So as I was taking out money at the armed guarded ATM machine today (the same one we`ve been using since we arrived in Antigua), when a very distraught lady informed both Matt and I that these particular ATMs record card information and use it to steal money from people´s accounts. Super. So I´ve just spent the last hour on an extremely bad skype connection talking to five different customer service representative with CIBC and VISA, organizing the shippment of an emergency VISA and putting up blocks on my account. Luckily I took out a ridiculous amount of cash on my last withdrawl and I should be alright until the new one arrives.. hopefully it all works out, otherwise I´m depending on Matt for money?
Matt spoke with his VISA company through Scotia Bank and they told him that it´s not possible for ATM companies to do that, but I`ve read a ton of stories of this exact situation happening to people where they end up being robbed of thousands of dollars. Matt´s going to risk it; I´m not taking any chances - I´m already poor, I don´t need someone ripping off the rest of my money!
That`s been my adventure of the day thus far, it`s only noon, so I´m going to head out and see what other kind of mischief we can get ourselves into.
Much love! Christine (and Matt)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Day 5 of 35
Well, as promised, I´m attempting a blog! And, as per Haley´s request, I´ll try not to make it boring.
So as most know, we´re currently in Guatemala - Antigua to be precise. It´s quite beautiful here but not a lot to do so we´re heading out tomorrow. To get around, all the locals use the chicken buses, which are the cheapest (about $1.50) but also craziest way to travel. They´re called so because they are sketch as can be and they´re a little unnerving to be driving around in (and I guess you´re a chicken if you can´t stand it?). There are many different rules that apparently should be followed on these buses but they sometimes contradict each other so I´m not sure which to follow. We were told to sit at the front of the bus because the middle and back become so crowded that you´re more likely to have your things pick-pocketed if you get squished back there. But then yesterday we were told that if a bus is hijacked by bandits (which I guess is kind of common) then every now and then they will shoot the person in the front row to show that they´re serious.. So I think the frontish middle is the way to go for us. We were also told not to put our bags up top because that´s also just a way of offering your things to be stolen - fair enough - I don´t mind squishing my bag in front of me, I´m relatively small so I don´t mind, but Matt literally has no leg room whatsoever. And besides having our bags in front of us, it´s common to sit three to a seat. Now you have to understand that these buses are just old school buses so there is really not much room, yet somehow they manage to crowd some 50 or so people onto them. There are literally people in every nook and crany of the bus. And everyone seems to have a baby or small child which the parents don´t hesitate to pass off to some stranger to hold if they have to stand. All the children are so adorable and I´m sercretly waiting for someone to pass me their baby so I can oggle over it. I´ll just have to sit patiently and not look like a crazy gringo lady and maybe they´ll trust me. We´ll see what happens tomorrow- Matt and I are going to take off to Lake Atitlan which is only about 40 kms away but I think it´s going to be slow moving on the bus..lots of stops and I´m pretty sure they top out at 90kms per hour.
I´ll try my best to keep up the blog! And perhaps have more stories by the next time I´m ready to write! Miss everyone!
Love Christine (and Matt too)
So as most know, we´re currently in Guatemala - Antigua to be precise. It´s quite beautiful here but not a lot to do so we´re heading out tomorrow. To get around, all the locals use the chicken buses, which are the cheapest (about $1.50) but also craziest way to travel. They´re called so because they are sketch as can be and they´re a little unnerving to be driving around in (and I guess you´re a chicken if you can´t stand it?). There are many different rules that apparently should be followed on these buses but they sometimes contradict each other so I´m not sure which to follow. We were told to sit at the front of the bus because the middle and back become so crowded that you´re more likely to have your things pick-pocketed if you get squished back there. But then yesterday we were told that if a bus is hijacked by bandits (which I guess is kind of common) then every now and then they will shoot the person in the front row to show that they´re serious.. So I think the frontish middle is the way to go for us. We were also told not to put our bags up top because that´s also just a way of offering your things to be stolen - fair enough - I don´t mind squishing my bag in front of me, I´m relatively small so I don´t mind, but Matt literally has no leg room whatsoever. And besides having our bags in front of us, it´s common to sit three to a seat. Now you have to understand that these buses are just old school buses so there is really not much room, yet somehow they manage to crowd some 50 or so people onto them. There are literally people in every nook and crany of the bus. And everyone seems to have a baby or small child which the parents don´t hesitate to pass off to some stranger to hold if they have to stand. All the children are so adorable and I´m sercretly waiting for someone to pass me their baby so I can oggle over it. I´ll just have to sit patiently and not look like a crazy gringo lady and maybe they´ll trust me. We´ll see what happens tomorrow- Matt and I are going to take off to Lake Atitlan which is only about 40 kms away but I think it´s going to be slow moving on the bus..lots of stops and I´m pretty sure they top out at 90kms per hour.
I´ll try my best to keep up the blog! And perhaps have more stories by the next time I´m ready to write! Miss everyone!
Love Christine (and Matt too)
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