Day One

We got up at 4am to catch the 6:40 flight to Ft Lauderdale. Because of the switch to mountain time we were in Guatemala by 12:30 in the afternoon. The highlight upon arrival was Caleb's toy soldier going round and round the luggage carousel. The Yanks had arrived.

We grabbed a taxi to Antigua and were able to board a 2pm shuttle van to San Pedro. Guatemala is extremely mountainous. Many roads were still washed out from Hurricane Stan and Tropical Storm Agatha. The steep descent down to Lago Atitlan was terrifying in the cramped minivan. My legs had been folded against my chest since we left LaGuardia. Caleb got car sick halfway down the mountain. All the young travelers were sympathetic and we pulled over for the poor little guy to puke his guts out on the side of the road.

Shortly thereafter we reached San Pedro La Laguna, a small town lined with Tourist shops and Handicraft stalls. We asked directions and headed off to the school. With a stroke of luck we met the director Vincente at the appointed time of 6pm, and he walked us over to our host family.

Elena and Juan have a hotel / restaurant complex near the Santiago dock. It being rainy season we were the only guests, although a few Guatemalans showed up during our stay. Our room doubled as one of their daughter's bedrooms. With a built-in bathroom it was one of the nicer rooms in the house. The stuccoed cinderblock walls were brightly painted. Clouds and sky were airbrushed on the ceiling. The diamond top doors featured glass windows and animal carvings. It was dank and dirty compared to what we were used to. The restaurant doubled as the family's kitchen, living room, and a family run store. There were actually 2 kitchens. The largest had a gas stove and a large cement sink for washing dished. The smaller kitchen, located right behind our room, had a wood burning stove where the tortillas were prepared. The restaurant's dining room had many tables, as well as a large TV equipped with cable.

Elena informed us that we would be eating out meals with the family. Her husband, Juan, was skipper on one of the Santiago bound boats. Their oldest daughter Carla was 22, and was studying accounting in Quetzaltenengo. Their oldest son Juan was 13, and was a student at a local private school. I can't remember the name of their 3 year-old daughter- the one who would wake the house every morning precisely at 6am screaming for her mother. Despite this she was adorable. They also had a 2 month old little girl who spent much of her time being rocked in a hammock and suckling her mother's bosom. It was apparent that this family was well-to-do. They had a nice business establishment in a central location, and Juan had an esteemed position. Both parents and the 2 oldest children carried cell phones. They had many electronic gadgets and fine furnishings.

Our first meal consisted of eggs, refried beans, and tortillas. Our beverage was a curious concoction of warm oatmeal. After dinner Caleb and I wandered over to the Buddah bar- a gringo owned and frequented establishment where Caleb had spotted a pool table. This would become our nightly hang-out. After one game we called it a night and headed back to the house for some well deserved sleep.