Week 1, 28.Feb.09 - 6.Mar.09

First I'll say where I'm starting from - Newark airport, USA. I've spent the past ~11 years in New York area (past 7 living in the City), had the daily routine interrupted by the "real" world (company layoffs), so spent the past 5 weeks wrapping up that life, the past week frantically packing/arranging bill payments/updating contact information, etc.

Boarding the plane now for the 4.5 hr flight to my first stop, Guatemala. I hope they serve breakfast on the flight!

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Ok, so no breakfast but rather a beef burrito lunch (at about 10 am).. I imagine I'll be getting very familiar with that type of food. No idea what time it is because I never bought a watch before leaving... sometime late afternoon, sitting on the balcony outside my room at the hostel in "Guate" already drinking a beer while my mind's filled with some issues I'm facing on Day 1... "Global" cell phone isn't working, can't get connected to the internet with my new Macbook, hostel has me reserved for only 1 night, had to walk back to the airport once I got taxied to my hostel and checked in in order to find the nearest ATM (the airport). Oh, and I can't remember the combo to my padlock which is protectively locking up my backpack in my room... of course I thought to check the lock first before locking it to my pack, but decided not to anyway. Why? No idea!

Need to get a drink tonight and be prepared for a better tomorrow (hopefully!)

1.Mar.09
It didn't take long for me to have to break into the medical kit I brought - gashed my head on the shower door this morning that sliced off a good chunk of skin... nice.

Had breakfast (desayuno) at the hostal - eggs & frijoles (yuck). The first real good news to speak of... phone works! Looks like my provider waited a day to activate my SIM card.

Hopped on a ("chicken") bus (Q$1.50 Quetzals, about US$0.18) earlier to Zona 10 to wander around a bit.

One thing is for sure, there isn't a whole lot that goes on Sundays in Guate... picked up a (non-flashy) watch... had to look up "flashy" in the English-Spanish dictionary so the saleswoman understood I did not want the gold-plated one.

Earlier, the story over breakfast told (in Spanish) by the women running my hostel, something along the lines a tourist was held up at gunpoint in a cab last night has prompted me to stay in tonight...

2.Mar.09
Hopping on a minibus (collectivo) for a tamer experience... taking the minibus to Antigua.

Antigua, Guatemala

When I arrived in Antigua, I instantly knew this was a nicer place than Guate... the noticeable lack of shotguns on the valets outside restaurants was a dead giveaway!
I spent the day hanging out with a guy Freddy from Holland, who was on the minibus from Guate & also couldn't wait to get out of there! Saw many churches and ruins - the theme of the day.

The place we're staying at, "Los Amigos Hostel", is quite a dump, even for hostel standards!

3.Mar.09
It is FREEZING at night in Guatemala!! I thought I was back in NYC winter last night! Sitting in The Bagel Barn cafe now having some desayuno & getting caught up on internet stuff (free wi-fi), including "filing" for the week... wink, wink. I need something to help fund this trip!

Uploaded some of the pics taken so far, looking good. Have a tour to Volcan Pacaya later today/tonight... have to get a good pic of lava!

4.Mar.09
Pacaya was flowing heavy last night - lots of loose igneous rock was rolling down the mountain at a speed much more rapid than anyone could avoid if in the path, so thank goodness the flow was concentrated to one side of the mountain (although, there were more than 1 random boulders flying down within meters of the group...).

My boots were filthy, and of course for the first time since arriving in Antigua, there weren't any shoeshine boys around to pester me for a shine! I guess at 9:30 PM, they called it a day...
It was an interesting trip back from the volcano - a big crane capsized on a 2-lane road, stalling traffic for 1/2 hr. Our driver said that this usually takes a few hours for the tow truck to arrive and clear the way... "usually"?!? Why does it happen so frequently???

One thing I will not miss about Antigua is the Los Amigos hostel - I can't begin to describe how dirty the place is, not to mention the general layout with a sketchy reggae bar smack in the middle - love walking in my towel past the bar to go take a cold shower in the filthy stall! I guess for US$7/night, you do get what you pay for...

3:30 AM is the time right now... shuttle to San Salvador (via Guatemala City) is picking me up in a few minutes. They kept El Chillout bar open until around 1AM, so limited sleep is an understatement! I think they're supposed to stop serving/close down bars @ 12:00, but since they've got a shopping bag-size of grass behind the bar, I guess they're not overly concerned about getting busted for bar closing time violations (nor the no-smoking in buildings law!). I was shocked (as was Freddy, a heavy smoker) to learn that Guatemala has entered into the no-smoking laws, including bars... even as a non-smoker, can't help but wonder if this is steering the 3rd world countries too far to the modern age.

5.Mar.09
San Salvador, El Salvador
You think that for as long as I've traveled, I'd pick up on scams a mile away... but I guess even seasoned travelers need a reminder (shot in the rear) every once in a while. Read in my guide book about a $10 arrival tax when you cross into El Salvador, so when the bus stopped at the border yesterday and the gringos were mobbed by authoritative men looking to collect the tax, I stupidly handed over my money. As they disappeared through the side door of the immigration building, where I went in and had my passport simply stamped for free.
The bus trip itself was interesting enough - when we boarded the connection in Guate, some guy stood up and said a prayer (in Spanish) at the front of the bus, I assume for a safe trip. But I wondered if the prayer was for safety from bandits also? The men (including me) were frisked before getting on the bus, so I felt somewhat safer.

Started out the day today in San Salvador doing laundry... and I'm not talking laundromat here! A bucket, scrub brush and bar of soap in the hostel's sink. I'm sure that they have laundromats somewhere in El Salvador, but the hostel owner didn't seem to know this information...

San Salvador is pretty interesting... definitely seems busier (nosier, dirtier, etc.) than Guate, but also has its nice museums and markets.

Meanwhile the bus system I can't figure out... seems like each time I identify a bus # that drove by where my hostel is located, when I'd get on that bus from the opposite end of the city heading back, it would turn off & go a completely different direction. I've had to hop on & off 3 different buses this afternoon to inch back toward my hostel location! Good thing the fare is only $0.20...
Bought a pirated DVD today (US $1), Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (not sure what it's about, but think it won an Oscar or 2). The dude on the street showed a preview - dubbed Spanish with English subtitles. Pretty good quality compared to the old days of hand-held camcorders snuck into movie theaters!

I can say it is noticeably hotter here than in Guatemala. Time to go get my pizza for dinner and bring back to the hostel to eat - staying out after dark in El Salvador is not the best decision.

6.Mar.09
Nothing like traveling without an itinerary! I decided over breakfast this morning to opt for Eastern El Salvador vs. the beaches in the South. I figure I'll spend plenty of days at beaches over the upcoming months, so I'm hoping to see more culture/history when the opportunity presents itself. I'm going to make my way to the Civil/Guerrilla War sites that took place in the 80's. First need to head to San Miguel via bus this morning.

San Miguel, El Salvador

The heat is no joke in Eastern El Salvador! Not too much seemingly is going on in San Miguel - took a walk around the park & market.


Had an "interesting" bowl of soup for lunch at a restaurant which had a couple dogs who were bothering me for food when I walked in the place, but left me alone once my soup came - maybe they know something I don't! Fortunately the cerveza was cold.


Will hop on the bus tomorrow to head up to Perquin.