LAS VERAPACES - Guatemala - page 449

Lavandería La Providencia (8 A.M.-noon and 2-5 P.M. Mon.-Sat.) is on the south side of
the plaza. It costs about $3.50 to wash and dry a load. Otherwise, it's about $5 to wash and
dry a load at Casa D'Acuña (4a Calle 3-11 Zona 2, tel. [phone]).
Language Schools
Though Spanish-language instruction isn't nearly as prolific in Cobán as elsewhere in
Guatemala, the increasing number of visitors to these parts has translated into the opening
of a number of schools in the past few years. Among the options are Active Spanish
School (3a Calle 6-12 Zona 1, tel. [phone], $110 per week including room and board
withhostfamily),knownforitsinstructorwhoisaninvaluablesourceonthelocalnightlife
scene and organizes day trips to outdoor attractions. Another option is School of Arts
and Language (16 Avenida 2-50 Zona 1, tel. [phone], [e-mail], $140
per week with local host family). Outside of town on a tranquil farm is Eco Cabaña
Spanish School (Km. 6 Carretera a Chamil, San Juan Chamelco, tel. [phone],
ecocabana@yahoo. com), where four hours of daily instruction cost $90 per week. An ad-
ditional $70 gets you a homestay with a local family or on-site.
GETTING THERE
Bus
The situation with public bus transport in Cobán is rather chaotic, as different buses head-
ing for different places leave from various parts of town despite the presence of (in theory)
a central bus terminal. You can find complete bus schedules for virtually any place you
might want to go from Cobán at www.cobanav.net/bus.php . Check the Cobán map in this
book for pickup locations for the various destinations. That being said, buses to Guatemala
City via Transportes Escobar Monja Blanca (tel. [phone]) depart from a pleasant bus
station at 2a Calle 3-77 Zona 4 every 30 minutes between 2 A.M. and 5 P.M. Departures
from the so-called “Terminal Nueva” (New Terminal) near the soccer stadium are limited
to Tactic (every 30 minutes), the Quetzal Biotope (every 30 minutes), El Estor (six buses
daily), and Fray Bartolomé de las Casas via Pajal (five buses daily).
Microbuses to Lanquín leave from 3a Calle near the Posada de Don Juan Matalbatz.
Buses for San Juan Chamelco (4a Calle and 4a Avenida Zona 3) and San Pedro Carchá (2a
Calle and 4a Avenida Zona 4) leave every 20 minutes. Buses to San Juan Chamelco also
reputedly leave from the Wasen Bridge, Diagonal 15, Zona 7, every half hour.
Shuttle Bus
Casa D'Acuña (4a Calle 3-11 Zona 2, tel. [phone] or 7951-0484, casadeacuna@ ya-
hoo.com) runs daily shuttles to Tikal and Antigua leaving at 6 A.M. and costing $28 one-