A very fleeting visit to Xela (Quetzaltenango)

After a couple of lovely days in Lake Atitlan we decided to move on to Xela. We had heard great things about it and planned to stay for a good few days. However, the weather had other ideas in mind. It rained, rained and rained. And it was COLD. Combine that with not many (none really) things to do for kids indoors and things take a turn for the worse pretty quickly. The children don’t have the toys to entertain themselves like they to do at home. They have some and there is always the television but after a two days in a row it kind of doesn’t work anymore and moods turn sour.

Leaving Lake Atitlan - in the rain!

Leaving Lake Atitlan – in the rain!

The place we stayed in thankfully had a big indoor space as it is also a cultural centre. It had a cat, a big kitchen and a stage. The stage kept them entertained for a little bit, making up plays and giving us performances. However, when we found out that the weather forecast was more rain for days on end, we decided to move on.

Parque Central, Quetzaltenango.

Parque Central, Quetzaltenango.

Our options for moving on were quite limited as we were advised that certain roads become dangerous after so much rain. Landslides are common and ‘chicken buses’ race through these roads like there is no tomorrow. Accidents with these buses are actually quite common. Not a very safe combination. So, we decided to backtrack to Guatemala city, using only main roads and a very comfortable bus. Even on the main road, the trip back was hazardous, visibility was extremely bad, very windy roads so we felt we made the right choice. Bella managed to vomit twice during the trip because of all the bends in the roads.

When we are in Guatemala City we’ll decide where to go next.

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