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Back in Antigua I met some nice people including a lovely Israeli girl called Anat and when i met her she was gona leave Antigua immediately because she didnt think she would like it. So I said to give it a chance and she came out with me and i showed her around and she ended up staying for 2 more days because she could see why i keep returning to the city.
Monday 25th July 2011 I went to Guatemala City on my own on the chicken bus from Antigua with again no problems and I got off at a shopping complex and met a friend who works in the city for a coffee over lunch. After I had spent a few hours browsing, I took a cab across the city to my B&B where Id booked myself in to stay the night as I was planning to meet my parents at the airport and surprise them as they thought I was in the other part of the country.
Later when the flight was due in I went to the airport with the transfer driver Victor. When they walked through to arrivals I was shouting and waving and mum looked straight at me and looked away again and I moved along to an opening in the crowd and finally dad spotted me and they came over and shocked asked what i was doing there etc! I think they liked the surprise becuase they were worried about Guatemala City as it is dangerous.
Morning after I got a lift with their private van to Panajachel and stayed with mum and dad in their posh hotel which is not what im used to! The view over the lake was amazing and I have some great shots. the day after I went to say my final goodbyes to my friends in San Pedro. I spent some time with Jurgen, Randy and Alex, and my spanish teacher and enjoyed my last meal at D'Noz restaurant. It was so sad saying goodbye because I know when i return before I fly home, none of them will be there still. They all are leaving soon. Another chapter finished.
Next day we all went to Chichicastenango market, which was a huge market typical of Guatemalan markets but with churches surrounding and shamans etc. It was good to finally see it. We had a lovely guide called Manuel. On the way to Antigua from Chichi, we got stuck in a protest which had had the only road to antigua closed since 9am, and it was now 1:30. I went through the traffic to a shop as i hadnt eaten and the shopkeeper told me it was likely to be 3 hours more. In the next 2 hours we barely moved and finally the road reopened. In this time, it meant we got to talk to Manuel and he seemed to enjoy talking a bit of Spanish with me as well as his english. Finally we got to Antigua at around 4:30pm and I went back to my hostel black cat and spent the next 2 days chilling out with my friends there, and salsa'ing the nights away to live music. I love Antigua.
Saturday we all took a flight to Flores, however the flight was touch n go because we were delayed 3.5 hours and at one point the staff came and said we may have to be put into a hotel as the plane is under maintenance. but finally at 10pm we flew out of the city and the plane made it to Flores within 45minutes. We were picked up by the owner of the eco-lodge and we went to the other side of the lake, near San Andres. The track from the road to the lodge was a dirt mud track only accessible by 4x4s and this is the sort of thing people pay for in england, for the off road experience. it was fun!
in the morning we went to Yaxha, a mayan ruins national park, where Arcas release animals. It was a great day out and so much different to Tikal in size and the way the mayans built them. There were huge groups of howler monkeys in the jungle which we watched up close for around an hour because i couldnt drag myself away. it was just wonderful to see them even with babies!
We are in the middle of the jungle in the middle of nowhere. We take kayaks out on the lake with no one else around, its so tranquil and all you hear is the sounds of the jungle. its hot and humid.
I visited Arcas 2 of the days i spent in Flores, and loved every second of being back there. I got to see the baby howlers i looked after, who still arent fully grown but theyre so much bigger and healthier than last time i was there. The project itself has grown, and they have built another quarentine and improved the cages they did have and the animals are happy there. It was good to see Alejandro again and even though he tried to persuade me to come back and i nearly gave in, i have decided i need to get on the road south now and travel. I have spent so long in and around Guatemala now im ready to move on and theres always next year. Along the road I will continue to put the name of Arcas around.
Off to Guatemala city tonight somehow, havent quite decided whether to fly or to bus it yet. but the weekend in Antigua then off to El Salvador on monday or tues then onto Nicaragua after. Buen viaje a mi.
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