1 QUETZEL

I have a quetzel in my pocket and I don´t know how I got it. Maybe it was my grandmothers. But I don´t remember her going to guatemala. I think, this is the first thing. I am actually here. What have I done?

But there are all these signals telling me what for and why. Life would be more stressful if there weren´t signs. I followed signs out of the airport, to my driver, who was a small sea in a storm of signs and noise, and realized I´d forgotten one pretty vital thing- a language guide. I´ve been making due but still the complex guilt of not knowing enough is always with me... at least I can think of what my answers would be in french. But we made due. He has a large family, this is his work. Did I want to sit in front¿ Sure. Was it a fancy black private car¿ No. A huffing and puffing dolmush that clunked into gear through the mountain roads. Leaving GUA city though I saw no less than 12 shell gas stations, 4 burger kinds and a handful of mcdonalds. Citibank, toyota and 2 pollo camponeros. I said, to myself, i will not be disillusioned, even though this looks suspiciously like the backwaters of Los Angeles and the trees arch up into the night through the secret valleys, hinting at a difference, surely I am someplace else entirely.

Despite a late plane all went according to plan. And no actual thought was required until this morning... i need to find a bank, i need to find breakfast. It was dark, and a young guy came out and swept up my pack and just like that I was in a quiet, tiled courtyard with palms and fountain bathed in moonlight. He set my bag down in my box of a room and was gone. As if all the town was in bed and it was 2am. In truth only 11. A meager 2 hour time difference. And just like that i was left with myself. No alarm-clock radio-tv combinations, and a toilet I had to sit sideways on. The walls were stuccoed as if this had always been the outside of someplace and the large orange tiles seemed to echo the sentiment. A suspect tank of water sat in the courtyard and I took my first daring step because I was so thirsty, and surely this must be like bottled sparkletts, tastes like bottled sparkletts... ok, i guess i´ll go to bed? Have a handful of almonds and wondering what it would be like to be entirely by myself. So far it seemed safe.