Thursday, October 24 2019 - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Thursday, October 24, 2019 - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Puerto Quetzal, on Guatemala's Pacific coast, serves as a gateway to the inland attractions of this Central American country.  As with most central American countries the populations centers are located in the more temperate central highlands, rather than along the humid, tropical coasts. Not unlike Mexico 30 years ago, Guatemala has to be the most colorful country in Central America and second only to Peru in all the Americas.  It offers superb, jungle encrusted Maya pyramid complexes, gorgeous smoking volcanic landscapes, wildlife crammed rainforests, magnificent colonial towns and colorful ethnic people with curious customs.

Left out of the above description is that outside feels like one huge, ongoing sauna!! . . . and it does not seem to ease up that much in the evenings!  

Had good intentions to go into the town today - a $5 cab ride.   While on the ship, asked an Aussie how town was, to which he replied:  "Didn't go in because those who did said it was better to stay on the ship"!   However, just 300 meters from the ship is a little park-like area with stands and shops featuring the local colorful handicrafts - extremely colorful.

  

   

While I understand the necessity for these lovely people here in Central America to sell their wares to travelers,  the pressure to buy, buy, buy, within every couple of steps, makes it almost impossible for me to actually relax enough to look at something enough to decide.

The quilts or wall hangings are very ethnic and colorful, and of course, "washable".  Do wonder about what they would look like after a wash.   Some of the embroidery has stitches almost three inches long - so easy to snag. Much of the jewelry is pretty, especially the beaded work.  The best necklace I saw had just been bought by a fellow traveler.

Just returned to the ship to see the Aussie who'd told me about the $5 cab ride, coming off the ship.  He wondered why I was already finished with my shopping!   Told him I was melting!   He then capped the conversation with:  "Forgot to tell you, that if you do take a cab into town, make certain you don't step into one that has no door!"

Have been assured by one of the crew that as we proceed on this wonderful cruise, the weather will ease up with the humidity - especially when we are on the other side of the Panama Canal and in the Caribbean.   Can't wait!   The temperatures today were supposed to be in the low 90 degrees - with the very high humidity, it seems like 110 degrees!!

Tonight have declined my nightly invite to dinner in the main dining room and will be joining the two ladies who have the suite next door to me.   We'll be meeting on deck for a drink and then will decide where we are going.

Later . . . we decided to eat out on deck.  

Never close doors on relationships - certainly a change in topic on this blog!   Do you remember the woman who questioned my ability to know where I was going on a cruise next year?!   She's wonderful!   Her suite is right next door to mine - she teases me constantly about my cruise to nowhere next year and we laugh a lot.    Had dinner with her last evening, together with a friend of hers who is also on the cruise.   They met years ago on a cruise and have managed to select cruises since that time so that their friendship can continue - or they meet in Las Vegas.  One is from New York, the other lives in Jamaica and also has a place in the States.   Amidst much laughter during dinner out on deck, we were visited by Teresa, the current Hotel Director.   Luca left the ship in San Francisco to fly to Italy, for a stay at home before his return to the ship.   We asked Teresa if she would like to join us for dinner, and she declined but said she would come back in 30 minutes for a glass of wine.   She was on her "rounds"!!

Teresa did come back and had time for dinner and a longer visit with us. She is an absolute delight - from an Irish family with lots of brothers who question why she isn't married and having babies.   Loves her life on the sea and absolutely sparkles when she talks about it.   Really like her!

Truly believe that the good Lord has His hand in the people I meet on these cruises.  Many of us seem to go through life sometimes thinking that only "I" have had some terrible upsets on life's journey.   But because women seem to share easily about their own lives, we come to know that we are not alone.  No matter what we deduce from thinking we know people from the outside - we do not.  (Grammatically, this last bit is a mess, but hope you get it!).

Last night found out that one woman lost a son from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) at age 42.
The other woman is dealing with a grandson who has Rett syndrome.  This beautiful child suffers from a genetic neurological disorder that keeps him from walking, talking, swallowing and breathing, and most probably will have a shortened life span.  She described it as a child born with a brain that likens to an orchestra - but there is no conductor.

Besides the obvious parallel paths of our lives, we all love our families and believe that without our children and grandchildren, our continuing journeys would not nearly be so unbelievably rich.  We, three, have all learned how to travel by ourselves (or with a friend) and have come to enjoy it - though I'm still on the upward learning curve!

That's all for today, folks!