We've been having a bit of trouble connecting to the blog today so it's later than I would normally write, and I cannot be held accountable for anything that might come out of me at this point!
It is a gift, I think, that Chris and I get along marvelously and enjoy one another's company enough to spend a month together. Before we left home, several of my married friends suggested they wouldn't be interested in embarking on such an adventure with their spouse. I'm glad my husband is my favorite person to be with and that I'm happy to travel with him any chance I get. I'm lucky.
All of that being said, Chris and I looked forward to visiting with friends and spent the early part of the day shopping the market for treats with which to entertain. We have finally found the women in the market from whom we can access all of the ingredients for a really terrific guacamole (the first time we made it we couldn't find any jalapenos or cilantro), and we stocked up.
It was a stunning day, clear blue sky beyond eternity after those aggressive rains on Monday and, after the market, we sat at the pool for the rest of the afternoon--Chris playing his guitar and I still reading that epic about the northwest passage. There is something wicked and delicious about reading such a cold book in such a warm place. On PBS the other night, which comes in here from Colorado, we saw a documentary about a small group of sailors who were navigating the passage from west to east and there was a section of the documentary about Franklin's ill-fated expedition and the loss of every man aboard the Terror and the Erebuss. I was amazed by the coincidence of it being on while I was reading a book about the very issue and Chris suggested there may be a show like that on every six minutes but my thumb never would have paused while clicking the remote before. True that.
Katy & Jessica arrived in the late afternoon after a harried day of travel, but they climbed out of their tuk-tuk wearing smiles, and we were glad to see them. They had spent two nights in Antigua and while there had climbed Pacaya--one of Guatemala's active volcanos--and visited a coffee plantation among other things. We relaxed for a bit before heading into town to walk up and down the main drag, Calle Santander, so they could get a feel for the town a bit and then found a place for dinner. Recommended by the Rough Guide... I should interrupt myself here and remind everyone that the Rough Guide has steered us wrong once or twice... Bombay is a vegan restaurant that has an eclectic menu. The dining room was very small and to make the most of the space, the chairs were small, so small that butts were numb. The kitchen was also small, so small that only one meal could be cooked at a time. By the time Chris got his meal, Katy was done and her plate had been cleared. The food, I would say, was unremarkable but the dinner conversation was rich.
We wandered up the street after dinner for a drink or two (happy hour lasts from 7 until 10 and means 2 for 1 specials) before returning to our place for a solid night's sleep.
Katy and Jessica were hell-bent for fruit, a condition that is treatable in this city, so first thing this morning we headed to the market so they could have their way with the vendors there. Kids in candy stores: they pooled their money and split up and met up and split up and touched base and split up and compared notes and rued their lack of rucksacks to fill with yet more fruits and vegetables. They got guavas and bananas and plantains and red peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers and zucchini and dragon fruit and strawberries and pineapple and Hawaiian papaya... imagine any other fruits and vegetables you can and you will have completed the list.
When we returned home, Chris and I sat around feeling useless while they washed, cut, mixed, dressed, fried and served us a great meal of fried plantains, fruit salad, a tomato/cucumber salad, bread and cheese. Delightful.
After lunch, I walked over to the nature reserve with Katy and Jessica and left them there to see the monkeys, walk up to the waterfall and take the zip lines down. They had fun. While they were there, I did some writing and then Chris and I went into town to arrange a shuttle for Susan who will be joining us on Thursday. We all met back at the pool for a few hours of chatting and basking in the warm sun before dinner, a reprise of lunch in that Jessica made pasta and a fresh primavera while we sat on our thumbs.
Early to bed so that we are ready when the man comes in the morning to take us on a tour of several villages around the lake, including a trip to the hot springs.
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