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Oct. 10, 2005

Hundreds of emails have come in from friends and families of travelers. I have done what I could to get to many of them, but I could not get to them all. If you still have not heard from someone traveling in the area contact your embassy. There are no reported deaths or injuries to any foreigners and I seriously doubt there will be any.

I can not speak highly enough of how INGUAT (the Guatemalan Tourism Institute) has responded. They had all who wanted to leave, evacuated as soon as humanly possible.

They were organized, efficient and in control. Evacuees were taken to the central office of INGUAT in Guatemala City where representatives of the various embassies were waiting. I hope to never have count on their emergency services again, but it is nice to know they are there.

Being from the US I was in touch with the US Embassy and they too were on top of things. This was a scary situation and it meant more than I can say to have someone there that I felt I could count on. FEMA was not running this show.

Panajachel has been a bee hive of activity. If someone had told me that we would have this much repaired in only five days I would have laughed. Tomorrow I will try to post new pictures.

Oct. 9, 2005

While there are shortages of basic supplies such as corn, milk, sugar, gas and dry firewood. One feels that the situation is pretty much under control. I spoke with a doctor at a free clinic and she told me that medically things are ok.

I will say that the Guatemalan government has been pretty much on top of things, at least as good as can be expected. The locals have been generous and kind. Much of the food has come from the town of Solola. A radio station put out a call for donations and the response has been tremendous. At one of the shelters I saw large sacks of food sent by Gallo, the local beer company.

I get a lot of emails from friends and family of people traveling. Please understand there are too many for me to answer everyone of them personally. Yesterday INGUAT (the Guatemalan Tourism Institute) evacuated 376 people from the region. They were well organized and efficient. Contact your embassies for more information. Plus I want to make it very clear there are no reported deaths or injuries to any travelers.

The stores still have some supplies and those with money have access to food. Shelters have very little and need is great, but from what I have seen the government and the people of Guatemala are doing the best they can. Other villages may well be worse off than Panajachel, but we are ok.

Photos can be clicked on to see larger.

Felicia Chuj from the nearby village of Patanatic had just been told that her son Pedro and his family were fine. He had lost everything, as had she, but everyone was alive and well.

This woman was making tortillas. I was told this was where food for 850 was preparted.

Oct. 8, 2005

Life goes on and the worst is over for us. My concern is that the full measure of this disaster has yet to be taken. Much of southern Mexico and Central America is populated by people living in remote villages and hamlets accessible only by dirt roads and footpaths. The Pan-American Highway to Guatemala City should be open today, but it will be weeks, if not months, before most other roads are passable.

Today INGUAT (The Guatemalan Tourism Institute) has organized the evacuation of the many travelers how couldn't leave. If you have not heard from someone traveling in the area do not panic. I checked with the police yesterday in the afternoon and there are no reported deaths or injuries to any foreigners.

The flooding was horrible, but what had me really scarred was that travelers and the ex-patriot community would be targeted as outsiders. If anything the opposite has been true. I have not had nor have I heard of anyone being threatened, abused or even overcharged because he or she was from somewhere else. The Guatemalans have been good to us. I can not speak highly enough of the locals, and frankly we were vulnerable.

Oct. 6, 2005

It's 5:00 a.m. and the rain has let up. It seems the worst is behind us. Yesterday my son and I bought ramen soup, sardines, a couple of pounds of spaghetti, five cans of fruit cocktail and hunkered down like turtles. Today we might even see the sun.

For all the bad news, it seems there were no more deaths yesterday. If you have family traveling or living in the area I doubt they were in serious danger. Today I plan to go to Panajachel one way or the other and will know more later today. If you don't hear from them DO NOT assume the worst. Communication is down and few of us have electricity.

I will be checking with the police and with any luck I will continue to post developments here. Again though, if I do not it's because I have no way to do so. It's a fluke I was able to get this posted!

12:30 p.m.

I did get across the river and talked to the police. As yet there are no missing foreigners. I will be speaking to them again later, but I doubt anybody is missing. The roads to Panajachel are washed out and who knows how long it will take to get them repaired, but so far so good.

Photos can be clicked on to see larger.

Oct. 5, 2005

It is much worse today. All the bridges are out. The only way to get from Jucanya ("the other side of the river"), where I live, to the main part of Panajachel is by boat. The river, normally an insignificant stream of dirty water, is a raging torrent consuming roads, bridges, houses and land like cancer on amphetamines. It's terrifying.

Oct. 4, 2005

In the twenty two years I have been living here there has never been a natural disaster as bad as this. While more rain fell during Hurricane Mitch in 1998, many homes have since been built in the flood plain above the market near the river, of which quite a few were ruined. Far worse, three children have died and there are rumors that seven more people are missing.

No doubt this will be in the international news and friends and family of travelers will be worried. I can not defiantly say no foreigners have been hurt but I seriously doubt it. There are no hotels, restaurants or anything of interest to tourists in that part of Panajachel. Few travelers have reason to go there.

Also be sure to check back here as I will be updating this page as news becomes available.