Cash Shortage in Guatemala

I learned today that there is a cash shortage in Guatemala which is why not all of the ATMS work, even though they say they are working. In Flores, none of the ATMs work, in Santa Elena (the next town), they only work in the morning.

Sadly, that is not the cash shortage by which I am frustrated! When I woke up today I had plenty of money to get me through the next couple of days. I had been spending fairly carefully, saving where I could (remember the 14 bed hostel?), thinking about trying to balance the plane ticket. Today, I threw it all in the guter. I decided, for multiple reasons that I would take the bus back to Guatemala City. It made sense for a lot of reasons, time to bite the bullet, so to speak. I went to a travel agency anc bought my ticket. Unfortunately, it was with a less then reputable company, but I decided that I would go with it anyway, but first I would walk and check out the bus station. After about a 45 minute walk, I get to the station and i decide that this is not exactly the bus I would like to ride even they say it was "air conditioned and had a toilet". Oh yeah, and it arrives in a not good area of the city. Trying to decide what to do, I hear my mother´s voice in the back of my head, "Do you really think this is safe? Should you try something else? I am not sure this is a good idea?" So, yup you guessed it, I bought another ticket on a good bus line. So I am feeling good about the bus, but I have wasted the money for the other ticket (They won´t give me a refund), the money for the hotel tonight (I had already agreed to another night), and of course now I must jump on an 8 hour bus journey. Linea Dorada better be worth it! Now, I realize that the other bus line would have been fine, and I would have arrived with no trouble, and I probably wasted some money, but hey, a little piece of mind is good. At least this bus will pìck me up close to the hotel and I through a little bit in the economy.

After a brief layover in Guatemala City, I am off to Quetzaltenango (only four more hours on a bus), but the volcanoes are supposed to be worth it!