Guatemala Part 6

                Guatemala Part 6 Pana part 2

Happy Valentine´s day to you all.

Give someone dear a kiss and think of me.

This month Friday the 13th came on a Wednesday.

Yesterday was Black Wednesday.

I woke up at 6 with the mother of all hangovers. What was I thinking trying to keep up with 4 young Spaniards. And that smoke.

There is a marching band playing the Hebrew version of a Sousa march in my left eyeball.

I get up , look in the mirror, and go back to bed.

I get up again and shave my tongue.

Breakfast is three Alka Seltzer.

At 9 I packed up and dragged myself to the dock to catch the ferry to Santiago.

Santiago is known for 3 tourist attractions. One is Maximon is a local deity. It is basically a wooden figure of a man, almost lifesize. It is dressed in colourful clothing, wearing a Stetson, sitting on a chair, with a drink in one hand and smoking a cigar. My kind of religion.

He is housed in different homes, and one of the tourist attractions is for kids to guide tourists to wherever he is. For a price of course. They charge 10 Q for every single photo you take of Maximon.

When you land in Santiago you are immediately surrounded by a crowd of little kids trying to grab your hand so that they can lead you to Maximon. I was not interested and fought my way through the crowd.

I had decided to stay at a hotel that was mentioned in one of the tour books. Of course it was uphill. When I got there she showed me a room. I have never seen such a dump. The ceiling was the corrugated tin roof. There was no toilet paper, soap, or towel. The sink was so small you had to wash your hands one at a time.The door had no door lock, it was a clasp and a padlock.

I did not know what to do. I just wanted to lie down. I figured for one night I could take anything. I decided to go for a walk, maybe things will look better when I get back.

Before I left I made a deal with the cockroaches. I would give them my last piece of banana bread if they would watch over my luggage while I was gone. I felt better with the cockroaches on my team.

Santiago turned out to be no better than my hotel.

Noisy and dirty.

Beside Maximon, Santiago is known for 2 other things. One is a distinctive style of painting. Colourful would be an understatement. There are no beiges, greys. Only brilliant colours. Certainly would be a conversation piece back home.

The third attraction in Santiago is that the men, particularly the older ones wear colourfully striped three quarter length shorts. Picture this... An older man wearing a hat, a suit jacket, and striped long shorts. And these people are short. I have this vision of the local basketball, the Santiago Cockroaches..at centre the tallest man on the team Ralf The Gringo. I can just visualize the team picture.

I got to get out of here.

I also visited the local church, another Santiago wonder. It is very plain. Along each side of the church are wooden statues, saints I presume, dressed in local costumes. I swear one looked just like an Elvis impersonator, wearing the outfit Elvis had in that Hawaiian movie. At the front of the church is a statue of Christ dragging the cross. I think this one was designed by DeSade. I have never seen so much blood. I feel like I should put some band aids on him.

I got to get out of here.

I get back to my room. The luggage was safe. The cockroaches did a great job. I gave them my last cookie as a bonus.

I give up on the room, and head for the dock; and I do not feel safe till the boat has left the dock.

Pana looks beautiful as we get there. I get a room on the third floor with my own balcony. And it is clean. I take a shower, to wash the last of Santiago off my body, and have a snooze.

After I wake up I walk the town and read a bit. It is time to listen to some Norah Jones and Diana Krall.

I must say that this journal has become a big part of the trip for me. It started out simply as a way to record some of my experiences, but now it seems to have a life of its own. I am really enjoy doing it every day.

And thanks for the comments. I guess I am a bit of a ham, and I love an audience.

Tim wrote that he and Jerry took the same road to Pana that I did, and at night. hats off. Jerry... you the MAN.

 I actually had another Jerry moment in Antigua last week. As I was walking along the road a car passed, and just at that moment its alarm system went off. I can still remember Jerry and the rental car in Rosario. Doors wide open, the hood up, and the alarm system blaring away. Seems so long ago now.

Anyway I hope all are you are having a wonderful Valentines Day.

Till the next time

Ralf, the Celibate Traveller