We have arrived!!!

Friday was our travel day leaving our home at 3 AM to board plane at 5:30 AM.  Arrived Guate at 10:30 AM.  When the pilot says, "we will begin descent into Guatemala City now" I still get excited.  Believe it or not as scared as I am to fly I quickly look out the window and take in the volcanoes, and lush mountains.  I love it here!  Grab the bags, load the truck and begin the trip to Antigua.  The city is always crowded, and there is always heavy traffic.  The big problem when you are in that traffic is there are no emission laws here...you see lots of black smoke coming from buses, trucks, and cars. It is impossible to ride to long with the window down because you don't want to breathe that garbage into your lungs.  There is so much to take in.
Guatemala is about the size of Tennessee with a population of 13 million.  75% of people live below the poverty level. There is so much help needed here as there are no government programs to aid the poor.
 There are people everywhere...in cars, motorcycles, and  trucks. What really amazes me is you will see people walking along the highway holding the hand of their child..it is so scary as there are really no traffic laws so it is a real gamble. Driving in Guatemala City is an adventure, I would never even consider trying it.
The drive to Antigua is about 45 minutes and the further away from the city you go the more there is to see.  There are so many views that contradict each other.  There is such poverty in the midst of such beauty.  Lush mountains that are scattered with shacks from cardboard to cornstalk. Some of the most beautiful flowers in the world are always in bloom. Guatemala is known as the "Land of Eternal Spring."  so it makes for great gardening.  There is also all that volcanic soil that promotes good growth.  Children running barefoot in the streets with clothing that is torn and tattered. They will play with anything from a plastic bag to a broken stick.  They always look happy!!

You always know that you are in Antigua because it is all cobblestone streets. It is so pretty here. Once the capitol, until an earthquake in the 1700's destroyed many of the buildings, and then the capitol was relocated.  It is known for its Spanish influenced architecture and many old buildings are still useful as government offices. Central Parque located in the middle of town is a great place for people watching as it is a very social gathering place for many. There are also people of all ages peddling their wares. There are very young children to very old men and women and every age in between selling something. Scarves, necklaces, gum and you can even get some fresh fruit if you would like.  It is so hard to say no to the children. I am sorry I just can't help it sometimes, and who doesn't need a million bracelets???  I love this park, I could sit and people watch for hours.  There are often musicians playing Spanish type instruments that send a calming sound into the air that just adds to the ambiance. It is amazing how many hours these people will stay in this park and sell there goods.

We arrive at our hotel and it is quite lovely, very small and fits our group perfectly. In back of the hotel there is a wall and if we could reach we could have fresh avocados, lemons and limes and oranges. We have not yet figured out how we are going to get our hands on the fruit yet.....stay tuned.
By late afternoon everyone has arrived. We are all so tired...we all hit the sack by 8PM and believe me you could hear a pin drop as everybody went into a deep sleep.