“How did you get to Guatemala?” I was asked. Well, I paused,
the answer is more complicated then Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
We Begin…
By Car:
the journey began with a ride to the ferry terminal. We left the house
about 1:15pm.
By Ferry: I boarded the late arriving ferry,
the Samish, around 1:30 and arrived to Anacortes around 2:45.
By Foot: Short walk to the bus stop where I
waited for the 3:05 pick up.
By Shuttle Bus: A “short bus” picked me up at
the terminal and after a stop in Anacortes to pick another passenger, I arrived
at the bus terminal at 3:40. The terminal consists of a half dozen chairs and a
unisex bathroom, which I was thankful for.
By Big Bus: Boarded a tour bus at 3:50 for an on-time
departure for Seatac. 9 passengers and a big bus. We made one stop at the
Tulalip Casino for 10 minutes. Schedules must be kept. Arrived too the airport
at 6:00pm. Almost 5 hours into my trip to Guatemala.
Checked into my flight at the Aeromexico counter. Found a
restaurant with a big screen TV to watch the final three quarters of the
Thursday night game – Seahawks vs Rams. Sat with strangers at the bar and we
cheered the Seahawks onto a nail-biting victory. The 12’s travel well. “Go
Hawks!”
By Subway: Flight departed from the S gates, a
short ride on the underground tram.
By Airplane: Flight to Mexico City departed
Seattle on time at 10pm. Slept for a few hours We landed in Mexico City at
5:10am Mexico City time. It was 3am back in Seattle. Navigated Mexico customs
and found a Starbucks. My Starbucks app on my phone worked here. Not sure how
many pesos I paid for my tall drip but cost was not a deterrent. I am 14 hours
into my tip.
Another Flight: My short flight to Guatemala
City departs at 8:15am. I think it was a two our flight but I fell asleep long
before take-off. We landed at the airport at 9:20am (8:20am in Seattle).
Another customs: Bienvenidos a Guatemala. Entry
was easy, but the drug sniffing dogs were thinking my snacks smelled good. They
need to feed those dogs. But wait, I am not to my destination yet.
By Micro: Think old mini van with extra seats
and worrisome rattles. I find my driver, Juan Carlo, outside the airport. We
load my stuff and off we go traverse the crowded streets of Guatemala City (5
million people will do that). The usual 45 minute drive takes an hour, but
traffic was not too bad.
Check in: Arrive to my hotel La Merced at 11am
and get checked into my favorite room - cinco. I enjoy the comfort of a
familiar place and people.
Travel time stands at 21 hours from the time I left the
house.
I guess when I was asked that one simple question, the
person was not expecting such a blow by blow account.
For those of you who know me, you will not be surprised to
learn I actually skipped all the words and answered; “I traveled from Seattle via
Aeromexico with a connection in Mexico City”. The end
