Our Man in Antigua

Peter Finch…the movie ‘Network’…screaming out his window..”I’m mad as hell and I’m not taking it anymore!”

this evenings US Embassy Town Hall Meeting at La Encantada or the other place…I was mislead, as usual, but showed up relatively on time, per G.S.T…the evening’s most unpopular topic? the continuing electronic theft of $$$ via the ATM’s in the BAC branch on the square..one gringo, hit today for $1500 actually last used his card on the 5th of April, the date of the screaming hissy fit of the ‘dog and pony show’ put on by BAC/INGUAT and the embassy…WTF? WTF is BAC doing? answer..not much..o, they’ve changed the guards…BFD…internal measures that i was told were ‘confidential’ and to which will remain so,if only for the next week…’told of yet another European country that has ‘turned off’ all debit card transactions between Guatemala and them…hint..the name starts with ‘B’..the Danish bank story isn’t nailed down but the “B’ country is…o boy..’come to Guatemala, visit Antigua and get your bank account stripped, ripped and raped..BAC/Guatemala? total denial, complete ‘head in the sand’…ok, they had their first board meeting a few weeks ago with the Colombian crew…’hi..we’re you’re new bosses, overseers and capos..’got any problems?’ right..as if the Guate crew would ‘fess up and say..’well, yes, just a tiny bit of a PR problem in Antigua..daily hacking, not much…only a million or so..no big deal..but we’re on it..trust us..” I’ve urged the person at the top of the food chain to do something…anything…to this day..nada,zip..yes, there’ s new guards and the personnel inside the branch, when asked if there’s been any problems with the ATMs?…no..no problems..as long as you’re using a Gaute-based credit/debit card as Alex Bell was this morning…anything else and it’s…open sesame…ca ching! hasta la vista dinero, baby..the denial, the lame efforts and the disregard for international publicity is staggering…heads will roll, eventually…maybe..a al Rosenberg or the Colom circus…this country…what next? credit to the US Embassy for stepping up pressure…o..the British Embassy? check out the BAC complaints on their Facebook page…it’s enough to drive a man to drink(and I am)…deep breath…change of subject…Da Vinci’s new location? totally different..individual dining alcoves, smaller bar, roof top patio…the whole crew working today, moving stuff, even Luis Miguel seen carrying in stuff..Claudias 2 and 3 seen…Claudia #1 not…maybe after i walked by..Shaun of O’lot embarking on a ‘diet’..said he ran up/down the hill of Cerro Del Cruz..a final final goodbye to Yo Yo in the patio..he says he’ll be back..big plans for the upper level new hamburger joint, ‘Lava’…a vision of something not seen here…nope, can’t tell..yet..it makes sense, though..upper 5th? grave yard…Studio 35 still trying ‘all you can drink for 66q”  no on Adan this eve at Cafe Opera…and i needed a ‘come down’ from the meeting…whew…spoke with my 93 year old mom on sunday, mentioning all this BAC/ATM crap..she asked if i was worried about being shot…nope..’been there, done everything i ever wanted to do ten times…the doors open…and the safety’s off…the $$ is largely gone..wish Carla the best with her new ‘adventure’…she deserves every bit of it..nope, can’t tell..ask her..Antigua? Semana Satan coming around soon…’bound to be a virtual gold mine for the ATMs in BAC…and the boys in Bogota…for bad publicity,
Antigua’s ranking up there with Juarez…go figure…passed Adolfo our Alcalde later…where the hell is he on this problem? any statements, meetings or show of concern? not that I know of…

5 year old technology

buttheads..i’m disgusted, frankly…disappointed, disillusioned and dismayed..what a great way to stick yet another knife in the tourism industry in Gautemala..