Jewel in the Rough

Apparently everyone stays longer than they intended in San Pedro, but I finally made it to Xela yesterday. I had originally planned on leaving Sunday, but then I found out that none of the buses run direct on the weekend, so I decided to wait one more day for the ease of the ride. I might not have even left Monday, but I have a tentative job lined up at one of the restaurants in San Pedro and it starts in a month, so I want to get out and see some more of the country before I get sucked back in.

 Since I had one more day in San Pedro, I went to Santiago to see Maxímon, the “evil” saint. It was interesting, but felt mainly like a tourist trap, and maybe not worth the 4 dollars to take the boat there and back. I didn’t really like Santiago much at all. Lots of desparate people trying to make money off of tourists and mangy looking dogs fighting in the street.

 So Monday my travelling companions and I met early to catch the bus to Xela. It was supposed to be a 2 hour drive, but due to major road construction it ended up taking about 3 hours. We got into the chaotic bus station/market on the west side of town, transferred to a “microbus” (picture 12 people, including the three of us with all of our luggage, crammed into a minivan) to go downtown. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be, and the bus only cost a queztal ($0.15) each. We found a hotel, exchanged some money, ate lunch, explored, and then went out for a drink downtown. This town is a lot less touristy than Antigua or San Pedro, which was most evident at the bar, supposedly a travellers hangout, but almost everyone there was local. I think that I like this town.

 Today we got up early and took a chicken bus to the outskirts of town to find Los Vahos, a natural steam bath. It was a little further hike up the mountain than we thought, but the view was amazing. When we first arrived we were a little disappointed by the lack of pools-this place is sauna only-but after half an hour of relaxing in the warm, eucalyptus-scented air, we agreed that we hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. The walk down the mountain was a lot easier.

Then we checked out the natural history museum. Some of the Mayan artifacts were cool, but we were both creeped out by the room filled with stuffed animals in various degrees of decay. 

 I am looking forward to a couple more days in Xela, back in the city again. I think that it will be a good chance to practice my spanish a little, and explore less touristy attractions, although I might climb the volcano. It is 5 hours of climbing, but you can see all the way to the Pacific.

 Now, I need to walk around so I can warm up after my “warm” shower. Every hotel says that they have hot water, but I have only taken 2 warm showers since I got here.