I got caught in the rain. And by rain I mean torrencial downpour. In Xela. So there I was, walking around the city streets barefoot in ice cold water. And the moment seemed right. To start talking outloud to myself. 'You idiot. Buy boots already.'

The proverbial last straw. I went to the Co-op and my Guatemalan brother sold me some fine boots. Black and rubbery. All the men wear them here when they go out to the fields to work, and the women too. And he laughed when I told him my story. I wore the boots home from the store. But little did I know that everyone in Almolonga would think it was the funniest thing ever that this gringa was wearing Almolongan boots. I kid you not, they were pointing at my newly aquired wellies and laughing. And I had to smile, because with every step in my toasty dry boots I was walking a step closer to their hearts...