Right...the accident

Christopher here again; can you believe this? Two recent posts from me. I've got a lot to catch up!

Lia mentioned in an earlier entry that I’d tell you about the auto accident we experienced while in Guatemala City on our recent visit. Thankfully everyone was ok.

So, we’re in the taxi, on our way back to the airport and all of the sudden BRAKE LIGHTS! It’s one of those moments when you brace for the hit, either in front or in the backend. In slow motion, I checked the rear view mirror; Lia turned around to look… SMACK! Ouch, that hurt.
We all got out of the cab. Several other cars piled up behind us, all crinkled from impact. Thankfully, everyone was traveling around 25-30 mph, and, it was a good crunch. Knowing our mission, we quickly grabbed our bags and I hailed another cab.

Roll forward after cab #2, another 10 minutes. Whew; we made it to the airport. After going through security, we’re standing at the ticket counter and I began to count our bags: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, pause… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. “Honey, we’re missing a bag, we’re supposed to have 8,” I said. “It’s the one with the video camera, Ipod and money.”

We’re not having a particularly good morning as we’d just left Noe; now, an accident and missing this bag. The melt-down was imminent.

After the woman standing in line behind me finishes her cell phone call, I asked her to use her phone. I explain our situation, in my choppy Spanish, and she of course obliges. I then called the Quinta Real hotel and explained (thankfully in English) what happened. The receptionist asked me to hold for a moment and came back not 2 minutes later and says that she’s dispatched another taxi from the hotel to drive to the accident sight and retrieve my bag, should it be there. She further instructs me to go back outside of security and wait at the arrivals curb saying that if her associate does indeed find the bag, he’ll be there within 15 minutes.

Not 10 minutes later, I see this gentleman I recognize from the hotel walking swiftly towards me. I look from his face to his hand, and, he’s holding our bag. With a huge smile he gives me my bag. I thank him profusely, and after giving him a very nice tip, I quickly make my way back into the airport. The security agent flashes me a big smile when I show her my bag, “I got it!”
As I returned to Lia, I saw two women standing very near Lia and all of them in an animated conversation. As Lia will tell you, the cell phone owner was a faith healer and she started praying over her the moment I walked back out to retrieve our bag. Just incredible.

As we finished getting checked in at the UAL counter, an airport employee came over to us and asked what just happened, seeing the commotion. We of course told him the whole story. He was overjoyed. Obviously, another amazing experience; these are the Guatemalan people!