Bureaucratic film negotiations and fluorescent butter for soap

It is I guess 2 de enero 2003 but I don't really start counting until I go to sleep. I still should write more about what I've been doing here in Guatemala but not now as I previously had my blog eaten by the ruthless system error monster and none was left so that will have to be for later when I can be so inspired to start again. It's new years day so the inspiration will come soon. I was going to mention on how impressed I am with the Guatemalans' ability to shut down a city. I mean it looks like a nuclear weapon exploded. To find anything open in the mera ciudad as said here (the centre city) was like pulling teeth from a teethless goat. Next to impossible. Like in Spain everything has those metal door like things that go up and down. I mean it really was empty. On new years eve we were walking around and we found two bars, old fruit at a closing market, and little else until we stumbled upon a barred up tienda (store) where I bought my dinner consisting of two eggs that would be boiled, some bananas and some peach juice. All ok considering I had had a nice breakfast this morning but still. Tonight we had to negotiate our way into the cinema because the ticket office closed exactly with the last film. We made our way down to the parking lot and I proceeded to negotiate with the security guard. He finally let us in paying him. 15 minutes after the film officially started there still was advertisements.

Another thing which I noticed that is quite different is the washing up liquid here. It is in a little tub and it looks like fluorescent butter. Quite the odd thing. When I was in Quezada, Jutiapa. I had this wonderful fruit which somewhat looks like a cocoon or snot inside but it is little pomegranate seeds. The fruit is called grenadilla or little pomegranate. (Note: I learned later, more specifically in May that grenadilla and passion fruit are the same...Funny how changing languages and names plays games with your mind.)