Week 1 - Boston and Guatemala

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  San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala
Sunday, March 12, 2006

Hi Folks! Well, A lot has happened in the past week (believe it or not). In fact, itīs hard to believe it has only been a week.

Audrey and I headed out last sunday for a quick day in Boston with a mutual friend, Sarah Webster. It was pretty low-key, although we did go to an excellent musuem - The Harvard University Science Musuem. We capped that off with some really good hot choclate. Oh, I forgot delicious indian food. Sarah was kind enough to give us full reign of her apartment while she watched the oscars with friends. Audrey and I would have loved to have joined them, but (thanks to James) we had to catch a 5am flight. Ugh.

We arrived smoothly in Guatemala City, which is a really scarry place due to residual gang violence post the civil war here

01 - James in the Harvard Museum

. We directly hopped a shuttle bus for Antigua (which is not nearly as scarry and actually very lovely). There we found a cheap (as if anything is really expensive) hostal for the next couple of nights. We met a few other Americanos there which we keep seeing now that weīre in San Pedro. We didnīt do much sight seeing there, but we did make it to Igelsia de la...something something Merced. It looked as if it had been beautiful in its hay day, but civil war had literally robbed it of itīs wealth.

We caught a bus from Antigua at 7am on Wednesday to Panajachel (which is occasionally, unpleasantly called Gringotenango). The bus ride was not a freightening as one might expect, but we did our best to look away while passing slower vehicles going uphill in curves. We took a ferry in Panajachel directly across Lago de Atitlan to San Pedro, which is where we are currently.

First of all, the lake is amazing. Very blue and surrounded by volcanos. Wow. Second of all, San Pedro is a very interesting place. The women here still dress in traditional Mayan clothes (some of the older men do too, but not many) and balance an array of goods in baskets on their heads. Unfortunately, Guatemalans are pretty sensitive about having their pictures taken, so we donīt have any good photos of it...yet. There is also a really large hippy scene here which can occasionally get a little annoying.

Yesterday, I went to climb the Indian Nose while Audrey was laid up in the hostal feeling pretty terrible (thanks Montezuma). From the Indian Nose there were great views of the lake and all the surrounding villages. I went down to a market that is exceptionally tradional and then took a pick-up taxi with about 25 other folks

02 - Sarah looking scary

. Scariest
most fun ride of my life.

Other than that things are going well. Audrey is feeling much better now. We start our first full week of spanish classes tomorrow. We also move in with a local family tomorrow, which should prove to be fairly interesting. Weīll keep you posted on all the goings on as time permits.

Sorry for such a long entry, thereīs just so much to say. Hope you all are doing well.

Cheers and love,

James and Audrey

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

03 The view from our hostel in Antigua, Wonderful!	04 Audrey enjoying the local brew, Gallo (Rooster)	05 - Week 1 Self Portrait in the Antigua Hostel	06 - Fountain at the Church of La Merced, Antigua
07 - From the Chruch, Volcanoes in the distance	08 - Cemetary in Antigua	09 - James looking cool	10 - View of a volcano at Lago de Atitlan
11 - Audrey riding the boat from Pana to San Pedro	11 - View of the lake from our second room	12 - My spanish teacher Delia	12 - Audrey enjoying our great view, for 5 minutes
13 - Easter Procession	13 - James in the Big Apple	14 - View of San Juan and San Pedro Volanco	14 - This is what $3 gets you at a restuarant
15 - Typical countryside	15 - San Pedro below left and the volcano above	15 - Typical street in San Pedro	16 - Our friend Jonathan looking sexy
17 - The very traditional market at Santa Clara.	19 - Taxi anyone?	20 - Our guide in the back of a big truck	21 - Stephanie frightened, but happy in the taxi
22 - Typical religious sign in San Pedro

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