Nomad: a person who moves continually from place to place; Wanderer.
Oh man people…Lets just be real, I am not a good Nomad. Although I feel like as the unemployed self proclaimed free spirit I have decided to be for the next little while I feel like nomadic is the best way to explain my current lifestyle. We have been traveling for the last seven days and I feel like it has been four months. Although I love the things I have been able to see and experience, I do not like what it takes to get there. My latest challenge for myself is work on being positive. Not a good time when I am doing something that I don’t thoroughly enjoy, but I am trying.
We went from Antigua to a small town in Guatemala called Chichicastenanga. (SP. Don’t quote me on this.) This is where the big market is. It only happens on Sunday and Thursday. There is a huge variety of things at these markets and a huge variety of people. We walked through crowded isles of this outdoor market surrounded by handmade fabrics, jewelry, fruit, and chicken in all of its parts and honey that is transported in gas cans, and funneled into old used liquor bottle for sale purposes. We were bombarded with children who are so immersed in their responsibilities that they cannot hear you asking their name. It was sheer madness. We stopped for just a moment, walked up the stairs into a café and stood over the crowd and watched as people franticly shopped, sold, bartered and traded! It was like stepping back in time.
We then went to a town on Lake Atitlan—Panajachel. We stayed in a hotel that was my prayers answered. It was quiet and clean, which in Central America is like hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas. (There’s that negativity- got to get rid of it!) It was like Myrtle Beach. One long road filled with street vendors, restaurants and people. We were in this small town so we could marvel at the lake and its closely surrounded villages. But guess what! There was a constant layer of smog covering the natural beauty. We awoke at 4:45am to watch the sun come over the three volcanoes and all we found was a cloud over a lake. None the less we got our day started early!!! Did I mention we ran into a guy that gave us salsa lessons? Oh yea, Aaron and I salsa’ed in Guatemala. Don’t worry, we had to have a few rum and cokes to get Aaron nice and loose but I will expect all of you to ask him to show you his moves!
Back to Antigua we came. We made it here all in one piece and will spend a good portion of our time here indulging in the Easter holiday weekend. Here in Central America it is called Semana Santa. We are in a place that has the largest Semana Santa processions like ever. We found out today that we can help the locals build the carpets they walk over while processing! How fun is that. It is from Midnight tonight to 4am. Oh wait, they tell you to be on the streets to get a decent seat at 5am. Looks like another long night.
Oh yea, did I mention that I climbed a volcano this morning! We roasted marshmallows in a steaming crevasse in the earth! WHAT, WHO DOES THAT!
Oh yea, the coolest thing we have experienced so far. Wait for it………..we met this older couple who totally kicked it with the royal family of Dubai. I mean check me out here people.
His son was a speed boat racer and the royal family wanted a speed boat racing team so they asked him to move there and build this program/team. So they went…a few months later this man’s son called up his father (George, for stories sake) and said “hey dad. We could use your experience with aerospace design. Would you like to move to Dubai for a while?” The older man (father) said sure thing, what should we do? The son responded “The tickets are at the airport, be there packed and ready by tomorrow at 8am. Your accommodations have been taken care of.” So this older man and his wife move to Dubai to live with the Royal family and help their son build a speed boat racing team.
Cool thing number 2: They gave them a beach front place for free and when they decided to stay more permanently they royal family offered them a completely renovated (to their liking) beach front Villa.
Cool thing number 3: The royal family said go furnish however you please. When asked the budget, the response was. Just put it on my tab!
Cool thing Number 4: The royal family asked the older man if he liked to go out and play in the desert. He said yes, so they took him to the Range Rover dealership and bought him a brand new range rover.
Cool thing Number 5: The royal guys man helper came up to the older man one day and said “The royal guy thinks you’re doing a good job George.” He handed him a brown paper bag…WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IT!
Life lesson for me—This guy has the coolest story ever! Sit down next to someone and get to know them. I bet they are cool!
(I am at an internet café and don’t have time to read back through this! If it has errors or isn’t clear, don’t judge!)
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