With no clear information about what the best road to Tikal is, we set off for Coban. One map shows a highway there, the other a dirt road. The guidebook says it´s a breathtaking 150 km. So off we go. Some pavement, some dirt, very windy, very narrow, lots of death-defying attempts to pass big trucks and buses. We headed up, up, up into the mountains. The road got rougher, more gigantic potholes. No signs. Occasionally a gas station. We learned how to ask ´´Is this the road to ...?´´ Always the answer is, ´´Si, aqui, directo´´
The word directo became funnier and funnier to us as the road became less and less direct. At one point a Cargo Expreso (FedEx?) who passed us a while back returned, stopped us and told us ´´calle no paso´´. A rough translation seemed to be that the road was closed, but we weren´t sure so we drove on. The road became steeper, narrower and all gravel. Then we stopped. Construction delay. One hour. So we got out of the car. By this time we are high up in a gorgeous valley surrounded by gigantic peaks covered in lush tropical forest. Tiny, beautiful farms dot the hillsides. Goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, turkeys, cows, and lots of stray dogs. Families in traditional dress walking barefoot and carrying stuff on their heads. Banana trees everywhere. Also, strangely, pine trees and cactus. Never seen those three mixed together. Lots of flowers blooming. Breathtaking.
Half an hour later, we´re moving again. Hours and hours later, we have stopped five times (each time the answer is ´´una hora´´ but it´s a different amount of time each stop). It seemed as if they were building the road as we were driving it. Road would be a big exaggeration - more like an impossible attempt to tackle gigantic mountains of mud. The road is ankle-deep mud, up and down hills, through ruts, around giant holes and boulders, occasionally passing big trucks, even though the road is only one car wide. What an adventure. The view just got prettier and prettier. As we passed up through the cloud line, faint, but thick rainbows floated in the mist.
As it got later we wondered if we were going to make it to a town where we could sleep. At last, about an hour before dark, we arrived in a town. We assumed it was Coban because the map made it look like that was the only town on the road. After driving around for a while without being able to make the map match the streets, we figured out it was a much smaller town, San Cristobal Verapaz. Lovely town, found a fantastic hotel (with cable TV!) and a nice dinner. Sitting in the park square, we felt good like we had conquered the road and left the guidebook. LOVE Guatemala.
This morning we drove less than an hour on and found Coban. Here we are planning to tour a coffee farm and an orchid nursery. Maybe get a car wash since the car is completely plastered top-to-bottom with mud. Sure glad we took the all-wheel-drive car. I LOVE that car more than ever before. Can´t believe we made it. In a couple days we´ll tackle the smaller(!) road on to Flores, then Tikal (site of the most spectacular Mayan ruins anywhere).
Raining here but warm. The book says it´s only sunny about 3 days a year. I guess that´s why everything is soooo green and lush.
Oh, by the way, not only is Guatemala gorgeous, very little touristed, filled with fascinating indigenous people, and fun, it´s SO cheap! In Huehuetenango, we each had a glass of wine, soup, filet mignon, rice, etc. The bill was around $10. Hotels are about $12. Nice.
Alan is looking for a baseball diamond hoping to see where all the great Guatemalan ball players learn.
One other strange thing - Huehuetenango was filled with businesses that had the Star of David on them, some of them even using colors from the Israeli flag. In an entirely Catholic country, it´s startling to see. Also a cafe called Cafe Adonai. Never figured it out.
More as soon as we find the next Internet cafe. Sorry no pictures. Alan´s phone isn´t getting reception. He´s talking to T-Mobile now.
Having a blast ... exactly the adventure we were hoping for.
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