Hello all...
Am writing from antigua where i have been since yesterday afternoon.
Ive never ´blogged´ before but it seems like a good way to keep up with my journal writing while simultaneously keeping in touch with people... i hope you enjoy...

So far, getting out of new york was far and away the most treacherous part of the journey. at 430 am it just wasnt possible to get into manhattan so after an hour in traffic on flatbush avenue we finally got on the BQE and took a very circuitous route to Newark. I just made my flight, only because of some somewhat reckless driving on my part and the amazing patience of Jonathan he was busy calling USAir trying to get me on a later flight. Around this time, I started feeling really sick from the chroloquinn (and the stress) but a whole bunch of water and finally getting some sleep on the plane seems to have done a good deal of help.

Fast forward several hours -- arriving in Guatemala CIty was beautiful. We flew over the huge Lago de Atitlan which is surrounded by volcanic peeks. THe landscape here is very mountainous and the volcanoes reach up above the clouds. Coming off the plane, a met a guy named skip from DC. Turns out he was meeting up with a friend of his who is working for an orphanage in Antigua with a peace corps affiliated program, I think. I went with them to Antigua and we had an amazing evening just walking the cobblestone streets of this small city. THere is a huge volcano to the south that helps with my sense of direction. In the center of town is a fountain of 4 sirens - its quite a site. WE had some great coffee on a terrace ' there are amazing flowers everywhere and its about 65 degrees although it got quite cool last night.

I tasted two new foods! Alicia rents a room with a family here and in their garden were several kinds of birds and two pet baby aligators. In her kitchen, she had passion fruit and sugar cane. Buoth good, although the consistency of passion fruit (you only eat the inside, so its safe to eat) is much like frog eggs.

Am staying at teh Hostel Casa Shalom - the name intrigued me, I guess. Theyve found a niche market with the Israelis who all travel after the army. Met some surfer Israelis who are staying there.

Today, Ill find Oren and then head on to El Salvador, although I wish I had more time to hang out around here.

Miss you all, would love to hear from you...