Trip to the San Marcos area

In mid August, Ken and I took a quick trip to the San Marcos area. We drove from Patzun to Comitancillo and spent the night. The hotel where we stayed was new - actually not open yet, but they let us stay. (The other hotel we were thinking about staying in was closed for repairs.) I don't know if I would stay in this hotel again, because it was on the edge of a cliff, and the driveway getting down to it was rather steep. (Ken says it was probably about a 45-degree slant.) With all the landslides that have happened in this country this rainy season, I'd rather not be too close to a cliff. Also, the bathroom ceiling leaked - through the light fixture! The curtains on the windows were fairly sheer. Other than that, it wasn't all that bad for Comi.

Hotel

How would you like to hitch a ride like this?
I guess the inside of the car was full.

The next day we drove to the Getsemani - Mam Center to visit with the care-taker, Ruben. He and his boys were happy to see us. They showed us how they make rope.





















We then drove on to Tajamulco, picked up a friend, and drove to Malacate where we visited some church members as they were working on their new church building. They are putting 2 rooms on the lower part of the property (built on a mountain-side) and the sanctuary on top. We were encouraged to see how much they had done on their own.

Lower 2 rooms

Site for the sanctuary
(The lower rooms are on the other side of where the men are standing.)

We stayed and talked; Ken giving advise and opinions when asked. At lunch time, one of the members invited us to his home for lunch.

After lunch we drove back to Tajamulco, dropped off the friend that rode with us, and then went on to Tuililen to see the widow of our pastor friend, whom the Lord took home 2 1/2 years ago. We were able to visit with her a little before heading back home. It had started to rain again and it's hard getting in and out of the road to her house when it's raining. We did NOT want to get stuck (We were in the four-wheel drive trooper.)



















We were able to drive back home arriving late that night. It was a busy, but great trip.

WET, WET Rainy Season

This year has been the wettest rainy season we've had since coming to Guatemala 20 years ago. The season started off in May with Hurricane Agatha which dumped a lot of water on the country. (Agatha hit two days after the Volcano Pacaya dropped black ash (looking like black snow) on the capital city.) Since Agatha, there have been many other tropical storms. The ground is so saturated, that it has caused countless landslides, bridges to be wiped out and trees to fall. The four lane Pan American highway is down to just two lanes in many places. The rains continue and the ground gets soggier. Needless to say, we are anxiously awaiting dry season this year.

These pictures are all taken on the road between Patzun and Panajachel. They by no means show all the problems on the road caused by the rains.

Fording the river because the bridge is no longer there.

Another view of the washed-out bridge


There used to be a bridge in front of this landslide.
(The bridge was in bad shape before this problem occurred.)
Now we drive over the land bridge made by the slide.

In the town of Santiago, Atitlan, the lake-side city park is now a water park because Lake Atitlan has risen several meters!!