Divertido a la Playa

So I found out that Bob is really the one who owns the juice shop, and sometime after Jimmy met Bob, Jimmy offered to advertise the beach trip for Bob. So even though Jimmy was the one we thought we first had to contact, it ended up that Bob and his girlfriend Megan were the ones who took us to the beach today.

Now that that’s as clear as muddy pothole…

Our day was definitely early! My first alarm rang at 5:15, but I couldn’t force myself out of bed until about 5:35. Ali and I walked to the Juice Café through mostly deserted streets (which was almost eerie) and we found Morgan already there. We had some awesome french toast and freshly-squeezed orange juice for breakfast. We were expecting another guy named Glenn to come, but we already knew that Will had decided not to go the night before. We waited half an hour for Glenn, and Ali tried calling him a few times, but he didn’t answer. It ended up being the five of us: Bob, Megan, Morgan, Ali, and myself.

The day started out a little hazy, and we were all curious what the weather was going to be like at the beach. Bob was optimistic it would be a nice day, but I had my doubts since the past week has been so overcast. The drive to the beach was 2 ½ hours away, but I really didn’t mind because it gave me a chance to soak up the Guatemalan countryside. Again it reminded me of Africa in ways I wasn’t expecting. There were vast fields of sugar cane, patches of road littered with speed bumps, animals wandering everywhere, and people utilizing leafy-green branches to indicate a broken down vehicle just ahead.

The main highways were actually very well maintained, but as we got closer to the beach and turned off the highway we were on a very narrow tarmac road that eventually turned to dirt. There were potholes (more accurately, dirty ponds) everywhere. On two separate occasions, Bob attempted to pass another vehicle while simultaneously going through a pothole. Both times the occupants of the other vehicles were drenched in murky water. One vehicle was a pick-up truck with a load of people riding in the back. I felt so terrible for them!

We finally arrived at this very beautiful lodge called Pelicanos Surf Place. The owner of the lodge was pretty evident, and he came over from the bar/restaurant to welcome us. Bob had told us on the way there that the beach we were going to was a lot cleaner than the more touristy one in Monterrico, and I didn’t doubt him. It was spectacular! The temp was in the mid-80’s and there were high thin clouds in the sky, preventing it from getting too hot. The sand really was black, and the waves were huge! The best part was that the water was the warmest I have ever felt for the ocean; my guess is around 82°. Looking away from the ocean, you could see the volcanoes robed in a subtle shade of blue in the distance.

The lodge had a beautiful pool, but you had to pay Q100 ($12.50) for it, so we all admired it and swam in the ocean instead, which was far more exciting anyway. One second you would be standing ankle-deep, and the next the water would crash around you up to your shoulders. There were a number of surfers catching waves, and Bob himself brought his board. (Again, there was an option to rent one for Q100.) Bob is from California, so he makes it look as easy as breathing, but he let us each have a turn and I failed miserably. Morgan and Ali were able to get up, even if it was only briefly. He consoled me by saying he has a really advanced short board, and he was surprised that Ali and Morgan even got up at all. I really didn’t feel that bummed, though it’s nice to say that I have “surfed” in the Pacific twice in my life. (The other time was in San Diego on Project Timothy, where I also failed miserably. I guess growing up in Africa really doesn’t prepare you for surfing very well.)

I would have loved to stay in water and catch the waves all day, but the saltwater forced me to take breaks. I have forgotten how much it stings your eyes! It’s also exhausting to be battered around for more than a half hour, so we alternated between going in the water and relaxing on chairs near the pool.

Around 11:00, Morgan and Ali got a “snack,” though I decided to wait until later. Like everything else (it seemed), the food was rather pricey. As we were hanging out under the palm-leaf-thatched veranda/restaurant, I noticed that there were two beautiful scarlet macaws over in a large cage nearby. Everything about this place was tropical. It felt like we were in a different country!

Sometime later, Ali and I played volleyball on the black sand. They did have a net up by the lodge, but the court was not well maintained and the sand would have been too hot anyway. (Any sand not dampened by the ocean was blisteringly hot. I wonder if it had anything to do with it being so dark.) Pelicanos was kind enough to let us use a volleyball without charging us for it. We drew up a makeshift mini-court in the sand and made rough guestimates about where the net would be. It was a good time! However, after just a couple games we had to cool off in the ocean. We were definitely not used to the heat and humidity.

The whole experience was so relaxing. As much as I enjoy Antigua, it was great to just get away and do something a little more touristy for the day.

Around 3:00 Bob suggested we start packing up because he wanted to show us something on the way back. We were trekking over to the car when the owner of the lodge (the same guy who had so warmly welcomed us) called over to Bob because he wanted to talk to him. Apparently he felt that we hadn’t spent enough money at the lodge to merit us visiting it for the day. (Perhaps if they didn’t charge Q130 for a massage I would have considered one.) I didn’t really witness the conversation, though Bob must have handled it well, and we left without incident. I don’t know if the owner realized that we had to pay Bob a pretty sum to simply get there and back.

We left the beach mid-afternoon. When we were just half an hour out of Antigua, Bob had Megan pull the car over to what he called “The Sacred Cliffs.” He made up the name himself because they don’t really have one. There are natural coves and outcroppings where local people leave candles and hold ceremonies (involving chicken sacrifice) for loved ones. It sounded a little superstitious to me, so I didn’t press for details. It cost only Q5 for each person, which is just over 60¢ , but the natural beauty of the place was priceless!

We crossed a log-and-plank bridge over a swift-running stream, and walked towards the coves. Unfortunately, there was basura (trash) everywhere; the Parks & Recreation Department would be appalled. We briefly stopped at a ceremony site, and I was glad we didn’t linger. The coolest part was when we climbed up and through this giant split in the cliff. Water was pouring down the vertical rock face, and plants and mosses grew sideways from it. I was so happy I had my camera with me! It would be impossible to describe the natural beauty of what I saw without pictures to help me.

We explored for a good 20 minutes or more, and then hit the road for the final stretch to Antigua. Less than 20 minutes away from Antigua, Bob pointed out a huge shantytown to our right that I hadn’t noticed on the way out. It felt like I was looking at a live snapshot directly from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Bob said that we were looking at the most dangerous part of Guatemala. Antigua is considered the safest city in Guatemala. It is strange to me that they are in such close proximity, but I suppose it could be compared to El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.

We stopped at a burger place on the outskirts of Antigua. The place prides itself on making their burgers just like you might find in the States, and I must say I was surprised. It definitely added it to my list of top-ten-favorite-burgers-of-all-time, which seems to now include two places in Antigua…

Before they dropped us off, Bob and Megan told us that we had been such a fun group. Apparently the last time they took a group of people they just ended up sitting at the pool playing on their iPods. What’s the point of going to the beach if you’re not going to even look at the water let alone get in it? We were dropped off near La Merced and walked the few blocks home.

I had a bad feeling the entire time we were walking back, and I checked through my bags as soon as I got back to my room. Sure enough, my camera was missing. I knew the last place I had it was in the car after we got back in from the cliffs. I really hoped it had just fallen out of my pocket in the car, but I had no way of finding out at the time.

Ali and I were both pretty sunburned. I even used lotion! Thankfully I brought a mini-pharmacy with me to Guatemala, so we have both been applying aloe vera liberally. Ali is definitely worse-off than I am.

All in all, the trip was fantastic! Even though it ended up being pricier than I had anticipated, I still think it was worth it. We went to a clean beach without many tourists, the day was gorgeous, we saw some awesome natural cliffs, and I had a great burger. What more could I ask for? ¡Mi taza esta llena! (My cup is full!)

“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful.”

Psalm 29:3 – 4