Transport (San Cristobal, Mexico - Flores, Guatemala)

17 hours of travelling, that was quite exhausting but exciting as well. First we got on a first business class bus (really good standard and not expensive) from San Cristobal to Palenque, taking us 5 hours for 200 km on serpentine roads. We arrived 4 o’clock in the morning and had to wait 2 hours at the busstation before carrying on to Frontera Corozal (the Mexican – Guatemalan border) in a mini van (not to bad, however with very little space for your legs, even for me). Once in Frontera Corozal we took a “lancha” (boat) to Betel, going on the river, Rio Usumacinta, which forms the border between Mexico and Guatemala in that area. After half an hour we arrived in Betel, Guatemala, to take a “Chicken Bus”. That is how they call the buses in Guatemala and to be honest I felt like a chicken, it was hot, tight and smelly. After 4 more hours on the chicken bus and bumpy roads we arrived in Flores, exhausting and happy to finally have arrived. The day after we managed to get up at 3 o’clock in the morning to see the sunrise (with quite some clouds) from the highest tempel (70 m) in Tikal (the most amazing Maya site).

Bye for now!

Sabrina