For the last seven months now, I've traveling from Guatemala City to Xela, it was love at first sight. The only time I had visited Xela, I was three years old and all I can remember is my grandfather getting drunk at Fuentes Georginas on a family trip, trying to get me into that boiling water.. not such a pretty memory.
I was supposed to be here for only four weeks due to work, but I was pulled by a bigger force, it's everything in Xela, the ambient, the wheather, history and most important, the people. I use it to get away from the noise and the chaos, I'm a city slicker, but I love coming here so much, that I do it every time I get the chance, twice or three times per month. I've even been sitting on a chicken bus for eight long hours, just so I can spend a little while here, maybe 2 or 3 hrs. Ok ok, there were other reasons too, but that's arena de otro costal....
And for that reason, I'm now part of the “Frecuent miles chicken bus program”. It's not like I can use those miles to purchase bus tickets, or not even to get a free chuchito at Los Encuentros, it's my own little club, and I'm the only susbcriber. Lets stick to the facts and numbers: there's 200 Km. or 124.27 miles from GC to Xela, that makes 400Km round trip, and if I come here at least three times per month, equals 1,200 Km or 248.54 miles in a month and 8,400Km in seven months! (yes, I had to use a converter, because I don't know what's the distance on miles, and don't get me started on the Celcious/Farenheit conversion, thanks Google convertor).
I've come to realize that the beauty of the trip it's not just the landscapes, it's being on the bus itself, the colorful people, the bumps, the variety of smells, good and bad, the bus ayudante screaming his lungs off: XeelaXeela! or GuaateGuaate!, and who can forget the rancheras and tex-mex music, I'm an expert now in Vicente Fernandez and La Apuesta.
I've learn a few tips, i.e:
a) Don't drink too much water before you get on the bus, you can ask my braided gringo friend, thank God he had a bottle of water handy! It's a four hours trip and they only stop at Encuentros, but not for too long, you won't be able to light a cigarrette! trust me.
b)Always ask if they're going to Minerva bus station, I learned that the hard way, I woke up and we were almost in Totonicapán.
c) Don't seat near to a baby... sure, they look cute when they're smiling at you while the bus is still on Minerva terminal, but after 1 1/2 hrs. no one will be able to stop them from composing a Prima Opera, for their parents at least... but for you and the rest of the bus,... well lets just say that you can always ask a temporary insanity plea, because the voices made you do it, when they say they wanted a baby sacrifice for the God of the Crops
Little did I know, that it was the road that could never get me bored of riding. And even now that I have a car, but don't have a drivers licence, because I haven't purchased it just yet, literally, I would never loose the opportunity of adding more miles on a Xela chicken bus.
