Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! First Impressions of Antigua Guatemala Antigua was my first time ever in Central America. I flew into Guatemala City on a Saturday. My plan was to stay one night in Antigua, and while I was in Antigua, book a shuttle for the next day to Quetzaltenango (Xela). I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. I didn’t expect to see so many American tourists. But there they were. I guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t always listen to US travel advisories (Guatemala is currently at the “Reconsider Travel” level). I had read online that upon exiting the airport, a shuttle to Antigua is $10 USD and easy to get. The airport lobby is quite small. A young guy approached me asking me if I needed a shuttle. I normally don’t accept these offers (and you shouldn’t either), but when I looked to his left I realized he had come from the shuttle booth, which was now empty, so I agreed. As promised, it was $10 USD. You can also pay in the local currency (quetzales). Since I had gone to the ATM already, I figured it would be better to pay in local currency. But when I checked my converter app (one of my top travel apps), 80 Quetzales actually amounted to about $10.79, so the joke was on me! I sat in the shuttle with two other American tourists waiting for the shuttle to fill up. 30 minutes later we were on our Continue Reading