“Nine dollars and twenty four minutes...”

The day started out with a trip to the local cafe for some papaya smoothies and some internet. We needed to phone to extend our travel insurance and Denielle needed to figure out why Star Choice Satellites, now owned and operated by Shaw, decided to place a seven hundred and twenty dollar charge on her credit card on March 19. Several calls later, a dispute was made on the charge, along with the typical who knows what is going on attitude from Shaw. The highlight of the morning was when the horse tour guy with one cloudy eye fell into the room and knocked over a chair because he was that drunk at nine in the morning.

After sending off and email to the Toyota dealership in Mazatlan for the possibility of getting a headlight for the car, we returned to our hotel and began the wait for our car to be ready. When high noon came around, the prearranged time, I strolled through the hot streets down to the auto body shop. One and a half hours I was told, so I went back. Then, at 1:30, I returned to find the car not done, so I sat in plain view and tried my best to look antsy. By 2:30 our car was done, minus the headlight, and we were packing up the car. We filled up with gas and then made the short drive to the border, arriving right at 3. Twenty four minutes and nine dollars in fees, a new record on both accounts, and we were through both sides of the border. Alas, we soon encountered some traffic, a nasty motorcycle versus big truck accident complete with body bag, and the setting sun just as we pulled into Guatemala City with our one headlight.

Just when I thought we had made it through the bustling Saturday night metropolis, the road curved and led us into two hours of not knowing where the heck we were. A few frustrating marital moments later, culminating with an accidental door to the head, and we arrived in Antigua at ten. A late supper at the edge of the night club scene and then back to the hotel where we are now ready for bed and an early morning to enter Mexico. We’re coming home.

Tyler.