It only took me 30 years, but I finally did it... I threw up on a plane! I took my malaria pill without food (hello?! did I learn nothing in Kenya?!) which is no bueno. When the stewardess walked by, and I gave her the bag she said, "We aren't even moving yet?!!" ...that's right...I threw up before we had even been taxi'd out hahah. I told her it was my malaria pills, but I don't think she believed me. She returned with a super sized barf bag "just in case" and gave me ginger ale right then and there (which was very tasty thank you). I wasn't sick though and felt better after the pill was expunged.
We flew through Chicago, then Houston, then into Guatemala City (that's right- we wanted to see the US before departing it), but hallelujah through it all our luggage made it! YAYA! Rachel and I had our luggage lost in Kenya last year so we were overjoyed to see it made the journey successfully. There was a minor incident with me thinking I lost my cellphone that made an airport lady mad at me, but then the journey began.
We met up in the Guatemala City Airport with my friend Tom. He and I met in Arizona over 8 years ago, and I heart him. I honestly felt, I think, inspired to invite him on this trip and after it all, I can say I think he was one of the key players in making this trip a success for the group. Originally I just thought he was perfect for it because #1 he's a guy, #2 he's single, #3 he's LDS, #4 he speaks Spanish (which I benefited from tremendously since mine is limited) and #5 and perhaps most importantly he's a physician's assistant (PA), but I realize now how much his personality and his overall character was needed on this trip. He considers himself a "high functioning introvert," but you'd never know it. He's friendly with everyone and puts everyone at ease. I was excited to do pre-travel with him and Rach.We spent a few hours in the afternoon after arrival touring Guatemala City. I have to say that it's incredibly clean, which I didn't expect. A lot of foreign countries have a major litter/trash problem, but not in any parts of Guatemala I saw.
We paid a taxi driver for 3 hours to drive us around and asked him to take us wherever he thought was cool. They have a lot of fast food restaurants that we have (he called Taco Bell rubber and I personally think it's an atrocity they have a TB at all) as well as a Payless, Radio Shack and Walmart (another atrocity). We went to the temple first (no we didn't do any work in it so I can't officially count it. We were super tired and knew we'd probably sleep through a session. I also realized in Vegas I forgot my recommend but had numbers of my bishop to call and told my bishop I might in case we got there and they needed to speak to him) and our taxi driver bought himself a Bible in the Visitors Center while we walked around. Then he took us to downtown to the City Center Market. We did a little shopping, but I kinda just price checked to see what to expect throughout the trip. Then we went to an art gallery and a school.We decided to stop and eat at Subway before returning to the airport. Rachel and I just got out of the car, and not speaking much Spanish, didn't realize that our tour guide had said he'd wait in the car. Tom said, "No no. You're coming in. We're buying you lunch." Our tour guide didn't know what to get (Tom said it's highly unlikely he'd ever been there because there's no way he could afford it. Tom also told us his crazy work hours afterward, and it made me feel so sad he's away from his family the majority of the time just to provide for them) so he got what Tom and I both got, and honestly I think it made his day. It made mine as well to think something so simple could make someone so happy! And yes, Subway smells like Subway even in Guatemala. We then flew to Tikal...my next post =)
No comments:
Post a Comment