It’s 4:00 a.m., and Nick has been throwing up violently since midnight. Our minibus, scheduled to take us on a 10-hour journey from San Cristobal, Mexico, to Guatemala, is set to arrive in three hours.
Let me take you back a few hours to explain how we got to this point…
Dariece: “This is our last night in Mexico. Since we’ve been eating a lot of international food lately, let’s go out for one last amazing Mexican meal!”
Nick: “Sounds good. Isn’t it awesome that we’ve traveled through Mexico for almost six months and have never been sick?”
I don’t know why he had to jinx our last day in Mexico…
At a popular Mexican restaurant, I chose al pastor meat, while Nick went for the chorizo. We devoured our fantastic burritos, covered with all sorts of spicy salsas and sauces, and drank our final Dos Equis beers. We felt a bit sad about leaving a country we loved so much.
Later that night, while suffering on the bathroom floor, Nick wasn’t feeling the Mexican love. The stomach pains and cramps were unbearable. He had hot flashes followed by cold shivers. It was clear he had food poisoning.
At 4:00 a.m., realizing we wouldn’t be able to make our prepaid bus, I went downstairs to talk to the 24-hour receptionist. We were staying at Rossco Backpackers Hostel, and I explained that we needed to cancel the bus. The staff member waited until the bus company opened at 6:00 a.m. and then came up to our room to deliver the bad news. We could cancel the bus, but we wouldn’t receive a refund. He felt bad about not being able to sort out a deal for us, but our main concern was Nick’s health.
After five years on the road, we’ve learned never to travel while suffering from food poisoning. It’s embarrassing to be ill in front of others and disgusting for fellow passengers. No matter how much money we lose, if we’re sick, we’ll spend the day in bed rather than trying to survive a travel day.
So, we spent another night in our comfortable room at the hostel. Since I wanted to take care of Nick and didn’t feel like dining alone, the hostel ordered a Domino’s Pizza for me. I had a very American meal in Mexico, but I could also use the hostel’s communal kitchen to prepare food, soup, and tea for Nick. During that extra day, the staff continued trying to get our money back from the bus company. They went above and beyond.
After 34 hours of intense illness, Nick finally felt well enough to get on a bus bound for Guatemala. We boarded a minibus with 16 other travelers and one Mexican national at 7:30 a.m. We were the last to be picked up, so we got the non-reclining seats at the very back, next to a grumpy English woman who insisted on reclining her chair all the way into Nick’s lap. Not the best start.
But not even a grumpy backpacker or food poisoning could ruin this journey for us. We were excited to be heading further into Latin America and entering our 46th country! The ride on the Mexican side was smooth. Our minibus cruised along well-paved roads, passing beautiful farmland with morning mist hovering over the crops. After three hours, we stopped for breakfast.
We’ve learned to bring our own food on travel days. The bus stopped at a typical tourist trap with a cold buffet breakfast for 95 pesos per person. As others complained about the overpriced meal, we enjoyed cold, leftover pizza, fruit, and crackers.
Around noon, we arrived at a dusty border town and paid 20 pesos for our entry into Guatemala. But the journey wasn’t over yet. We transferred buses and, after another five hours of winding through the mountainside, arrived at the incredible Lake Atitlan. The minibus dropped us off in Panajachel, the lake’s biggest town, and from there we took a lancha (taxi boat) to Uxlabil Eco-Hotel where we would spend five nights. Located just outside San Juan village, it was the perfect spot for us. We were welcomed by smiling staff and couldn’t wait to check in.
The trip from San Cristobal to San Juan took about 10.5 hours. While the journey was relatively straightforward, it wasn’t the easiest for Nick. We’re happy to report he survived the trip, even though he was sick for another five days.
Guatemala, we have arrived!