El Estor

We were standing roadside, Logan sitting on our bags in front of the farm waiting for any westbound vehicle to pass.   It was only a few minutes before an old clunker school bus rolled up and a man walked off with a box filled with live chickens.  Logan was more than enthused for his first "chicken bus".  There were lots of stares as we boarded.  The serious faces of the Mayan villagers quickly turned to gold-toothed smiles at the sight of Shane.  People let out a surprised “Que lindo!” and sometimes, “Que linda!” as his bald head gets him mistaken for a girl.  It was a short and very comfortable ride passing the lake on our left and the mountains on our right to the town of El Estor.  Of course Logan decided to fall asleep the minute we reached the town, while Shane was already asleep on Ali tucked in the Ergo baby carrier.  If you have kids and are considering travelling, then you need one of these.  No, I do not own shares of Ergo. 

Our procedure for these golden scenarios is to gently carry Logan off the bus, grab the stroller first and transfer him.  Then we dangle our carry-ons from the stroller back and I collect the backpacks. Ali keeps Shane on her front and I hoist her pack up.  I carry mine and push Logan around.  We look something like this photo, but we are actually more intelligent and better looking in real life.  You will have to put on your thinking cap.   

We used to just take the first hotel we saw, but we´ve found it pays huge DIVIDENDS to seek out what we´re looking for.  Some places try to charge us for the kids, since Guatemala is a per person country and not a per room country like Belize.  In Estor, we got tired of strolling around town with all our gear.  Ali isn´t able to secure her hip straps, so after awhile I end up muling it which makes me feel like, a mule.  We found a spot in the shade, threw our stuff on the curb by the lake and Ali stayed with the two sleeping boys while I jogged around to find our room “con dos camas, una cama matriomoniale porque mi esposa duerma con el niño.”  I prefer settling out the details and paying the tab before the recepción can see that we have two kids.  

What a sweet find in a very scenic town.  We´ve been to some very chilled out towns, but El Estor is beyond tranquillo.  I don´t think we heard one vehicle after 9 p.m.   Our hotel is on this road in photo.  Early afernoon and voila no traffic.  It felt somewhat like our early years in Hualien, Taiwan but this place was many many steps back in time. 

Lots and lots of stares and comments.  When I say lots, I mean on a level that everyone sitting curbside makes a comment, people are taking pictures of us on their cellphones and passing vehicles beep and ladies point and we hear something about los niños.  It is on a level easily comparable to China; the difference being that in China people just stare expressionless like they are watching tv, but the people here interact, smile, some talk to you, some come up and rub Shane´s head or grab a cheek, shopkeepers sometimes ask to hold him.  It´s friendly and open, despite the violent history.

       

The room cost 150 Q, less than 20 bucks.  Our dinner was ridiculous.  Two steak dinners with rice, beans, tortillas, bananas, two beers.  I went to pay the bill and I thought I heard her say 50, so I looked stern, stifled my inner laughter and replied “50 por todos si?”  

 “Si.”  That´s $6.50 cdn folks.  For two.  Including beers.  Last time I was out in T.O. one pint cost more than that.

After our cheap dinner, we walked to the central park square which was across the street from our hotel.  The kids playing basketball were extremely patient with Shane and Logan.  They not only generously donated their ball to the boys for use, but took the time to play with them as well.  Logan idiolizes older kids so this was such a good experience for him.  The girls who were 8 or 9 years old pick up Shane and knew exactly how to hold Shane on their hip.  Afterall, they have many other siblings at home who they help with daily.  Kids help kids here.

If you know me – and you do – then you know that I am prone to blurt out things like “I could stay here forever, maybe!” and mean it, maybe.  We usually love a place for the first day or two and then things start to grind on me like a rusty thing that is rusty and that grinds, then we are ready to move on.  We always get to wondering what may be around the next corner, but not here. We are enjoying our time here; increasingly.