Guatemala From the Air

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I´ve safely arrived in Guatemala, though my luggage was left behind in Houston. On my third flight, I was lucky enough to get a window seat (though unlucky enough to be next to an American man who talked dourly of the 'socialist' President who is 'trying to take our guns away'. When I could get away from his fascinating conversation, the view was of an endless network of green-brown steep valleys and hillsides beneath a scattering of cloud. "Oh, look, the mountains," I thought. A short discussion about the appalling taxes American guy pays later, I looked out again. Ahead were four or five wooded peaks, towering above the clouds. "Oh look. Thosemust be the mountains."

Seeing Guatemala City from the air was quite impressive. It´s an enormous city that completely fills a huge valley, crossed with ravines, but you can´t describe it as sprawling: the streets are laid out pretty much in a grid and even the more slum-like neighbourhoods look orderly from the sky.

After waiting an hour for my baggage and to talk to an assistant about it, I got a taxi to Hotel Dos Lunas. This is a small but very nice guesthouse, with very friendly staff. It was good to stay from the airport, but being inside a high, wire-topped wall, inside a gated community, it made heading out into the city seem like a dangerous process, very much like in Lima and Nairobi. I didn´t - I slept for 12 hours instead.

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Comments

[Ros]

Off to a good start
I am so honoured this is all messages for me!

[Messages to my Mother from Guatemala]

Steve suggested the name - do you remember? But yes, it´s for you, as you're the main person interested :)