The barking dog

Therese, after a long, tiring day.
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The logistics of our trip proved tricky: Mike and I would arrive in Guatemala City and go to Tikal on our own. Upon returning to Guatemala City, we would meet up with Steve and Kitty and spend a day in the city with them. Terry and Roland would arrive early the next day and we would all travel to nearby Antigua. The next few days we would spend together in Antigua and then Lake Atitlan, but we would return to Guatemala City to see off Roland and Terry before the rest of us headed to El Salvador. The trip end would back in Guatemala City with the four of us splitting up for our respective flights back to the U.S.

One of four bags/boxes of kids gear we brought to Guatemala City with us.
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As if making arrangements for the six of us weren't enough,Mike offered the two  of us up as 'mules' and arranged to take additional baggage filled with toys, clothes, books, and other school supplies for an orphanage/school in Guatemala City. Jackie, an American woman who helps run the school part-time, is a friend of one of Mike's co-workers. Mike assured me many, many times that this would be easy. It was, really, but only someone as kind and generous as Mike would even have considered it.

I have to admit to being a bit thrilled to have a stamp in my new passport.

Blooming jacaranda tree near Hotel Dos Lunas
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Finally, bags packed and tickets in hand, we arrived at the airport only to find our flight delayed because the crew had arrived very late the night before (bad weather) and needed their eight-hour ground break. Since we (and several other passengers) had a very narrow 50 minute window for our connecting flight in Houston, the projected 50 minute delay was bad news to say the least. When we were airborne--eventually--we worried for the whole flight. But with good coordination on the part of the airport and airline crew, we landed and taxied to a gate that was very near the gate for the connecting flight, where they were thankfully holding the plane until we arrived. And our luck held--when we arrived in Guatemala City, our checked luggage had arrived with us.

In contrast to that first flight, the one from Houston was wonderfully peaceful and stress free and we spoke for quite a while with our seatmate Francisco, a very nice young man from Guatemala City. He offered suggestions for places to eat and asked about our travel plans.

We arrived in Guatemala City just after 10:00 p.m. Never having traveled outside of the U.S. except to Canada, I was a little intimidated by the idea of going through Immigration, but it went smoothly and I have to admit to being a bit thrilled to have a stamp in my new passport. The overwhelming part turned out to be the mass of taxi drivers and shuttle drivers just outside the terminal, hawking for our business, and a crowd of people awaiting their families and friends. It was a bit loud and chaotic and my meager Spanish skills seemed most inadequate. I was glad we had made arrangements to be picked up by the driver for the hotel we had chosen--Hotel Dos Lunas.

Jackie met us at the airport to pick up the school supplies and deliver the water and quetzales Mike had arranged to buy from her. She met us right outside the terminal, and so did the Hotel Dos Lunas driver, Victor. It was a five-minute drive to the hotel and Victor, who we saw several times over the next few days, was gracious and full of information. Mike, who speaks Spanish fluently but doesn't get to practice all that often, got started on what became his trip-long role: interpreter.

We checked in at Hotel Dos Lunas and found our small, first floor room to be very stuffy and crowded with beds, but clean. Opening the window and acquiring a fan from the hotel owner helped, but that room was near a courtyard with a barking dog, so we felt a bit disgruntled. It had been a long stressful day. We were glad to be there and ready to get some shut eye. (Look at my poor, tired mug.) Our tired brains were amused that our room was #2, but we had the key labeled #8. The key worked, so it didn't really matter but it did make us laugh.

We had to be up early and get back to the airport at 7:30 a.m. for our flight to Flores and subsequent travel to El Remate and Tikal.