400 Steps

Lake Atitlan is a lake surrounded by volcanos and mountains. Around the lake, there are several indiginous villages which all have their own character and "claim to fame"with tourists. For example, Panajenchel is the tourist hub, full of shops, hotels, resturants and tourists who have become locals.

Tzununa, where I am living through Tuesday is one of, if not the, smallest villages on the lake. In all honesty, had I realized this prior to booking my rom, I may never have chosen to stay here. Yet another shout out for ignorance, as this place is unreal. Truly unreal and I´m so fortunate to be here.

When my private boat dropped me off at the dock for Lomas de Tzununa, I remembered reading something on their website about having to climb a few stairs upon disemabarking from la lancha (the boat) before reaching the actual hotel. Ok, so, cool. No problema. What's a few stairs between friends, right? Yeah, whatever. Try-four-fucking hundred. 400 DIRECTLY up the side of a mountian with no rail and view to die for (quite literally, possibly). Any fear of heights, which apparently is just another one of my many undiscovered nuerosis, had to be pushed down. Far, far away into the deep receses of my complex little mind. Becuase it seemed as there was no option. It was either the 400 stone stairs built into the side of this mountian, or I was sleeping with the fish. Literally.

Now, keep in mind that all my money and credit cards were stolen only hours before I was due to arrive. How on earth was I going to not only explain my prediciment, but also expect to STAY there? On the way over on the boat I kept playing out this scenario in my mind:
Me: Hola! I have no money. Can I stay for a few days?
Them: Are you on crack?

...well, you get it.

Needless to say, apparently I am starting to visit the other side of the Karmic wheel, because Maria and Terri, the owners and hosts, could not have been ANY nicer. For whatever reason, they trusted my tale, offered me a huge rum and pineapple beverage and showed me to my room, all the while assuring me they would help me to figure things out. Seriously. These two people are sent from the heavens and still, to this moment, 3 days in to my stay here, continue to be amazing. And although the word amazing is, in my opinion, overused - using it here is nothing more than 100% accurate.

So they met 10 years ago while both working for the United Nations. He, Terri, as the head of the Guatemalan peace mission for the UN and she, Maria, as an attorney for the UN. They got married, lived in Guatemala City for years and spent the last 3 plus years building, no shit, the most outragous hotel on the side of a mountain in a small village in Guatemala where they are raising their 4 year old son, Lucas. Because Terri is Belgium and Maria is from Uragray, they are raising Lucas bilingual - French and Spanish. So, this kid gets to grow up living on the most beautiful lake on earth, meeting and visiting with people from all over the globe and in case THAT´S not enough, his parents are civil servants to the highest degree. Wrap your brain around that for a second.

So, getting back to this hotel... So, my room is too much for mere words. They call it a bungalow, but this isn´t like any bungalow I´ve ever been witness to. We´re talking a mini apartment with 2 beds, a walk-in cedar closet, a ginormous bathroom and, oh yeah, floor to ceiling glass doors that lead out to my private deck with a view that is incomprehensible. Ready for the price per night? Are you sitting down? 50 bucks. Oh yes, that includes breakfast. Have I mentioned that Guatemala is c-h-e-a-p?

The only true downside are these stairs I made mention of. I´m really not joking when I say they are the single most trecherous climb one could ever dream of when considering all you´re really trying to accomplish is getting to a fucking hotel. And that´s nothing as compared to the way down. Holy crackers. It´s the kind of decent that I have to actually sit and crawl down on my ass at a couple of sections so as I don´t lose my already challenged balance due to my pack I have to carry along when I venture out. On the bright side, it´s another layer of fitness and health that has crept into the landscape of this trip. Between you and me, there´s gotta be some meniacal side to Terri and Maria... there has to be. And if you ever get to see these stairs, I guarentee you´ll see why I say this.

Another thing I didn´t count on was that where ever you are at sundown is where you stay. Meaning, nightfall here is rumored to be, how shall I say... unsafe. So, as you can imagine, I am getting to be very close with my hosts, as I dine with them each night and spend the remainder of the evening at the hotel with them and the rest of the guests. At first I was appalled. Are you kidding me? I have to eat dinner at the same place, with the same strangers every goddammed night? But, no worries, those warm and fuzzy sensations have taken over, and I must say, it is the thing I look forward to the most in my day.

Terri and Maria both play classical guitar and have taken me as an unofficial student, which means guitar lessons nightly. And these aren´t bullshit guitarists - I´m talking the real classics. I am learning fingerpicking techniques, Bach sonatas and generally feeling like a real musician. I play hours per day and I don´t suck anymore. (ok, so I still generally suck as a guitarist, but now at least I can play more than Leaving on a Jet Plane)

That´s my post for getting you aquinted with the 2nd part of my Guat journey. Trust me, Saturday needs a post all for its own. I´ll get to that momentarily. And hey, don´t forget that I am caught with my spellcheck down...