Huehuetenango is a little town in the Cuchumatanes mountains. It is the first big town you come to from this part of Mexico and it is near Mt Tajumulco, the highest point in Central America. It is a little town just the highway going through and lots of transport, because it is nearly a border town. I am soo far off the tourist route the guy at the hotel speaks NO English. Lucky I can order a room in Spanish now.
I left the hotel early this morn, about 6, and was going to walk to the bus but there was a taxi fight there so I got in. He was the usual crazy cabbie , driving like a maniac but he did get me there and I am glad I took it in the end cos it was way further than I thought. The bus station was more like an intersection with parking for heaps of busses. It was the usual chaos with everyone yelling out where they are going. When they saw the old white bloke show up in a taxi they came running cos I spell DOLLARS. This old bloke came up so i told him I was going to Way Way (by the way that is how ya say it Way way tenango) he led me through an old garden and a bus pulled up. We both got on and it drove off? Let's see what happens? There was only about 6 people on the bus but the old bloke took my money, $5 for the 5hour trip, and we were off.
Being a chicken bus we don't get a comfort stop but we do stop lots to pick up and let off passengers. I of course am the only white person on the bus . The driver has two speeds, flat out and stop, and he does both as fast as possible. Yesterday I couldn't get a bus to Quetzaltenango but today we came through the town, I don't know how that works?
It has been nice up here in the mountains, it is a bit cooler. I might have to put on a long sleeve shirt tonight, maybe even sleep under the sheet. The hotel is nice but the guy doesn't speak English so I couldn't barter him down from $8/night. It is still a pretty good deal.
The town is so small I sussed out all the sights and the bus station in a couple of hours. The views of the mountains coming up was worth the trip. I have heard of a big mercado at Chichi tomorrow so I will head there for a night then Panajachel for a couple of days, maybe longer if I like it if not move on to Antigua for a few days.
So tomorrow on the chicken bus again to Chichicastenango.