Guatemala direct to Miami - a crazy contrast.

US security is as clearly implemented at ground level as it is explained by its Commander in chief.

As Nat and I approached our American Airlines specific gate a man behind the screen quickly put on rubber gloves (this worried me) and sure enough I was taken aside where my backpack was inspected and various items removed - deodorant, face cream, shaving cream and liquid clothes wash. I shrugged, the official shrugged, then in one foul swoop desposed of them in the garbage. Dangerous goods! Nat meanwhile was being worked over with a handheld metal detector. The shaving cream had distracted my guy so I never had the metal detector search. 1 point for Bush... he´s got my deodorant, but never found out if I was carrying a gun!

The next morning we quickly found the nearest diner where the menu was probably 5 times your local chinese restaurant. Upon finishing breakfast we were asked, by a man who probably couldn´t understand why not judging from his girth, if we would like dessert (at 11am).


Miami reminded us at times of Bondi... just a bit flashier. The Art Deco buildings are the highlight of South Beach and the fact that everyone speaks spanish. We were also having coffee one day when a guy rode by on his bicycle with a large iguana on his back.

We returned to the diner so that Nat could get her Jewish fix. This meant bagels with chopped liver and pickles. Eat your heart out Hanka!

The most difficult goodbye so far.

Our last few days at IslaVerde were a little more emotional than we had expected. On our last night at the hotel, the staff presented us with a hand woven Mayan cloth with the words ¨Restaurante IslaVerde¨ sewn into it. The staff had put a lot of thought and effort into our gift and it really made us realise what strong friendships we had forged.

The next morning when it was time to say goodbye we were overcome with sadness. It seemed that we had underestimated the extent of our connection to the locals, our foreign friends, the animals (especially Beltxa), the hotel and our life in Santa Cruz and in the end we were left questioning whether we should really be leaving this special place...

Thank you to everyone who made our time at Santa Cruz so magical. We hope to see you again soon - hasta la proxima!

Feliz cumpleanos...

We celebrated Jack's birthday with a few of our Santa Cruz friends. We enjoyed a delicious meal and ended the night with a midnight skinny dip in the lake.

We needed a day away from the hotel and managed to convince Rick and Amanada, a couple who had driven to Lake Atitlan all the way from Colorado, to take us on a road trip.

Our chosen destination was the magical and misty hot springs at Fuentes Georginas.

Last weekend we took part in a scavenger hunt organised by the staff at the Iguana. The idea was to answer questions by collecting information from a number of different towns situated around the lake (think the Amazing Race). We had a private boat to take us from each town to the next, complete with an esky full of coldies and lots of fun along the way.

Our first stop was Santiago de Atitlan, famous for the shrine of Maximón - the naughty saint worshipped in various forms by Maya people. In Santiago, he is a wooden statute who moves from house to house each year. Visitors bring offerings of liquor and we came armed with a bottle of Gallo (beer), but were bluntly told by his attendants that Maximón would prefer it if we purchased a bottle of his favourite beverage, aguadiente (think cheap backyard rum). Nice try!

Outside the rather bizarre shrine to Maximón, we got chatting to the friendly family currently housing the saint, who decided to take the opportunity to attempt to transform Nat into a Tzutujil Mayan...

We ended the day with the Lake Atitlan cliff diving championships. Jack earned a few points for our Budgie Smugglers team by plunging into the crystal blue water of the lake from the ridiculously high cliff pictured above (Mexican cliff diving south of the border). Go Budgies!

Our mates at La Iguana...

Over the past few weeks we have been enjoying the more social side of Santa Cruz as low season has really kicked in.

Our favourite people to hang out with have been our friends at the hostel down the road, the Iguana, including Hector, Bex and Rich above. These guys have coordinated a number of brilliant social events including a progressive dinner around Santa Cruz and a scavanger hunt across a number of the villages by the lake (a more detailed entry is to come).

We celebrated Bex's farewell BBQ last night with a pinyada and fire dancer. There is never a dull moment with the Iguana crew and we have yet to make their famous Saturday night cross-dressing party!

Just another day in paradise -

A day trip to Pana for supplies with our favourite guests Heather and Matthew...

We have 3 very special staff who work with us in the restaurant at the hotel - Domingo (17), Elena (20) and Christina (17). They are all indigenous Mayans who live in the local pueblo. These kids work at IslaVerde to help support their families, which in Christina's case includes her 1 year old daughter.

Elena (pictured below right) is a particularly unique women in her community. She is currently in the process of applying to the bank for a loan to build her own house and has chosen to focus on her career unlike most women her age who are married or have children.

Working with these guys has been very special for both of us. Elena, who thinks Jack is a better looking version of Ben Affleck, has even told us that we are like her second set of parents! They have helped us with our Spanish and now Jack is returning the favour by holding English classes for them in the afternoons.

The other week we let the staff hold a small dinner for some of their friends at the restaurant. We were invited as special guests to feast with them on chicken, guacamole, salad and tortillas all of which was impressively prepared by Mario (our gardener pictured on the far left above, who according to Elena, is the most wanted bachelor in Santa Cruz), Domingo and two of their mates.