Venturing West, Across Guatemala To The Seldom Visited Western Highlands – Part 1

When I decided to plan out this trip and I looked at Guatemala, one of the things that struck me, was not only how vast a country it is, but how much of it is unexplored by so many. All the highlights that I read about, seemed to be on a pretty narrow path straight through the middle of the country. Flores, Lake Atitlan, Semuc Champey, Guatemala City.

I saw so much more, so many exciting opportunities to see other parts of the country that many skip over.
The Western Highlands was a key part of that planning. Looking at crossing from east to west across the country would be long but also an opportunity of a lifetime.

After the Rio Dulce experience, being so blown away by Casa Perico, Casa Maya, and then Livingston as well, I knew that going west would be a whole different, but hopefully equally rewarding experience.
Being back on the road by myself, after sharing a few days with my friend Erika, was both invigorating, but also a little sad to be solo again. It’s amazing what a few days of sharing your time with someone else does for the soul.

So I set out from Livingston in the morning, catching the 9:30am water taxi from Livingston to Rio Dulce (Q100). I’d bought the ticket a day in advance only to guarantee my spot on the first ferry, as I knew I had a long day ahead of me. The trip back to Rio Dulce was uneventful, a calm morning on the river with some lovely weather. We disembarked, and I made my way up to the Litegua Bus Station, a few blocks from where the boat let us off.

I bought my ticket there, but only as far as the town of El Rancho, since there was no direct bus to Cobán. The ticket to El Rancho was Q120, and the bus was scheduled to depart around noon. The bus was, of course, late. One of the things you get used to traveling is that buses come when they come. Sometimes on time, often delayed, always an adventure. But the bus was a nice modern bus with comfortable seats, and once we got going, it was fine.

After about 5 hours, we arrived in El Rancho. Just a small, dusty highway town, but the change over point to Monja Blanca for the next three hours’ journey north to Cobán. I was told that the Monja Blanca stop was just down the road, and just as I walked the block or so, the colectivo showed up with Monja Blanca stamped on the side. It was full. One seat left. I had lucked out. The colectivo ride north to Cobán was fairly uneventful, though by the time we’d arrived, it was nearly 9pm.

The longest singular trip for my travels through Guatemala was done.

I didn’t really shoot any video in Cobán for the few days I was there, despite it being a beautiful city. I chose instead to just enjoy the time, knowing that further incredible adventure awaited in Huehuetenango and Momostenango and beyond.

I do however want to specifically mention one restaurant in Cobán that I was fortunate enough to experience. Xkape Kob´an Restaurant is a one-of-a-kind experience that’s not to be missed. From the decor, to the amazing service and the delicious traditional foods, it was an experience I’ll remember for a long time.

Also, I stayed at the very lovely Casa Tenango in Cobán, just a few blocks from the main square.

Shortly after this, it was time to move on, as Huehuetenango awaited, high in the mountains. The historical capital of the Mam Kingdom, which was part of the Mayan Empire. One of the largest cities in the Western Highlands, I was excited to check it out.

The shuttle for Huehuetenango departed Cobán at 5am, and took about six hours to arrive. It was a nice ride, had a single seat to myself.

Huehue is a big city. Over 100,000 people live up in the mountains there. I focused most of my time on exploring the central market area, since that was where I was staying, along with the ruins of Zaculeu, the final stand of the Mam Kingdom before it was taken over by the K’iche Mayans sometime in the 12th Century. Eventually, it became the final stand for the Mayan Empire in the region, a defensive stronghold from the Spanish Invasion. Ultimately, it fell to the Spanish too.

But this is only the first part of my adventures through the Western Highlands, more to come!

If you’d like to see the first (short) video from this epic travel across the country, you can check that out here:

Life is Short!
Wander!
– Ian