Day 78 – Thursday, September 12, 2013

I changed one of our automated mailer system settings to hopefully resolve the issues we’ve been experiencing with our notifications. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the update notice for this post gets emailed.

It looks like we will be staying in this RV Park for a week or so. By the way, the park is in Guatemala, not Honduras, as yesterday’s title would have you believe. Julie notes “None of you get any bonus marks for pointing out that error. I guess if we really don’t know what country we are waking up in then how do we expect anyone else to keep track? But the money and the license plates don’t lie. This is Guatemala.”

After meeting with our guide we have come to a satisfactory agreement to stay here, where there are services, while he has a master cylinder shipped to Guatemala City. We should depart from here about September 18^th. Julie and I are making some tour plans and will use this as a base. Today we drove towards the Pacific to the Autosafari in Chapin, Guatemala. Before we could go on that adventure however, we had another adventure driving through the narrow busy streets of Amatitlan looking for a laundry service. It was a safari in itself. We did find an old rundown dirty place that we decided to forego for two reasons; one – it was too dirty and two – we didn’t think we could find our way back to pick up our clothes.

We went back to the shopping complex and had a hearty breakfast in a Mexican restaurant. Julie notes “I know! Confusing eh? We are eating at a Mexican restaurant while in Guatemala telling everyone we are in Honduras.”

Food was pretty good but the coffee was terrible. Oh, how I miss you Tim Horton. It was then off on our own to find the Autosafari Chapin. We managed to find it after a few wrong turns and more adventure driving in small towns. We toured the park in the pouring rain but were able to see most of the animals.

Finally, we went back to Amatitlan to give our closed laundry lady one more chance to get our business. Julie notes “Those of you who know Bradley well, know that once you get on ‘THE list’ he will die before he gives you anymore business. This was this lavanderia’s last chance or we would never grace her barred doorway ever again, even if we return in the future to Honduras, umm I mean Guatemala.”

What do you know? She was right there in the doorway as though she had been waiting for us! We figured out the details after English/Spanish help from a very nice young lady, Melanie, who saw the windmill action of our language exchange and stopped to help. The people here always seem very friendly and willing to help.

Is this laundry service ever open?

Melanie, our bilingual helper of windmill gringos. Julie notes “Not only can she speak English and Spanish she can translate windmill. I think as she walked off, I heard her humming ‘yes I know the windmill man…’ the folksong of Cousin Barb, origin. It is amazing how quickly the legend has spread country to country.”

Lost in Escuintla. Bet you can’t say that!

Friendly Escuintla onlookers watching the gringos drive by both ways.

Autosafari Chapin

Julie notes “These guys were roaming but in a fenced pond area to the right were a few of the ladies, I am guessing, plus the cutest baby, who went underwater for safety once we approached. All we could see were its twitching ears and nostrils as the mom pushed it across their pond.”

Julie notes “Even the giraffes opted for an umbrella on this rainy day.”

Julie notes “I think this guy is thinking ‘hmmm I see a nice steak on the hoof just next door for me and the missus for supper. You create a diversion honey and I’ll follow this guy out the gates to the antelope paddock.'”

…and we’re in the fog as the title implies. Julie notes “This tropical depression is getting a bit depressing tropically speaking. We’ve been forced to find our sweaters as temps have cooled to a brisk 18C or lower indoors. Wonderful sleeping conditions though and when you go to bed as early as we do, that is an important thing.”

…and the flooded aftermath. Julie notes “We opted out of driving through this puddle. Two bystanders gave us the ‘so-so’ hand movements and indicated above knee depth, after I asked them through gestures if we should drive through. No snorkel on Julie’s dually so we took a different course. Luckily this is the way to the Laundromat area and we have travelled there so many times Brad has the lay of land memorized. To me it’s just a lot tiny streets and colourful buildings and busses, approaching at alarming speeds with guys hanging out the doorways.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Happy birthday baby brother! Hope it was a dandy and didn’t include too many bad smells or loud noises or drive by fruitings. (I know this is just wishful thinking. Unfortunately for Kelly, any day with Quent will include at least 2 of the above.)