Guatemala

Wow...can you say BAD LUCK? We left Antigua after feeling as though our luck was going to change with Kenzie feeling better, but little did we know that her illness was just the tip of the iceberg. After getting stuck in construction for hours on our way to Lago Atitlan, we finally arrived in San Pedro la Laguna with just enough time to find a place to camp for the night. Little did we know that the streets in this lakeside community are BARELY big enough for Desperado to fit down.

When we found ourselves stuck behind a large truck making a delivery, we decided that we would have to back up the hill that we had gone down and wait for him to move before we could pass. Easy, right? Well, it turned out that it was easy until the very end, when I backed the side of Desperado into probably the most expensive car in Guatemala (actually, without a doubt), that belonged to one of the local politicians running for mayor, who apparently could afford the Volvo truck because he is running drugs with it (we found that out later, but it makes good sense).

The damage was actually pretty severe, with one of Desperado's legs having left a 18 inch scratch/dent down the bed of his truck. Of course, it was parked outside of his political office, so he and all of his cronies were there to witness the event and ensure that we didn't try to get away. This is where it really gets interesting...

No insurance is available to people traveling through Guatemala. They must figure that all the cars (excepting this one) are so shitty that there is really no need to repair them in the case of an accident anyway. Just my luck that I found a nice car, eh? So, with no insurance, it became my responsibility to take care of the damages through monetary reimbursement. After much arbitration, we finally arrived at the following agreement:

1. 2250 Quetzalis (equivalent of $300US)
2. my Ipod and all attachments (equivalent of $200US)
3. my favorite hat (right off my head)
4. a promise to return to San Pedro and enjoy the place more the next time (yeah, fucking right!)

With that behind us, we finally did have some time to enjoy the town, although Christina had not been feeling herself. A quick check with the internet and she isolated that the lack of sensation and ability to move the muscles on the right side of her face are indicative of Bells Palsy...a VERY serious condition caused by stress. She has begun a regiment of drugs that will hopefully clear the symptoms up here shortly...we hope!

Ok...our luck has to change, right? After a couple of days enjoying the lake with little in the way of drama, we are out of here and heading further into Guatemala in search of tranquility and a illness, accident-free lifestyle!!! Wish us luck!

We left Placencia hoping to make it near the Guatemalan border before dark, and did just that. We actually made it across the border and stayed in the middle of the jungle at a little known archaeological site just across the border along the road to Tical. Although we hit the sack SUPER early, it made no difference to our nights rest once the Howler Monkeys realized that we were around and spent the entire night making us pay for our intrusion with their satanic war cries.

On a positive note, the Howlers did get us up and on the road early, with out earliest start yet at a quarter after six. Lizzy and I made it to Antigua after our longest day of driving yet. We had planned to stop at Tical, but with an estimated 10 hours of driving ahead of us, we decided that the prudent route would be to leg it directly to Antigua to secure decent accommodations for the night. Due to widespread road construction here in Guatemala, the trip took much longer than expected, especially getting through Guatemala City.

We arrived just in time to meet up with Sean and Erin at a little place called Cafe No Se. Our patron there, Steve, took us under his wing that night and was nice enough to educate us about Agave and its "medicinal" benefits, much to our chagrin the next morning when we woke up on the street outside of Sean and Erin's pimpin' pad.

The night was a blast, with many large first stories having been told and a basic education on agave having been gleaned. The biggest lesson that I took away was that Agave is equally as dangerous as its older and "more cultured" brother Tequila!

I collected Christina from the airport the day following the agave night and was lucky enough that she was as bushed as me after nearly 24 hours of traveling to get here. We returned to Antigua after collecting lost luggage from the airport and found a decent little spot to stay for the night.

Our plan was to get out of Antigua straight away, but McKenzie fell under the weather with what turned out to be a pretty serious condition, so we have been in Antigua for a bit longer than planned, which is definitely not all bad, as this city is absolutely incredible. Definitely the gem of Central America!

With McKenzie on the upswing after a heavy dose of antibiotics, we are on our way to the peace and tranquility of Lago Itatlan.