lessons away from home

1. Guatemala, also known as the Land of Eternal Spring, is a beautiful place. Since those in the States were facing a vicious heat wave, I was especially appreciative of the mild weather here, which hovered in the mid-70s. There was also no rain! Which means no landslides! 

lago de atitlan, guatemala

2. The local brews are delicious. I tried Gallo (rooster), Cabro (goat) and Moza (young maid-servant). Final verdict: I like Moza best. According to Google Translate - and Google never lies - moza can also mean wench or lass. How apropos. 

flamboyant cerveza

3. Nothing beats wandering around a new city. I do believe I will be spending most weekends in Antigua, the old colonial capital and about an hour from Guate. Weekends spent at a UNESCO World Heritage Site, no big deal. 

antigua guatemala, guatemala

4. I will miss the sound of raindrops falling atop the Casita roof every afternoon.

5. Guatemalans do love their computer games. One male flat-mate plays online poker incessantly at home. One male office-mate just won the Guatemalan tournament for Magic: The Gathering and is headed to the 2011 World Championship in San Francisco this fall. 

6. The children here make me (1) miss my own kiddos and (2) cause a pang in my ovaries. What?! Well, they do. Apparently a Japanese tourist and Guatemala bus driver were stoned to death in 2000 in a really, really remote village because the locals thought the tour group was there to steal their children. (Parents: Don't worry. I will not be traveling to said remote village). But, I should probably stop fake-attempting to kidnap the ridiculously cute kids. Someone may get the wrong idea. (Sidenote: here is an interesting read on the Guatemalan adoption industry).

this smile was more than worth the Q.10 ($1.25 USD

What a wonderful weekend.

What a wonderful country.

What a wonderful life.