Guatemala 7/3/2014 - 7/8/2014 |
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Sunday 7/6/2014 - Swimming at Lake AtitlanAfter only 4 hours of sleep, we were woken up at 6:30 a.m. by the sound of a tile saw and hammering. At 6:30 on a Sunday morning?! Luckily it stopped between 7 and 9 and we were able to get a couple hours' more sleep. Maybe the guy had tried to get a little work in before church. Who knows?We got up at 9 and went downstairs at 9:30. Humberto had forgotten yesterday that he had to work, but luckily secretary Vanesa had reminded him at dinner last night that he had 2 clients. So he was already gone. Paulina had already gone to the market. We had a fruit plate including our seasonal favorite pitaya (a type of red-fleshed dragonfruit) with coffee for breakfast. The kids watched Disney's "3 Little Pigs" and "Ugly Duckling" on YouTube. They were glued to it. We told them that these cartoons even pre-dated us (and they think we are pretty ancient!) Then we went to the lake with Paulina, Vanesa, Paola, Yoselin, Aracely, and Eddy. We took 2 tuk-tuks to the other side of the bridge, to where there was a nice grassy spot where we could lay our towels and enjoy some swimming. The lake was very rough today. There were huge waves, which made it a lot of fun, and reminded us of the ocean. Yoselin and Paola didn't swim but they enjoyed hanging out on the shore. The water was a very comfortable temperature. Craig stayed close to the little dock, as it was difficult for him to keep his balance while being battered by the waves. Soon Yolanda, Juan Carlos, Junior, and Fatima arrived. The sun was out and it was absolutely beautiful. There were lots of other local families swimming, and it was a nice weekend family atmosphere. It was perfect! A helicopter took off from right behind us, and flew very low over the lake. Juan and Paulina had underwater handstand contests, and they had swim races with Junior. After a couple of hours of swimming and sunbathing, we got dressed and walked toward the road. The kids played on the playground for a little while and then we grabbed tuk-tuks home. As soon as we got into the tuk-tuks, it started to sprinkle. What perfect timing! We went to our respective homes and took showers, then Juan Carlos, Yolanda, Junior, and Fatima returned. We gave Aracely her Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal she had requested last time we were here, (she didn't remember asking for it, but was thrilled just the same), and we gave Eddy a monster truck. We shared Starbursts with everyone. The kids watched a horror movie on the computer. Humberto was supposed to be home at 3 o'clock from work for lunch, but the boat was slow and he didn't get back til 4. After he returned, we had a very delicious soup along with corn on the cob, beef, and some other veggies. Everyone had Brahva beer and I had wine. After lunch, Juan Carlos, Yolanda, and family said their goodbyes and went home. We had a nice conversation with Humberto and Paulina about Aracely and Eddy's school and saw their report cards. Both are doing great. Even though Eddy doesn't speak much English (only a word or two here and there) he is understanding a lot more, and is participating more in activities. We are so proud of them! We gave the kids metal water bottles. We let them choose between the several styles that we brought. Yoselin chose the same one I have at work. I told her that, and she was very happy. Aracely then wanted that one. She and Yoselin had a playful fight about it. Yoselin teased her with a Simpson's-style "Ha ha!" Aracely stole the water bottle, and Yoselin responded by stealing Winnie the Pooh. Sisters! Yoselin, Aracely, and I played the Monsters University dice game. Josue came over and he joined in the game. We had camomile tea and then dinner of huevos rancheros and refried black beans. After dinner, we played dice some more. When it was time for bed, Vanesa and Paola ran to the store and bought us Gatorades. We said our goodnights to the family. Aracely thanked us for Winnie the Pooh and said she would sleep with him. We went to our room at 10 o'clock. We went to bed at 10:30. |
 Craig, Paola, Eddy, Paulina, Aracely, Vanesa, Yoselin  Swimming in Lake Atitlan  Aracely, Yoselin, and Steph See all photos from this day |
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