Not a tourist

I am not a tourist. When I planned this trip to Guatemala, I made no hotel reservations. What I do is, use a taxi to take me to a cheap hotel. While the taxi waits, I go in the hotel to see about a room.

I stay at hotels where a reservation cannot be made online ie:
Booking.com and Expedia.

The Hotel Carillon, where I am staying now, was a hotel that I found in exactly this way. By wandering around in a taxi. However, I already knew about Hotel Carillon because I stayed here in 2012.

Planning what to do
My plan when I am staying in a place, is to just wander around. In other words, I don't plan my days. Exploring via the internet is good to get ideas.

Here in Guatemala, I really like to use mini-buses to go from town to town. For example: [link].

Breakfast
9am - Yesterday's airplane journey kinda wore me out a bit. I find myself taking it very easy this morning.

There was a flyer on the desk at Hotel Carillon about a place called, "Danny's Pancakes." It's just around the corner from my hotel. I'm going to take a look-see.


Danny's Pancakes
10am - The sign over the counter in Danny's Pancakes reads "Desde 1976" [From 1976]. Forty years! Wow!

In Guatemala and Mexico, the word "pancakes" is pronounced:

pahn'-cah-cays

The founder of Danny's Pancakes was a WW2 P51 fighter pilot named Daniel Owen. He arrived in Guatemala and apparently liked it. He stayed here making a home.

The pano pic below is an overhead mural in the restaurant describing a bit about Daniel Owen:

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Why am I in Guatemala?
You may possibly have wondered why a 78 year old guy like me is visiting Guatemala. Well, I have to confess that I am doing this trip, because I am able to do it!

I do not have any particular goal for this trip. Simply being here. Talking with people I meet. Looking around. That is what I want to do.

Mini-bus to Antigua
Recall the link I gave to you above in my "Planning what to do" post? I just received an email back from "Guatemala Transportation". I've arranged for a mini-bus to pick me up tomorrow at 11am.

The outrageously low price for the trip to Antigua is 15 Quetzals [$1.95US]!

PS: Whoops! Guatemala Transportation asked for US$ dollars. I was thinking Guatemala Quetzals. So the price is actually, $16.05US [not bad for taxi service from Guatemala City to Antigua (door to door).

David loved Barbra
1pm - I am sitting in the hallway of my floor at the hotel. A very nice patio is there. But it is a bit too warm out. So the hallway view thru the large glass windows is best.

Barbra Streisand is singing on my MacBook. And that singing gets my thoughts to turn to my son, David. He loved Barbra. I too love Barbra.

"How are you doing now?" - my David.

PS: I am thinking about you too, mi amiga Evie......
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Hotel Carillon Location

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