Back in Guatemala again

The last post on this blog chronicled our return to Antigua from Costa Rica. Obviously we spent the last couple of weeks in Antigua and departed for our home in Prescott, Arizona.

When we departed in March, I had entertained the possibility of coming down for a spell sometime later in the year (hopefully during the rainy season). As it worked out, I ticketed to depart Arizona on 6 July and return home on 31 August.

Now I have been in Guatemala again just short of a month. For the most part I have been in La Antigua but I have been to Guatemala City as well as to Panajachel. Tomorrow I plan to take a bus to Panajachel to be with Steven and Susan Mabry at their home in town. I promised to bring out some things from the grocery story that Susan has been unable to obtain locally. I will also work with her on establishing a blog while I am there.

I hope to be there from Sunday through Tuesday when I will try to catch the return bus to Antigua. The passage by bus takes approximately two and one-half hours as there are stops along the way for exiting and entering passengers.

On Wednesday I am accompanying Paul Philippi on a trip to Guatemala City. He is going in to pick up an adopting set of parents and their now six-year-old child from upstate New York. If it works out and I can keep myself sufficiently occupied during the interim, I will catch them on their return trip to Antigua. If I get bored before their return, I will catch a camioneta and sling back and forth in the seats of the remodeled USA school bus to Antigua. The fare is Q9 which converts to approximately USD1.14 for the hour's ride.

I have ordered a Magicjack Plus for Paul and Ruth and had it delivered to the folks who will be arriving on Wednesday from New York. I have found the Magicjack very helpful for communication with folks in the USA. The unit that I have gives comparable quality audio to a traditional land-line in the USA and the service has not faltered one time since I installed it in my room. It is VOIP telephony which provides unlimited calling  outbound to any number in the USA or Canada. 

We have had an abundance of rains here over the past 40 hours. I suspect it is as a result of the tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea which will soon be entering the Golf of Mexico. I very much enjoy the rains and moisture. It is especially wonderful hearing it hit the roof overhead my bed. That with the pattering of the rain falling from the roof just outside can lull one to sleep immediately.

Paul ordered a screen door for me which has been a wonderful adjunct. Now I can have the door open without Chico and Sandy poking their snouts inside to see what is going on in here. Additionally, the bugs are somewhat pesky (not terrible) and they will be arrested at the screen now instead of entering and disturbing my peace.

Coming down at this time of year has been a special gift. Everything is so very green from the rains. Even patches of my hiking area that used to be rather dusty now have grass carpeting.