We’re off to Guatemala: open air markets, lake vistas, and Holy Week in Antigua with its famous Passion Plays and reenactments.
Packing is a bigger deal this 
time. Aedes mosquitoes, loaded with Zika virus, got there before us and are out for blood, so we’ve got an arsenal of chemicals laid out for defense. I’ve sprayed Permethrin on all of our clothes, then into the suitcases to keep seeping into them. We’ve readied several strengths of DEET to cover any open skin. That will layer with the avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and oxybenzone in our Banana Boat Sunblock and we should be ready. If the open-air benzene in my chemistry labs in college didn’t kill me, maybe these won’t either!
But wait, there are even more additions as our ages creepup. Along with the normal cold medications, anti-diarrheal meds, anti-constipation meds, anti-allergy tabs, and pain-killers of various hues, I’ve thrown in a couple of knee supports. Jim’s got a bad left one these days, and my right is killing me. Perhaps we can strap these two together and become a three-legged tourist, instead just a couple of limpers.
Our vacation begins in earnest on March 22. Please check back after that!
Liz and Jim Patton 