Our Guatemala Trip

Make Money Blogging

2007-09-06T00:27:00.000-04:00

Hello again. I know it has been a long time since I checked in here, but better late than never.

I know it's a bit off topic, but I know that many people are looking for legitimate ways to make a living online. The best program I have found is called Blogging To The Bank. I've devoted a whole web site to it here. Or, you can go directly to the source to find out more.

This Is A Test

2007-06-16T13:16:00.001-04:00

Yes, it has been a long time since I have added to this blog.

Now I am here simply to test Windows Live Writer, a blogging tool.

If you came here to find something interesting to read, please disregard this entry.

Pacaya Volcano -- Along the Way

2005-11-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

Volcano Cone, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

I previously blogged several photos from my hike to the crater of Pacaya Volcano. This was not one of them, but I've noticed that on Flickr (which I use as my raw photo "dump"), it has been viewed by more people than any of the others. One person even marked it as a "favorite." From an artistic point of view, I dont' like it that the sky is so washed-out, but since so many other people seem to like it despite that, I decided I would post it here, too.

What this Blog Is About

2005-11-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

In August, 2005, we spent two-and-a-half weeks in Guatemala. We studied Spanish while getting to know the city of Antigua and environs. We also made a side trip to Lake Atitlan--Panajachel and Santiago (which, we were sad to hear, has since been devastated by mudslides triggered by Hurricane Stan). This blog served as our travel diary while we were there.

Although I'm still posting here from time to time--and adding some stray photos now and then that didn't get posted during the trip--we don't have plans to keep it truly active. It will remain, though, as a nice online memory book for us and for anyone who cares to read about our brief family adventure in Guatemala.

The "meat" of the blog consists of the daily entries we made while on the trip. You can view those by clicking on any of the weekly archive links from August (see archive listing on the right-hand side of this page).

Kit Living It Up in Guatemala

2005-11-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

100_0859, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Carter's American Girl doll went with us to Guatemala. Carter was not really happy with us posing this picture to imply that Kit would ever actually drink a beer. On the other hand, she thought the pink drink would be fine for Kit--it's called a licuado, a popular drink there that can be made with a variety of fruit juices and is comparable, I guess, to a smoothie here.

Antigua Street Scene

2005-11-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

100_0855, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Another shot from the terrace of the Sky Cafe, Antigua, Guatemala.

Carter Meets Her Horse

2005-11-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

Carter Meets Her Horse, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

This was taken as we were about to set out on a ride through a coffee farm in Guatemala. The woman bringing the horse out is a genuine English riding instructor, named Katie. As I recall, she is married to the owner of the farm, which also has a Mayan music museum and a coffee museum.

Colors of Antigua

2005-11-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

100_0852, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Still cleaning out the camera from pictures taken on our trip to Guatemala in August ... I think this one is kind of nice. Looks like the inhabitants of this block in the city of Antigua agreed with one another to paint their houses each a different color to make it easy to distinguish them.

To Read About Our Trip

2005-10-13T11:20:00.000-04:00

For people new to this blog, if you want to read our travel diary and see the photos from when we were in Guatemala, just click on any of the "Archive" listings in the right-hand column. The relevant dates are 7/31/2005 to 8/27/2005.

CARE in Guatemala

2005-10-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

Here's another organization doing relief work in Guatemala following the mudslide disaster there: CARE.

Helping with Guatemala Relief

2005-10-09T15:08:00.000-04:00

Kathy asked me to find organizations that are providing relief to Guatemala in the wake of Hurricane Stan and the subsequent mudslides and flooding from the storm's rain. She plans to make a donation to one or more of these organizations and urges her friends to, too. The following all appear to be respected organizations who either are already working, or will soon be working, in the affected areas:

Catholic Relief Services

Project Concern International - Their donation page specifically for this crisis is found here.

World Vision

A special note about an organization called Coffee Kids: This is an organization that I have donated to in the past because I like their approach to helping poor families around the world who grow, harvest and help process coffee. Following the Asian tsunami, they had a special relief drive for Aceh, Sumatra, a coffee growing region that was devastated by the quake and flood. As of today when I checked their web site, I did not see anything directed at the current disaster in Guatemala. They do have projects there (on this page there's a write-up about a Coffee Kids project in San Pedro de la Laguna, one of the towns on Lake Atitlan), so I wouldn't be surprised to see them announce a relief drive there, too, soon.

More on the Mudslides

2005-10-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

Every news story sounds worse. Here are excerpts from a Reuters report:

Rescuers in a Guatemalan village struggled on Sunday to find the remains of up to 1,400 Maya Indians killed in a mudslide triggered by Hurricane Stan while officials considered whether to declare the village a mass grave.

A small group of firefighters poked long poles into the brown mud that blanketed the village of Panabaj Sunday in search of victims but feared sinking into the quagmire themselves. ...

Stan's rains sent an avalanche of mud, rocks and trees crashed down a volcano's slopes and into Panabaj as people slept early on Wednesday, covering it in mud up to 40 feet (12 meters) deep in places. ...

Dozens of corpses have been recovered and locals were drawing up names of the missing and dead. With so many victims feared buried, authorities said they might abandon the search and declare the village a mass grave. ...

Some 1,400 people have disappeared in Panabaj, next to the lakeside tourist town of Santiago Atitlan, and are dead, according to the fire department. A local official in charge of compiling death lists put the likely toll at about 1,000. ...

Volunteers uncovered the body of a young girl, her twisted arm poking out from under the mud on Saturday. They then found what appeared to be another corpse nearby but the search for victims was suspended as rain fell again, threatening to trigger new mudslides.

Mudslides

2005-10-09T14:03:00.000-04:00

We are saddened to hear of the mudslides in Guatemala, caused by rain from Hurricane Stan. The hardest hit areas included the towns around Lake Atitlan, which we visited when were there in August. Besides the tourist town of Panajachel, we made a day trip to Santiago de Atitlan, where we saw the old church and the market, and bought a bedspread from one of the stalls near the lakeside.

According to a New York Times article published in our local newspaper today, "Regionwide, the storm's toll had reached 617 by late Saturday ... . Hardest hit was the lakeside town of Santiago Atitlan ... where the side of a volcano collapsed, killing at least 208 people." Other towns hard hit included Panabaj in the highlands above the lake, and Solola, the last big town on the main road leading down to Panajachel (in one of my previous posts I described our bus getting slowed by a parade there). Even Panajachel seems to have been badly affected, with one news story describing the town as running out of water and being beset by looters.

More Pics Coming

2005-09-22T06:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, this blog still has some life to it! I have a new USB cable for the camera and will be posting some of the pictures from our final day or two in Guatemala. Watch for 'em!

Help Katrina Victims

2005-09-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

Some Notes

2005-09-01T00:34:00.000-04:00

I noticed today that the photos that I blogged here via flickr.com are not showing up. I don't know why, or if it's just a temporary glitch. I intend to look into it.

I'm about done with everything I wanted to write on this blog about our trip. I still have some pictures I want to add, as soon as I can get them off the camera (I bought a new camera-to-computer USB cable, but it was the wrong kind and won't fit into the plug in our camera).

We are thinking about the devastation on the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina. My (Steve's) parents live in Mobile, Alabama. They and their house survived fine, from what they report, but of course they are dealing with the frustrations of life in a city where there are long gas lines, closed stores, lack of electricity, reduced services, etc. The people of Mississippi and New Orleans have suffered even worse, as the news shows.

Lava Flow and Hikers, Pacaya Volcano

2005-08-31T07:04:00.000-04:00

Lava Flow and Hikers, Pacaya Volcano, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

I previously posted a photo which showed the lava flow more clearly, but in going back through everything I decided I wanted to post this one, too. It gives a good idea of the steepness of the volcano.

Methinks, Daughter, I Have Lost Our Way to the Renaissance Faire

2005-08-28T00:03:00.000-04:00

On one of our first afternoons in Antigua, we ran into this guy riding around and around the central park on a horse, distributing invitations to a street festival or play or something (we didn't go).

The whole time we were in Antigua, there were always lots of people in handing out fliers and coupons of various sorts to the tourists, and after awhile we began ignoring them (or saying "No, gracias") as steadfastly as we did the many street vendors and shoeshine guys. But when someone looking like he just came from playing Polonius trots up to you on a horse and hands you a piece of paper, you take it.

Entrepreneurial Weaver

2005-08-27T23:48:00.000-04:00

This woman was at work every day in the entranceway to our Spanish school in Antigua, either selling from the large variety of tipica she had on display or weaving new items to sell. Clearly she had the "franchise" for that particular spot, and it was probably a good one for her, with a ready-made trade in the form of the constant stream of students going in and out.

Carter was one of her steadiest customers, negotiating for a necklace one day and returning the next to try to get a bracelet for a few quetzales. By our last day, when all three of us stopped by to pick up last-minute souvenirs and gifts, we think she was well enough disposed toward our family to give us some pretty good prices.

Blessed Mother(board)

2005-08-27T23:17:00.000-04:00

I always tried to get this computer at our favorite Internet cafe. For some reason it seemed to be the only one in town that never crashed or had other problems.

On the other hand, I always felt more self-conscious about where I web-surfed to when I was using this one. You can tell when I was blogging from here; those are the posts that sound a bit more, well, confessional in nature.

For those with the right mind-set, something like this in the cubicle might do more to curb inappropriate computer use at work than all the monitoring software in the world.

More Guest House Friends

2005-08-27T16:06:00.000-04:00

This is the Picado-Curtis family, about whom I posted earlier: Parents Therese Picado and Steve Curtis, with sons Peter Picado-Curtis (left) and Paul Picado-Curtis.

These folks are embarked on a one-year, around-the-world adventure! Check out their great looking and entertaining Web site if you haven't already.

Steve is a top-notch photographer, and Therese and the boys keep the travelogues going. They have quite a lot on their site now about their time in Guatemala, as well as in Mexico and Belize. (When last I looked, they were in Costa Rica.)

Along with the Galeks (see below) and Senora Natalia Velazquez and her family, they helped make Carter's birthday party in Guatemala a really special event.

Friends from the Guest House

2005-08-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

100_0727[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Left to right: Becky, Barb and Mike Galek. Barb is a middle school teacher, and Mike is a high school Spanish teacher, who live near Pittsburgh. Mike makes regular trips to Spanish-speaking countries to keep his language skills sharp, sometimes with groups of students (which can make for some nerve-wracking adventures, we learned). Becky stayed on in Antigua for about a week after her parents returned home, in order to put in some volunteer hours with a program for poor children from one of the surrounding towns.

Archive Tweaked

2005-08-27T13:49:00.000-04:00

OK, I've switched from a daily archive to a weekly archive (see my previous post), which should minimize all the jumping around for folks who want to read our past postings. The only concern now is that some of the archive pages may be slower to load because they will be a lot longer, especially with all of the photos. This shouldn't be a problem for broadband folks but could be for those using dial-up.

I think there's a way using blogger to create a master listing of all posts. In fact, I think I did it before with one of my other blogs. I just need to refresh myself as to how to do it.

Settling Back In

2005-08-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

Friday (yesterday) was my first day back at work. Thanks to everyone there for the friendly welcome back.

I was pleased (and maybe a little surprised) to find out how many people were reading this blog during our trip. Thanks for all the compliments! I'm going to take my pal Stuart's suggestion, though, to see if I can tweak the code to make it easier to navigate the archived posts. Right now you have to jump back and forth from the main page to each day's archive to read them all, which is not very convenient. I'll see what I can do ...

Lake Atitlan from Space

2005-08-27T12:27:00.000-04:00

Great photo here of Lake Atitlan from the Space Shuttle. The white patches are towns; the largest one, near the bottom of the photo and shaped like a manta ray, is Panajachel. The village of Santiago de Atitlan (the other town we visited) is across the lake, near the top of the picture, just where that narrow inlet or arm of the lake begins. You can also see a couple of the volcanoes in this photo.

Casa Popenoe's Courtyard

2005-08-26T07:36:00.000-04:00

100_0710[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

I really liked all the buildings with interior courtyards in Antigua. I think I read where someone observed that Antigua's architecture "looks inward." This could also be said for buildings throughout Latin America. Why is this feature so rarely found in buildings in the U.S.? Sure, we have fenced or walled gardens, patios, etc., but relatively few courtyards that are completely enclosed by living quarters.

Crater's Rim, Pacaya Volcano

2005-08-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

At the Crater, Pacaya Volcano, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Lake Atitlan from Hotel Terrace

2005-08-25T19:41:00.000-04:00

Lake Atitlan from Hotel Terrace, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Another shot of Lake Atitlan, late afternoon/early evening. This was the view from our hotel in Panajachel.

More to Come

2005-08-25T14:13:00.000-04:00

I tried to post only our best photos during the trip itself. Now I'm going back through all of my shots and posting others which may have some interest even if they're less than artistic.

There are a dozen or so pictures, from our last 24 hours in Guatemala, still in the digital camera. Somewhere I lost the camera's USB cable, and can't upload the pictures until I replace it.

Up On the Roof

2005-08-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

100_0707[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Rooftop structures on Casa Popenoe (dome of the San Francisco Church in background).

Casa Popenoe

2005-08-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

100_0714[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Kathy and Carter in Casa Popenoe, the restored Spanish colonial house in Antigua (which I wrote about previously).

Family Portrait

2005-08-25T14:01:00.000-04:00

100_0718[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

In the courtyard of our Spanish school.

At Least Parrots Sleep In

2005-08-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

Picture 010, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

This is at the hotel in Panajachel, which I blogged about previously. Fortunately, there was no rooster to be heard here. These parrots remained mercifully quiet, except for one morning when some boys were kicking around a soccer ball that kept crashing into their cage. Then they were letting out some hair-raising screeches.

Kathy with Her Spanish Teacher, Silvia

2005-08-25T13:39:00.000-04:00

saturday 007, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Yes, I Really Was There

2005-08-25T13:35:00.000-04:00

photos 002, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Waystop on the volcano hike.

Random Jottings

2005-08-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

I can't remember what day I told my office that I would be back at work, whether it was tomorrow (Thursday) or the day after (Friday). I am still so sick with this cold, though, that I have chosen to stay home tomorrow unless I wake up feeling miraculously better.

Our luggage arrived today, delivered to our front door by American Airlines. The delay apparently resulted in part from the fact that U.S. Customs searched two of the three suitcases. Did somebody read my blog and decide I should be checked to make sure I wasn't transporting Cuban cigars? Or did those lava rocks from the volcano show up as ominously mysterious dark masses in an X-ray? We'll never know.

That plant that I unfortunately ran into on my horse ride is chichicaste, a variety of stinging nettle. It all becomes clear now: Chichicastenango, the big Mayan market town that we never made it to, means "Land of the poison tree." Actually, chichicaste has medicinal uses, including reducing(!) arthritic inflammation. But first it has to be boiled down or something to render it less sinister. I remember our guide saying that people from California always seemed to recognize it, so maybe it (or something similar) grows on the West coast. (I also remember that he seemed to think everyone from the U.S. must either be from San Francisco or close by. When I told him I was from North Carolina, he asked, "How close is that to San Francisco?")

Technorati Tags:
Guatemala, airlines, flying, airports, customs, vacation, travel, Cuba, tobacco, cigars, smoking, plants, California, San Francisco, North Carolina, volcanoes, horses

We're Home

2005-08-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

We're home now. Had a few hassles catching our plane on time in Guatemala, and our bags are still somewhere between Miami and Raleigh. I have a few more pictures and notes I want to add to this blog, but I've caught Kathy's cold and we're all pretty tired, so we're about to hit the sack now. More later ...

Technorati Tags:
Guatemala, Miami, Florida, travel, flying, hassles

Warning! Biting Plants!

2005-08-22T19:13:00.000-04:00

This morning Carter and I went downtown to catch the free shuttle to La Azotea, the place in Jocotenango that has a Mayan music museum, a coffee museum (and small plantation) and the riding stables. It turned out that the shuttle pick-up point was on a different corner than we had thought. We saw the shuttle zoom right past us, and then we were running through the streets of Antigua trying to catch it. Finally we gave up and I had to walk back toward the house with a crying youngster in tow. As we were crossing one of the streets near the central park, we saw it--the Azotea shuttle! We flagged it down and made our excursion after all.

Riding the horses was OK, although I don´t think there´s much chance of me ever becoming a horse person, like some folks I know. With Carter it might be different. I did enjoy the experience of riding on the trails through the coffee plantation.

At one point I learned the painful way that my Spanish still needs lots of work. The guide pointed to some vines growing along a tall fence that we were riding next to, and said something about them being picas or picado or something. I thought he was trying to tell me that people pick their leaves for some reason. Turns out that pica means ¨stings like hell¨. Some of them lightly brushed my arm and instantly my skin was on fire. For about 15 minutes it hurt as bad as any jellyfish I´ve ever had the misfortune to ecounter. After a while the pain subsided, but some ugly welts rose on my arm. Those are gone now, too, though.

Both the Mayan music museum and the coffee museum were well done, but we weren´t able to spend a lot of time in them as we had to catch the shuttle back to Antigua.

Technorati Tags:
coffee, museums, Guatemala, cities, Antigua, horses, plants, Spanish, language, pain, Maya, Mayans, music, tours, travel, Central America, children

Just About Done Here

2005-08-22T19:10:00.000-04:00

We´re spending the rest of our quetzales this afternoon--some Internet time, a bag of coffee, a couple of final beers at Sky Cafe. Dinner tonight in the house, then packing, and getting up at 4 a.m. for the ride to the airport in Guatemala City.

Trail Riding

2005-08-22T19:02:00.000-04:00

Today my dad and I went to a coffee farm that had horses. The person we first talked to was from England. We first had a small lesson and then we set off. At first my horse was slow and wouldn´t catch up with the others. But then the person leading us said it would be best if I was in the lead. My dad´s horse was my horse´s mother, so Pepper (the mother) would follow. Then I was in control of where the other horses went. I think my horse´s name was Oreja. Many times my horse tried to eat but I was only able to stop it about a third of the time. I really enjoyed it, especially since it was my first time riding a horse without someone guiding it. And it was pretty easy!

--Carter

Volcano Hike

2005-08-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

What can I say? It almost killed me. I had heard it was strenuous but it turned out to be much harder than I had imagined. We climbed for two hours. The hike up to the beginning of the cone proper was hard enough, and when we looked up and saw the steep path up the cone, some of us started shaking our heads and telling one another that it was impossible. I'm sure that for seasoned mountain climbers this would have been one of the easier ascents--no rock climbing or ropes involved, for instance--but for most of us "casual" hikers it was thoroughly exhausting. The path up the cone was made particularly difficult by the fact that it was just slippery volcanic rubble and "crumbs." This also made it difficult to come down, because the only thing you could do was slide for long distances without falling down (which most of us never completely avoided). At times, too, the gases and smoke from the volcano would combine with the clouds to fog us in so that it was impossible to see where the path was, and at one point a guide had to come back and find me and one other laggard, a woman who was asthmatic and had forgotten to bring her inhaler (I had started out the hike trying to help her but by the end we were helping each other about equally).

But, yes, I did make it to the top. I've already posted a photo of a lava stream and later on, I'll post one of the crater, which was sending up spurts of flame and glowing gas.

How I Saved A Fellow Tourist from Shooting Herself, So to Speak

2005-08-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday on the volcano hike one of the people in my group mentioned that she was going to buy some Cuban rum here to take back to her mother in Texas, "because you can't get it there." I said, "You might want to re-think that idea," and explained that the U.S. government would fine her $10,000 if she were caught bringing in a Cuban product like that.

I talked with two English girls the other day who had just come here after visiting Cuba, and agreed with them that the U.S. government's prohibitions against Americans traveling to Cuba or buying Cuban products are ridiculous, paternalistic and big-brotherish. But of course, I said, we're the leader of the free world, and as such we have a duty to keep everyone free by restricting our freedom as much as the government deems necessary.

One of the things I wanted to do here was to find and smoke a Cuban cigar (which, of course, are perfectly legal here) and put a picture of the act here on the blog. Did you know that not only is it illegal to bring a Cuban cigar into the U.S., the Treasury Department claims the right to punish you (with one of those $10,000 fines) if you, as a (free!) American citizen dare to smoke one anywhere else in the world?

Today's Plans

2005-08-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

Carter and I are taking a shuttle to the nearby town of Jocotenango later this morning to do some horseback riding as well as see a couple of museums there (including a coffee museum, yay!). Kathy isn't going because she came down with a cold that turned into a sinus infection and is not feeling well at all. Fortunately, she was able to go to a farmacia here and get some amoxycillin without any hassle. In Guatemala you can buy antibiotics over the counter, no prescription needed. Possibly, you can get other medicines OTC here that would also require a prescription back home. As a proponent of self-medication and the right to be one's own guinea pig, it's a system I heartily approve of.

Fun Time Running Out

2005-08-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

This afternoon we'll pack it all up for a very early flight back to the States tomorrow. Except for a few little things like money, jobs and school, we would gladly stay on a while.

I'm going to continue this blog for at least a couple of weeks after returning home while my impressions are still fresh. When we were preparing for this trip, I found that among the most useful sources of information were personal blogs and trip reports. If anyone outside my intended audience of friends, family and co-workers happens to stumble on this blog, I'm hoping I can provide a few details and suggestions that might help them if they're planning a trip here.

On the Edge

2005-08-21T23:13:00.000-04:00

photos 011, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

View from about halfway up the volcano cone.

Now You Tell Us

2005-08-21T23:11:00.000-04:00

photos 004, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Volcano Hike: Guide

2005-08-21T23:09:00.000-04:00

photos 007, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Lava Flow

2005-08-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

photos 008, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Tired Volcano Hiker

2005-08-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

photos 013, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Groans

2005-08-21T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hiked volcano. Dead now. Can't blog. Maybe later.

Coffee Tour

2005-08-20T23:03:00.000-04:00

photos 024, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Arches

2005-08-20T20:55:00.000-04:00

saturday 008, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

This walkway is part of one of the historic buildings next to the central park in Antigua.

My Kind of Place

2005-08-20T20:47:00.000-04:00

saturday 001, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Finally, a coffee shop with the real stuff!

Antigua Rainy Day

2005-08-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

saturday 004, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

The place on the corner is Juancho Pancho, a panaderia, or bread place (meaning cookies and sweet breads as well as bread per se). The stuff they sell is incredibly good and incredibly cheap. Kathy and I have abandoned the low-carb diet while here.

Tomorrow: Volcan Pacaya

2005-08-20T20:30:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I'll be getting up at 5 a.m. in order to walk down to the central park for a shuttle to Pacaya Volcano. As I understand it, the shuttle will take us part way up the volcano (or maybe just to the base?) but we'll still have two hours of climbing to reach the top.

Rain, Rain

2005-08-20T20:15:00.000-04:00

We got drenched today walking back to the house from the central park. It has been really pouring for the last couple of days. Two different people who are from here said we are coming off something called the cunicula or cunincula (? not really sure of the word), which is 15 days of no rain, and when that happens it's followed by a deluge.

Despite the rain I did go on a tour to a coffee plantation, the Finca Filadelfia, a pretty large one not far out of town but up the side of the mountain a good ways. It was a gorgeous place, reminding me of the pictures I've seen of some of the wineries in California. Unfortunately, most of the work at a coffee plantation, at least around here, takes place in November and December. So I got to see and learn about all the equipment used to wash, dry, grade, separate, roast and bag the beans, but didn't see any of it in actual operation. We did see their tasters in the tasting room, though, and also took a short walk among the coffee trees. (Extra trivia note for coffee aficinados: all of the trees at this plantation are arabica grafted onto robusta stock, for strength and disease resistance.)

It Happens

2005-08-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

Here in the Internet cafe with me right now are a couple we talked to a bit at the school. They are from Georgia and will be here through November, learning Spanish to become missionaries. Anyway, they just told me that they were robbed of a wallet today. Someone pickpocketed from the husband while they were in the marketplace. They lost a social security card, an expired credit card ... and $500. They're concerned about what someone might be able to do with the SS card. I suggested they at least make a report to the police, not with any expectation that the police will recover anything, but just to have a copy of an an official report in hand in case they want to file with their travel insurance company or something.

Tomorrow: Last Day of School

2005-08-19T18:29:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow will be our last classes, but they gave us our diplomas today attesting that we are now intermediate level Spanish speakers. ¿Es un chiste, no? Anyway, I feel I have definitely made progress. As you can see, I can now make an upside-down question mark with these keyboards!

Missed Photo Op No. 2

2005-08-19T18:27:00.000-04:00

Bicycle tour, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

A moment after I snapped this, a chicken walked out of the foliage in the foreground and crossed the road (we all know why) and a girl walked out of the one of the doors on the left carrying a basket on her head. It would have made a much more atmospheric picture if my timing had been a tad better. Wonder if they fired the person who was supposed to cue the chicken and girl.

Speaking of Movies ...

2005-08-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

Antigua doesn´t have any movie theaters per se. Instead, it has a number of video cinemas where movies are shown on big-screen TVs (The Motorcycle Diaries appears to be big here at the moment). The listings are published on a week-to-week basis, but evidently the schedule is not set in concrete. They advise that if only one or two people show up, you can choose the movie yourself.

Politics

2005-08-19T17:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday the school showed a movie called La Hija de la Puma, about the civil war in Guatemala that was at its height in the 1980s. The majority of people killed in that war were the Indians, or indigenous people, who were caught between the army and the guerrillas. There were a number of out-and-out massacres in several of the Indian villages, and in fact, the first such massacre--where 15 people were shot to death by army soldiers--occurred in Santiago de Atitlan, the village we visited this past Sunday.

The military conflict is ended and the size of the army has been reduced, with its functions now confined to patrolling the borders and trying (or pretending to try) to stop the drug flow. It has been removed from the interior of the country, especially the highlands were most of the pure Mayans live, being replaced by the national guard and local police, which supposedly are more benign. My teacher and others at the school say the political situation is much improved, although they say that it is still common for people to caution one another that ¨the walls have ears¨ whenever the conversation drifts in a political direction.

Overall, though, they say things are still pretty rough in Guatemala, because of the rise of the mareros, or gangs, plus the corruption at all levels. The other day a gang war broke out in prisons throughout the country, and 30 or more prisoners were killed with more than 80 injured. La Prensa Libre, the big national newspaper, is filled every day with stories and opinion pieces about the gang violence and what should be done about it. About the only ¨solution¨ they have come up with so far is to talk about building enough new prisons to give each gang its own prison. It doesn´t help that the prison guards apparently were the ones who handed out wearpons to the gangs.

Friday Afternoon

2005-08-19T17:24:00.000-04:00

Kind of a sleepy afternoon here, with steady rain and a very slight chill.

I think we entered the rainy season about four days ago. There is a daily pattern--clear in the morning, rain in the afternoon.

Based on my short experience, but also what I have read about year-round conditions, the climate here agrees with me. It is one of those places the guidebooks inevitably describe as a land of eternal spring. I could live pretty happily in such a place. Kathy, on the other hand, says she would miss the four seasons. Let´s hang on to what we´ve got, is her attitude. (Ha, ha, did you catch my clever little pop cultural reference there?)

We had planned to tour a macadamia plantation this afteroon. If the rain stops soon, we might still give it a go. It´s just outside of town but you have to take a chicken bus to get there. Kathy said she´s ready for a chicken bus as long as the ride is short.

Tomorrow I´m going to a coffee plantation by myself while Kathy and Carter hang out in town--which I´m sure will mean the marketplace, primarily. Sunday I might still try to squeeze in a volcano tour. Monday we will go to Jocotenango, also just outside of town, to see some museums there, and Tuesday muy temprano (very early) we say adios to Guatemala.

Interneting

2005-08-18T22:31:00.000-04:00

Carter at Internet Cafe, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

This is at the Internet cafe adjacent to our new school location.

Conditional Humor

2005-08-18T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today I asked my Spanish teacher to go over the conditional tense. Boy, did I ask for it--I was mentally exhausted well before class time was over, and I think my teacher was too. So he suggested that we tell jokes, in Spanish of course. I tried to tell the three-legged pig joke but I clearly didn´t tell it well, because he didn´t laugh, and then I tried to explain it, which of course only makes things worse, whatever the language. He told a few that I didn´t get, either, but one that was pretty good was about an international scientific meeting. At this meeting, scientists from Germany reported how they created artificial legs for someone who had been born in their country without any, and now that person is a championship runner. Some scientists from the U.S. reported how they created artificial arms for someone who was born without any, and that person became a star baseball pitcher. Finally, some scientists from Guatemala reported that someone was born in their country without a head, so they put a coconut on his neck--and he became the president of Guatemala.

Our New School

2005-08-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to the school we were going to, and found our teachers, who then took us on a walk (at first I thought we were taking a walk to the square) to another school (it's still called La Union), right by the square. It has two floors; on the top floor is where people have classes and where another Roy.com (Internet cafe) is. On the first floor is a store called The Bagel Factory. It is very fun there and it isn't as crowded. I like it there, and I'm finally getting used to it. Now we have to leave for school earlier every day since it's farther.

-- by Carter

You Asked for It (Didn't You?)--Another Old Church!

2005-08-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

Church and band, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Oddly, despite the large number of churches here, very few of them have their own drum corps. This one did, though, and we were treated to some pretty good drumming while we were there.

Bicycle Tour

2005-08-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

Church - bicycles, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

The group of bicycle tourists yesterday consisted of about 10 French folk and one American (in addition to the guides)--sort of like a Tour de France! However, I did not represent the USA quite as well as Lance Armstrong did; by the end I was definitely bringing up the rear. At least I know now that I do not need to try the bicycle tour that goes up to one of the volcanoes.

Hey You Upstairs ...

2005-08-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

Statues, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

It's just another earthquake! Nothing to lose your head over, okay?

School

2005-08-17T17:09:00.000-04:00

School courtyard 1, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Fountain, courtyard and some of the study areas at the place where we are having Spanish classes this week. -- Photo by Carter

Santiago de Atitlan

2005-08-17T15:56:00.000-04:00

Santiago de Atitlan was an interesting experience. We only had a couple of hours there, but we did get to see the "real" market beyond the tourist stalls. We just continued on beyond the point where the most of the other tourists stopped and found ourselves in a much more crowded place where people were selling vegetables, fruits, housewares, etc. I stopped and bought a hand of miniature bananas from one seller, and learned that they are called "bananos de oro"--bananas of gold. Only paid 2 quetzales, which I think was probably the same thing the locals would pay, not a special (higher) tourist price. But then I ended up handing out about a third of them to local kids who came up with their hands out saying, "Banano, senor."

We saw the Catholic church, an unprepossessing place compared with the churches in Antigua, but evidently the locus of much religious fervor among the locals, as it was packed to overflowing for the Sunday mass. Tourists are allowed to peek through a side window and even take photographs through it of the statues inside, which are all dressed in traditional Mayan garb.

We did not have time to arrange a visit to the shrine of Maxmon, a strange figure worshipped in many of the Mayan villages. He's considered a saint, but certainly is not recognized as such by the Catholic church. His effigies are usually dressed in western-style clothing and when you go to see him, you're supposed to take alcohol (aguardiente is popular) and tobacco to him as an offering. His shrines tend to be located behind and above the villages, and you usually need to a guide to take you to one.

I did enjoy hearing Mayan being spoken all around me once I got away from the boat dock and the tourist stalls. I realized with a start that people were conversing in something that definitely was not Spanish--lots of "ish" and "k" sounds--nor, of course, English. Later, back in Panajachel, I overheard the boy who had checked us in at the hotel (and with whom we had spoken entirely in Spanish) chatting away in Mayan with one of his friends.

Missed Photo Op No. 1

2005-08-17T15:37:00.000-04:00

Picture 031, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

This is in the market in Santiago de Atitlan--the "real" market beyond the tourist stands. (Can you spot the gringa?)

Somewhere in this crowd there was a street preacher shouting out the word of God (in Spanish) and being completely ignored by the shoppers and vendors squeezing by him. I wish I had taken a photo of him. I´m not the kind of tourist who sticks cameras in the locals´faces, but I have a feeling he would not have minded me snapping his picture. (With most of the indigenous people hereabouts, if you try to take their picture you will be reprimanded--or asked for 5 quetzales for the privilege. Or so I´ve heard.)

Cantina in Satiago de Atitlan

2005-08-17T15:30:00.000-04:00

Picture 002, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Can you imagine a bar in the United States named Divine Providence Bar or God's Grace Saloon? The advertisement is for a brand of aguardiente, a cheap alcoholic drink made from sugar cane.

Lake View from Panajachel Waterfront

2005-08-17T14:48:00.000-04:00

Picture 004, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Yes, the Earth Moved for Me

2005-08-17T14:21:00.000-04:00

A bit of excitement last night, at least for us tourists: While I was at the Internet cafe uploading pictures, the floor beneath my feet suddenly felt like it was undulating. Other people looked up from their computers and looked around, wondering what was happening, too. I thought it might be a small earthquake, or temblor (which is used here to refer to any shaking short of an actual earthquake), but I figured it could just as well be a big truck passing by. Back at the casa, though, Kathy said she had felt it there, and another person who had been at the Sky Cafe at the time said she had also felt it. So, I've now experienced an earthquake ... sort of. The locals, such as the people working at the Internet cafe, seemed not even to notice it. Apparently these minor temblors actually occur rather frequently here.

At the Dock

2005-08-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

Picture 028, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Docked at the village of Santiago de Atitlan.

Old and New Ways on Lake Atitlan

2005-08-16T22:50:00.000-04:00

Picture 025, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Boat on Lake Atitlan

2005-08-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

Picture 016, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Hotel in Pana: We Recommend

2005-08-16T22:16:00.000-04:00

Picture 003, originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

In Panajachel you can find cheap backpackers´rooms, maybe $6 to $10 per night, and rooms in a deluxe hotel for upwards of $150 or more a night. This one was listed in one of our guidebooks under budget accommodations, but it cost us $25 a night. Unless you really need super-cheap, we think this may be about the best hotel deal in Pana. The family that owns and runs it is very friendly, the rooms (there are only 7 or 8) are small but beautiful and clean, and the rooms have private bathrooms with hot water--amenities not always found in the budget range here. Also, they have cable TV in the rooms and Internet service down in the office area.

An Email Address--If Anyone Needs It

2005-08-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

While sitting here about to blog (and while trying to avoid watching the TV here showing "The Simpsons" in Spanish), it occurred to me that I have a Gmail account that I haven't used enough for it to become a spam magnet. So, if anyone needs to email me privately, use Steve.Smith.1 @ gmail.com (without the spaces). I'll check it daily.

Tuesday Noon

2005-08-16T14:16:00.000-04:00

These keyboards are driving me nuts. They are all different. I cannot find an apostrophe on this one. Therefore I am avoiding contractions in this post. Maybe next time I will be on a different computer, and it will not have periods, and I will have to construct one long run-on sentence. Or perhaps it will not have commas, and I will have to use only simple declarative sentences. Aarrggggh!!! (Well, at least this one has exclamation marks!)

Also, the person before me apparently was from Indonesia or somewhere like that, because many of the web pages I am needing to use, such as the Blogger interface, have strange squiggly words all over them.

We just finished our first classes back at the school following our weekend away from Antigua. I spent the morning brushing up on the past and past imperfect tenses. If you ask me, everything I try to say comes out imperfect.

This week we are going to class at the school{s second location because the first is full (see what happens when I try to make an apostrophe?). This location is on the second floor of a building with a beautiful courtyard and fountain, not to mention a bagel shop and an internet cafe.

I{ve (aarggh!) signed up to go on a bicycle tour of one of the outlying parts of town this afternoon. I am still hoping to go to a coffee plantation some time this week. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find real brewed coffee in many of the restaurants here. I have read that in much of Latin America, people consider instant to be the supreme form of coffee, because it is "modern." That seems to be the case here. At least the school makes real coffee available.

Time Running Out ...

2005-08-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

... for blogging tonight. Got here to the Internet cafe rather late this time, and now I see they're closing the doors on us. Ten more minutes the man says. Not enough time to blog about our visit to Santiago, and definitely not enough time to upload the great (I hope) photos of Lake Atitlan. Will have to give it a go tomorrow afternoon instead.

Back "Home"

2005-08-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

Greetings once again from Antigua. We got in about 3:30 this afternoon after a tiring bus ride. Nice to be back at the guest house. Tomorrow: Spanish classes again! However, I did not get all of my tarea--homework--done. Uhhh ... the rooster ate it. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Across the Lake

2005-08-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

Our big activity today was to take a ferry across the lake to the town of Santiago de Atitlan. I'll blog more about it later, but will say for now that the fascinating thing for me was hearing people speaking one of the Mayan languages. Especially interesting is the fact that most of the lakeside villages are in view of one another, yet were so isolated fromm one another for so long that they maintain different Mayan dialects, some of which, I take it, are mutually incomprehensible.

Las Noticias

2005-08-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

I've felt out of touch with the world as far as news goes. The newspapers here don't have much international news and the guest house doesn't have a TV. Even when I go on the Internet, I'm anxious to upload pictures and blog (and occasionally peek at my stock prices), rather than spend time surfing. I should be happy with this state of affairs, but I guess I'm a news junkie. Our room here in Pana, though, has cable TV, so I've been able to play news catch-up. I'm happy to see that oil prices are plummeting, political stability has come to Sri Lanka, and that the threat of the U.S. going to war with Iran has receded. Or maybe my understanding of Spanish is still a bit weak. (Actually, cable TV here carried the BBC, CNN and several other English language channels.)

Riding the Chicken Bus--More or Less

2005-08-14T23:24:00.000-04:00

One of the lesser reasons we decided against going to Chichicastenango today is that we felt we had already had the chicken bus experience, or something close to it, on our trip here from Antigua. The bus was promised as a comfortable alternative to the chicken buses and an inexpensive alternative to the minivan shuttles. We loaded on with the other tourists, mostly young international backpackers, in Antigua and headed out on what we thought was to be a direct express bus to Pana. It was, indeed, direct--we didn't have to change buses anywhere. It was anything but express, though, as the driver stopped wherever anyone was waiting by the side of the road. People got on and off constantly, some going only a few miles. In little towns, boys were let on just for the purpose of going through the bus hawking water and snacks. I thought it was a fascinating look at real Guatemalan society, but then again I was separated from the aisle by a seat. Kathy, seated the next to the aisle, was less enthralled with the woman bending over her and coughing, or with the man whose machete (fortunately sheathed) kept jabbing into her arm. One of the other non-Guatemaltecans who had boarded in Antigua complained to the driver that she had paid 36 quetzales for the trip but that he was letting other people get and ride nearly the same distance, in some cases, for just a couple of Qs. (This was probably just another instance of the "gringo tax," about which more later.) Well, we did have seats at least--maybe that's what our premium paid for.

In Solala, the last big town before you begin the descent into Panajachel, we were slowed by a local parade sponsored by a beer company. We passed truck after truck, all decked out in decorations, and the majority bearing a throne upon which sat some school's queen or princess waving to the crowd and to us on the bus. Kathy said it looked exactly like Siler City parades, minus the beer sponsorship. But some of the "float" themes were incomprehensible to us. The one that sticks in my mind is a truck whose bed contained props apparently supposed to suggest a hospital operating room; a boy of about 12, in hospital scrubs, stood over a table where a baby doll lay awaiting the young doctor's knife. (OK, maybe the tableau was just supposed to represent a doctor's office, and maybe the boy was just going to examine the doll, and maybe it was some kind of public health message, but I like my interpretation.)

Musica

2005-08-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

Pana is a great place to hear every kind of music imaginable except Guatemaltecan, it seems. It blares out of every restaurant and comedor, and from boom boxes at the CD vendor stands. Willie Nelson. Bob Dylan. Madonna. And rap, lots of rap, which at least does tend to be in Spanish. Tonight we ate at a restaurant where I thought I had heard Kathy say she had heard a live guitar player. However, we ended up dining to the accompaniment of the local FM station, playing pulsating club mixes of Gloria Gaynor and, believe it or not, the Mamas and the Papas.

Pana: Looking A Little Better

2005-08-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

Panajachel looks better to me today than it did yesterday. It's all about getting into the spirit of a place and accepting it for what it is. The spirit of Pana is that of a laid-back, if noisy and crowded, beach town, that also serves as an international travel crossroads. It's one of those places where people run into folks they met the week or month before in Mexico or Belize or Costa Rica or wherever. In fact, while we were eating lunch at a taco stand today, we spotted one of the other families from the student guest house in Antigua. They were down for the day just to shop for gifts, and are back in Antigua tonight. They said the house seemed lonely with just them there (the other family, the "round the worlders" I mentioned earlier, having left for Costa Rica). Well, we'll be back in Antigua tomorrow night to help fill up the house again.

Spanish Ability: His and Hers

2005-08-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

We are practicing our Spanish everywhere we go, usually out of necessity (e.g., getting waiters to understand what we want), but also, when we push ourselves, from a desire to make the most of what we are learning in our classes. Kathy says she thinks that she understands what people are saying better than I do, while I formulate sentences better than she does. Makes sense. After all, I'm a writer, and she's ... well, she's had all that practice listening to other people and other stuff like that that women do.

Greetings from Panajachel

2005-08-13T23:34:00.000-04:00

Saturday night -- We're in Pana now, at a pretty nice little hotel near the lake. We've decided to skip going to Chichicastenango tomorrow, mostly because of time constraints but also for a couple of other reasons that I'll blog about later.

As a location, Pana is great. It's right on Lake Atitlan, and serves as the gateway--via boat (called lanches here)--to all the little lakeside villages. As a town, though, Pana is less than attractive. Basically there is one long strip lined with stall after stall of souvenir vendors and restaurants that is crowded with tourists walking up and down it and tuk-tuks and other vehicles maneuvering their way along it, constantly honking their horns. Think Gatlinburg without the charm. However, it's as good a place as any to shop for Mayan tipica.

Speaking of shopping, Carter is turning out to be something of a tough haggler in these marketplaces. At one stall she spotted some bracelets she liked, but none were in the color she wanted. The man dug around, found one for her in the right color and said it would be 15 quetzales. "No," Carter said (having already informed us she only wanted one if she could get it for 7Q or less). "Doce" (12) the man said, followed by "diez" (10), as Carter continued to shake her head. When he said "ocho" (8) and indicated that was the lowest he would go, Carter took Kathy's hand and started walking away. "Bueno ... siete," the man called after her. Where did this shy little girl learn this? Neither Kathy nor I can manage to bargain that sharply.

The Cone, the Cone!

2005-08-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

100_0737[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Yes, we see the cone!

Only in Guatemala

2005-08-13T23:19:00.000-04:00

100_0752[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

OK, we couldn't resist. We eventually had to go in and see what a McDonalds looks like in Guatemala. Short of faking it with Photoshop, where else can you make a photo that includes Ronald McDonald, Spanish church ruins and a volcano?

Vulcan Agua y Antigua desde El Cerro de La Cruz

2005-08-12T19:43:00.000-04:00

100_0722[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Volcano "Water" and Antigua from the Hill of the Cross.

El Cerro de La Cruz

2005-08-12T19:41:00.000-04:00

100_0721[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

Night Falls in Antigua

2005-08-12T19:39:00.000-04:00

100_0717[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

I'm posting this one mainly because I like the dramatic sky shot.

El Cerro de La Cruz

2005-08-12T19:04:00.000-04:00

Day before yesterday we all three climbed the steps up to the top of Cerro de La Cruz--the Hill of the Cross--with a group of other students and a guide from the school. The hill offers a great view of Antigua and the volcano, and from the guide we learned more of the history of this area. One of the towns visible from the hilltop is Ciudad Vieja--Old City--which was the second capital of Guatemala. The third was Antigua, and the fourth and current one was Guatemala City. Once upon a time it rained so hard that the water filled up the cone of the volcano (is that possible?) and burst through (or maybe it just caused a big mudslide, whatever ...) and flooded Ciudad Vieja, destroying most everything. That's when the decision was made to move the capital to what is now Antigua ... which was destroyed by earthquakes so many times that eventually the capital was moved again, to Guatemala City. The flooding of Ciudad Vieja, by the way, is how the volcano got the name Agua (Water). Other nearby volcanoes are Fuego, "Fire," which still smokes (despite surgeon general warnings) and Pacaya, which is also active. Many of the volano tours from here go to Pacaya; I've been told it's so cold at the top that you don't even mind the heat of the lava burning through the soles of your shoes.

Back in 1993 or thereabouts there was an infamous incident in which a group of students and their teacher were visiting the hill and were attacked and robbed by eight bandidos. Because the professor recognized one of the attackers, they cut his throat. Ever since, all the tourist guide books have contained warnings about El Cerro, which angers the locals because, they contend, it was an isolated incident. In any case, we were accompanied on our climb by two well-armed tourist police, which is standard practice for any guided group going up the hill.

Other El Cerro trivia:

The big cross here is typical of towns and cities throughout Latin America, and is not just for decoration or as an expression of piety (as I thought). It was erected there to proclaim that the town is Christian and is under Christ's protection. (With all the earthquakes, floods, etc., I shudder to think of the disasters that would have befallen this place absent that protection!)

On All Saints' Day and the Day of the Dead, in November, people gather on the hill to picnic and fly kites. At other times, couples come here for romantic trysts (or as our guide explained, those who can't afford a short-term hotel room). A bit farther up the hill from the cross, there is a wide flat area where futbol games are played.

Expats

2005-08-12T18:52:00.000-04:00

I'm intrigued, as I was in Ecuador, by the number of Americans (and British and Canadians and Australians) who came here on what was to have been just a visit, and ended up buying a business and staying. Also a little envious--how do they pull that off? Yesterday afternoon we all went to the Sky Cafe (great rooftop terrace for watching the sunset) for a couple of beers and an apple juice, and I talked with Ingrid, who, with her husband, have owned the place for all of three months. As soon as they had gotten their son through college, they chucked jobs and house and all in Toronto and hit the road. Antigua was just going to be another stop along the way, but one day they overheard from the bartender at the Sky that the place was for sale, and they jumped at the opportunity. A few blocks away is a pizza place and bar that a guy originally from New York bought a month ago after arriving here from Costa Rica, where he had lived for three years. "I thought I had retired," he told me, "then I found this place."

Carter´s guesthouse party

2005-08-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

Last night (on my birthday), everyone planned a surprise party for me. Señora Natalia made a special birthday dinner for me with chocolate to drink (it tasted like a very warm melted chocolate bar) and something like tamales, but made with potatoes and rice instead of masa. These are traditional birthday foods in Guatemala. We had a piñata that looked like a chick or a duck, depending on your preference. We could never completely tear it apart. It had chicken wire in it! It was full of Guatamalan candies. Later we had a cake that had a chocolate layer and a vanilla layer; it also had cookies on the sides. It took me three breaths to blow out all nine of the candles.

As I was starting to eat my cake, everyone gave me some presents. I got a leather headband that says "Guatemala" on it and a traditional game with a cup connected to a ball by string from Paul, Peter, Steve and Terese (the Picado/Curtis Family); a tiny toy chest from Señora Natalia, Carla, Emily and Fatima (the Valenzuela family); a small stuffed animal for Kit and two markers from Becky, Barb and Mike (the Galik family); and a book called "The Bad Beginning" (the first in the Lemony Snicket series) from my parents.

I had a great time. I´m sure I´ll always remember this day.

From Carter

Pana Tomorrow

2005-08-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

After exploring our options, we decided to take a direct bus, operated by a tour company, to Panajachel, leaving Antigua at 7 a.m. tomorrow. It costs more than a chicken bus but a good bit less than the minivans that also shuttle tourists to Pana and the other nearby tourist destinations. We might still take a chicken bus from Pana to Chichicastenango and back on Sunday, just for the experience.

I'm sure there is an Internet cafe or two in Pana and possibly some of the other towns around Lake Atitlan, but we'll have our time so packed that I might not squeeze in any blogging before Monday. In case you need your daily fix of this blog, well ... lo siento.

The hard part at Pana will be deciding which of the dozen or so lakeside towns to take the boat to. Some are said to have remained pure Mayan and undeveloped despite the tourists, one is billed as the "New Age" town, another (San Pedro) is the hippie town, etc. Plus, I think we have to do most of our over-the-lake traveling before 3 p.m., as there is a peculiar type of violent storm that can suddenly blow up over the lake and toss the boats around. There is a story about a Mayan princess or goddess or something who dwells under the lake and likes to stir things up every once in a while. So, we'll definitely try to avoid her while we're there.

Hello Out There

2005-08-12T18:32:00.000-04:00

If anyone is reading this blog who wishes to communicate with us, feel free to use the "comment" feature (click on "comments" beneath any of the posts), unless it's something you wouldn't want the whole world to be able to read. Kathy is checking her email at kgh@mindspring.com, but I'm not checking mine. I opened it yesterday and saw I had 856 emails. I didn't want to spend time wading through 842 spams to find the 14 real messages, especially with the meter running here at the Internet cafe (10 quetzales an hour, about $1.30). Anyway, I would enjoy finding out who if anyone is actually reading this stuff.

View from Rooftop Terrace of the Sky Cafe

2005-08-11T20:13:00.000-04:00

100_0715[1], originally uploaded by R. Stephen Smith.

The volcano's top is covered in clouds in this picture, but this morning the sun was bright and the clouds dispersed, and we saw the volcano all the way to the top of the cone for the first time.