3 July 2007 - To Xela or Not To Xela... That was the question...

Ok, quite a few days to update on. I swear this isnt going to be as horribly longly drawn out as usual... Haha, famous last words.

Right- Thursday. After my entry, I had some lunch (fish and coconut rice) then I got a boat to take me down the Rio Dulce and further into Guatemala. The trip itself was cool, pretty bumpy but certainly better than taking a bus. I got to Rio Dulce town, taxied it across the bridge (the largest in Central America) to the place I had decided to stay, a hostel that was run by orphans. Sounded intriguing.

I was right on the water front, and my bed though in a dorm of 16 (which i was in fact the only person in) cost me the hideous cost of 20quetzlas per night ($2.60)

That night was a beer and a book and then bed.

Friday. I walked over said longest bridge not as bad as expected. Had some traditional Guatemalan breakfast, fried plaintain, eggs, refried black beans and tortilla. Nice. Then I decided to walk, more walking, the 3 miles to a kinda castle on the lake shore. Nice walk, saw a lot more of "normal" Guatemalan life than you would otherwise. Castle was ok but a 50s remake is never very impressive. Made the (slightly odd) decision to walk back as well., And then walk back over the bridge. Sore legs all round.

I actually had dinner than night (i usually limit myself to one meal a day) which was nice.

Another quiet night due to early travel the night day and the lack of other gringos and this said hostel-

Saturday.

3am- crawl out of bed to make a Happy Birthday call. Almost caught in storm.

7am- Get up, pack, etc. Walk again back over bridge, this time with pack. Almost bloody killed me.

Discover I have an hour to wait for a bus so decide to use the internet and on doing so discover that Josh (via Rohin and Jackie) has discovere that his parents dont seem to be home and that I´ll have to go his grandparents instead, who according to the address Jackie has, live in Zona 1 of Guate. Fair enough, easy enought. So I thought.

6 hours on a bus, and a taxi ride later,. I get not to Josh´s granparents but... a bus company. Yes, I am infact to get another bus for almost 5 hours to take me to Xela and to Joshs grandparents. Now in a way this is good, I wanted to go to Xela anyway but hadnt think Id get there. But this wasnt the way I wanted to go about it.

I dont think I will ever forgive Josh for making me take a bus in Guatemala - at night (kidnap and hold up time), though steep bumpy uneven mountain roads, at times through clouds or fog, often almost crashing into other cars, driven by a driver i think was on coke. (i couldnt decide at the time whether that was a good or a bad thing- at least he wasnt going to fall asleep at the wheel...)

I finally got to Xela (Shay-La) at about 11pm and was luckily met by Josh´s uncle and aunt (his grandparents son and daughter) and was driven the short distance to their rather large house.

There I met Alicia, Josh grandmother who showed me my bed that was apparently "made for me" (translation).

Then sleep, the best night Ive had in a long while.

Sunday.

Was cooked a proper breakfast, plaintain, black beans, toast, porridge, cereal, eggs, tea. Yum.

Then Marvin showed me round Xela. I like it there, it was somewhere I was considering going to study Spanish at a later date, its still in the running (though I´m going to compare it to Leon in Nica). After about 3 hours we made it back to have lunch (Pollo Camperio woooooooo) and then we headed by bright orange VW minivan up the mountain (one of many that surround Xela, as its in the highlands of Guatemala) to get a view of the city.

Photos will follow.

Then back down the mountain and to church. Which was..interesting.

As it was all in Spanish. And everyone was crying. Hysterically. Inconsolably.

Which I had trouble with.... Especially in comparision to how church ends back home... The children whose parents were beating their fists on the backs on the chairs or lying on the floor sobbing looked as confused as I was.

"and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." Hmmm.

After that, we went back into the town to take a few night photos. I got candy floss. It was good.

Then back to the house where extended family had arrived for dinner. I watched the news (in Spanish) as we ate and each new news story I would look at Marvin. "Murder..." "Another murder" "You don´t need to ask anymore." You saw a pattern to Guatemalan news emerging.

After that then i listened to some music (through a stereo!!) and then to bed.

Today-

Up at about 9am, was about to start packing when I was motioned to go and have breakfast. Mmmmm, soup and plaintain. But when I was in the middle of eating we got a call from Marvin telling me that my bus was in fact at 10.15. It was 9.50 and I hadnt packed at all. So that was all slightly hurriedly. Haha, as we left I discovered that part of the house was like a kiosky shop that fronted on to the street, I had been wondering why they were iron bars down my corridor.

To the bus station then, and narrowly avoided missing the bus. 5 hours to Guate and ended up I dont know where in the city. So then I had to call Josh´s mum, who after a few tries answered. Something about a special bus confused me, in fact it was tha Josh´s dad was coming to collect me.

As soon as I was in the car, the locks door locks went on. It was strange, we dont use door locks when we´re in the car in the UK.

So I got to the house, which is very nice, I feel just like Im back in the UK...or maybe the States. Had some soup and pineapple. And then I interneted it up. Oh yeah.

Haha Ive written frickin loads.

Ok, I better go.

Antigua tomorrow.

Love to you all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx