Antigua Guatemala: An Epic Tale of Travel Triumphs and Trials

Intro

Hey there, wanderers! Ever found yourself strolling through the enchanting streets of Antigua Guatemala, surrounded by the whispers of history and the aroma of street food delights? Well, get ready to embark on a virtual journey through this captivating city and beyond. From the charming Santa Catalina Arch to the majestic San José Cathedral, we’ll explore every nook and cranny.

But wait, the adventure doesn’t stop there! We’ll also explain the initial detour to Orlando, Florida, where the magic of Disney Springs awaits. From breathtaking sunsets to mouthwatering treats, we’ll dive into the wonders of the happiest place on earth.

So grab your virtual passport, kick back, and join us as we traverse the vibrant streets of Antigua Guatemala after jetting off to the enchanting world of Disney magic in Orlando. Let the adventure begin! 🌎✨

Getting to Antigua Guatemala

I had just gone to the whole goal of this trip: Tikal National Park.

Thankfully!!!

I was so stressed about having to miss flights and hotel reservations due to the initial situation I had in New York (I will explain later).

But I did it, and I was now in Guatemala City and on the way to Antigua Guatemala on an Uber. Yes, you can Uber from one city to the other.

The hotel in Antigua though, was making up for all the bad stuff that had happened in the last few days. I loved it, and in Christmas Day!

Reminded me of the Colonial Hotel I stayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

And the Meson de Maria hotel offered a nice view of all the volcanoes that surround this city.

Exploring Antigua Guatemala at Sunset

One thing I was aware of, and because of all the cancellations and modifications I had to do on the go to this trip, now I was not going to have enough time to explore Antigua, so I got down and started walking like crazy.

It was Christmas day and the town was packed. Locals and tourists were celebrating this day and hanging out. I passed by many of the attractions of this beautiful city, like the Santa Catalina Arch.

The plazas and streets were full of people, and I was trying to get some food as well lol.

While I was looking for where to eat, I continued enjoying the Christmas decorations in this town.

But the sunset was also so beautiful, I was in awe with Antigua.

Time for Dinner

After walking blocks and avoiding a lot of people, I finally came to a restaurant that was open. I got a michelada with the local beer. A michelada is beer plus lime juice, basically.

It was very late, and got to eat something lighter. I decided to eat some shrimp tacos. They were so yummy.

The next day

Time to get coffee in the Starbucks, and I loved the little patio on the back. I love the Colonial architecture.

And up next I got to walk more with cold brew in hand.

El Tanque de la Union was so beautiful, no wonder it is the place for locals to meet up.

Hill of the Cross

Cerro de la Cruz offers a lot of good views, and for me the easiest way to come here was by getting an Uber.

Once up here, I could not stop seeing all the great views of Antigua Guatemala.

Beautiful, beautiful town.

Back in Guatemala City

But all things have an end, and from this hill I got an Uber to Guatemala City, to enjoy a little bit of Guatemala before getting back to New York City. Definitely, one of the shortest international trips I have ever had.

Last night I had tried to go to Pollo Campero in Antigua, but the line was so long, I decided to try again in Guatemala City. OMG. I loved it so much.

I love a mall time, especially in Christmas, so I took another Uber to Oakland Place Guatemala mall where I was able just to hang, before heading to the airport.

How it all started…

Let’s go back in time, and explain exactly what are all these problems that I had for this trip. In summary:

1. The day before I was not able to do the web check in and get the Boarding Pass, so I assumed I would just get them on the counter at the airport. Normal.
2. I could have gotten to the Newark International Airport earlier, but I felt confident I would get on time, since I was already in Manhattan. I still left with plenty of time, although with Christmas season I should have though better.
3. I should have Ubered to EWR from somewhere in Manhattan, but the prices were too high, and it was still early.
4. The MTA worked fine, but I ignored the Google Maps recommendation: to take the bus from Port Authority straight to Newark. I decided to take the NJ Transit train from 34th Penn Station. Big mistake.
5. I got to Penn Station and the next train was in more minutes than expected. I still decided I had plenty of time.
6. I got into the train and even though it was slow, once it got to Newark Penn Station, it stood there for LONNGGG time. I was so mentally exhausted at that point that I was just taking a nap and ignored that 35 minutes had passed of the train just being stopped. I should have gotten out and taken an Uber.
7. I decided to leave the train and take an Uber. I started to get desperate. There were no Ubers on sight. Everyone was taking them due to the train situation. I looked on Lyft as well, having both apps searching for one car.

It got worst…

1. Finally cars were accepting my ride but they were 16-20 minutes away. After some time waiting for the first one they would cancel the ride, and the app would have to search for another one. I did this for like 40 minutes. I was gonna be late, but at least would make it.
2. An Uber approved my ride and came pick me up after 15 minutes. Google Maps was showing a route, and he took another one. We were close to my terminal and suddenly he was back in the highway. O.M.G. I was so stressed out. And all of this with traffic from peak time. I was about to ask him to drop me off and I would walk.
3. We finally made it to the airport and the terminal, and went to the machine to print my boarding pass. At this point I was rushing!!! The flight departed in 1 hour and 50 minutes, and with no luggage to check, I just needed the Boarding Pass. The machine printed a blank Boarding Pass saying I was late. I freaked out.

No way out

1. I told the helper from United that the machine did not print my Boarding Pass, and all she said was: YOU’RE LATE. There is no way you go into that plane.
2. I was so upset, I called a friend, and he told me I had to ACT UP, and go talk to the Supers of these United so called helpers. In the app the boarding was going to start in 40 minutes, enough time for me to go through customs.
3. I went to the window of the supers and oh surprise! The line was super long. I waited in it for more than I wanted.
4. Got to talk to the first super, and all she said was NEXT. I am sorry but what? This is the worst airline service I have ever had. She just said, you missed it bye.

Frustration and acceptance

1. I left the area defeated, but got more courage and decided to talk to yet another teller. This time he at least checked my documents, and in a twist of events…. he said my documents were not valid to visit Guatemala. I literally said ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
2. He had no idea of what he was talking about. Of course all my documents were in rule. He was just wasting time with me, so I would lose my flight. Boarding process was about to start, and all he said at the end was to call United.
3. I was so frustrated by the incompetence of these 2 supervisors, and I called United. Accepting that I had missed my flight for the first time ever! I called United and surprisingly I talked to a representative almost right away.
4. I explained the situation and he said they could not help me. I understood, the flight would depart in like 20 minutes. This was a Reward Ticket and all they did was to reimbursed the miles.

The re-planning

1. I sat there for minutes trying to figure out what to do. I searched for flights leaving that evening from Newark. Nothing. I looked for combinations, other departure cities to Guatemala. I was already losing money by having to pay thousands of dollars in these new tickets, but also the hotels and tours and internal flights I was going to take. It was Christmas season and I had to buy new flights UGH.
2. I found a flight leaving from Orlando the next day on Spirit, not too expensive. So I got a Jetblue flight from JFK to Orlando on the next day. I had just been in Orlando celebrating Christmas, I was not expecting to back so soon. Oh well. Modified hotels, and cancelled the ones I could. I also had to buy new internal flights.

The new itinerary

Woke up early to go to JFK International Airport. I had spent a lot of money, but I was not going to miss Tikal.

Bye bye New York, finally!

And hello Orlando. See below the posts of my latest visit to this city during this same Christmas season:

Amazing Holiday Adventure: The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Discover the Ultimate Christmas Magic: Walt Disney World Delights!

🎄✨ Full Guide To The Magical Festivities Of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! 🎅🏰

🎄🌟 Experience the Magic of Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort! 🎅✨

Ultimate Christmas Adventure: Exploring Disney’s 4 Parks in One Day!

My annual pass had blocked these days in Universal, so I could not go there (more ugh), but at least Disney Springs was an option, and there I went.

Disney Springs

Passed by Gideon’s but the line was super long.

I was just enjoying this sunset in Disney Springs. Oh… and to think that I was supposed to be leaving Tikal by now and that tomorrow, instead of a flight to Guatemala, I had a tour to Belize. 2 nights were lost.

At least, I got to be in one of my favorite places, and tried the burgers from D-Luxe Burger for the first time.

The crowds were crazy, just one night before Christmas Eve.

Went back to my hotel, the Best Western Orlando Gateway (the cheapest one I could find around this area), and oh surprise. There were roaches in the room. I was having so much bad luck in the last couple of days.

Finally the flight to Guatemala but 2 days later…

The next morning I was supposed to be on a tour to Belize from Guatemala, but no, I was only now getting to this country. Went to MCO, and got the Spirit flight to Guatemala City.

From Flores to Guatemala City

Before arriving to Antigua at the beginning of this post, I got to Guatemala city using these ATR-72

Great view of the capital of this country.

Leaving Guatemala

After Antigua, getting back to the initial story in this post, I got to the Guatemala City International Airport. The terminal is very underdeveloped, with flights to Flores or internationally. They told us not to get to the waiting area until just minutes before, just because there was no food or drinks or bathrooms there.

And just like that, a Bucket List item turned into a nightmare. On all the days I lost I missed on the tour to Belize and the tour to Lago de Atitlan. At least I got to see the Tikal National Park, Antigua and a bit of Guatemala City. This means I have to come back. Bye for now.