Last night, I met Miguel in the hotel lobby. He looked really, REALLY tired! He'd been traveling for 20 hours straight. We were both dead tired. We talked for a few minutes, and then we both went to our rooms.
This morning started shortly after sunrise. I would have slept a little longer, but there was no way to effectively shut out the light from the hotel room. I was really upset to discover that I'd committed an amateur traveler's mistake—I forgot my shower kit! So, I had to call the front desk for toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.
Miguel and I met for breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and we were joined by my company's distributor here in Guatemala. I met Jorge about three years ago, and we've seen each other in here, in Columbia, and in the Dominican Republic. Since he was the only person I know in the country, I asked if he'd be willing to meet us for breakfast as friends...not to discuss business. He readily accepted, and I'm glad he did. He seemed genuinely happy that we are in his home country to learn Spanish!
After breakfast, we were met by the driver from the Spanish School. His name is Hector, and he drove us to Antigua, which took about 45 minutes.
When we arrived at the Ramirez family home, we were met at the front door by the Mom (Elsa). Mind you, the front door is a bit different from one that might be found in a typical American home. First, it opens directly onto a cobblestone street that's probably been there for 250 years. The door itself may have been there for 100 years.
The door opens into a narrow passage that leads to a open-air patio with several trees and hanging plants. The family room serves as the main entrance to the house proper. As one would expect, there's a large television, a couch, several chairs, a bookcase. There's also a large dinner table in this room, which means that it will be possible to watch TV and eat at the same time!
There's a main corridor that leads from the family room, past a small kitchen, the rooms for the family, and a set of stairs that lead up to the student rooms on the second floor. I was assigned Room #2, and Miguel got #1. He has two beds in his room, and he probably has a bit more floor space. My room has only one bed. However, it has a few things that Miguel's doesn't...including a desk, three chairs (for all the company I'm going to entertain!), and a proper wardrobe. It is possible that the furniture in my room is older than the cobblestone street outside...but it's awesome!
My favorite feature of the house is the roof. It's reached by a narrow, spiral staircase. There are no guard rails around the edges of the roof...it's simply a concrete slab that sits on top of the house. It offers one hell of a view of the town! You can almost lean over and touch the 18-th century cathedral that's across the street. The are clear views of the massive volcano on the edge of town. All around, you can look into the maze of the surrounding neighbors' houses.
My first task was to make sure that the Internet is working at the house...and I'm pleased that it works very well indeed! I had no trouble using it to make business calls and check e-mail. This is critical, since I'll be doing my regular job while I'm here in Antigua and fast and reliable communications is a must!
Miguel and I spent the afternoon getting acquainted with the town. We stopped in several shops. I bought mineral water, Miguel bought a bracelet. As we talked to various shop keepers, I was amazed at how much Spanish I recognize. Several times, I could follow some very basic conversations...and I had absolutely no problem asking for help with the language. Not only did people seem to understand what I was asking...but they seemed happy to assist me with my limited Spanish!
Maybe this whole thing isn't such a crazy idea after all...
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