Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Diana's visit....
Mini-reunion continued
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The mini-reunion in Huntsville
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Las Recoleciones
TSA and returning to our country....
Our last day in Antigua, I was wearing my Up North t-shirt and both Kenz and Logan had on Michigan shirts and we ran into so many people from Michigan...some mission workers, but many former residents and we met several MSU fans and alumni.
When we flew into Dallas on the return leg, we met the bitch from hell...a TSA person checking passports who decided to grab Addison and take her by the arm pulling her away from me. Of course, I followed and she yelled at me to stay where I was. Told her I wasn't being separated from my grandaughter and she told me she would have me arrested. Hmmm...just how many adults would allow a stranger to grab their kid, pull her away and out of their sight? Would love for her to have had me arrested. Addison came to stand beside me and another TSA agent, when I said, "she is being a bitch," responded, "yup, come with me." It seems Addison had not "signed" her passport in script...not sure when they teach cursive but she printed her name with ugly woman looking on....that was ME and the TSA person. I dislike poorly educated, low paid personnel being "in charge" of anything.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
McDonald's.....Antigua Style
One of the gardens and you can see the McDonald's uniform on the person serving food to the guests. Yes, serving McDonalds. This big fountain wasn't working the first day we were there, but it was when we returned.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The poor...ant the lessons learned
Mt. Pacaya....the day we lost Logan
Instead, after feeling a bit better, Logan joined another tour group with no communication with anyone. When the guide and kids returned, without Logan, all hell broke out. The police/rangers were called and no one had seen or talked to him so a no holds barred search began. The police, our guide, our driver and other rangers began calling on their radios, charged around and up the mountain and after 45 minutes they located him up at the top of the volcano, now, apparently too weak to walk down and needing a horse. So, I was asked if I would pay for a horse. I did.
Two and a half hours after we could have left and at nightfall, he finally came down. The guide had stayed because he was sure he was going to lose his job. We had another student with us who also was held up...I ended up paying for the horse and a bunch of tips and for drinks for all the rescue workers so Logan owes me about $60.
His story...differs. He said a cop told him it was safer if he joined another group. Hmmm...how was that going to happen? He doesn't know Spanish and this is out in the boondocks of Guate. And the rangers told Hector, our driver and me, that they had seen no tall white teenager alone.
Anyway, he was located but ruined an entire evening for everyone. We were not amused that someone with no language, no experience, no survival skills would not follow directions and Kenz was there to hear the directions. Won't ever happen again.