Smoke

I´ve determined, what I believe, to be the single biggest problem in Guatemala... The burning of trash. This is an issue that really seems to be out of control. Not only is it bad for the upper atmosphere, it´s quite brutal on ones longs. Each morning, due to the ridiculous plum of smoke that seems to just site around Xela, I find my throat dry and irritated. My friend, has developed a cough, that I relate to the smoke, and the beautiful days sky is hidden behind what people in Los Angeles -in the 80´s- would have called smog. There is, however, one shinning light behind so many irritants, the smoke creates for a beautiful tint of red when viewing the moon.

My Camera

I still have it... don´t worry. But, I unfortunately, forgot to bring my adapter... so, photo´s will need to wait until I return to the states.

Here I write from an Internet cafe. I´m surrounded by a crying baby -correction, was crying... the mother just started breast feeding the kid, an Irish man to my right, and a 10 year old girl who's incessant giggling is beginning to become quite annoying. Yes, this is my Guatemala. A place, where 2 hours ago, I drove one of my friends cars to the mechanic; a place, where we decided to grab a pizza, before having lunch with a friend -she was cooking; a place, where everyone I know, knows at least a little English and who's parents are filthy rich (think, millions). Not really the Guatemala all of you have come to imagine, is it?

This trip has definitely been a little different then my other voyages. For one thing, I´m staying with two of my friends, who´s apartment has a wonderful shower, a great stove+oven, and in each of their rooms are DVD players and nice televisions (we´ve made it a habit of renting DVD´s).

My Guatemala is also filled with the sight of a different class, those who constantly push their wares on the street, small children begging on the sides of he roads, and kids, not yet 8, offering shoe shines for spare centavos. The contrast is definitely stark. Essentially, on this trip, I feel I´m experiencing a life not many imagine of Guatemala, yet... seeing the the life that so many know.

Guatemala???

Cruelty is a description best left for the truly tormented. Yet, I feel it an appropriate word for this blog. Over the last 3 months, the amount of interesting information has faded to a saddened state- sorry.

Well, here I am, in Guatemala. I arrived last night- after 24 hours of car, bus, train, plane, plane, taxi, bus, then car (Who says travel is relaxing???). I´ve returned to a familiar setting, Xela. Where, I´ve come to visit several friends. The weather is quite pleasant at the moment; with a nice cool breeze, the overall temperature could be likened to a nice relaxing California day... minus the beach.

The trials of traveling

Absent I've been from updates, though absent I am not of stories. After hours of endless walking -on the 1st- I headed home, took a shower, grabbed a cab to the airport shuttle, and then paid my passage for the airport. I managed a little sleep during the hour long ride- it was good, but proved to only act as a tease.

I arrived at the airport too early to attempt a check-in; patiently, I waited as the the time streamed. After some two hours, I approached an agent, and asked that they check me in...response..."sorry, there is no way you'll be able to get onto this flight.";.... my internal reaction "CRUD!"

This happened on Sunday. And, it wasn't until after sleeping in a Mexican prison for the night (really shabby Hostel), staying with my friend for a couple days, and riding the shuttle to and from the airport 5 more times, that I finally managed to get onto a flight.

I am now in Los Angeles, where I will stay for a couple days- then off to... not quite sure yet.

The April fool

It`s currently 10:30am. Not really an interesting fact in and of itself. Ten thirty, is, 10:30. It`s just a time. But, when you`ve been up since 9:00am the day before, ten thirty begins to take on new dimensions of, well, fatigue. I`m not going to have much period for napping - actually, non at all... that is, except for a period about 1 hour ago, when I feel asleep on the subaway, jumping to an alert state when I thought I was about to miss my stop. A couple hours from now, I`m off to catch a flight, but to my surprise, it appears the flight is booked. So, I`m not sure, I`m going to walk around for several hours, head back to my dilabidated vitorianish hotel, take a shower, and then catch a shuttle to the airport.