Days 239 – 242. Wednesday, 25th – Saturday, 28th March. At Pasaj Cap, San Marcos, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

This is our 12th day here now. I had a bad day today. It is very difficult having nothing useful to do. My sons in the UK tell me they have spent the day in the garden doing useful things like cutting hedges and replacing broken fence posts. I wish I had something constructive like this to do.

Over the last few days I have even taken to the paddle board. Although in my case it has been a sit down or a kneel up paddle board, rather than a stand up paddle board. Dennis of course was standing up at the first attempt. He doesn’t have my fear of deep water.

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We have had a supply of food brought in to us, the distribution of which was a mammoth operation for Pierre, the property owner. He has said he will not undertake it again. It was just too much of a nightmare. However, we now have food for another week or so. Even if it means a restricted diet consisting mainly of eggs, fruit and veggies and pasta.

I had company in my shower this morning. A scorpion. Just a little one. We don’t have mosquitoes, but we do have scorpions. They are apparently not dangerous. If you get bitten the effects are similar to being stung by a wasp or bee. I have become a dab hand at exterminating them. Grab them with tongs and flush them down the toilet.

This morning Yana changed her yoga class to a TRE class (Trauma Release Exercise class) This is an exercise routine developed by an Arab/American doctor to assist soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If you start to shake during the moves, it means you are releasing the stress from your body. In the afternoon Ela also did a Chinese yoga class, so exercise wise it has been a busy day.

Spanish conversation classes have gone out of the window. Most of the participants have left. Various people have gone home on repatriation flights offered by their respective governments.

There have been 3 repatriation flights to Germany. One today, one tomorrow and one on Wednesday. They are taking other Europeans, after all the Germans have been accommodated. Ela, who is German and her partner, David, who is English, have been offered places on Wednesday’s flight. It is free, but they won’t leave without their dog they rescued in Mexico. Pets are not permitted.

6 Canadians left this morning, in a rush as they were advised they had been allocated seats on a repatriation flight, at the last minute. Lucie, who is French also left yesterday to be repatriated to France.

The British Embassy laid on 3 buses to take Brits and some other Europeans to the Mexican border. After the border, though they were on their own and had to arrange onward transportation by commercial flights.

We have heard from Carl and Renee the young Kiwi couple we almost left with. They are now back in NZ and in quarantine for two weeks in a hotel paid for by the government, with 3 meals a day included.

So, the numbers are going down. However, there is still a core of “overlanders” with vehicles. 8 vehicles. Those that have just left were holidaying in properties here or were back packers.

Dennis here. I’m relaxed. With Jen doing yoga classes I’ve slipped back into doing a daily exercise regime of push-ups, squats and sit ups. Otherwise I’m enjoying reading a book on Sarah’s Kindle. Andes by Michael Jacobs. It’s wetting my appetite to get down to South America and visit some of the sites listed in the book. The visit will be made so much more interesting with this background knowledge. Kindle’s. They are great in many ways but not a patch on reading a conventional book.

The days tick by and I’m hopeful that each one brings the global nightmare closer to an end and we can get back on the road.

One leader wants everyone back to work by Easter…… but wont that ensure the spread of the virus?

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