Atlanta the flight and the 1st day

We got to Atlanta and the hotel and the lobby was packed.  Between weather around the country and in Atlanta lots of flights cancelled and our flight took off 2 hours late on Friday. 

We all hit the bed about 1 a.m. and were lined up for the shuttle at 6:30.  We made it in 3 groups to the airport and were very excited to find we could check in at the curb.  Except several of us couldn't.  Seems there was an equipment change and some of the seat numbers we were assigned didn't exist on the new aircraft.  So it took the ones who didn't have seats lots of time to check in and we didn't have seat assignments until  we got to the gate.  So we got seats but the Fiers didn't do it until the last minute and they ended up in 1st class......

Chatting at the gate in Atlanta

The flight was really bumpy at the start and that started our motion sickness experiences of the trip.  Several people puny and some expressing that in an outward manner.  The girls thought I should publish a puke spread sheet in the blog but I have declined out of respect for my fellow travelers.  But lets just say ground transportation has been just as challenging as the air for many, crazy traffic in the city, smoke from wildfires, exhaust from trucks and buses, and major construction along the way.

Our sack lunch at the airport included a traditional Guatemalan tamale-like food cambrayes which some enjoyed and some wanted to exchange for McDonald's.

Lunch

The luggage truck in Guatemala City traffic.

Linda Gellert has been excited to learn where old school buses go when they die.  Turns out it's Guatemala.  The first yellow bus we saw leaving the airport was a South Bend Community School Corporation bus!

John Vahle enjoys the ride passing a Goshen Community School bus.

Smoke, dust and haze along the road.

We made it to Panajachel and had our second "apparently" traditional meal in Guatemala of spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread and salad the kids were in heaven.  After dinner we toured the town on foot and most had an early bedtime.