We Made It!

Getting here last night was fun but weird. First off the thing about getting fed on an airplane was cool. Thank you Lacsa. I'd forgotten what that was like. Then when we'd hardly finished our little snack, we were landing. I think within an hour and a half of take off, we were on the ground in Guatemala City. By the time we got through immigration, which took a half hour or so, picked up our backpacks, and went through customs, which involved a friendly person accepting our customs declaration form and welcoming us to Guatemala, I guess it was 8:30 or so. Then we exited the airport to a mob much larger than the one that normally awaits arriving flights at the San Jose airport - and much more colorful, too, with many women dressed in traditional Mayan attire. It definitely made an impression, as did the soldiers with their huge guns.
We quickly spotted Roberto, holding a sign with our names. While driving us to Antigua, he told us a bit about Guatemala, the city and Antigua, and gave us a little Spanish practice. In Antigua we were met by the friendly Julio, the owner/director of our school. He introduced us to his mother and she showed us our apartment, which is off her patio - and next door to the school. This arrangement should work well. Dona Maria Linda, Julio's mama showed us that we had a gas stove, a bathroom and a lot of other handy items in the apartment. After the introductions, we walked a block or so and had some nachos and beer before returning to our little apartment and a good night's sleep.
The town looked beautiful last night, but it was dark and we really couldn't tell much. Today it's been confirmed. This town is fabulous! After breakfast at an adorable place around the corner from our apartment, Kaffee Fernando's, where they grind their own cafe (Cappuccino 9 Dbl 11 Tipico Desayuno 12 w Onion y tomate 14; cafe 45 a pound..), we went to the bank to get some quetzales, did the grocery store thing to get supplies for the apartment, paid our tuition for next week, walked some more, rested, then had dinner at a neighborhood Salvadoran restaurant. Life is good. I could live here.