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Santo Tomás Chichicastenango, El Quiché, Guatemala

settling in...

I’ve been meaning to write on this blog for months, but it seems in being settled I have less time for everything.  It appears to me, that regularity takes up more time than my inconsistent day to day wanderings ever did.  I suppose it is because I fill up much of my spare time boiling beans, grocery shopping and going to the gym.  All that sounds quite mundane and boring, but quite the contrary, to me the novelty of being in one place still hasn’t worn off. 

Antigua is an interesting place to live, at the very least I love living by volcanoes.  I stare at them on my way out in the morning, watching the inconsistent ashy rumblings of Fuego spill across the morning sky.  At night, as I am walking home, I choose a route which allows me to stare contentedly at the hazy silhouette of Agua. 

After 3 years of being self contained I feel funny trying to grow roots.  I constantly feel like I should be packing my bags and to move on—but I like the notion of being settled.  It has its pleasant aspects—cooking for oneself, having routines, meeting people or at least making slow attempts at doing so. 

All in all I still haven’t gotten my sea legs or land legs, and my job doesn't make it any easier.  Most of January I spent out of Guatemala and February didn’t fare much better. Maybe I’ll never really stop and grow moss or roots but for now I like the sensation of trying.

3 years on.

Today on the breezy bus to Rio Dulce I was ruminating that it is closing in on three years since I started this blog and my adventures to Central America.  It is hard to believe what started out as a dream, "man I wish someone would pay me to travel!" has turned into a reality.
These days things have seemed to melt into a sort of soup of memories and dreams.  My waking reality is so much like my dream time that I often find myself struggling to find the borders between memories and things I've dreamt up.
In that vein I just finished watching Apocalypse Now Redux which was a trippy experience to say the least.  The critical traveller eye in me wanted to know what dreamed up ruins Kurtz was hanging out in.  Another part of me was horrified to see such a familiar landscape under the damaging hand of war.  Watching these American soldiers thrashing around in the Vietnamese jungle fighting a senseless war dredged up some of my current thoughts on my Motherland.
As I spend more time out of the states I feel like I am getting a better understanding of how the rest of the world sees us.  This goes hand and hand with my slowly growing understanding of our history of forcing ourselves upon impoverished nations in the name of founding democracy while extracting huge economic benefits for ourselves.  How are we fooled over and over by this same story?  What happened during the last century in Asia and Latin America is playing out again in the Middle East.  It is hard to feel proud of a nation which values improving our economy over the lives of people.
None of this is meant to sound like arrogant rantings of an ex-pat. Ex-pats are generally overweight and have tanned themselves with in an inch of turning into leather so I'd generally like to avoid that classification.  Anyhow, sorry for the absolute random tangent that this blog entry has taken.  I blame all the deet I had to use yesterday in the jungles of tikal.

glimpses

Memories of a country are often formed from series of images which build up into a sentiment or a feeling while loosing their fine detail.  I always chastise myself for not walking about with a notebook in which I could record the details of those swift moments, glimpses of what makes a country unique.
I was thinking of that this morning while walking the damp cobbled streets of Antigua in search of breakfast.  Sitting on the stoop of a cafe was an old man who I often see there selling carved wooden angels.  The image of him jogged my memory to another moment in Antigua when I found myself walking behind a man stooped over with a meter tall wooden angel bound to his back by a piece of rope which stretched across his forehead.  For whatever reason the image of that man moved me and I felt compelled to buy the angel just to relieve him of his load.  Then of course reason sank in and I continued past him down the road to forget about that moment until again this morning.

a memory experiment

I was Antigua, Guatemala for the last 3 days of Semana Santa.   For a lot of people this is a reason in itself to come to Antigua.  And to be honest I had been wanting to see what it was all about since I had heard about it.  My friend Alex was with me for the first night (friday) and with her background in Art History and Latin she was pretty geeked out about the whole thing.  And I have to say the whole thing is really quite impressive, but I didn't take a single picture.
I didn't really think about it at the time, but a while into it I made a conscious decision not to take a photo.  I wanted to see if memory is really affected by not having a photo to reference it.  My idea being that for so many travelers travel has come down to digital images.  Imagine (or maybe you can just remember if this has unfortunately happened to you) that your camera is suddenly lost after an incredible 2 week vacation.  Feel that sinking in your stomach, that ache of desire, what is it that you are missing?  What is it about these images that we are so attached to?  Most of us never print our photos out.  Most of our friends aren't all that interested in seeing them.  And yet sometimes its seems that our photos are more important than our memories, in fact that our photos are our memories. 
I wanted to see if without a photo would my experience of Semana Santa be changed. Though a photo doesn't capture the smell choking smoke of Copal that turns the streets of Antigua in to eerie gray passageways, nor the thundering music which signals Jesus' death, nor the slow swaying walk of the men and women who stoop under the weight of the huge platforms loaded with life size wooden sculptures of Jesus, Angels, Saints and crying Marys, something still impels us to snap away. But what it is that makes us so attached to our images?  Is it this crazy idea that with out a photo we will some how forget where we have been?
I was thinking of this again today as I was walking down the streets of Livingston to the bank.  When we focus on capturing the image we forget to take the time to absorb the details.  Considering this as I walked I tried to take the time to absorb more details, the sounds, the smells, the people.  And now I wonder if my memories of those slow moving marches are sharpened by the fact that while they were passing me I could focus entirely on that moment and not on framing a photo, or if my memories will fade with age and I will wish for a photo to remind me that I was there.
The truth is, I won´t know the answer to this for quite sometime.  Memories take time to settle into the creases of your brain.  Some make an imprint so strong that they never seem to fade, and others are forgotten precisely the moment they happen.
In all honesty, my strongest memories don´t have a photo with which to associate them.  They are standing 9 miles out in the wilderness on my first back packing trip gazing out at an endless sea of evergreen and granite.  Or the feeling of walking out in to Little India my first night in Singapore, the scent of spices and rhythm of bollywood soundtracks pulsating through the heavy air.  Or a moon rising over the freeway overpasses with Mt. Tam in silhouette as I paddle in from practice.  Sometimes that ache or desire to capture a moment is the very thing that makes us remember it with precision.  In our inability to otherwise document it, we take the time to tatoo the present moment into our minds, where it will stay with us, regardless of crashed computers or lost negatives.

Mith Samlanh (Friends)

Things strike me sometimes, they leave me with my breath caught halfway up my throat with their absolute inspiring beauty and make me want to scream for joy at the brilliance of humanity. Friend International makes me feel like that, staring into toddlers' faces, and a lot of other things. But Friends (and its associated projects: Makphet, Romdeng) and another project very similar to it in Hanoi, KOTO (know one teach one) give me a lot of HOPE. And inspire me in a big way.
Both take kids off the street and teach them highly sought after skills: how to cook, how to serve, how to speak English. In countries with fast growing tourist industries, these skills are priceless, they give these kids skills that are in demand and are taught a level of service one rarely encounters in Asia. And the energy in these restaurants pastes a big fat grin on my face. I was struck one morning, while having brunch in KOTO, by a strange tickiling energy that vibrated at the pit of my stomach, a feeling of being home, a feeling of wanting this, a feeling of knowing that maybe I had finally found a calling...
I have a little seed of an idea germinating in my heart right now, one that involves kids, pollo pibil, a restaurant and Guatemala. Sort of a Amigos Chapines if you will. Anyhow something like that will take some funding as well as some serious planning and commitment. It is an idea for a future Gemma who has settled down a bit. A girl can dream....

quick and dirty guide: the central 7 and mexico

(B this entry is for you)

I'm thinking someone should pay me to be a travel adviser, or something to that end, but maybe I will get paid back in street phad thai and good karma for all this writing I am doing.

B asked about belize/honduras versus costa rica/nicaragua which I would say are two very worthy choices to choose between and led me to think about what all the countries are like in central. I'm planning on getting to writing mini-guides on those countries that I have not yet covered but I figure I'll start with a what we might call a country briefing. I'm starting North and moving South, try to keep up. Oh and these are my opinions, nothing more.

MÉXICO

Mexico has just about everything. Rich in culture, diverse in landscape, I can't really cover it all here. But my general feeling of méxico is, 'GUAU!' It is big, it has states, and the food in INCREDIBLE.

You could spend months or years exploring it: surfing, diving, mayan ruins, climbing volcanoes, visiting pueblitos, getting yourself lost in churches, meeting the indigenous people, swimming in lakes, exploring canyons. Chiapas is fantastic, the Yucatan (and associated states) is divine, and D.F. will blow your mind.

GUATEMALA

My soul lives in Guate. Highlands, black beans, incredible textiles, gorgeous colonial cities, TIKAL, and the warmest latinos on the block, what more can you ask for? Did I mention the coffee and chocolate?

BELIZE

For a cultural shmorgasborg, postcard beaches, and lush jungle Belize takes the cake. It is small, accessible, easy to get around, and full of friendly faces. Belize combines lots of outdoor activities with a carribean attitude, plus just about everyone speaks English. It isn't as cheap as other countries, but you can do it on a budget. Most people go for the diving, end up exploring a cave or two, and maybe some nice ruins. Don't miss the Marie Sharps.

HONDURAS

Considering the current political strife, Honduras might not be your first choice. Honduras is in a word: strange. The catrachos are different from the other Latins and the Bay Islands are a world unto themselves. Copán has lovely ruins (but is more Guatemala than Honduras), las Islas Bahia have some great diving (and it is CHEAP), I've heard other places are great, but I haven't seen much. Most people stick to the islands and head on to the next place. If you want to get off the beaten track and see something new it could be a glorious adventure, but I am not making any promises. Combined with Belize it could be a cool diving vacation (there are direct flights between Belize city and San Pedro Sula).

EL SAV

Can't comment too much. Heard the coast is a great place for surfing. Pupusas seem motivation enough to check it out, but then again most people don't travel just so they can try the local food.

NICARAGUA

Could the Nicas be any nicer? Seriously. My best best best friends all live in Nicaragua. Traffic is usually caused by cows. Nicaragua is considered the next big thing though the economic crisis may have slowed that for a bit. If you want to experience almost everything Central has to offer (islands, volcanoes, diving, surfing, jungles, colonial cities) you could stay in Nicaragua and see almost everything. Boasting two of the longest coast lines in the region, two colonial gems, and decent infrastructure, it combines the variety of Costa Rica with the wildness of the other countries.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica has grown on me. The people are unique and possess a subtle culture that will crawl into you heart and find a home, just give it time. If you like wildlife, getting outdoors and varied landscapes you will be blown away by Costa Rica. Not as safe as some people will have you think, it is still welcoming and lovely. The tourist infrastructure makes doing things a breeze, but there are still relatively undeveloped pockets, they just require 4 wheel drive and a bit more patience. Make friends with the Ticos, they know the best places and love to have a good time. Throw Nicaragua in the mix and you have an interesting balance of two very different cultures, the opportunity to do more outdoor sports than you can imagine and a hundred possibilities for adventure.

PANAMA

My Panama experience is limited to Bocas Del Toro, and I dug that. Panama City is rumored to be quite and adventure, David and the highlands come highly recommended. Plus there is always the added temptation of trying to reach Colombia overland from here. Send me a postcard if you make it!

So there you go, brief, succinct, and obviously biased. Hope that gives you some insight.

la guia: GUATE GUATE GUATE

Alright, I've had another request for more Central America information, well two in fact so I'm going to try and slap together a couple posts on that. Plus the wee compu has been down and out for a couple days (seems I picked up a virus) so I've got a lot of words to put down. First things first we'll tackle GUATE.

GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA (AKA LA CAPITAL)

Right. So you will more than likely have to experience Guatemala city unless you are lucky enough to be arriving overland via some other fabulous place. Get in and get out is my approach. Everyone is going to tell you it is dangerous and I think it is, but then again I spent very little time there. Anyhow the airport has NOTHING, some mayan ladies selling galletas chicky and that is about it, no joke. To get from there grab a shuttle ($7-10) or a cab if there are a few of you ($30). People are very helpful, but will rip you off if you act all super gringo (and then you deserve it). From there probably easiest to head to...

LA ANTIGUA GUATEMALA

Most people just call it Antigua and it probably deserves its own post. Where even to start????
To sleep there are hundreds of hotels, good hostel is the Yellow House, they make some mean oatmeal and spaghetti (!!!) for brekkie. Check out the parque central, on the side opposite the cathedral, behind a bookstore is lovely (though pricey) cafe condessa. Have a very North American moment at the Bagel Barn (off parque central) If you want to do a trek use O.X. Sky bar is awesome on 1 avenida, and there are some cool shops around there. I still love Fernandos (7 avenida) for coffee and early morning wifi.
I will admit that Antigua is Guatemala at its most organized and cleaned up. It is a pleasure to wander the streets, but is lacking the hard edge of the highlands or the funky soul of Peten. For me it was always all about indulgences: breakfast of fruit at the ceviche place, sammies from epicure, hair cuts on la septima avenida, pupusas at la rana y sapo, hanging with friends, and of course it is beautiful. If you can find your way to Santiago Zamorra to visit the weaving cooperative or out to Vahalla to the Macadamia nut farm, do it.
From Antigua most people head to the Lake usually via...

CHICHICASTENANGO

Market days are thursday and sunday, though I prefer sunday as there are often processions which can be a lot of fun to see. Bargain, but be kind, these highlanders work hard for their money. Check the back of textiles to see if they have been hand embroidered or are machine made. Great woodcarvings and some unique jewlery, otherwise everything is same same but different and you are better off buying from a weaving cooperative on Lake Atitlan.

LAKE ATITLAN

PANAJACHEL
Most people end up here first and a lot of people don't like pana, but it is one of my favorite places as it is just a crazy weird part of guate. There is a fantastic little deli/restaurant on the main road with a tree growing in the middle of it, somehow i can never remember the name of it (algo de fuego or somethin'), but they have banana curry soup and it is SO good. Also there is fantastic Asian food at Chinitas (also on Santander) she makes some amazing blue corn pancakes and there is crazy live music every night. Oh and on your way out of town grab brekkie to go at Panapan bakery. The market right in town is fab, and they sell the wool clothes from Solola. Also if you don't want to go all the way to Chichi for a market you can check out the market just up the hill in Solola (grab a chicken bus). I'm not positive, but I think market days are sunday???
From Pana take the launchas out to other parts of the lake, they are going to rip you off on the launcha ride, but there isn't a lot you can do about it.

SANTIAGO ATITLAN

Nested at the foot of a volcan, cruise over to Santiago and get a little kid to take you to see Maximon, a local diety. very cool. You can buy the local traje there, all the fabrics with purple stripes and embroidered birds are from this small village. The church is also fantastic, a great example of traditional Catholicism. The main alter is carved wood and dedicated to Jesus and corn. All the Saints are represented by wooden sculptures that are dressed every year in cotton outfits. Pretty awesome. From herre you could grab a launcha over to Santa Catarina del Popolo to check out weaving cooperatives.

SAN PEDRO

Back packer ghetto, drugs, beer, good pizza and angry juice ladies who will shake their shredded plasitic bag fly swatters at you. If you want to hang out with stoned back packers or have ridiculously good pizza (up the hill, first right) then it is your place. Otherwise it is hilly and often smells funny during coffee harvest (they dry the beans out, so it stinks of fermenting coffee berries). You can also rent kayaks here and cruise around in the protected bay.

SAN MARCOS

I lived here in this place of hobbity paths through the coffee bushes. It isn't a utopia as some hippies may have you believe, but it is great. Xamanik up on the hill has great parties but is a loud place to stay. You can check out La Paz for accommodation, yoga, and good but very slow food. Explore, try and get lost (you can't really) and get a massage (Flower house or the San Marco Holistic Center). More kayaks if you want and adventure, or hike out to the rocks to jump in the water or to Russel's dock for some nice sun bathing. I think San Marcos has some of the best swimming on the lake.

JAIBALITO

Casa del mundo or Vulcanos Lodge are both very special amazing places to stay if you get a chance.

SANTA CRUZ LA LAGUNA

La iguana perdida is a good place to loose yourself for a couple do nothing type days. They do great family style dinners and Belle might still be around doing morning yoga (nothing like downward dog in front of gray blue volcanos).

When you finally peel your self from the gorgeous waters of the lake head up the mountians to...

QUETZALTENANGO (XELA-JU)

For me Guatemala is the highlands and Xela is the heart of the highlands. Most people who head this way go to language school (1 on 1 classes, 5 hrs/day, room and board should cost between $130-180) cruise around a choose one that feels good to you (my heart lies with Miguel Angel Asturias). The opportunity to live with a Guatemalan family will enrich your travels and understandings of this incredible country.
I like el cuartito for cute drinks and wifi, exploring mecardo Minerva for those plastic market baskets, and discovering all the hidden bars and restaurants. Oh and La Luna for hot chocolate, Blue Angel for vegan cookies, and the famous chocolate place near Mercado Flores (Doña Pancha), la fonda del che for peruvian flute music. There are always things going on at the gorgeous cathedral and lots of cool NGOs to support.

SEMUC CHAMPEY/LANQUIN

Confession: I never made it out here. L-A-M-E. I know. But I will get there ok???
Anyhow everyone says it is amazing and very worth the long travel time to get there. So just go.

RIO DULCE

Grilled cheese and the bungalows at Tijax. Nuffsed. From here take a boat ride to...

LIVINGSTON

Tapado at Bugga Mamma's. Chat with some Garifunas then grab a boat on to Honduras or Belize or back to Rio Dulce.

FLORES/TIKAL

I love Flores. Cool places to drink right on the water, a gorgeous lake, could you ask for more??
Amigos is a cool hostel, but tons of the hotels are very affordable, just make sure you get a fan and a place with a pool is always nice. Grab a launcha to take you to the mirador at sunset, bring beers and hike up to the lookout. Very cool. Lots of nice places to eat: Villa del Chef (killer mojitos which are 2 por 1 during happy hour 4-7), Cool beans for pancakes with fruit, and Las Puertas (near amigos) does nice veggie food plus the owner's husband plays classical guitar every night.
I think Tikal is done best if you head out there about 11, do a picknick at the grand plaza and then cruise around. By about 2 all the tour groups have left and you have the place practically to yourself. Pretty awesome. Sometimes you can catch sight of a toucan in the afternoon.

Obviously this is not an exhaustive guide, nor is this all that detailed, but it gives you a bit of a sense of Guate.
As far as getting around, the tourist shuttles are more comfortable but the chicken buses are far more entertaining and often a bit faster, if you can believe it. Spanish skills help out a lot but you will learn as you go.
Enjoy. Drink as much Zacapa on the rocks as you can, eat some pepian and make sure to give the Chapines lots of love.

barrilettes gigantes

Being in Central America long enough to see giant kites twice is pretty amazing. On 1 November, Dia De Los Santos the sky is filled with huge kites calling the souls of the dead back to earth. Though other pueblos also celebrate in this way the two best known places are Sumptango and Santiago Sacatepequez.
Last year I went to Sumptango and had my first taste of pollo pibil sitting near the kites in a dusty field. This year after a crazy morning of yelling at shady tour operators in spanish (no I won't pay $7 to be crammed on a chicken bus full of gringos) Alaina, Erica (alaina's mom) and I made it to Santiago. Unlike in Sumptango the festival itself takes place in the middle of the village cemetary. People walk on top of freshly dug graves of dirt, decorated by marigolds, families eat picnic on top of cement crypts painted garish turquoise, little boys pee on the backs of grave stones with their abuelos standing near by, cerveza Gallo is left below the wooden crosses as an offering. It is classic highlands Guatemala, busy, loud, chaotic, and gorgeous.
Families with 4 generations present watch the kites launch into the air. The crowds suck in a collective breath as the kite takes flight, exhales the same "ahh" or "ohh" as it suceeds or fails. Children fly smaller kites, running across the uneven dirt to get them started.
Some of the kites aren't finished until the late afternoon, all morning crews stand there glueing together the tissue paper to the thick bamboo skeleton. It is a thing of beauty, months of planning, thousands of dollars spent, all for one day.

playing catch up

I know I have been a bit mia from the blog scene for most of october. I don't have so much of an excuse, unless having too much fun is acceptable. So I may stick with that. Mostly what happens is the choice comes down to tying myself to the tiny eee pc and writing about the stuff that has happened or going out and living life as it comes. But of course things have happened that are worth putting words to. So I will try and give you a quick and dirty sense of what october was all about...
place: seoul, korea
duration: 9 hours
mode of transport: airport shuttles, moving sidewalks, feet
Not being the most organized of travelers (a damning admission for a tour leader) I didn't realize that I was going to have a nine hour layover in Seoul until the last minute. Luckily the day before leaving Phnom Penh I had the chance to pick the brain of PCV whose family happens to live in Seoul. He mentioned there being a Kimchi museum in the city, so after checking out Korean culture at the Korean Culture exhibit in the airport and making a traditional paper dish, I jumped on a bus to the city. This of course was a far more complicated process which required talking to many a tourist office, bumbling my way through and atm, buying a bus ticket and finally escaping the airport. But I did make it out of the airport and all the way to some bizarre underground mall where all things Kimchi are housed.
The museum itself was kind of a let down. I mean I think I may have had unreasonable expectations including un montón de kimchi and maybe being able to try to make some myself. On the other hand you can pose yourself next to a mannequin so it looks like she is feeding you kimchi, but I didn't have anyone to take a photo of me doing it. I did learn about the health benefits of Kimchi and finished up the whole experience with a quick lunch of korean fried chicken and many a sauce at some packed mall cafe. Then it was back on the bus, and back to the terminal to smell every Hermes perfume I could find, and debate purchasing overpriced duty free goods.

place: marin county, california
duration: 6 days
mode of transport: gti, feet, mountain bike
It took me a couple of days to de-asia myself. Which meant washing out the Cambodian dust from all my clothes and eating sushi. I also did a ridiculous amount of online purchasing, and hung out with NAR NAR RAR! Oh and I voted. Just so you all know that, I did vote, Dan at the civic center hooked me up with a ballot and I got to practice my democratic right and darkened the bubble for OBAMA. And before I had the chance to unpack mary completely I was off again to...

place: Chicago, illinois
duration: 7 days
mode of transport: alex's merc, the L, feet, one van cab driven by a polish raver
Chicago was COLD. I spent most of my time fighting with Bubbe over how cold my feet must be, which resulted in the purchase of a pair of brown ballet slipper-esque shoes. Apparently you can't wear flips 12 months out of the year in Illinois. Alex showed off urban living mid-west stlyes, and I enjoyed my last tastes of life in the states. Things learned during my time in chicago: Milwaukee is banging, I hate urban driving, there is good mexican food in the middle of the eeuu, I should use "I" statements rather than forcing my political opinions on impressionable children, and one can make a delicious kuguel with rasin bran rather than corn flakes.

place: Antigua, Guatemala
duration: 2 days
mode of transport: taxi, foot
Upon arriving in Guate I found myself without Mary, which meant, no bag, no change of clothes and two days stuck walking around in my new shoes that at that point had caused my heels to bleed. The next two days I spent waiting for my bag, harassing taca, and eating Korean food. There is a korean restaurant in Antigua, run by a Korean guy. And there is KIMCHI. Holy hell.
Finally Mary showed up, flops were put on, and my smile was regained.

place: Xelaju, Guatemala
duration: 6 days
mode of transport: chicken bus, foot, taxi
Two chicken buses, a light coating of guatemalan dust, a quick taxi ride from Minerva to Las Flores and I found myself dancing in an embrace with ALAINA. Holy holy shit. Nothing like seeing a good friend in a bizarre location. The days were spent dancing to prince, madonna, and michael jackson, eating peanut butter by the forkful, telling stories in spanglish, practicing irregular verbs, cooking to motown, and laughter by the bucketful. Alaina, like me, is not so good with travel plans, we had to cut out of Xela a day early to meet her mom in...

place: Antigua, Guatemala again
duration: 4 days
mode of transport: chicken bus, microbus, foot
Back on the chicken bus to chetumal, than a chase for the bus to Antigua, a ramble to the hotel and we were back. Erica arrived late, but the next day we all reunited over a big fruit breakfast. Something that will forever have changed me is the perpetual availability of tropical fruit here. I get twitchy with out a frequent dose of pineapple, papaya, mango, and melon. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
My next trip started on Sunday so besides a jaunt to Santiago for the barilettes gigantes (which deserve their own post with photos) I was running from internet cafes to the korean restaurant to one of the hotels to queso y vino for most of my time back in antigua.
On sunday, the arrival day of my trip I came down with some g.i. bug. So the night before leaving for honduras Alaina held me as I shivered through the night. Big up to the Garries. I love you guys.

Time post Antigua has been mostly spent under the sea. Some of my friends out on Utila have convinced me that getting my dive masters may be the next step for me, I am pretty excited.

I'm in Granada, Nicaragua currently witnessing some pretty wild reactions to yesterdays Mayorial elections. Not quite the same as what just happened in the states. I was with my whole group eating red snapper and watching the states turn blue. It was a pretty amazing thing to witness. The most inspiring part was seeing the international reaction, I was with only one other American, and yet everyone in the bar was plastered to the tv. Change is coming man, change is coming.

More to come on giant kites, maybe some photos, and all the next adventures.

guate guate guate....

I am a little pissed at Guatemala. She stole my heart back in October and still hasn't given it back. And then the other day she once again bowled me over with her beauty. It may be hard for some people to believe that there are still huge parts of Guatemala that I haven't seen, but it is true. The road from La Mesilla to Panajachel via Huehuetenango is one of those places. And damn is that ride gorgeous. Worn limestone hills that look like emerald camel humps give way to sheer water carved canyons cradling rainy season brown rivers. Along the roadside one catches glimpses of women weaving on back strap looms, men carrying impossible loads of wood on their backs, and the fresh green of the growing maiz. Through the mists of Cuatro Caminos, past the market at Solola, to our first glimpses of Guatemalan Volcanoes. Then Lake Atitlan finished the journey, gracing us with a beautiful showing of blues and purples as we rolled down the hills towards her waters at sunset.
The only thing that would have made the journey better would have been doing it by chicken bus.
Most of this time in Guate has been spent doing various tourist activities. We had a hilarious visit to Maximon, in his new house. This time I did have my camera, which lead to two underexposed very expensive photos, (now my mom may still put me back into her will if I can only get her to forgive me for the quiche debacle). Another entertaining portion of the last week has been practicing my chicken bus calls with Tiago, a fellow tour leader. I think he may have me beat, but he has latin blood, so I figure I am still the best gringa at screaming, "GUATE GUATE GUATE!" or my personal favorite, "CHICHI CHE CHICHI CHICHI CHE!"
The most poignant and beautiful experience that I have had in the last week was when Tiago got me to go out and visit a small town outside of Antigua. The place is Santiago Zamorra, and when you organize a tour with their women's weaving cooperative they will come get you in a pick up truck. Then you ride out for half an hour, through the fields of maiz, cafe, and frijole to Santiago. There the women will meet you, tell you the story of their town, about their cooperative, about the kids they support and teach you things like how to grind coffee. It was another reminder of what makes travel important and good, those moments where you really connect to another person, when you realize that your being there is making a difference, that we are all truly in this together. Plus as Tiago says, the food is so good, you could be enticed to go out there for nothing else, so between the Pepian and the amazing community it was a satisfying afternoon.

dios dice...

God is currently running an ad campaign in Guatemala city. This is not a joke. There are billboards all over the place encouraging you not to drink and drive, to enjoy each day, and they are all signed lovingly, “dios.” I think that God is a pretty convincing advocate against drunk driving, but it is to no avail. Back in April el Diaro, one of Guatemala’s papers printed alarming statistics about Chicken Bus drivers. Amongst those included were, drivers driving under the influence and those driving without a license. Just yesterday I was on a high speed bus drive through a fog laden mountain pass. It is a wonder that my grandmother hasn’t come down here with a posse of jewish bubbes and dragged my ass back to the States where the weather and the driving tend to be a bit more predictable. On the other hand I don’t think she is keeping up with the news in Central America.
The other thing that has been catching news lines is the prompt, or even early arrival of the hurricane season, on May 31st with the appearance of Alma. Her stint was over shortly, only to be followed up by Arturo, or Arthur for you gringos. Today is the first moderately dry day I’ve had since Honduras. Most of my passengers are fascinated or horrified by this change in the weather. Some of them have yet to see the sun down here, which is a shame, but hey it is all part of the experience right?

ciao mèxico, belize briefly, hola guate

The last days have flown by, I feel like I was just diving in cenotes in Mèxico, and now I am all the way in Guatemala again. The last week has been all about water, snorkeling, diving, canoeing. I`ve been loving it.
Things are going to have to be a random mix of stories and run on sentences... deal with it...
random free diving, chasing parrot fish who did not seem pleased, laughing when they pooped (they poop sand, really!), racing on to the boat from cozumel in my bathing suit and not caring, though i did freeze to death in the air con (air con on a boat, why???)
cenote diving at dos ojos, silvery fish, fossils, haunting blue light, halocline induced blindness, bats, scaring snorkelers, and being complimented on my efficient breathing.
my final ado bus ride, playa to chetumal, rolling into belize full on, hot, dusty, sweaty, throwing the crew on to the water taxi and getting to Caye Caulker in time for the cake man.
snorkeling adventure in hol chan, sharks, rays, turtles that bite ankles, playing in scuba bubbles, scaring scuba divers, diving through a cave, coconut ice cream, loosing my sarong (booo!!!) and being late for the second time that day.
big evening rally at Rasta Pasta, one barrel shots for the crew, laughing too hard to take a shot, hiding below a belizian house with malcolm in a failed attempt to scare everyone on the way to ocean side, causing a dancing ruckus with kilt clad ali, telling my life story to an englishman, and falling asleep to ocean breezes.
midday roll to san ignacio, with a full on nap to belmopan (i think my pax were impressed by my sleeping skills), late afternoon arrival to the jungle. hanna´s burrito quesadillas (i don`t criticize what they name the food, it`s that good) and a failed attempt at playing scrabble.
canoeing on the makal with feliz, swimming in the falls, considering a new career in canoeing.
ok, enough already, i am sure none of it makes sense anyways. pace.

pincho!

Well I am back in my favorite of the magnificent central 7, a place where chaos, beauty and struggle are ever present . Even my arrival back here was peppered with a typical guatemalan pincho, stretching what might have been a meager six hour journey into eight and a half. I still swear the driver aimed for the rock in the center of the road as if he knew that not too far down the road was a repair shop (not really a suprise as pinchazos are as common as roosters in Guatemala) as well as a friendly restraunt with a clean baño in which his gringos could rest. Prior to making it to the restraunt we spent a half hour waiting on the road side cutting down and applying aloe to our collective bites and bruises while the driver struggled to change the tire only to find it was a different size. One of my pax tried to explain about a forward axel differential whatever which I sadly attempted to translate into broken spanish. Bad translation or no we ended up at a pinchazo where the mechanics were about half my age and again some how I ended up explaining the about the differential tire size issue. Then we headed down the road in search of sustenance and a place to pee.
An hour later after doing a pepsi coke throw down (coke won) and consuming way too many platanos the driver came to collect us. We took off once again only to be foiled by a semi with what must have been half a metal building strapped to its bed. It took us over an hour to overtake the damn thing because of the narrow roads. By then we hit Guate city traffic and the whole thing turned into a snarled mess of chaotic overtaking mixed in with an unpleasent period behind a truck filled with smoking rubber and a stop for pan dulce and to pee.
Our arrival in Antigua was a welcome one.
Did I mention we had had a flat tire the day before? Life on the road is a crazy one.

guate stories....

fear not faithful readers (does anyone other than my dad read this?) I am not lost in the central american selva, I´ve merely been incredibly distracted by rushing from one end of the region to the other... and by my mom, and a cold front, and elvis, and getting myself a job... and the list goes on.

So where did I leave off?

Somewhere back in Guatemala with Momma, which seems ever so long ago now. We spent much of the trip getting vortexed by the ever lovely Lago de Atítlan. After an exciting trip to Chi-chi and spending my mom´s entire retirement on bags we headed back to Panajachel on the southern shore of the lake. Our shuttle driver and his co-pilot on the way back from Chi-chi kept me entertained with solid banter with subjects ranging from the half naked chicas in el Diario to Pixar films. I was sandwiched between the two, egging them on by asking questions about fútbol slang. After arriving in Pana we headed down to the malacon to watch the sunset and ended up drinking a gallo while getting an extensive lesson in the differences between all the mayan huipiles (traditional shirts that the women wear). All the women, loaded up with their handicrafts, had stopped to hawk their wares not realizing that they had fallen prey to my voracious appetite for talking to strangers. Finally after sunset we pulled ourselves away from the waterfront and ate a disappointing dinner of pan-asian food (what was I thinking ordering Pad Thai in the highlands of Guatemala?).

Christmas Eve we headed over to Santiago Atítlan the home of an important Maya diety, Maximon. I failed to bring my camera to document this foray, a mistake I am not sure Lindy will ever forgive me for. Upon disembarking from our launcha we were gringoed into hiring a local guia, Francisco to take us to see Maximon and the big Catholic Church in the center of town. Francisco was all decked out the in stripy purple Santiago Atítlan spants and a cowboy hat of mexican origions. He dragged us up Santiago´s cobblestone streets to an unassuming house where Maximon currently resides.

Maximon in the result of the fusion of local Maya beliefs with Catholicism. The resulting religon is practiced in various forms throughout the highlands of Guatemala. Maximon himself is a god of pretty much everything. Francisco said you could ask for a husband (and offered up one of his friends for me), to make more money, to heal a sickness or injury. You usually turn to Maximon when ¨dios en el cielo¨ isn´t coming through for you. Most people bring him offerings of ron (rum), ties (the man is covered in them), cigars (he always has a huge one jammed in his mouth), and money (you tuck it in his ties). For an extra 10 quetzales you can take a picture with him. Francisco informed me that Maximon can in fact understand English as well as Japanese, Thai, French, and Italian, so if I was moved to ask him something I could go right ahead. I am not telling you what I asked for, I have a suspicion it is kind of like a birthday wish, where if you tell anyone it won´t come true.

After Maximon we headed up to the Iglesia to check it out. The walls on either side of this church are lined by huge wooden catholic saints all outfitted in mumu like dresses. The saints recieve new outfits every year sewn by the local people. There is a large alter for maize (a maya influence) near the front of the church. And as it was christmas there was an impressive nativity. Fracisco told us about the guerilla movement and all the problems that had happened around the lake during the the 70´s and 80´s. Santiago was a pretty amazing place to experience, really different from the rest of the lake.

feliz navidad!

Atìtlan sunset

Iglesia en Chichicastenango

Los Gringos estan esperando en Chichi.

The mama y yo have been doing it up Guate styles. Avoiding incineration, taking wild shuttle rides, meeting Mayan dieties, buying way too many textiles, and generally just enjoying the Guate life. Mom says I have been doing a crap job relating exciting stories so I will work on that on my next entry, but the current fireworks display is disturbing my focus.
Feliz whatever you feel like celebrating. For me it will be a day without shopping, finally.

esperando

I got my first solid dose of christmas music last night, provided by the two british girls staying in my dorm. It got me all mushy and sentimental missing all the amazing people I am blessed to have in my life and wondering why I am purposely putting so much space between us. Traveling makes you ask that question a lot, more than I would really like. The flip side is that it makes you appreciate everything. Patricia inspired me to start a list of ¨why I love my home,¨it includes good beer, mt. Tam, the civic center farmers market, the marin boathouse, super easy super casual dinners, marin trails, and of course friends and family.
I am doubly blessed right now, because one of the best parts of home is coming to visit me in the form of my mom. It will be nice to share amazing Guatemala with someone so special. Great as friends that you meet traveling are, it is nice to have someone from home to ground you, and be bowled over by the beauty of a Lake Atìtlan sunrise while standing right next to you.
Its been an interesting last couple of weeks for me. I think that meditating twice a day, talking about astral traveling, and reading buddhist texts does that to a person. Traveling brings up all the same issues too, impermenance, uncertainty, lonliness. Issues that are easier to ignore in the rhythm of a more structured life. The thing that I am seeing is that there is a lot of truth in the statement that ¨fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.¨ And if Pema is right, and enlightenment is ¨total fearlessness,¨I am glad I am out on the road, because a lot of it scares the shit out of me. Predictability is lost out here. Comfort and familiarity take on a new meaning because they are infrequent guests in my life. But the challenge and difficulties are worth it because each sunrise, each new friend, and each good cup of coffee represents a lot of adventure.

doh!

Well I have escaped the lake. I went out in style, a big ol´goodbye dinner at Paco Real where we literally took over the whole restaurant and cleaned the place out of pesto. A couple litros of gallo warmed us up enough to spend an hour down on the dock, where we were haunted by a silent launcha, and stared at those looming volcàns. This morning Patty P woke me up for sunrise and yoga, and after some packing and a bit of hanging at the docks I was off on the launcha to ¡pana pana pana!
There I got honkied into a shuttle to Antigua, which ended up being worth it just for the reduction of hassle that it provided. The hawkers tactic of telling me a bus was no good because I would have to ride it with strangers was unconvincing but quite entertaing. What got me was that the shuttle was leaving right then, sometimes I´ll pay for convenience. Along the way I zoned out ipod styles, got asked to go dancing with a friendly gas station attendant and discovered that Guatemalans know about the joys of Homer Simpson.
Along the road to Antigua was a stand selling carnitas y chicharrone. Their advertising tactic was a large picture of Homer Simpson carrying a pig under his arm. Brought back all sorts of apples to apples memories of one new years past. Needless to say it got me chuckling.
So there you are. I´m rolling sola, waiting for my laundry and my mom while recovering from a pupusa induced coma.

guate-styles

So I am still living life in Guatemala, rolling along comfortably on central american time. My mom arrives Monday, so today is my last official day as a Moonie, tomorrow I depart for Antigua to take up again the life of a wanderer. The with-Mom travels will be a bit different, I am sure, flights to Tikal, actual reservations, plans, big stuff. But I am looking forward to a different pace, change has a way of ridding one of complacency and keeps things interesting.

In tribute to my departure, some priceless moments on the lake...
Last saturday, prior to the shenanigans of the new moon party I embarked on my first Guatemalan trail run from San Marcos to San Pedro. I would highly recommend this type of endeavor for stamina, and endurance. Yelling ¨Buenas!¨and ¨hola!¨to all the Guatemalans you encounter takes a certain level of aerobic fitness. That combined with vacas charging, climbing over rocks, getting mowed down by our canine tour guide ¨Astro¨as well as avoiding stepping in human fecal matter, keeps things interesting. Needless to say I was happy to take the launcha back.
¿Qué mas?
Oooooh... many a meal at our new favorite restaurants Paco Real, the mexican joint that serves pasta, mole, and a mean lentil soup.
Two botched attempts at skpe interview, which ended in me yelling loudly into my cell phone at a San Pedro internet cafe.
Stepping in dog shit on a dark walk home from blind lemon.
Breathing nueve tres nueve, once tres once, and trece tres trece!
Swimming and practicing Shiatsu at Russel´s dock.
Watching the Gemini meteor shower over the volcanoes and lake. esuper cool.
Just generally keeping it real, mixed in with a couple guided meditations, some siestas, and many a hot chocolate. So there you all go.
Wishing you all well with the last frenzied days of pre-christmas chaos, deep breathing and abstaining from credit card use will get you through!
BESOS!

siete, tres, siete

So I´ve gotten all wrapped up in a very active social life with my fellow, ¨moonies,¨as it were. Not that that should be an excuse, but between meditation, shiatsu class, and trying to astral travel my calendar has been packed. Luckily one of the few guys that are taking the course is a talented story teller as well as photo journalist, which saves me some time in the internet cafe. You can check out his perspective at:
www.30casa30.com
Who says spirituality and boxed wine can´t mix?
Well, back to some deep breathing after a quick San Pedro pizza fix.

oh and this is the link to me laughing after beating Sasha in an arm wrestling match at the new moon party.