Sakes!!

First and foremost, a huge thanks to everyone whom helped me out before I left, my family, my friends, my coworkers, my clients. The generosity of time and cash and love and support(not to mention food and candy) has not gone unappreciated by me and I wish I could take the time to thank everyone individually.

I guess I have to start this somehow. I´m in Guatemala, I´m in Antigua, a small colonial city in the mountains that I never cared for before, but is growing on me quickly. I shall explain why.

Upon arrival to Guatemala City, following an unbelievable travel experience that was seemingly endless, my "friend" who was supposed to pick me up pulled a no show. Long story short, he totally flaked because he was with a girl. As previously mentioned to some of you, this means he has conveniently weeded himself and his bullshit out of my life. I was nearly unaffected by the surprise of him not showing, and honestly wasn´t that surprised in the first place. My life is a series of changed plans anyways, so hey, what´s the problem with being abandoned at the Guatemala City airport? None, I am completely able of taking care of myself, and that´s what I proceeded to do.

Whilst standing at the airport with my bike box, and two pieces of luggage besides, being stared down by no less than 60 taxi drivers, I decided it was best to just get in a taxi and come to Antigua. I checked into a small hotel a half block away from the city center. I was exhausted and homesick, and hungry. I went across the street and had my first and favorite Guatemalan meal of fried plantains, black beans, queso, and tortillas, with coffee. When I tasted the first bite of food, it all came rushing back; the sheer emotion I have for this place, the reasons I was so driven to come back. Not simply from food satisfaction, but what those flavors represent in my life. I ate my meal, my spirit in the process of mending.

Being jazzed from a bit of late night coffee(the first I had had in a while and amongst insane exhaustion), I followed the sounds in the street to a Spanish band(as in from Spain) playing a free show in front of a hundreds year old church. They were really talented, maybe it was the exhaustion. I´m not one for live music, but this stuff was really, really good. I stood there for the duration of the show, with a smile on my face, knowing wholeheartedly that this was all meant to be. I was not meant to be picked up at the airport by that loser, I was meant to be doing all of this, and totally living in every moment of it.

I slept 13 hours that night and enjoyed Antigua again yesterday, reconnecting with an older American friend, Daniel. I met Daniel when I was here earlier in the year and we have kept in touch. He´s been living in Centro America for 15 years and encouraged me to return with every email. Get this, I called him and we met up, to find out we are staying in the very same hotel. Of all the hotels in Antigua, he was just upstairs. I could swear I heard his voice my first night here, but I was also convinced it was all in my head. Not so! We walked around a bunch yesterday and he showed me some places in town.

I am intending to go on to Lake Atitlán on Monday, a plan that has changed already. I just don´t know if I´m ready to travel with that bike yet.

Until then, I´ll be enjoying Antigua, for the first time in my life, and gratefully solo.