[Guatemala]

Near the end of our trip to Guatemala, we took a small tourist boat on a day’s excursion around the lake, stopping at different towns. We planned to get off and stay at a place that we had heard was about the most beautiful place in the world. It was one of those days where the fun just kept building.

We got dropped off, and I loaded our stuff into a small motor canoe for a mile ride to the hotel dock. When we arrived, I leaped onto the dock, ran up stairs into the jungle, exclaiming to myself how fabulous this all was, especially when I saw the stunning setting of this little hotel.

Alas, though, they had no record of our reservation. Amidst my growing confusion and a sinking feeling, I walked back to get Sophie. I grabbed a pack out of the boat, and I noticed that the other one was gone. Stolen. Right as she sat there. Someone just walked up. She thought they were just helping unload.

And the magical day did an abrupt turn towards massive self recrimination and upset. The pack had the money, Sophie’s glasses, all our games, the camera, the film, important clothes, and maybe above all, the stuffed animal from her childhood that she can’t live without. I just sat there, stunned. Bad scene. I looked around, talked to some people, and it was clear that some older kid had grabbed it. There was nothing to do but go. I felt hypnotized.

Well, we managed to find a boat to take us back across the lake. The look on that poor kid’s face, I’ll never forget it. It took me about 24 hours to shake this weird combination of depression and anger at myself. I’m a really vigilant traveler, and to this day I can’t believe I let Sophie and the packs out of my sight.

She, too, recovered by the next day.