So, I’m going to try to sum up our first week and a half here in Panajachel. When we arrived at the airport our luggage arrived with us – yay. A very nice airport employee helped us get all of our luggage on carts for a small tip. Once we got the carts outside Hector was there to meet us. The drive to Panajachel is about three hours. You round a corner and there it is, the lake, the vocanoes – it’s absolutely beautiful.
Before we left a very thoughtful family offered to let us stay at their house for a bit here in Pana– until we could find a place to rent. We have been adjusting to the differences in Guatemala from their home which is in a gated community. Here are some interesting “differences.”
People are out everywhere. The store fronts are all open and the stores are small and specific. One store is plastics others are shoe stores, bakeries, second hand clothing, barbers and many others. I think there is a barber on every street, but I’ve never seen a woman getting her hair cut. It’s rainy season now so the streets flow with water in the afternoons. One of the great things is these little cars called tuc – tucs. They are always driving everywhere and you just flag them down and they take you anywhere for five Qs (70 cents).
Laundry has been an adventure and it hasn’t even gotten interesting yet. There are no dryers as far as I know. Where we are staying they have a washer – cold water only. And you hang the clothes to dry – or throw them on the lawn. In the house we will be renting, like most homes, there is a big concrete wash basin in the yard to wash your clothes in. Apparently most gringos hire a Guatemalan women to do their laundry for a small fee. I guess it can be pretty hard on your hands. We’ll see – I’m not sure what we will do.
We went to an amazing little town that you can take a boat across the lake to. San Marcos. A little girl gave us a tour and Cian played with some kids. There are some ancient Mayan sites there that we hope to see on another visit. Also, there is a place you can jump off a cliff into the lake.
Today we rented an apartment. We have been looking for a week. This home only cost 150.00 US dollars a month to rent. The landlords are a very understanding Guatemalan couple. They don’t speak any English and have been patient with my Spanish. So here, when you rent a home many times it has nothing – no stove, refrigerator – nothing. Then in a town where most people do not speak any English you have to figure out how to furnish your home.
Fortunately, a family was moving back to the states so we bought some things from them, but then you have to figure out how to get the stuff across town. That’s where the fuete comes in. There is a line of trucks someone told me about, but then everyone just looked at me with a blank took when I said, “donde esta fuete.” So I asked the librarians who brought a guy to me. For ten US dollars he moved two loads of furniture for me. Our landlords are wonderful. The home is very clean and they have fruit trees and a little fishing boat in the little yard out back. I hope we will be able to grow a little garden.
Last night I spoke with a woman a coworker of Brian’s gave me a number for. She lives on the other side of the lake and wants someone to stay with her elderly husband a couple days of the week. Cian and I are going to visit with her next Tuesday. By then we should be settled in to our new home. Addios!
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