15 x 5 = ?

Yikes, it's been awhile.

I just got back into Guatemala City after a lovely weekend with one of my oldest friends. My first memory of Krista is washing our hands after an art project in our homeschool group. I'm guessing the fact that we were finger painting means we were pretty young, but who knows. I'm still known to go a little crazy when you put paint in front of me.

Anyway, Krista told me that washing my hands with cold water was stupid, which served both as a public health service and the beginning of a friendship that's lasted... a long time now.

She came down to Guate last week and we explored the nearby attractions: Antigua, Pacaya (the volcano) and Lake Atitlan. While I don't think she taught me anything new about cleanliness, we did have a lot of experiences.

Highlights:

The offer of a suspicious "free trip" to the beach... and lots of other offers, including a trip to Argentina in camper and a life of modeling original jewelry for the crazy-haired hippie who ownded it.

LAVA. Faithful readers of this blog already know that volcanoes kind of freak me out. Well, Krista and I didn't have the brutal climb of last time, but our guide did lead us over two-day old rock and park us about 100 feet from one of the two giant rivers of lava flowing down the mountain. I doubt there are many places in the world where you can get so close to moving molten rock, which all in all probably isn't a bad thing.

A gorgous hotel on Lake Atitlan. We got in too late to go to my standby hostel, but we stumbled across a gorgeous hotel with unique rooms decorated with all sorts of original stained glass and mosaics and other decorations made out of recycled materials. We stayed in an amazing room that was built into the side of the hill - seriously. The bathroom was filled with boulders and one spilled into our room. And the price was phenomonal. (The website is so worth checking out, although there aren't pictures of our particular room.)

Playing cards in the park in Antigua, while happy children tottered by with ice cream cones. Oh how I love leaving the city and being in the fresh air. And swimming in the lake the next day. And laying on a stone and getting tan, until someone came and edged us out of the rock we had rightfully claimed.

And finally, the boy in Panajachel (on the lake) who was selling greeting cards for 15Q each. First of all, all the children selling things there break my heart (and my resolve not to buy things). I chatted with him a little bit and then he offered me the "buen precio" of 100Q for five of the cards. The sneaky grin on his face as I added up five fifteens and proved him wrong is clear as day in my mind. (I ended up buying three.)