The Beginning

We'll just start with Guatemala! We all know how airline flights go! Surprisingly the three flights were not as long or tiring as our adventure to St. Croix months earlier. We were pleased! So! We completed customs paperwork on the plane so when we landed it was a breeze. We exchanged some money at the "Compro" with an exchange rate of roughly 6 Quetzals for each US Dollar. The money is colorful like the bird it is named for. The denominations are similar to US dollars with "Centavos" being their small coins. The have single quetzal coins instead of bills.

We walked up to immigration and handed the man our passports and paperwork. He did not say one word to us, simply stamped them and we walked on to collect our checked bag. We then went to customs where they waved us through to the street where we met our shuttle operator Juan who was holding a sign saying Will & Mishelly. We hoped in his van and waited for another couple who turned out to be two Australian girls doing a three country trip.

The trip out of the city was a brief introduction. Though sadly what you see from a moving vehicle is most often not the best of what a country has to offer. It also says a lot about what I spend my time noticing. Dilapidated buildings, littered streets, tiny cars. What left the biggest first impression on me was that practically every other vehicle was billowing black smoke. Its hard to say if there were even emission standards if they would be followed- due to affordability or care I do not know. It was odd to see shiny new cars along with old spewing the menacing clouds I attempted in vain to hold my breath between. I get incredible headaches and nausea around exhaust; but we made it! Two hours later.

Our initial plan was to stay the night in Antigua, a touristy town with cobblestone streets and much history. However, when we arrived Juan informed us that it might be possible to catch another shuttle to San Pedro (where our school is) that night. I asked if we'd have time to get a bite to eat as it was roughly 2pm and we had not eaten since deplaning. He said no so I jumped out and walked into Thai restaurant and ordered some spring rolls... Never under estimate an Americano's hunger!

The food was ready just in time as Juan asked us to unload our luggage and wait in the travel agency office for enough time to sit down, take a bite, and pack it back up because the other shuttle had arrived. We crammed in the back of a 13 passenger toyota van and finished our meals as we proceeded to bounce along the cobble stone roads looking for more people to pickup. Everything is used to capacity here. Once we reached the limit we began the 4.5 hour trip with folks from Indiana, Ohio, Israel, Holland, and Portland.

Not five minutes after transitioning onto the smoother pavement did we hear a slap and then a hissing sound. The driver pulled over and we all piled out to wait as he changed a bald flat tire for another which held air :P Instead of standing near the dead puppy where we waited I elected to find some ice cream across the street and by the time I returned we were ready to go!



The last two hours of the drive were the most difficult physically. The roads began to narrow and become ridiculously windy. As it started to rain and the windows began to fog. The roads were so tiny and windy that our driver would honk multiple times at every switch back. Only once did we run into someone bigger than us and had to reverse to let them pass. Sections of the road were dirt, separated pavement, or washed out all together with less than a foot of running water.

Finally when my buttocks thought they could not take any more we pulled past a sign of our destination. It was a fantastic entrance. But this time is was dark as night and pouring rain. The driver pulled into what we later found out to be the downtown intersection right near the dock. Roughly 10 people surrounded the van and started helping people out. Everyone dashed to put on rain gear and protect their bags in the little market store entrances, though to get into them you had to walk through the waterfall that was the roof's edge. We stood mesmerized as we watched what I call salesmen offer accommodation suggestions.

We were a bit leery of the first offer but once the words hot shower, wireless internet and 100 Quetzals a night sank in we realized that was better than our current situation. So taking a chance we went off with our stranger down a tiny street and then up a stone staircase that was then and there a small creek flowing against us. Later we would admit wondering if this was not the best of ideas, but we like to trust in the goodness of people first and believe we can either tell or be told internally if we will be encountering imminent danger; none on which we felt.

Our accommodation was named Hotel Helen and our room with two double beds and wifi and bathroom was roughly $15 per night. Freddy the manager provided us with the internet password and a complimentary roll of TP and we were left to our cement walled and tiled floored cube with a window. Another selling point was that the room was on the second floor and had a great view of Lake Atitlan. We briefly unpacked and went to relax in our hot shower which turned out to be more electric than hot. Yes, the device used to heat the water was in the shower head and had two wires running out of the wall to the shower head. Don't worry, the connections were taped really well and when you went to adjust the shower head you only got a mild sting. The disappointing part came when the water wasn't heated past luke warm. Oh well, the price was right!



We cleaned up and then headed out to get some dinner because like our lunch, we were past due. Luckily we found a place that was just our style- A small pole room with a metal roof that served up chicken and cheese tacos on home made corn tortillas. We were able to get 12 tacos and two Brahva (sadly like budwiser) beers for roughly $15 with tip. We ate to the sound of the rain falling on the roof and looked out over where the lake was hidden in the dark. Returning, we fell happily asleep.

The next morning we woke up around 8 and walked down the still wet staircase and two buildings over to have our first traditional breakfast at Ferreneros. This consisted of two eggs, beans, tortillas, a chunk of homemade cheese, mango, salsa, and plantains. The fancier restaurants have beautiful garden sections indoors and our and colorfully quaint surroundings.



Afterwards we started to explore the city and get set up with some essentials. We had seen plenty of Mercado's, little connivence stores which mostly sold packaged food and drinks. Looking for better food we found no grocery store but a bustling market. Rows upon rows of booths set up with all types of food. The locals harvest small fishes and shrimp from the lake as well as all the different crops that are grown. We bought two pineapples for less than 1 dollar. Two huge carrots for 1 Quetzal, and one avacado for two Quetzals. We picked up an umbrella for flash floods and flip flops for showering. Our favorite find was homemade tamales 4 for 1 dollar. We found four young girls around a large cook top mashing and patting hand sized tortillas- took quite a while, but they were so wonderful! Fresh and authentic!

We came home afterwards to crash for a rest. We had been carrying all our valuables on our backs until we could safely store them at Dave's (our farm stay).
After eating our tamale lunch with pineapple, carrots, broccoli rabe and radishes we went walking in a new direction of town.

The town is just so foreign! Little cobble stone roads veer off in all directions among shanties and incomplete concrete buildings. Gardens abound. Corn is planted and thriving in every open space possible among the papayas, bananas, and coffee plants. We wondered the streets taking it all in along with pictures; trying to not get run over by the insane tricycle taxis.

Though most of the people are extremely poor we have not encountered any beggars. Only two people approached us offering two things we actually like and wanted- Michelle a handwoven tapestry to make a skirt out of and Will a wooden flute. Michelle got her skirt. Will still needs to hunt down the flute guy.

We check out of Hotel Helen tomorrow. We're planning on eating breakfast out and briefly visiting our spanish school before catching la lancha (boat taxi) over to Dave's in San Pablo. We can see it out our window across the lake.

More to come when we get settled in our new home!