Chickens and beer

The plan was to leave Juayua on Monday, stay overnight in Ahuachapan and do a daytrip up to Casa Blanca. However the hotel I had planned to stay in is now a floristry school, so after walking up and down the street aimlessly for half an hour, then finally finding out the fate of the former hotel, I thought bugger it, I’m going to Guatemala. So jumped on a bus to the border.

Funny how things work out. I got one of the last beds in the hostel that was recommended to me and had a week of fun and hanging out with great people.

It all started with Casa Amarilla having a party to celebrate their 10^th birthday on Tuesday afternoon. This was complete with games such as balloon popping, musical chairs, chinese whispers and, of course, smashing the piñata. Hilarious.

Next day, feeling slightly worse for wear, Helen convinced me a beer would make me feel better. And so started another day of sitting up on the patio and entertaining ourselves. Playing ridiculous TV show themes on YouTube and making a silly video which I then posted on YouTube - we did manage to involve others in the hostel in this revelry.

Next day, feeling slightly worse for wear, we were hanging around in the dorm chatting when Adam mentioned he would like a baby chicken to travel with, just a passing comment. Helen, Sarah, Adam and I went out to the markets and for lunch then separated at the supermarket. That is when Helen and I saw the baby chickens. It took a little bit of effort but I managed to convince Helen it would be hilarious if we bought one for Adam. So we did.

He was shocked, then pleased, then proud. We first thought he would take it back to the pet store, but no. I can do this he said. He went out and bought it food (we forgot that part), a basket and some bowls for food and water. We had a ball with it for a few hours, imagining Adam on the chicken buses with a chicken, crossing borders and checking into hostels. That was until the hostel evicted poor little Beer. Video says it all but one of the funniest lines was when Helen was minding the chicken down her shirt and the owner was giving her grief. It’s not my chicken she said, you have to talk to Adam, he’s downstairs asleep. So the owner goes down to Adam, wakes him up and says, do you own a chicken? Yes, I have a chicken he responded in his Mississippi drawl. Not what you hear everyday as a traveller.

Adam took the chicken to the market and gave him to a very happy old lady. That made me think, what if we bought more chickens and gave them to more people. Next video tells that story.

Incidentally, on Saturday I also helped the hostel deliver clothes and food to a disabled home and the church where they prepared food for hundreds of homeless each day. Needless to say my halo is now shining brightly.

So after a week of beer, chickens and chickens called Beer, I had to get out of Antigua. I still laugh when I think about the recommendation I was given for Casa Amarilla - it's not a party hostel, more mature people, low key. Ha.