JTOG Day 34: Reunited with Self as Lava flows from Fuego Volcano

JTOG Day 34, Wednesday November 13th, 2013, was one of those transitional days on the Journey where I am moving from one place to another. On this day the move was all predicated by the mover which was Torch and whether or not she would be repaired, returned to fit condition and ready for another traveling adventure with me at the wheel. Olaf had hoped to find the needed brake fluid pump and an early morning call confirmed that he did indeed find one and Torch would be ready to go at 3:30 pm in the afternoon. So I had a free day in the heart of Guatemala City and a relatively short drive of about 45 miles to get out to La Reunion Golf Resort & Residences in the evening.

This Hump Day in Guatemala was more than a transitional day geographically for me. One thing almost happened in the afternoon and another thing did happen in the evening that were a Journey breaker and a Journey and lifetime memory respectively. Things always happen in the least expected way in a place you may not have expected to be ever in your life.

The day started out normal enough, at least for being on a 100-day, 14-country, 18,471-mile odyssey of a lifetime. I woke up in a nice place—the Hotel Bresciani, my second night there. I spent the morning transferring yesterday’s pictures and videos from the camera to my laptop and a backup external drive. I also was doing some electronic networking, planning ahead for El Salvador and plotting my course south.

I decided to try to connect with Mr. José Antonio Muñoz Molina, the president of the Guatemala National Golf Association, something Pepe suggested I do. I didn’t have an appointment and wasn’t even sure he would be in the office but the office was nearby at Avenida Las Americas 18-81 zona 14 so I decided to take a walk to see the city up close and personal. I packed up and checked out and had the bellhop store my luggage for me. My plan was to come back and pick it up and taxi over to pick up Torch at OL Motores. I was out the door and hopping in a taxi to take me to the Obelisco by 12:30 pm.

The Obelisco was a huge roundabout with a gigantic Christmas tree in the center of it. I never saw the monument commemorating the independence of Central America. I wanted to see the Avenida Las Americas and learn from its plazas and monuments about the other countries in Central America that I would soon be visiting. The avenue was broad with a park-like median lined with trees and monuments. As I walked down through the center of it all I took notice of the people memorialized in stone. There was Jose Joaquin Palma, Rafael Alvarez Ovalle, David Vela, Miguel Angel Asturias, Delores Bedoya De Molina, Antonio Jose De Irisaaai (correct spelling), Al Mantar, Henri Dunant, Benito Juarez and Jose Bonifacio De Andrada E. Silvia.

At that point of the self-tour I was distracted by the impressive Pan American Life building. I had car insurance in Mexico but had no luck finding any for Central America. I went in and took the elevator up to the top and went up to the teller (seemed like a bank to me). She didn’t speak English but asked Lorena Ortiz who did to come out to meet me. Nice try but they were life insurance, not car insurance. Lorena was nice who sent me across the street to Seguros Mapfre where I met Carlos Raul Segura. Nice guy who also could not insure me but gave me a great tip for lunch out back which is where I headed next.

When I resumed my tour it dawned on me (must have been the nourishment) that I was not on the Avenida Las Americas (no plazas or monuments about Central American countries) but that I was on Avenida Reforma (hence all the reformation heroes). Now completely disoriented and with a check of the time I abandoned my plan to walk to the Guatemala National Golf Association,

Then I made a near fatal mistake after coming up to the American Embassy. I took a picture as I walked casually along the park in the divided avenue. Two armed guards double timed it across the street coming towards me. I pretended not to notice as I really did not realize I had done anything wrong. They intersected my way and halted me to a stop. They did not speak English but I could interpret that they wanted to see my camera and passport. I showed them my camera but in a way so they would not see the picture I had taken. I really wasn’t sure if I had taken a picture as a documentarian takes pictures subconsciously. They wrote down information from my passport. I was happy when they returned my passport and let me go without arresting me. Lesson learned that it is not being a proper American tourist taking pictures of our embassy in Guatemala City. My apology Uncle Sam.

That was enough for me and it was time to hail a taxi, swing by Hotel Bresciani and pick up my luggage and then head over to OL Motores to hopefully pick up Torch and be on our way to La Reunion Golf Resort & Residences. We got stuck in traffic but eventually made it to Olaf’s garage. Olaf was true to his word and Torch was ready to go. We chatted for a while and after hearing my South America plans he mentioned that his best friend lived in Lima, Peru. In fact Olaf was born in Peru and grew up there. I also got more excited as Olaf told me how great a place La Reunion was. In fact he once shot a 3-under 33 on the front nine on the Fuego Maya Golf Course and followed that with a 47 on the back nine. Derailed by a 12 on the uphill par-4 tenth hole. What an 80! I could not get to La Reunion fast enough!

Torch and I hit rush hour traffic leaving Guatemala. No worries as the experience of being in Guatemala was all new and exciting. After coming in Carretera (Highway) CA-9 from Mexico and being ushered out that way to the Mayan Golf Club by Pepe I seemed to have my bearings so as the sun set I felt confident I was going in the right direction. After exiting the highway I could see the faint conical outline of the Fuego Volcano in the distance. As I went up Route 14 for about 10 miles to the turn off to La Reunion the inverted cone kept getting bigger and bigger.

Soon after the turn, the road took me to another side of Fuego and it was then I saw something I had never seen before in my life. There was a fiery red stream of lava flowing down from the apex of Fuego. I didn’t feel in any danger but seeing an active volcano somehow took me back to prehistoric times and gave me a different perspective of being a human being living on a volatile earth. I looked around but did not see any dinosaurs roaming around the base of Fuego. Even today, that fiery red stream of lava coming down the mountainside is vivid in my mind. It was a spiritual experience, completely unexpected and deeply moving. Nature is beautiful yet definitely daunting in some ways down to our very core. I hadn’t even arrived at La Reunion and I already felt I was reunited with my self.

I found La Reunion and one immediately senses the 5-star service, amenities and hospitality. I had my own residence with a full kitchen, dining and living area and incredible master bedroom. Comfortable beyond comparison as I laid my head down on my pillow all I could think of was the active volcano Fuego was as close as Mount Prospect was to my childhood home in Binghamton where I use to jog up to the Ely Park Golf Course on the top. Torch was standing guard outside and promised to honk if she saw any red flowing material approach our resting place.

Good thing I did not get arrested this afternoon. i don’t think I would have wanted to miss the experience at La Reunion for anything in the world!

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