leaving Guatemala

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Well... it is hard to believe that the first week has passed already, and in about 7 hours we are on our way to Honduras. It is just past 9pm, and our shuttle to Copan is picking us up at 03:45. So, it is gonna be a short night. There are few shuttles leaving later than that as most travelers simply make day trips to Copan from Antigua... as this is such a tourist mecca.

Oh yeah.. I added some pics to my last post.... so you can jump back and have a peek. It has been a really great visit, but of course there is still so much that we have not seen here. Oh well, we knew that before we came. But, volcano hikes are not exactly for the little ones! The pas two days have just been spent here in Antigua, taking it easy and getting a real feel for the place. We have crisscrossed the entire center on foot (or at least it feels as though we have). Great weather... with the first rain arriving this afternoon. Everyone is so friendly... and prices are so reasonable. Every standard of hotel and restaurant exist here. You can sleep for a few $$ a night or splurge on a boutique hotel or resort. You can eat for less than 1$ on the street.. or spend $25 on fine dining. all experiences are great, and I can understand why so many people fall in love with Antigua... and Guatemala. Of course we did not make it up to Tikal, but have accepted that one day we will travel to Belize and then will just jump over the border. It just did not fit in this time with our travel logistics and related costs. Sorry... i am all over the place here... but just write whatever comes to mind... and no time for spell-check of course. Jerome and Karen have been great hosts, and I will miss chilling in their pad... with it's volcano views and easy town access.

Washed 13 lbs of laundry today... so we are set to roll for at least another week before we have to think about laundry. Clean underwear until El Salvador!! Must be gaining weight with all of this great food... so am hoping that the food in Honduras is bad so that we can slow down on our consumption. Kids are struggling to fall asleep tonight as they are all wound up for some reason...so typical. every night they fall asleep so fast.. and then the one time they need to sleep early it just isn't going to happen. Our shuttle gets into Copan at 0900, and we have been advised that we can check into our hotel that early... but our fingers are crossed. We have paid $10 per person for a 14-seater shuttle that takes 5 hours. Transport around Guatemala is so cheap and easy. Hell, one can ride the chicken bus for next to nothing. Getting to neighboring countries is easy, and there are shuttles that take you everywhere. Reminds me of Costa Rica Most travelers seem to use the shuttles, and they provide a great network for meeting other travelers. When it comes to Tikal, most fly up there... and some even do so as a daytrip from here. Really, Antigua is a hub for this entire region of Central America... with people using this place as a base... and then they go surfing for a few days in El Salvador... or hop into Honduras for a day. Well, i keep losing my connection... and my work... so am off to bed. More tomorrow from Honduras.

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