Awake now

In reviewing my post from yesterday, I realized I omitted not only my initial impressions of Guatemala, but also some of the visceral reactions I have experienced since stepping off the plane. Ideally I would outline and detail each interaction, each experience, each smell, sight and sound. But alas, I am here to feel and do, and that means that many of the things I see or do must be integrated on a different level, other than the written word.

That being said (or not said for that matter) I am fully committed to doing my best to translate some of these things I am experiencing, as it makes me feel not only more in touch with you, but also myself.

So, I´m about 36 hours in, and yet feel as though I´ve spent months here already. Yes, I know what you are thinking "Oh, that´s soooo Jamie to have fully immersed herself already". Well, yes, true, but the thing of it is that being here in Panajechel is such an fuckpile pleasureboat of color, sounds, flavors, sky, mountains, clouds, people, dogs, textures, conversations, languages, music and nature. Admittedly, I had absolutely NO idea what I was getting myself in to.


Yesterday is a blur. By the time I got to Hotel Atitan I was literally awake for 29 hours. My fine motor skills were no longer accessible. My stomach ached and my head burned from the ride from Guat City to Atitlan. It was by far, the most treacherous ride up and down through mountains. We went up to 7000 feet in the clouds where it was freezing, but for some unknown reason the taxi driver felt okay keeping the goddammed windows open. Mary and I were hugging - literally hugging - to keep or body temperatures from plummeting any lower than they already were. Add that to no sleep and gut wrenching turns and hills, well, you get it, I´m sure. Finally we began some kind of decent, where the sky opened up to the most amazing blue I´d ever seen, juxtaposed next to green and lush mountainside. It was soon thereafter that Mary insisted to our driver that we pull to the side so I could get my first view of the famed and fabled, Lake Atitlan. It was at that moment of first view that I understood the hype. I cried. I´ve never seen anything so pure. So perfect. The lake is just here, waiting for people to soak in its beauty and surrealism. And I plan to do just that -- and already can´t imagine not being here right now. I need this Lake. And I feel like it needs me too.


After spending the morning wandering the streets of Panajachel, the most "cosmopolitan" village on Lake Atitlan, I met up with some folks and just spent the better part of the afternoon sitting here at this cafe drinking coffee, eating fresh papaya and discussing everything from the negative ions that the volcanoes here put off (oh yeah, seriously a conversation I was having today) to world politics to where the best place to get kind bud in Atitlan. The players vary in age, heritage and political slant. But they all have one thing in common, they´re seekers. I think most foreigners who end up living in Panajenchel are seeking. Some find, others keep hoping. The tourists here either fall into that group or live vicariously though the seekers. I could have it all wrong, but there´s something very unique about interactions here. Everyone seems to be connected, in the most bizarre of ways.

Things go haywire sometimes. That´s why we have airplanes...

In reviewing my first, and albeit only, post, it strikes me as somewhat ironic, hilarious and downright insane that I find myself writing my second entry from a random computer in a random hotel in... yes, Guatemala. Why you ask is it ironic or hilarious or insane or anything other than "nice"? Well, let´s just say for time saving purposes, that I was supposed to be hanging out near the north pole about right now. Alaska, Guatemala. What´s the difference? Well, the difference is that in Alaska I was going to be spending 10 perfect days with my totally sexy FBI boyfriend and hopeful life partner, Eric. But as of last week, let's just say some things were "altered" which inevitably left me with no option other than booking a flight to Central America. Guatemala to be precise.

I arrived at 5:30Am CST this morning. With no sleep, no food and still hungover from a burning case of heartbreak, I found myself stepping off a plane in Guatemala City. Did I mention that I just only secured a hotel the day prior and totally blew off making airport to hotel arrangements. Which turned out to be a good thing.

Enter Mary. The aging-society-drop-out-hawaii-living-guatemala-loving hippy who unknowingly agreed to mentor me in all things Guatemala by agreeing to share a 3 hour taxi cab ride to Lake Atitlan.

Our initial introduction was made by two Seattle 30-something firemen-paramedics (is this an okay place to mention that they were smoking hot?) who also arrived via the LA to Guat flight. Being the only three 30 something Americans on our flight, the three of us naturally gravitated towards one another, both in LAX and when we arrived in Guat City. They had with them 5 huge duffel bags full of medical supplies being donated by Seattle area fire departments. They come down once a year to delver the goods and do volunteer work. Yeah, and they say the hot ones are shallow... whatever. Anyway, they made a kind and generous offer for me to come with them and their firemen buddies to hang out in Guatemala City for the day and night, as they were headed to Atitlan the next day. But as their "ride" pulled up -- a Guatemala City Ambulance -- I met Mary.

So, I bid farewell to Brian and Jack, and talked about maybe bumping into each other in Atitlan later in the week. As they jumped in the ambulance, I turned to Mary. Mary, it turns out, lives part time in Lake Atitlan. She´s owned a house here for 32 years. When she´s not living in Hawaii, she´s living here. Says she divides her time pretty equally. Rough.

Because Mary is so obviously well-equipped to deal with all things Guatemala, I acquiesce to her making arrangements with a Taxi driver to get us to the lake and we hop in. Once we´re in the taxi, she turns to me and says "Do you have a scarf or something to cover your face with?" HUH?? Is she KIDDING with that question? Where the fuck are we, Guatemala City or Iran? So she goes on to explain that getting out of the city can be very dangerous, especially in a taxi. ESPECIALLY in a TAXI?! Then why in God´s name didn´t we take a shuttle like everyone else seemed to be doing? Oy. Flashes of my Dad saying I told you so and other epitaphs of foreboding are now running through my head. Of course I´m already committed to this god forsaken taxi journey, and we are already moving out of the airport "parking lot". Do I jump out now and follow other tourists to the bus station? Or take my chances with Mary? It was gut following time -- so Mary it is.

She sinks down in her seat and encourages me to follow suit. Which of course, I do. Promptly. She goes on to tell me again how potentially dangerous it is to exit the city and it´s best to hide in the backseat as robbers don´t bother with an empty taxi. So, lo and behold, Mary and I make our way out of Guatemala City hiding - literally hiding - in the backseat of a taxi. I knew she was right on with her hiding plan when I saw our taxi driver´s response to our undercover tactics. He was pleased.

Welcome to Guatemala.

upon exiting the dangerous part of the city, we emerged and I saw Guatemala for the first time. And the rest of our 3 hour journey was just plain delightful. And so is everything else thus far.

More details later, as I am full from dinner, a little sun soaked and very, very tired.

What a week.

Buenos Noches.

The Outlet and The Electrician

I think it perfection that I scribe my initial post whilst on the phone with, dare I say it, my muse. Okay, I'll admit it. I have one and you know what, that makes me feel.... cool.