My last night in Antigua, six of us decided to go to the Sky Cafe (a rooftop bar reputed to be a great place to watch the sunset). The place was packed and we squished in between the bar and a table (where a couple sat), grabbing a few stools and creating a circle so we could chat. After awhile we were joking with the couple, hoping we hadn't disrupted their view. They looked right at me and asked me where I was from. I told them Toronto, via B.C. Turns out they're from Nelson. And though I had never seen either of them, we have plenty of people in common. They were Julie Kucera and her husband Arthur Christensen.
They were heading to Tikal in two days (I was leaving the next morning for the same place) then they would visit Jessica in Pana! No matter where you are in the world, there is always someone from Nelson!
The coincidences went on from there. We went out for dinner with Julie and Arthur. A couple of guys at a table beside us heard us talking about Tikal and it turns out that like me, they were going there the next day. They were from Toronto (there are tons of Canadians travelling so this was no big deal). We chatted briefly and said goodbye.
My flight was leaving at 6:50 a.m. the next morning and I was picked up at 4 a.m. by a shuttle van to go to airport in Guatemala City (one hour away). I was the first one to be picked up. At the next hotel a couple of guys climbed in - the same two from the restaurant the night before. The van filled up then we wound our way through the mountain pass to the biggest city in Guatemala. Everyone on the van was going to Flores. The next day I bumped into the two Toronto guys twice at Tikal. It turns out they live in my neighbourhood in Toronto about one kilometre away, so I'll probably see them yet again!
My flight was leaving at 6:50 a.m. the next morning and I was picked up at 4 a.m. by a shuttle van to go to airport in Guatemala City (one hour away). I was the first one to be picked up. At the next hotel a couple of guys climbed in - the same two from the restaurant the night before. The van filled up then we wound our way through the mountain pass to the biggest city in Guatemala. Everyone on the van was going to Flores. The next day I bumped into the two Toronto guys twice at Tikal. It turns out they live in my neighbourhood in Toronto about one kilometre away, so I'll probably see them yet again!
Another little story of interest about my trip to the airport: the shuttle driver stopped at the international airport and called my name. He started pulling my bag out and said something in Spanish about "internacional." A Spanish lady behind me spike English and I asked her where they were going. She said Flores. I tried to explain in very limited Spanish and sign language that I was going to Flores like everyone else. He shrugged and got back in the van. He took us to another part of town and dropped us in a deserted area with a bunch of warehouses. It was a black night and we entered a small empty building where there were a few seats and a desk, no staff, no washrooms and no phone. The Toronto guys were chatting about their 6:30 flight and I pulled out my ticket to discover I was booked on a different flight at 6:50 and a different airline! I talked to a very kind Spanish lady who had some English. Everyone else was flying with Tag Airlines and I was the only one flying with Taca Airlines! Thankfully a guy in a beat-up Ford Fiesta showed up at the same time (no idea who he was or why he was there). She negotiated with him to drive me back to the airport for a small fee). It was a rattly, bumpy ride back through dark local streets and no common language between us. I had no way of knowing where he was taking me as it was a different route. Sure enough he eventually pulled up at the airport. He was very kind and helped me get my bags inside the airport. I made my flight no problem.
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