Needing a change of scenery…Guatemala anyone?

Thanks to HSBC! Honestly I could use all the blog space there is complaining about how the card we have from the worlds local bank, a card specifically suited for people who travel extensively, has left us in the lurch on numerous occasions. Either because they have suddenly decided to block it because they didn’t know we were abroad (seriously, I’ve lost count of the times we’ve told them our itinary) or like on arriving at Lago de Atitlan where the machines on the island we’re on accept ALL CARDS but ours and the only machine that takes ours is a boat ride away and broken! Ooohhh we were angry and had nothing but a loaf of banana bread to our name and some very bad thoughts being directed to the clowns who were keeping our money from us.

All is well now though and we can finally enjoy the beauty and serenity of San Pedro which before had been blurred by our rage. We arrived here on sunday and apart from our money problems the journey was nicely uneventful, Michael feeling all cool, sombreroed and booted looking like a proper cowboy (bless him) and I, although sad to be leaving our lovely family, was quietly contented to be away from eating 3 meals a day all with 5000 calories in them -my denim shorts aren’t half as fetching as what they were!

San Pedro, where we think we’ll spent the next week or so is on Lago de Atitlan,which is a huge lake surrounded by mountains that Aldous Huxley said was almost too much of a good thing and he may be right. It’s completely different to Antigua, the people are much more laid back and it’s far cheaper, so much so that we’re regretting the amount of time we spent in Antigua. The veiws are just as stunning though and we’re looking forward to taking lots of pictures. To do this though it’s fundemental that we’re both in the mood as I take a painfully long time to take pictures of anything! The tourists here are also very different from Antigua. Gone are all the big middle aged tour groups throwing money about wherever they go, replaced by those that settle on San Pedro. Think lots of friendly people with unsupported boobs, unshaved legs and with massive dreadlocks dangelling off their heads, not quite my cup of herbal tea but fun all the same. I think the point of realisation of how different we are came when a girl was moaning she couldn’t find any inspiration from a Vogue magazine- now that’s almost fighting talk!!

At the moment we’re uncertain of our exact plans, though that’s been pretty consistent for the past 9 months, we’re just very aware that we have under a month now and not much money so every place has got to be a gem and a cheap one at that! The idea of returning home, though really in the forseeable future seems quite surreal, a bit nerve racking but really exciting at the same time- I miss my mum so much. And I must admit I’m really looking forward to some normailty!

Oh by the way on a slightly different note, I really want to get Michael Jackson tickets but can’t out here because of rubbish servers and times differences, if anyone has any they can sell you’ll have a friend for life!

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