92 
GUATEMALA. 
As this Hotel Aleman was the first house of solid 
masonry we had entered since our arrival in Guatemala, 
we examined it with some curiosity. Externally it was 
very plain, — white with stucco, of one story, and roofed 
with red tile. Windows were few, and the large door of 
two valves was generally closed in a rather inhospitable 
manner to an outsider. Once within the portal, however, 
the scene changed wonderfully. Before us was a court¬ 
yard ( patio ), into which the house opened. Directly in 
Plan of the Hotel Aleman. 
front was a plain building, used as kitchen (cocina) and 
stable; on the left was the garden ( Jiuerto ); on the 
right, the corridor, on which opened the sala, or parlor, 
an apartment or two, and the dining-room ( comedor ). In 
the corner was a large concrete tank to catch rain-water. 
Our own apartment was at the left of the entrance, and 
was quite large, with tiled floor and separate corridor. 
A curtain was suspended between two of the pillars to 
shade the dining-room, and hammocks could be swung in 
