Petate and San Juan visit

     Spanish is actually the second language of all the Mayan people who live along the lake.  Over 40% of Guatemalans are indigenous and speak their own community’s language at home.  The government of Guatemala has not always been kind to its indigenous population as evidenced by the experiences of Dominga which we learned about while watching a documentary at the school on Tuesday.  Back in the early 80’s, it was decided that a dam would be built in the Rio Negro area which would wipe out the land of many locals.  When they resisted, massacres took place and Dominga, who was just 11 years old, ran away at the prompting of her mother who was killed, along with her father.  She eventually was adopted by a US couple.  Now Denise, she went back as an adult and assisted in exhuming those buried, including her father, and testified against those who were supposedly responsible.  Muy triste (very sad)!    

So many yummy food options!  Tostados for 5Q (75 cents)

       While most afternoons have been spent doing homework, studying or trip planning, we spent Thursday afternoon watching a demonstration at our school of ‘petate’.  A mother-daughter duo came from a neighboring village to show us how they make carpets, seats, fans, etc. out of reeds that grow in the lake.  They first have to go in the lake and get them, then dry them out for up to a month and then weave them together.  The mother doesn’t speak Spanish, only her local Mayan language, and learned this technique from her mother and now has passed it on to her daughter.  I was able to try my hands at weaving and braiding the petate and within minutes, my back was sore.  It’s hard work!  

Afterwards, we walked up and over to the neighboring village, San Juan de la Laguna, where fewer tourists visit (many in San Pedro are of the dirty hippy variety).  We bought our first souvenirs, a small bag and some hand-sewn bowls, from a cooperative shop where 20 women sell their goods.  

The church was very interesting and the murals painted on the store walls were absolutely beautiful.

After the long walk there, we opted for a tuc-tuc back which was a bumpy but always fun way to get around.

The first friendly drunk we've met.

Vida de la casa

As we wrap up our first week in the homestay, I want to share some photos particular to this experience.  Andrea and Lorenzo are very gracious.  Andrea works so hard around the house!  She is lucky to be able to use Mike's washer upstairs (most do all laundry by hand, often in the lake) but still hand washes the clothes Lorenzo picks aguacates (avocados) in in the morning before he teaches classes.  She also makes amazing meals which are all different, even breakfast.  Then cleans the house, shops at the market and helps Elena and Lorenzo with tarea (homework).  Lorenzo Sr. teaches and directs at the school and works some mornings in the local farms.  The kids are off to school before 7 every morning.  Busy home life here in San Pedro!

PS- Some have mentioned that these posts make them hungry.  Beware of yummy food photos below!

Our room with a lago (lake) view!

Mark enjoying a yummy fruit and chocolate breakfast.

The kitchen

Delicious chicken, yams, salad and tortillas for almuerzo (lunch) which is the biggest meal of the day.

Mark y la familia

Mark and Lorenzo playing pirated video games. 

Escuela de español in San Pedro

     After a deep stretching yoga class, perfect the day after the hike, and a bumpy 2ish hour bus ride to Panajachel, we fended the men competing for our boating business and bounced along the huge Lago de Atitlán towards San Pedro de la Laguna.  Lake Atitlan is a beautiful volcanic lake that sits at 5,100 feet and is surrounding by volcanoes that rise as high up as 10,000 feet.  Squashed between an elderly local couple and clinging to our bags, we protected ourselves from the splash and enjoyed the beautiful views.

The Panajachel boat dock

Hold on!

     Upon arrival we slowly walked up the hill, stopping for helado (ice cream) of course, and found the Cooperativa Language School.  We arrived just in time to get picked up by our host family.  We are staying at the director's house which is pretty neat (albeit a little intimidating!).  Lorenzo runs the school, sits on the school board and is active in church so is certainly an important man in town.  We met his wife Andrea, daughter Elena, son Lorenzo and perro (dog) Rocky who really likes Mark!

   They also have another older son who is studying at a military academy about 2 hours away so he can get higher quality education that may get him in to universities.  We were brought up to the top level where Lorenzo Jr's birthday party was on the beautiful balcony of their friend and tenant Mike, a 60-something retired American who now lives here permanently.  He spent 10 years in the Air Force then taught chemistry for many years.  In 1995, he came to Central America for 6 months and returned every summer break.  Eight years ago, he started the process of building his apartment and now enjoys an amazing home with a lake view for about $300/month.  Not bad!
    This birthday party for Lorenzo is particularly special because about a year and a half ago, at the age of 7, he was diagnosed with pituitary gland cancer and had many months of treatments in Guatemala City, about 4 hours away.  Last year, at his 8th birthday, they thought it may be his last.  So to see him healthy and happy for his 9th birthday is quite special for the family and the fiesta mood reflected that.  Lorenzo showed us his gifts which included clothing, toys and a very nice bicecleta (bicycle)!

Suzy keeping up with los niños

    Monday was our first day of classes.  My maestra (teacher) is Angela and very kind and patient.  Mark is with Nicolas.  The four hours, including a break to introduce ourselves to everyone, went by quickly!  Then we returned home for lunch with Lorenzo Sr. and Andrea.  Mike told us she is a really good cook so we are lucky to be at her house!

Angela and I learning introducciones

The beautiful escuela grounds!

 Unfortunately, we most likely won't be able to stay with them next week since Lorenzo has an MRI scheduled in Guatemala City.  But for now, they are very kind and I am very thankful that Mark knows enough Spanish to actually converse with them at meals, etc.  I learned a lot today but it is hard because I keep thinking of the German words for introductions, numbers, etc.  I know just enough German to mess with my Spanish learning but not enough to actually be useful there!

   We spent the afternoon studying at a nearby restaurant called Mikaso.  It is right on the lake surrounded by a few houses that are submerged in water.  The lake has no outlet, only through evaporation, so any increases in moisture are quite visible!  Apparently it naturally cycles up and down but there are many lakeside communities that would be affected if the waters didn't recede.  We also shopped around town for a cumpleaños regalo (birthday gift) for Lorenzo.  Our first purchase was a Real Madrid mochila (backpack) but we came home and immediately saw that he already had a really nice Real Madrid mochila so went right back out again to purchase a Real Madrid (his favorite team) scarf.  This was a hit and he loved it!

San Pedro is a very religious city with lots of religious street art and paintings.

    Day two of classes went equally well!  I have tarea (homework) so I must get to that!  Buenos días!

Pacaya Volcano Hike

What's better than one volcano hike in a week?  Dos!  Today we hiked Pacaya Volcano, a still very active volcano that rises up to over 8,000 feet.  It's last major eruption was in 2010 when ash reached as far as Guatemala City.  Now it just constantly spews sulfuric gases.
    The hike was pretty steep but not very long.  Even though we started hiking at 7:30 am, there were plenty of trail dogs to keep us company.  And the caballo (horse) 'taxis' kept following and waiting for someone to fall out.  Kids tried to sell us hiking sticks.  I commented that they should be in school but Mark pointed out it is a Saturday so hopefully its just a weekend 'job' for them.

Perros y caballos taxis

    Because we had a young group, our guide took us to the upper rim so we could get closer to the smoking volcano cone and walk down through the volcanic rocks.

Two other volcanoes across the way.  The one on the left is smoking too!

Pacaya with its puff of smoke coming from the top.

Standing on the volcanic rocks from the last big eruption.

Eventually, we reached the area were the rocks crevasses are so warm you can roast marshmallows so that's what we did!  I think it was more for a chance to say you've roasted marshmallows on a volcano but it was pretty interesting to feel the heat emanating from beneath your feet.

Just like camping in Colorado.  Or not at all.

We walked down, trying to avoid horse dung and the hoards of people coming up.  This was also my first glimpse of Guatemalan life outside of the touristy Antigua.  I'm starting to see trends in developing nations like the ubiquitous trash, babies/kids, dogs, air pollution (ok, I realize that is many places but here its evidenced by the brown-puffing buses and vans... no emissions testing here!) and obvious signs of poverty.  Over 53% of Guatemalans live in extreme poverty.  Hopefully our time here will help support those in need through our tourism dollars and some of the projects the language school is involved in.

Came back to a late lunch of 'gringos'

Transit and Arrival in Antigua, Guatemala

     After nearly 2 amazing weeks in St. Vincent, we are on to the next leg of our travels.  While lovely, St. Vincent is pretty remote (and very far south... way closer to Venezuela than the US!) so we had to fly to Trinidad, spend a night and then fly 6 hours to Houston then to Guatemala City.  On our 7 hour US layover, we enjoyed our United Club passes (free wine!), USO (free food!) and our last bit of the US til May.  We arrived around 10 p.m. but thankfully our shuttle was there to whisk us to Antigua, about an hour away.  Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque architecture and colonial churches.  From the 1500's to 1700's, it was the capital of Guatemala and the population peaked at 60,000 until serious earthquakes in the early and late 1700's destroyed much of the city and they moved the capital to a safer location (where Guatemala City now is located) and thus, called this town Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala). Now it's the tourist hub of Guatemala.  Which means there are plenty of yummy restaurants, travel agencies, beautiful hotels and a lot of gringos.

    We are staying at Holistico Hostel in our own room (worth the extra few bucks).  In the morning, I was perusing tripadvisor and realized there were yoga classes just a few minutes away starting in less than half an hour.  So I finally stretched out after two days of travel and Mark enjoyed the amazing hostel breakfast.  

The hostel desayuno (breakfast!)

Street-side tortillas but I love the refurbishes US school bus in the back!  They're so colorful!

    Afterwards, we went to explore this city.  The market had plenty of beautiful paintings, bags, jewelry, etc. for sale and we sampled some of the small tortillas.  We tried to find the most non-touristy lunch spot and had a delicious lunch of aquacates (avocado), huevos (eggs) and papas (potatoes) with a yummy rose tea bebida (beverage) for less than $3 each. 

Yum.... initiating fruit coma.

     We also found the famous arch that showcases the ginormous Volcano de Agua rising up behind it, beautiful churches like La Merced and the quaint Centrale Parque.  

Traditionally dressed ladies at the park

     An impressive stop was Casa Santo Domingo which was a monastery from the 1500's that was mostly destroyed in the 1773 earthquake and now served as a museum and fancy hotel.  We sampled some locally made chocolate and toured the grounds.  I then finally got my much needed pedicure (sailing barefoot for so many days took a toll on my feet!) which was an hour plus spa experience, all for about $20.

   Dinner was a very touristy but oh so heavenly crepe place called Honeymoon (Luna de miel).

Nutella heaven. Notice the sign?  Keep calm and eat Nutella.

   On Day 2, Mark joined me for yoga and then we worked out in the same galeria afterwards.  I took this volcano pic from the hotel's balcony.  I can see why lots of US and Europeans like to retire down here (there were lots of retirees in yoga and walking around) since its cheap, cultural and is the perfect temperature this time of year.

Showing off my new pedicure before yoga class

That view!

Meat anyone?

Fresh piña and mango for less than $1?  Sí por favor!