Disaster Strikes Dan!

It all started like any other undisasterous night...

I had a few beers with the Frenchies, and then a few more with the Norwegian guys I met at the hostel, and then a few more with an Israeli guy who kept rolling joints and a British guy who kept encouraging me to drink. Then we went out for cheap tacos 3 for 10 Quetzales (about $1.40), asking the server for some extra limes on the way out and a plastic bag. We then decided it was about time to buy some liquor for this party we were going to in Fuentes Georginas (some natural hotsprings near Xela). After perusing the expensive liquors, I asked the security guard who was one of those rough types who you knew drank cheap liquor. He pointed out Quetzalteco Especial, you could get a liter of it for a few dollars.

We met some chapins (Guatemalans) the rest of our ragtag group (Switzerland and USA were included) at a gas station waiting for a chicken bus up to the hotsprings and proceeded to demolish our nasty liquor. Switzerland said it tasted good, but I think he was lying because he only drank 2 swigs. The bus was absolutely packed so I climbed on the roof. Then the driver kicked us all off the roof so I stayed crammed inside for a while until nature's call became more of an insistent yodelling. At that point I escaped out the back door onto the roof again; probably not the best idea while the bus is taking dangerous mountain turns at 80km/h in the dark, but it was necessary to avoid pissing my pants. I then pissed off the roof, and sprayed it all over my pants. Fortunately there was so much wind it only took a few minutes to dry. I remember being extremely cold up there.

My memory gets a bit vague, but there were some bands and DJs (apparently who I'd met before) and these very warm waters. Oh and there was Capoera (however that's spelled), and Norway got a giant gash for his drunken dancing/fighting efforts. Actually that might have been from the little underwater tunnel in the pool. I partied it up with everyone I knew and everyone I didn't, and then at some point we decided to leave. I would like to tell you an entertaining story but honestly that Quetzalteco Especial made remembering anything Especial-ly difficult.

DISASTER! When singing down the streets back to our hostel, Britain mentioned that I wasn't wearing my toque!!! GGAAAAHHHHGGK! It was my favorite toque and now I will no longer be invincible to to cold nights, which is terrible because I'll be forced to change into shoes and pants instead of my usual tropical gear of shorts and sandals. So anyway, if you happen to have some more time between getting drunk, reading about me getting drunk and hoarding precious little APN functions, maybe you can make me another green toque?

Apparently we were greatly appreciated when we came back to our dorm room. USA and Britain (different girl) thanked me quite thoroughly this morning as I was trying to drunkenly wolf down my french toast (the breakfasts are very good here at this hostel, which is why I haven't left). I think the hangover is starting to kick in...

In other news, I don't know where Rafer or Erik are. Apparently they spent time in Antigua at crack shacks, and I heard they were going to buy a car with Holland and Ireland to drive to Tikal and Rio Dulce. Since I haven't heard anything from them, they could be at the bottom of a large ravine (well, Rafer will be fine because he's invincible, but poor Erik one of the thousands of victims of traffic each month), or maybe they were robbed and now held hostage, which is too bad because they don't have phones or money.

Dan.