Guatemala City "Excitement"

Museum of Ethnology and Archaeology jump-started our Guatemala City craziness. It was a slow start - there were a few interesting things in the museum, but for the most part I dislike old stuff caged behind class. The only excitement there was the time I tried to climb up a ladder to stand on a dividing wall and the ladder started to do the splits - held together with a teeny bit of twine!

We went to some fancy restaurant (I'm probably getting the museum and restaurant names completely wrong) - Cacao, I believe. One man and a guitar wandered (together) around our table serenading us. It was a tad awkward to have someone performing a foot and inches from our faces. Like all of the expensive restaurants we've been to our "crew" (usually consisting of David, Emily, and I)was disheartened by the high cost and low flavor of the food. I think my "raviolis" were 95Quetzales - they were made with a squash sauce and some odd herb... not to complain, I only miss cooking!

We visited the Palace (very opulent, ornate, but spiced up with a wonderful tour guide!) and a cathedral.(pictured below)

I realized how any big group chanting (even something as innocent as The Lord's Prayer) seems cult-ish. Our last stop (after in/famous Pollo Campero) was the market. Much of the same stuff as everywhere. I learned how the vendors make extravagant "Guatemala" bracelets. Got stopped on the way back to the bus by the pot-vendors. No, not to buy the stuff - but their psychedelic bracelets caught my attention more than any of the others. David came back - probably to rescue me from accidentally buying drugs.
Oh, and here's the palace:

Sunday Emily and I hunted down my Maestra's church "Rey de los Naciones": King of the Nations. There was a guest speaker. He found it necessary to endorse the sinner's prayer. I dislike it, only because "raising your hand to accept Jesus into your heart" sounds so easy and leaves the hand-raiser with a sense of security from the raise of a hand. I don't think a hand motion or repeat-after-me prayer saves anyone. I think dying to oneself and allowing Jesus to be the Lord (one in control) of one's life - and the savior - is what salvation is more about.

There are so many stunning vistas, sweet old Mayan women, intense architecture, etc that I'd like to share -- but the internet is really too tired for all that now!