Guatemala 6/29/2019 - 7/13/2019

Saturday, 7/6/2019 - Carved Dog, Cristian's 25th Birthday

This being Saturday, I was able to sleep in a bit longer than I can on work days. We ate breakfast with the family at the outdoor table. We had oatmeal with Choco Krispies, coffee, and a turnover.

Eddy was playing with one of the Lego minifigures from his Lego Movie Maker set. He positioned a coffee cup in one of its hands and a gun in the other. We were amused by this, obviously this depicted someone with a serious caffeine addiction. Go ahead, take my coffee! As I took a photo of it, Humberto grabbed his coffee mug in one hand and a banana in the other, replicating the pose. Classic!

Humberto mentioned that since it was Saturday, the shop I had been seeking for the past year was almost certainly open. We hoped that this was the case; I could finally get Tyson the wooden dog that he saw last year that we were never able to re-locate!

Craig and I walked to Santander, took a right, and the second shop on the right was indeed the elusive shop where Tyson and I had seen the carved wooden dog last year! It was ironic that it was so close to the house...Tyson and I had scoured the length of the street from the lake to Pollo Campero looking for the shop. When it is not open for business, it looks like a residence. No wonder we couldn't find it. But once inside, my memories were vindicated. It was indeed a long narrow shop with a glass case down the center. My eyes searched the piles of vintage wood carvings for the item that I sought.

I found a dog which, though not the exact same one, was similar to the one that Tyson had fancied. This one was not a coin bank, as the other had been, and was a bit smaller.

A younger man who was minding the shop asked if he could help us find anything. I explained what I was looking for. He didn't think he had any other dogs, but after a cursory look, went upstairs. A few minutes later, the proprietor Don Tomas emerged. This was definitely the man whom Tyson and I had spoken to last time.

He told us that was the only dog of its kind (although the weird little dog/sperm hybrid that we had seen last year and summarily dismissed was still here...not too shocking that nobody had picked that one up in the intervening year). I inspected the dog, and thought that it was close enough to last year's model that Tyson would probably still want it. But it was best to check with him, if possible.

I called him and left a message when he didn't answer. Luckily, he got the message and called me back within a few minutes. I texted him some photos of the dog, and he was pleased and definitely wanted it. Technology is so awesome...instant communication between Guatemala and New York, sending a photo for confirmation...amazing.

Craig and I continued browsing in the store. There were so many interesting items! After this year-long quest to re-locate the store, I wanted to buy something for us as well. This had become nostalgic for me. Craig and I both particularly liked a carving of an angel stomping on a demon. However, it was large and fragile-looking. We kept looking, and decided on a carved cat, which had a face on the front and another on the back. A dog for Tyson, and a cat for us. It would go well with our other Guatemalan art.

We explained the entire saga to Don Tomas, and explained that Humberto had been the one to help us finally track him down. We paid him for the two items, and as he accepted the money, he made the sign of the cross with the bills in his hand and asked God to bless us. He gave us each a colorful woven bracelet, which he tied on to our left wrists. He and his wife posed for a photo in front of the shop, and we said our thank yous and farewells.

With a spring in our step (we could deliver the dog to Tyson when we visit him in a few weeks), we crossed the street to Humberto's satellite office to say hello to Vanesa.

We then continued down the street to Olga's juice stand. We greeted Paulina's sister Olga and each bought a glass of fresh squeezed 100% natural orange juice. Olga inherited this business from her and Paulina's father, and it is nice to see her carrying on the family tradition.

We stopped at the ATM and then returned to the house. I was so happy that we had found the dog!

For lunch we had a nice chef's salad. Paola and Paulina took their giant green reusable bag and headed to the market to buy provisions for Cristian's 25th birthday party tonight. Last year, we had gotten pizza for the occasion. This year, Paola wanted to do a cookout on their new large charcoal grill.

Ian enjoyed playing in his large Tupperware box. We heard Mael's little voice out in the alleyway and we stepped out the gate to see him and Rocio. By now he is quite used to us, and I scooped him up and gave him a kiss. He smiled for selfies with us.

Rocio mentioned that her mentor (who works in the hospitality business) was teaching her to make berry wine. We were intrigued, and she asked if we would like to try some. So we went inside, and Juana gave us each a small wine glass. The local blackberry wine was quite tasty. Juana said that she always finishes the bottled that Rocio gives her. We are so proud of Rocio; she is working so hard and learning so much! Her eventual goal is to go to medical school, and we don't doubt that she'll be successful at whatever she puts her mind to!

Tonight was Cristian's birthday party, and preparations began in earnest around 6 p.m. I helped to make salsa by chopping onions and cilantro, and peeling and mashing stewed tomatoes. I then marinated green onions in seasoning and soy sauce. A woman delivered the birthday cake, which she had made, and we hid it in our room.

Paola had made some cute decorations, and we hung them, along with a Happy Birthday banner and some balloons. Humberto and Paulina set up the grill and lit the coals.

The guest of honor arrived, and Paola gave him a birthday hat to wear. While dinner cooked on the grill, everyone posed for photos. We all noticed that Aracely didn't come out of her room to join the party. This was unusual, but she has been keeping a bit to herself lately.

Dinner consisted of grilled steak, chicken, and chorizo. Also roasted on the grill were garlic cloves and marinated green onions. We also had tortillas and homemade salsa and guacamole. It was delicious and there was an abundance of food.

Cristian's birthday cake was presented. We sang to him, and then it was time for the obligatory face smash. Paola wasn't fooling around; she used her nursing training to push his face into the frosting with the fervor and strength of a first responder doing chest compressions. Needless to say, Cristian had a face full of frosting, and the cake had a large crater in it. The cake itself had pineapple filling and was served with Sarita neopolitan ice cream.

There was a bit of leftover meat, and Yasmin put it back on the grill to heat it up. Cristian opened his gifts (shirts, which he modeled). We all had fun chatting, and Yoselin and Yasmin entertained us by taking selfies with various humorous filters.

Yasmin remembered the meat too late; it was a cinder by the time she rescued it from the grill. She held it up for a photo as we all laughed hysterically. At the same instant, Vanesa and I recalled the photo that Yasmin had posted to Facebook when we had taken Paulina and Eddy to Ecuador for a week in 2017. It was a photo of a badly burnt fish dinner that Yasmin had prepared with the caption "For situations like this, I want my mama to return." Vanesa quickly located the photo on her phone and we all got a good laugh as history repeated itself.

We all have to get up early tomorrow for Ian Ivan's baptism, so the party broke up before 11 p.m.