The Royal Decameron

Last year we illegally drove our Honda with Illinois plates around Guatemala for months before the truth sank in that they wanted to charges us about $7,000 for Guatemalan plates. Michael bribed his way past the Guatemalan border and returned the Hybrid to the States. Now that we drive a Jeep with Guatemalan plates, we can leave the country with no fear of our vehicle getting confiscated! We took a short trip across the border to a resort in El Salvador. Behold our family pit stop with Shalom using her potty and Dahlia having a snack. At the Royal Decameron, we enjoyed the pools, beach, and all-you-can eat & drink all-inclusive resort lifestyle for a few days. Dahlia had her first swimming experience in a warm, ocean-fed pool while Michael held her. Once she got used to it, she loved it! (If it looks like Michael has a black eye it is from taking an elbow to the eye during an Ultimate Frisbee game earlier that week.)

Parque de los Nationes Unidos

On Saturdays when it is not raining too much, we go to various area parks to hike and picnic. This park is about an hour outside of town overlooking Lake Amatitlan. When we arrived, a horse was "parked" next to our car. Shalom and I were admiring it from a few feet away when this unharnessed, unbridled horse decided to get a closer look. It was sniffing and practically licking Shalom's face. Shalom was a bit scared and I didn't want to make any quick moves while making sure the horse didn't mistake her for an apple, so I didn't get a picture of that.

Shalom's wheels!

Michael & I decided to buy Shalom some kind of tricycle. Since she is as tall as the average Guatemalan four-year-old, she ended up with a two-wheeler. Mostly we pull her around on a dogleash hoping she will get the hang of pedaling. On nice days, she and the neighbor kids ride around the street together.

We got mail!

Thanks so much of those of you who have been brave enough to ship items to us in Guatemala. Last year, we used one company to forward our things from Florida until we realized they were "losing" half of our things. So, we switched to TransExpress with a different address in Florida, but they are also doing a crappy job. It turns out that the mail we have had sent directly to the school from the States has been arriving in about a week, so that is the best bet. Envelopes, letter-sized or large ones with goodies inside, come directly to us without stopping at Customs.

Our address at the school is:

Diana Richard—Intermedia
CAG, Universidad del Valle
11 Calle 15-79 Zona 15
Vista Hermosa III
Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A. 01015

Michael Richard—Primaria
CAG, Universidad del Valle
11 Calle 15-79 Zona 15
Vista Hermosa III
Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A.
01015

Pacaya '07

Last year, I got to climb to the top of Volcan Pacaya and look into its cone of smoldering lava. This year, we took the whole family! The girls didn't get to close to the lava flow. We hiked to the side of the volcano with some friends and found a picnic spot to leave the kids on while the adults took turns hiking a bit further on to see the lava flow. The magma is moving pretty quickly, so we got close enough to feel the heat, watch the red-hot lava turn to rock, and listen to the crackling rocks tumble along. If we stayed in the same spot for too long, the lava would've carried us along, too. Fortunately, I was encouraged by the wisdom of my parents who have recently written a book about volcanoes. They have assured me that a "slow" flow can be in fact much safer than a so-called dormant volcano which may blow its top Krakatoa-style. If you, too, would like to witness the magic of this natural phenomenon, be assured that there are at least two active volcanoes within a few hours of our home!

Marley se fue

Unfortunately, we returned to Guatemala to find a strange growth on Marley's lower jaw. Sadly, he had developed an aggressive cancer which couldn't reasonably be treated. He seemed in good spirits and at first remained very active, but gradually ate less and less. We treated his swelling and pain for a few weeks and I had a hard time figuring out when was the right time to let him go. His jaw got so swollen that his upper tooth poked through his lower jaw. Up to the end, he was still sitting on my bed and purring. We will remember Marley for the dozens of birds and moles he laid waste to, at times either munching them in front of us or dumping them in my bed. Marley was a good boy whose crazy-loud pigeon purr could be heard in the next room. Marley was a Mama's boy who preferred sink water and would wait in the bathroom until we could share our evening bathroom time together. Marley had a penchant for licking plastic bags, and that probably didn't help and may or may not be related to his cancer. Marley lived in Chicago and Guatemala but was a Californian at heart. He spent his best days lounging near the beach in San Diego or trolling the woods of the Santa Cruz mountains. Marley was a tough guy, so I had Michael take him to be put down rather than continue the nonsense of trying to shove meds down his throat and watch him unable to beat up Minnie. The funny thing is she does not seem to miss him much. She now gets to lie on our bed, which Marley would not let her do. She seems pleased to step into the position of favorite cat. (She will be holding on to the title of most annoying cat along with that.) Shalom keeps saying "Marley se fue." She and Marley were just starting to tolerate each other when he got sick.