Curva Peligrosa

We are in Guatemala!! I think I had a vague idea that it would be full of green mountains and vibrant, embroidered cloth. I was right, but, oh it's so much more mountainous, so much more vibrant! The Curva Peligrosa refers to the signs posted along the road we took through the mountains today - Dangerous Curve. I think it would make a good book title.

Backing up a bit, we decided to linger for a whole extra night and day in San Cristobal de las Casas, the "cultural capital" of Chiapas. The trip there from Mexico City had been uneventful, largely, but long and tiring. Dan was able to do a bit of work in the morning while the kids and I roamed the narrow, cobblestone streets. The city is set in a valley and the streets are lined with colourful buildings with red tiled roofs and wrought iron window boxes full of incredible flowers. You can smell roasting coffee everywhere, the pastries are exquisite, traditional crafts tumble out from shop doors and the huge city market. The city is bookended by two churches atop high hills that you need to climb in order to attend (or, just to see the view.) The kids did this with Dan during the afternoon while I popped into a couple museums and then wandered slowly through the market, practicing all the restraint I had not to purchase embroidered blankets, clothing and bags and Zapatista memorabilia and pots.

Me, practicing restraint. My new plan is to drive back from Costa Rica with the car empty so we can buy beautiful handcrafted things on the way home.

Sam took most of the photos over the past few days, so most of them involve the stray dogs of Mexico.

See, how delicious does that veggie burger look?

We then met up for dinner at a fabulous veggie restaurant (so many good veggie restaurants in Mexico!) The kids enjoyed San Cristobal's many pedestrian-only streets, the dancers, the strawberry juice, the bunk beds. It was so good to have this completely relaxed day in such a meaningful, beautiful place.

Dan, expressing his frustration over paperwork (or just being goofy.)

This morning, rested and devices loaded with more books, we left right after breakfast to begin the journey to Guatemala. Even though we were very first in line, crossing the border took very close to two hours (both exiting Mexico and then entering Guatemala) - but it went very smoothly. You have to pay to leave the country (which I find hilarious, because you also don't have the option to just stay on and skip the fee!) and one officer was much kinder than the other, but we got our vehicle import payment back, there were no soldiers with lots of guns (becoming so familiar in Mexico) and we got through to the other side.

Immediately, we were surrounded by mountains. Enormous but not intimidating, green, cloud-swathed. The thing about those mountains is that there isn't a gentle road carved through the passes. You have to climb them and then descend them and repeat and repeat. The roads are narrow, incredibly steep and sharply winding. You need to navigate the endless switchbacks with large trucks and buses careening (or painfully crawling) both behind you and coming toward you. The scenery is spectacular - easily the most dramatic we've driven through so far. Also, it's easily the most choke-inducing drive we've had - not because we were scared (Dan was calm, at least inside, throughout) but because of the black smoke rolling from most of the vehicles. It faded the green a little. Every once in awhile, deep in a valley or high on the mountain, a village would appear and it would be bustling with donkeys, small kids, bicycles piled high all sharing the same road. No one gave us a second glance. We gave them many more.

Oh, and the buses!! They are old US school buses that have been imported by Guatemalans and refurbished (and repainted and decorated resplendently) for public transit. Seriously, many of them look like modern folk art on wheels. I'll try to get a better picture of one tomorrow, but this is one headed straight for us on a sharp turn in a small town. They are packed full of people and chickens and packed high with belongings of every kind. We watched one of the fare collectors climb onto the roof, secure something down and climb down over the back of the bus - all while going at top speed. There is a documentary about these buses - and more importantly about the resilience of those driving them (and in them) - La Camioneta.

Maeve demonstrating that she should not be peeing on that side of the road.

Just as the sun was setting and the clouds were engulfing the Volcan Agua (there are three picture-perfect volcanoes surrounding the city!) we entered Antigua. We're staying at a hotel with a beautifully tended rooftop garden, Mayan blankets and good showers (though I'm beginning to wonder how much good the showers are doing, given that we've not done laundry since our first day in San Diego and things are getting a little, um, sticky.) Tonight, we walked through the main plaza and park and along the relaxed, cobblestone streets lined with lanterns and faded pastel buildings, to dinner ( a restaurant/bookstore/bar!) At dusk, at least, it felt pretty enchanting - much like San Cristobal. I think the region warrants a few more days, but... another time as tomorrow, we head to El Salvador. First, we'll take some photos from that roof top garden in the morning.