Casa Blanca.

Our house for the next year. Well make it a home!

Calle Monterey.  Really an u-shaped alley off the street.

Yard side of the house. The yard may be the best feature.

The back yard. That is a very fruitful lime tree just to the left of the post. There is nothing like having fresh limes every day!

Huge palm and pine tree; eucalyptus  visible just to the left.

The old cistern tower, no longer used. This can be Brett's private hot tub to bathe in. Did I say "hot"? Maybe after the sun heats up the water after several hours. No, I didn't forget about you,  Jordan. Have something special waiting...

Just for you,  Jordan. Suicide shower in the maid's quarters. Notice the bare electrical wires hanging there eagerly waiting for you...

Driveway and carport. Motos are extra.

Maid's quarters at end of driveway. Kitchen door to the right.

The kitchen.

Dining room and living room. Notice fireplace to the right. For those chill 60° evenings.

Joshie's bedroom.

His closet. One of the best features of the house, a rare find in Panajachel,  closet space.

Joshie's bathroom with steeping tub and shower.

Our bedroom. Dida sleeps in the twin to the left.

Other half of our bedroom. Bunk beds will be relocated to other rooms for visitor use.

Our closet space. Shelves had to be lined, they are dirty particle board in rough shape. Hanging space is in adequate but will be added to once I find Menards.

Our bathroom. Loosely hanging sink and constantly dripping shower are bonus features.

I've already started to do some repair work even in my sickly condition, mostly elecrical to remove some exposed wiring and to install the washer. Although most of the outlets are two-slotted, they are grounded. The boxes are metal and connected to the breaker box with metal conduit. So switching over to three-slotted outlets is fairly simple. Bzzzzt! Oh, yeah. Turn off the breaker, Jordan!

Don't Scream!

Me after five or six days of being sick. Have barely gotten up, haven't showered, shaved, or even changed. Stink! That tee-shirt smells like the gym uniform in the locker next to yours in high school.

One positive, have probably lost a lot of weight. Who has a scale?

Have since shaved, showered, and changed. Have hooked up new washer successfully,  but not yet dryer, so haven't done laundry. Hopefully today!

We Robbed a Bank.

And these are the getaway vehicles.

We had to Western Union money down to buy our motos. I won't say how much in this open forum, but those are ten thousand Q packets. Since the bank didn't have enough B's, they gave us partial in $'s. That's okay,  except Western Union exchanged at 7.2 Q per $, and the bank exchanged back at 7.45 Q per dollar. Current exchange rates have held fairly consistently at 7.3 Q per $. So we lost about an additional $43 dollars because of the banks currency shortage. I wasn't going to bicker; I was just glad to get the cash. The clerks and tellers only spoke Spanish. Besides, the two guards each had shotguns.

We went to the Yamaha shop to pick up Raquel's scooter. The owner's wife  wouldn't accept the cash because it was a "bank holiday"!!! [Hadn't we just come from the bank?!] She let us take the scooter anyway, because Andy, who purchased cycles from the owner previously, vouched for us.  We went to the Pulsar shop -- both shops are owned by Emilio -- so I could pick up my moto. It wasn't ready.  Come back the next day.

The next day, I went back to the Pulsar shop. His assistant there counted out the money, and accepted the dollars without hesitation [first concern], and initially gave an exchange of 7.2Q per $, then she changed it to 7.0Q per dollar. Goodbye another 400Q! [$54]. But I got my bike, and again wasn't going to quibble. I got my bike!🤣

Not over yet. Emilio called that night and said "trouble with money!" Now what? Was some counterfeit? Would his bank not accept $'s? Not accept $20's? Come back tomorrow. Worry all night.

Next day. His assistant [niece], had miscounted and we were 900Q short. I had been somewhat overwhelmed already in those few days, so had never written down the exact amount we had. I should have. But wasn't sure if he was going to accept the $, or if he did, what exchange rate he would give. In the end I trusted him and gave him the difference since he had trusted us and given us the scooter. At last the ordeal would be over. [Andy did go back and talked to her (Betty), and wss going to talk to Emilio also.]

NIT is not neat.

In order to purchase the motos,  I had to get a NIT [neet]. It's a tax ID, basically for yearly license and registration. Friends had gotten one the week before and it took them only about 15 minutes. Fill out a form, give a complete copy of your passport, and your done. Copied my passport after finding a tienda with a copy machine and showing the clerk how I wanted it [put 2 per page and not waste paper!]. Less than 4Q!

Went to the NIT office, waited 15 minutes, and then was told in Spanish I did not understand that they had just modernized and the form could be filled out online at home. He gave me a printout of the announcement with a web address. After some finagling and false starts, finally figured out the Spanish form. What district do we live in? Solola. Why isn't it in the drop down menu? Why is "only the" in the drop down? Oh, yeah. I cheated and had Google translate the online form into English. Solo La means only the. So I got it all figured out, even got the house address off the electric meter outside.

Back to the NIT office. They won't accept electronic copy [so much for modernizing]  and can't print it out for me. What? Print shop next door?  Okay, let's go! Print shop: email it to us. I don't have email on my tablet without internet. Won't allow me to connect to theirs or don't have wifi. I'll Bluetooth to my phone. Now I can email? No, need account password. Not going to happen even if I knew it. Finally they found a phone with Bluetooth and transferred and printed the form.

Back to the NIT office. Wait. Here's the form. Wait, excitedly. No, form is wrong. Where? Just wrong. Do it again. What? Where? Print shop next door. Okay, let's go. Print shop: you can't use our terminal,  but one of workers will do it for you. What's your email password? Don't know. Nevermind. Here's the form. Wait. Type,  type, type. Some questions, some answers. They set up a whole new gmail for me to get my NIT form. Hope they don't steal my identity! Turns out I had filled out my address wrong, substituted "district A" for "Zone 4".

Back to the NIT office.  Everything's fine.  Here's your NIT. Here's also all the copied blank pages of your passport. We just want the important ones.

To the Yamaha shop next door. Here's my NIT.  We need copies of every single page of your passport, including the blank unimportant ones. And we're keeping your NIT.  No your not! Back to the print shop. Copy passort important pages only,  others got back from NIT office,  and multiple copies of NIT.

Back to the Yamaha shop.  Banks are closed. See paragraph above.

That's why I had gotten somewhat careless about the cash. I was just mentally exhausted.  A whole new bureaucracy in a whole new language in a whole new environment. And may have already started to get sick. It was all just too much.

But, I got my moto!😆

World Traveler.

After we came in February, I started doing more internet search on Panajachel,  especially on YouTube. One of the best was HoboTraveler. Turns out he had been here at the time, and Raquel even saw him at La Palapas for the barbecue. Typically he says he doesn't stay more than two or three months in place, but he stayed over half a year in Panajachel due to some business interests here. He left about 3 days before our return.

I figuratively stumbled across this one day on Santander in front of Pollo Express. He's been in Panajachel before, so this must be from one of his previous visits. I'll have to find out the story about this!

HoboTraveler provided a lot of good information regarding bartering mindset, food, lodging, and just getting around and dealing with this lifestyle.

Thank you, ALG.

Glass of tinto at Guajimbo's.

My beautiful wife of 25 years enjoying red wine. I still stare at her across the table, just not as often with two kids, especially la Mona, the little monkey.

Sorry for not posting.

It's been over two weeks since our last post.

☹The internet has been down.
🤔😏😑😃We bought motos.
😖🤒🤧We've been sick.
🙄😒🙂We moved.
😊😞🙃😕😄We had no internet.
😀😯😓😅We bought furniture.
🤤😭😥🤕I'm still sick.

There's a story behind each of these that I'll write later. Meanwhile interpret the emojis. Nothing seems to happen easily here, everything has its ups and downs.

Here's  La Mona enjoying a fresa [strawberry] and banano licuado [smoothy] con leche [with milk] at Deli Paraiso[?] on Santander near the lake. These smoothies are delicious and nutritious,  but probably not good for diabetes.

Mom enjoying her coffee.

Brother enjoying hid licuado while reading. Notice how he sucks out of the side of his mouth so the straw doesn't obstruct his vision.

My Golden Milk. Turmeric and warmed macadamia milk, not as exciting as advertised. But then, health food...

And here's a picture of the green police tuk-tuk I promised in an earlier blog.

Raquel was told the proper spelling was tuc-tuc and Spanish pronunciation was tuke-tuke; but googling, tuc-tuc seems to be a name from a British company and its not pronunciation, it's parroting the sound of the 2-cycle engine: tuck-tuck-tuck...

It's after 2AM and can't sleep as sick as I have been. My mind is racing with all of the things I feel I have to do and the things I want to do. This is a partial list of planned posts, but for many of these I haven't felt good enough to take photos. Perhaps tomorrow. I'll look through my archives and see what I did take and blog about those.

Good morning😐  I have never been a morning person but since moving here I've been up much earlier.   Today was a little too early: 6am.  Not sure what woke me: dogs barking,  rosters crowing.....but my stomach was also bothering me so let's get up!  Sitting outside with George and its brisk out, maybe 55 degrees.

Yesterday was a big day.   We meet for service here at 8:30.  Yesterday was at the Kingdom Hall and since I've had a few weird experiences with the dogs by the river (that's a shortcut for me) I needed to leave a bit earlier to make it on time.   I met a sister on the way.   Here in Pana it would be very unusual not to see someone you know while your out and about.

Ok now George is comfy, he's not brave enough yet to sit on my lap.

Ok, so I went in service to Solola.  We took a pick up truck, about 9 of us and some locals.  This is one of the most beautiful rides in Panajachel.  You are going up,  up,  up so great views of the lake, volcanoes and waterfall.

 In Solola we did mainly business territory.  A sister and I went up in a small shopping mall and Elizabeth found a Mayan women who spoke English, she had been in California for one year.  That really impressed on me the need to really learn the language here.  The sister shared the Good News brochure and had her read each paragraph in English and had her read the scriptures in Spanish.  She did so good with reading English.  Elizabeth said after the first subheading  that we'd come again and the women said no I want to read the next paragraph!  So she did!  She gave the sister her Whatsapp number so they could continue the study another day.  As soon as I could, I downloaded the Spanish Bible.  Even though they speak and read English, I think the Bible in their native tongue helps.  A sister and I had to leave the group early to do the stand at noon.  So we found a chicken bus, ahhh.  Her daughter got sick on the ride home😔.  It's truly an adventure riding theses buses.  A sister and brother in our hall recently experimented by taking a chicken bus to Antigua, where are assemblies are, about 2 1/2 hours away.....they will never do that again!! She said the extra $7 per person is so worth it not to risk their lives😂.  She said to her new husband, I think this is considered an extreme sport!
So we made it back to Pana in one piece, except getting off the back of the bus I knocked my head really hard, ouch!  The sister took her daughter home and I needed a quick almuerzo (lunch) and a baño!  A pastry shop a little ways away has good empanadas I'm told,  so I head there.   Not today.  Ok maybe Sandras store has some fresh sandwiches.  Yes, only 8q ($1) for a flakey pastry with ham and cheese inside.   But they don't have water,  so no baño.  Walk down the main street Santannder to get an iced coffee and then use their potty.   Cafe Loco- closed Mondays.   Cafe Moka-closed but bathroom is open.  I need my own toilet paper and sanitiser, check.  Oh yuck someone missed and the floor is wet.  Oh well I really gave to go by now!  Ok heading to the stand but still need a coffee. I found a nice coffee shop I always  see lots of gringos at, so  I stop, order and within a few minutes a wonderful frappe! You have to understand usually coffee, food...takes a while to get so this was a treat to be served so fast.  I'm early to the stand,  so I sit with Gemma and Tim.  A young father from France? goes past with his son.  He stops and chats with us, Gemma has talked with him before, he sells homemade jewelry.  Very nice man.  Leianne comes and we are scheduled from 12 until 3.  We have at times 3 dogs by us, one was a dog that followed us last week all day.  Leinne shows videos to kids selling goods on the street and buys a wood alligator for her son.  You feel so bad for these kids, the girls were maybe 9 and 5.  We quit early because it started raining.  I didn't have any minutes left on my phone so I braved it and stopped at the Tigo shop and for 100q/$13 reloaded my phone for the month, I hope.  I met Rob and the kids on Santander so we could pay our electric bill, get Rob a Nit (so he can buy a motorcycle), get minutes on Robs phone.  Most things here can't be done online, so it takes time to do them.  Rob waited in line to get his Nit only to find out THAT he can do online!

Now over to Guajimbo for supper because we need to stay in town to pick up our laundry st 6pm.  Lo siento, your laundry isn't done, ok we'll pick it up tomorrow.   At some point Lydia needed the bathroom and I took her to the one at Cafe Moka that I used earlier.  After we got out Josh asks me , why to you keep using the boys bathroom? That explains a lot!! We walked home so we could stop at the Perrezs to pick up sheets and finger paints they bought for us at Wal-Mart in Xela.  Lydia is going to love painting again.  I now have 4 sets of sheets!!   (Two full sets are on our bed right Now because the mattress is less then clean)

Now we just need to find a house before Friday.....we just keep praying and Josh and I are going to go to a bunch of tiendas and ask the locals if they know of a house for rent.  We were told that really works good.  So we'll keep you posted.  Have a great day!! Miss you all😀😀

Sunday ministry.

I've been conducting Sunday field service past two weeks. And the territory I have is right around our home.

Yesterday was sunny and warm, one of the nicest days since we got back to Guatemala. So warm, that I got really got in the ministry. So made it a short day. The group had dissolved by that point anyway.

This is the view we had on the walk back home.

Pets?

I have consistently said "no" to pets. But who listens to me?

Dida with the "house" cat.

But, her favorite pets? Pill bugs! "Beetles."

Ewwww!!

House guest.

This is what happens when a window gets left open.

This cat apparently comes with the house. Haven't seen her for several days,  now she's back big time. Lydia calls he George; same name as the cat at a house we looked at. Why should cats have any different name? 

25th Anniversary Party

Some of the friends threw us an anniversary party. What a kind, loving gesture; totally unexpected and overwhelming.

Us with friends.

Friends with us. In the far background are our 3 servers -- Natalie, Andy, and Caroline.

Remains of my second course. Have you ever eaten soup with a knife?

The Mystery Menu.

No explanation, but pick 4 items for each course, 3 courses. Everyone got to select their own sequence of food and utensils, so everyone got served differently. 

I'm still not sure how everything matched up. Utensils were part of the selection. I got a knife with my first course, but didn't get a fork and spoon until the last -- with guacamole and chips, and bread with olive oil. Didn't need it then!

We were allowed to go back for more after the third course was served. Mmmm...mashed potatoes and gravy. It's been a while.

First course for me was bow tie pasta [groom's accessory], knife [light saber], sauteed zucchini, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Second course was veggie soup, ice cream cake [udder surprise], chicken breast, and fruit cup.

Third course was fork [pitch perfect], spoon, guacamole with chips [Hulk's pits], and bread with olive oil dip.

My guesses in brackets. How do the other names match up?

Later Raquel and I were the entertainment;  we had to sit back-to-back and were asked questions about our marriage and habits that we answered by raising a shoe, either mine or her's, to indicate who it applied to.  I prompted for additional explanations and clarifications by us for some of our answers.  If we answered opposite of each other, we generally were asked to justify ourselves. It was enjoyable and only slightly embarassing.

Dida self-portrait.

She's probably in her usual state of dress!

Why we don't cook at home more often.

This is our kitchen here in Panajachel.  [No, it's not, I'm dreaming.]

This is your kitchen on drugs. [Yes, this is our kitchen, what a sad, depressing sight.]

I've been using the simile: "Houses in Guatemala are like living in a garage. A garage with a toilet." We're spoiled in the States. 

Grit your teeth and bear it. At some point I expect we'll no longer cringe and our flesh will no longer crawl, we'll get used to it.

We are using the stove top, but haven't ventured into the broken-handled oven. We're still waiting on repairs and the promised new glass front. 

Downpour at Guajimbo's.

Riding out a downpour at Guajimbo's. Raquel had gone out in the ministry. Josh and Lydia both had their tablets; they were somewhat oblivious. The little boy is a street vendor escaping the rain. He was watching the video over Lydia's shoulder. She got selfish at one point and turned it away,  but I made her turn it back. He didn't stay more than 10 minutes or so; they may get in trouble from their parents if found not out selling.

U

Dida at Mr. Jon's.

Dida grabbed my phone again and started shooting pictures. She's got a hair trigger.

Miss Dida herself.

Tyrannosaurus Josh [Terrible Josh]. He's got food, he should be happier.

Andy, who was helping us find a motorcycle and a scooter. He knows the vendors personally having bought from them before, plus he speaks Spanish and knows the motorbikes here getter than we do.

Riding Tuk-tuks is like...

The family squeezed into a tuk-tuk. 

Riding in a tuk-tuk is one of the most fun and adventurous things to do in Panajachel,  or anywhere. Family of three is Q15, about two dollars, five quetzals each. Lydia is free so far. [Antigua was Q10 each -- or perhaps Q10 for the entire tuk-tuk or Q?? depending upon the passengers and what the driver wanted to charge at the time -- we heard different stories but were charged the Q10 each.]

A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled enclosed motorcycle taxi, more or less a motorized rickshaw. These in Guatemala,  and perhaps worldwide,  are manufactured in India by Bajaj. They are generally red, occasionally yellow, and especially rare, green. [We had spotted a green one last February,  but now the only green one is a traffic police vehicle.] Color varieties may vary by city and country [I seem to recall seeing blue ones in India motorcycle videos].

Most tuks are tricked out by the owners, much as the chicken buses are; some fancier than others. The most pleasant to ride in have thicker upholstery and padded roof supports. The more basic tuks have thinly padded seats and uncovered skinny metal roof supports. A ride in one of these can be punishing.

Lately because of independence day [week?] and religious celebrations, the streets to the Kingdom Hall have been partially closed and the tuks have detoured to the unpaved river road. This route is rocky, muddy, bumpy, hilly, and overall rough.  After one of these rides you almost feel as if you've been beaten with a stick by your step mom [no offense meant to most step moms, only to those of the Disney Cinderella type]. I'm beginning to dread these particular rides and eagerly anticipate the reopening of the regular streets.

Getting in and out of a tuk-tuk is a test of your flexibility, especially as a larger sized american. These are minimally sized, and when you are carrying backpacks,  groceries, umbrellas, a two-year old, and whatever else you've picked up on your trip, it can be a Chinese puzzle trying to figure out what goes where at what angle and in what sequence. And getting out doesn't necessarily promise to be any easier. You just hope the tuk driver is patient and you haven't looked to stupid manuevering through the process. 

Tuk drivers are a breed unto themselves.  They really set the pace for traffic here in Lago Atitlan. They are determined to drive as fast as possible given the conditions they contend with, and take the quickest if not shortest route to their current destination. Safety is measured in inches, and at times fractions. Narrow misses between vehicles is a constant. Keep a car length distance is unheard of here, and would be scoffed at.

One of our favorite rides is off of Calle Santander through a narrow alley -- callejon -- that the tuks barely fit into. "Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times" one of us shouts right before the driver dives into the passage. How they miss the parked bicycles and pedestrians is just amazing. Why there isn't red paint along the sidewalls is a feat of magic. Luke Skywalker has nothing on these guys.

A typical red tuk-tuk. 

A more rare yellow tuk-tuk. 

First time we ever saw a white tuk-tuk. This is a company vehicle in corporate colors. Dont recall the name. It drove past as we were going home after moto shopping this afternoon. The green police tuk-tuk has been parking up the street to the right, where they are directing traffic during the fair/carnival/festival/ celebration. I'll try to post a picture of that one later.