Can’t even describe how great it was to see Kier at the airport. Paul saw her in October when he came down for a visit, but I hadn’t seen her for three and a half months. That’s the longest spell I’ve gone not seeing her, although we had skyped often.
I haven’t blogged in a week. It’s difficult to stay motivated and up-to-date when Paul is here, experiencing everything as it happens. And plenty has happened in the first week. I’ve connected with all my friends who are here and not away for Christmas, although my closest friend doesn’t return from the U.S. untl mid-January. Can’t wait to see her.
I’d forgotten how much walking I do here. My legs take a few weeks to adjust. I’m sore, but feel healthier already.
We bought a moto for Paul. Then we got the moto fixed because it wasn’t running properly. Then after it got fixed, we had to get it fixed again. And again. And then we figured out we were being conned by the mechanic. Such a cliche. Another thing they do here is tell you a price and then when you agree to buy something, they raise the price when you go to pay, often by fifty percent. Kinda like how job quotes are done. We got a few things done to this house, the guy said 900 Q when the work was done, he said it costs 1700Q. Grrr…. that’s not how we do things. People who don’t can’t stomach a little daily conflict shouldn’t live here.
Got to get the bicycles from my sister’s house.
Kier has been doing a lot of cooking and baking the past couple of months. Today we went and bought some sausage to make sausage rolls. Mom, you would be proud of your grandaughter, continuing the sausage roll tradition. Somehow the bread didn’t rise as much as we would have liked. It is a bit trickier baking at high altitudes. They were still delicioso.
When we were in the city, Kier was driving in a car with her friend’s grandma. Somehow there was a tiny collision with a chicken bus. In case you are wondering how accidents are settled, now we know. Both drivers get out of the car, not to exchange insurance information but rather insults. If you can be the angriest person, hurling more insults and obsenities than the other person, you win. Who knew the sweet grandma would win the face-off with a seasoned chicken bus driver. Apparently she was ready to throw down, didn’t back down until the appropriate amount of money greased her palm. Then calmly got back into the car and proceeded on their way in a sweet grandmotherly way. Done and done.
The road to Solola has been blocked for weeks. They are still repairing the damage that happened to the road last year with tropical storm Agatha. If you could see the road, you’d see why. There is one narrow lane hanging onto the cliff. Terrifying. But because of this road closure, some businesses are suffering in Pana.
Electrical wires all a bit of a hazard here, and something the girls have had to become aware of. One morning we walked out of our little pathway to the street and there was an electrical wire dangling from the sky. You could see where it snapped and hit the ground, making a black burned skid marks across the road. Cali asked why electrical wires snap in Guatemala and not in Canada. We talked about that for a while. Thought it would take days to get power again, but around two in the afternoon the guys put up a new wire. Unfortunately they must have strung it too tightly, because it snapped again. But the third time they did it, it worked. I’m amazed they have any idea what to connect with what, because when you look up, the wires looks like a bowl of spaghetti with an occasional pole stuck in the middle.
A good first week, a full week. I can’t explain how happy I am to have my whole family back together.