Day Seven was our day of rest, or so we thought. However, our hosts wanted us to see some of their installations and meet some more of the professionals who defend their country. So, we were up at six again and on the road headed South and West toward Pueblo San Jose.

First, we toured the home of the Guatemalan Paracaidistas, who are elite paratroopers trained in a variety of skills - some of which were demonstrated for us. They had a Static Jump Trainer, and the Team was allowed to "jump" - think of a bungee jump with a zipline ride at the end. We were all feeling pretty macho until Colonel Queme's 5-year old daughter climbed the tower in the harness her dad made for her and jumped without hesitation. It was no big deal to her - she has jumped many times, and her mom has done static jumps for real.

Back in the van and off to the Naval Base, where we once again were welcomed by the Commander. We had lunch in the Officer's Mess and agreed that the food was extremely good. We then boarded one of their coastal cutters and were shown the harbor and some of the coast from offshore. Then it was time for a much-needed rest at the local beach on the base, where those who wanted to swam.

There was a bit of excitement on the way back as a massive traffic jam forced a long detour around the Southern end of Guatemala City, but our driver was very skillfull and we made back to the base for the last night.

Muchos Gracias!