Day 93: The Vantage Point

First day of independent exploration today. After a breakfast of pancakes, I walked down to a fancy hotel that was a few blocks away that María Elena had recommended for its ruins, and it turned out to be the same one I had visited with Carmen, Santiago and Nick yesterday. It is called Santo Domingo and it is the most posh of the hotels here, five star, and yet Carmen knew of a child who got bitten by bed bugs and developed scabies while staying there.

Anyway, I did not go there to inspect the beds, I looked around the ruins a bit more carefully and took a couple photos. It was still fairly early in the morning, so the cleaning crew was hard at work tidying up and everything so I tried to be unobtrusive. The hotel rooms encircle a fairly large open-air space where there are the ruins, a pool, a fountain, gardens, and a canopy-covered area filled with seats and a stage/alter for events and weddings. There were some signs about a chocolate museum or something along those lines, but it was not open yet... I might just have to return for that.

Beautiful flowers hanging at the hotel

Carmen came by around 09.20 and we went into the city center. We walked to a supermarket where we bought me a super cheap mobile phone for usage while I am here. I am only going to use it for this month, and not terribly frequently at that, but it is good to have one for emergencies. The phone cost me USD15.50 and with a promotion I got Q110 (USD14) worth of credit on the phone. Pretty good deal.

Carmen had a meeting at 11.30, so after we dropped by a bakery, she had to take off. Wait, before I continue, I have to talk a little more about this bakery. The smell, first off, drifted out of the open doors onto the streets and was detectible along the entire block. They made all sorts of fresh breads, sold in whole or half loaves, and they had samples of a lemony bread that was fantastic. Carmen bought a banana bread half-loaf that I tried... If I lived here I would have serious problems working anywhere in the vicinity. I will probably end up going back just to buy some for snacks during the afternoons. It is not so important when I will eat it, that will not be an issue, food that good always has a place reserved in the digestive organs.

Before lunch, I dropped by some ruins that are directly on the south side of the central park. They are being restored, and are the old Vice-Regal Palace of the Capitanes Generales. The building, from the photos and sketches on display in a little museumy part downstairs, was really neglected and in terrible disrepair, but they have done a wonderful job, still not finished yet, but it is looking very nice. I took some photos since all the rooms are still completely empty and had an interesting quiet and mysterious quality to them. I also took advantage from the upstairs balcony to take some shots of the peoples below, since Guatemalan people are quite shy, I would almost put it, I feel a little uncomfortable obviously photographing them from the street.

I lunched in a restaurant called "The Bagel Barn" and boasted a wide variety of bagels, cream cheeses, and served me a very yummy strawberry smoothie. They have a board listing movies that are shown bi-daily so I might check one out at some point if there are movies besides common Hollywood films.

Floor tiles on back porch

Backside view over ruins and volcano

Intricate wood-carving on door

I returned home in the earlier half of the afternoon. My feet were a little tired from walking; I think they are still adjusting to walking on the cobbled roads since my arches were complaining a little, something that never happened in Buenos Aires. I spent the afternoon reading some, downloading from iTunes some music that I had discovered in Buenos Aires and then listening to it with happy memories.

I had dinner with María Elena again, spaghetti with meat sauce and an egg (never saw head nor tail of the egg, but apparently it was there) along with a salad and some bread. After eating I helped out a little bit with her 14-year-old son José's homework for computer class, which was cutting out 200 logos from newspapers and magazines. It was quite ridiculous. I offered one of the free newspapers that I had picked up in Buenos Aires during my last week, but María Elena wanted to read it, so she opted not to cut it up into pieces.

Tomorrow morning after breakfast I hope to do a little productive research as to places to visit as well as looking into volunteer opportunities. I have heard names of places, but everything has flown over my head, so I need to buckle down and do some hunting. I will probably meet up with Carmen and Santiago in the afternoon. Apparently, he has given me the title that translates to 'the man with out the beard.' Quite strange, not because I am without facial hair, but because his father is clean-shaven and it is not common for Guatemalan men to sport beards or anything much more than the occasional mustache.

Off to the bed it is then,

Chao.