When the chicken bus from Antigua made its final stop in the outskirts of Guatemala City, a crowd of locals gathered to help give directions to the extranjero that had done no hotel research and didn´t know where he was wanting to go.
Three women heading in the direction of where I neede to catch another chicken bus into the city center said I could follow them, which I did. A few calles and avenidas later, an offer came out of the blue by the oldest of the women that I could stay in her casa.
- 'Es major que un hotel. Y mas barato.' she promised.
- 'Cuanto es?' I replied immediately, my interest already piqued at the unexpected opportunity at a cheap ho'mestay for my time in Guatemala´s capital.
- 'Veinte dollars cada noche.' the woman mumbled, in an unsure voice that indicated she had not given much thought to this aspect of the transaction when making her original invitation, and also that suggested to me that I was probably the first extranjero she had met at the chicken bus stop and invited back to sleep in her spare room.
That said, 20 US dollars was certainly not mucho mas barata than a hotel, and indeed was more than I actually wanted to pay for a hotel room if I could possible avoid it. - 'No tengo mucho dinero.' I reminded the old woman quietly.
- 'Triente-cinco quetzals cada noche'. the old woman revised the cost of her spare room, and changing to local currency for the benefit of a poor extranjero from Scotland.
35 quetzales is about GBP 2.80, which as well as being a fairly sizable reduction from her original offer, is almost certainly the cheapest room I am likely to sleep in during my travels in the Americas. - 'Esta bien.' I told her quickly, trying not to smirk.
My hostesses name is Doña Luz and although her house in Zona 5, an 8 pence bus journey from the city center is no Ritz Carlton, I haven´t seen a cockroach yet. If I leave for Mexico on Monday in one piece and with all my luggage still in my possession, Senora Luz is likely to be on the receiving end of a warm hug and a generous tip.
- 'Cuanto es?' I replied immediately, my interest already piqued at the unexpected opportunity at a cheap ho'mestay for my time in Guatemala´s capital.
- 'Veinte dollars cada noche.' the woman mumbled, in an unsure voice that indicated she had not given much thought to this aspect of the transaction when making her original invitation, and also that suggested to me that I was probably the first extranjero she had met at the chicken bus stop and invited back to sleep in her spare room.
That said, 20 US dollars was certainly not mucho mas barata than a hotel, and indeed was more than I actually wanted to pay for a hotel room if I could possible avoid it. - 'No tengo mucho dinero.' I reminded the old woman quietly.
- 'Triente-cinco quetzals cada noche'. the old woman revised the cost of her spare room, and changing to local currency for the benefit of a poor extranjero from Scotland.
35 quetzales is about GBP 2.80, which as well as being a fairly sizable reduction from her original offer, is almost certainly the cheapest room I am likely to sleep in during my travels in the Americas. - 'Esta bien.' I told her quickly, trying not to smirk.
My hostesses name is Doña Luz and although her house in Zona 5, an 8 pence bus journey from the city center is no Ritz Carlton, I haven´t seen a cockroach yet. If I leave for Mexico on Monday in one piece and with all my luggage still in my possession, Senora Luz is likely to be on the receiving end of a warm hug and a generous tip.
