Guatemala is an absolutely beautiful country. The terrain is a mixture between coastal pacific, mountainous, to lowlands of a former jungles despite a bad taste of deforestation. The culture is rich with a blend of Spanish, Mayan, and Garifuna. The people are absolutely friendly to foreigners with fluency, intermediacy, and or lack of knowledge of the Spanish language. This land is a transition between Mexican and Central American culture and home to the ancient Mayan world. After all, the country slogan is, “El Corazon Del Mundo Maya”, “The Heart of The Mayan World”.
Despite all the positives mentioned above, there still lies some safety precautions that exists much more than back home in America, the UK or any country considered developed. Guatemala is still a developing country having a rough history and past Guatemalans are not so proud of. Civil war and genocide gave a bad name to this country in much of the second half of the 20th century. With much of that in the past and doing better since, Guatemala still revolves around much corruption, high unemployment, poverty, and high crime rates including homicide and drug trafficking.
Now all these negative factors should never discourage a traveler from visiting a whole country, as like any other 3rd world considered country, extra normal precaution should always be considered. My visit to Guatemala summer of 2013 was an absolutely pleasant experience. Actually, the travel experience was amazing and gave me a new perspective to travel throughout Central America and Latin America as a whole for future travel. But one experience that put me on my toes was transportation in the country.
They say be wary of your ride within just about all of these countries. As you should already know, unless you know a local, you will need to get around via coach bus, chicken bus (Latin America), shuttle bus, and or cab. Prior to my visit, I researched transport across Peten, the northernmost “departamento” of Guatemala from the Belize border to Flores, a former Mayan island turned spanish in the middle of a lake. Petén, unlike much of the rest of Guatemala is still undergoing development far beyond the rest of the country. Petén is like the American west of Guatemala: Great vast land of property which the government makes available for cheap in order to develop this part of the country.
Bandits, as far as I have researched, have much more of an advantage to bribe the law and enjoy a slight taste of lawlessness. Prior to arrival, I read a disturbing thread on TripAdvisor regarding a tour agency providing tours and transportation services to foreigners at cheap cost and far too available in that area. The creator of the thread in short stated that this agency, San Juan tours scams people. In this thread the woman said the bus picked up someone, armed bandits forced the driver into a secluded area off of the main road, robbed everyone, then takes off and leaves them stranded in a way that seems prearranged.
Crossing the border, My step dad and I got stamped and immediately got offered a ride from this bus which already had two foreigners from Germany, a Mexican, and a local Guatemalan riding on it from Belize City. I noticed the sign, San Juan tours before getting stamped. With the intensity of the Spanish language by the persistent ‘cambistas’, or people who exchange money, and the persistence of the San Juan tours employees the pressure was far too much while trying to explain this story to my step dad of why we shouldn’t board. Biting my teeth and clenching my fists while sweat from the heat and fear runs down my bad, I finally gave in, took my chances, and boarded the small white bus.
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Although shitting bricks, the ride was very pleasant and the scenery along the way was great. But my paranoia would get the best of me and look out for potential danger on the road, while I snap away my GoPro and Iphone along the way to capture the scenery. Every time we slowed down for a speed bump or large pot hole, I would immediately think about jumping out the window and sprinting like Usain Bolt. Every time I saw a car pull out in front many yards away or the one time I saw 4 motorcycles do so, I would prepare myself to take the wheel and floor that shit. The one time I saw a police check point, I was prepared to pray for my life and let go of my belongings (This we actually slowed and drove right through.)
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At the end of this long highway heading west came a cross road: One way heading to Santa Elena where Flores is to the left and to the right, Tikal National Park. Instead of left to go where we are supposed to, we go right, exactly the direction the girl on TripAdvisor went where this bus took them and got robbed. At this point, I am now scared, and preparing myself for this trip to turn awry. In the small lake coastal town of El Remate, we stopped at a “tour guide” agency to pick up a highly suspicious man in a purple shirt with a scar on his face, the same description of the man I saw on this thread. He boarded the bus, pulled out a Nokia-like phone which he constantly used to most likely text his associates about the tourists on board and eventually attempted to sell us “cheap” accommodations to Tikal. Stupid me asked the man where my hostel was, handed him my reservation, and he spend far too long reviewing all my info. Shortly after this, he and the quiet local Guatemalan on the bus were let off somewhere beterrn that intersection and Flores and we continued on. Last odd experience was the fact that we were dumped off into Flores instead of in front of a hostel like we were supposed to and the slight English knowledge the driver had immediately disappeared. The man even played stupid considering my Spanish was utilized with him.
After we arrived at our hostel north of Flores overlooking the island, the owner listened to our story and what I read and sadly all was true. Beyond what I knew, the company has done far worse in recent and far history to the usual armed robbery to raping women. It costed US $10 to get across and I am beyond glad it was that cheap, but paying far more to be safer would have been worth the money. As far as transportation goes to and from Tikal, we payed through our hostel and got to the mayan ruins and back safely. Although they tell you to avoid overnight travel in Latin America, should anyone consider it, Linea Dorada through Andrenaline Tours is absolutely safe. Getting from Flores to Guatemala City en route to Antigua was a relaxing 9 hour ride on a comfortable coach bus.
All of us travelers at some point in our travels go through a rough patch that will make us like “HOLY SHIT, I MADE IT THROUGH THAT”. Some stories being more life threatening then others. Rarely yet truthfully, few end up dead. It’s a rough world out there and it sadly happens. Not only do I not want to become a statistic but I hope that this is the only and or one of very very few scary experiences I will ever experience along my travels and hope that reading this will make awareness to others of what to look out for. Guatemala is beautiful, with so much to do, so much to see, and so much to enjoy. Despite the possible danger involved, any wanderlust and traveler should not cancel travel plans to lovely Guatemala and or any destination worth visiting. Just like most experience travelers would say or any travel site will tell you, take extra precaution like you would in any large city at home and be safe. While doing so, don’t forget to enjoy, capture amazing footage, and leave with amazing memories.
AVOID THE TOUR AGENCY LABELED: SAN JUAN TOURS
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