Getting here

Getting to Quatemala City was very easy, other than having to take an early flight (5am) from Minneapolis to Atlanta, then from ATL to Guatemala City. Since I fly often I was upgraded to first class on both flights.


Mindful of the warnings regarding tourists who are robbed shortly after visting ATM's I decided use the foreign currency exchange in Atlanta despite the high fees and bad exchange rates. In exchange for $200 I got 1200'ish GTQ's (Quetzals) ... mostly in crisp 10-GTQ bills. Crap. This amounted to an unfolded stack of crisp bills about one inch thick. I put a few in my pocket and jammed the rest into the bowels of my suitcase.


As we flew over the Guatemalan coast I got a chance to see the famous beaches (probably Belize ... disputed territory) and the interior of the country. What can I say .. I like rugged mountains, and there were many of them, as far as the eye could see, some volcanoes, I'm guessing. This continued all the way to Guatemala City ... which is also nestled in the mountains. 


At the very modern (but small) airport I breezed through security and met Angela (GBM sales rep) holding a sign with my name on it. After a quick exchange of names and where I was going I "authenticated" her (one kidnapping trick is to copy the name on a sign someone else is holding). It was a quick ride to the hotel, and from what I can see, Guatemala City is just like Mexico City, just a lot smaller.


An interesting observation is that there are many scooters here, nearly all wear helmets and large numbers on their helmets and jackets. Angela tells me that it the law that a) no passengers are allowed, b) helmets are required and c) they must have their registration on the back of their jacket or helmet. This law exists in response to robberies performed by motorcyclists in heavy traffic, where the passenger often targets tourists who display cameras or phones, grab them, and proceed to scoot through stopped traffic. However, there are still several cyclists who don't wear helmets, have passengers, and don't wear numbers on them. When I asked Angela about that ... she said that the police don't care. Hm.


When I got here, and asked the hotel concierge where I can find a SIM card for my travel phone, I was directed to a mall two blocks away. Since it was about noon they said it was safe, but to be back before 5-6pm and don't carry anything of value such as a camera or a phone. My response was to put money, credit cards and my passport card under the insoles of my shoes, and carry my American Express and a few bills in my pocket, sort of as a decoy should I be mugged. Things went well, even buying a SIM card from non-english-speaking folks. 


Usually when I arrive early to exotic locations I like to tour around, but today I was totally exhausted from only two hours of sleep and my work inbox was bulging. I took a nap, did some work, ate dinner in the french hotel restaurant (absolutely faaaaantastic roasted seabass with scallions and chirozo in a ginger/mustard sauce, with an awesomely dry/tannic Argentinian Malbec.