Quest to See the World

After 1 1/2 hours on the phone w/ US Airways (I had credit w/ them. Otherwise, I would’ve just booked online) and the required use of my handy Spanish skills, my ticket is confirmed for a departure date of March 24th. I swear, I don’t know how that airline stays in business!! After going over the details of my dates, flight #s and everything, like 3 times, the agent that I spoke with had almost booked the ticket for the wrong dates! Agent: “Ok, you depart PIT on March 14th…”, Me: “What? No, March 24th”, Agent: “Ay, Disculpe Senora. Un momentito…”, Agent: “…returning June 21st…”, Me: “NO, EL 26 DE JUNIO…ES UN MARTES!…”, Agent: “Ay, Disculpe Senora…un momentito…” My Spanish must still kick some butt because the agent told me that I’d need a visa and a passport to get back into the U.S.! I’m about to go apply for a job at the US Airways call center in Mexico since they apparently need some more competent employees.

First stop: Guatemala. Dave is going to accompany me for the first 9 days. Goals: 1. To see at the very least one train engine, moving or not. Hoping to find 3 old steam engines at a switcher (?) (I’m not up on the railroad terminology) in Zacapa. If they’re still there it shouldn’t be too difficult in a town of 18k. 2. Climb volcano 3. See Mayan ruin 4. Eat lots of yummy local food 5. Locate nearby toilets quickly.

Yay, the countdown is on! 32 days…

Ok, so this is my first blog entry and I’m testing it out in preparation for my trip to central america which is set to begin in approx. 4 weeks. so I’m going to write about the trip to Puerto Rico from January 13-16. Here goes:

Well, it was awesome. When Dave and I got there we went to Pinones and ate some bacalaito and drank some kola champagne-mmmm-good stuff. Dave quickly found an old Buick to photograph near the beach. From there we passed through the outskirts of Loiza, where I actually have never been.

El Yunque

We went to El Yunque and hiked down to a waterfall where Dave swam and [read on]