My day job is partly in the television business, where the important May ratings period ended on Wednesday (the night that, not coincidentally, a new "American Idol" was chosen). I'm contractually prohibited from taking time off during the three most important ratings periods, so like lots of others in the TV biz, we planned to celebrate the end of sweeps with a long Memorial Day holiday weekend.
I'm writing from Lake Atitlan, a lovely spot in Guatemala, about ninety miles west of Guatemala City, which is only a three hour and two minute flight from our home airport in Atlanta. We've planned a four day retreat at a nice hotel, with a terrace view of the lake, room service and fiction books. This post comes via the free wifi from reception downstairs. We're all set.
Just a small detail. We drove past the three volcanoes surrounding the touristy colonial city of Antigua between 2:00 & 3:00 yesterday afternoon. This morning we learned that one of the, Pacaya, had erupted later yesterday afternoon, killing one and injuring three, closing the airport, and causing President Colom to declare a "state of calamity."
Calm or calamity? I'll get back to you.
(Photo of Pacaya used with permission from Wikimedia Commons.
Bill, there's also a tropical depression bearing down on the west coast of Guatemala. It's predicted to make landfall on Monday morning. Good luck getting back home.
Posted by: Bobby | 29 May 2010 at 10:35 AM