Anitgua, Missionaries and McDonald's

DAY 2: This may be a picture overload, but I am a very FIRM believer that pictures tell the best stories.  So may I guide you through our day with pictures...it was a fabulous/beautiful day!

The girls first ride on a chicken bus..the guy I was sitting by obviously was interested in the camera.  Ha! Ha!  No, he was super nice and told us how much we should pay to get to Antigua.  The good thing about this bus too was that it was SUPER empty, so no pick pocketers here!

This market is so fun!  Here is where we saw SEVERAL missionaries.  Apparently it was p-day and they were having a Zone activity.  Way fun!  We met some missionaries from Utah, one from Oklahoma and then several from central and south america.  They were the funniest to talk to!

Dear Ronald,

You have not aged one bit since we last saw you in 2003. 

Thank you for remaining faithful and waiting for our return.

Yours truly,

Jen and Michelle

(no, I am not suggesting that we become polygamist!)

Reminiscing our almost fateful evening all-nighter back in 2003.  Jen, Heidi, Annie, Laura and myself stayed here in June 2003 until they closed for the night.  We played canasta right here...for several hours until we go the boot.  Then we went to a bar (yup, a bar) and stayed there for a couple of hours.  Once we had to leave the bar we sat on the sidewalk in the middle of Antigua until about 4am when our bus was ready to leave to take us to Honduras.  No, we did not tell our family that we did that until we returned home to the states...we were just babies and they would have not been too thrilled of our choice.  When we were home and told them...they kinda freaked out! Funny, right?

P.S.  This is one of THE nicest McDonald's I have ever been to!  Nice waterfalls/gardens and beautiful interior.  I wonder what people would think if we had McDonald's like that in the states!

Our lunch destination...I don't remember the name but it was all typical food/decor.  So fun!

We ate this...

And this...

We enjoyed the architecture of Antigua, 

soaked in the cobble stone roads, the bright colors

and continued to marvel at the beautiful people!

More achitecture.  This was a beautiful cathedral that we went to.

Ate helados...YUM!  I swear ice cream is better in 3rd world countries!

Paolo, Emiliana, Manola, me, Jen

Patricia, Eddy (my dad's oldest brother)

Our family was so gracious to feed all 5 of us and allow us into their beautiful home!  They are wonderful and I am so glad that I can call them family!  This night was also the 1st time we met Gianna (Emi's daughter) and Paolo (Emi's husband).  It was so fun getting to know them...we love them all! 

Ok, for my own personal rememberance...Patricia had called us the morning that we left for Antigua.  We had already made plans with Emi that we would be going to our aunt and uncle's home for dinner after we arrived back to the city.  Patricia let us know that she had a meeting in Antigua and she would be able to take us directly to her house...AWESOME!  We met her at a very beautiful hotel and got in her car.  We were TOTALLY SMUSHED!  But I suppose that is another part of the Guatemalan experience.  You don't have to wear seat belts, you are always squished.  Rebecca and I's legs were totally dead when we arrived at their house.  Good news was...when we returned to Grandpa's house we got a personal chauffer and we had plenty of room for everyone and great leg room.  Worked out fab!