Adios Central America

Lori here. It’s about time I got to write something on OUR blog. I guess I have made it through the probationary period and have, at long last, been deemed “ready” to contribute something.

Before spending a week taking spanish in Antigua, we hiked up an active volcano that had erupted within the last 5 months. As you can see by the picture on the left, lava is still flowing. This place is a heck of a lot different then North America, where you wouldn't get this close to that lava. Our crazy guide actually took the tour to within 5 meters of that lava. We didn't have proper footwear so we didn't get up there. Which proved the correct decision when some of the other folks came down from the lava flows bleeding from falling.

We are wrapping up Guatemala and heading further south to Ecuador on Saturday. Our last few days were spent on Lake Atitlan, located a few hours west of Antigua. The trip there involved a harrowing road, motion sick passenger and demented driver. Once there, we said a silent prayer of thanks and headed out to see the sights. Sight #1 was a deeelightful river of sewage. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Over the next few days we improved our impressions of Panajachel, despite the continuous swarm of children and old ladies hawking pretty much anything and the one guy who even sat down at our table while we were eating breakfast to babble ad nauseum about a horseback riding “aventura!!!!!!” I might have had a few choice words for him in English, but in Spanish, I was reduced to telling him we would think about it. He then leaned back, essentially put his feet up and said he would wait while we discussed it. I should have bought him a pancake or something.

We enjoyed a boat ride across the lake and a walk through some of the towns surrounding it. We even saw a snake!!!!! (flattened by a car, thank God). The rest of our time there involved a nature preserve complete with monkeys, decrepit swinging bridges and a butterfly sanctuary, and a failed walk to Santa Catalina, accessible only via a mysterious bridge, which we never found. Oh well.

Sad to say goodbye to Guatemala – we really enjoyed Antigua especially, and will miss the smoking volcanoes, blue skies, wonderful temperatures and tasty banana bread. We will not miss the incessant shoe-shiners, manic honkers or Dan vomiting in the town square.