Tikal and Near the End of the Road

(see album link at Tikal Album#

 Our last guest has left and we fly home in less than a week. Obviously, it was time for a road trip.. After much discussion, we decided on a 2-day trip to the great Maya ruins at Tikal in the rain forests of northern Guatemala. Although it was short, it was a very full two days. We left the apartment at 4:00 am for an hour-long ride to the airport in the capital. As an internal flight, the plane left from a VERY different terminal from the modern international terminal.  It was a series of rusted quanset huts on the tarmac right out of a bad fifties movie. We made it through the laxest security EVER.  The only evidence of security was a sign (in Spanish) that firearms were prohibited.  Or maybe they were REQUIRED--our Spanish hasn't improved much. They didn’t even check our ID. The twin engine prop job took us to Flores, far in the north near the Mexican/Belize border, where we climbed aboard a shuttle for an additional hour- long ride to the park. We dropped off our bags at our hotel, then began our four-hour walking tour of the park with our trusty guide with the unfortunate name of Nixon. The plants, animals, spectacular ruins, and Nixon's running commentary kept us fascinated...what an amazing place!

We had a quick lunch and swim, then headed back to the ruins for a second, more leisurely look in the late afternoon. That's when we ran into a large troop of coatamundis. They were off in the distance, chattering on the road. Linda said, " Look at all those birds...no, monkeys...no, I don't know what they are." Roger countered with,"Anteaters? Maybe coatamundis?" We stopped worrying about their name as they started running toward us, and did out best to snap photos as furiously as the cameras would allow. When they got close to us, they veered into the trees and kept running until they noticed a small cistern filled with water. Suddenly, they were lined up, tails straight in the air, getting a drink. Cuter than cute. The enormous, intricate, ancient temples and pyramids had to take a back seat to cute wildlife yet again.

After an abbreviated night's sleep, we met Roxie, guide number two, at 4:30 am for a quick cup of coffee before we headed back into the park to see the sunrise. She guided us to temple 4, where we climbed many, many steps to the top, and silently sat with a handful of other tourists, waiting for the sun. On the eastern horizon we saw miles of rainforest, a handful of towering temples, and a breathtaking sunrise, listening all the while to birds and the roar of an occasional howler monkey. Perfection.

Roxie continued the tour with a detailed description of what is known about the Maya and their occupation of Tikal. She had done a number of archeological excavations at other sites in the Maya world, and knew a lot through her work and university studies. Our heads were spinning with information that we couldn't possibly retain, although we thoroughly appreciated and briefly understood it at the time. She pointed out all kinds of wildlife that we never would have seen without her expert eye. If you have a chance, find an audio file of howler monkeys. The noise is less a howl than a roar, and sounds just like a scary monster..check it out!  Roxie also gave us a lesson in ancient lime-making and food storage, so we're your go-to people after the apocalypse (remember to mark your calendars...the world ends December 21, 2012).  All in all, a terrific tour. An afternoon at the pool, meals, night flight back to Antigua, and our 2-day whirlwind was at an end.

The fun, however, was not over. Joan, our neighbor and new BFF, planned a pig roast with her Guatemalan friends Ian and Cuca on our terrace for Saturday night. Ian and Cuca had the arrangements made, so all we had to do was round out the guest list with people we sort of knew from our time here. So, Joan, Roger, and Linda boldly invited people that were our dearest Antigua friends, although many of them probably didn't quite know who we were. No matter...they all showed up, stayed the whole time, and we had a terrific time. The pig roast was spectacular. Be sure to look at the album to see to see the grill they assembled in our tiny courtyard--an engineering sight to behold. The chef was a wonderful cook, and the food was top notch. A GREAT night.

So, we are down to our last two days in town, cleaning out the fridge, buying a few souvenirs, and deciding where to eat our last meals. Not tough decisions. We plan to add one more post of a couple of photo albums that we haven't quite finished yet. Look for that in a day or few. After that, you probably won't get another post until July, when we head to Peru and Ecuador, so look for it then. Until then, adios amigos!

Gail's Guest Blog

(see picture album links at end of blog) 
Semana Santa

I am very happy to do this guest blog because it means I was able to partake of Linda and Roger's hospitality in this lovely city of Antigua during the most amazing time of the year - Semana Santa.  Linda met me at the airport in Guatemala City with their number one taxi driver, Kenny.  Kenny knew the shortcut back to Antigua, thereby avoiding the two hour traffic jams into Antigua, as families and visitors were arriving for Semana Santa.   Banks, schools and other businesses were closed from Wednesday through Monday.  Fortunately restaurants and stores remained open.  Linda, Roger and I, after a very good lunch at Cafe Condesa, wandered around town, looking at the alfombras, or carpets.  There are several processions every day and each has a prescribed route.  Anyone living or having a business on the route can make a carpet.  No permits are needed; there are no themes to follow nor are prizes awarded.  It truly is done as an expression of faith.  The carpets vary from a simple cross on a bed of pine needles to multi-colored ones made of dyed sawdust and decorated with flowers, mini- sculptures, animals and religious figures made from fruit and even the face of Jesus carved into the rind of a watermelon.  After the procession has passed over the carpet, city street sweepers follow and clean-up the remains.  If another procession is scheduled along that same route later that that day or the next, the families make another carpet. 

  The Procession

Every procession seems to include two floats.  The first has a statue of Jesus on it, looking to the right.  The floats are decorated anew each year, but the statue remains the same.  The same is true of Mary, who is on the second float.  The women decorate Mary's float; the men decorate Jesus'.  Included in the procession are bands, with clarinets, trumpets, baritones, tubas and drums, playing funeral-like dirges.  Jesus' float weighs 7000 pounds and is carried by 80 men, who may pay 40 Quetzales (about $5.00) for the privilege.  The tallest men carry for the first segment, usually one block, when the next group (the second tallest) takes over.  The transition is completed silently, as each carrier has been assigned numbers, indicating the corner where they begin carrying, and the exact spot on the float they are to carry.  The women carry Mary's float.  Mary's float is half of Jesus' - the cost, weight and number of carriers.  A procession may consist of 60 turns, so 80 carriers times 60 turns times many processions equals a lot of participants.  The men are garbed in purple robes and the women in black and white.  On Good Friday, after 3:00 pm both men and women wear black.  As we watched the processions, we saw fathers carrying their young sons on one arm as the other shoulder bore the weight of the float.  Likewise, with the women.  Young children also walked along side their parents, and were dressed like their parents.   Occasionally we saw someone on a cell phone and the Mahanic's neighbor, Joan, reported seeing one of the marchers snap a photo with his iPad, but generally there was a solemnity and non-commercialism to Semana Santa.  I took Elizabeth Bell's tour at 6:00 am on Good Friday, and we walked one of the procession routes, looking at over a hundred carpets.

 The Food

We have eaten delicious food here, often in a nearly empty restaurant.  Epicure and Don Martine treated us to a complimentary appetizer and dessert (tortilla soup and chocolate truffle at Epicure and eggplant ceviche and fruit platter with rum creme at Don Martine).  I took the cooking class at Pena de Sol Latino and highly recommend it, even though they did not give us aprons to wear that day.  I've taken many cooking classes and I probably did more hands-on prep than any previous classes.  I also took the class at the Chocolate Museum, where I did get an apron!  We ate at Hector's one night, which seems to be the unanimous choice as the best restaurant in Antigua.  Hector's seats 22; after a twenty minute wait, we were seated at the bar which offered a front row view of the kitchen and meal preparations.  The actual open floor space of this kitchen is about two feet by eight feet.  The head cook, prep person, hostess/waitress, dishwasher and even Hector are all in the area.  Their movements are the dance of a well-practiced ensemble, as they efficiently move in the tiny space.

 The Hiking

  On my first day we hiked to Cerro de la Cruz, for a nice overview of the city.  On Easter Sunday, we took the Earth Lodge shuttle to Earth Lodge, about a 20 minute ride, where we had understood we could hike safely.  Locals told us to avoid certain roads as the robbers are especially on the lookout during holidays.  We arrived at the drop off point, walked ten minutes uphill to Earth Lodge, only to be told that it was not safe to hike there, either.  Then one young woman said she had hiked earlier, along the same route we had just come, without any problems, but that we should probably not take our cameras because we would probably be relieved of them along the trail.  So we left our backpacks at Earth Lodge, retraced our path back to where the shuttle dropped us plus a little further, than back to Earth Lodge, where we arranged for the shuttle to take us back to Antigua.  Not quite what we had planned for the day but an interesting experience to see Earth Lodge.  Later that day, Linda and I walked through Santo Domingo, where a monastery that had been partially in ruins has been renovated into a beautiful hotel/restaurant/convention center  - it seemed the polar opposite of Earth Lodge, where (usually) younger people will go and volunteer for a bit in exchange for lodging.

The Hiking, Part II

On Monday, the tourist van picked us up at 6:00 am for the ride to Pacaya Volcano.  There were 11 of us on this bus and we were joined by an equal number at the start of the hike, led by a Guatemalan tourist guide.  The hike was advertised as an easy two hour hike.  However, for those who live in the flatlands of Michigan, it was not quite so easy, as we hiked up for over an hour to the top, which is at 8373 feet.  Accompanying us were three horses and their riders.  They kept saying to us (and by us I mean Roger, Linda and me) 'Taxi?'  I like to think we were at the end of the hikers because we were the sweepers of the hike, not because we were just a little slower than the twenty-somethings on the hike with us.  Finally Roger explained to them in his best and most polite Spanish that if he wanted a taxi he would let them know and to quit asking.  It was effective.  Pacaya was very windy at the top.  There was a small Lava Store, where one could purchase lava jewelry and other souvenirs, payable upon return to your hotel.  Our guide had sticks and marshmallows for roasting over one of the hot areas at the top.  Linda and I patiently roasted ours; Roger ate his unroasted.  Views from the top were spectacular.

 

Textiles

Linda and I visited the Textile Museum on Tuesday, then hit the shops so I could buy  some Guatemalan fabric.  Linda had already purchased some with Carol, and both she and I were practicing restraint as we still have yards of fabric from Bali awaiting us.  The colors are bright and lively.

Miscellaneous

 While Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a very special time in Antigua, with businesses closing for several days, it was interesting to see the places of business that remained open, including a nail salon, where Joan was able to get a manicure on Easter Sunday.

I have made very good use of my "Guatemalan wallet," which I have had for years, but was unaware of how useful it is where one must be vigilant of pickpockets, especially ones with sharp knives.  I expect to be using this wallet on future trips to South America and Africa.

And finally, anytime Linda and Roger Mahanic invite you to join them on any adventure, just say yes.  Cancel whatever else is on your schedule, buy your ticket and be ready for a wonderful, memorable trip. (Roger sits in Pope's chair from 2002 Antigua visit in 2002: "If they didn't want you to sit in it, they'd have put up a rope or something."

Album Links:
General Pictures: Guat5#

Antigua Carpets:  Antigua Alfombras (Carpets)#

Quilt Inspirations:
Quilt Inspirations#

Lake Atitlan with Jane and Ralf

A Ripping Yarn of Pagan Idolatry, a Scorpion Attack, Fun with Ralf and Jane, and a Disgusting Travel Tale

Maximon - (mah-shi-moan)...we never heard of him until this trip. Wow. This is one freaky fellow. We first encountered him about a month ago. We saw a display in the local craft shop that was made up of 30 or so seated male wooden figures, dressed in black, with black hats and pursed lips, some with cigarettes. When we first saw it, Katie said, "It must be someone in particular, maybe someone important." He is indeed someone particular AND important. Long story short....  is a combination of Saint Simon and a Maya god. One day when the men were working in the fields, he slept with all of their wives. They returned and cut off his arms. SOMEHOW, after that, he became an object of worship. (We agree; an important part of the story is missing.) Anyway, he is worshipped only in the western Guatemalan Highlands, and has shrines in only four local towns. Apparently, he is a bit of a bully. Worshipers give him donations of cigarettes, liquor, or money, and he grants favors, often hurting an enemy in the process.  

One of the effigies happens to be at Lake Atitlan in the village of Santiago, near our village of San Pedro . We are visiting the lake for two days with Jane and Ralf. Roger has a few favors he'd like granted. The perfect storm. 

So Roger is on a pilgrammage.  “I guess it’s sort of like idolatry,” Roger admits.  “No,” Linda corrects him. “It IS idolatry.” 

Mah-shi, Mah-shi Moan...  I Wanna be a Mah-shi Moan 

From San Pedro, we took a local boat to Santiago. On our arrival in town, we were bombarded by guides wanting to give us a tut-tuk ride to see Maximon for 100 quetzales each. Roger knew better. After some sharp haggling, he and Ralf secured the services of a fourth-grader named Juan to take our group of four to see the big man for 15 quetzales total. Do we know how to take advantage of a kid or what?!?  

A long winding walk through a labyrinth of tiny lanes brought us to a narrow alley in a poor residential area of town. We thought,     " Is this kid scamming us? Is there a group of thugs waiting to accost us once we head down the alley?" Linda, experienced with fourth grade boys, determined that Juan was on the level and we proceeded.  We met  Maximon, in the flesh (or wood), in a small incense-filled room, where a ceremony was under way. A number of people shared their wishes with the shaman. There was chanting, lighting of candles, and kissing of a scarf-draped black cowboy hat. Attendants ensure that Maximon always had either a lit cigarette between his wooden lips, or was sipping Quetzalteco, apparently his booze of choice. The danger of fire concerns us, with copious amounts of alcohol splashed around the open flame, but we dodged that bullet.   

Roger has someone translate his request to the shaman, and he had his moment in the sun, so to speak, as he took his place at the altar. He hasn't shared his request with the rest of the group, so we don't know what favor he asked of Maximon. Since that day, however, Linda has felt an overpowering urge to shop online at Victoria's Secret. Related? Perhaps. 

The rest of our time with Jane and Ralf has been equally exciting. To share just a few of the events...Ralf had his pocket slit by a pickpocket (with no loss to either his money or his junk); he saved Linda by killing a three-inch scorpion; we met a crazy cat lady who decided to remain in Guatemala because she found a cat (a cosmic sign, she said); we resisted the urge to buy "sky cookies" in the hippie enclave at San Pedro. 

How to Acquire Good Travel Stories--On the trip back to Antigua, we shared a mini-bus (and numerous travel lies ) with two Canadian flight attendants who have been traveling together for years. 

“So tell me,” Roger says.  “What is the most obnoxious passenger you ever had to deal with?” 

Dusanka  pauses, but only for a moment.  “Is disgusting OK?” 

“Absolutely!” Roger says. 

“I once had to stop a lady breastfeeding a cat,” she says. 

Yeah. Glad we didn't ever meet THAT crazy cat lady.

See our album link at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106750917165477506851/2012Guatemala4?authkey=Gv1sRgCNCriOKP-aPisAE#

Sizemores in Antigua -With PIX!

Our blog is long overdue (yes, we know!) but we have a good excuse...we've been entertaining a steady stream of visitors. Carol and Ron were here for a week. We spent most of our time with them here in Antigua. We saw the biggest procession of the season (and in the world), with ungodly large crowds, stalls with bizarre street food, and magnificent ‘carpets’ made of flowers spread on the streets along the parade route. Linda was sick and missed out on much of that, and somehow Carol was left behind when the boys left the apartment. Undaunted—though a little miffed-- she braved the throngs alone, on the most crowded day of the year, asking for directions as she followed the procession route to see the carpets. What a trooper!!  The four of us also did a village tour around Antigua with Victor, a local guide with terrific insights that he shared with us. Carol and Linda fabric shopped, and Ron and Roger toured the local hardware shops.

One early evening, hanging out on the rooftop terrace with several friends, we noticed that Fuego, one of the local volcanoes, was puffing black smoke every five minutes or so. Now, Fuego puffs often, but it is NOT Old Faithful, and we were intrigued. As we lounged, Ron paced around and announced every puff of smoke. Roger took advantage of the time between puffs to share yet another Customs story, when Ron shouted,  " Look at that!". Roger lost his audience as we all shifted our attention to Fuego, which glowed red. We saw a small stream of LAVA flow down from the crater. How cool, our first volcanic eruption! It was a real plus that we were not in danger.  As it turned out.

The highlight of the week was a day at the beach. Guatemala is NOT known for its Pacific beaches, due to a nasty undertow. But walking on the deserted black sand was perfect. The guys discovered and toured a local low-tech salt works and we all lounged in the hotel pool. The sea almost claimed Ron, knocking him off his feet in mere inches of water and sucking him out to sea half way to Guam. He claimed that cinco Gallo beers had nothing to do with that. That's his story and he's sticking to it.

We're having technical difficulties linking our Google Picasa album to this post; check again in a couple of days (that's exactly what Google told us!)
We might have found a fix!  Check our album https://picasaweb.google.com/106750917165477506851/2012Guatemala3#