Nebaj to Coban

I left for Coban at 9 am this morning (note that this is an experiment - is it worth it t0 bring my keyboard? after 2 lines I think it is. This is a royal pain in the ass to type on - maybe I'll get used to it)

anyway back to todays trip. I left the hotel at 8:30 sans cafe and aparently my cell phone for the 2nd time in a month - yikes. I don't think I ever misplaced my cell phone in the 10 years that I have had one - now twice in a month. I left the hotel and went to the bus terminal - they said I had to go 3 blocks up for a microbus to Sacapulus. So I trudged back up and I didn't see any microbusses (sp?) and so asked in a tienda and they said 1 block over and I found one. 15Q to go to Sacapulus and a guy was getting off (this microbus was Quiche bound) and I asked him where do I catch a bus for Coban and he said across the street and there was one waiting there. It was going to Uspantan which is on the way. I probably waited 15 minutes for it to fill up and then we took off for Uspantan.

Now you have to look at a map to see how stupid this was. At 10:45 I came to the fork in the road that said Nebaj (15 km) and Uspantan. In other words I had been on the road for 105 minutes and had gone 15 km. I had talked to the guy at the hotel about it yesterday and he said it might be easier to go to Sacapulus but wasn't necessary. Boy was he right - what a waste of time. Anyway this phase of my trip was 20Q and was interesting - the driver clearly was going to get laid or something in Uspantan because he was driving as crazy as any driver I have ever seen. But we made it safe and sound even if it was in record time.

In Uspantan I caught a microbus to Coban - the ride from hell, but for different reasons. My map says the road is "under repair" - to be under repair implies that it was constructed in the first place - probably half the trip was on rutted earth/gravel - my poor body. There is no room for legs (of a gringo) and it was a long ride. 30Q and I arrived at 3:35 and took a cab to el centro. The cabby reccomended a place and I had him take me there - it was ok, but for a few $ more I could find a place without staying in a dorm. This place was 40Q for a dorm and I stayed in a place (hotel paz) for 73.20 Q. Where did they come up with 20 centavos?
Its ok, private bath.

Next time in Coban I want to check this place out to stay:
Casa Blanca hostal
(my copy of lonely planet calls this place Chipi Chipi Hostel)
I think they have private rooms also
1 calle 3-25
zone 1
7951-4213

I had problems finding it (Hotel Paz) - I asked an old fart (yeah Angie, older than me) which direction 6th ave was and he told me the wrong way after a lot of thinking and irrelevant questions. As I was walking someone asked me if I needed help and I said yeah, "where is hotel paz on 6th ave" - and he (after talking to someone else) gave me perfect directions. I don't think that would happen at home (strangers helping strangers).

I checked out tours to Semuc Champey and decided that it would be more fun with someone else - so It will wait (Deb??). Got a shuttle to Flores tommorow for 125Q that leaves at 10am. Bought myself my first present - a t-shirt that says in spanish:

la cerveza
mata lentamente...
no importa
no tengo prisa...

beer
kills slowly
its not important
I'm not in a hurry

Well not much else new - checked out el centro and want to come back here. Maybe I'll come back in 5 years with lil pete (granddaughter), I think she would think that Semuc Champey beats the hell out of any man made water park - besides she needs to meet the rest of the family and my niece (Sheny's daughter) is only 7 months older than her.

Buenas Noches.