I´ve compiled some notes that you might find interesting if not helpful. Here´s another San Cristobal contact that might be added:
Posada Qhia
Calle Tonala #5
Barrio del Cerrillo
Chiapas, Mexico
967.678.0594 (Rodolfo)
This place makes an excellent inclement weather option. It´s a hostel, and has a very free spirited nature (as indicated by the rainbow flag hung atop the roof), is a cool place to hang out and just seconds from the main market or downtown. Breakfast is included, they have hot water (you have to turn on the pilot light yourself), laundry for 2 pesos per article, and parking is a couple blocks south on Navarro (a tricky place to get the van into, but good. I also talked to the transport guys across the street and they said we could park the vans there for the night for a nominal fee, but I´m not sure how secure that would be). The sleeping is dormitory style, but they have at least one private. San Cristobal to Panajachel is about 300 miles and is no problem to do in one day so long as your pax are aware that this just a driving day.
I left San Cris at 8:30 and rolled into Pana at 18:30. Probably at total of 6.5 hours of driving. Border crossing at C. Cuahtemoc was smooth enough. Dave´s notes are right on. You just have to keep in your mind you´re doing two separate things at once:
1) immigration for you and pax
2) importing van.
I say this because everything is right next to each other in Mesilla. The main street into Guatemala/Mesilla was closed for some market day and I had to take some crazy detour off and down to the right and back up through the market, which drew lot of looks from the locals and a heartfelt applause from my pax upon completion (if this happens, have a pax get out and lift the ropes holding the vendor´s tarps over the roof-rack, or else you´ll have some very mad little indians. No this didn´t happen, but almost!).
It was about 11:30 as I arrived at C. Cuahtemoc. As you pass the Pemex on the left, which is a bit outside the town, you´ll drive for a minute and just as you see Mexico´s customs and immigration buildings, there are a couple restaurants on the left (you can turn around before taking care of the border b.s. as per Dave´s instructions) and stop for lunch. "El Costeno" was excellent, and had something for eveyone, reasonable price and the owner used to live in the U.S. so he´s happy to help an Americano. This way their belly´s were full, bladders empty so they didn´t have a problem sitting in the van for the 45 mintues (total) it took to cross both borders. Change your pesos with the dude´s that approach the van. They gave me a rate that was a hell of a lot better that those in Panajachel.
PANAJACHEL
Arriving in Panajachel, you´ll turn a hard right as soon as the street gets busy, on to Avenida Santander. This will show your pax the main drag. Banks are at the beginning, shops/restaurants abound and money changers are at the travel agencies. It would be better to exchange dollars than pesos if they have to. If using ATM, use the BancaRed on Calle Principal where Av. Santander dead ends (almost on the corner of Av. Los Arboles and C. Principal) other machines only allow withdrawals up to 1,000Q.
The sky was pissing when I arrived, so I stumbled across Hotel Jere, which turned out to be the perfect place to pull out the "inclement weather" card. Cheap, clean, shared bedrooms (3-4/room), private baths, hot water, TV, parking (precarious, but existent), free internet and they´ll hook your group up with a tour the next morning for USD$10, or you can walk down to the lake and pay USD$8 on your own where it says "Barcotours Santa Fe" (Tour leaves at 8:30 returns at 3:30 visiting the villages of San Pedro, Santiago and San Antonio. It takes so long because the boat is very, very slow. But other tourists will be there too and there aren´t any fast boats, so at least you´ll all be in the same ... whatever)
Hotel Jere Av. Rancho Grande just north of C. 15 de Febrero
(basically your first left after driving down the long stretch of Santander, and then just to the left when you get to C. 15 de febrero)
502.776.22.781
www.hoteljere.com
jere_armando@hotmail.com
These people are laid back, helpul and eager to receive more tours. They also own a guatemala tour company as well. Believe it or not, the van does fit into their patio. The problem is you might have to move it to let others out. It turned out to be no problem, but the potential for one is present. Then again, they´re laid back, so no worries.
There are several other places to consider as well: one across the street, called Hospedaje Zulena (no parking) and one a block south, towards the lake called Casa Loma (parking)
PANA - BOAT OPTION 2
If you don´t do the full boat tour, you can get a regular boat for $20 quetzales and go to San Pedro where guides will offer you horseback rides and hikes to the top of San Pedro Volcano, which can´t be accessed without a guide. The people are nice there which might have something to do with the ubiquitious "Jesus te Ama" (Jesus loves you) graffitti that decorates the walls of the buildings/houses/shops/cars.
PANA - EATING
My peeps wanted pizza, the local favorite was unanmously Circus Bar, located on Av. Los Arboles on the right three buildings north of C. Principal. Not only does this place have good pizzas for 60-90Q, they have live music, poor service, and know how to deal with tour leaders. They gave me a 10 percent comission of what my group purchased, which ended up covering my meal. You can make a reservation at the bar, and let the bartender know you´re a guide. You may also have to mention it to your server. I just walked in with my group and it all worked out. The music was tops (at least on Saturday night)They had a dude playing solid flamenco for a while, then a Carlos Santana look/sound-alike afterwards. The hip bars are there or across the street on Arboles such as Aleph and Chersos that draw a younger teeny-bopper crowd.
El Patio is another good option on Santander. National tourists eat there and the food is good and economical. Leader comp. Try "pepian" it´s the local flavor!
CHICHICASTENANGO
In July the sun rises about 6:40 so you´re departing for the Sunday market in the dark. There are a couple of lookout points to stop at on the way to Solola that provide great clear shots of Lake Atitlan. I left Pana just before 6:30 and rolled in Chichi just after 7:30, including 3 photo stops. There´s an agricultural checkpoint on the way, but just tell them you don´t have any fruit and no problem. The road from then on is steep and windy, don´t even try and compete with the chicken busses (I saw the real reason why they´re called "chicken" busses: they have no problem running cars and people off the road.).
You´ll want to stay on the main drag when rolling into Chichi, Av. 7. There´s parking at the Texaco, which is a block south of where it´s labeled in the Lonely Planet. Busses park just south of that. As convenient as that looks, the lot fills up fast with Toyota pickups that are triple and cuadruple parked, so getting the van out could be a problem unless parked near to the road. Another option is to continue on Av. 7 turn left on C. 5 (yes it´s a two-lane road) and on the next block you´ll see a vacant lot that will later be filled with mini-busses. Park close to the gate so leaving by 10:45 won´t be a problem.
At 7:30 the market people will still be setting up. The comedor is just in front of the Santo Tomas Church. The food probably won´t appeal to pax so I found Restaurante Tziigum Tinamit on the northwest corner of C. 6 and Av. 5, just a block from the second parking option. This is an inexpensive restaurant that serves classic breakfasts, with clean bathrooms and will comp. the leader. If nothing else it´s a nice refuge from the hustle-bustle of the market, but has big windows so it still can be observed.
I met my group at 10:30 in front of the church and was on my way out of town before 11:00. It was good to stay til at least 10:00 so the pax can appreciate getting there early. Busloads of tourists arrive non-stop from 9:30 to 10:00.
CHICHICASTENANGO to ANTIGUA
The first 10 miles following the road to Guate have to be some of the worst ever. Fortunately it improves before Chimaltenango. The road to Antigua is outside of Chimaltenango, i.e. you have to go through Chimalte to, and there are only two signs within a short distance of each other. As of July the main road was under construction some 4 miles into it. So you take the detour and it somehow drops you off right into Antigua rather quickly. The volcano you have seen and see is Volcan del Agua and is directly to the south of Antigua.
Hotel Las Camelias Inn (recommended) C. 3 Oriente #19 Antigua, Guatemala
tel (502) 7832-5780, 7832-5176,
USA (978)764.1654, (978)764.1654
telefax 7832.5780
sales@camelaisinn.com
www.cameliasinn.com
This place is clean, professional, quaint and friendly. Rooms are cheap, all have ceiling fans, internet is free for tour leader, a nice breakfast is included for all guests, they have laundry service and the parking lot is next door. If I go back to Antigua, i won´t even think twice about booking this place.
Posada Don Che (not recommended)
7 Av. Norte, # 15 Antigua, Guatemala
Telefax: 7832-3895
As far as I´m conerned Posada Don Che is a genuine ripoff the price there is almost double that of las Camelias, and there´s no breakfast included. When I tried to get the owner to recognize that his prices are outragious, he got self rightious and I got nowhere. Don´t worry I didn´t burn that bridge, but I´ll never stay there agian. Las Camelias or something similar is the way to go. Anyway if for some reason you decide to use it, is not well marked but it is behind door #15. They have parking three blocks away, internet, t.v. laundry around the corner. Rina is very friendly, and helpful enough).
ANTIGUA - RESTAURANTES
El Viego Cafe (bakery too)
Av. 6 y C. 3 #12 7832.1576
This is a great place to mix up the menu, it´s more of a French theme, and the food is quite nice. Tour leader comp is no problem, they also have nice breakfasts. Not cheap, but economical.
ANTIGUA - ACTIVIES
Guatemala Ventures
Av. 1 Sur #15 7832.3383
www.guatemalaventures.com
Judith and Armando hooked me up with moutain bike tours and hiking tours at the last minute. The other place, Oldtown ...something..., might work for someone else who is more prepared, but their arrogant bastard americans as far as I´m concerned. With Guatemala ventures my pax paid $19 for a 5 hour countryside bike ride through towns, toured a macadamia nut farm, coffee plantations and were thoroulgy exhuausted (departed at 9 am). Other pax hiked around Picaya Volcano for 5 hours for $10, saw real lava up close and personal and had a non - english speaking guide (this was because it was a colectivo tour, generic and with the masses. Ventures can set up custom tours with english speakers as well). Note, in july it rains every afternoon so all activities should be done by 2pm. It´s not recommended to try to summit the volcanoes because the weather turns miserable very quickly, I´m told.
I´ll have more on the route to Copan via Guate, and my recommendations for Honduras in a couple days.
Saludos,
Jorge
