Guatemala Reunion

After spending 2 weeks together in Guatemala, sharing meals and adventure, we missed each other.  A few weeks ago, we gathered at my house to share stories, pictures and of course, a meal.  We were too busy enjoing ourselves to take a picture of our reunion.  I don't know how I let that happen!  But it was great to see everyone again.

I look forward to the next trip when we will make new friends, deepen existing friendships and of course, enjoy discovering more about Mexico. 

Back Home

Our flight back to the States is scheduled for 1PM.  We are several hours away from the airport.  With Gregorio's help, we decide we need to leave at 6:30 AM so meet at 6:00 for breakfast.  Alas, the kitchen doesn't open until 6:30.  We decide to leave at 6:00 and stop along the way for breakfast.  This turned out to be a great decision.  Gregorio knows all the best places to stop.  We are high in the mountains so even though it is July 9, we are bundled up with our newly purchased jackets and huddle around the stove where they are making tortillas by hand.  We have a nice, big, traditional breakfast to send us off.  We even do some last minute shopping here.  One person had been looking for a certain kind of jacket the whole trip and finally found it here.  Of course, once others saw it, several others were purchased.  The merchant was happy to start his day off so well. 
Luckily, the travel agency I had been working with was on the way to the airport so a quick stop to get a refund for the hotel room that wasn't used after Juan left.  It was nice also to be able to  pass on our appreciation of our great bus driver in person to the higher ups. 

A sad good bye to Gregorio at the airport.  The timing was perfect.  Leisurely check in, get something to eat and board.

Now back home and thinking about the next trip.  I'm thinking Oaxaca.

Update on Juan.  Once he got back home and was able to use his old pair of glasses, the head aches started getting better.  He went to the doctor for a check up and all is fine.  After a week, he is back to his usual, gregarious self.  What a relief!

Chichicastenango

Our last full day in Guatemala.  We have a good breakfast at the hotel and then head up the road to Chichicastengo which is famous for its market.  The drive is through steep hills many of which are covered by corn fields.  We pass through a cross roads with lots of activity - people changing buses, selling street food.  The buses are old school bus style but are brightly painted and decorated with lights and fancy grill work.  Somehow, never got a picture of one.  We went through a fruit producing area with many stands of fruit beautifully displayed.  How did I not get a picture of that either!?
After about 1 1/2 hours we arrived at our destination.  The streets were crowded with people coming and going carrying goods.  We were able to park near the market and the beautiful, old Hotel Santa Thomas which was our base of operations for the day.  We got a guide who took us through part of the market to the church. It was slow going through the crowds, resisting stopping at all of the booths chocked full of beautiful, interesting things and negotiating the cobbled streets.  After we got to the church, our group split up.  Some continued with the guide to help them make purchases, some returned to the hotel and some struck off on their own to do shopping and exploring.  The market covers about 6 square blocks.  Some of it fruits, vegetables, meat, spices.  Other parts are household items that the locals need but aren't of particular interest to most tourists.  And then, there are the aisles of woven textiles.  I'm in  heaven.  Many of them are old huilples, finely embroidered.  My purse grows thin quickly. When one is out in the walking area, they are open game for the independent hawkers but once you step inside of a booth, the hawkers can't follow.  Ah, a strategy emerges.  I am also on a quest to find little gifts for everyone on the tour.  It is fun to have specific things in mind like a box for someone to carry their pills in, a hat to replace the pink one, a "true, high quality jade piece" at a low price, small weavings as no one can have too many of those.
We meet back at the Santa Thomas for lunch.  And I don't have pictures of that either!  Where was my camera today?  We indulged in a fabulous buffet with soups, several kinds of chicken, beef and pork.  Different kinds of beans, vegetables, cheeses, fruits. A great place to relax, recover and enjoy. 
We drive back to our hotel. The plan is to have Gregorio take us into Panajachel for dinner but once we are back at the hotel, the thought of getting back on the bus for dinner is unappealing.  The hotel restaurant was okay for one night but not for 2 nights and our last supper.  Ah!  There is a comedor upstairs, open air, overlooking the lake and the dock.  Not fancy but very local and authentic.  I make reservations for us for 7:30.  Another woman rushes up to me to ask if I can have some of the group at her place.  Hmmmmm.  Don't think so.  Sorry.  It is only a block from our hotel which is wonderful.  When we arrive, the only other people there is a group of men there having some kind of meeting.  It is fun to be somewhere that the locals truly use.  After the sun went down, we couldn't see the lake but we knew it was there.  We had a good dinner, sharing favorite memories, surprises and the token gifts for everyone.
A wonderful trip and a wonderful group of people!

Lago de Atitlan

We all got up early and were in the bus ready to roll just a few minutes after 6.  After about an hour, we stopped and bought hot chocolate.  It was quite chilly and several people bought warm wraps as well.  No complaints about the early departure with the scenic overlook of the lake and volcanoes.   It was so classically beautiful that in pictures, it almost looked like a painted back drop. 
In Panajachel, we met up with the boat captain that our guide in Antigua recommended.  It was a calm ride going along the edge of the lake to the village of Santa Catarina.  There were several people at the dock selling their weavings and demonstrating the use of the back strap looms. In this village, most of the women wore huipils with blue fabric and embroidery.  Each area has their distinct traditional dress.

From Santa Catarina we crossed the lake to Santiago Atitlan.  This is a bigger town and the vendors are much more aggressive.  We arranged to have a tour of the city in 6 little Tuk-Tuks which are like 3 wheeled motorized rickshaws.  I felt like we were a Shriner's parade but it was a great way to stay together and see a lot in a short period of time.  Our first stop was where the women went to wash their clothes in the lake.  Even though a more modern place was built for them, they continue to use the lake.

Our next stop was the Parque de la Paz.  During the 1980's the civil war was ravaging Guatemala.  Santiago Atitlan was one of the many villages that had young men in-scripted. An American priest was shot while protecting several of them.  The park we visited was where 13 villagers were shot when they stood up to the army and said, "No more!" The markers were where the 13 fell and died.  The first marker we saw was of a 5 year old boy.  The markers next to him were for his father and uncle.  The massacre brought international attention to the problem and a peace agreement was decided upon.  Every month on the anniversary, a mass is said in the park to commemorate the fallen. 

A tour of Santiago Atitlan would not be complete without a visit to Maximon.  He likes gifts of tobacco, neckties and liquor. We really didn't come prepared with the appropriate gifts.  He visits a shaman's house for a year and then moves to a new location.  People visit him, bearing gifts and in return, Maximon helps them with their health problems, love, getting jobs for their family members in the States, etc.  The Shaman is the go between and translates into the Quich'l language when necessary.  Oh, Maximon appears as a statue.  One must believe and have faith for him to help.


Our last stop was at the church.  The highlight was seeing the room commemorating where the priest was shot.

We finished the tour back down at the dock where all of the vendors were waiting for us like piranhas. They followed us to the boat and harassed us until the boat pulled away from the dock.  Being polite did not work. There was a welcome peace until we got to the middle of the lake.  That was when the wind and waves come up just like our guide had said.  A choppy ride back to Panajachel where Gregorio was waiting for us.  He had made reservations at a place that specializes in black trout from the lake.  Yummy!

Another full day  that ended back at the hotel with this as the view.  Our hotel was just up the road from the dock where we visited Santa Catarina.  It was fun to see the girls again and continue our interactions with them.

Antigua

We stayed at Casa Capuchinas 11 years ago and loved it then.  We were not disappointed this time.  The grounds, and rooms are beautiful with fire places in many of the rooms and beautiful weavings and pottery decorations.  We have a great, personable guide for the morning to show us the most important points of interest in Antigua.  Antigua was the capital of Guatemala during the colonial times.  It was moved after a major earthquake.  As a UNESCO world heritage site, there are many regulations as to the changes and reconstructions that can be made.  The colonial cathedral was heavily damaged during an earthquake and not repaired.  Currently, they are using the front portion and the ruins are behind it.  

Next we visited the church, La Merced.  A funeral procession came in as we were visiting.  It was for a woman who was an alumna of a private girl's school.  There were about 12 girls who carried the casket.  Touching. 

Our next stop was the Las Capuchinas, a cloistered nunnery during the colonial times.  Interesting to see the huge ovens, small personal rooms, veiled area of the sanctuary. 

Many of us went to a jade museum/store where we learned about different colors, hardness of jade and how the Maya carved it and royalty used it.  We enjoyed lunch at a nearby place and then separated for a free afternoon of shopping, relaxing, exploring. 

Our dined at a great restaurant, Epicure.  The setting was in the patio of an old house with little lights, a fountain.  The menu was broader than usual with interesting daily specials. It was hard to decide which of the specialties to settle on.  The owner, John Mellon, talked with us for quite some time, answering questions about the political and social situations in Guatemala.  There is a small village about an hour away from Antigua that he supports. He owns a large farm outside the village where they grow all of the fruits, vegetables and livestock used in the restaurant.  He supports the education in the town to help guarantee a good pool of employees.  Interesting insights.

Sergio, the guide we used in Antigua, advised us to get a very early start to drive to Lago Atitlan so we wouldn't get caught on the lake in the middle of the day when winds patterns from the volcanoes came down and swirl making the lake extremely choppy. Challenged everyone to be on the bus and ready to go at 6AM.  

Photos of Rio Dulce, Yaxha, Tepoxte and Tikal

 Rio Dulce

 Rio Dulce

 Flowers at the Finca lunch stop

 Paula and Ginger at Yaxha.

 Our own Rockies at Yaxha

 Tepoxte

 Ginger at the base of a sacred Ceiba tree

 Tikal

Tikal from temple IV

Catching up

It's been several days.....  We are all basically well.  I have misplaced my USB thing to download pictures to my computer so right now, no pics.  Juan's glasses broke the first day we were here and he lost the lens so they were not repairable.  He has been having horrible headaches.  He made it through the archaeological part of the tour but decided that after we finished the tour of Tikal that he would head back to Yucatan instead of come up to the highlands with us.  This is only the second time in all of his years of being a tour guide that he has had to quit in the middle of a tour.  It was hard to part but we are carrying on.  Several people have had minor tourist kinds of health problems but all are feeling well now. 

The boat ride from Livingston up the Rio Dulce was peaceful and beautiful.  Saw lots of birds, houses on stilts out into the river, mangroves, men fishing from little wooden canoes.  A girl paddled up to our boat to sell us sea shells, necklaces made from shells, star fish, etc.  Another boat with 2 girls joined her.  They made several sales.  After about a 2 hour boat ride, we docked and Gregorio came up with the bus.  Always a welcome site when plans come together. 
It is about a 4 hour bus ride to Flores.  We stopped for lunch at a quaint finca (farm).  While we were waiting for our meal, we enjoyed walking around and seeing the flowers and parrots.  We had some of the best chicken sandwiches ever.  They were made with homemade bread with sliced avocado on them.  Yummy! The vegetable soup was also flavorful with a nice touch of cilantro. 
Our hotel in Flores is part of a beautiful nature reserve overlooking a lake.  Luxury coupled with nature.  We had dinner at the hotel.  It seemed they were out of pretty much everything except tacos so we had tacos.

The next day, we went to the ruins of Yaxha and Tepoxte.  These sites are more remote so we were pretty much the only ones there.  I always like the solitude. After putting in a lunch order, we went to Yaxha.  This is a pretty big classic site.  Several of us climbed the Mirador which is pretty close to the entrance.  The view is spectacular!  Overlook the vast Peten jungle and the lake.  Soon after we got down, it started pouring down rain.  Juan was the only one who really came prepared. He had a rain poncho.  We had a few umbrellas but the rain was much harder than the umbrellas could thwart.  Soon we were all drenched to the skin.  Since we couldn't get any wetter, we continued with the tour.  The ruins really were mysterious looking in the rain.  Like a troop of drowned rats, we made our way back to the bus.  We went to the boat dock to Tepoxte where we had earlier put in our lunch order.  The hot soup, hot chocolate, hot coffee were really welcome.  After a good lunch, many of us were ready to set off again.  We loaded into a large wooden canoe type boat for the half hour ride to the ruins of Tepoxte.  This is a small post classic site.  Juan pointed out several trees and plants.  The strangler fig is one of the most interesting.  It starts climbing up an existing tree and blocks out the sun and grows around the trunk until the main tree dies.  Even though it was drizzling and the steps were slippery with the wet moss, several of us climbed up.  Why?  Because it is there. 
We got back to the hotel, quickly changed into dry clothes and headed back out to go into the town of Flores for dinner.  A relaxed tasty dinner is always a great way to end a day.

On the fourth, we went to the ruins of Tikal, one of the biggest, most famous of the Maya cities.  When we were in Guatemala City at the Archaeology museum, we saw pottery, and items found in one of the tombs of Tikal.  It was nice to see the great buildings that went with them.  Tikal is a large site and we were concerned that some of the people would have difficulty walking the distance.  Luckily, since Tikal is visited more, it is possible to get a ride in a pickup truck to the main square.  The walkers and riders met up at the square.  From there we went to climb Temple IV.  Wow!  that view is really expansive.  It is a sea of green jungle with 2 of the other pyramids of Tikal poking out.  We commented that it was raining off in the distance.  Not soon after, we realized that the wind had picked up and that rain cloud was headed straight for us.  We quickly vacated our high vantage point.  Being on the top of a pyramid in a thunder storm isn't recommended.  We got a ride back to the front gate in the jungle buggy and avoided the rain.  We had a nice lunch and headed back to the hotel where we had an early dinner.  This time, the selection was much bigger and they actually had everything on the menu. 

This morning we got an early start --  breakfast at 6:30 and in the bus about 7:15.  For us, that was quite an accomplishment.  We bid Juan goodbye this morning at the junction where he headed North. It was a long day of driving and we got into Antigua about 5.  We were greeted at the Casa de Capuchinas, the B&B where we are staying for 2 days.  The hotel is a colonial house and every room is different.  We fill the place up.  We had a great dinner at another colonial hotel/restaurant that the bus driver recommended.  When we got there, the marimba band was already playing.  Soon traditional dancers joined them.  A great way to wipe away the memory of the long ride. 

Looking forward to exploring the city in the morning........

 

Copan

After a good hearty breakfast, we met in the bar overlooking the pool for a class from Juan.  He gave us a good overview of Copan complete with handouts.  Guatemala and Honduras do not allow foreign guides to guide at the major sites so we had to use one of the local guides.  His English was okay but the depth of his knowledge was no where near Juan's.  But, a wonderful site, is a wonderful site and with Juan's briefing before we went, and his occasional insertions and corrections, we got the gist of it all.  We were greeted at the entrance gate by about a dozen colorful Macaws, swooping, perching on branches, calling loudly. 
We started the tour at the "Forest of the Kings." This is a large plaza with many beautifully carved stellae of some of the major kings of Copan.  18 Rabbit was the King who had it built and is prominently recognized.  The picture above is of the famous Alter Q which shows the long lineage and passing of power from one king to the next.  It has the name of the 16 rulers and the dates.  The pyramid of the inscriptions has glyphs on  each of the stair risers and was instrumental in breaking the code of the Maya language.  It had to have been magnificent in its day.  There are several levels of building at Copan.  It is impressive to look down from the highest level to see how high and massive the building platform is.

We went back to town for a late lunch and then some went back to the hotel, some back to the site to visit the museum.  The main attraction of the museum is a full size replica of the Rosalilla which is the inner buried temple under Pyramid 26.  The colors are still vivid showing the snakes and feathers well.  Dave, Charlotte, Paul and I decided to go back into the site to see the original.  Unfortunately, it was too close to closing and it was already closed.  But, since it was close to closing, almost all the people had left the site and we were able to enjoy the beauty and tranquility.

Many of us enjoyed cooling off and relaxing in the hotel pool and hot tub before going to dinner.  We walked through the main square to a little restaurant.  The evenings are cool and comfortable so people are out.  Children playing, young couples getting to know each other, friends chatting, vendors selling food, trinkets, etc.  Copan is full of small 3 wheeled motorcycle taxis.  Sandra and Charles took advantage of one to get a lift back to the hotel after dinner. After dinner, Ann, Patty and I enjoyed a stroll through the park looking at the sculptures and the monument in the center of the square with the cardinal points all in Maya glyphs. 

The end of our first day at the ruins.

Archaeology museum and down to Honduras

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the hotel with an array of fresh juices to choose from - watermelon, papaya, pineapple, orange, made to order omelets, beans, breakfast crepes.  Even had lox!  All to enjoy in a beautiful patio beside the pool. 
The National Archeology Museum is only about a 10 minute drive from the hotel.  I really like this museum in that it is small enough to not be overwhelmed but big enough to have some great stuff. Of course, since I'm such a fabric person, I love all of the examples of the embroidered traditional dress.  It also has lots of stelae that are in beautiful condition, pottery, dioramas of life during classical Maya time.  One of the highlights was an exhibit of all of the things found in one of the main burial sites at the ruins of Tikal.  It was a good preview of things to come.

Then the long ride to Honduras.  The road has been improved a lot since I was last here (2001), even so, it took 8 hours.  At least the bus is comfortable and the scenery is dramatic.  Climb over one range of mountains, descend into a valley, climb over the next range, descend, repeat many times. 
The border crossing into Honduras was busy with trucks lined up on both sides of the border.  This was also modernized since I was here last.  Before, it was one small building on each side with a couple of officials sitting behind a desk and a gate that was raised by hand.  It really felt like Woody Allen's movie, Bananas.  Now, there are multiple modern buildings on both sides, no gate and a fee to exit one country and enter the next. 

Only about 15 minute drive from the border to Copan Ruinas.  (The town is called Copan Ruinas and the ruins are just called Copan).  The hotel is lovely and they were efficient in checking us in.  The pool enticed many of us for a quick dip before dinner.  A lovely, relaxing dinner and then a swim for some and a walk around town for others.

A great day.

We're all here!

After a long delay, the whole crew got here and through customs about 3:00, check in at the hotel and then went to the historic district to have lunch/snack at the Pan American hotel where they specialize in traditional food. There are many colorfully embroidered huipils (traditional dress) decorating the walls, a fountain in the middle of the dining room. We all felt refreshed and ready to see the world.  We walkede to the main square, seeing the cathedral and governor's palace.  In front of the cathedral are columns that have the names of all the people who were executed, tortured, disappeared during the civil war.  It is quite sobering.  It is wonderful to see the families, friends enjoying the square.  The temperature is perfect!  In the 70's!  What a relief from the heat at home.  Tomorrow we will be traveling down into the jungle so will be much hotter and more humid.

Gallivanting in Guatemala

I'm so excited for the group to join Juan and me!  The hotel is elegant and a busy place.
 Yesterday, I got money exchanged which was a bigger deal than I expected.  To try to curb money laundering, the bank will only change $200 at a time to Quezales if you don't have an account at the bank.  $200, thats probably one dinner for the group and I need to pay for a bunch more than that!  What to do?  A young man who was doing his banking at the teller next to me heard my problem.  He offered to have me deposit the money into his account and then he would withdraw it in Quetzales.  Well, sometimes you just have to trust the world.  He got $20.00 for his time and I got my quetzales.

We then went to the travel agency who will be providing the bus for us.  We had a few additions we wanted them to make.  No problem.  The woman didn't know Juan but knew his name as he is often the guide they use when there is a Mexican portion of a trip.  I am always amazed at the extent of Juan's contacts.  Many years ago, someone said, "Ah, Juan Vazquez, como sal, conocido en cada casa."  Ah, Juan Vazquez, like salt, know in every house.

We took a walk from the hotel to find a restaurant for the group for dinner.  McDonald's is right next door to the hotel but we agreed that the group would really wonder about us if we took them there for dinner!  We found a nice place about 3 blocks away.  We really enjoyed it and are looking forward to taking the group there.  We especially liked the salsa that they made right at the table side.

Breakfast buffet this morning was great and eating it out on the patio, hearing the birds was a delight.  It will be a great start with the group! 

Off to the airport to meet the group!

Just a few more days!  Now I'm trying to remember how to post, how to add pictures, etc.  This is a picture in Guatemala City, our first stop. See you soon!

We will be leaving for our adventure in Guatemala in just a couple of weeks! We have a full group going - 11 plus Juan and me. Everyone is getting excited - asking questions, exercising a bit more, brushing up on their Spanish. It's going to be a great trip! Watch for updates. We leave June 28 and I hope to be able to post, at least a little something, everyday.