After returning to San Cristobal, we set our sights on our next major destination – crossing the border into Guatemala. We were both excited but feeling a bit anxious about the crossing:
• it would be the first country that neither of us had visited;
• it was unlikely to have an English speaker;
• the vehicle export/import process sounded involved;
• we weren’t really sure what to expect regarding Chester;
• we had read of trying experiences by other overlanders (e.g. removing all vehicle contents for inspection, day long queues, etc.)

We knew it would be wise to get close to the border so we could arrive early in the morning. This basically gave us two choices for our next stop: the City of Comitan (which might have 1 or 2 pet friendly hotels) or Lagos de Montebello- a group of mountain lakes on indigenous land that rented out cabanas. Obviously, we chose the latter.

We decided to stay a few days. It was a cute place although it was a bit rustic (Dave’s edit: by rustic, she means we could see the ground through the cracks in the wood floor). Wi-Fi was supposedly available and we wanted some time to get our paperwork in order and review the process for crossing. Also, we had read that it was almost impossible to cross at La Mesilla on a Friday because the weekly market all but completely blocks the streets. All in all, this seemed like a good plan.

Unfortunately, good plans rarely pan out perfectly. Our time at the cabin was characterized by long days of rain interspersed with periods of sun and incessant chain sawing next to our cabin. The two-man team was not only cutting down the trees, but took the time to turn them into boards on site (hence the noise). We were also a little disappointed in the Wi-Fi – at least at first. The signal barely reached our cabin and had intermittent reliability even at the on-site restaurant. Combined with periodic power outages, this made things a challenge. It wasn’t until well into our second day that we realized the error of our ways. The real Wi-Fi hotspot was at a couple picnic tables situated near the lake. We had seen people from the local village wander in and sit by the lake and assumed they were just enjoying the view. Not so. This was clearly the best (only?) place to get a good signal.

I wish I could regale you with stories of cool activities that we found during our days there, but there was actually woefully little to do. One local man offered his services as guide: he could take us (and Chester too!) in his “boat” around the lake and show us “turtle island” – apparently named thus because it is in the shape of a turtle. This may sound appealing but the “boat” in question was actually makeshift raft of three logs tied together (I can’t believe neither of us thought to take a photo of it) and the renowned turtle island was a small plot of land we could see from shore (only a short swim away if we felt like braving the waters). We found other things to keep busy. Truth be told, we played more gin rummy than we’ve played in some time….until I got on a losing streak that saw me lose nine hands in three games…we’ve stopped playing gin for a while.

Early Saturday morning we checked out and headed for the border. I’m not sure whether our anxiety was completely unwarranted or our research had paid off but the process was incredibly painless. The only real hassle was our own fault when we mistakenly drove (several kilometres) past the Mexican office and a Guatemalan border official advised us to return. Back in Mexico, it was a quick stop (~15 min) to get our passports stamped and officially take our vehicle out of the country. The $300 deposit we paid to enter the country was automatically credited back to our visa card.

The Guatemala stop was slightly more involved but still pretty smooth. The only catch was that it was pretty much impossible to get Quetzales (local currency) outside the country and we needed it to pay fees upon entry. The solution was to haggle with the money changers that accosted our vehicle as soon as we crossed over. We paid a small fee for a mandatory fumigation spray on our tires before visiting the offices. We received passports stamps at the first building and then went next door to complete the forms for the truck. This also included perhaps the most cursory vehicle search we have seen yet. The fellow opened the door poked his head in said something to the effect of “oh a little house” and then came out. Not a single cupboard door or drawer was opened. As for Chester, I needn’t have worried. He was only acknowledged once. When the man handling the truck import went to apply a sticker on the inside of our windshield, he asked whether or not he would bite. He seemed pleased when I said he was friendly and proceeded with his task. Everyone we dealt with was incredibly friendly and patient. They spoke in slow simple Spanish that we could follow and happily welcomed us to their country. Including our near miss of the Mexican office, the whole process took less than an hour and a half.

Shortly over the border, we hit our first military checkpoint and were flagged to pull over. Dave and I both assumed that this would then be the “thorough” search. Again, we were proven wrong. The officer asked where we were from and when we told him we were Canadian, he leaned into the truck to shake both our hands and welcome us to his country. We saw several other military checkpoints over the next few hours but these were mostly targeted at northbound vehicles. We were only stopped once and asked about where we were from and where we were going. We were not searched and we received another hearty welcome.

The highway was another pleasant surprise. It was better than expected and we were making pretty good time. We decided to push on to the City of Quetzaltenango (aka Xela) as we thought it would be easier to get our cell phone set up there. It was close to evening when we pulled in and checked into a hotel. We hadn’t eaten much and we were starved (Dave’s edit: something needed to be done soon – Kristel was nearing her “hangry” point). There were no restaurants close by, but the hotel staff offered to order in delivery for us. Our first Guatemalan meal turned out to be Domino’s Pizza. We laughed briefly before digging in.

That evening the hotel staff informed us that the power would be off for most of the next day. We got up early to shower before the shutdown (the shower had an instantaneous hot water heater with dubious wiring) and then headed out to set up our cell phone and pick up groceries. A quick google before leaving showed that the closest Claro office was across town at the “centro commercial”. It looked like we would follow up our “Domino’s” experience with a trip to the local shopping mall. As we drove through the city we realized that the electricity outage was not limited to our hotel. The whole city seemed to be without power…including all of the traffic lights. This made for some hairy driving but officers were stationed at the busy intersections to direct traffic. The mall was open but it had a strange atmosphere as most stores were open but had no electricity. We stopped in at the cell store and the staff were friendly but unable to help us until the power was back on. The one place that did appear open to business was the Walmart (must have had their own generator) so a quick stop here completed our outing (yet another authentic Guatemalan experience). Afterwards, we decided to head back to the hotel realizing that most of our errands would need to wait. We spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing in our semi-dark room.

The next day we headed to the mall once more. Recalling the challenges we had had with SIM cards in the US, we hoped the phone setup would be as straightforward as it was in Mexico. Luckily, this time was the simplest yet. The system was very similar to that in Mexico, the staff were very helpful and there was no waiting in line. We were in and out in under 20 minutes and hit the highway with hopes of reaching Lake Atitlan. The highway itself was a bit of a letdown as it didn’t come close to the poor quality we had heard about (and already experienced throughout much of Mexico). Most of our route was on the highway that connects Xela to Guatemala City and it was four lanes with new asphalt most of the way. The mountain grades were a bit steep but all-in-all, it was one of the best non-toll roads we have seen since we left the States. The drive would have almost been boring were it not for the incredible scenery and my opportunity to have a good laugh at Dave’s expense. We had thrown a Nalgene bottle of water into the cab for the drive and as we were leaving the City, Dave opened the bottle for a big gulp. His face suddenly changed expression with the realization that this was not the water bottle he was swigging from. We have taken to storing our liquor in Nalgene bottles (less chance of breakage) and it was actually the bottle of clear Mescal that Dave had chosen. With his throat still aflame, he noticed we were approaching a military check point. The liquor breath might not go over well….Dave was struggling to drink some grapefruit pop as the officers waved us through with barely a look.

After an hour or so of driving, we left the highway to descend to Lake Atitlan . Ringed by volcanoes with crystal blue waters, it truly is a site to behold. We found a campsite just outside the town of Panajachel and what a campsite! We are parked on the grass by a swimming pool beside the deepest lake in Central America. From where we are, we can look out directly on to the lake with a clear view of three of the volcanos that surround it. It claims to be the most beautiful lake in the world and it’s hard to argue.