Black Hole

It turns out that while we did not fall into a black hole, some of our belongings did. For starters, the DVDs we burned in Guatemala that contained all of our photos from the trip (and the portable DVD player and case that was carrying them). And also, half of the biggest part of my matryoshka doll.* And a spiral-bound notebook. But fortunately, our black hole seems to be occasionally spitting things back out. Just a few days ago it spit out a small elephant Christmas tree ornament that I didn’t even know was missing. And the notebook came back out too. I’m sure that eventually the rest of the stuff will come back, but who knows when? In the meantime, I am just so very grateful that our photos are also on Brice’s mom’s computer in Guatemala, so they’re not totally lost.

Are you sensing where this is going yet? That was my really big, long excuse for why I haven’t posted anything about our vacation! But I figured that since I was at this very moment actively avoiding working on my current novel or planning my next one, I would at least write a blog post. So, a quick summary, in case I never do any better:

Guatemala was fun and relaxing (mostly; please note sore legs below) and beautiful. We saw…

~Kaminalyuju, an area of ruins kind of right in the middle of Guatemala City. They’re all covered over with dirt and grass, except for the sections they excavate piece by piece. But when they’re done excavating, they cover it again to protect it from the elements. It’s weird to think of going to all that work and then reburying it, but they don’t have the means to keep everything protected if exposed all the time.

~Antigua, an old little town, in which we visited a cathedral (with lots of great statuary), a jade museum (so cool, people! I want to devote an entire post to Maya stuff I learned—especially related to birth! neato!), and a restaurant way up high on a hill. I also saw an avocado tree. Avocados! They grow on trees! (Yes, yes, I knew that, but it was still fun to actually see.) I wanted to steal all the avocados, but I didn’t. Good job, me.

~Tikal, some big ole temple ruins rising out of the jungle. Including that temple in that one scene from one of the Star Wars movies (yes, seriously, that’s exactly how specific I can get about it). This was a full-day trip just for me and Brice, including four hours of climbing up and down ridiculously steep rock structures. Also including some awesome airport adventures (teaser: I got a pocket-sized set of tweezers confiscated. seriously.).

Before Tikal, I had never really viscerally understood how entirely cities could be just plain lost, reclaimed by the jungle. I mean, I grew up in Utah, folks. And there’s no way jungle’s going to be reclaiming anything in Utah. So I just didn’t get it. But wow, now I do. Jungle just slurping up huge buildings, vines growing up over them and trees around. Pretty much, if there’s a regularly shaped hill in Guatemala, it probably has a pyramid underneath it.

This is also where I got the sore legs. That lasted three days. But mostly only on my right thigh and my left calf (that would be from going down really steep steps sideways without switching sides enough). Tikal also has this amazing, zinging echo sound when you get in between a couple of the buildings. I wish that I could explain to you exactly how very cool this echo is. I mean, seriously, if I tell you that one of the very coolest things about the whole vacation was an echo, you’re going to think I’m completely lame. So we’ll pretend I didn’t say that.

Also, spider monkeys and toucans and one really big spider. And allspice, gum, and incense trees.

Wow, I really wish I had pictures to show you all this cool stuff. I hope to have some eventually.

~Pacaya, a volcano that only Brice and his dad went to. I stayed home to write (yes, I confess that I spent several hours on vacation writing—and it was sooooo great, because the girls played with Grandma and had a lovely time, and I had guilt-free writing! amazing!) and to keep my legs from dying ignominiously. I also avoided saddle sores (hooray!). Brice says the volcano was pretty cool (well, okay, it was actually rather hot) and he also picked up some nifty volcanic rocks.

~A zoo (with several big cats, tons of little cats, an arboreal anteater, and caterpillars the size of my hand all over the trees). The children’s science museum. A modern art museum with some gorgeous pottery and a piece that looked a lot like giant baby of a battleship and a grand piano.

~Church on Sunday, at which sacrament meeting was the Primary program—bilingual! And then in Relief Society I understood about three words. :) But that was still good. They were important words.

~Little things like going to markets, eating at Pollo Campero (fast food place—and fast food places in Guatemala are all sort of fancy and sit-down-y), eating at San Martin (pastries! tons of them! for really cheap!), and hanging out playing with Play Doh and such.

Well, I positively have forgotten something, and I have yet to regale you with any of the really funny stories (like the last leg of the flight, in which Addra vomited copiously all over Brice; good times, my friends). But at least I can feel like I posted something!

And now I shall give you some links. Because Brice’s mom is way awesomer at posting pictures than I am. I have no idea if her blog is by invitation only or not. But if not, you can at least see a few of our pictures on her blog:

http://joyceandlarryinguatemala.blogspot.com/2012/09/brices-family-visits.html

http://joyceandlarryinguatemala.blogspot.com/2012/09/saravias-baptism.html

We had a lovely time. Brice’s parents are so marvelous, and we definitely miss them. The vacation was great, but seeing them was better. We love you, Joyce and Larry!

*Matryoshka dolls are those nesting dolls from Russia. And I’m undoubtedly butchering the spelling here. And no, I didn’t get that in Guatemala. My brother got it for me. In Russia. Many moons ago. It just happens to have disappeared into the same black hole.