Day 25: stay at a Japanese hotel_Hotel El Sol

中南美洲最著名的西班牙學習聖地是瓜地馬拉的安堤瓜及祕魯的庫斯科，而這兩個世遺古城也是聚集最多西方遊客的景點，安堤瓜的物價實在貴得不像話，金色拱門的六塊雞塊居然要賣我十九瓜幣，台幣近八十塊耶，用搶得比較快，這也是我會選在Lake Atitlan邊上的Panajachel上課的原因。原本我沒打算上課的，但得有個地方讓家人可以寄辨簽證的文件給我，且亞提特蘭湖原本就在我的行程表上，所以就找了這邊的學校。

Panajachel小鎮中心不大，就像几條交錯的墾丁大街，十一月二日亡靈節在中美是很重要的節日，我一路上遇到許多人都朝著几個有盛大活動的城鎮移動，也許因此，感覺這裹遊客不是很多，店家及旅館反倒不少。旅館雖多，但几乎沒青年旅館，靠海靠湖的地方向來房價不會低，網上找到這家日本人經營地Hotel el Sol, 離市中心步行要十五分鐘，但是惟一有dorm的旅館，一晚只要五十瓜幣，想到之前住青年旅館地點好，晚上反而會聽到外面party喧鬧聲，也許這裹會比較適合上課的我。

第一晚就有好多驚喜，整棟樓都超級乾淨，其他住客也不吵不鬧，點了天丼當晚餐，結果出來煮飯的是一對日本老夫婦，應該是民宿老闆的爸媽，我的飯最早上來，別人看到都要流口水了，後來陸續上的菜也都超讚的。天丼裏有好几樣蔬菜，還有蝦、魚、肉，就在我吃到剩四分之一快撐死時，居然送來了我最愛的日本煎茶，想到未來半個月都能喝到這茶就覺得好幸福。

稍晚，其他住客跟我說，穿過庭院是一間獨立的日本傳統家庭式澡堂，終於可以舒舒服服地洗個澡，打開門一看，池子裏的水還是溫泉水呢，這簡直是背包客的高級旅館。真的好佩服日本人，把他們的習俗完全地移民到這個湖邊小鎮。

明天就要開始上課，一天四小時，一週五天，一對一，一星期一百美金，比在台北上課便宜，不知道兩星期能學多少，能記得多少，只能盡力而為了。

More food from the restaurant

More pictures of the hotel:
http://sophiechen1110.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_10.html

study in the garden of the hotel every morning

Isn´t it nice a hotel with this garden and this view!!

Garden of the hotel, the small room is the hot spring room

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Day 23: from Lanquin to Antigua

這幾天在瓜地馬拉坐車的時間很多，很多時候路況都不是很好，一張堤卡爾門票可以讓我看六個墨西哥景點，即便Samuc Champey票價也將近兩張墨西哥景點門票，收了這麼多錢的政府為什麼會沒有足夠資金花在基礎交通建設上呢？我唯一能聯想到的就是貪腐。

再談到景區的維護或標示等基本工夫，堤卡爾也不及墨西哥(還好廁所一樣很乾淨)，其實全盛時期有三千座金字塔的堤卡爾，幅員非常廣大，再加上它豐沛的自然生物資源，是有收這麼貴門票的本錢，如果整体措施能改善，真的是國際級一等一的景點。

再來談大眾交通工具，在這個國家好像沒有大眾運輸可言，几次都是坐 shuttle or chicken bus，每次都得找個好几家比價才行，像從Flores to Lanquin,每家旅行社都開150Q, 殺價後可談到125Q，但最後我找到的這家只花了100Q。

我在大陸旅行時也常在想，每個景點都這麼貴，為何無法改善當地人民的生活？華山門票索道加小巴要三百七十元人民幣，山下一瓶一元的水到了山上要賣十元，而辛苦把水抬上山的挑夫一天能有多少工錢？

講這些太沉重，世界上我們能控制的人也只有自己，只能說當有一天自己成為擁有權勢的那一方時，不要忘了自己原來的那張臉。

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Day 22: Semuc Champey

這兩天待在Lanquin Zephyr Lodge, 住獨棟茅草房，沒有帶衛浴，一晚100 Quetzales。昨天從Flores一路几小時搭車，又坐小船，再換車抵旅館，到公用浴室洗了個超舒服的熱水澡，浴室面山的一側是大開窗，沒有玻璃的那种，真是完全把自己交給了大自然了。晨起看到窗外山野間，小溪蜿蜒而來，伴隨著虫鳴鳥叫，心曠神怡地開始這一天。

Semuc Champey, Lonely planet 說很多人覺得它是瓜地馬拉最美的地方，它的溪谷呈現梯田一層一層的樣貌，那是許多不同的藍和綠所堆疊出來的美。因逢洪水大潮，美則美矣，說實話還是不及我在書上看到的那种攝人的景象。

梯田造就不同高低的天然泳池，不諳水性的我看著同行遊客上上下下游轉於不同池子間，有時從高處一跳而下，又或是從岸邊巨石形成的滑水道，高舉雙手歡呼一溜而下，盡情嬉戲，我也同享其樂，只可惜沒能帶本書來看。

The tour offered by the hostel is 120 Quetzales, including transportation, ticket and a guide.  Ticket is 50 Quetzales and one way transportation from the hostel to the site is 20 Quetzales.

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Day 21: from Flores to Lanquin

On the highway.

Transportation from Flores to Lanquin is 100 Quetzales. First taking a shuttle, then move on to a boat to cross a lake, then take another shuttle. Need to pay 5 Q for the boat. The 2nd shuttle will stop at a restaurant in Coban, where u can have a very nice set of lunch or dinner for 30-35 Quetzales. Entire trip will take you 7 to 8 hours.

Just realized in Guatemala, no breakfast for free and no free water for you t ot refill. You always have to negotiate even if you are just buying a bottle of water in a shop.

The only reason people would come to stay at Flores is to visit Tikal on the next morning. It is highly suggested to visit Tikal as early as possible, as the site is really huge and the weather here is hot. Some people would also visit the caves, which is less than 20 minutes away from Flores by walking.

Flores is a very tiny small island, you can walk around it in 20 minutes. No too much activities and very low profile. I like this place actually. Only disadvantage is that, since it is really two small, very few food stand, probably you will need to eat three meals in restaurants, which will make your stay here more expensive than other places.

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Day 20: Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is the most important Maya ruin in Guatemala, and this is why I would visit it even after so many ruins in Mexico.

However, it is really pricy to visit Tikal. Ticket is 150Q (600 NTD), so expensive when u compare with 51 pesos for any of the ruins in Mexico. Tikal is 1.5 hrs from Flores, round trip cost for shuttle bus is 80 Q. Other people who travelled with me from Palenque to Flores all registered a 150 Q tour, including bus and tour guide.

The shuttle bus stopped at a restaurant outside of the site, where they got everyone to eat breakfast, and we realized the food there is also very pricy. The travel agency picked us up in our hotel at 4:30, claimed that to reach the site earlier, we could see the sunrise, but actually, it was totally bright when we reached the restaurant. So most likely, they just want us to spend in the restaurant.

I did not pay for any tour guide both in Mexico and Tikal, as I don't think I can absorb that much knowledge. Also, u can always find information on internet or Lonely Planet, and there are always free WiFi and Lonely Planet in hostel. The other reason not recruiting a guide is that I walk at my own tempo. Guides usually would try to squeeze ur time.

In addition to the ruins, Tikal is a good place for u to learn the biology. As I went to the site very early, I saw many animals, monkeys, birds and unknown animals, before they got disturbed by the tide of tourists.

Tikal is pretty much similar to the ruin in Palenque, it is inside the jungles. But both my roommate and myself prefer Palenque over Tikal.

It should be my last Maya ruin in this trip. There are also ruins in Belize, Honduras and Salvador. But I have to skip them, as I need more time for southern America. The rest agenda in central America will be natural scene oriented. Also, spare some money for activities like climbing a volcano, diving, or spend some luxury time in small islands and national parks.

see how close the animals to you

They are everywhere in the site.

Various sorts of birds here, but very difficult to catch them, only one can share.

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