Getting up this morning wasn’t really that hard, since I never really went to bed. Jim and I made it back to his place around 3 AM after getting everything ready at Bettola so it can run in his absence. We had to leave at 4:30 AM to get to Atlanta, so there was only time for a quick nap.
Our flight to Guatemala City went off without a hitch, and going through immigration was a breeze. We arrived to a comfortable 72 degrees, in stark contrast to the 29 degrees we left behind in Atlanta. Driving through the city was a little overwhelming at first, as we were sandwiched between numerous buses and frenetic traffic, but it seems to flow in its own way. We passed all kinds of shops and tiendas, and a few specialty shops that I’m going to grab some shots of.
The house we’re staying at is more of a complex of three townhouses which share courtyards and garage space. Their whole family lives together here; the meals were prepared in one house’s kitchen, and eaten in the dining room of another. Lunch consisted of some amazing carne asada, chorizo, guacamole and tequila. Everything was fresh, local and delicious. I was warned that my first meal here would make me sick, as my body would be adapting to the local microbiology – but it seems I’m doing fine.
The roofs serve as useful space for drying laundry, and for my interests – a retreat. I spent about an hour sitting on the roof after lunch, watching traffic go by, listening to everything around and absorbing the moment.
Language seems like it would be a problem, as my spanish is very poor, but so far it hasn’t been too much of an issue. I can pick up a lot in the inflection in their voices, and through non-verbals like hand expressions and pantomime. I can pick out several nouns in speaking, and many more in writing – but the speed at which the language is spoken and the nuance the pronunciations are given, it makes it a little more difficult to interpret some of the other components on the fly. I think by the end of my trip, that will be significantly improved as I will be much more used to it, and my ability to fill in with context clues will become more accurate.
Tomorrow morning, we’re heading to Antigua, then Ana Maria’s wedding is in the evening. The ceremony is at 5, to be followed by a reception that goes till at least 1 AM with lots of dancing, drinking and family.
I’ve taken a few shots already, but mostly wanted to take today to absorb as much as I can. I won’t be posting any photos until I get back, since I wanted to leave my laptop in the states – so you’ll just have to wait until I get home!
