Saturday morning the shuttle bus picked up Arnauld and me to go to Lake Atitlan. The road was wind-y almost the entire way and fortunately I had brought along my ipod to distract me from the occasional waves of motion sickness. Guatemalan driving is crazy. Down the center of the road, there are dotted lines or straight lines, but it doesn’t really matter. They all mean pass whenever you feel like it. I can’t understand how there are not more accidents here, but I suppose everyone’s a defensive driver at the same time they are offensive, if that’s even possible. The route took about 2.5 hours and we arrived to beautiful, breezy and sunny weather that stayed with us for the entire weekend. We had lunch in Panahatchel, the main town at Lake Atitlan were all the shuttle transports drop off, and afterwards we made our way to the hotel, Villa Sumaya located in the next town over.
The main and most efficient mode of transport is by boat and since the towns are located one next to the other, you can do a tour of the lake with stops at all the villages in about 6 hours. Our hotel was less than 10 minutes away by boat and when we were dropped off at the dock, we realized just how tucked away we were. I got the hotel recommendation through a friend of Lucy’s and didn’t realize just how isolated it was until I actually saw it. I didn’t mind because I really just wanted a weekend to relax and enjoy the lake view. The hotel also had a fully equipped yoga studio and I had been looking forward to doing some early morning Pilates workouts. Fortunately, Arnauld is very laid-back and didn’t care where we stayed. He had entrusted me to arrange accommodations, so he just went along with it. The hotel was a 20-minute walk into the village (which I never visited) and a 10 minute boat ride to the main village when you can flag down a passing boat, which passes by about once an hour. You just stand on the dock, wave your arms and when it goes by you hope they see you. As soon as I had an opportunity to check out the 8 room hotel and walk around the grounds, I didn’t care if I saw any of the lake villages. It was the most beautiful and peaceful setting with uninterrupted views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes. All the rooms had patio seating and even had reading lamps outside since you would spend more time outside than inside the room, anyway. The yoga studio was so perfect; I thought I was going to start crying. Honestly, it was so serene that it was an emotional experience. The pictures here don’t do it justice because the light comes in from the skylight above and the sliding doors open so you can feel the breeze and hear the sound of the waves. It was fully equipped with mats, bricks and also included a pile of large colorfully embroidered pillows on which to sit and mediate. As far as I can tell, no one uses this space, other than a hotel guest who may have interest - keeping in mind that there are only 8 rooms. I think the hotel is relatively new and once word of mouth gets around, they are going to be booked year round. I think they need to find a yoga instructor to build a good program and they should aim to become the yoga destination for entire area. There are enough new age-y people and expats around the Lake who would make a trip to study yoga in such a special place.
Aside from the hotel and the beautiful views, the trips to the villages were nice. The markets had the same stuff that I saw last week in Chichi and after a while it all starts to look the same. The last boat back to the hotel is at 7:30, so if you miss that, you have to call the hotel to come pick you up for a $20 fee. It took us so long to get from town to town by boat on Sunday, that Arnauld missed his 4pm bus and had to stay an extra night. I had already planned to stay for 2 nights anyway, so he got a little more peace and quiet this weekend than I think he had anticipated. Besides, he’s French and as long as he can get a good bottle of wine, he’s happy.
So, although I didn’t do the full lake tour and visit all the surrounding villages, I got to experience the most beautiful lake views, which would not be available if I had stayed in a more centrally located hotel. I couldn’t be more pleased with my Lake Atitlan experience, so it anyone is planning to trip to Guatemala, you have to make sure it includes at least 3 days at Villa Sumaya.
I got back to Antigua on Monday night and I spend all day Tuesday, packing my things and getting ready to take off at 9am on Wednesday morning. I made a last minute visit to some convent ruins near the school and enjoyed one last look at Antigua. Now it's Wednes
day morning and I just said goodbye to everyone, including little Ana, who does all the cooking and cleaning in the house and who has been very sweet to all of us during our time here. Now, I’m waiting for my shuttle to Rio Dulce to kick off my next 2 weeks of travel before I come back to NY on Aug 4. I am sure I’ll have internet access at various points, so I can probably post a few updates from Belize and Honduras, but may not be able to include photos. I’ll keep you posted:)
Yesterday, I accompanied 8 other students on an afternoon excursion to one of the area volcanos. Pacaya. It’s about an hour outside Antigua and one of the easier volcano hikes. There are a couple of others which are much higher (around 13,000 feet) and require a more challenging hike and overnight stay. Compared to those, Pacaya is really a stroll. The weather looked bright and promising all day, until we pulled into the park at the foot of the volcano and it began to pour. We bought those trashbag style rain ponchos, to complement our windbreakers or umbrellas that we already had with us and waited a few minutes to see if the rain would subside. It didn’t stop immediately, but it did taper off and we only had to hike the first few minutes in a light rainfall. Our group was all pretty fit and able to keep a quick pace on the way up. There are a couple of lovely vistas on the way to the top and we took those opportunities to catch our breaths for a moment. The very top of the volcano is not accessib
le because there was an eruption a few
months ago and it’s not stable, so we went up as far as we were allowed.
When we arrived at the highest point it was a field of volcanic rock with steam rising from below. You could hear the lava flowing underneath the rocks we were standing upon and it sounded just like a rushing river. We proceeded a little further and were able to see full streams of lava only a few feet from where we were standing. Our guide had pulled a branch from a tree and we were each able to take a turn poking at the lava to stir it up. It felt like standing in front of an open furnace. (We paid a guy in our group 5Q to pee into the lava, but unfortunately it didn't make for a photo op from where I was standing, otherwise I would definitely post it!)
We lingered as long as we could, until the next group behind us arrived and we turned to make our way back down the mountain, at which point it started to pour again. Since we didn’t need to admire the scenery on the way down, we all ran as a group back down to the bottom. I imagine that’s what bootcamp is like, only their packs are heavier and they aren’t running with an open Revlon umbrella. (btw- that is the best umbrella I’ve ever owned. Everyone was very jealous.) If the situation ever presents itself, I would not recommend trying to run downhill with an open umbrella. It’s rather cumbersome. We all arrived at the bottom in one piece – one sweaty, rain soaked piece, but fully intact as a group none the less. That the best workout I have had since I have been here. It makes me want to do the 2 day climb, but I don’t think I’ll have enough time.
Last weekend turned out to be far more action-packed than I had envisioned. Saturday started it off with the Antigua city tour with Elizabeth Bell, a native Californian whose family relocated to Antigua in 1969
, when she was 14 years old. She has authored a number of books on Antigua, including children’s coloring books (I don’t know if coloring books are considered to have authors?) and her tour provides a lot of insight into the historical and present-day political and social setting of Guatemala. We began the tour at Parque Central, which serves as the main square in town and continued to the Palace of the City Hall and the Cathedral Santiago, which both border the park.
The cathedral was founded in 1542 and was probably originally very impressive in its original s
tate, but major earthquakes throughout the 17th and 18th centuries caused significant damage. Only the front section was rebuilt and rest was closed off and allowed to fall into ruin. The ruins are accessible from the back entrance of the cathedral, where you can still see some of the detailing and get an impression of what it might have looked like in another life. It reminds me of that Planet of the Apes when the Charleton Heston character (except I think it’s the 2nd movie and played by a different actor) stumbled upon the ruins of a New York City subway platform and realizes that the Planet of the Apes is really Earth! Really, the only similarity here is that they are both ruins and they both represent another era. The implications of the Cathedral’s ruins are far less diabolical and have nothing to do with Apes taking over the planet.
The tour also included a tour of a couple Antigua hot
els of historical significance and a visit to the Jade Museum where we learned about its history and then had some time to check out the gift shop. I’ll have to return when I have more time because I have a feeling that might make a good source of birthday/Xmas gifts (Mom and Christina.) One of the hotels we visited had a couple of art/artifact collections, one of which featured a combination of Guatemalan art side-by-side with new glass art and crystal pieces from all over the world, but mostly France. I recognized a lot of their
pieces in the collection because they came from Daum, the French crystal company I worked for when I first moved to New York. The hotel collection included Daum frogs, alligators and some larger art pieces that used to be such a nightmare for me to have to ship around the country. It was like a visit to my old showroom. Overall, the Antigua tour lasted over 3 hours and I ended the morning feeling like I have a much better understanding of this place I’ve been wandering around for the past 6 weeks.
Sunday morning began with a 7am shuttle pickup for a trip to the market at Chichicastenango. Lucy was advised by a friend that she would not want to endure the hairpin curves, steep inclines and switchback mountain roads in an ancient school bus, so we instead opted for a comfortable $18 roundtrip shuttle that picked up at our doorstep. The Lonely Planet guide claims the trip to Chichi is 3.5 hours from Antigua, but our driver managed to get us there in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I don’t know if I can attribute it to his Otto-like driving style (Simpson’s reference) or if the book has a typo. Either way, we got there plenty early to scope out some good bargains.
The marketplace on Sunday affords the same kind of personal space you can expect on a Saturday afternoon in Chinatown. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad and since the indigenous people are tiny, I didn’t feel so engulfed by humanity as I normally would in a crowd that size. I am amazed how the village women can manage to keep track of one or two little kids, with a baby cradled in a blanket and tied to her back, while carrying a bundle of personal effects on top of her head. These women are really good at carrying things on their heads and one good thing that results, is that they all seem to have good posture (until the osteoporosis sets in, anyway.)
I managed to spend all my allotted cash within the first hour, so fortunately I ran into my friend, Sue a
nd we found a hotel with lovely garden with marimba player, where we could hang out and compare our bargains. I found some really beautiful beaded bracelets, belts and evening bags and talked Sue into going back to look for a belt for herself. We found a different bead guy from where I had made my purchases and he offered her a much lower starting price from which to haggle. I felt kind of sorry for him because I thought maybe he’d had a bad day and was desperate to move some goods. I bought a couple of items from his table as well, which left me with about 70 cents, which was perfect since it was time to leave. In the shuttle bus home, Lucy and I were comparing purchases and when I started going through my bag of sparkly goodies, I realized that a hole had developed in the bottom of my bag and I was missing about 4 bracelets. I couldn’t imagine my not noticing dropping shiny objects on the ground and someone I was with, not noticing. Then I remembered the table where Sue bought her belt and while I was trying on a necklace I thought I had knocked some of the bracelets off his crowded table onto the ground. I felt bad because I didn’t want him to think I was over there carelessly wrecking his jewelry selection, so I took care to dust off everything and add them neatly back to his table. I realized that the bracelets that I put back on the table were my own purchases, which had fallen through the hole in my bag. Normally, I would be frustrated with myself for not having noticed such a thing, but in this case, I was feeling sorry for this bead guy and once I made the calculation, I realized that the dollar amount that I paid for those bracelets was the same differential in the dollar amount that he discounted Sue for her belt (which I felt he had under-priced.) So I just reimbursed him in goods to re-sell, so he could make up the difference. I suppose it was like a donation in a way and I think my karma will profit just the same from such inadvertent giving.
This past week has been full of activity and I will have to post my pictures of my volcano hike in the next couple of days. I have lots of great photos of flowing lava!
On Tuesday, my teacher took me out on an excursion to the nearby town of Jocotenango to visit the coffee plantation and museum. I learned that Guatemala was number 7 among coffee producing countries, but by quality, is currently ranked number 3 (behind Ethiopia and Kenya, I think.) I think they attribute the richness of their coffee flavor to the volcanic soil in this area. Aside from the coffee tour, I was looking forward to visiting Jocotenango because the Lonely Planet guide had mentioned there is a place in town to get 45 minute massages for 55Q, approximately $8 USD. My teacher, Elvia happens to be from Jocotenango and knew of this place, so we both took advantage of the bargain basement prices and had massages. It was certainly not a “spa” in the sense of the word that I am accustomed to, but the massage was really good and for $8, I don’t suppose I can expect fluffy robes and an aromatherapy lounge.
I also have a new cast of housemates this week: a 17 year old girl from Seattle, a 20 year old girl from Holland, a mom from Wisconsin and her two college-age sons, and a really fascinating woman from London, Lucy who has a PhD in something like ecological conservation communications. She travels all over the world to lecture, run workshops and work with national parks and preservation areas to help them develop a relationship with their communities. Her goal is to educate the public about the value and uses of these public spaces. When I went to Tikal, my tour guide was pointing our some graffiti in the park and commented that Americans would never do something like that. He went on to say that Guatemalans don’t understand the importance of preservation and don’t respect their public spaces. I suppose they need their own version of the campaign with the crying Indian on horseback, wading through a stream of garbage. Lucy is also vegan and prepares all her own food, which can be a challenge here. She’s just a great source of all kinds of information about nutrition, travel, culture and anything else I can think to ask her.
Lucy and I are tentatively planning to take the Antigua city tour together on Saturday. I have been planning to take this city walking tour for weeks and I really don’t have much time to put it off any longer. I’m looking forward to learning about this place where I’ve been living for the past month. I really don’t know much about its history, other than what I’ve read in the Lonely Planet.
This weekend Lucy is also planning to take a chicken bus to Chichicastenango for the Sunday market, one of the best locations in Guatemala for handicrafts. I am toying with the idea of going with her, but my only hesitation is the 2-hour ride on one of those buses. Considering I’m a girl who can get motion sick from sitting too close to a movie screen, it may not be the best mode of transport for me. I may just take some Dramamine and go with her, since it’s probably the only chance I’ll get and I would like to go with her. Next weekend I am planning to go with my former roommate, Arnold to Lake Atitlan. It would make sense to combine that with a trip to market in nearby Chichicastenango, but there is so much to see at the Lake and I doubt we would have time to get to the market.
This month has gone by so quickly and I have a lot of things to cross off my list before I leave in 2 weeks. I have spent a lot of time this week trying to plan out my last 2 weeks in Central America. Here’s what the agenda looks like so far: I am going to take a 6-hour bus (luxury coach – not a chicken bus) to the town of Rio Dulce and spend one night. Rio Dulce empties into the Caribbean and a lot of people keep their boats there during hurricane season. From there I am taking a “lancha” to Livingston, which is an hour and a half away by water. Livingston is a quiet and charming seaside town with its roots in African-Caribbean culture. I am spending one night in Livingston and taking a lancha the following day to Punta Gorda, Belize (the southernmost town in Belize.) It’s supposed to be a beautiful and relaxing place to spend a couple of days, with different eco-tour activities and the beach, of course. From that point I am heading north to Placencia, Belize, to spend another relaxing, beach-y couple of days. The last part is the bit I haven’t figured out, yet. I need to get from Placencia to the Bay Islands of Honduras, where I am going to meet up with my friend Noortje and spend about 5 days diving. I know there probably isn’t a direct route from Placencia to Honduras, so I’ll have to backtrack a little bit to get there. After diving, I’ll head back to Antigua, pick up the rest of my stuff, spend one more night in town and get to the airport for my return flight to NY on Aug. 4:) By that point I will be so happy to be back in my own mosquito-free apartment, even if I’ll only have a couple of weeks before I have to vacate it for my next subletter from 8/19 –10/26. I’ll be spending a lot of that time in NC at Christina’s anyway, which is like being at home.
I am officially installed in my new house and very happy with the accommodations (which you can tell by the number of photos I am posting.) I just switched bedrooms to an upstairs room that also has a private bathroom, but has more light and is much less damp. Since there is so much moisture in the air, especially during the rainy season, it’s hard for my towel to dry. Having direct sunlight will make a huge difference. It’s also next to the roof deck, which is such a great place to sit and read. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful without so much as a threat of rain. I took advantage of it by sitting outside on the deck to read and give myself a much-needed pedicure. I am so glad that I brought with me the Revlon pedicure kit to go. What a great assortment of tools and although I opted to not bring the callus shaver (my overall favorite pedicure tool) or any nippers, I was able make my feet presentable again. Wow. I can’t believe I’m talking about my feet. There’s just something about having a new pedicure that makes a girl happy :) Another pleasant surprise at this house is that they have a TV and a computer with internet access. I have just figured out that I can plug in my iBook and have completely reliable internet access! I can’t tell you how this has revolutionized my life! Okay, now it is truly like home. I have a better setup than I ever imagined I would have in Guatemala. The only possible glitch is that it looks like my laptop's monitor is going on the fritz and once that happens, my laptop is useless until I can get it fixed at a licensed Apple dealer, which I highly doubt I will find around here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will remain in full working order until I can get home with it. Since I don't have to carry it around anymore and can just blog from home now, there is less risk of it getting damaged. I'm saying little prayers to the Apple gods.
In addition to the house itself, I really like all my roommates - and just in time for everyone to leave! Mireille, a striking 6’2” Dutch sous-chef from Amsterdam just departed yesterday to continue her travels through Central America. Ester went to visit Lake Atatlan for the weekend and then flies back to Holland tomorrow. My other roommate, Kim is with Ester this weekend and she also departs on Saturday to return to school in San Diego. She is working towards and international business degree and has been studying Spanish for several years, so her Spanish is quite good. That leaves only Arnold and myself in the house until a new student arrives tomorrow (and the two young ladies who cook & clean for us. Their only day off is Sunday.) Arnold is French, but has been living in Tampa for the past 9 years. He was married to an American woman and they owned a business together. He recently divorced, sold and divided all his joint assets then packed up and came to Central America. He is moving back to France in the fall and he is moving out tomorrow to live in an apartment with some locals. He’s going for the true immersion experience, whereas I am going for comfort and convenience. I have appreciated having him around to practice my French, but I’ll still see him around at school. I am going with him to one of the big sports bars in town to watch the France-Brazil World Cup game this afternoon. I think we will be a couple of French supports amidst a sea of yellow and green jerseys.
But before the game, I am going to stop by the gym and then go to the international phone place to phone into my 1pm conference call with Caroline and Cheryl to discuss our September trip to the Austin City Limits music festival. Caroline already bought my ticket and Cheryl has a friend in Austin we can stay with, so it looks like the planning is going well. Since bands play simultaneously on different stages, we are going to have to plan strategically (OMG! I think that's the first time I have used the word ‘strategic’ or any derivation thereof, in months!) I have been listening to the new Flaming Lips record a lot this week and also their previous Yoshimi record from 2002. I know they are one of the headliner bands at ACL and their shows are so much fun. The gentleman from Canada who lived in my previous house, has offered me the use of his vacation house on a lake near Guadalajara, Mexico. I’m hoping that Cheryl, Caroline (and maybe Mark?) and I can fly down to Mexico from Austin to spend some time there and then at the beach in Puerta Vallarta. It’s shaping up to be a fun (and cheap!) vacation.
day morning and I just said goodbye to everyone, including little Ana, who does all the cooking and cleaning in the house and who has been very sweet to all of us during our time here. Now, I’m waiting for my shuttle to Rio Dulce to kick off my next 2 weeks of travel before I come back to NY on Aug 4. I am sure I’ll have internet access at various points, so I can probably post a few updates from Belize and Honduras, but may not be able to include photos. I’ll keep you posted:)
