Since I hadn’t perfected my impersonation of an open fire hydrant during the night, I continued to practice the next day. So the morning was a bit of a write-off for me. I was still in terrible shape. Sips of water were giving me sharp pain in my stomach and making me wrectch. Perhaps it’s good my doctor sister doesn’t only say things like “stay hydrated” but rather, “if you don’t keep drinking all your veins will collapse.” Ok, now you have my attention.
I went down for breakfast to sit with everyone because I knew there was a bathroom within 15 steps with 2 stalls. But when I needed to go, both stalls were full of people having exactly the same trouble I was having. I would have thrown out a, “So, did you eat at the Music Festival, too?” comment, but didn’t want to waste precious time getting back to my hotel room bathroom. I ended up staying in bed for the rest of the morning. Kier didn’t get up until the afternoon, so I had company.
When she finally got up I went back down to sit with her while she had her breakfast, which was really lunch. The owner said to her, “About time you got up. You’re already keeping bar-tender’s hours.”
The others had been down by the pool swimming, playing games, having all that good extended family fun that you just can’t get enough of. I was hanging out with my best friend, the toilet.
Then they came up and had lunch another lovely and very leisurely lunch.
My brother and sister had gone into town to get some meds for Mia’s and my condition. It’s bacterial, but that makes sense. The medicine helped a great deal. Mia went back to Pana because she had all sorts of projects she wants to get done at the house while I’m here to let the workers in and out, and supervise a bit.
In the afternoon we went back to Pana. We hired a private boat, because knowing how bumpy tuk rides are, I wasn’t sure I could contain whatever liquids I still had in my body (pick an end), with one of those rides. With a private boat they could pick us up at the hotel and drop us off at the bottom of our street, which is about 2 blocks from the lake. My odds sans tuk ride were better.
The ride across was smooth until we got close to Pana, then I just had to tell myself that we were almost there. My family had given me very specific instructions on spewing away from them if I got sick. I was feeling the unconditional family love wash over me in my compromised state. But I didn’t get sick, oh happy day.
We walked up to the house. Paul helped my brother and his family check into their hotel, we got the grandparents unpacked upstairs. Everyone is always so good to us when they visit (ie: presents). We got Nutella and other yummy food gifts. Sandy bought a bunch of toys that the younger girls are enjoying.
Paul and I next tackled the bug problem. I know, if it’s not one bug I’m whining about, it’s another. So pampered North American. I know, I know. Teachers, nurses, friends, have seen the bites on the girls and many have said they are getting bitten by bed bugs. We did a bunch of online research on how to get rid of them, and it’s nearly impossible since they live in the wood of the frame and come up through the mattress. As if I wasn’t creeped out enough by the ants, big black spiders, long centipede-things, invisi-worms in oranges, parasites in our body, and scorpions. We know which bed is the problem and group consensus was to be rid of it, start over with a new mattress. The other one we still have a plastic cover for and it doesn’t have a frame, so we will put the mattress back in the plastic and tape it up.
So now operation bed bug was in full swing. I’m still feeling woozy, haven’t eaten for the day, so this was taking a lot out of me. We strip both beds, decided to take all the sheets and comforters to the laundrymat. We get the bad mattress out, make a few calls, the family wants the mattress. The bug thing doesn’t scare them one little bit. We must look like such pansies to them. Mia and I tuk into town with the laundry (because neither of us has the strength to walk more than a block), Paul meets us up there, we buy a mattress. The guy doesn’t want to include delivery to my house this time, even though he did with Strawberry shortcake last time. This time he says, “Put it on a tuk.” Honestly, I’m too weak to argue with him. I just want to put my head down on his desk and sleep.
The dad from the family comes with a tuk, throws the mattress on the top. Meanwhile a chicken bus can’t get by him on the narrow street and starts leaning on that horn. I can’t tell you how loud those chicken bus horns are. I don’t know how he could tie a knot with that horn going, but he was cool under the pressure. I didn’t get into the tuk, because I couldn’t stomach the ride. Also, Circus Bar was right next door and we were all going to meet there in 20 minutes. Mia took the mattress home. Tomas was so happy to get a new/used double mattress and boxspring, bugs or not.
I sat on the side of the street for 10 minutes. I could have taken a little nap and I’m sure no one would have moved me, since there are often random bodies here and there. My brother was early so I didn’t have to wait very long.
We had supper at the traditional welcome to Pana spot, Circus Bar. Everyone else came 20 minutes late, which was appropriate arrival time Guatemalan style. I was starting to feel much worse again, but couldn’t get anyone at the house to pick up their cells to bring my meds. So my brother just went down to the pharmacy and got some more.
I’m not sure you need perscriptions for anything here, you just ask them for drugs, they seem to give them to you. If you don’t know what meds you need, ask the person behind the counter and they’ll make an educated (and sometimes uneducated) guess. You can always follow their suggestion. Maybe it’s just for non-addictive drugs, then again, maybe they’ll sell you anything you’re willing to pay for. I took another dose of Syprio (sp?) and it did help. I was feeling rather weak still. Everyone else had a good time, people were happy with their food choices, which is always a concern when ordering for kids in a different language/culture.
Around 7:30, half an hour too late, I remembered that we never picked up all the sheets and comforters from the laundry mat. At home/home this would not be an issue, but here we have just enough for each bed. I shuffled as fast as I could over to see if the laundrymat were still open, but no such luck. That meant four people would not have bedding and sleeping on plastic covered mattresses wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t have the energy to help them sort it all out, but somehow the 8 people who were sleeping upstairs on the floor worked it all out. Who knew my little family world can sort itself out in a pinch without my help. I’m both hurt and relieved. I made it as far as the couch.
They all slept well until another one of those large noises happened on our roof in the middle of the night. I was actually glad everyone else heard it so that I feel less crazy. Everyone except for Mia’s daughter woke up. It is loud, I’m telling you. Dad woke up asking if everyone was alright. Some were convinced it was a cat, others thought it was something larger and more awkward like a raccoon or possom. The first time I heard it I thought a large tree branch had fallen on the roof. See, not so simple to play “Name that roof noise” after all.