LEAVING ANTIGUA (for the last time)

Shit.

I dunno how I did it, but I spilled water all over my crotch, again. The minivan is waiting for us outside to drive us to Guat-City, so we could take a but up north.

OK- change pants real fast...I'm noticing a pattern here.

-The same thing happened to me the 1st night I was in Guat-City, I spilled tea on my crotch before we left to LakeAtitlan via Antigua. When we got to our destination we scored the last room in La Iguana Perdida(sort of like a Pasada/Villa) which was the honeymoon suite which looked over the lake for $10. For some reason I thought spilling the water on my crotch had something to do with this.

Gela & I take our Pink Malaria Pill...we start laughing uncontrollably for 30 minutes. The medicine says "warning: may cause blurriness".

We get on the 4hour bus ride north to Poptun.

I take my Cipro pill, my bowels need help.

I finish this book called "TWELVE" written by Nick McDonnell. The author was born in 1984. Gela read the whole book during our stopover in houston.

At the 4hour mark, Gela asks one Guatamalans if the bus stops near the Finkin(pasada/villa) called Ixobel(our destination). The old lady said "Tres Mas Horas".

Shit.

At the 7.5 grueling hour mark; All the Guatemalans on the bus are yelling at us..."FINKIN IXOBEL" "FINKIN IXOBEL", they whole bus is practically standing and pointing their fingers at us to get off! We were a bit confused at what was actually happening.

It was dark.

The LonelyPlanet Guide suggests never to hike at night.

Fuck that.

It was good to be off that bus, and to hike a bit.

Strange animal noises all around us, with warm wind all around us.

1.5 kilometers later we make it to the Finkin.

Finkin Ixobel

We hiked in at the end of Dinner time..ah, thankgod, food.

All travelers eating together at long tables. We thought, once again, we're in the movie, THE BEACH.

One of the volunteer workers tell us to put down our bags and eat.

Good Idea.

We sit with a bunch of Israelis who've been traveling for several months. They inform us that they've signed up for this 6 hour hike to the caves tommorrow, and we should join them.

THE TREEHOUSE

An american couple opened Finkin Ixobel over 20 years ago.

We had plenty of options to stay...Rooms with/without electicity & private bath, Bungaloos, Dorms, Camping and also Treehouses.

Treehouses?

"Yes, they're actually built on Stilts, but we call them treehouses"

"how much?"

"10 American Dollars per night"

"Any left?"

"Ummm, actually, there's only one left, and this one is the only REAL treehouse, its called 'Arbol'."

We look at each other "WE'LL TAKE IT".

This treehouse is built waaaaay up in this tree.

As we're climbing up the ladder with our backpacks, I'm thinking of the 2nd time I spilled water on my crotch in Antigua.

Wow, this is every kids dream treehouse!

-has a small bed, mosquito net, shelves, desk, and plenty of windows, high up in the tree, kind of swaying with the wind and the rustling leaves.

Gela & I are extatic.

We stay there a bit, and decide to go celebrate at the Bar before we call it a night.

Waking up to the strangest animal sounds of the forest, with the wind blowing thru us...