Trip: Koliber July 4th, 2015

Happy Fourth of July! 

We finally made it to Guatemala City, where I am not wearing red white OR blue. Oops.

I do appreciate America though, things are just more complicated in other countries.
What a long couple of days it has been...

Matamoros, Mexico from the hotel window

Federal Police are staying at the "Hotel Paris" to keep watch on the drug cartels.

From Matamoros our flight was delayed, so we missed the next connection, and had to change our next flight to leave to Mexico City at 8pm. They tried to charge us extra for this, but we wouldn't let them. We had to wait in 6 lines for many hours trying to sort the situation out. We were so exhausted after having to fight for that! There were many other passengers who were having similar problems. Something is very disorganized with their airline!! Like I said previously, everyone gets treated like cattle! 

Here is the plane we took: definitely not the same as our little one :( 

So then, exhausted and starving we finally got to sit down at a restaurant in the airport and have some dinner. Finally on the way from Mexico City to Tapachula, I had a double of tequila on the plane. I've started to just have tequila straight, it's quite nice. There were some beautiful lightning storms on both sides of our plane, constant lightning in the clouds. Wow that was gorgeous! 

Tapachula's airport was very small and cozy. We immediately got a cab and went straight to the "Galgos" bus stop. This means "Greyhound."  On the way there, I noticed many families sitting outside the shops on the sidewalk sitting at tables in the dim light, having food, chatting, hanging out, just "watching their little piece of the world" (as Ricardo called it.) These interactions looked cozy and warm - as if that is their primary form of connection; while we have Facebook, they have Face to Face interactions.

The bus stop in Tapachula was busy; full of many people going all over Mexico. Our exhaustion was setting in. There was a dramatic American couple on the bus with us that were pretty entertaining, they were extremely tired as well and not too happy. There was also a cute younger couple traveling who were the opposite-- they were making out and giggling the whole time, they looked like they were in young-love, it was sweet! 

Cute kid at shop at the bus station in Tapachula

Crossing the border! (apparently Mexicans are lazier than Guatemalans)

This is me, half asleep, finally arriving in Guatemala City!!!!

Guatemala City at 4/5am.

We arrived to Ricardo's mother's home which was behind a a couple gates and down a road. She is 94 and still living alone, completely talkative and made us coffee and breakfast! Also, very delicious I might add. Fresh cheese and eggs, delicious coffee con leche. Mmm. I am listening to all of the conversations in Spanish and beginning to understand many of the words (if they're simple). Hopefully I will pick up more. I went to sleep for about 2 hours when Ricardo woke me up- "Time to go, we have a long day!" I showered, got ready and applied my bug spray / perfume. Ah, this reminds me of the camp in Belize! I wore this bug spray everyday, the natural kind with Geraniol oil. It smells great, and brings back awesome memories. :)

So we got started and we are making a pitstop at his sister's house to catch up on the internet. Here's a view of the neighborhood that we walked through. 

On to the market now to get photos of the women making our clothes!!!!!! Lake Atitlán tomorrow!!! 

WE MADE IT TO GUATEMALA!!!!!