Guatemala: Day 3
This is the third day of my journal for the 2004 trip I took to Guatemala. This is a transcription from the notebook I took, but if there is any additional explanation necessary, I put that information in [brackets]. This is how it reads:
Long day. Got up. Breakfast. Had it with Meg and Tiné, although they were a bit late. Afterward, we walked to the Museo Arcaeologica. Tiné invited me. Although I didn't have much time since I had to catch a ride to the airport by 11 am. We got there around 9:40ish. I rushed around while the other 2 kinda took their time. I don't blame them. The beginning was cheesy with diorama shit with Eskimo-like people crossing over snowy pastures. Their map was kinda off too. Had the people coming on the wrong side of the Rockies. Other stuff was cool. That big slab with slaves and conquerers that I'd read about [along with royalty]. Vessels and bones, etc. They had a skeleton with an abnormally small head with two twin skeletons infront of it in an odd position merely to gain attention. I swear I've seen the exact thing before, maybe Egypt (?). Anyway, I busted outta there and was in a hurry so I didn't haggle down [the taxi fare] from 30Q [quetzales]. The driver said he knew where "Dos Lunas" [my hostel] was, but he lied. Luckily, by then, I had my bearings.
The walk to the museum was crazy. Not only are Meg and Tiné two blonds, but they were wearing hot-weather clothing. Tiné had a long, unrevealing skirt, but a fairly low-cut shirt with that strap around the neck revealing a lot of back. Meg had a what-you-call-em, farmer pants, can't remember the real name [capris], a [thin] sweat shirt and bag covering her ass. As for a shirt, it was a white tank top with barely any straps and she was showing heavy nippage... must have been the brisk walk. Anyway, every 10 seconds on our 40 minute walk, somebody driving would honk or whistle [cat-call], as would the people we passed by or passed us. Whistling, that is. I gave the evil eye to everyone we passed walking. The guy would always look to me after checking out one of the ladies. I guess I can't blame them. They're good-looking Anyway before I left for the airport, I slipped a little note into Meg's bag with email and wishing them good luck. I would have rather put it in Tiné's, but Meg's was more accessible. I didn't address it to anyone, so I hope they realize it was meant for both. I should have put their names, but I don't know how the fuck to spell Tiné.
Finally met the group. I wasn't sure it was them at first, but they were the only bunch of gringos around, so I guessed right. We had to sit around and wait until 12:25 for the last person's flight, although we were supposed to be there at 11.
People: Chris and blond, curly guy [Adam] aka father and son from Phillie. Chris reminds me of two face. You see him from one side and he's fine. On the other, he's got excema or whatever all over his neck [port-wine birthmark]: a bright purple. [Actually he turned out to be a really nice guy, so I'm kind of sad that I wrote this about him, but it was my first impression.] We walked down the streets [in Chocolá], the 3 of us, and I don't know whether we're getting stares because of that or not. But they're cool. Adventurous. The other three guys stayed inside while we walked around town. The other three guys: two [Brett and Xan] are 17 years old, like the son [of Chris], and are from Denver. They go to this uppity-sounding private school there where daddy has enough money to throw around where ever for their kids. [I don't know why I'm so bitter here, my parents sent me to private school through 7th grade.] The other guy is also from Denver and teaches Spanish at their school. A knowledgeable guy. Doesn't seem like your average high school teacher, but I guess it is private.
Da Women: all older. Char - not Charlene! - is the oldest and from a 15,000-acre farm in South Iowa. She really likes to talk about boring things and also seems to like to complain. [In her defense, she hadn't been away from home in, well, maybe forever, so everything down in Guatemala was new and completely different to her. She ended up being a caring woman.] Gail's another chic, from Manhattan. Does the corporate thing and has a brother in the same part of Denver where the other 3 live/work. They know the same restaurant locations. Susan's also cool, although kinda quiet. I'm sure that will change with time. She kinda reminds me of a mix of my mom and Paula [a friend from Spanish classes I took at Shoreline Community College]. Last is Molly, just as she was coming off the plane. She's about the same age as the not old women (not Char), and looks to be a teacher's pet. She already got a gold star. Forgot to mention Chris works for an NGO Rodeal - they do fitness magazines on the side to get their money. Helping Kaplan [the head archaeologist] is Camelo [a Guatemalan student]. Knows English, but prefers Spanish. Don't know much of his story, but he seems cool. Kaplan knows his shit, but covers when he doesn't as I've seen most profs do. Seems like a decent guy. We'll see what's in store.
As for the people [of Guatemala], they're short. I'm a head or head and shoulders over them. They're friendly, but the kids like to play the game of yelling out a name, and when you look, they laugh. They've taken a strong hold on Christianity. Buses and trucks have stickers on the windshield saying shit about how Jesus is all the need or "In God we Trust". Nothing like the subtle Jesus fish we got going on in "the states". Chocolá is awesome. A small clearing in the jungle, probably equidistant from Lake Atitlán on the west side as Guate [Guatemala City] is on the east. Much more rural, however, every shack seems to have a TV going. So damn humid. On that hike with father and son, I could see my breath. It was definitely not cold either. The mountains are awesome here. However, I can't help wonder if Seattle would look like this if it had the same flora and heat. Both places do have the double-plate pressure with sporadic volcanoes. Banana leave here are huge. Probably my height. OK. Gotta go. Chow at 6:45am. It's 5 til 11pm. Out.
Long day. Got up. Breakfast. Had it with Meg and Tiné, although they were a bit late. Afterward, we walked to the Museo Arcaeologica. Tiné invited me. Although I didn't have much time since I had to catch a ride to the airport by 11 am. We got there around 9:40ish. I rushed around while the other 2 kinda took their time. I don't blame them. The beginning was cheesy with diorama shit with Eskimo-like people crossing over snowy pastures. Their map was kinda off too. Had the people coming on the wrong side of the Rockies. Other stuff was cool. That big slab with slaves and conquerers that I'd read about [along with royalty]. Vessels and bones, etc. They had a skeleton with an abnormally small head with two twin skeletons infront of it in an odd position merely to gain attention. I swear I've seen the exact thing before, maybe Egypt (?). Anyway, I busted outta there and was in a hurry so I didn't haggle down [the taxi fare] from 30Q [quetzales]. The driver said he knew where "Dos Lunas" [my hostel] was, but he lied. Luckily, by then, I had my bearings.
The walk to the museum was crazy. Not only are Meg and Tiné two blonds, but they were wearing hot-weather clothing. Tiné had a long, unrevealing skirt, but a fairly low-cut shirt with that strap around the neck revealing a lot of back. Meg had a what-you-call-em, farmer pants, can't remember the real name [capris], a [thin] sweat shirt and bag covering her ass. As for a shirt, it was a white tank top with barely any straps and she was showing heavy nippage... must have been the brisk walk. Anyway, every 10 seconds on our 40 minute walk, somebody driving would honk or whistle [cat-call], as would the people we passed by or passed us. Whistling, that is. I gave the evil eye to everyone we passed walking. The guy would always look to me after checking out one of the ladies. I guess I can't blame them. They're good-looking Anyway before I left for the airport, I slipped a little note into Meg's bag with email and wishing them good luck. I would have rather put it in Tiné's, but Meg's was more accessible. I didn't address it to anyone, so I hope they realize it was meant for both. I should have put their names, but I don't know how the fuck to spell Tiné.
Finally met the group. I wasn't sure it was them at first, but they were the only bunch of gringos around, so I guessed right. We had to sit around and wait until 12:25 for the last person's flight, although we were supposed to be there at 11.
People: Chris and blond, curly guy [Adam] aka father and son from Phillie. Chris reminds me of two face. You see him from one side and he's fine. On the other, he's got excema or whatever all over his neck [port-wine birthmark]: a bright purple. [Actually he turned out to be a really nice guy, so I'm kind of sad that I wrote this about him, but it was my first impression.] We walked down the streets [in Chocolá], the 3 of us, and I don't know whether we're getting stares because of that or not. But they're cool. Adventurous. The other three guys stayed inside while we walked around town. The other three guys: two [Brett and Xan] are 17 years old, like the son [of Chris], and are from Denver. They go to this uppity-sounding private school there where daddy has enough money to throw around where ever for their kids. [I don't know why I'm so bitter here, my parents sent me to private school through 7th grade.] The other guy is also from Denver and teaches Spanish at their school. A knowledgeable guy. Doesn't seem like your average high school teacher, but I guess it is private.
Da Women: all older. Char - not Charlene! - is the oldest and from a 15,000-acre farm in South Iowa. She really likes to talk about boring things and also seems to like to complain. [In her defense, she hadn't been away from home in, well, maybe forever, so everything down in Guatemala was new and completely different to her. She ended up being a caring woman.] Gail's another chic, from Manhattan. Does the corporate thing and has a brother in the same part of Denver where the other 3 live/work. They know the same restaurant locations. Susan's also cool, although kinda quiet. I'm sure that will change with time. She kinda reminds me of a mix of my mom and Paula [a friend from Spanish classes I took at Shoreline Community College]. Last is Molly, just as she was coming off the plane. She's about the same age as the not old women (not Char), and looks to be a teacher's pet. She already got a gold star. Forgot to mention Chris works for an NGO Rodeal - they do fitness magazines on the side to get their money. Helping Kaplan [the head archaeologist] is Camelo [a Guatemalan student]. Knows English, but prefers Spanish. Don't know much of his story, but he seems cool. Kaplan knows his shit, but covers when he doesn't as I've seen most profs do. Seems like a decent guy. We'll see what's in store.
As for the people [of Guatemala], they're short. I'm a head or head and shoulders over them. They're friendly, but the kids like to play the game of yelling out a name, and when you look, they laugh. They've taken a strong hold on Christianity. Buses and trucks have stickers on the windshield saying shit about how Jesus is all the need or "In God we Trust". Nothing like the subtle Jesus fish we got going on in "the states". Chocolá is awesome. A small clearing in the jungle, probably equidistant from Lake Atitlán on the west side as Guate [Guatemala City] is on the east. Much more rural, however, every shack seems to have a TV going. So damn humid. On that hike with father and son, I could see my breath. It was definitely not cold either. The mountains are awesome here. However, I can't help wonder if Seattle would look like this if it had the same flora and heat. Both places do have the double-plate pressure with sporadic volcanoes. Banana leave here are huge. Probably my height. OK. Gotta go. Chow at 6:45am. It's 5 til 11pm. Out.
Labels: guatemala diary
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