Monterrico, Guatemala

Roswitha Springschitz

by Roswitha Springschitz

Story

Never before in my life, I had experienced the power of the ocean as I did in Monterrico, on the pacific coast of Guatemala.

Christian and I went there, on our second trip through central America, following the descriptions in our travel guide book. Dark volcanic sand covers the endless beach of that dangerous part of the coast, it said. Right behind the waterfront the seabed is a vertical, steep and very deep step. Several people were drowned while bathing in the sea, on that place.

Yes, we wanted to go there, nevertheless.

We departed by bus, from Antigua. Our arrival was breathtaking: the pacific waves were thundering with such a big noise that you could not hardly have a conversation, during a walk along the beach. A dense haze of spread sea spray filled the air and our lungs. It blurred the sight. on the beach. Although there were some audacious people who had thrown themselves into the floods. I watched attentively which technique they used to get over those breaking, waves, weighing tons. My heart beat faster by the thought of doing the same thing. But nevertheless both of us did it, during our stay there; I, for my part only once a day, because this bath indeed needed all my power and concentration.

What happened then, on the 4th day of our stay was one of our most fateful experiences.

That day we left at 5 o’clock in the morning, for a trip through the mangrove swamps. Without breakfast. We were taken by boat through the mangroves for hours; of course it was definitely a spectacular excursion. But also exhausting. Finally, after that tour I wanted to have breakfast immediately and very fast. Christian, also very hungry, needed a toilette, urgently. Then we started arguing, about some trifle…

Then Christian said, shortly before we reached our accomodation, „Order two breakfasts. I am going swimming first…if I don’t come back, you can eat both of them!“

That made me very angry! And I refused to do what he had said but lay down in bed, in our room and covered myself with my dolphin scarf. And then…and then…suddenly I heard excited voices. And I thought, „No! No, please, no!“

But – yes! Christian was sitting then on a chair, covered over and over with sand, his right leg stretched on a second chair. Some men had found him on the beach where he had crawled out of the water. A pacific wave had – clack – clipped the collateral and crucial ligament in his knee, he had fallen down and…yes, the rest was accomplished by his guardian angel.

If that angel had not…not to think about that..

Therefore that same day we started our very difficult and exciting trip back home…


© Roswitha Springschitz 2023-05-09

Genres
Novels & Stories
Moods
Adventurous, Challenging, Emotional, Hopeful
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