Road Trip

The morning after the Promotion Ceremony, Don, Judy, Katherine, Chris and I piled into an SUV for a Road Trip to Antigua Guatemala. We had great directions, a beautiful day, and 3.5 hours of driving ahead of us.

The roads of Guat (pronounced Whhhhought)are not the safest place to travel, but we took all precautions and started on our journey. Chris and I understand that crime is high in this region, but we refuse to hole up in our apartment in hopes of avoiding an unfortunate event. We can’t really blend in, but we can leave our money, watches and rings at home when we go out. We don’t travel with things we can’t live without. If you are approached you are instructed by the force protection agents to hand over whatever you have or whatever they want. Do not put up a fight. Many people told us that we shouldn't’t drive to Antigua, they of course were the ones who had never done it. The people who had driven didn’t even think twice, their advice... be smart and have fun.

Chris has developed a habit of putting his hand up, shaking his head, saying ‘no gracias’ and whether in auto or on foot. There are vendors and pan handlers every where you go. This habit has carried over into all situations where we are unsure how to proceed. People are always trying to get your attention, trying to get you to stop walking, stop driving and buy their goods. The best course of action is to act like you know what you are doing and that you are suppose to be there in that exact parking lot even if you don’t have the right official invitation. If you stop to ask a question, there’s going to be problems…

Recently when driving on the road to the Cumalapa airport a person standing in the middle of the Pan American Highway (standard – usually in the process of herding a rouge cow or selling an endangered iguana) tried to flag Chris over. To which he said “no gracias” to himself and pressed down on the accelerator. About 500 meters ahead there was a police checkpoint where they issued him a speeding ticket, (bizarre in so many ways… for starters, half the cars on the road are operating with MAYBE one light, not just one tail light, but one TOTAL on the whole car! No problem) at this point his ‘no gracias’ did not work. Turns out the threatening street character trying to flag him down was with the fuzz and radioed ahead his PNC colleagues.

Out of necessity, Chris and I have become very comfortable behind the wheel in this Wild-Wild West Country. So much that it may be a little difficult to return to the civility of the Nebraska straight a ways. We have been driving here for over 7 months and continue to shake our heads at what appears to be a fatalistic mentality. On the way to Antigua I think I counted 13 white knuckled “Oh MY GOD” ‘s from out Yankee kin, who were not accustomed to the Darwin driving methods of Central America.

You name it, people froggering across the Highway, tanker passing tanker going up a hill on a curve – right before an oncoming tanker comes into view, and our favorite, the GIANT stick trucks toppling to one side with their overloaded cargo. Actually, I think I just stopped keeping track at 13. It’s not right, but Chris and I kind of chuckled at how unresponsive we have become to the madness of the roadways. I am just thankful that Chris is an excellent driver, excellent driver, and that we will be able to return to the peaceful roads of Eastern Nebraska.

Upon arriving into Antigua we checked into a five star hotel, Vista Real. Not as popular as neighboring Santa Domingo Convent, but 10 times as nice. There are only 5 suites in the entire hotel, and when I say suite, I mean sweet. I think Katherine's room was bigger than my first apartment. Within 4 minutes of dropping our bags down we were served cold beers, crisp linens and knock your socks off tapas on Don and Judy’s private patio. We could have spent the entire weekend lounging in the decadence of Vista Real, but we managed to break free and see a little of the town as well.

It was Don, Judy and Katherine's first trip to Antigua and they loved it. We spent the days alternating between eating, walking the streets, browsing in galleries, eating, exploring museums, eating, napping, and eating. The temperatures were a perfect 75 degrees Fahrenheit for Chris and I to act as Guias to our favorite haunts, after a nap of course.