The map

Steve and I took a trip into the city today and got lost! Great fun, really. What can you expect when you are in a city of nearly 3 million people without a map! I tried Google maps, but there weren't any driving directions for Guate. Traffic is crazy and there is construction everywhere, so many roads are blocked off. We found ourselves on a beautiful highway that wound down a steep gorge and up the other side. A sign said leaving Guatemala City, so Steve pulled a U-turn on a blind corner and we found a gas station. Every time we have inquired about a road map we have gotten a few laughs, but I tried it one more time. "Nessecito un mapa, por favor." He turned around and pulled out a map from behind the counter and for Q. 7.50, just under a dollar, we finally had a road map of Guatemala and a city map of the capitol city. Now the hard part was figuring out where we were on the map. Steve motioned a local guy over and began the conversation, in Spanish of course. He was talking so fast and poining every which way, it was crazy. Finally he said we should follow him on his motorcycle. It is a good thing too, because there was no way we would have gotten there otherwise! He lead us to the parking garage under the mall and we barely made it in, scraping the box on top of the van on the overhead beam! The parking attendant didn't seem to care either! We gave the man on the moto a tip for his help and made our way to the escalators. Another travelling success!