Una semana en los pueblos Maya: Capitulo 1

The past week has been a roller coaster.

Monday: pre-departure briefing
Tuesday: Antigua to Guate, then El Estor.
Wednesday: El Estor and the surrounding communities (Lote Ocho)
Thurday: El Estor to Rabinal
Friday: Rabinal
Saturday: Rabinal to Rio Negro
Sunday: Rio Negro to Guate, then back to Antigua

I'm going to have around three blog entries to try an recount my experience and my reflections on the past week.

A funny story. The best bakery in Antigua is Dona Luisa, and the banana bread is the main attraction. Mariah and I wanted to stock up on some snacks for the bus ride, and a loaf of banana bread was on the top of the list. I went shopping the night before to pick everything up, and had my food and clothing spread out over my bed. Mariah needed to walk over to a friends house to pick up her backpack, and I went with her. When we got back [less than 10 minutes] i walked back into my room, and the loaf of bread had been torn out of its wrapping. There was only one half eaten piece left. It took me a few seconds realise where it had gone...I was in shock. Whisky, one of the two emaciated pets that live with us had eaten his own weight in banana bread! I had to buy a new loaf the morning of the trip.

First of all, our bus was awesome. We chartered a 'chicken bus', driven by two hilarious guatemalans, Jose Martin and Haroldo. This bus was pimped to the nines....

Yes, that is a crucifix. It hangs beneath a large wooden plaque that reads "Dios Es Amor"...there is also a picture of Jesus in a plastic ball at the top of the shifter. Aside from religious paraphernalia, the bus seats were upholstered with a paisley pattern, and there was a sweet, sweet light set up. Blue neon in the back, and a red siren light in the front. It was the coolest bus I have ever seen. period.

We headed off to Guate. 'Guate' is short for Guatemala city...one can hear shouts of "GUATE! GUATE! GUATE!" as the northbound chicken busses pickup passengers through town. Our first stop was at one of the main public cemeteries. Why a cemetery? Over the 36 years of civil war and genocide, conservative estimates place the death toll somewhere over 200,000 killed. The other aspect of repression during the war was the phenomenon of clandestine graves full disappeared persons. It is suspected that more then 50,000 persons were disappeared during the conflict...

The cemetery in Guatemala City is quite normal at first glance. There are individual graves and family estates for the rich, and large mausoleums for the middle class...

In the picture above, you can see the slums in the near distance. The construction of their houses are little better than the homes of the dead. Garbage is scattered everywhere, and the graves are quite shallow, with mounds of earth as far as the eye can see. Then...we came up to this temporary structure...

This structure was the site of a FAGA mobile laboratory. The FAGA has been doing exhumations since the armistice was signed in 1996. The cemetery in question also provided a space for paupers, nameless persons, and the bodies of families who could not continue renting the graves in the nicer plots in the cemetery. To accommodate this high demand, the cemetery created four large pits measuring 4m across, and at least 30m deep.

During the war, the inflow of nameless bodies increased dramatically. Many of these 'Jon Doe' cases [XX in Guatemala] were in actuality, the bodies of the disappeared. The challenge for the FAGA today is try and provide truth, memory and a semblance of justice to the families of the disappeared.

Thousands of bodies, dumped in bags, filled each of these massive pits. Each of the cases is a criminal case in its own right, and serves as another piece of evidence against the material and intellectual authors of the violence and repression. Because they are ongoing cases, I cannot publicly distribute photos of the exhumations.

This is a picture of four sheets of paper from inside the lab. There were eight more sheets just like these, with each number corresponding to a different body...Never in my life have I felt so close to violence and massive death. Its' sights and smells impossible to forget...

Update....

just kidding...

still on the road.

squeezing out a few seconds of internet at a hotel.

Tonight...in Rabinal...google rio negro massacre...were talking to surviors and visiting the mass graves tomorrow.

...also I cant find the key for apostrophes on spanish keyboards.

La Ruta de Yalu

Another week in the books. Here are some highlights...

Last minute plans started coming together for Saturday. After a run in the AM, mariah and I headed to the parque. After half an hour, we knew that we wanted to go zip-lining, but getting there was another matter. Ends up - I needed a lot more cash, so I had to run home to make a withdrawal. I took some pictures on the way...

We had a good experience with Alex at Libertad de Viajar (liberty to travel), so decided to rent a shuttle for the afternoon. This was nice because the last time we were in a shuttle, there were 15 people, this time there were only 11 (man behind camera too). It was a lot more comfortable...

On the way to the finca, we stopped at the side of the road to take in the spectacular views. Peering into the valley, I could barely see the bottom, a awesome sight that was hard to capture...

After a few wrong turns, and stopping to ask for direction...we made it to the finca! Driving through the rural communities brought us very close to the real levels of poverty, and made a strong impact on myself and others. I could only take pictures of the buildings...didn't feel right taking pictures of the locals as our private shuttle slowly sputtered through town. Upon arrival, we got suited up to go zip-lining...

Ziplining was pretty awesome...no one died...and we all had a blast. we had to hike for bout 15 minutes to get to the top of the hillside, and it had 5 different lines to get back to the valley. After we mad it down safe and sound, we sat in the wonderful grass, did cartwheels and headstands and explored the finca...

a tiny church...

lounging in the grass...

coffee drying in the sun...

So we drove back, in what felt like half of the time. As soon as I got back, we all went our separate ways, and I headed to the north end of town to help paint Libbys' guitar.

After I left to grab some dinner, it ends up that some local kids joined in on the painting...I saw the guitar later that night, I was pretty impressed by the kids handiwork.

now...settling down into an afternoon of work and studies, until next time!

Daily routine (well almost)

Open a new tab, and play this video, and read away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF2Galu9Rsw

Multi-media blog! aaaanyways, aside from trippy Animal Collective videos...and the real daily routines like eating and brushing teeth... i've been searching for ways to stay in shape and incorporate them into the routine. At this moment of time...the easiest thing to do is run.

On the north-end of Antigua, there is a hill called Cerro De la Cruz with 333 steps that lead to the top. After getting to the top, one is rewarded with a view or this....

The run takes about 45 minutes if I do two sets of stairs. This morning I was able to run out, up, down, up, down and back home in 47:40. The goal...do four sets and back in under an hour. This means no breaks...and a faster pace. I have a few more months to work on it.

I pull black gunk out of my nose after every run...the diesel fumes are really thick throughout Antigua. Sometimes, you can taste it. Can't be healthy.

Suspicions confirmed: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/24289

The other tricky part about running is the cobbles and the sidewalks. Running through town demands undivided attention, lest you be struck by a taxi, tuk tuk, bus, truck, car or pedestrian. Oh...scooters are probably the most dangerous, as they are silent and quick. The lack of traffic coordination make the intersections very exciting.

This blog acts as a testament to my survival...so far.

Volcan Agua MTB expedition...

On thursday, Mariah and I decided to make the best of this upcoming weekend. After double checking the schedule for the few days ahead, and seeing a clear schedule, we decided to get the wheel rolling on a long anticipated MTB trip. The trip up Volcan Agua was a longer one (28km)...but not the longest (38km) of the trips available, so not knowing anything about the riding in Guate, we decided this would be the best call.

We woke up early as all-get-out, and packed everything that we could need into single pack. Cookies, dried fruit, at least 3 liters of water, pita, a full complement of tools and a camera....some more granola bars in the jersey for easy access.

We trudged over to Oldtown Outfitters to get introduced to our guide and the bikes. I threw my pedals on the bike they had picked out for me, then shed my civies down to spandex. I was going to be riding an old beat Kona Caldera, with mech disk brakes and an older LX drivetrain. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tune...although everything else about the bike was bizarre. The handlebar seemed like it was from a trials bike, they were wider than any bars I have ever used in my life. The balance on the bike was really weird too...every time I would stand, the rear tire would break loose. The tires were worn and over inflated...I was about to let some air out, but the guide stopped me. He told me there were too many rocks on the trail... "necesita mas presion".

The terrain was mixed, starting out on the road. The ride started with an solid hour long climb out of the valley on switchback climbs. I took it nice and easy so the climb was relatively easy, but the climb nearly killed some people (the guide included)...

Then we climbed some more...and took some pictures.

We rolled up past a Big Cross, and headed through a pueblo/garbage dump. Kids, dogs, trucks full of campesinos and young men lugging vats of pesticides littered the landscape. In regard to the trails...if it wasn't rocky, it was sandy...really sandy. If the sand seemed hardpacked, it was because it was actually garbage or rock, but anyways it was alot of fun to get back on the bike. I almost crashed once and I was dabbing all over the place...all in all a great way to spend an morning.

Another weekend, another volcano....

I've been missing the bike...and i've been reminded of this absence in many ways.

I live 5 doors down from a bike shop, I saw the lone proprietor (and worker) building his own project bike after hours. Its a old rusted and battered Colnago frame, and its been slowly coming together over the last week and a bit.

Bikes are everywhere, battered and abused but still rolling. Few bikes are locked, just left leaning against poles and curbs in the street. All shapes and sizes...because guatemalans are so tiny in stature, BMX and 24" wheeled MTB are more common than one would expect. The market has three places to buy used a used bike...but they are all much to small for me. so the search continues...

So, Old Town Outfitters does every kind of trip you can think of...tomorrow, Mariah and I are leaving at 9:00am and we're going to bike up and down El Volcan Agua! I'm super stoked, with pictures to come tomorrow night!

p.s. went out last night...learned how to dance bachata, meringue and cha cha. Picked up salsa awhile ago...i've gotten complements on my dancing too! not bad for a white boy!

On sunday, we climbed an active volcano...

The volcano could have erupted, how exciting is that! Pacaya’s last eruption was last year, and it displaced hundreds of people! with that in mind, we assembled just outside of down town.

The journey started with some haggling at the travel agencies. Some places started around q100, but I managed to get it down to q80 a head. After we negotiated the price, we added two more souls to the expedition. So we all packed into the van and headed towards the volcano.

[video pending]

Well…it ends up that the buses had to stop further down the mountainside, because only road up was closed for construction. This meant that we disembarked much earlier than expected, and added about 10 minutes to the hike. The early part was pretty tame, walking on cobbled streets and through fields. Then we arrived at the place where the path left the road, and stretches into the clouds.

Seriously, we walked through the clouds. I have not done that many times before, so the novelty has not worn off. They felt cool against the skin, and created the perfect temperature for the wicked ascent. Although the vistas were hidden behind the clouds, the terrain was interesting in itself. The volcanic rock crumbles under foot, making hiking feel like hiking up a near vertical beach.

The most interesting things I noticed. Volcanoes have a bustling stick trade “es muy necesario”. horses are taxis. It takes five seconds to cook a marshmallow to perfection over a flow of magma.

Eery warning perhaps?

also…this guy is crazy! Still living at the foot of a volcano, less than a year after the last eruption.

As we climbed higher and higher, we could see the peak of Pacaya in the distance. Epic.

• 

We turned around, and this is the rest of what we saw.

Update, and a preview of Pacaya...

Classes have been sparse, which has left a lot of time for Spanish. Between the NGO and Econ classes in the morning, I’m left with about 5 hours of Spanish (classes included) practice each day. My teachers name is Ruth, which is ironic because when it comes to grammar, she is ruth-less. I digress. It will be interesting to try and fit the other classes in, especially with the volunteer hours that have yet to materialize.

Tonight, there is a fiesta hosted by the programs coordinators. This will be interesting because not only is the whole group getting together, but because a group of indigenous Maya will be also attending. Each group is the master of the language that the other group seeks. We can ask them questions in Spanish, and they answer in English. Or, they can ask us questions in English, and we answer in Spanish. Alcohol is a possibility, who knows where this will go. Oh boy.

***UPDATE***. Ends up…my Spanish is still terrible, or at least it seems that way. I’m not expecting overnight results…but when I can’t even get through an introduction with out tripping up, its pretty discouraging. I tried to talk to some Mayans at the party, but it was more embarrassing than it was interesting. It put me in a terrible mood, and now I just want to vent into the internet, about my profound sense of frustration. [written late last night]

We’ll today is a new day, I had a good run and didn’t get mugged, which I consider a win. Skyped in the morning, then put the finishing touches on this post. I really want to finish this one about this past Sunday.
A lot of my classmates were headed to go to some beach a ways away. I didn’t feel like the beech, so I decided to stay out of the planning. On Sunday morning, a few quick calls, and Mariah and I discovered that a group was about to set off to hike Pacaya. This volcano erupted last year, sending hundreds fleeing and grounding flights in Guate. Some how…this cheeky house survived…and its right at the foot of the Volcano.

Tomorrows post will be a short photo journey up the side of Pacaya!

La Sin Ventura

Last night, the group headed out to La Sin Ventura, one of the many salsa clubs in Antigua. I got Keisha to teach me the basics, but beyond that, I found out quickly that I am a pretty helpless dancer. The place was packed by 10:00. The windows were closed and only the front door was open. The place got hotter and hotter as the night went on... I hear the idea is to get people to take off their clothes. It worked for the most part. The drinks at La Sin Ventura were 25q for a beer...at first I was aghast at how expensive they were...but then remembered that its only about $3.50. I heard stories, that in ladies nights in years past, mojitos and cuba libres used to be FREE. The bartenders were awesome, the music was good, and the washrooms were really clean, remarkably clean and well stocked. The ladies noticed that there was no line for the women's washroom, only a line for the mens washroom. weird.

I've got a bit of spanish homework, some research to do on NGO, and some major brushing up on ECON to do. Aside from school, The tentative plan is to head to some springs on sunday afternoon and maybe go out and grab some Thai food sunday night.

Till next time...

The Adventure Begins, part two

My first post from Antigua implies the existence of a part two to follow, but it already seems so long ago. So much so that I wanted to skip this entire story altogether. Instead, to make a long story short, the problems began because I checked into both my flights late. After doing so, I found out that in both cases, they had been shifted earlier. This created complications I needed twice as much time to figure things out, yet I had only half the time to do it.

TACA air noticed that my return ticket extended beyond 90 days, which meant that I technically needed an actual visa, not the basic entry visa. As a result, they would not print a boarding pass until I was cleared to fly by Guatemalan Immigration. This only took 10 minutes, throughout which I was terrified. Luckily, I was approved, and I had to pass through security again, making it to my flight with 20 minutes to spare. It could have been a lot worse. Lesson: check into flight 24h in advance. Also airport food is worse and more expensive than my high school cafeteria, it is terrible.

Currently, time is flying. Ask me anytime during the day, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you the date. It’s only at night and in the morning that time slows to a comprehensible speed. Sleep feels so brief; it might as well not exist, as it does little to halt the charge of time. It feels on the verge of being out of control. I cant walk down the street, or sit down for more than half an hour without running, bumping, meeting, seeing, chatting and leaving other people. Then – I got smacked around with I two hour dose of Spanish class, cara-a-cara. I thought it went well, but my lesson was primarily review, so I have an inkling feeling that I might get pwned in a few weeks. Only time will tell.

On a lighter note, I’ve built up the courage to bring my camera out to the camera during class and to the bars at night. These eight photos sum up the day pretty well. Class… more class… hang out talking…more of the same…admire beautiful Antigua x2…drink beers, until the night winds down.

Orientation Day (but… mostly a story about the night before)

Today is the orientation day. The group is meeting at 6:00pm, and I can only assume that we will be going over the class schedule and finalizing the details of the semester. The two groups, UoG and UoSask, will finally be united.

Before I can even touch on whatever has, or is happening today, I’ve got to tell a quick story about yesterday. I figured out how to access money and work my cell phone, perhaps the two most exciting things aside from being in Antigua. A big group arrived, I was glad to see they all made it unscathed, despite a 10 hour layover in Texas. Once people had more or less settled, some souls decided you head out to enjoy an evening on the town. It began with a phone party around 4:00, with everybody exchanging everybody else’s number on their brand new mobiles, which cost only 110-160q. After that, the logistical challenges started to get worked out. Maps were laid, marks drawn and tentative plans were set. Shortly after dinner, we would head out, and start to collect more members for our outing, out posse if you will. When the time came, many decided that they would prefer a night in, resting and catching up on the sleep they had missed on their journey to Guatemala.

After getting twisted and disoriented next to some ruins, the seven of us made it out to the Rhum Bar, claiming some seats on the top floor lounge. The lounge consisted of cushions on the floor, cast around tree-stump tables light by candlelight. The bar was cozy warm and inviting, and supposedly served the best mojitos in Antigua. I guess mine was pretty good, but I’m no connoisseur. What I can say was that it had the freshest, cleanest mint I’ve ever tasted in a…well ever. The rest drink was not too sweet, not too strong with the most mint flavor waiting at the bottom. I had a quick chat with the bartender. In the last four years that he had lived in Antigua, he has opened a language school, a bar (the same), a cooking school called the Free Bean, helped finance another restaurant and is opening his pizzeria in the next four months. He used to work in a Wall St hedge fund as an oil market specialist. As he handed me my mojito, he said something like “ …and I prefer to be doing everything here, rather that doing nothing in the States. So – I guess that makes me an entrepreneur.” Just goes to show, one of the most important aspects of self-preservation is to get out when the getting is good.
The one downside was…everyone spoke English…succumbing to the temptation. Although we all took an informal vow, more or less, to only speak Spanish starting on the 4th. We’ll see how that goes. Untill then…hasta luego.

The Rumbar: http://www.rumbarantigua.com/

p.s. here are some photos taken during my wanderings during the second day in Antigua.