11/17/2014 Lanquin, Guatemala

We’ve been in Lanquin for 5 days. Today is Monday. I haven’t been posting because we have limited internet and there isn’t much to talk about. Today is gorgeous. I woke to blue skies and bright sun. The difference between the sunbeams and the shade is dramatic here. On days like this I prefer the shade. Most of the days last week were cloudy in the morning and the mist over the mountains was thick. Yesterday we went out with Pelon around town. He took us to the Lanquin River. It is a short walk outside of town in a part of the park. There was an entrance fee of 30 Q posted at a gate with a guard. We jumped in the river where a stream fed into it. The river water is cold coming from a cave but the stream is warm. The guacamole green of the river flows deep and strong through the lush green of the forest.

We walked back to town and went to another hotel to have lunch and swim in their pool. They also had a ping pong table and foosball. I had tostadas de pollo for lunch, and it was delicious. Jill got a specially made vegetarian burrito that had some mayonnaise mixed in. She said it was a good variation on the regular veggie burritos she is getting bored with. Last night Wellington returned. He is another worker here like Pelon. Today is Monday and Max will return from Coban sometime. A couple on their honeymoon left this morning. Some folks probably left in a huff early this morning. Our neighbor yelled at 2 AM ‘Can we sleep please’ and woke Jill and I up. I guess the bar music and patrons were a little loud. The bar got quieter, but then it was easier to hear the stray dogs barking and that can’t be helped. After the dogs came the roosters, that’s when I put in earplugs and fell asleep. I felt sorry for our neighbors. They were gone when we woke up.

An interesting group came in a few days ago. They are 2 northern California girls, a Swiss gentleman, and an Irish woman. They have been traveling together for a week and formed a strong friendship. This is probably their last stop together and an undertone of sadness joins them in their carefree chatting. They have already made vague plans for reunion adventures. Who can say what the future holds for them.

I can only imagine this is a story that will play out over and over during our time here. There is an easygoing community between backpackers because of all the shared challenges we face. Everyone trades tips because one set has been where the next is going. Friendships are forged over a beer and farewells are exchanged each morning. We are at an intersection of routes from Rio Dulce, Flores, and Antigua. We shall enjoy another day in this this crossroads. It is paradise for many who stay for a few days. It is just life to the people that live here. It strikes me that paradise is mostly in our heads and reality seeps through the veil like rooster crows at 3 AM. Paradise becomes life when we stick around after the photographs.