January 5th (Eli)

We've just settled down for the night on Flores Island in Guatemala. It has finally cooled down after a long day under the Belizean and Guatemalan sun.

This morning we woke up and had hot dogs with onions, mustard, and hot green salsa. Afterwards, we walked over to Succotz the nearby village in Belize to go to the Nazarene church. It was really interesting. The Pastor and other service leader spoke in English and Spanish and the music was booming. They wanted it to be heard in the streets. That morning had been cooler and dry, but by the time we left church the streets were sweltering and I quickly took off my second shirt. It was gorgeous walking through the streets and hills surrounding Succotz as we headed back to the campground. We had a bit of free time before lunch (of Belizean stewed chicken, rice, and potato salad) so I looked around the dining hall and checked out the lush green hillside. I was really struck by three pullets (teenage chickens) each of a different color, as they raced each other into the woods. Around Succotz, there are chickens, big gorgeous ones, roaming around. We had lunch, hung around, and hopped in the van for the Guatemalan border.

The Guatemalan border was hot, sunny, and filled with people trying to get over to Guatemala. While we were waiting in line, I met this Guatemalan woman whose family was heading back from a vacation up in Cancun. This was lots of sitting around and talking for us as we waited to wait in the main two lines.

We were eventually picked up at the Guatemalan border and drove for about an hour and a half to Flores. The place we are staying at is gorgeous, it's right on the lake. Qossay, James and I chose to get the one triple room. It seemed to be the right choice as it had a balcony overlooking the brightly painted street.

For dinner, we went to a Guatemalan pizzeria and had great pizza. Afterwards we walked around the streets of Flores, had some ice cream and took in the cool Guatemalan night. We caught a bit of basketball game and the end of some sort of fair. We ended the night with a game of euchre, which I learned for the first time the night before. Guatemala is incredible and colorful.