LA ANTIGUA

We arrived in Guatamala City and went to the house of Graciela Matzer in a very beautiful area.  We were treated royaly and after a good nights sleep, we rented a car and traveled to the colonial city and old capital of Guatemala...La Antigua.  The house we are staying in is very beautiful and spacious and we each have our own room with bath, a pool, a tv in each room and many other things including a daily maid.  Hard life!

El Fuego
The night we got here El Fuego, one of the many volcanoes, was burping smake and gases.  It is very close to our hacinenda, and a beautiful sight back lit with the sun.

I am sitting in an internet cafe right now, and one hour of connection is 1bout 1.80 US.  Densie has left for the sirport to pick up Jill and Thom, Steve is in the banco trying to get small change, Joaquin is eatuing breakfast, and Jim is checking back home at work. 

It is a typical winter day in this city...Sunny, slight wind and about 69 degrees so far.  Yesterday we drove about 10 miles out of the city to a high mt. where we spent the day with Denise's father on his land which is very beautiful with goreous views of 4 volcanoes, the farms on the hill sides and and the woods all around.  He was smoking 5 chickens in his smoker to give as Xmas gifts.  He explained to me the process:  The chickens come from one of his farms near the coast where they are fed a special diet that doesn't permit too much fat to add to their weight.  After he butchers them he soaks them in a weal brine for a fw days and then rubs them with his concoxeon of salt and sugar.  Then he hangs them in his bric smoker where they smoke for 5 hrs, and voila......the most delicous chicken i have ever eaten.  tender, juicy andsooooo good.  My grandson , Joaquin, says he can eat a whole chicken by himslef, and i beleive him.  They are about 5 lbs after they are cooked...big, fat, and suculent!