Toothless in Cobán(Dill McLain) Paula had made herself comfortable on a sizeable tree-root arm that reached far above the jungle ground, as if it wanted to constantly try to go for something. The other participants of the 18-person tour group were just about to get ready for the highlight of this afternoon: A refreshing and adventurous bath in the water basins of the famous limestone terraces of Semuc Champey in Guatemala. The fellow travellers, all couples – except for three other single travellers – had looked for ideal spots in the jungle to change from their trekking clothes into their bathing suits and were now half away through with this not-too-easy procedure. The heavily rooted and stony ground was uneven and covered with leaves, branches of trees and bushes, and low plants with pointed branches. The wife of an older couple was about to pull up her bikini bottoms and almost fell over when accidentally stepping into the hanging corner of the pareo that she had slung around her waist to keep prying eyes away from her naked body. She lost her balance on the treacherous jungle ground, and only thanks to her husband’s quick reaction, a fall could be avoided. A young couple came out from behind a tree and hopped barefoot across the ground heading for the natural pool and after every step, loudly shouting, “Ouch, ouch!” Then, they disappeared into the water.

The wife who had almost fallen a moment ago, wisely mounted her trekking sandals and began to move along in the direction to the water. She was followed by her skinny husband, who seemed rather uncomfortable – as he balanced over roots, wood and plants with the attitude of a frightened deer. From the water terraces one could hear great roars and screams of delight. In the meantime, the last travellers in bathing trunks rushed past the giant trees and thick bushes for a refreshing splash.

The scenes were really entertaining, and Paula could hardly suppress a laugh. She stretched her legs and reached for her small backpack. Now she was really in the mood for the baby banana she had packed at breakfast. While she slowly chewed carefully, bite-by-bite of the delicious fruit, her mind began to wander between the trees and bushes. Refreshing shouts and splashing could be heard continuously from the limestone terraces. The entertaining chirping of birds lured lovely out of the jungle. In between, the typical creaking of the jungle trees could be heard - as if these vast trees wanted to say something. Paula smiled into the jungle and began to ponder.

It was the fourth day of this extraordinary round trip with stops in four countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. Except in Belize, where a catamaran tour, swimming and snorkelling were planned, unique and famous archaeological sites were on the program. After landing in Guatemala City, an extensive sightseeing tour the following day, the journey continued to Purulhá, where they spent a night in a rustic jungle hotel with an archaic interior. The accommodations were furnished with old iron beds, and some rooms had a separate area with an old fireplace with two low wooden stools. After a simple but healthy dinner and getting to know each other, everyone went to bed relatively early, tired after the long journey and by the new impressions.

Very early in the morning, after a short breakfast, the bus drove off in the direction to the highlands of Alta Verapaz. After a stop in the Quetzal biotope for a quick bird watch, the journey continued to the main highlight of the day: An incredible, unforgettable walk in the tropical cloud forest, admiring countless varieties of exquisite orchids all the way, hanging from giant trees or growing in between. Everyone admired these beautiful creations of nature in amazement, with shining eyes and open mouths. An extremely informative tour followed at the nearby orchid farm with detailed explanations of these beautiful and unique plants.

After this tremendous and flower-filled afternoon, the tour group arrived in the middle of Guatemala at the Hotel la Posada in Cobán for the next two nights. On a bustling street in the town centre, this quaint hotel in a former monastery dating back to the 16th century – a peaceful, pleasant oasis in the city’s centre – also possessed a beautiful garden and its own chapel.

From there, they set out the following day to the impressive Lanquín caves, a protected area formed by a massive complex of limestone, considered by the Mayans as a sacred place believed to be the ‘heart of heaven’ and possess the ‘secret of the ages’ deep inside, a passage to the underworld. After this mystical and also adventurous excursion on narrow paths into the various chambers, the group arrived later at this natural monument consisting of a 300 m limestone terrace, under which passed the Cahabón River. Atop the terrace was a series of stepped, turquoise pools.

Paula began to ponder her life and wondered how it would have gone if she – like most others – had married. She had been engaged once at a young age, but unfortunately, the relationship broke up before finding her way around and feeling comfortable in it. It had seemed like a kind of continuous workshop, in which her partner had hardly given her a significant role. This was incompatible with the principles and the role as a woman she had learned from her parents. Shaken up by this mismatch and terrified for a long time, she plunged into her professional training and set out to pursue a career in her field. As a doctor of biology, many doors were open to promising and exciting positions. She finally accepted a well-paid job in a renowned research company, where she was soon able to work her way up as a management team member. This, of course, came at a price because such a career was not without stress. The little free time was filled with some sport and hobbies. She lacked nothing, and only very rarely did she think about what it would be like to live in a partnership after all. Actually, she did not find anything special about the fact that her way had just turned out differently.

The elderly couple came back from the limestone terraces, chuckling happily and holding hands while hopping over the uneven jungle ground. Still giggling, they stood at the foot of a gigantic tree – where they had deposited their clothes and bags – helping each other to dry off thoroughly after getting out of their bathing trunks and getting dressed again. A procedure that was not that easy in the middle of a jungle with uneven ground. The others also came back one after the other to the rest area, and the same procedure began everywhere: wrapped in a bath towel and taking off the wet bathing trunks and then getting dressed. Everything mixed up with giggles and curses shooing away the crawling ants and flying mosquitoes.

Paula smiled to herself but felt a certain amount of sudden thoughtfulness. Somehow, she felt a bit excluded from all the happy actions around her. In fact, it was not clear to her why she did not go swimming herself. She did not feel like it but wanted to sit down and think. Why actually? She shook her head briefly and shrugged. Then, she grabbed her bag, rose up, and followed the others on the narrow jungle path.

After dinner, Paula sat quite a while under the arcades in the rustic wooden armchair next to her room door, dreaming over the fence into the pretty garden. Amid a magnificent, colourful splendour of flowers, a fountain splashed and conveyed a lovely, calming and benevolent aura. Again, those thoughts from the afternoon popped into her head. She leaned back with a slight sigh. Thoughts circled wildly in her head. Why on earth does this occur to me now, here on the other side of the world? I turned 42 years old without giving myself much thought to the topic, why should this change now! My life is complete, and I basically have no time to find a partner, let alone get used to a suddenly different lifestyle! Rather unimaginable! Quite apart from that, what should a possible candidate look like? Now, Paula puffed out her cheeks and let the air out through her lips – puzzled by her burgeoning thoughts. She whispered to herself, “What’s this all about now?” After a brief glance over into the beautiful garden, she got up with a jerk and marched with energetic steps to her room. There, she paused a moment in front of the large mirror in the closet door and examined her reflection. She thought to herself that those confused thoughts that suddenly came over her this afternoon in the cloudy jungle would soon disappear, for sure.

Paula turned around and finished packing for departure the following morning. Later in bed, with her hand on the light switch, she spoke loudly into the room, “We’re not starting anything new, out of the question, done with this!”

As always on trips like this, the departure was very early in the morning, when the respective places were only slowly waking up. After breakfast, the travellers moved with their hand luggage in a loose row along the street in the direction of the bus, as it could not come closer and park. Porters from the hotel had by then transported the suitcases to the bus.

It was a wonderful morning. The sun was already looking over the nearby hills. Only a few people scurried along the street. Others rushed past on bicycles or motorcycles. Paula strode along the sidewalk, lost in thoughts, her small backpack slung over one shoulder, a bottle of water in hand. Several men crouched on the roadside between parked cars, smoking or chatting. A voice rang out, “Good morning, beautiful lady. I wish you a wonderful day!” Paula reduced her pace and looked around in almost slow motion. She assumed that she had misheard or that sentence was definitely not for her. The same voice continued, “I hope you enjoyed your stay here and wish you a great onward journey!” Paula took a step towards the speaker, who looked at her with shining eyes. The man crouching a little apart from the others might have been around forty. He had thick hair that framed his well-shaped face in light waves. His beautiful eyes were striking. When he smiled again with his open mouth, she noticed that the front teeth were missing, which immediately gave him an older look. For a moment, she almost winced a little. She tried to think about whether she should give him some money in a flash. However, immediately dismissed this thought. In return, she gave him her best smile and answered him cheerfully, “Oh, I wish you a nice day too!” Now, his face shone again, and his eyes beamed so warmly at her that she was absolutely enraptured. She just stood there, spellbound.

In the meantime, all other tour participants had passed her, and the tour guide was the last to come by, accompanied by the local tour operator. Paula knew she had to go on now but just could not move. She was not sure what was going on, what was happening to her. She was drawn to this amiable man that she did not know at all. There seemed to be an intimacy between them that she could not explain. She was all confused, tried to collect herself and called out again to him, “Have a good day!” After a short wave and a final smile in his direction, Paula took a hasty step in the direction of the waiting bus.

At the back of the bus, she slowly dropped onto a seat, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She heard again – as if it were very close – his words addressed to her. Nobody had ever called her a beautiful lady and given her such a warm smile. She almost came to tears. At that moment, the driver started the engine. Paula jumped up. She had to go back to this man and talk to him. Right now. She wanted to take a step, the bus pulled away, and it threw her hard back onto the seat. In a desperate attempt, she turned her head, pressed her face to the window and tried to look back down the street so that she might see him again. But the parked cars blocked the view, and the bus drove away rather quickly in the other direction. Paula leaned back and sighed.

After several hours of driving and a short lunch stop, they crossed the border to Honduras and reached their hotel for the next two nights. It was a beautiful hotel complex in the local architectural style with a large swimming pool, lots of plants and flowers, and shady spots to linger. Paula sat for almost two hours motionless on the small wooden bench in front of her room on the first floor. She sat there and dreamed, looking down at the happy group of fellow travellers who were frolicking in the pool. However, Paula did not perceive this at all. Nor did she hear the giggles, laughter, splashing about or chatting. All she saw was this man crouching in front of her on the roadside. Looking up at her with those beautiful eyes. And she kept hearing his words, which sounded like a poem to her.

On the following day, they visited the famous Honduras border archaeological site of the Maya civilization of Copán – a highlight of this tour, but some distance from Cobán in Guatemala. Paula marched with the group as if driven by an automatism. She stopped or walked but did not hear much of what the local guide was saying. In her head, everything seemed churned and slowly-flying. It was not really uncomfortable, but somehow not grounded. The only thing that made an impression on her and that she later remembered was the magnificent Hieroglyphic Stairway. The next day, they crossed back to Guatemala to visit the site of Quiriguá – historically related to the one of Copán – with the main focus on the tallest stone monumental sculptures ever erected in the whole Maya world. A young local guide shared his knowledge with great enthusiasm while the tour participants listened in awe and looked up at the enormous steles with tilted heads. Paula’s confusion in her head had barely cleared, and she acted as programmed. She followed the others and, when asked, gave brief comments now and then, somewhat absentmindedly, so also at dinner.

Thanks to the gods, the next stage of the trip was quite adventurous and required constant attention and offered magnificent scenery. They travelled by boat to Lake Izabal and passed the San Felipe Fort, built in 1652 to protect the area from pirate attacks. It served as a prison, was three times rebuilt and, in the 1950s, restored and made a national landmark. Continuing on the Dulce River through breathtaking river landscapes with diverse birdlife, impressive mangrove forests – teak, mahogany and palms - wildflowers blooming throughout the foliage and howler monkeys as well as toucans could be seen. Everyone in the boat was grabbed and fascinated. So was Paula, too, finally distracted, and the thoughts of the unknown man on the roadside in Cobán faded a little. She was busy taking many photos.

In Livingston – the unique town on the Caribbean Sea only accessible by water, known for its mix of Garífuna, Afro-Caribbean, Maya and Ladino people and culture – they stayed in a romantic, rustic hotel right by the water. Later at night, swinging in the hammock, a drink in hand, Paula was suddenly overwhelmed again by the memory of this unknown man, who dedicated such beautiful words to her. Tears welled up in her eyes. She no longer understood the world, which made her even more confused. She had always stood firm in life, was aiming ahead with conviction in her professional career, but was now sitting confused in a hammock at the other end of the world, thinking of a man she did not even know the name of. She pondered for a long time into the dark night, which had meanwhile spread over the vast sea.

After exploring this colourful, bustling town with an exciting mixture of people and a lot of rousing music, the journey went on by boat to Punta Gorda in Belize. The boat trip was extraordinarily adventurous because the quite large boat, which was packed to the last seat, drove so fast over the sizeable waves that the passengers were constantly shaken back and forth and lifted from their seats. From Punta Gorda, they flew in three tiny planes to the Caribic Island of Caye Caulker. The flight in those tiny planes was reminiscent of scenes from an old explorer film. The group was split up, but there were not enough planes so that the first arrivals had to wait at their destination for over three hours in considerable heat at an improvised airport consisting of a wooden hut.

Paula was constantly distracted enough on this day. The stranger from Cobán had faded into the background for once. In bed, when she closed her eyes, he reappeared. But she was so tired from the adventurous and arduous journey that she immediately fell asleep.

The next day on this dream island, a catamaran trip and snorkelling were part of the program. Paula had signed off because she wanted to be alone for a few hours. After breakfast, she went for a long walk to discover Caye Caulker. However, ‘he’ was back in her head from the first moment – the unknown man with the beautiful eyes and the winning smile. He was with her every step of the way. She stopped at an improvised shop with handmade jewellery and finally chose a silver necklace with a lovely shell-shaped pendant. While she was holding the chain around her neck and looking in the mirror, she found herself trying to ask the stranger in her head for his opinion. For a moment, she wanted to scream out loud. She could control herself, paid for the piece of jewellery in a hurry and left the place. Close to tears, she looked almost desperately between the beach houses for the way to the sea. There she sat nearly an hour on a wooden stool in the sand. Pressing the small package with the necklace to her breast and gazing motionlessly at the sea.

“What on earth is wrong with me?” she suddenly whispered, still staring straight ahead. And then she repeated, screaming as loud as she could, “What on earth is wrong with me, hey!?”

“Can I help you?” came a voice from behind. Paula turned her head. A suntanned man with an athletic figure was standing there in the sand, leaning casually on his surfboard. She muttered, “Thanks. I don’t think anyone can help me anymore!” The surfer was still standing there. Paula was amazed herself, but she actually asked him, “What would you do if you just couldn’t get a woman out of your head, even though you only saw her for a moment?”

The surfer dropped his surfboard, put both hands on his hips and shouted, “Yes, what a question, I would call her, right away!” Paula sat motionlessly and mumbled, “I don’t have his phone number, and I don’t know anything about him, except that he said the loveliest words anyone has ever said to me!” She added almost inaudibly, “And he smiled at me in a way that I can’t forget, just not. It haunts me every day!”

“So now action is required, do something, find out where he is, how you can contact him, that today is not so difficult, get a move on!” came the advice by the friendly surfer who now picked up his surfboard. “I have to go. Otherwise, I’ll be late, but before I leave, I want to hear your plan!” Paula nodded and rose, “Yes, Mr Surfer, thanks for your input. I’m already on my way for action!” She gave him a quick wave and hurried away. He grinned and walked out in the opposite direction.

When she got to her room, she remembered the small bathtub on the roof terrace belonging to her unit. Five minutes later, she sat in her small hot tub, a drink in hand, gazing over to the endless sea. She did not really have to think long because she already knew the next step. Her subconscious had long since hatched a plan. The fact was that she had simply fought it. Before dinner, Paula looked for the address of that hotel in Cobán and then wrote an email message to the hotel manager. Relieved and almost a little exhilarated, she went to dinner with the others. The atmosphere was quite lively that evening, and after dinner, they all went to an open-air disco until well after midnight.

During the several-hour journey back to Guatemala the next day, first by boat, then by bus, Paula slept most of the time. She somehow felt freed and released from the unfamiliar mental stress of the last few days. She was pretty confident that she would soon get an answer from that hotel manager. Every time she opened her eyes briefly to blink through the window to see where they were, she gave the jungle that flew by, a gentle smile. Mid-afternoon, they reached the lagoon of Yaxhá, where they stayed overnight in a beautiful eco-lodge in the wilderness. Paula spent several hours in the hammock in front of the rustic locally-built cabana. She glanced at her mobile phone a few times but knew that there was no Internet connection out there. She could check her messages at the earliest after dinner in the reception area, where for sure everyone else would want to read their messages.

The next day there was another absolute highlight on the program. A visit to the Mayan ruins of Tikal where they climbed one of the high temples offering a fantastic view of the infinite green of the tropical rainforest. They stayed in the picturesque little town of Flores in a beautiful hotel with painted walls and multicolour décor. A fabulous band played for dinner, with a guitarist moving all hearts with his yearning songs. Paula was suddenly close to tears. She felt a longing that she could not classify and did not even know what it was about. It was just there, came over her. She was no longer the same person as before, always controlling everything. Something else seemed to be in control now. Abruptly, she left the table and went up to her room. For a long moment, she stopped in front of the mirror and finally grumbled, slightly upset at her reflection, “Damn it, why is this man, whom I don’t even know, popping up in my head all the time? It’s maddening. He messes up my life!” Annoyed, she let herself fall on the wicker chair and threw her small shoulder bag onto the bed. The cell phone slipped out, and she could hardly believe her eyes. A new email message was displayed.

Paula literally pounced on the little phone and tried to call up the message with fluttering fingers. She slowly let herself sink back into the armchair while she read. She read it over and over again. The hotel manager of that hotel in Cobán wrote that there were many men with missing teeth in their town. However, from her description, it could be Yordi, the historian, employed as a private tour guide in the hotel. He had had a severe accident and, during recovery, began to work at the nearby coffee plantation and at times as a porter in the hotel – because he needs an income. Yordi was out of town for a few days as he was visiting his mother in a village in the countryside to celebrate her milestone birthday. Since the Internet connection did not work smoothly there and Yordi probably also was underway for an excursion in an area without any contact, it would be best to wait until his return to Cobán to get in touch. The manager awaited her consent and instructions.

Overjoyed at the news, Paula would have liked to dance through the room and out into the corridor, hooting loudly. Her cheeks glowed hot with happy excitement. She replied enthusiastically to the email message and, of course, agreed that the hotel manager should pass her message on to Yordi as soon as he reappeared. And she enclosed a recent portrait photo of herself. Counting with her fingers, she worked out when she could expect an answer from Yordi. She hoped, of course, that this would be before the end of the tour and her departure. Finally, she fell asleep, still a little excited but tired and happy.

Reassured, calm and pleased, she enjoyed the excursion on the following day by boat on the Usumacinta River (serving as the border between Mexico and Guatemala) to the excellent and impressive Maya site of Yaxchilán, which was one of the most powerful Maya states in the late classic period. There were no other tourists there, most likely as it was remote and only accessible by boat. A fact that made this visit an unforgettable highlight. It was easy to follow the historical explanations of the local guide and at the same time marvel at the ancient buildings, without some sweaty tourists constantly standing in the way and blocking the perfect view.

The tour continued to the well-known and therefore rather crowded Palenque the following day. A significant archaeological site, but already tarnished by tourism. Here, too, Paula enjoyed the detailed tour – between and along the walls of these ancient buildings and inside passing through corridors leading to temple niches – and carefully listened to the explanations of the local guide. On the long drive to San Cristobal de las Casas that followed, she leaned back dreamily and closed her eyes. Of course, Paula would have liked to have an answer from Cobán right now, but at the same time, she understood the wait. Whenever a slight nervousness threatened to arise, she pushed it away, thinking, smiling to herself, that everything was on the right track. She did not know what she meant by that because she did not really get any further. It was all too unknown and new. But one thing she knew for sure, something had happened to her.

The next day they explored the enchanting town of San Cristobal de las Casas with its many interesting colonial buildings. In the afternoon, they drove to Chamula and visited the extraordinary ‘Iglesia San Juan’, a church unlike any other. The wonderful ambience inside captured every visitor at once. An exceptional spiritual aura dominated while worshipers engaged in unique rituals. Upon entering, visitors were overwhelmed by the aroma of copal resin incense and the smoke of thousands of candles. The walls were lined with statues of saints adorned with mirrors to ward off evil. Family ceremonies were going on everywhere. Each group sitting on the ground in front of candles placed directly in circles on the floor. Praying in Tzotzil, weeping, sighing could be heard. Overall, it was an incredibly emotional and unique experience for the tourists - who must stay in the back along the walls, in silence and without taking photos. Unforgettable.

That evening, Paula sat in the rustic armchair in her room for over an hour and pondered. She imagined that she had visited this impressive church with Yordi. Sharing such an outstanding experience would be great and immensely beautiful. At his point, she jumped up abruptly with a suppressed outcry and then proclaimed into the room, “What’s going on here, have all the good spirits left me, got mad?” Confused, she let herself fall back on the armchair. Now the thoughts rushed and raced in her head. How on earth did she decide – as if it were a matter of course – to go sightseeing with this man called Yordi. It was not even sure that this Yordi mentioned by the hotel manager was the man she was looking for! Holy crab, what’s gotten into me? This said man – this Yordi – was perhaps quite a different person, married for years, the father of several children.

Paula jumped to her feet again, shaken by this thought. She had not thought of that at all. Yes, the man she was looking for was probably married and had children. And just loved to greet female tourists with compliments early in the morning now and then, a kind of seductive game. Now a wave of rising anger actually crept over her, and somehow also on the unknown man. Everything was too complicated for her, and she decided to go to bed. The best thing now was a deep sleep. Tomorrow, on the rather long boat trip in the Sumidero Canyon, she would hopefully be able to ponder more closely and sort things out. With an energetic gesture, she switched off the light.

A little annoyed, Paula packed her luggage in the morning. Her mood was not the best. Almost a little disgusted, she settled herself in the back seat of the boat, right next to the helmsman. Since he had to concentrate fully on his job, she could calmly reflect on her own thoughts. The doubts that suddenly came over her last night brought her real displeasure. She was not used to taking foolish steps, had always walked forward carefully in life. In any case, she could not afford to go wrong in her demanding management position, because too much depended on it, too many kept looking at her. She had so far succeeded in doing this very well and made her proud. And now, here on this extraordinary journey to numerous fascinating destinations – which for many others will forever remain a dream to visit – she seemed entirely off the rails and to aim for terribly foolish actions.

Her profound reflections were unsettled by loud shouts around her. Some stood up excitedly with their cameras in their hands, causing the boat to sway so that the guide had to reprove loudly, “Sit down!” Source of excitement lay on the other side on a sandbank in foot of the high cliffs: A crocodile was basking there. It was a handsome chunk of reptile. In the meantime, everyone had photographed the wonder crocodile multiple times, and the boat accelerated the journey.

Thus Paula could now continue in her serious pondering. Maybe something was wrong with her, and she was no longer relatively sane? Or did her hormones run amok? Although she had thought that this would only come into play at a much later age. Maybe she had plunged too deeply into her work and career? Sobered, she looked up at the vertically steep and high rock walls that rose up to the sky on both sides. The whole situation – the group of tourists wearing life jackets crammed into this boat that was dashing along this canyon – seemed a bit unusual to her. It was like being in an endless gullet, and Paula did not find the scenery suitable for her profound considerations about what to do and what not. Actually, she had seen enough and would have loved to turn back and rest a bit in a nice hotel. While the others ecstatically screamed and took photos after every rare bird or even more giant reptiles, Paula sat with a rather stoney expression on her face in the boat and stared at these endless bare rock walls.

The next day, they crossed the border with Guatemala one last time. After visiting the beautiful church of San Andrés Xecul – painted in the bright colours of the local people’s costumes and a visually-stunning proclamation of faith – they reached the town of Quetzaltenango at an altitude of 2330 m above sea level at the foot of the Santa Maria volcano.

After the early dinner, Paula had enough time to ponder what was moving her so much. Namely, the question of whether she had gone crazy thinking every day about a man whom she had actually only met for about six minutes. But now haunted in her head as if he were already part of her life. She grinned thoughtfully at the wall and shrugged. Her long reflection concluded that something like this had never happened to her before. But there, in Cobán, it just clicked. She was absolutely sure that she had strong feelings for that man. These were such deep and intense feelings simply grown within seconds, and she would never have expected that something like this would appear in her life.

The next day, a visit to the Indian market in San Francisco el alto was on the program. There was a hopeless crush of people and animals between tables, stacks and towers of goods of all kinds. Of course, there were highly clever pickpockets because the tourists had nowhere to flee. Paula did not feel like being in such a crowd and escaped. She went around the back through a narrow side street and looked for a safe place on a low wall near the exit. There she sat all the time and watched the colourful happenings. Yes, Yordi was there in her head too, which made her smile several times. On the long drive to Lake Atitlán, she rested in her seat with a happy expression on her face.

On a rather sporty boat trip the next day, they experienced the unique atmosphere of the Lake Atitlán ringed by steep, verdant hills, lined with indigenous Mayan villages and surrounded by volcanoes with striking pointed cones. After a long hike with a few breakneck passages, the day’s program ended with an again very sporty boat trip back to the port of departure. The vigorous shaking back and forth seemed a little too much for some fellow travellers. They appeared visibly tired and trying to hold on to something with both hands. Some found nothing to hold on to and were constantly being lifted from their seats. On this diabolic boat ride, Paula was suddenly overwhelmed with significant doubts about her message to Cobán. What if he was married? He and the hotel manager would laugh out loud. And she would have made such a fool of herself, could even be accused of stalking a man. Horrified by this thought, she looked straight ahead at the majestic volcano that seemed to watch over everything. At the same time, these mostly very picturesque volcanoes exuded a mysterious and dangerous dominance. Why on earth had she just missed that and assumed that he had actually been waiting for her? Now, Paula was in an absolute panic.

And again after dinner – most others had gone to a disco – she sat in her room, staring at the wall. It was imperative to go through these confusing thoughts, deal with them, and hopefully eliminate them. However, this was not possible unilaterally because answers and input from the other side would be necessary to throw specific fears or ideas overboard. Finally, she hissed through her teeth in the direction of the wall, “It would now be time to send me an answer!” Or should she write to the hotel manager and call off the whole search? She really began to hate herself. And now, two tears ran down her cheeks. Paula bit her lip and then loudly cursed into the room, “What have I got myself into?” And after a while, she added in pensive voice, “Simply unbelievable, a completely unknown man on the roadside in a foreign town babbles some romantic lines at me, and I fall out of my socks and lose my mind!” Paula rose and went to bed, muttering, “It looks like I need a therapist!”

During the entire excursion and guided tour in Chichicastenango the next day, she followed the others as if in a trance, without much awareness. It all seemed like a vast, colourful market to her, and in the background, an impressive church – obviously used for both Catholic worship and Maya rituals – towered over everything. However, in her head, the same thoughts kept going in circles. When they were given free time for their own discoveries, she walked purposefully along the street to the end of the town, then returned on the other side of the road. Paula let the thoughts buzz in her head. On the way to Antigua – said to be the most beautiful colonial city of Central America – she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. At some point, the confusion in her head subsided. As if a solution had been found. On arrival at the beautiful hotel in Antigua, Paula got off the bus like a newborn.

She really enjoyed the following day the guided walking tour through this unique city (with the reputation of being one of the most beautiful in the world). Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its Spanish colonial buildings (many of them restored following a 1773 earthquake), surrounded by volcanoes, immediately capturing the hearts of those arriving. In the afternoon, there was free time, and Paula happily strolled in a large flower garden, admiring the many gorgeous plants and finally enjoyed a drink there in the small open-air café lovingly furnished by the owners. She had no idea why, but suddenly her world was in fair balance, and she was glad that the chaos in her head was over. Even when Yordi’s smiling eyes appeared again, she remained completely calm and collected, glanced over to the giant volcano and mumbled, “Thank you, Antigua!”

There was a farewell dinner in a beautiful restaurant patio with lavish décor, candlelight, torches, tasty food, and heartfelt folkloric music in the evening.

Around noon the next day, the group travelled to Guatemala City, from where they all would fly home to Europe. Arrived on the plane, Paula stowed her hand luggage and made herself comfortable in her seat for the long return flight. She pulled out her mobile phone to check the incoming messages before taking off. After touching the message icon, the list of new messages appeared, and Paula immediately read the name ‘Yordi’. But she could not continue reading because she threw her hands in the air with excitement and the cell phone flew down the aisle along several rows of seats, landing in two parts between the feet of arriving passengers. Paula’s heart pounded wildly. She jumped up and wanted to shout something out loud but could not make a sound. Desperate, she gestured towards the newcomers, but they were all busy with themselves and their luggage. A young man sitting diagonally in front of her had noticed everything. He grinned briefly and threw himself nimbly to the ground, crawled away between the many feet and legs and grabbed what was lying there. To the amazement of some passengers, he skilfully crawled back, dropped into his seat, and put the cell phone back into the case. Next, he touched the screen, enlarged something and then held the mobile phone under her nose with a broad smile, noting, “A very handsome man!”

Paula stared into the picture in front of her, wholly ecstatic and with an open mouth. She would have loved to break out in jubilation. It was a photo of Yordi. He looked fabulous! Desperate to read his text before taking off, she opened the message. Moved by surprise, she read his lines in a hurry. Yordi had been very happy to receive her lines and confessed that he, too, had thought of her every day since their brief encounter. He apologized for the delay in responding. He had been out in the jungle for several days on a personal project. Then he introduced himself briefly. He was 43 years old and had a seven-year-old daughter – whose mother had died of an infection shortly after giving birth to their daughter. He was a guide specializing in the history of the Maya dynasties. And he lived with his daughter in the large house of his sister and her family in Cobán. So his daughter grew up well protected with her sister’s children. A little over a year ago, there was an unfortunate accident on a river rafting tour with a private tourist group. Two young women did not follow the instructions and fell into the water at a highly inconvenient place. He jumped after them to the rescue and hit an oar as well as a rock headfirst. Unfortunately, he lost his front teeth and suffered a severe concussion from the strong impact, but he could save the two young women. As a result, he was unable to work for several weeks. Obviously, this was too much for his new fiancée, with whom he had been living for almost two years. She left him and moved away with a well-heeled Russian tourist. Finally, Yordi suggested visiting Paula soon. He added as a postscript that the front teeth in the photo were not repaired, but following an idea of his daughter and sister, a montage with two pieces of white chewing gum. So that he could smile for Paula and make a better impression.

The call came to switch off all electronic devices for taking off. Paula switched off her cell phone – after a last glance at Yordi – and leaned back. Happily overwhelmed. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She pressed the mobile phone to her chest during the entire long flight, even during meals.

Paula and Yordi texted each other at least three times a day from that day on. Two weeks later, Yordi arrived in Europe and stayed for six weeks. The first dental treatment was carried out to restore his front teeth during this time. Then he flew home and came back three months later for the subsequent treatment.

To the complete astonishment of the management, Paula quit her top job and moved to Cobán. Soon after, the two got married in Antigua, where they spent their honeymoon.

Following the original plan for an independent project by Yordi for future livelihoods – Paula was entirely enthusiastic about this project from the first moment – they opened a beautiful orchid farm in the jungle not far from the eco-lodge run by Yordi’s parents. And so they welcomed groups of tourists there in the future – and organized historical seminars and well as guided tours through the unique orchid groves.

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