A tight flight

Whew!

Here I am. On my hotel in Guatemala, and I'm still alive. It feels quite incredible, after traveling from one place to another twenty hours straight, dizzy from lack of sleep, having to carry all these papers around and trying to figure out what the hell the time is so I wouldn't be sitting eating a sandwich when my plane's flying away without me.

Many times it's felt like a dream. Sometimes just like a nightmare. Not the one where you wake up in the middle of the night because of something horrible happening, no, rather more like one of those dreams where you are going somewhere, and in the middle of it you realize, what the hell am I doing here?

Such thoughts struck me often when I looked out the window of the airplane, suddenly realizing I'm completely alone out there, going from one strange place to another. From arriving at the orderly Heathrow airport to being stuck for hours in the messy security measures of the United States airport in Miami. And then finally leaving there on the way to Guatemala City, I see that great sight that I've so far only seen in movies – something that added to the dreamish feeling – that is the fascinatingly beautiful Miami shores. The Caribbean. The teal colours of coral reefs (at least I think it is?), with boats and palm trees scattered around the landscape. And on top of that, the strange, costly architectural changes they made to the land, with those islands and bridges that are seemingly man-made. Or, at least I do not think nature makes perfectly oval islands and practical land bridges made of sand.

Then when I finally arrived in Guatemala, just an hour ago or so, I felt such relief. Especially after encountering so many strange, stressed out people in Miami (except this Spanish-speaking guy at the bagel-bakery, that was fun!) and then speaking to this really friendly Guatemalan woman, who really turned my hopes up for the social culture of this small Latino-nation.

Oh, and then the hotel. The most luxurious place I've stayed at so far, with marble stairs, elevators and wherever else they could put it. And live piano music. Fantastic. Before I checked in, I couldn't help but pause in awe when I saw that piano guy sitting there playing for everyone. Just stood there staring for a while. Then I got help to find my room and carry my bags, and then, well.. I'm here!

Though just for one night. Tomorrow I will get up early (sigh.. no sleep still) to get my bus ticket, and then it'll be a five hour bus ride to a place called Huehuetenango, which seems to be quite a big town in Guatemala. There I will meet directly with the person who I've been in contact with and who helped me plan this trip from the beginning, and he will take me to the village Yalambojoch where I'm going to live and work for this month. Looking forward to it!