Planes, Ferry's and a Big Bus

“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