WAIT ONE GOSH DARN MOMENT THERE

I am now in Lake Atitlan in the town of Panajachel Guatemala. We are staying at a beautiful old hotel that is right on the water overlooking the mountains across the lake. Panajachel is the largest town on the lake. The lake is formed out of the remnants of an extinct collapsed volcano, surrounded by active volcanoes. A truly beautiful area. To get around the various towns you need to take a boat. The area is lush and green due to the outrageous amount of rain in the area. The water is flat only in the morning and in the afternoon the water becomes very choppy due to the various winds coming off the mountains. The people you meet here are extremely nice and outgoing.

There is a town called San Marco and it is KNOWN AS A a “new age/hippy” town. it offers yoga, meditation, drum circles, cacao “ceremonies, moon courses, medicinal foods, and every spiritual activity you can think of. The town which is the most impressive, in my opinion, is the Mayan town called San Juan. It has street art everywhere you look and the artists are wonderful. The local people are Mayans and they still dress in their traditional cloths. A very colorful area.

HEALTH NOTE. Well, I was really hopeful that my most recent blood test would be conclusive proof that my cancer count is going down, but my Doctor is not sure. He is not sure what he is reviewing, because of the variations in laboratories in the countries I have been in and the inconsistent results so he wants to see me and have his lab determine what direction my health is taking. He also wants me to get a Pet Scan in order to know for certain that my cancer is reacting positively to the meds that I am on. Actually I am not surprised and I anticipated having to come home to do just that. My mother did not raise a fool.

I am planning to come home for a blood test, go back to my travels and then to return again when and if my insurance company approves the Pet Scan. So I believe that I shall come home two times before heading out to Europe. I may be changing the trip itinerary, if need be, so that I can have enough time to be home to see the Doctor, get my tests, change my meds if absolutely necessary and not miss too much of my travels. If I do change my travel itinerary I will be traveling for more than the year that I had originally planned. How much more I am not sure, it depends on how much time I need to get my meds together.

Once again I will say, this will not stop me from continuing with my journey. As long as I feel good, I shall travel. As long as I can breath, I shall try to enjoy every day of the rest of my life.