821, Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, after which it became the capital of the newly established United Provinces of Central America (later the Federal Republic of Central America).

In 1847, Guatemala declared itself an independent republic, with Guatemala City as its capital. The city was almost completely destroyed by the 1917–1918 earthquakes. Reconstructions following the earthquakes have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape. Today, Guatemala City is the political, cultural, and economic centre of Guatemala.

The coach was very comfortable and half empty. We drove through a very green and sodden landscape, much of it looking like the English countryside, except for the odd palm tree. The buildings were still single storey but much sturdier in construction than any that we had seen so far.

After a few hours the rain stopped, and we began to climb into the mountains. The road improved and the terrain became browner and more arid than green. The driver continued to cheerfully overtake other vehicles on blind hills and bends, but we got to Guatemala City at about 13:00 hrs.

We jumped off at the city centre, with me nearly forgetting my sports bag and leaving it on the bus. A quick walk around the town showed it to be quite modern and apparently affluent, with familiar Western brand names on electrically illuminated signs spanning the road.

There was a huge central zocalo surrounded by an arched canopy walkway, under which small stalls sold magazines, bags and digital watches as well as stranger items, such as liquidizer/blender spare parts.

We booked in at the Pension Meza which was recommended in the Lonely Planet guidebook. We opted for our own room with a double bed rather than a shared room with another person. It cost us Q8.80 Guatemalan Quetzals for a room overlooking a nice garden with places to sit and read or write. A native Indian woman wove coloured fabric outside our room while her children played in a hammock.

In the afternoon I went for a walk around the block to try and buy some postcards and got lost despite the simple road numbering system. Roads running from east to west were avenidas (avenues) and those running from north to south were calles (roads or streets).

The map was a simple criss-cross grid pattern with systematic numbering. When I eventually found my way back, postcard-less, we played ping pong (table tennis) and read our books until the evening.

At 18:00 hrs. we donned warmer clothing and set off in search of the ubiquitous Chinese Restaurant. All the electric signs across the streets were illuminated like a Hong Kong street scene at night and all the shops were open.

We passed the Post Office where all the postcards were on sale at stalls out front. We also spotted a McDonalds! We went into Ruby’s for a Comida China, a huge and excellent meal with beer for Q11 Guatemalan Quetzals.

Back at the hotel we retired early at 21:30 hrs., mainly through boredom. Even the hippy freaks that littered the patio at Pension Meza during the day had disappeared. At times it appears like a lunatic asylum here.

I tried to get a beer next door, but the bar was closed. Bizarrely, as we got into our sleeping bags, loud punk rock music began playing in the deserted lobby.