Characters... by zipline (sort of a group effort)

So yesterday we were at Los Amigos Youth Hostel having some Shawarma and Curry (not typical of Guatemala...but we love to eat all types of international cuisine, so the change was appreciated.)

Just as we finished our lunch, we met a cute couple from Cape Breton Island.  They work at the Cape Breton Highlands Golf Course.  We had a great visit.  And funny thing, on the small island of Flores, we were in search of street food (coal fired BBQ chicken with rice/beans, avocado and Pico de Gallo) when we met the same couple again and shared dinner with them.  They showed us their favorite game (Heads Up... a reinvented charades type app.)

We got to thinking about all of the characters, both good and bad, who have helped to shape and color our travels in Canada and Central America.
*** names have been made up or changed to protect the identities of some individuals.

- Juan, the taxi driver in San Jose who somehow rigged his meter to charge more than $20 for a $6 fare.  We became Uber users because of this man.
- Miriam, a kind Iranian lady who hiked Volcan Pacaya with us.  She has a PhD in physics.  She immigrated to USA and has never been able to return to her home country.  In her kindness, she reminded us that you can love life even when it treats you badly.  She also inspired us to do micro loans for women.
- Bob Marley, the man from Barcelona, Spain who was the resident caretaker in Playa Chiquita. Costa Rica.  Bob loved howler monkeys and marijuana.  He advised us on the first day of our stay that the music being played on our cell phone was too loud (for Latin America?) He was fired from his position while we were in Playa Chiquita.
- Eloise, the lady who tried to give Meritt a haircut without clippers in Antigua, Guatemala.
- Joel, who gave Maelle and Grandpa art lessons.
- Justin, who owned a B&B in Granada, Nicaragua.  Without notifying us, he canceled our reservation at his property.  He also blamed his guests for the goobers in the pool and proudly drank a beer while driving his guests to town.
- Gillian, who played a fantastic Ceilidh on Cape Breton Island.
- The campground owners who zip-tied the playground swings together in Louisbourg, NS.
- Domingo, who adopted our three pet fish for his twin children when we left Atitlan, Guatemala.
- Paul, Thelma, Mark, Lois, Shelby, Veronica, Diego, Axel, Manfred, Roxi, Damaris, Miguel, and all the wonderful youth, kids, and staff at Camp Penuel.
- Allain, the welder/mechanic who fixed our camper's bumper for only $10 and a Tim Horton's coffee in Riviere Verte, NB.
- Hector and Hebert, the two men who picked us up in their brand new air-conditioned Toyota Hilux truck while we were standing on the side of the road waiting for  a microbus at Finca Paraiso, Rio Dulce, Guatemala.
- Neida, the property owner and pharmacy manager in Antigua Guatemala.
- Pierre, the French architect and property owner in Atitlan.
- 3 unnamed strangers who gave Twylla a ride home in Antigua when she twisted her ankle.
- Mynor, the tennis court manager in Antigua, who bent the rules and got us a ten day tennis membership at Club Antigueno.
- The Australian family with 4 kids who swam with our kids in Guatemala.
- The America family with 3 kids who gave us Humprhey and Hardy Boys books in English (English books are gold when travelling.)
- The retirees who watched our every move at Camping Amerique in Montreal; including the shuffleboard watcher; the "traffic cop" who told us to reduce our speed when we were driving less than 3km/h over a speed bump, and the man who was angry at Meritt for finding and returning his iphone 7.
- Rick, the shirtless pressure washer guy in Ocotal.  (A retired Canadian carpenter who was condo association president and had a big need to keep busy. He washed the stones and sidewalks for hours each day.)
-Rakel, the seller of Christmas tamales in Ocotal.
- The fantastic couple who took care of our house while we travelled.
- Lee, the kayak guy at Los Elementos, Santa Cruz, Atitilan
- Raul, the Spanish teacher in Antigua.  Raul led a normal life until he was hit by a bus while cycling at age 35.  Now he can barely move his legs.  But somehow he manages to walk with two mobility aids (arm braced canes).  You will never meet a guy with a bigger heart or smile.
- Alfredo, the man who loaned me his bike in Santa Ines
- The homeless campesinos, also from Santa Ines
- We would also like to thank all the unnamed bus drivers, shuttle drivers, chauffeurs, pilots, taxistas, boat captains, and tuk tuk drivers who have transported us around Central America.

Updates:
- The storm chaser we met near Hays, Kansas who was heading east hoping to find a tornado.  We were going west away from the storm.  I'm sure he will have found a tornado - because 9 tornadoes were recorded in Kansas the next day.
- The owner of Exit 420 ski rentals who loaned us his corporate ski pass for 2 days.  (and 2 kind strangers who gave us tickets in the parking lot at Loveland Ski Area) = free skiing in Colorado. Wow!