Sept. 1, 2006
Hey there all,
Sorry I have not been able to write. We got up early and went to the airport on Wednesday and then on Thursday we were getting shipped around from one hotel to a different hotel because FILA was tryin' to put a hurtin' on the U.S. over a little quarrel at the women's weigh-ins.
Overall, what I can say about Guatemala City is that it is an experience that you can never really explain. Guatemala is quite a busy place. Everyone takes the buses to and from place-to-place and it seems like the buses are never on time.
The trip so far has been incredibly interesting to say the least. After we got off the plane we got on the bus to take us to our hotel. Customs in Guatemala seemed like a joke, but I guess it really doesn't matter to me. Our bus took us to a different hotel that I can't recall the name of, and it isn't like I'm trying to remember the good times there.
We waited an hour-and-a-half because Doc Bennet said it was the wrong place and that we were supposed to stay with the other Americans. We found out that the rooms we were supposed to stay in is where the Greco team was currently staying. We had to spend a night at the hotel we were at. After another hour-and-a-half we got into our rooms because the front desk didn't know if they had our rooms or our money.
We were in quite a bad neighborhood so we traveled in a big pack to the gas station to get water and then walked to a restaurant close by. After taking two hours to eat, we got back and went to bed. The amazing thing about this hotel was that the beds were way worse than the beds at the Olympic Training Center. It was like layered cardboard with a cloth stitched around it. The next day we woke up at eight to catch the bus to take us to the next hotel we would be staying at. The bus arrived two hours late and then finally took us to the hotel and then to get our credentials at a different hotel.
After that, we finally got to eat around 1 or so, practiced and then went back to our rooms to nap. When you practice it's amazing to me that everyone is speaking different languages, but all the movements and technique are so similar. Of course there are different philosophies, but for the most part movements are the same.
Since I have been to Guatemala I have been using Spanish a whole lot. I'm surprised at how much I can remember even though my last class in Spanish was in eighth grade. Other than that, I have spoken a little in French, Japanese and used one word of Russian I would have spoken more but I really don't know that much.
Weigh-ins for me are today and then after that I will sit around and prepare myself for the tournament tomorrow.
P.S. sorry I haven't written for two days but I couldn't help it.
Take it easy ya'll....