I flew from SFO to Houston to San Salvador to Guatemala City on October 20th. At the airport a shuttle bus driver met me and drove me to Antigua, to Linda's house. Linda wasn't there, she was in the Bay Area! She is the co-founder of the dog rescue shelter I was volunteering with.
Ronaldo met me and let me in and tried to explain things in Spanish that I didn't understand. I was very tired, as it was 11pm. I went to sleep, and in the morning found Dona Ana, the housekeeper, who insisted on making me eggs. I ate, and told her I was going to walk down the hill to Antigua. She kept saying it wasn't safe. So I asked Ronaldo and he said it was safe. lol. I decided I would walk down.
I didn't have a map, so headed in the direction I though the central park must be, when I got down. I finally found it. I wandered around and found a visitor center, and got a map. But the streets are not marked on the walls, so it didn't really help too much.
I kept wandering around looking for a grocery store, because Linda had mentioned that I would need to bring my lunch to the shelter. I couldn't find one, and was getting so tired. I kept trying to ask at various places, but no one understood me. It started to rain (rain!) so I hopped into a Tuc Tuc, and told the driver what I wanted, and he took me. Finally! Trying to get sliced turkey was an adventure, but they figured out what I wanted, and I got some other things.
I walked some more, and found a bar. There was a girl who spoke English there, and she called Ronaldo for me to come and pick me up. I ate some tipco food, which is a bowl of broth with big huge chunks of pumkin, potato, and some other orange thing in it, and rice and chicken on the side.
The next day was my first day at the shelter. I helped clean the dog runs, refill waters, feed, and do dishes and laundry. Then I worked with some dogs to see where they were at as far as behavior and training, for the rest of the day.
My days were like this until Linda arrived the next Tuesday morning. Then I started going with her. On Wednesday she took me to Guatemala City to take an agility class with one of the shelter dogs, and she had her own dog, Panda. It was tons of fun! I really enjoyed it. It was very relaxed and casual.
Sometimes we would take some dogs to the "finca," which means plantation. She had a friend with a huge coffee farm that lets her take the dogs and run them off leash. She would let them out of the car and they run after the car! Then we walk for a bit. It's really really great for shelter dogs to get that time.
A few dogs had become sanctuary dogs because they have such severe behavior problems. These types of problems CAN be helped, but it takes one-on-one daily work for months, and that is something that is just not available.
One day, Linda was driving volunteers and myself home, and we saw a tiny brown puppy on the side of the road. She stopped, hopped out, and scooped up the puppy. We took her back to Linda's house, and she dewormed and vaccinated her. She slept with me in Linda's guest house. She had an upper respiratory problem, and her breathing would sometimes be labored. Linda took her to the vet, and got some meds, and she is doing fine! One of the volunteers named her Hershey.
I spent a few more days wandering around Antigua. There is so much to buy and eat, so many hotels and hostels and Spanish schools. It's just such a charming place.
Then my last day at the shelter came, and I went down to Antigua to a hostel. The next day a guy that works at the hostel gave everyone football tickets, so we walked to the stadium and watched a football game, which was fun! I met a French lady who is a holistic energy healer.
The next day I left for Lake Atitlan. It was a three hour mini-bus ride. I got a big car sick, as it's a curvy drive through the mountains, but managed. I chatted to a man in the bus, who is retired for 14 years now and living off his social security traveling around Central and South America. Amazing!
I found my hostel in Panajachel, called Sotz. It was run by some German hippies who lived there with their 2 miniture pinchers and their 3 year old daughter. It was a bit cramped. I had only planned to stay one night, which is good, because I didn't like the town. There was a lot for sale, yes, but it was a bit dirty and chaotic. I had a fish dinner on the lake, then walked around, had some mojitos at a cafe, while writing my postcards, and went back to the hostel, where I laid in the hammock with a dog.
The next day I walked around a bit, had a tipico breakfast (eggs, fried plantains, crema, mushed up beans, cheese) at this cute literally wooden shack. It was really good and cost $3. Coffee and toast included. When I first went to Latin America in 2009, I couldn't stand the tipico. The crema looked like sour cream to me, and I just could handle beans for breakfast. But now I love it!
Then I took a boat across the lake to San Pedro, where I told the French girl (Hanna Lisa) that I would meet her. I had booked a "nice" hotel for $25 a night for 3 nights. I took a tuc tuc up the hill to the hotel. Then got my room and wandered back out into the town. The bottom part of the town is tiny little lanes. Only tuc tucs and motorcycles can use them. I was a bit lost, as there are no signs, but just wandered. It is full of cute restaurants, hostels and hotels, and bars. I found a nice place to have a bowl of lentil soup. There are a lot of travelers who come to take Spanish classes or just chill out. The government doesn't care how many times you leave and come back to the country to get your 3 month tourist visa. Which seems so strange, but that is Guatemala! There are a lot of Israelis, and so a lot of signs and businesses with Yiddish.
I went back to the hotel after some more wandering, with the idea of a quick nap and a shower, to go back out for a bit of nightlife (haven't had any yet!), but that didn't happen. Woke up at 9pm and just didn't have the energy. My hotel was really loud, as there is a restaurant right above me.
I wrote my pet blog I get paid to write, surfed the net, then went back to sleep! lol.
Today I am going to meet up with Hanna Lisa for lunch and then who knows. There are tours here, but they all involve getting up at 5am, and hiking up volcanoes. Or riding horses, which I just feel so awful doing. I'm having fun just wandering around.
