A few observations...

1) Guatemalans have their own version of the slinket/snuggie. It is more poncho like, but the same concept and perfect for our FREEZING hotel room!

2) We could eat tacos everyday, all day -- finally the food we could never find in DC!

3) There is some sort of fried chicken mania out here. Everyone is crazy for Pollo Campero...perhaps you've seen one around? They are cropping up everywhere, but the chain is native to Guatemala and people LOVE it! Of course we had to try it -- but honestly nothing too special, still just greasy, really bad for you, makes my stomach hurt, fried chicken...

4) There is a Costo here -- anyone need Kirkland brand socks?

There also happens to be TGIF Friday's, Applebee's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Burger King...I could go on. I think there are more fast food chains here than there are in DC.

5) There are some freaky clowns out and about around here. We just saw one in the middle of the day, crossing the street, no circus in sight.

6) There is definitely some sort of Christmas Tree scam going on in the city. While helping some friends find the perfect tree I took a closer look and realized that all the "trees" were just a piece of wood with branches stapled to it!

Or they just try to sell you already dead trees:

7) There are machine guns -- everywhere. One thing about Guatemala I do not like.

8) I am still stuck on the dental hygiene thing out here. Guatemalans have fabulous teeth and take care of them like I have never seen. Apparently in the 80's and 90's when we had the DARE to keep kids off of drugs assemblies, Guatemalans had a clean teeth campaign. I know this is such a weird thing to write about, but I am very intrigued. If you go to the bathroom after lunch, everyone is brushing their teeth and in some malls they have sinks lined up in the food court area -- and more people brush their teeth than wash their hands! (I wish I had a picture of this!) So interesting!