Day 8 | Rain and the Ride

I wish you could been with us as we hoisted our bags onto our shoulders and walked down to the dock this morning. I wish you could have enjoyed the chilly morning with us as we climbed on the boat at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am. I wish you could have seen beautiful Lake Atitlan (similar in size to that of the sea of Galilee) surrounded by majestic volcanoes and lush green landscapes. I wish you could have joined in the 40ish minute speedboat ride across the lake to Matteson Ranch. It was beautiful, fast and fun! I enjoyed every minute of it, especially when we made it across the entire lake without Bethany (my very sick sister who was the first to fall to the dreaded “Foreign Travel Sickness”) puking all over me.

I wish you could have joined us because it was a great day. One of those “live-over” days you want to remember. We arrived at the ranch via a short hike through a grove of coffee trees to a beautifully prepared breakfast and where given instructions for the day: hiking and an horseback trail ride.

Argh! Hiking? Did anyone happen to look at that HUGE volcano they told me we were hiking up? That thing was camassive and though my brother may have calves that churn like pistons when hiking, mine certainly don’t! But, I haven’t been running 3 miles every day for nothing, so I gamely set out with the rest of Group 2 and hike I did. Drum roll please: Kristi Cook is a hiker! Our guide, Juan and six of the ranch’s 23 dogs led the way and hacked his way through the overgrown brush so we could proceed up the very steep, seldom used path. We fought off mountain lions and rattlesnakes… ok, not really, but we did have to get a bug out of Anna’s ear, pull out a few splinters (also Anna’s) and devise a plan to get water off of “BGL” (Big Green Leaves) in case we got stuck there for weeks without rescue. “Always be prepared” that’s what I always say! :-)

Group 1 began with a trail ride. From their reports, their ride was great fun. Naomi dressed perfectly in her cowboy boots, huge belt buckle and cowboy hat (which probably took 10lbs of her limited luggage space) was the advanced cowgirl among us and rode “Zeus” the ranch’s stallion. From what I hear, he was quite a handful and kept Naomi busy and sufficiently out of trouble during the ride.

Then we swapped. Group 2’s turn on the horses. I did not ride Zeus.

Everything was going just fine. Uneventful. As a trail ride should be. Then… well… did we mention that this was Guatemala’s rainy season? Yup, you guessed it, we got DRENCHED! Our tranquil trail ride turned into quite an adventure as we rode the 45 minutes back through very wet corn and coffee fields, ravines and slippery rocky mountain paths! Though it was questionable at times, we all made it back in one piece, looking like drowned rates. Turns out the hiking Group 1 got caught in the rain too and we met them on the road about a ¼ mile from the ranch.

The Matteson’s took great care of us and found us all quite a hodge-podge of dry clothes. DRY being the key adjective, though Jerry’s shorts were something to behold. They put our soaking wet clothes into the dryer with the hopes of having them dry by the time we were done with lunch. No luck, but it was a kind attempt. After filling our bellies with an exquisite steak dinner, we changed back into our wet clothes and shoes for the boat ride to San Pedro and our new lodging for the weekend. It’s called Hotelito El Amanecer – which means Day Break Hotel! It’s a cozy little place on the edge of Lake Atitlan. My room even has a hammock outside my front door which I made use of immediately after changing into dry clothes.

The rest of the group showered and changed and headed out for a service at Getsemani Baptist Church. Luke’s team led a children’s program using the story of the Muddy Glove. Beth and I stayed back in hopes that a little extra rest will help her get over the dreaded sickness.

All in all, I wish you could have experienced today with us. I wish you could see Guatemala and what we are seeing. I wish you could meet the missionaries and local believers that we have the privilege of meeting. I have been blessed by the way they are pouring out their lives for the people here and by the way God is at work in this country. I am learning so much. I wouldn’t be anywhere else!

Kristi Cook