On the Road Again: Part 1

As we pondered our future, we decided to make the most of a bad situation and hit the road. We had been to eastern Guatemala several times, but we had never made it up to the Western Highlands and wanted to check it out before (or if) we left Central America. Plus, our visas had just expired, and we needed to renew them. So we decided to try our luck at the Guatemalan frontera.

We left Matt’s at first light (about 5) in the morning to boat in to Oak Ridge. From there, we hired a taxi to the ferry, locally nicknamed the “Vomit Comet.” Luckily, the seas were fairly calm and we made it to the mainland without any seasickness.

View of the La Ceiba harbor from the ferry

Once in La Ceiba, we hired another taxi to the first-class bus station and travelled in style courtesy of Hedman-Alas across Honduras to the western city of Copan. The next day, we bought shuttle tickets and headed north to Guat.

We spent the first few days in Antigua, a beautiful Spanish colonial town surrounded by volcanoes. It was amazing and such a treat after the isolation of Roatan and Port Royal. The city is gorgeous and filled with fountains, churches, restaurants, art, and handicraft shops. It was also very clean, safe, and organized.

Here are a few pics:

Church near out hotel

The main plaza

Kevin's favorite fountain

Maya woman washing her hair
in a public wash area

Amy and Kevin having drinks
in an Irish (!) pub

View of a volcano from near the main plaza

Statue with volcano in background

We spent our days walking the streets and exploring the courtyards tucked in the centers of the blocks. We also found a Burger King! Yum … American French fries.

Antigua's Burger King