I’m just beginning to get acquainted with Antigua. My spanish is abysmal but serviceable and improving hourly; the grocery store is terrifying (the market even worse) but I’ve managed to buy eggs, beans, and a burner; it gets dark every day at 6:30, but the sun comes up at 5:30. Up with the eagles. I am a full 18 inches taller than the next tallest resident of this city. Aside from that, the transition to Guatemala has been surprisingly smooth so far. I had my first, and so far my only, “what the hell am I doing in Central America?” moment when I got off the plane and was unable to meet with Miguel Angel, the gentleman dispatched to deliver my to Antigua from Guatemala City (40 murders per week). My apprehension was quickly eased when I saw two men rallying a 100cc 1980 Honda. The passenger was carrying a shotgun and wearing a backwards baseball cap that said simply, “Patrol” in somewhat official typography. So at least I was safe. Eventually rendezvousing with Miguel and escaping the din of Guat City, we rolled into the beautiful Colonial city of Antigua. Built in the 1500’s by the Spanish etc., etc., more here if you care. Descending into the high mountain village we wound our way down an extremely steep and narrow road. Along this road, approximately every 800m is a runaway truck ramp, and these structures appear to receive regular use; they are rutted and have extensive tread marks, giving the impression that the local public transportation coasts in neutral down the entire pass, checking it’s speed at each ramp. In any event, I arrived at my temporary dwelling unscathed and will move into an apartment next week.

After taking a few days to find my way around the city, tomorrow I will embark on my first trip as an assistant guide. It’s an overnight camping trip to a nearby volcano, where we’ll camp in a dormant crater overlooking an adjacent active cinder cone. I’ll check in later with some photos, provided that I don’t encounter the same fate as the last guy who had my job, who apparently was shot in the face with a homemade shotgun by this guy.

Until then,

Horan out.