short-sleeved shirt. He bowed slightly as he was introduced. He smelled of cinnamon. “This is Mateo Huerta Ríos. He is the best driver and guide in all of Honduras and Guatemala. I would trust my sister with him; my mother, too. He will take good care of you in Guatemala. In fact, he is Honduran by birth, but he lives in Guatemala. He also speaks perfect English. He is smart, just like the Doctora.” I held out my hand and greeted the stranger I had chosen via e-mails and telephone calls to be my guide, teacher, and driver for the next two weeks.
“I am pleased to meet you, Mateo.” He smiled and bowed slightly. He was different than what I had imagined. Though he could have passed for much younger except for the sprinkling of white hairs around his ears, he assured me that he held a master’s degree in anthropology and history and that he had been born the year that John Kennedy was elected president. His degrees had given him the opportunity to be a headmaster and teacher at one of the secondary schools in Guatemala. During the summers and holidays he drove tourists to earn extra income. He had two children who were married and twoat the university. He expected to be a grandfather before the new year. Wearing a white cowboy hat and Western boots, he stood close to 6 feet tall. His broad shoulders placed strain on the white short-sleeved shirt, making him appear more like a working cowboy than an intellectual. I chose him for his knowledge about Stephens and Catherwood and their journey through Guatemala and Honduras, and for his admitted multiple encounters with UFOs. I had talked with him on the phone, and after several e-mails I decided he was the perfect driver for me on my expedition; he was more than pleased to be my escort.
“It is my pleasure, Doctora.”
I excused myself and walked quickly to my room, packed my last items, took one last look around, and rolled my luggage toward the main desk. I placed my remaining lempiras and 20 American dollars in an envelope and asked that it be given to the housekeeper. As I turned to follow Mateo to the van, Joaquín held out his arms and pulled me toward him, planting kisses on both my cheeks.
“The next time you return, you will be our most honored guest.”
“Thank you, Joaquín. I will return.” I took one more look around and saw the housekeeper, half-hidden by a large palm tree. She smiled approvingly in my direction. I waved to her. As I left the hotel, I saw Teodoro standing in the entrance of a building across the street. I paused for a moment and then climbed into the van. As we pulled away from the curb, Teodoro yelled,
“Usted es una de nosotros.”
(“You are one of us.”) I rolled down the window and called to him,
“Regresare pronto.”
He understood; I planned to return soon.
As Mateo left the city limits, he casually asked, “Did you see a UFO last night, Señora? There were reports on TV this morning about a UFO. They said it appeared in the sky and disappeared in the direction of Copán.”
I
did not reply to Mateo’s question. I wanted to savor the encounter I shared with Teodoro at Copán. At the moment, I needed to keep my thoughts of UFOs to myself. Later, I regretted my decision
.
PART III
Walking With the Ancients:
Exploring Guatemala
With Stephens in Guatemala City searching for governmental officials, Catherwood spent three weeks drawing the ruins of Copán before falling victim to the malaria-carrying mosquitoes. After a brief respite from his illness, he set out to meet up with Stephens in Guatemala City. On his way, Catherwood met a man who told him about ruins hidden in the woods near a place known as Quiriguá, known today at Utatlan. Even though he was sick, Catherwood could not resist and set out for the mysterious city. He stayed there just long enough to make drawings of two
stelae
(carved stone slab monuments), which turned out to be among the largest built by the Maya. On Christmas Day 1839, Catherwood arrived in
“I am pleased to meet you, Mateo.” He smiled and bowed slightly. He was different than what I had imagined. Though he could have passed for much younger except for the sprinkling of white hairs around his ears, he assured me that he held a master’s degree in anthropology and history and that he had been born the year that John Kennedy was elected president. His degrees had given him the opportunity to be a headmaster and teacher at one of the secondary schools in Guatemala. During the summers and holidays he drove tourists to earn extra income. He had two children who were married and twoat the university. He expected to be a grandfather before the new year. Wearing a white cowboy hat and Western boots, he stood close to 6 feet tall. His broad shoulders placed strain on the white short-sleeved shirt, making him appear more like a working cowboy than an intellectual. I chose him for his knowledge about Stephens and Catherwood and their journey through Guatemala and Honduras, and for his admitted multiple encounters with UFOs. I had talked with him on the phone, and after several e-mails I decided he was the perfect driver for me on my expedition; he was more than pleased to be my escort.
“It is my pleasure, Doctora.”
I excused myself and walked quickly to my room, packed my last items, took one last look around, and rolled my luggage toward the main desk. I placed my remaining lempiras and 20 American dollars in an envelope and asked that it be given to the housekeeper. As I turned to follow Mateo to the van, Joaquín held out his arms and pulled me toward him, planting kisses on both my cheeks.
“The next time you return, you will be our most honored guest.”
“Thank you, Joaquín. I will return.” I took one more look around and saw the housekeeper, half-hidden by a large palm tree. She smiled approvingly in my direction. I waved to her. As I left the hotel, I saw Teodoro standing in the entrance of a building across the street. I paused for a moment and then climbed into the van. As we pulled away from the curb, Teodoro yelled,
“Usted es una de nosotros.”
(“You are one of us.”) I rolled down the window and called to him,
“Regresare pronto.”
He understood; I planned to return soon.
As Mateo left the city limits, he casually asked, “Did you see a UFO last night, Señora? There were reports on TV this morning about a UFO. They said it appeared in the sky and disappeared in the direction of Copán.”
I
did not reply to Mateo’s question. I wanted to savor the encounter I shared with Teodoro at Copán. At the moment, I needed to keep my thoughts of UFOs to myself. Later, I regretted my decision
.
PART III
Walking With the Ancients:
Exploring Guatemala
With Stephens in Guatemala City searching for governmental officials, Catherwood spent three weeks drawing the ruins of Copán before falling victim to the malaria-carrying mosquitoes. After a brief respite from his illness, he set out to meet up with Stephens in Guatemala City. On his way, Catherwood met a man who told him about ruins hidden in the woods near a place known as Quiriguá, known today at Utatlan. Even though he was sick, Catherwood could not resist and set out for the mysterious city. He stayed there just long enough to make drawings of two
stelae
(carved stone slab monuments), which turned out to be among the largest built by the Maya. On Christmas Day 1839, Catherwood arrived in
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