I felt a lump forming in my throat and tears threatening to run from my eyes as I put my books and iPad into my backpack on the side of the highway. Because I didn't have the gumption (or the Spanish skills) to ask the driver if it would be possible to drop me off close to Zona 1 where my hostel was located I just waited patiently for the stop in Guatemala City.
We just seemed to keep getting further from the centre, and I was starting to become more angry with myself for not having put more effort into my Spanish. The driver had this entire conversation with another passenger so I thought maybe he had made special arrangements to drop him off when we pulled over in a weird place. I did however ask the driver if that was the only stop in the city and he said no. He must have not had a clue what I was on about...
Because there I was on the wrong side of the highway twenty some-odd kilometres from the city centre. Thankfully I had Tompers with me so I wasn't completely alone in the dark......
As I saw it there was only one thing to do, start walking. So that is what I did. The sun had only just set so it wasn't quite completely dark yet, but I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time and I had a lot of ground to cover. I could also hear my best friend's voice in my head telling me how dangerous Guatemala City is, and I was going to be robbed, kidnapped, raped or worse..... murdered. Causing the tears to threaten once again. I finally came to a pedestrian overpass, this was the last time I let myself feel sorry for myself. There was nothing more I could do now than just keep walking, keep my wits about me, and keep an eye out for a chicken bus or collectivo heading into the city. With new resolve I pulled up my panties and quickened my pace, after all I intentionally travel with my 40L backpack for exactly this purpose.
Up ahead on the corner I saw a taxi letting some people out! I caught up to him and asked him "Cuánto cuesta.... por .... zona uno?" ... he just laughed to himself, shook his head and said "mucho gusto" then drove off. I took this to mean there was no way he was driving into the city. The next taxi told me 80Q which when the bus ticket there was only 100Q I just could not rationalize paying that for a taxi. I decided I shall keep walking until the price goes down, or I get scared.
After walking for over a half hour I decided it was time to get serious about catching a chicken bus or collectivo. I had seen the slums we drove through and I did not like the idea of walking through them one bit. At this point it is proper dark out and my shadow in the street lights has made me nervous more than once.
Suddenly the traffic had slowed to a crawl and I walked past a chicken bus and I thought fuck it I could just ask if they are going into the city. At this point believe it or not I was still not passed the exit to bypass the city all together. So I turned around and asked and they said no. At this point the window of the new pickup truck just in front of me rolls down and in perfect English I hear...
"Do you need a ride"
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