I feel enormously grateful that I was able to travel to Guatemala and experience life that is in many ways very different from what I experience here. Just wanted to note a few things that have stuck with me or that I forgot to mention.

1. First of all, I am immensely grateful to God, Maria and my body’s supply of Adrenaline. I was very much afraid that I would be physically unable to take photos and enjoy my stay. I did not have to walk or stand very much most days. I was able to take most of the photos you find in my gallery from a seated position. I did not crash until after we made our truffles on Friday. It was festival day in Antigua, so many streets were blocked. I would have had to do a lot of walking, and knew I wasn’t up to it. I fell asleep at 7:15 I’ll just have to return there some day if I really want to see Antigua. Other than that, there is not much I missed. Every day was full and delightful. It was like a dream. It still feels that way. If I didn’t have the photos, I might believe that it didn’t really happen.

2. Pack dogs: Most of the dogs in Guatemala are pack dogs. I don’t want to use the word “wild” because that brings a sense of danger that I did not encounter. These dogs are calm and do not approach humans. They do not seek attention and affection, nor are they threatening. They don’t bark. They howl on the day the trash collectors come to remove food from the street, other than that, they are quiet and peaceful. They stay near humans because humans leave food behind. I am told that once a year, the town puts out poison to control their populations. That’s kinda sad, but I guess they have no other good options.

3. I encountered poverty at a level I have not seen it in the US. The poor I encounter in the US have a sense of entitlement and a lack of appreciation/respect. While I realize that is not true in all communities, it has been my recent experience. The poor in Guatemala appreciate any help they can get. They are respectful and lack so much more. Our society tries not to let anyone truly go hungry. The poor have food banks and food stamps. The poor in Guatemala can easily starve. They cook on wood stoves, sometimes unvented, creating an unhealthy environment for their children, but what other choice do they have? There are, however, lots of humanitarians who make trips to Guatemala or move there so they can help. They build houses, create foundations that offer food, healthcare, job training, etc, That’s great to see. So much more needs to be done, but at least some folks are there trying to make a difference. Once such foundation is Mayan Familes.

We in the US allow the news media to make us believe that all Central American countries are unsafe. That is so untrue. I can’t imagine a place I felt safer than in Panajachel. There was a police presence, but they were just directing traffic and other normal things. We made truffles with a couple from Israel who told us that Israel is also safe. It’s really hard to know what to believe from our media and even our State Department. So, if you have travel money and time, Guatemala is the place to visit, at least the Lake Atitilan area and Antigua. Can’t say anything about the rest yet.

While I cannot say that all the images I captured are amazing or stunning, I can say that with the help of God and my wonderful friend, Maria, I got everything on the list except the monkey. Had I been alone, I may have pushed myself into further injury trying to do so. Maria scoped out the path to the monkey exhibit, and made it clear that going there would be a really bad idea, therefore, because less pain and injury is good, I am glad I don’t have the monkey.

All Wish List photos are available at http://photos.cmoye.net/wishlist

• 2 old churches or building in Antiqua with volcano in background

1. Old Church 1
2. Old Church 2

• Chocolate (just before I devour it)
• Volcano with clouds/lake
• Curves (Arches)-Couldn’t get the best one. Ran out of steam.
• Beautiful window-Not so beautiful. Needed more time and energy.
• Beautiful door: (They were everywhere. I only captured a few. No doubt there were even prettier ones in the areas I didn’t make it to).
• Something “framed”
• Patterns
• Child-focus on eyes
• Mayan culture
• 2 butterflies

1. Butterfly 1
2. Butterfly 2

• 1 hummingbird
• 1 quetzal, toucan or other bird I wouldn’t see in PA or VA.
• 1 monkey (Did not get-too many stairs to get to it)
• 2 beautiful flowers

1. Flower 1
2. Bird of Paradise

• Stunning Sunrise or sunset
• Unique house or furniture
• Contrast-(greyish on one side/stunning color on the other)

Our final activity might have been the very best. It certainly produced the best souvenirs. We went to the Choco Museo in Antigua, Guatemala on Thursday where we participated in the truffle making workshop. Each email correspondence with Carol to make our appointment contained the work “perfect” somewhere in her response. Our workshop leader, Alex, used the word “perfecto” quite frequently. When I tasted our wonderful truffles, there was no better descriptor than the word, “perfecto”. They are so wonderful! I am amazed that I have had the discipline to eat them slowly. The workshop price was $23 each. We each walked out with about 16 truffles. This was SO worth the money. If I ever go back to Guatemala, the Choco Museo will be at the top of my list.

Afterwards, our driver, Rolando, took us to a few old churches so I could take photos. We were stopped from going many places because it was a festival day. There were many streets blocked off, and I didn’t feel up to walking much (I was beginning to feel the fatigue from the whirlwind week we had). We checked into our hotel, Casa Santo Domingo. It was an old convent. It was exquisite. It has to have been the classiest hotel I ever spent the night in. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant. We both ordered coconut chicken curry on noodles. It was delicious! Outside the dining room was a garden with a hummingbird that visited a few times (I was too tired to get the shot). The room had a patio with birds of paradise and another exotic flower. There was a butterfly there posing for me. The room also had a fireplace and oddly enough, a phone near the toilet.  I took a nap after dinner that lasted until 3:15 a.m., time to get ready for our 4:00 am ride to the airport.

The rest of the photos are in my Antigua gallery.

What an absolutely wonderful week it was!

We ate at Jose Pinguino’s last night. We were drawn in by the marimba music. Maria says these girls started playing three years ago and were awful. Not so now. They were really pretty good. One of them also is an amazing singer. The owner has studied anthropology, and taught us about mayan culture, dress and music. There was a large crowd there from the states. The leader was rude and cranky and an embarrassment. He was leading a missionary type group who came to Guatemala to volunteer their time and their service. Seems like he needs a missionary himself to teach him some Christ-like behavior. Anyway, the history lesson was great. Once again, the United States interfered in the political affairs of a nation they didn’t understand. With American help and influence, there was a huge massacre of Mayan people in the 1980s. The men had to stop wearing native dress or be killed. Even now, wearing native dress makes them unemployable. His daughter, Michelle, showed us how she wraps her native headdress. It is basically a belt that is at least 20 feet long. The end is beautifully decorated. When she finishes wrapping, it looks like a fancy hat. This is the only place I went all week without a camera. Bad idea! Maria took photos, however, and I will add hers when I get it.

After the tour group left, Jose came to our table for an individual music history lesson. He taught us about the development of the marimba, and let me play with theirs when he finished. FUN!!!! We ate a native dish with chicken rice and a red sauce. Our soup, (carrot soup that was really delicious) was decorated with cream or something on top, Maria’s had a spider web. Mine had a flower.

We are now packing up, emptying the fridge, and preparing for our trip to Antigua. I scheduled a trip to Choco Museo where we will participate in a chocolate truffle making workshop. I can’t wait!

The focus of this day was enjoying the beauty that Lake Atitlan offers. After our trip to Mayan Families, we took a trip across the lake to Ven Aca restaurant. It was absolutely charming. The food was wonderful, the vista spectacular, and the music, downright hilarious. They were playing a radio station that played American music primarily from the 70s, Guatemalan style. There is no way my description can do justice to what we heard, but imagine a latin beat, latin singers performing Billie Jean and Bohemian Rhapsody. It was hilarious! After eating, I stalked a gecko and captured a hummingbird. Not polished and professional, but I had fun.

The ride over was relatively pleasant. The ride home, as promised,  was choppy, but I had not idea what that would feel like. First of all, it was a large motorboat. The driver did not really dock it, he just pulled close to the dock and told us to climb in. Well the boat was moving while I was trying to get in. I found myself about to fall into the lap of some handsome latino. Although there may have been some fun in that,  I wisely backed up and waited for him to at least hold the boat relatively still. The ride was like going 70 miles per hour over huge potholes in a car with a bad suspension. Ouch!

When we returned “home”, it was time for a well deserved nap. When I woke up, I chilled in the hammock with my kindle until Maria’s workers came. After reviewing my photo bucket list and realizing it was the least cloudy night we had, I packed up my gear and went to the beach alone to take sunset photos. It was still somewhat cloudy, but I am proud of myself for at least attempting it. Here is one of the two I think might have been worth the trip.

Que the roosters and evangelical church music. I’m thinking about going down and teaching them a new beat.

Yesterday I couldn’t seem to speak or understand Spanish anymore, my head was really full (Maria said I couldn’t really speak English either as I stumbled over my words). As it happened, I didn’t need to. We visited Maria’s friends, Sid and Jan, in the afternoon. Sid is from Richmond, CA; Jan is from New Zealand. It was great to just sit around and discuss politics, Trayvon Martin, and the other failings of the US justice and other systems in English. When we left them, we went to a Japanese restaurant for a late lunch. It’s owned by an American man and his Japanese wife. We spoke only English there as well. Both places were my only glimpses into affluence. They were a completely different view of Guatemala, kind of like a movie set. I was imagining some dictator with a cigar in his mouth or something. Sid and Jan are restoring a mansion. It’s stunning!  The Japanese restaurant is in a beautiful adobe structure, the restaurant sits back in a gorgeous garden, far from the Mayan vendors. Although I have enjoyed being in a Spanish speaking country I must admit that it was quite relaxing to just speak and hear English.

The Japanese restaurant where we had lunch.

This is the river that flooded when Christine was last in Pana. Hard to imagine that now.

In the evening we made prints of the photos I took of the Mayan family we met. We chilled at La Parada cafe and listened to the music of Soulfire. They are from Utah. They have traveling from place to place by bus for 3 or 4 years. They are actually really good. You can learn more from their Facebook page: Soulfire Project

https://www.facebook.com/soulfireproject

Most of the time when we have anywhere to go, we hail a “Tuk”. They remind me of the cars on “The Turnpike” at Kennywood. They sound, feel, and ride just like them. They are like cabs here. The drivers charge Q.5 which is less than a dollar and will take you anywhere in Pana you want to go. If you like a certain driver you can get his cell number and call him, or just stand in any spot, one will pass. My favorite tuk story was the one on Friday evening. The driver asked where we were from in Spanish. When I told him Pennsylvania, he said, “Where?”. I said Pittsburgh, “Steelers”. He was quite familiar with the Steelers, but it gets even better. He worked in Somerset, Gettysburg, and Frederick, MD (where I spent my first two years in college). How funny is that? Small world. I think his name was Martin.

This tuk driver worked in Somerset, PA, Gettysburg, PA and Frederick, MD as well as Grand Rapids, MI

Do you know where old school buses go to die live? Guatemala. They are known as “chicken buses”. They are fixed up, brightly painted, and serve as public transportation here. I think they are fascinating! Here are a few.