Beat up!

The past few days have beat me up a bit. The flight to Guatemala with the long layover messed with my sleep. Yesterday's "Lost in Antigua", with the 9,643 step walk, blew whatever I had in my body's battery. I am guessing that it will take a few days recovering, to be walking my normal stride and comfortably climb stairs.

However, instead of feeling irritated and maybe uncomfortable by these experiences, I find myself kind of mellow. And that's a good thing for me.

9am - Walking for a breakfast place
Leaving Hostel La Quinta, I headed east. Sort of wandering. My friend who lives in Antigua, recommended Restaurante Doña Luisa. When I was not able to locate Doña Luisa on my new "Map Me" App, I chose a little place named, "The Bagel Barn."

About 1/2 of the tables of Bagel Barn were filled. And background 70s era music played. How neat! The atmosphere here blended with the way I was feeling. Picking a little table against the wall, I ordered fruit salad and coffee.

Perfect!

When I was traveling with MsTioga, there was a winding road to the City of Tepic [Mexico]. This road went thru the coastal jungle. The trees sometimes formed into a tunnel. During the early morning or late afternoon, the light filtered thru these trees at an angle.

The combination of angled light and the tree tunnel, messed with my mind. Kind of hypnotized me. I wished to stop there, right in the middle of the road inside that tree tunnel. Just looking and looking!

Here in The Bagel Barn, there is a window to the street. The light is streaming thru the window at an angle. This view brought the tree tunnel on the road to Tepic to my mind.

Perhaps the window is not so magical as the tree tunnel, but nevertheless........

Magic in a window?

Selling tortillas
1pm - I came upon a woman selling tortillas for her living. In the pic below, you may see her sitting in the plaza. Her tortillas are in the covered basket. When she travels, she balances this basket on her head.

I wanted to learn how heavy was this basket of tortillas. I explained that I wanted to lift up her basket to feel the weight. She sort of laughed, and told me OK.

I am guessing that the basket weighed forty pounds! As I was talking to her, I noticed that she carried her baby wrapped in a serape on her back.

I am frankly blown away by this woman. She endures and is intrepid!

40 pounds of tortillas and a baby on her back

Posada de Don Quijote
3pm - I am sitting in the small eating area of a hotel named, "Posada de Don Quijote." This is the hotel where I had intended on staying while I remained in Antigua.

I should have done what I always do, just go and find a hotel after I arrive. But for some reason that I don't understand, I tried to make a reservation here. The travel agency just plain lied to me when they claimed, "no rooms available!"

I asked the woman at the front desk if she had room for me. She told me, "Yes, we do. 100 Quetzales per nite, private room with toilet and shower." [$13US]

I should listen to myself and not weaken!


Warm feet tonite!
6pm - All during my sleep last nite, my feet were sooooo cold! This afternoon I was contemplating another cold feet nite. What could be done?

I asked at the front desk for two additional blankets. My original blanket was so very thin. That blanket was not able to keep my feet warm.

Marie the housekeeping lady gave me the two blankets. One of these was a really heavy blanket.

I made up my bed myself. Here at Hostel La Quinta, apparently beds are not made up for customers. I found that I had a very nicely fitted bottom sheet! During my sleep last nite, that bottom sheet was just lying, helter-skelter on the bed.

But now that fitted sheet is made up right. By me! And the top sheet and 3-blankets are all properly made up.

I learned about bed making when I went thru basic training in the US Army. Fort Ord, California. And I have never forgotten that bed making experience!

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Hostel La Quinta

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