A lesson learned

Against my better judgment, before coming down to Guatemala, I decided to try to book a shuttle in advance from the airport to Panajachel. I've only ever traveled by bus in Guatemala, but I thought that having a shuttle waiting for me at the airport and taking me to Antigua and then on to Pana would be a nice treat after taking two flights down. Also, I am only able to visit Colleen and Shad for a week, so it seemed like a worthwhile convenience.

Now, it is totally possible to get shuttles from the airport to almost anywhere, or to have a hotel or travel agency arrange a shuttle for you. But I wanted to book a shared shuttle in advance, instead of trying to get one from the airport. Upon arriving at the airport, if there aren't any other people going to the same place, you could get stuck having to pay for a private shuttle or taxi. And I was arriving in Guatemala City early enough in the day to travel on to the lake instead of staying a night in the city, so I didn't have a hostel or hotel to arrange a shuttle. So, I found one online that allowed me to make a reservation by paying a $5 deposit with a credit card. The rest, $20 would be due upon arrival. $25 one way is definitely more than a shared shuttle secured here would cost, but again, it seemed like it might be a justified indulgence on this trip. I was due in at the airport at 9:20am and the shuttle was supposed to pick me up at 10:30 am. I had my doubts that it would all work out as planned, but decided to be optimistic.

My flight got into Guate a little after 9am, so I was pretty early. But I had been told that if I was a no-show, my card would be charged the full amount. So, I decided to wait for the shuttle - again, against my better judgment. I hung around outside the airport with the other people waiting for friends and relatives, selling papers and candy, trying to lure people into taxis and shuttles, or just seemingly watching the day go by. 10:30 came and went. I decided I had to give it until 11am before abandoning the shuttle plan. Meanwhile, I was thinking about how far I already could have gotten if I had just set out upon arriving at the airport.

At 11am, there was still no sign of the shuttle, and I gave up. I decided to take a taxi to the spot where I could hop on a bus. Not being sure how far it was from the airport, I decided that if a driver quoted me a price of $10 or more for the ride, then I could be 100% sure that I was being quoted a ridiculous fare. I asked the drivers if they could take me to the place in Zona 8 where the buses left from. They consulted with each other to decide where it was I meant - I didn't have anything more specific to add. A driver quoted me a price of 70 quetzales - a little under $10. I had a feeling this was too much, but I wasn't fully switched into negotiating mode yet. And of course it's harder to negotiate when you don't actually know what a fair price is.

But, I should have just known that, being a tourist with a backpack at the airport, there wasn't any doubt that the price could go down. Approximately 5 minutes after getting in the taxi, we pulled into a rode lined with chicken buses. I thought about arguing with the driver at that point, but I had willingly agreed to a price. I decided to let it go and chalk it up to one of those errors you make when you're either new to or out of practice with traveling. Plus, I probably made the driver's day.

The rest of my trip to the lake cost a mere fraction of that one, short taxi ride. I hopped on a Xela-bound bus and rode it for about 2.5 hours until I hopped off at Los Encuentros, a busy (relatively speaking) junction where I could catch a bus to Solola. That 2.5 hour bus ride cost 25Q - about $3. The half hour bus down to Solola cost me 2.50Q - maybe 30 cents or so. In Solola, I remembered from years ago to cross the square and find a smaller bus down to Pana. As I walked through the square, I heard a boy shouting "Pana!" and I followed his call. The last leg was very crowded - three to a seat, but no people standing. It's a short ride down to Pana, taking 10-15 minutes and costing 3Q. So, my whole trip to the lake cost less than 30Q - not even $4. And, although I was a bit tired at the end of it all, I was also reminded of how much I like riding the buses. Windows open, vendors getting on with candies, fruits, water, and treats at all the busy junctions, and music providing a festive soundtrack for the journey. So, that's my lesson learned. Stick with the buses. And be ready to negotiate upon arrival!

In Pana, I wandered around the intersection of Calle Santander and Calle Principal, looking for the cafe where I was supposed to meet Colleen. Of course, she spotted me first and came out running, with a huge smile. We hugged in the middle of the road, and then I went with her to where Shad and a friend of theirs was waiting. We still had a boat ride and a trek up a hill to tackle before getting to Colleen and Shad's place, but first a few Gallos were in order...