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Juan meet Luke
I introduced Luke to Juan Carlos. He enjoyed meeting my son. Every five years, the catholic boarding school that I graduated from in 1974, holds a reunion luncheon for my class.
I dread it.
Am I fatter than in 1974? Am I as thin as Suzy? Do my accomplishments match Anne’s? Will I have the most wrinkles? How will I be judged?
Luke visiting me in Antigua had the same feel. Will he like it here? Will he understand? Will my friends here like him? Will we get along?
All my petty worries were washed away in the Guatemala thunderstorm that raged when the van picked him up from the airport. He was at least two inches taller than I remember. In the first five minutes I was crying as I laughed at the fun he made of me. My son, like no other, can make me laugh at me.
I had nothing to worry about.
Monday morning, Luke and I had a reunion with Pedro, the guide who showed me Antigua in January. That day, I was looking for someone I could trust to show me Antigua for the first time. I asked God to help.
Pedro approached me in Central Park and asked
Pedro the Guide
Pedro and Luke at the ruins. An awe inspiring site. Luke gets it. if I needed a tour. He was holding a copy of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in spanish. For 27 years, I have attended meetings in english. Magic.
On this day with Luke, Pedro spoke to us only in Spanish. We toured the best sights of Antigua:Merced, Pedro Hermano Hospital, and the Cathedral of San Francisco.
As we topped the ruins, the look on Luke’s face said “This place is incredible”.
After the tour, he said, “Mom, I can really see why you like it here. People don’t have as much as we do in the United States but they are happier.”
Smart kid. He got it.
Lunch brought a reunion with Senoria Araminta and my friends in the house. Luke’s kidding me in spanish, about my spanish, brought warm smiles. That evening, Nicole complimented me on what a nice young man he is. But maybe, she was just saying that because they both love to tease me!
Monday evening brought a reunion with my salsa teacher, Gloria. Kudos to Luke for being brave enough to look silly. And for pretty good salsa dancing!
A pizza party with teachers and friends
Teasing me in Spanish
A special Guatemalan soup was made to welcome Luke. He and Nicole had a great time teasing me in spanish. from the school followed. Everyone had a great time making fun of me for mixing up “Banco” with “Bano”. Potty humor is a hit all over the world. So, it seems, is lovingly teasing me.
At 6:00 am on Wednesday, we boarded a bus for the volcano Pacaya. I had a reunion with clear mountain air. The kind I knew as a child at Tahoe.
Luke climbed the 8,373 feet to the summit. Not wanting to exhaust myself before our vacation ended, I rode a horse. Normally, I don’t like horses because they are bigger than me. But in Guatemala, it seems even the horses are smaller than me.
Arriving in Lake Atitlan a little late on Thursday, we rented a private boat for the trip to Santiago and San Pedro. Luke looked shocked when we trolled up to the pier and I said “Hola, Miguel!”
“What? my mother knows someone in a remote Mayan village?”
Yep. You may remember Miguel from my previous blog on Lake Atitlan. He wanted $20 for a photo. Wearing the same clothes from a month ago, he volunteered to be our guide. He hoped in the tuk-tuk next to
My Guatemalan Mom
Luke meets Sra Araminta, my mother in Guatemala. us for a tour of the village. Before I knew it, he was wearing my cowboy hat. Which I let him keep, as was his plan.
At the end, I gave him 100Q, which disappointed him because I gave the tuk-tuk driver 200Q. Boldly, he asked me to give him my sapphire cross. I felt guilty I couldn’t. Something is wrong here.
Limited time kept me from buying the hand painted pictures I found the last time I was in San Pedro. I dragged Luke through the rain and the mud to find Oscar. I bought two lovely paintings. He said he didn’t think I’d come back.
But I am getting to love reunions. No one judges me here. They are just happy to see me.
Will be re-unioning with you all soon!
Adios,
Cynthia
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