We walked a good five or six miles today if you consider our stroll about this morning plus our afternoon stroll to Parque Central. There were far fewer vehicles on the city streets during our afternoon walk than there were at midday when we were using the taxi to return with our purchases.
The park was full this afternoon and after dining in style at McDonald's, we decided to take a swing through La Iglesia del Espiritu Santo (Catedral) which abuts the central park. It is a large domed church with numerous side altars. Only one worshiper tarried at the altar of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. There were few worshipers inside but we did have a good look at the interior before we headed back to the B&B.
On our way out of the B&B this afternoon we met a group of perhaps a dozen who had arrived in two large SUVs. Since the owners had made a foray for shopping this afternoon, there were only the two hired help to greet the incoming crowd. There are seven rooms here in the B&B plus a one bedroom apartment and an efficiency. Aside from us last night there was only one other accommodation occupied: the one bedroom apartment. It is occupied by a long-term rental which has extended for one year.
So, tonight instead of having two cars inside the courtyard, there are three. The owner's vehicle will be located elsewhere apparently as the large SUVs and the mini KIA fill to the brim any parking spaces inside the locked doors.
We have a journey tomorrow that can last anywhere from three to four hours. We expect very little competition on the motorways tomorrow morning as it is Sunday and we have found that most of the villages and cities we have visited and lived in are extremely slow to move on Sunday mornings. We have approximately one hour back to where we met the highway from Lago de Atitlán and then an additional two to three hours to Antigua. We need to return the Hertz rental before we turn into pumpkins at 1:00 p.m.
It is just short of 5 in the afternoon as I sit writing this on the upper patio of the B&B. I have a t-shirt on and it is very comfortable. If I were to render a guess, I might say it is in the low 70s. I had my camera along on one of the treks about the city but a combination of the smoke and smut in the air together with poor angles of the sun combined to discourage me from making any attempt to record images on my camera's memory. There is an extensive amount of burning in this area and the putrid odors hang heavily in the atmosphere. Perhaps when the rains come to wash the air - I simply do not know. But, if there were a clear day, the surrounding mountains I am positive are stunning. The potential is fantastic but there are no burning bans anywhere even in the middle of this city of 200,000 inhabitants.
As I write I am within 12 feet of the outdoor kitchen and two of the hired hands here are baking bread the odors of which are wafting this way. We have one pound of New Zealand butter inside the refrigerator here and you do not know how tempting it would be for me to request the heel of the loaf. I shall not as it will be served to me tomorrow at half past seven for breakfast and I can and will wait.
Speaking of help, even before the owner and his wife of the B&B arrived back from the shopping spree this afternoon, the two ladies skipped down the stairs to meet them and to help carry the bundles up the stairs to their residence in the front of the second story near the street. They must have been alerted by a mobile phone call. It is an odd situation that we see time after time even at the home of the Philippis in Antigua. Normally Rumaldo is summoned to unload and carry parcels and larger items into the house or into the storage places on the property. But, I have seen Daysi tote items too. I am reminded strongly of the book and movie The Help. If there is any grumbling among the ones who really keep the fires burning and the household whole, I simply have not heard it but I would not know as I have not been taken into the confidences of the Inner Circle. I would love to know and I would love to sing their song too because it seems inequitable to me.
I feel a few more tales are in order as the first telling that hit my ears created a fascination for me. I trust that it may give you pause as well. When we were at Las Buenas Nuevas we enjoyed hearing of the experiences of Niel and Diana. Three of them are worthy of note and follow.
When Niel and Diana were driving down from the USA through Mexico to Guatemala, they were near Poza Rica and were given the choice of going on a toll road (which is normally well-maintained and safer) and the old road which is just the opposite. Neither Niel nor Diana had much if any Spanish under their belts at that time and when they were given the choice of going on cuota (toll) or on the main road to Poza Rica, they opted for the road going to the town, the name of which they recognized. Not long after opting for the main road, they were stopped by a policeman who threatened and bribed them. They ended up paying USD200 and were on their way they thought. Not much further down the road they were stopped by federales who told them in broken English to respect them. They said that their children needed food and that they had insufficient money to pay for the vittles. If I remember correctly, they got by with USD20 that time.
The second incident was when they were in Antigua on official business. It also happened to be one of the weekends when John and I were out at the lake and we expected to see them. When we failed to connect with them, we heard that their vehicle had been stolen in Antigua and they needed to fill out a myriad of official papers on Monday.
The third incident was when Diana's sister flew to Guatemala City to spend some time with the two of them at the lake. At that time, Niel was somewhat new to Guatemala and got up enough nerve to drive to the city and to its airport. He was successful in reaching the airport, picking up Diana's sister and returning to the lake where they spent time together. But, Niel lacked sufficient confidence to make the return trip to the capital city to deliver her to the airport. Instead, Niel and Diana decided to book her on a shuttle running from the lake to a hostel near the airport. They also booked the hostel which would provide a quick transfer to the airport on the next morning. They saw Diana's sister off and heard nothing more until much later. The rest of the story they were to hear only after the sister arrived in Guatemala City. So, the sister boarded the shuttle and rode for an hour or so until armed thugs forced the pilot to stop. Everybody got out and first the thugs demanded all of the money from the pilot who had received passages from all the passengers. Next the thugs demanded the money and electronics from the passengers. Finally they were told to all sit on the highway and to mind their business. Just then a small private car approached and when they saw what was happening, they turned their car around and gunned the engine. But not before the thugs fired their guns into the speeding vehicle. At that moment, the sister was wide-eyed but was also trying to calm a young French girl whose boyfriend was unable to do so. When nothing more could be extracted from either the passengers or the pilot, they were told they could continue on their journey. So, this country is not always safe and things can and do still occur. But, my take on it is there are many opportunities out there and if we shy away and become timid about them, we accomplish nothing.
So, that is how it looks from this standpoint this afternoon. We have one more night at the B&B then the ride back to Antigua. I shall next report from Antigua should we be successful in our return.
So, tonight instead of having two cars inside the courtyard, there are three. The owner's vehicle will be located elsewhere apparently as the large SUVs and the mini KIA fill to the brim any parking spaces inside the locked doors.
We have a journey tomorrow that can last anywhere from three to four hours. We expect very little competition on the motorways tomorrow morning as it is Sunday and we have found that most of the villages and cities we have visited and lived in are extremely slow to move on Sunday mornings. We have approximately one hour back to where we met the highway from Lago de Atitlán and then an additional two to three hours to Antigua. We need to return the Hertz rental before we turn into pumpkins at 1:00 p.m.
It is just short of 5 in the afternoon as I sit writing this on the upper patio of the B&B. I have a t-shirt on and it is very comfortable. If I were to render a guess, I might say it is in the low 70s. I had my camera along on one of the treks about the city but a combination of the smoke and smut in the air together with poor angles of the sun combined to discourage me from making any attempt to record images on my camera's memory. There is an extensive amount of burning in this area and the putrid odors hang heavily in the atmosphere. Perhaps when the rains come to wash the air - I simply do not know. But, if there were a clear day, the surrounding mountains I am positive are stunning. The potential is fantastic but there are no burning bans anywhere even in the middle of this city of 200,000 inhabitants.
As I write I am within 12 feet of the outdoor kitchen and two of the hired hands here are baking bread the odors of which are wafting this way. We have one pound of New Zealand butter inside the refrigerator here and you do not know how tempting it would be for me to request the heel of the loaf. I shall not as it will be served to me tomorrow at half past seven for breakfast and I can and will wait.
Speaking of help, even before the owner and his wife of the B&B arrived back from the shopping spree this afternoon, the two ladies skipped down the stairs to meet them and to help carry the bundles up the stairs to their residence in the front of the second story near the street. They must have been alerted by a mobile phone call. It is an odd situation that we see time after time even at the home of the Philippis in Antigua. Normally Rumaldo is summoned to unload and carry parcels and larger items into the house or into the storage places on the property. But, I have seen Daysi tote items too. I am reminded strongly of the book and movie The Help. If there is any grumbling among the ones who really keep the fires burning and the household whole, I simply have not heard it but I would not know as I have not been taken into the confidences of the Inner Circle. I would love to know and I would love to sing their song too because it seems inequitable to me.
I feel a few more tales are in order as the first telling that hit my ears created a fascination for me. I trust that it may give you pause as well. When we were at Las Buenas Nuevas we enjoyed hearing of the experiences of Niel and Diana. Three of them are worthy of note and follow.
When Niel and Diana were driving down from the USA through Mexico to Guatemala, they were near Poza Rica and were given the choice of going on a toll road (which is normally well-maintained and safer) and the old road which is just the opposite. Neither Niel nor Diana had much if any Spanish under their belts at that time and when they were given the choice of going on cuota (toll) or on the main road to Poza Rica, they opted for the road going to the town, the name of which they recognized. Not long after opting for the main road, they were stopped by a policeman who threatened and bribed them. They ended up paying USD200 and were on their way they thought. Not much further down the road they were stopped by federales who told them in broken English to respect them. They said that their children needed food and that they had insufficient money to pay for the vittles. If I remember correctly, they got by with USD20 that time.
The second incident was when they were in Antigua on official business. It also happened to be one of the weekends when John and I were out at the lake and we expected to see them. When we failed to connect with them, we heard that their vehicle had been stolen in Antigua and they needed to fill out a myriad of official papers on Monday.
The third incident was when Diana's sister flew to Guatemala City to spend some time with the two of them at the lake. At that time, Niel was somewhat new to Guatemala and got up enough nerve to drive to the city and to its airport. He was successful in reaching the airport, picking up Diana's sister and returning to the lake where they spent time together. But, Niel lacked sufficient confidence to make the return trip to the capital city to deliver her to the airport. Instead, Niel and Diana decided to book her on a shuttle running from the lake to a hostel near the airport. They also booked the hostel which would provide a quick transfer to the airport on the next morning. They saw Diana's sister off and heard nothing more until much later. The rest of the story they were to hear only after the sister arrived in Guatemala City. So, the sister boarded the shuttle and rode for an hour or so until armed thugs forced the pilot to stop. Everybody got out and first the thugs demanded all of the money from the pilot who had received passages from all the passengers. Next the thugs demanded the money and electronics from the passengers. Finally they were told to all sit on the highway and to mind their business. Just then a small private car approached and when they saw what was happening, they turned their car around and gunned the engine. But not before the thugs fired their guns into the speeding vehicle. At that moment, the sister was wide-eyed but was also trying to calm a young French girl whose boyfriend was unable to do so. When nothing more could be extracted from either the passengers or the pilot, they were told they could continue on their journey. So, this country is not always safe and things can and do still occur. But, my take on it is there are many opportunities out there and if we shy away and become timid about them, we accomplish nothing.
So, that is how it looks from this standpoint this afternoon. We have one more night at the B&B then the ride back to Antigua. I shall next report from Antigua should we be successful in our return.
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