Thanks!

A number of Guatemalans - other than our partners - helped us for extended periods of time - during our trip. Danilo (above right) drove us in a van from the Guatemala City airport to the Instituto in Coban on Saturday, and from the Instituto to the Hotel Carmen (and an unscheduled stop along the way) on Thursday. Danilo stayed with Lowell and me in the hotel Thursday, and then left for the Coban area, where he lives, at 5 a.m. Danilo told us he is one test away from passing all of the Guatemala bar exam. He plans to practice law in Coban. Pictured below are three Instituto dining hall workers, who cooked and cleaned up and supplied agua pura for our water bottles. To Andrea's right is Carlos (aka Charlie, who sprinkled some English into his speech. Between Andrea and Claudia (from their right to their left) are sisters Trut and Romelia. They permitted Andrea and Claudia to make and cook tortillas with them a couple of different afternoons, and also went along with various schedule changes (including last-minute requests for refracciones). The head person, David, was also helpful. Lowell and I talked just as much with Edwin, also on the staff, who unfortunately I did not get a picture of.



Libny, daughter of Roberto, nephew of Carlos, and cousin of Ana, greeted us at the Hotel Carmen Thursday afternoon, tolerated our mediocre Spanish for a while, and then helped me out numerous times as I had questions about the Macs in the hotel mini-office center. Half of the time I was there Libny was Facebooking. I was sure she was one of Ana's Facebook friends who had commented after Ana dropped the bad news - just about a week before - that she was staying put in the United States, instead of going on the trip.



Libny was the day clerk, and Nery (pictured below) was the night clerk. Like Libny, Nery went above and beyond the call of duty, rushing out to photocopy some materials for us and heading out on a field trip to show me where an Internet cafe with a printer was. Nery was also the recipient of Lowell's generosity. Lowell had bought a hat in the market, and then decided it wasn't for him, and then thought of giving to Nery, who we thought looked great in it (from early Saturday morning, soon before our departure).

-- Perry