Estoy acqui! (Translation: “I am here!”)

My day started at 2:30 this morning... otherwise known as the middle of the night. It was an unforgiving 45 degrees outside. Autumn, my least favorite season, had made its way to the Northeast. So it was convenient timing that I was leaving for "The Land of Eternal Spring," as it is known.

I truly lucked out in all aspects of my flight: the arrival and departure gates for my connection were in the same terminal, I had an empty seat next to me on both flights, and the forecasted 'scattered thunderstorms' turned out  to be just a few cheerful clouds.  As my plane descended into Guatemala City, I was glued to the window trying to get some sense for the land.  Here's a picture of the first volcanoes that I saw -- two of the three that lie on the southern flank of Lake Atitlan:




The drive to Antigua was also smooth: The roads are very windy and my ears were popping with the altitude changes, but the traffic was organized -- very similar to the PA Turnpike around Pittsburgh, but with old school buses running on diesel fuel instead of 18-wheelers.

Even my hotel for the night is a surprising relief: clean space, wireless internet, and free bottled water.

Needless to say, it has been a pretty good start to the trip! And now it's time for me to catch up on much-needed sleep. Buenas noche!