Crossing the Border from El Salvador's Las Chinama to Guatemala's Val

After finishing the Flowers Route, I headed to Guatemala. On the map, Las Chinama seemed to be the closest to the border, but there was very little information available online. Most people cross from the south at La Hachadura, and even the hotel owner in Juayua suggested taking a bus back to Sonsonate and crossing from the south. Previously, leaving Sonsonate, I was stuck in traffic for half an hour, so I wasn't sure it would save time. I decided to go directly to Las Chinama. Overall, the side of El Salvador 🚌 is very convenient, while the side of Guatemala 🚌 has fewer buses. The border crossing buses cannot take more passengers if they are full, and they can even charge more on the spot. It is recommended to take a direct bus from Santa Ana, which is more convenient. In the reverse direction, it is said that there are two buses per day from Guatemala City to Valle Nuevo, and it is easy to get to other places in El Salvador after crossing the border. Along the Flowers Route, take bus 249 to Ahuachapan, then walk a few steps to the northwest corner of the Monumento al General Francisco Menéndez, where there is a minibus that goes directly to the border. First, handle your exit at the 🇸🇻 customs, then continue across the border bridge into 🇬🇹. After crossing the bridge, you need to walk 2-300 meters to the customs. Along the way, I encountered two 👮🏻‍♂️ who asked for my passport and checked it for 4-5 minutes... Then I met a money changer who gave me less than the agreed amount by tens. After arriving at the customs, the entry was processed quickly. I asked where to take the bus to Guatemala City, and they said it was outside. I walked to the parking lot and saw a van. When I asked, they quoted Q100 to a nearby town called Jalpatagua, which was obviously overcharging. The driver had a big gold chain and tattoos all over his arms, and I didn't dare to get on even when he quoted Q10. It turned out that I only needed to wait for the border-crossing bus right by the office, not outside in the parking lot. Soon, a bus came, and a man (who I later found out was a money changer) asked if I would go for $20, but the bus was full, and even though the man desperately told the driver $20, $20, the driver didn't accept. After chatting with two local ladies who worked nearby, I found out the normal price was $10, no wonder the man was so excited. The next bus would take more than an hour to arrive. I chatted with the two ladies using Google Translate, and a man who worked nearby and hadn't talked much before came over and asked me to give him my hat. Finally, the bus arrived, and another man who had been hanging around but hadn't chatted with me before had already told the driver about a sheep to be sheared. He came over and asked for $35. I half-threatened him, saying take it or leave it, as the next bus would take hours. Finally, I negotiated a price of $20 and got on the bus. The bus was in good condition, but there was a lot of traffic, and it took more than 4 hours to get to Guatemala City. It was late at night, and I experienced Uber🏍️ to Antigua, freezing like a dog, which can be avoided. #ElSalvador #Guatemala #elsalvador #guatemala