Unconnected -- Pix from Three Days Offline

I tried very hard in my three days of Internet freedom to not worry about all the work I was missing. It was difficult because we have many bills coming up, but since there wasn't much I could do, I just put my worries on the back burner for a few days and enjoyed some unconnected time in Guatemala.

Aw yah! Pizza cones!

I strolled around Panajachel wearing a backpack, which got me a lot of attention from the vendors. But I'm pretty adept now at the litany: "No, gracias. No, gracias. No lo necesito. Ya tengo uno. No soy una turista. Yo vivo aca. Buena suerte." (No, thank you. No, thank you. I don't need it. I have one already. I'm not a tourist. I live here. Good luck.) When I sat for lunch at the pizza cone place -- and had a hamburger, go figure -- I had a nice chat with a vendor named Margarita. It's cool to be able to converse relatively coherently in Spanish, although I am grateful that a lot of the vendors know English as well. I really loved the small rugs she was selling, but I can't afford them now. So I told her I would talk to her again in two weeks when I got my paycheck. And trust me, she'll remember!

View of San Pedro volcano that we get to see on our walk into Pana every day. 

NJP has two dogs that visit him regularly at his new place. They are quite comfortable coming into his yard, and even his bedroom! We're not sure if they used to live there and were abandoned when the previous owner left, or if they are just local friendly strays. Rob likes the brindled one! But we don't really have room for another dog, so we have to be content with just feeding them kibble when we see them.

I think we're calling him Calvin.

He's such a cool looking doggie.

I want to call this one Giraffe. Those long legs!

If he was a she, I would have named her Bridget Bardot.

Guatemala is a great place for someone like me: a person who notices all sorts of little things. It frustrates Bert to no end that I can't walk 10 feet without stopping to stare at a bug or flower or gaggle of kids playing in the street. It's much more relaxing for me to walk alone like I did these past few days. Then I can cheerfully climb into the scrub, stepping carefully over trash and coconut shells, to take pictures of pretty purple flowers growing by the river. :D

Lovely flower growing in Jucanya.

We saw this strange place the very first week we were here, and thought it was an arcade.
Stumbled upon it again while wandering the streets of Pana and realized it's a mini-casino.
(Guarded by a cocker spaniel. Ha!)

A statue in the garden beside the cathedral.

PACHI!!

Willow has found a new favourite spot... Bert's pillow!
Even funnier is that he won't move her when he goes to bed. He just sleeps on the corner. Ha!

Guava that fell from our tree out front.

Inside of the guava. I was going to eat it... then one of the "seeds" starting squirming. It had worms!
The fruit was then flung as far as it could be flung. :D

It was a wonderful few days of freedom from my desk chair but I am glad to be reconnected again to share my adventures with you, faithful readers. Until next time!