My alarm was set for 4:30 but I awoke a few minutes before it went off. I took a shower and dressed and then sent a email to Barbara Boerner about the capstone course. I awoke Steph as Joan made coffee and then put the dog out in the drizzle. I ate my standard breakfast of cranberry almond cereal with a banana. Steph decided not to accompany us. I brought Maxx in and then Joan took me to GSP in a light rain. She let me off at the Delta counter and we said our good-byes.

There was a big crowd and a long international line. It took forever to check in. Many of us were getting a little antsy. We needn't have worried; the flight was delayed more than an hour due to ground fog in Atlanta . Our 7:30 flight took off at 8:45.

When we arrived in Atlanta we were delayed on the tarmac for another 15 minutes. As a result, my flight to Guatemala started boarding just as I got to the gate. I had a window seat over the wing, not that there was anything to see until we got over the Gulf of Mexico . I watched “Just like Heaven” and ate lunch. The 3 ½ hour flight went quickly. I had a good view of the North American-Caribbean Plate boundary along the Motagua fault. I also had a good view of Atitlán, Tolimán, and San Pedro volcanoes around Lago de Atitlán.

We landed in Guatemala under partly cloudy skies. The four volcanoes south of the city, Pacaya, Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango, were all visible. The airport didn't look much different than it did 30 years ago.

The delays in Atlanta caused my bag to be left behind. Delta had already arranged for it to be on tomorrow's flight. I walked out and saw a guy with a sign with my name on it. I assumed he was the hotel guy but he took me to a rental car and it became clear that there were some crossed wires. It turned out that Sam Bonis had faxed the rental company my arrival time and they assumed I would want the car. The guy took me back to the airport where we found another guy with a sign with my name on it. He was the guy I wanted, Henry Escalante. He turned out to be from Tejutla, a small town near the Mexican border that I visited 30 years ago. He was a good driver and got me out of the city and over to the Hotel Casa Mía in Antigua. I had forgotten how steep Guatemalan roads can be. I had not really spent any time in Antigua so I was surprised how quickly we got there.

The Casa Mía is a nice, clean place with an interior courtyard. I lay down and took a siesta awaking around 5:00. I watched CNN for an hour before getting a beer. The guy at the desk told me I could order a Domino's pizza delivered. This isn't the Guatemala I remember! I ordered one and ate it in the hotel comedor, talking with the hotel guy. He will help get my bag tomorrow.

I stayed up until 12:30 waiting for Stan but he never showed up. I wonder why?