Live: from Antigua

Signing in briefly from Antigua, Guatemala - to let folks know I´m still alive.

What I´ve seen of Guatemala so far is a mixture of the expected and unexpected. Yes, there armed guards all over the place; yes, there is poverty; yes, you hear stories or encounter other travelers who have been robbed (usually while doing something dumb); yes, Mayan ruins are breathtaking; yes, the jungle is extraordinarily hot and humid during the rainy season. However, the people are largely warm and lovely - which means they´re willing to work with my awful Spanish (a largely disused holdover from my early childhood in New Mexico).

I´ll sign on again from home with more of a proper travel log... For now, I just want to enjoy the most of my few remaining days here. I have no agenda, no real concerns of touristic goals - and it feels wonderful. I just want to wander around, people watch and eat local food. :)

Random tidbit: Even if I didn´t know a little Spanish, "You have really beautiful hair" comes across pretty much the same in any language... (This, coming from one of the employees where I was staying in Tikal.)