Bienvenido a Guate(Maya) ! :)

I Made it To San Marcos, Guatemala !!
(but it wasn't a smooth road to get here)

Due to leaving my computer charger at the airport not to mention arriving in fairly different universe (possibly the 5th dimension but that's a debate ! Lol) I have not posted on steemit for the entire time since arriving in Guatemala. Therefore, its a LOT. But I have a lot of photos and I hope to f course induce some humor as well. One should also note that one of my bosses aka the hostel owner @buttcoins just won the comedy open mic contest and you should check out his posts!! Right now I'm borrowing the laptop from the hostel because The World Cup is on TV and its the muy importante if you didn't know. ;)

Madness Begins: The Flight and Shopping in Guatemala (Guate) City

As a highly prepared person traveling with everything I own; I left my apartment 2 days early so that I could camp out and be a pain in the ass. As well I enjoyed waiting at the airport from 8 pm to 2 am because I couldn't check-in for my 5 o clock flight. So prepared. I think I should become a travel agent. Check-ins went fine though and I caught a quick nap. The spirit airlines lounge was very nice in Boston and was quite a surprise.

Another surprise happened when I was landing at my first stop and saw that El Volcan Fuego had erupted and 100's of people were dead or injured. It was a sad realization which moved to fear because the landing strip was closed in Guate City until 2 pm. My flight was canceled and I didn't know how to get a switch. In fact Spirit airlines had no other flights to Guate City until Thursday. I then had to get on my flight to Fort Lauderdale Florida and shut off my phone and internet. In Fort Lauderdale I panicked looking fr any option but I had only 2. Stay in Florida until the 11th, waiting for standby, spending all my money on hotels in Florida. OR buy a new ticket and try to get my money back from the trip insurance I took out (note: I still haven't been able to finish the claim. I might be fked there). At that I couldn't even get a flight because everyone was grabbing them up. Finally I got one and rushed off to the terminal, leaving my computer charger behind.

Landing in Guate City at night I quickly realized that my 3 year old Spanish speaking level was not going to cut it. Luckily @buttcoins was talking to the people coming to pick me up. I almost left my backpack because that's how organized I am but I gt back in to the baggage claim and took off to the adorable Quetzalroo Hostel. I highly encourage anyone coming to Guate City to stay there. Its a beautiful building, with friendly people and the bed was comfier than anything I've been in recently.

Of course I made friends with the hostel dog. Never caught his name.

The next day I was invited to help volunteer but unfortunately a car was already ordered for shopping and i needed to make the trek to Hostel Del Lago in San Marcos. We went to a humongous store that put Cosco to shame and bought massive amounts of restaurant necessities. I caught a few pics (dominos!! I have a free pizza from there, perhaps I should go back to Guate City and cash in.)

Gaute City, as little as I could see of it, was quite beautiful. Lush greenery accompanied most high-rise buildings which in-turn often boasted ornate architecture. Of course the wall art in Guatemala is beautiful and special but I also adore the little tiendas nestled in between the buildings where one can buy snacks and Agua Pura. My first purchase in Guatemalan currency was for 2 litres of water for 5 Quetzales aka .67 cents USD! That's actually kind of expensive as well. Very glad for MUCHO Lluvia (rain) which was a big difference to my previously traveling experiences where water was less available.

A LONG AND EXTREMELY WINDING ROAD:

I didn't take any pictures during the 3 hour van ride because I was still jet-lagged and increasingly nauseated from the winding roads though the mountain.

I'm fairly certain that we took the high and indubitably mountainous road (hehe) but I did still get Mcdonalds about halfway through. I also missed a rest stop and had to pull over and pee next to a cow. There was a lot of cows and sheep being herded along the way. I wish I had taken some photos but my phone actually died before I woke up. After a much windier road alongside a mountain cliff, we were finally at Hostel Del Lago in San Marcos.

I then proceeded to stay IN the hostel for the next 4 days. That should tell you how awesome it is. Don't get me wrong (yes writers I'm changing tense here) There is a lot to adjust to. Del Lago is in a village along side of a lake which is surrounded by mountains and a few volcanoes. In fact here is a tourists map of the lake:

Hermit Del Lago

It has been rainy season, but its still relatively warm, so often overcast. There are mosquitoes and other bugs that like my plush pinkish arms and legs (less bug bites than Kenya though if I think about it). I got a cold and then diarrhea and absolutely hate being the new person. Awkward jokes that insult people and hiding in a corner by myself with Netflix has been standard. I spent some time with my buddy The Goblin King and explored the beautiful Hostel Del Lago grounds.

The sun did come out though and did enjoy the amazing dock as well as the rest of San Marcos. There is a thriving ex-pat community that mingles with the local Guatemalans. Many of the Guatemalans here are Mayan! They speak another language called Kaqchikel (kah chee kel). To me, their cultural art and jewelry is very similar to the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest (more on that later). I have spoken to the cooks in my bad Spanish and then listened in amazement when they spoke Kaqchikel. Its a beautiful and mellifluous language.

Adventurer Del Lago

After the first week of whinging and itching and sneezing, I have finally started to adjust so that I can see the beauty and benefits of being near Lake Atitlan. This is especially true for Hostel Del Lago. We attract so many talented people and have something happening every night whether its movies (I drew the board

Salsa Night (in food and music)

Drum Circle Night

Or just hanging with friends and the hostel pets.

Then I had the whole day and took the boat to San Pedro, a beautiful city on the side of a mountain with lots of amazing shops, art, and food/fun with some coworkers.

Immediately I chose the most gringo cafe (mostly for its WIFI, bathroom, and power but also fr its amazing latte and pan con canela (cinnamon roll). My Spanish lessons paid off because I used it everywhere albeit kinda terribly.

We found an amaaaaazing tienda, CAZA SUENOS, in which a very sweet local artist, Chona (or Chano but I can't remember) with leather and bead work and adorable shirts and skirts.

This is Chano!!

To me there was a distinct similarity to Native American clothing and I'm most likely going to go back. Let me know if you are in the US and want something from here (as well are willing to wait 3 months to get it heheh.)

I proceeded to run allover San Pedro (okay actually I was chasing my friends) where I DID not find a computer charger that fit. I went a bunch of places but no luck. Weird. However I did enjoy the cafe again and more beautiful art and architecture!

Then I came back to Del Lago to find more adventures awaited me by the people. A cool DJ (DJ Duncan) a hula dancer and a fire dancer who happen to be staying here!

This is Hostel Del Lago.

In the coming weeks I will start working on teen-programming and social media for a burgeoning local community center and some songs to perform.

I have taken up flute as well. ;)

Thanks So Much For Reading!! I will try to post more often and possibly some more poetry. As well I have not been voting at all. :'( I'm so so sorry for that. If I get a better schedule then I can spend some time doing that when the internet is working! I will say that the work I have to do in order to pay for my room and board has been taxing but often pleasant. I sort of enjoy working in a restaurant like this through low season.

Sorry for sideways photos but it was so hard to upload them 😂 im done.

I wish you all Love, Power, and Resilience;

LIMABEING AKA CAPN GIRLPOWA