We're back! For those of you that were wondering where we were last weekend, we were in Panajachel on Lago Atitlan. Bill and Rosy from AK have a place there and they put us up for the weekend. We had a wonderful time and all got a little bit toasted from the intense sun. Their hotel is amazing and it provided a great place for rejuvination.
On Monday we headed back to Guate City so Nancy could meet with the Gov't rep. now in charge of the investigations. She recounted her story which was recorded in detail (translated by Ale). And then she dealt with death certificate nuances at the US embassy. We are all a bit dissatisfied with the police investigative work down here.
Today, Tuesday, we boarded the boat after waiting all morning for the "police chief" to show up and "release" the boat to us. We got tired of waiting. We boarded and begain the process of cleaning the boat back to her functional order. It was not as bad as it could have been. A bit of blood on the floor. The cabbage salad Dan and Nancy were making the night of the incident had turned to liquid and there were a few maggots crawling around, but not too bad. We noticed damage to one of the walls behind a map from the machete fight. "Police Investigation" tape put on the boat by the police melted into everything it touched and had to be scraped off by a knife and scrubbed off with mineral spirits. The tape on the hatch covers was the worst clean-up we had to do, so it was not that bad.
We had lunch on the boat - fried fish picked up by Ale on the street, fresh rolls bought from a lady rowing by in her dingy, fresh tortillas, cucumber, fresh bread, avacadoes, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, and beer Dan had bought before he and Nancy sailed out on the 9th. Friends stopped by to chat and offer condolances. We enjoyed the shade of the awning tied out above the cockpit. The sun is unbelievable down here. I couldn't walk barefoot anywhere due to the hot surfaces created by the sun. The fiberglass deck was the only thing do-able. I could have made breakfast on the metal rigging plates on the surface of the boat.
We went for a walk in the late afternoon in town. Nancy met with more friends and we found ourselves talking the night away. We never stayed with any one party too long, but there were many to talk to along our way. We made it back to the boat at around 11pm and Nancy, Jessica and I are sleeping aboard. Daniel, Renee and Ale are in a hotel room nearby with all of our stuff that would fill the boat to capacity if we all crammed on board.
We hope to meet with the "Police chief" tomorrow to get Nancy's personal belongings back. You have to worry about the police stealing just as much as you would worry about a local thief. It is pretty lawless down here. It is wild and beautiful and I understand why Dan liked it. It also makes me appreciate the "order" we have back in the states. All in moderation I guess.
Sorry I was unable to write yesterday. We did not get down here until late. Eight hours on the road - praying the whole way. Mario Andretty (sp) or Dale Earnhardt would fit in well down here.
We still can't believe our captain is gone. We are managing, but it is tough. We hope to take the boat out to stretch her sails. Then we will probably pull her from the water and prep her for a bit of storage. We have not talked about the future. We are still dealing with the past. We are managing with the present and hope to continue to heal. Nancy reiterates how much she appreciates everyone's prayers and words of encouragement. We miss you all.
Love
B
