Human Connections and Guest House

When traveling in some countries, it is common practice to have people on the street offering to sell you a tour, assistance to find a hotel/hostel, etc. When I traveled to Thailand, it was overwhelming and annoying and really took away from my experience, as Thailand is also known to have multiple scammers involved in this practice. It is common knowledge or given as advice to not talk to these type of people on the street, as you can not fully trust them. I'm an introvert at heart and can be shy at times, yet I love talking with strangers !

My first full day in Guatemala, I ran into a man on the street, with his smile and arm stretched out offering a tour agency brochure. He spoke perfect English. I smiled and at that moment in time, decided to just strike up a conversation with him instead of ignoring him or simply stating "No, Gracias."  Well, in Guatemala there are just a handful of street people offering their help and you know what, they were actually very helpful and friendly folks!  This man helped me find a guesthouse within my budget and gave me some tips.  I saw him later that day and we actually sat down and shared a cup of coffee together as I asked him about life in Guatemala.

Traveling to me, is about connecting with others. The human connection. To learn from one another. From Average Joe to making new friends in new situations, like riding horses in the Andes together. Some of my fondest memories are connecting with other foreigners. Even in my job here in the USA, I am fortunate to speak with people from all over the world enjoying the beauty of our National Parks in America. Such a grand thing in life!

When I arrived to misty, cold, high mountain region and the city of Coban. I could tell right away that it's not a hot spot for tourism. Nothing notable about the city, as it was just a regular city going about it's business. But because of this, I enjoy it for its normalcy.  I was tired from my long bus ride and didn't really have an idea of where to stay for the evening. It was twilight hour and I headed towards the town center.

I must have looked confused (and obviously lost even, with my backpack still attached to my back).  A nice man, named Tito, noticed me and asked me in clear English, "Are you looking for a place to stay this evening?" He worked at a local tour agency just a few blocks done and proceeded to tell me about some options. A hostel or a guesthouse. A guesthouse of his friend, Joshua, who was actually standing right there speaking with his friend Tito. We all chatted and walked together the streets of Coban towards Joshua's guesthouse (sort of like a bed and breakfast).

breakfast !

I chose to spend two nights at the guesthouse with the local guy, Joshua. Josh had actually lived in Seattle, Washington for several years doing electrical work and spoke great English. We walked to the markets, ate street food together, and chatted about music, politics, life, and Guatemala vs. USA.  In the morning, he cooked a large tamale and a fresh fruit smoothie. I went on a tour to a beautiful national park one day and stayed another night and also met his sister!  The next morning he walked me all the way to the bus stop on the other side of town. We still chat over the internet to this day and I get to practice my Spanish with him through the inter-webs of life.

His Website: Casa Ecologica Del Bosque and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arnoljoshua