Christmas Week in Antigua

(Photos)

As I mentioned before, Zach arrived Dec 17 to join me in Antigua for Christmas week. We checked into Hotel Las Camelias Inn for the week. He came to Santa Maria with me on Thursday and Friday to help out at the school, then we went on a four-day adventure trip through northeast Guatemala. We returned on Christmas Eve just before the shops closed and managed to pick up a few gifts and groceries for upcoming holiday parties.

Christmas Eve -- To my delight, we had been invited to join my host family (and Salia) for a traditional Antiguan Christmas celebration. Following a much needed nap, we walked up to Angela and Duilio's home at 11 PM to share a drink and catch up on the week. At midnight, the city exploded with fireworks. Along with everyone else in the city, we went out to the street in front of the house to set off noisemakers, shooting stars, spinners, flaming cones and sparklers. For fifteen minutes the sky was filled with colorful fireworks in every direction. It was AMAZING! Afterward, Angela's two daughters' families joined us in the house for an exchange of gifts followed by a comfortable and familiar turkey dinner. Zach and I headed back to the hotel just after 2 AM, but I suspect the family continued their festivities for some time into the morning afterward. I was thrilled to have an opportunity to join in with my host family for this special evening. Many thanks to Angela and Duilio for continuing to make me feel like part of their family, even after I moved from their home!

Christmas Day -- GVI hosted a potluck Christmas dinner and secret-Santa gift exchange for all the volunteers. We arrived around noon to began preparing food and sat down at a collection of tables in the courtyard for an enormous dinner around 2 PM. Following dinner, volunteer John Wosley came out dressed as Santa to hand out gifts. We took a bit of a break to clean up and some folks went for a swim in the condo's pool. At 5 PM we sat down again for dessert and Fiona's Irish coffee. After dark, Dom and Rufus set of fireworks in the driveway -- with a few spinning their way back into the crowd of spectators causing MUCH excitement and a few singed feet (sorry Fiona!). We migrated back indoor for dancing, drinking, and charades. Some of us left around 11:30, but I understand Rufus entertained the rest well past 2 AM, finishing up two full days of revelry for the Christmas holiday!

Boxing Day -- (...Or whatever else you might call the day after Christmas.) On my last day in Guatemala I wanted to finally get into a guided tour of the city and learn a bit more about Antiguan history. We joined up with a 3-hour Elizabeth Bell Walking Tour. Elizabeth Bell is a California transplant who has lived and worked in Antigua since 1969, and has earned top listing in all the guide books. (That's not surprising, since she's written many of them.) The tour stated in Parque Central, took us into city hall to learn about modern politics and to meet the mayor, then to the Cathedral to learn about Mayan religion and attempt to Catholicize the nation, then up to a Jade museum and workshop to learn about education, poverty, and indigenous issues (as well as about Jade in Mayan history). We finished with a paseo tour of the museums and ruins of the monastery of Santo Domingo. though the entire tour was well worthwhile, I would highly recommend a trip to Santo Domingo for ANYONE visiting Antigua. On the grounds of the city's only 5-star hotel, the Q40 admission price gains you access to several distinct museums and archeological areas. My favorite museum combined the display of numerous Mayan artifacts alongside modern glass art. For example, an 8th century Mayan urn with jaguars would be paired with a 21st century A-List artist's representation of a jaguar. The pairings are beautifully done and this gallery is not to be missed.

After the tour we stopped for lunch at a "tablecloth restaurant" called Welton. On our first weekend in Antigua six weeks ago, Maya, Aviv, Aaron and I agreed to have our final dinner at this very fancy restaurant. As our final day approached, we realized that most volunteers who wanted to see us off wouldn't be able to afford a very fancy restaurant so we made dinner plans for a more accessible venue. Nonetheless, Zach and I went for a leisurely lunch in a courtyard surrounded by flowers, fountains and wind-chimes, and enjoyed exceptional food and service for a final fancy meal together before moving on. In the end, the bill was an extravagant Q600 ($77) for the two of us, compared to our dinner at a local tienda a few nights before totaling Q24 ($3). The contrast was pretty amazing and so was my realization of relative satisfaction . Both places have great food and I was equally happy at both -- they just had a different approach. In retrospect, I'm glad we went for the "tablecloth restaurant" just to have had the experience, AND I'm also glad that we didn't press to have the whole GVI group spend so much money for dinner.

After six weeks in Guatemala, I've learned that the difference between what I need to survive and what I need to be happy is much smaller than it used to be. I'm curious to discover how much more that gap will close after living for awhile in much less affluent towns in Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Peru!

Feliz Navidad!

This is just a quick post to say Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice to friends and family who may be following this blog. Thank you for all the wonderful notes and well-wishes! It's been strange to be so far away from home during the holidays, but I've been thinking of you all.

It's been a VERY busy few weeks and I haven't been near WiFi for most of it. I have a few draft posts that I hope to get up in a few days after arriving in Honduras: you'll hear about my last week with kids up at the school in Santa Maria, a 4-day trip to Livingston, Tikal and Flores, and Christmas week activities. Tomorrow I head to Honduras for the next 6-week stint of my GVI trip. Once settled in there I'm sure you'll see another few posts about my new host family and school and the town of Copan.

Until then, I wish you all a very happy new year!

With love from Susan...

Travel weekend to Livingston, Tikal and Flores

School finished up on December 19, and GVI had no other activities scheduled for us until Christmas Day. To take advantage of the break, I joined several other volunteers (with Zach) on a four-day trip around Guatemala arranged by Canadian volunteer Juan through the Aviatur Travel Agency. The group consisted of Juan, Michelle, Fiona (Australia), Fiona (Ireland), Matt, Lalita, Graham, Zach and me. Our driver for most of the trip was Manual from Aviatur.

Day 1: Antigua - Quirigua - Puerto Barrios - Livingston. The nine of us met at 4 AM outside the travel agency in Antigua and rode with Manual in a comfortable private shuttle van to Quirigua National Park, with a breakfast stop in Rio Hondo along the way.

Quirigua National Park -- Rarely-visited Mayan ruins best known for intricately-carved stelae (stone monuments). Quirigua was a dependent city of nearby Copan during the Mayan classical period, with it's peak under the leader Cauac Sky (AD 725-84). Today, the park is a Unesco World Heritage site. In the archeological zone the grassy grand plaza is dotted with stelae up to 10.5M tall, and at the far end of the plaza is an Acropolis with temples and other structures covered in zoomorphic carvings. Compared to Tikal and Copan, Quirigua is fairly small -- but worth a stop if it is along your route. I wouldn't go out of your way to visit.

After a leisurely stroll around Quirigua, Manual drove us to the dock at Puerto Barrios for our boat shuttle across to Livingston. We checked into beachfront hotel Dona Alida with enough time to hire a boat up the shore for lunch and an afternoon at Playa Blanca for a rousing game of beach volleyball, cold beer, and lounging in the soft warm sand. My losing volleyball team later bought drinks for the winning team at Restaurante BugaMama -- where we believe Juan, Michelle and Graham picked up food poisoning from the seafood. Yeouch!

Livingston -- Only accessible by boat, Livingston is populated primarily by Garifuna people who are descendants of Africans brought to the New World as slaves and resettled after a 1795 revolt against the British. The town's isolation and unique heritage of Africans, Carib Indians, Mayans, and shipwrecked sailors brewed a distinct culture and language not found elsewhere. The town has a pirate-like feel to it and has a reputation for being somewhat rough. We didn't encounter any trouble (except food poisoning), but also stayed within the few blocks recommended by our tour company. Nonetheless, I was fascinated to experience a little bit of this very different Guatemalan town in contrast to the other places I'd seen.

Day 2: Livingston - Rio Dulce - Tikal National Park. We woke to a terrific storm that rattled the windows and tin roof and blew down some branches near the hotel. The water was too rough for the boat to pick us up at the hotel as planned, so we packed up our things for a VERY wet tour up the Rio Dulce ("Sweet River"). We asked our guide/driver to just get to the end as quickly as possible and bypassed a castle that was scheduled along the route. By the end our our 2-hour boat trip everyone was completely drenched from the rain and spray. The rain was so heavy for most of the trip that it was hard to see, but during the drier spots the river made me think of the hidden coves from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. In spite of the rain, the resilient group kept up good spirits with sailing songs and pirate jokes along the way. Yaaarrrghh!!

A few hours later we checked into the very nice Hotel Tikal Inn right at the gates of Tikal National Park. A swim in the pool, a hot shower, and then a nice dinner at the hotel finished the day well.

Day 3: Tikal - Flores. A few of us met at 6 AM for a dawn visit into the National Park, where we were greeted by Howler monkeys and macaws in the mist. It was nice to get in for a quick look around before most of the other tourists arrived, but could only see a fraction of the enormous park before returning for breakfast at the hotel and then to meet our official tour guide. At 9 AM we began a 4-hour guided tour of the park, returned to the hotel for lunch, then rejoined Manual for a ride to Flores at around 2 PM.

Tikal National Park -- Initially settled in 700 BC, Tikal slowly grew to become an important Mayan kingdom from 250 AD to 900 AD, and was finally abandoned in the 13th century after depleting all nearby natural resources. Rediscovered in 1848, Tikal has been slowly dug out of the jungle to reveal 550-sq-km with thousands of separate ruined structures still under archeological investigation. The main area of the park is 16-sq-km with 4000 structures. Tikal is popular with tourists because of the abundance and large size of structures, but also because it is one of the few Mayan sites deep in the jungle, giving visitors a unique glimpse of birds, monkeys and other animals not easily seen elsewhere.

In Flores we checked into Hotel Villa del Lago with plenty of time to explore the tiny island in the middle of the lake. A few of us found a waterfront restaurant with a cheap happy hour, went back to the hotel for long hot showers (such a luxury!) and a bit of TV news or internet surfing, then met up again for a leisurely group dinner.

Flores -- A tiny island in Lago de Peten Itza best known for great views and cheap cantinas. Flores is historically interesting as the last major functioning Maya ceremonial center, but all traces of the Maya were completely destroyed by the conquering Spanish in the late 17th century.

Day 4: Flores - Guatemala City - Antigua. We met an early shuttle to the airport near Flores for a quick airplane trip to Guatemala City. After saying goodbye to Juan and Michelle, the rest of us hopped into Manual's shuttle van for a short ride to Antigua, arriving well before lunchtime to prepare for Christmas Eve.

Like other trips I've taken with diverse groups of GVI volunteers, I was pleased at how easy-going and flexible everyone was for this trip. Not everything went as expected, but it didn't seem really bother anyone. I'm very disappointed for the folks who got food poisoning -- but I believe overall that the trip was enjoyed by everyone. I certainly had a good time!

(Photos)

Resources:
* Aviatur Travel Agency: aviaturfer@yahoo.com.mx
* Quirigua National Park
* Tikal National Park
* Hotel Dona Alida, Livingston
* Hotel Tikal Inn, Tikal
* Hotel Villa de Lago, Flores

Final week with kids at school in Santa Maria de Jesus

My stay in Antigua was six weeks altogether, but only four were spent working at the school in Santa Maria de Jesus. I can't believe how fast those weeks flew by! As I mentioned in a prior post, my first school week was spent shadowing the wonderful and amazing Emily, who left me a game plan to continue after her return to England. Weeks two and three were pretty normal (I suppose) with grammar lessons before the fruit break and math afterward, with a bit of arts and crafts or story-telling thrown in to break it up. The fourth week was mostly pre-holiday distractions, with plenty of crafts and songs and sports and parties to keep us from much academic work.

I was thrilled to have Zach come visit for Christmas week, arriving on Wednesday Dec. 17. Doreen granted unusual permission for him to join me at school Thursday and Friday (generally visitors are not permitted). We had sports day on Thursday, and Zach spent the day running around on the soccer field with the kids. On Friday we has a big fiesta to celebrate December birthdays and Christmas. Both morning and afternoon classes arrived at 9 AM for a party that lasted through lunch. All the volunteers (and Zach) helped to serve tamales, hot fresh fruit punch and chocolate-frosted donuts for nearly 200 students. The mothers who prepared the food seemed to really appreciate our help, and we all enjoyed watching the kids faces to receive such great food. After eating, Santa arrived to hand out a present to each student, and an extra gift for each student with a December birthday. Since this was also the last day of school for the year, all the volunteers lined up to receive a goodbye hug from each student. Mid-January will see the beginning of their next school year with all new volunteers and (if all goes well) a brand-new school building with three new classrooms! With six classrooms instead of only three, the classes can be smaller and more students can be enrolled. GVI just keeps improving their services in Guatemala!

Though I was only with them for a month, I will miss the 21 kids in my two classes at Escuela Victoria. I believe I learned much more from them than they did from me, but I also feel that a few of the kids made some breakthroughs with my support that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. For example, Alex was thought to be lazy and easily distracted -- but I believe that he simply couldn't see well enough to read the whiteboard assignments. When I wrote out the assignment for him on a piece of paper and gave him a bit of extra encouragement, he worked VERY well and proved to be a very bright kid. We're not supposed to have favorites, but it is impossible not to. They are all such great kids but Alex, Ronaldo, Paulina, Claudia, and Aurina Marina all made strong impressions and will not be quickly forgotten!

(Photos)

Weekend at Lago Atitlan

Last weekend the GVI crew was out at Lake Atitlan with a full agenda of bicycling, kayaking, hiking and swimming. This amazing trip was part of the formal GVI agenda. Aside from all the great work we do with the kids during the week, I'm pleased that the GVI organization recognizes a need for quality recreation from time to time.

Working through the extremely well-managed Old Town Outfitters guide service, our group of 11 volunteers, and two guides and a driver drove 2-1/2 hours from Antigua to a high-point outside of Panajchel to begin a 25 mile (mostly) downhill bike ride toward the lake. Halfway there we stopped for a yummy picnic lunch prepared by our guides, then continued through the windy roads with gorgeous views of the lake until we reached Panajachel. "Pana" is one of the few towns on the lake that is accessible by road; most of the other little towns can ony be reached by boat.

We spent an hour poking through the open market in Pana then boarded a shuttle for a quick half-hour boat ride to our hotel, La Casa del Mundo. The location and layout of the hotel is simply unreal. Starting at the lakeshore, the hotel's stone steps wind up the cliff with gardens, balconies and guest rooms climbing higher than you might think possible. Every time you think you're at the top, you see another perfectly cut stone staircase up to another level! I shared a room with Fiona, and we enjoyed our balcony with a view of the three volcanoes surrounding the lake. It was simply breathtaking.

Dinner was fantastic, and afterward we went out to enjoy the wood-fired lake-front hot tub. Many of us took turns jumping from one of the lowest balconies into the lake to cool off between soaks in the hot tub. The falling stars were out in force that night.

After a big breakfast we hopped into seak kayaks for a 2-1/2 hour gentle paddle along the lakeshore to a fantastic swimming area, with 24-foot high rock cliffs perfect for jumping from into the lake. There's a bit of a theme here... exercise followed by jumping from tall places into the lake :) After watching everyone else jump from the cliff I finally worked up nerve to so it myself. I wish I'd dine it earlier, because we only had time for me to jump once! I may have to come back here to try it again.

We left the kayaks behind for a bigger boat to tow back to the hotel, and changed into our hiking boots for a 2-1/2 hour walk back through the indigenous villages and fields to the hotel. I found it interesting to walk through (more or less) the back yards of the folks living around the lake. They seemed a bit more shy of tourists than the folks at Santa Maria de Jesus (where I teach during the week). The women's clothing was also a bit different -- more elaborate embroidery and vibrant colors against black, instead of slightly more muted colors against blue. Perhaps it is a difference in family preferences..? Unfortunately I don't have many photos of the people from the villages, since it is somewhat rude (and dangerous) to take photos there.

Once back at the hotel we had time for another quick swim before lunch, then back in the shuttle to Pana, and a van ride back to Antigua in time for Aaron's birthday dinner. (Happy 27th Birthday, Aaron!)

Weekend at the beach in El Salvador

After another Friday night BBQ with welcomes and good-byes, a large group of volunteers left early Saturday morning for a weekend at the beach in El Salvador. This was not a GVI-sponsored excursion, but it is a trip that GVI volunteers commonly make. Thirteen of us met up in Antigua with the proprietors of Hostal El Roble for a 5-1/2 hour drive to Playa San Diego in their shuttle van. By 1 PM we were standing on a beautiful stretch of clean, deserted sandy beach with giant rolling waves.


The hostel couldn't be more ideal for a group of 12-16 people. Most of us shared the two large dorm rooms ($6/night), and John stayed in one of the two private double rooms ($15/night). We all shared the same bank showers and toilets but there were plenty to go round. Many of us made good use of the hammocks scattered in the huge garden and patio, and we enjoyed a bit of volleyball in the large (green) swimming pool in company with a few frogs. The hostel itself offers plenty to entertain it's guests, but the highlight is its proximity to the amazing beach at Playa San Diego, only a few minutes walk away. May of our crew spent the afternoon playing in the surf or lounging in the sun. In the afternoon we met back at the hostel for snacks and drinks, then went out to watch the sun set at the beach. The sky was amazing orange and purple -- just like it should be for a west-coast beach sunset.


In the evening we took over the bar (with the owners' blessing) to make drinks with our own booze. We brought quite a bit of our own food and drink, but our hosts prepared for us a wonderful dinner of chips and salsa, mushroom soup, chili and rice, and garlic bread. After dinner we stayed up playing music, ping pong, giant Jenga, Triominos, and generally just enjoying ourselves.

In the morning, half the crew got up early for surfing lessons and the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with huge bowls of fresh fruit and wonderful fresh hot pupusas, an El Salvadoran specialty of beans, cheese and meat stuffed inside of corn dough and fried, then served with a type of sauerkraut and salsa (for only $1.80!). Yummy.

Around 1 PM we loaded back into the van for our return trip to Antigua, arriving by
6:30 for an early night before school on Monday.

p.s. I managed to leave behind a pair of prescription glasses, but the owners said they'd bring 'em back to Antigua with their next charter. Hopefully it will be before Christmas, when I head out to Honduras! I may have to consider another weekend trip back to the beach with another batch of GVI volunteers on the weekend before Christmas... :)

Music and Sports at School in Santa Maria

I spent all Sunday preparing for the school week. A bit nervous on the first day, I found the kids were supportive and forgiving of my limited Spanish, and eager to get on with their schoolwork. As long as I kept with the patterns that Seno Emily (prior teacher) had established, they were able to complete the exercises with very little extra instruction. Nonetheless, my Spanish is improving through the effort and interest in talking with the kids!

Construction has begin at the school in Santa Maria. A new large classroom will be built over holiday break for three more classes, so more kids can attend school next year! To accommodate the construction, my private little classroom has been taken over and I've moved my class into the larger room shared by two other classes. The kids have more distractions, but after a few days we all learned to adapt.


Thursday after fruit break Doreen (GVI schoolmistress) led the kids in a fun song and dance session. We put away the tables and set up chairs concert style, and the kids took turns in groups singing some of their favorite songs. "Soy una pizza" ("I am a pizza") was very popular, as was a song about a sardine eaten by an little octopus eaten by a tuna eaten by a shark. They all followed Doreen's choreography and the volunteers just stood by taking pictures. It was all very cute.

Friday was sports day. At the school building the boys were divided into teams and given either blue or white jerseys (for two Guatemalan soccer teams, I believe). All of the kids were lined up holding onto a long rope for a 20 minute procession through town to a playing field some distance away. The walk had amazing with views of Antigua in the valley several miles away, but more interesting was my first real look at the rest of the very
large town of Santa Maria de Jesus. Before this, I'd only seen a tiny bit of the town through the window of our shuttle van, and the few streets directly adjacent to the school. On the way to the playing field we walked past a few communal wells, a large communal laundry/washing structure, and a surprising number of active construction and civic improvement projects. The town is poor, but busy and full of pride.

At the playing field Doreen led the kids in some stretches, then everyone participated in a series of relay races for about half an hour. For the rest of the session, the boys took over the soccer field and the girls entertained themselves on the grassy hills. Many of the girls brought little parcels with food or toys to play with, and some raced around through the trees. The volunteers either played soccer with the boys (I did in the morning), or helped to keep the girls out of trouble. In the afternoon I introduced jump-roping to some of the older girls and I was amazed to see what rules and games they came up with in just a few hours. Clever kids.

At the end of the day we were all filthy and exhausted, but it was nice to see the kids out enjoying themselves. I look forward to sports day next week!

First week at GVI Escuela Victoria

GVI operates three schools from their base in Antigua Guatemala: two in Santa Maria de Jesus and the other in Itzapa. I teach first grade (age 6-8) at the school in Santa Maria called Escuela Victoria. I have one class of 12 students in the morning and another in the afternoon. Throughout my first week I shadowed veteran volunteer and professional teacher Emily, who departed at the end of the week to return to England. Emily is a lovely woman and I can't imagine a better person teach me "the ropes" at Santa Maria. I am disappointed that we only had a week of overlap before her departure.

At 7:30 each morning I meet the other volunteers at a coffee shop near the center of Antigua to catch a GVI shuttle van. A dozen (or so) staff and volunteers ride 20-30 minutes up a crazy bumpy dusty twisty roads past burros and chicken buses to the town of Santa Maria de Jesus, and are dropped off a the school door. Taking care to avoid the horse droppings, chickens and stray dogs, we file into the school grounds to set up our classrooms for the day.

Those who need photocopies or supplies for class hurry out to one of the two small office-supply/copy shops a few blocks away. From the storage room we each grab our morning class's canasta (basket), which contains each students' cuaderno (notebook), completed work folder, and balsita (ziplock baggie of crayon bits, pencil, sharpener, and eraser).


The school has around 200 students altogether. Morning classes are from 9 - 12 with a half-hour fruit/play break. From noon - 2 PM volunteers are fed a wonderful tipico (traditional) lunch at the schoolmaster's home nearby, and we have time to correct sheets, work on lesson plans, visit and relax. Afternoon classes are shorter, from 2 - 4 PM with a 15 minute fruit/play break.


A typical class for my kids starts with a short team competition to review prior lessons, a Spanish lesson before break (this is the letter N, draw pictures of words that begin with N, cut out 5 Ns from the newspaper and paste them into your notebook, etc.), and math after break (basic number identification, counting, "what number is before 8", etc.).

Academic classes are held Monday through Thursday, and Friday is sports day. The last Friday of each month is a huge party to honor the ancianos (town elders) and celebrate the kids cumpleanos (birthdays). Last week was a party day and we had great fun.

To begin the day, all the kid's grandparents were invited to a short ceremony to meet the volunteers, receive thanks from GVI supporting the school and allowing the children to attend, and then each elder is given a large bag with rice, oil, pasta, soap, and other household necessities to help them through the next month.

After the ancianos ceremony, we celebrated birthdays in two separate parties, one for the morning kids and another in the afternoon. All the kids were served amazingly good fresh pineapple juice and chocolate-frosted donuts, and then the birthday kids whacked at a pair of pinatas. All the birthday kids sat in a line to receive hugs and kisses from each of the students in turn, and then from the volunteers and staff. Each birthday kid got a different age-appropriate gift. For the remainder of the party everyone danced to Guatemalan music, and at the end the kids lined up to say goodbye to the departing volunteers. Finally, each kid received a small gift (pen and pencil) to take home.

I'm having a great time so far, though the lesson planning and classroom preparation takes quite a bit of thought and time. I expect it will get much easier as my Spanish improves and my confidence increases. The GVI staff and other volunteers are incredibly supportive.

P.S.
Packages are not likely to arrive so please don't send anything for the holidays unless you bring it in person :)

Antigua - Geography and History

The first base city of my six-month GVI tour is Antigua, Guatemala. This post provides a bit of background information about the city.

Geography
Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes. Three are frequently used as reference points when navigating around town: Volcan Agua to the southeast, Volcan Acantengo to the west, and Volcan Fuega -- an active volcano with a continuous plume of smoke -- to the southwest. Another is Volcan Pacaya, a popular tourist destination where visitors get close enough to light their cigarettes in the flowing lava.

Though the sun is quite strong during the day, due to the elevation Antigua gets quite cold after sunset and we all run around in caps, jackets and scarfs.

History
Founded in 1543, the city was Guatemala's colonial capital for 233 years. The capital moved to Guatemala City after much of the city was destroyed during a violent earthquake in 1773. The city is now protected as a UNESCO national heritage site, so any new development seems to fit into the existing style of architecture.

(From Lonely Planet) "Most of Antigua's building were constructed during thr 17th and 18th centuries when the city was a rich Spanish outpost and the Catholic church was ascending to power. Many handsome, sturdy colonial buildings remain, and several impressive ruins have been preserved and are open to the public."

Today in Antigua

Well developed for tourism, Antigua is an easy city to visit. The infrastructure is clearly a priority, with underground power lines, regularly maintained roads, and men with palm-leaf brooms out sweeping the sidewalks and parkways each morning. The city has fantastic restaurants, abundant internet cafes and coffeshops, and tourism services everywhere. According to the guidebooks Antigua has seen a significant decrease in crime due to recent introduction of the Tourism Police, a highly visible, approachable and friendly municipal corps who will gladly advise tourists on nearly any Antiguan subject, as well as lead organized walks to the more notoriously dangerous attractions.

Where to Stay

Hotel San Maco. GVI volunteers typically stay their first night at this tidy and simple hotel near the Candelaria district. It is clean and comfortable (enough), and fairly inexpensive because it is a few minutes' walk from the center of town.

Where to Eat/Drink
Antigua is filled with pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, and I've only had a week so far to explore. Some highlights passed on by the current volunteers are listed below. I'm sure to discover other spots in the next few weeks, and will post them 'mas tarde' (later).

* El Murro
* Cafe No Se
* Rainbow Cafe
* La Fuenta
* Bistro Cinq

About eating in Antigua
When I visited the Polyclinic travel medicine doc in Seattle, I was given the typical cautions about avoiding street food, not eating any fruits or vegetables that can't be peeled, and of course not to drink the water. I've chosen to follow the eating patterns of the other volunteers: I avoid tap water (and so do the locals), but I'll eat any food provided by my host family or in a restaurant, and I brush my teeth in tap water. So far, I haven't had any trouble adapting to the food and drink in Antigua. (Knock on wood...)

For more information about Antigua:

Lonely Planet - Antigua Guatemala
Google Maps - Antigua Guatemala

Mi Casa y La Escuela

The week has been all about studying Spanish and getting acclimated to Guatemala and Antigua. I can hardly imagine an easier transition. Antigua is tourist-friendly to begin with, and my volunteer organization (GVI) provides enough structure to smooth over any rough edges. As long as I show up where I'm supposed to each day and I'm not a jerk, I believe that everything else will fall into place.

Mi Casa (My Home)
Throughout my tour with GVI I will live with host families in each country. In Antigua I live with Angela and Duilio and one other volunteer in a residential area called the Candelaria. All the other volunteers are in the same neighborhood, generally 2 or more per house. The Candelaria was built around 45 years ago, mostly of 1-2 story concrete block homes with little front yards and open-air interior courtyards. My bedroom is small but comfortable, and we all share one bathroom. The sink has only cold water, and the shower is heated by this odd contraption at the shower head that heats water as it passes through. You can have either a trickle of warm water, or a stream of cold water.

I had been concerned about mosquitoes and bugs, but so far in Antigua there have been neither. I also thought it would be rather hot here, but so far it has been rather cold -- enough to need a jacket and scarf outside most of the time. Even though it is cold, the sun is very strong. Two of the new volunteers have been quite sunburned. I've been lucky so far, but will be buying a decent sun hat as soon as I can find one that I like.

In Guatemala, the host family provides meals Monday - Saturday, and we are on our own for Sunday food. Traditionally, all the volunteers get together for a potluck/BBQ on Friday nights, and often small groups of volunteers head out for weekend trips. Most nights groups of volunteers get together at pubs or cafes before or after dinner, as well.

La Escuela (The School)
(La Escuela Caboguil, tel 54 33 66 71, chelinsky10@yahoo.com)
This week my primary responsibility is to learn as much Spanish as possible. My tutor at Escuela Cabaguil is Miriam, and she's been great. We work from 8-3 each day at a little table in the school's courtyard alongside 5-10 other students. The weather has been chilly, but it keeps me awake and focused!

I started the week with no Spanish skills other than the few words and phrases recommended in the GVI field guide. This week I learned basic pleasantries, numbers and timekeeping, tons of vocabulary, conjugation of verbs in the present tense, and a bit of conjugation in the past tense. It's been a fire-hose approach to education, but I'm amazed at how much I comprehend after only a week. According to the other volunteers, with a bit of study and constant practice most people are able to get along well after a few weeks.

I will attend an additional 10 hours of classes before the end of December. Most volunteers go 5-6 PM each day for 2 weeks, after returning from their project work in the villages. I plan to skip a week and begin the next round of studies in early December.

Next week I begin working in Santa Maria de Jesus, an indigenous community about 20 minutes from Antigua. Hopefully I've picked up enough Spanish to be of use when I arrive!

Arrival in Antigua, Guatemala

Just a quick post to say that I've landed safely in Antigua. I'll be spending the next week in Spanish classes six hours per day, and will move out to the village schools as a teacher's aide the following week. I'll be working and traveling for the next six months with Maya, Aviv and Aaron (see photo). Tonight all the GVI volunteers meet at 7:30 for a group dinner and welcome/farewell for transitioning folks. More to come!

Williamsburg Redux

Colonial Williamsburg (CW) held such charm for me during my brief stop two months ago that I was compelled to return for another visit before beginning my tour of Latin America. CW combines many of my favorite things: a meticulously recreated "living history" museum and wonderfully costumed actor/interpretors portraying historical characters through staged re-enactments of famous moments in history.


CW owns most of the buildings in the historic area but only a few are open to the public; most of the rest are leased to CW employees as apartments. My friend Matt (CW sound technician) arranged for me to stay with two CW actor/interpreters at their home in the center of the CW historic district. Meg and Kevin (and their black lab puppy, India) live in the restored Hartwell Perry's Tavern, and I stayed in their very comfortable guest suite. We had two lovely dinner parties during my visit, including one prepared by Brent, a professional chef and friend of Matt's. Yummy!

My week in Virginia was fairly unstructured. I wandered through the historic trade shops (silversmith, gunsmith, blacksmith, wigmaker, bookbinder, etc.) and attended many CW programs, including a candlelight concert in the ballroom of the Governor's Palace featuring 18th century instruments. And even though I'd seen it during my last visit, I was again impressed with the Revolutionary City programs, enacted by costumed character/interpreters
throughout the day. I especially enjoyed George Washington's Farewell Address, which had inspired me to return for this follow-up visit to CW. If you're not familiar with it, I highly encourage you to read the text. It remains as relevant today as it was at the end of George Washington's Presidency in the 18th century. Powerful stuff.


I was surprisingly moved by the CW Veteran's Day activities. The Fife & Drum Corps led the parade, followed by veteran CW employees, then the local VFW, DAV and other established veterans' organizations carrying their colors (flags), then all the veterans in the audience were invited to join in the procession down the historic main street into the parade grounds for an assembly behind the courthouse. One of the senior CW leaders presided over the ceremony, and two of the character/interpreters spoke to the crowd. It seemed that the number of veterans in the march equaled those watching from the sidelines. Since CW is so close to several military bases I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I found it extremely moving nonetheless. I imagine CW is a good place to be during any of America's memorial holidays, considering all the "birth of a nation" stuff that happened here :)

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Where to Eat
* Millie's Diner in Richmond. Great for breakfast. Get there early to order a "mess" and get a plate of eggs, meat, vegetables and cheese big enough to share. Coffee comes in bottomless mugs, and service is prompt and friendly.
* Aromas Coffeehouse & Bakeshop in Merchant Square. A favorite hangout while I was in CW, with free wireless and decent food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expect to share tables with William & Mary college students.
* The Trellis Restaurant in Merchant Square. I only made it there for dessert, but would readily go back for dinner. Unpretentious service and killer chocolate desserts. Best known for "Death by Chocolate", a towering seven-layer confection with cake, ganache, mousse, and crunchy meringue. Enough to feed a party of four!
* King's Arms Tavern in the historic district. Try a sampling of 18th century fare in an authentically restored tavern while being occasionally visited by costumed characters who share insight into their lives.

What to Do
Explore Colonial Williamsburg!
* Ask questions in the trade shops.
* Explore the historic buildings.
* Take in some evening programs.
* Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

I remain enchanted with the CW Foundation and their mission: "That the Future may Learn from the Past". I can easily see why so many people are so passionate about working here, and I could see myself involved with an organization like this in the future.

The Netherlands: Den Bosch

If you've ever tried to throw a pot on a spinning wheel, you'll likely agree that it's harder than it looks.

After a few days in Amsterdam Zach and I hopped a 60-minute train ride to 'S-Hertogenbosch (aka Den Bosch), where Zach and his brother Matt have been working at resident artists at the European Ceramics Work Center (EKWC) since early September. I squeezed my bags into their tiny apartment spent several days exploring this quaint historic town. Little-known outside of the Netherlands, Den Bosch is where the Dutch go on holiday. I don't think we encountered any other American tourists during my visit.

U.S. Election Day took place while I was in Den Bosch. American politics filled newspapers and was the primary topic of discussion around the dinner table and in the pubs. It seems that Europe overwhelmingly supports Obama, and the Dutch in Den Bosch were happy to discuss their hopes for our next President. Everyone wanted to know that I voted, and some said they would stay up all night to follow the election returns – which is more enthusiasm than I could muster! Wednesday morning at least half dozen EKWC staff and participants congratulated us on our new President, and we were able to watch Obama's victory speech on YouTube shortly after it aired. I certainly don't feel like I missed anything!

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My visit to Den Bosch was mostly unstructured, which was great. While Zach and Matt worked in their studio I was free to watch them “create”, read, work online (when I could get online) or hang out in the big communal kitchen. We spent several hours each day out in town at one of the great little taverns, bakeries or restaurants, or just out exploring. At one point the guys set me up with some clay and a potter's wheel where I managed to make a few big sloppy piles of mud!

What to Do (for FREE!)

• Sint Jan Cathedral. Founded in 1185 AD, a Norman style tower built in 1220 AD and an intricate Gothic cathedral started in 1366 AD are open to visitors daily (outside of service hours) from 8 AM to 5 PM. A small donation is requested to help with the ongoing restoration projects. Don't miss the magnificent pipe organ over the entry doors dating from 1617 AD, colorful vault paintings, and glittering stained glass windows.
• The Citadel. One of the oldest structures in Den Bosch, the Citadel is now home to the Historical Information Centre of Brabant. Constructed in the northwest corner of the fortified city in 1637, the Citadel is a pentagonal entrenchment with bastions. The largest remaining structures at the Citadel were constructed in 1789 as a detention center for military criminals. The main building was drastically redesigned in 1848 for use as military barracks. In the 1980s the grounds and buildings were restored to their 1745 state for use by the Historical Information Centre.
• Open market in town square. Different days of the week bring out different vendors. I missed the weekend produce market but was there for the textiles market, offering bolts of cloth and sewing supplies to every kind of finished garment, shoes, handbags,etc.

Where to Eat/Drink

• Dinner was in the communal kitchen at the EKWC (not open for tourists -- sorry!) Residency participants took turns making dinner for the whole crew, with everyone helping out. We enjoyed a pasta dinner, trout en papillote, and a fantastic Indonesian meal during my three night visit.
• After dinner we went out to the Palm Tavern a few times. The proprietor is friendly, the beer selection extensive, and it is definitely a hangout for the locals. (Actually, I think the whole town is a hangout for locals...)
• For brunch each day we stopped for a koffie (coffee) and pastry at one of several different bakery/cafes. I think we visited three or four... each was lovely and comfortable to sit sip and savor.

Notes about dining out in the Netherlands: Expect the pastries to be fresh and “coffee” to be a espresso with bit of hot water. Chocolate (in some form) is available with every meal, including sprinkles for your toast. Eggs are not a typical breakfast food, except for tourists. Water is only available from a bottle and costs the same as other soft drinks. You won't be brought a bill until you ask for it, and tipping is not expected.

The Netherlands: A Parade in Amsterdam, and sightseeing

On Saturday night I walked three hours in the rain through the streets of Amsterdam two paces ahead of a marching band in a parade, carrying the remnants of a soggy cardboard costume and trying to avoid fresh cow manure. And I think it was a fantastic introduction to the city.

This week I'm in the Netherlands visiting Zach and his brother, who are artists-in-residence through early December at the European Ceramic Work Center (EKWC). My arrival coincided with Amsterdam's annual museumnacht (museum night) when dozens of museums stay open all night and host special events. Zach arranged for a room at Hotel Acro, only a block from the museumplein (museum square) so we could be in the middle of all the activity. Not only would we watch, but thank to Yasser Ballenaub, one of Zach's fellow EKWC artists, we could participate! Yasser constructed 20 fantastic cardboard costumes for the museumnacht parade sponsored by the W139 gallery, and Zach signed us up to march with him.

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Where to Stay (time permitting I'll fill in more details later)

• Hotel Acro: clean, utilitarian, and in a great neighborhood near the museumplein. Private double ensuite E90/night, substantial continental breakfast included.
• Winston Hotel: quirky, funky hostel for a party crowd. Not especially clean and a horrible shower, but close to the Red Light District and walking distance from the underbelly of the city. E40/person/night for private room with ensuite. Not sure I'd stay again, but it was certainly a memorable experience.

Where to Eat and Drink

• Brasserie Maxie's
• Szmulewicz: a hidden gem tucked off of the Rembrantplein, none of the other tourists seemed ready to brave the extra 40 meters to find the entry door on the side street. We enjoyed an eclectic internationally-themed dinner with a french poulty pate, a smoked kangaroo salad, Moroccan fish and rice, and chocolate fondue with a large assortment of fresh fruit for dessert. Order the specials if you're adventurous. We did, and were glad.
• Restaurant Pantry
• CafePC
• Stacey's Pennywell: We had really good luck with restaurants off the Rembrantplein. Hoping for an early supper, we walked all through the Red Light District and everyplace we stopped was full of drunken tourists watching a football (soccer) match. A bit of a walk led us back to the Rembrandtplein, where we'd previously enjoyed Szmulewicz. This time we discovered Stacey's Pennywell. Once again, no other tourists came in while we were there – which I now believe is a sign of great food to come. With a nice Belgian witte (white) beer to get started, our leisurely dinner concluded three hours later after pumpkin soup, cod with fresh local vegetables and roasted peppers, and a chocolate nottentaart (nut pie) with rich vanilla ice cream for dessert. Uncharacteristically (for me) we also enjoyed a lush bottle of French red wine with dinner. It was yummy, appropriate to the meal and atmosphere, and didn't give me too much of a headache afterwards!

What to Do

• Van Gogh Museum. A great collection of his work displayed nicely alongsidie pieces by his contemporaries showing collaboration and influence. It was quite crowded when we were there; arrive early to get a bit more elbow room.
• RijksMuseum: Unless you go before December 15, you'll miss the Damien Hirst exhibit “For the Love of God” at the Rijksmuseum. Half the visitors would have preferred to miss it in the first place, I suspect. Most of the Rijksmuseum is under renovation, so only one wing is open for vistors. After wandering through half dozen rooms full of 17th century Dutch masterpieces (Rembrandt, Vermeer, etc.), visitors wait in line to be ushered into a blackened room with a single display case containing a glittering platinum skull covered with 8,601 small diamonds and a huge pear-shaped 52.4 carat diamond on the forehead. (The skull's teeth are real.) Why did the museum choose to combine these works? They would love for their visitors to guess and let them know through the interactive e-mail and video-response kiosks set up in the courtyard. My thoughts? The skull is an interesting gew-gaw worth a ton of money, but I don't think it will be remembered at great art by future generations. Perhaps the extravagance and excesses in this work are a reflection of the world today...? The juxtaposition with Dutch master works only highlights the insignificance, glitz and hype of the Hirsch piece, in my view.
• Anne Frank House. Because you should.

Hitch 'em up, move 'em out

After a very short month in Seattle, my apartment is cleared out, (mostly) everything I own is in storage, and I've headed out on the next stage of my journey.

Before leaving town I managed to squeeze in a few very important activities: a hike in Mt Rainier National park, lunch/coffee/cocktails with several friends (Judy, Denise, Janice, Robert, and others), a brisk and beautiful motorcycle ride with Steve on the Olympic Peninsula, dental work including a new crown (ugh!), and of course I turned in my mostly blue absentee ballot.

Most of my final weeks in Seattle centered on packing up and closing out my apartment and preparing bills and banking and etc. for an extended absence. No matter how long I allowed for such things, I could have used just one more day. My final week in Seattle didn't exactly go as planned...

THE WISH
I had arranged for delivery of storage crates on Monday and movers for two hours early Wednesday, expecting to be packed and locked up by noon and downtown at Ummelina day spa for massage and pedicure by 2 PM, then to join Keith and Sarah at her Redmond Jr High School choral concert on Wednesday evening, get to bed early on their comfy sofa to be well rested for my Thursday morning flight.

THE REALITY
Here's what actually happened: The wrong crates were delivered about 90 minutes late on Monday. I ordered shipping/storage crates "that could be delivered to anywhere in the world" and received local storage/delivery crates. The driver from Hansen Brothers Moving and Storage was awesome and helped to coordinate delivery of the more appropriate crates on Tuesday -- but this still put be a day behind plan. The Hansen Bros driver and dispatcher also talked me into taking two crates instead of three, to save a fortune on later trucking costs. Sounded like a good idea at the time...

I spent quite of bit of time Monday and Tuesday having one last lunch/coffee/cocktail with friends, and found myself staying up VERY late Tuesday night to finish packing.

On Wednesday morning two very nice young guys from F.A.S.T. Moving arrived to help pack up the containers. Even though they were extremely conscientious about padding the furniture and tightly packing the crates like a masterful Tetris game, after four (not two) hours of packing and re-packing it was clear that not everything would fit. The spa visit to Ummelina would have to be canceled so I could figure out how to dispose of the stuff that just wouldn't fit.

After not sleeping much on Tuesday I wasn't thinking very well, and my dear friend Keith managed to swoop in to save my day (YAY!) Keith "talked me off the ledge", helped to repack a bit to fit in a few more items, and agreed to take care of the remaining furniture (dining table/chairs, side chair, antique umbrella stand, and a variety of other items. Between Keith and Steve I'm hoping everything can either be stored or sold without too much inconvenience to either of them.

For anything not worth keeping or selling, I took advantage of the "Magical Disappearing Room" in my apartment building. Since I first moved into the building, tenants have left usable items in the basement laundry room for other tenants to take. I've found a great lamp, some kitchen gadgets, and a sweater through this system. I've left items there before and usually within a day or two things simply disappear. My last night at the building was no different. I started putting boxes of "good free stuff" in the magical disappearing room at around midnight, with additional loads dropped until around 3:30 AM. Even in the half-hour between loads, stuff simply disappeared. When I checked back in the morning before heading to the airport at 7 AM, well over half the stuff I'd left out was gone. Crazy, but true!

I managed to sleep fitfully on the floor of my apartment between 3:30 and 5 AM, then showered and did a bit more cleaning before heading downtown to catch the bus to the airport. And I'm on my way out to see the world!

Many thanks to Keith and Steve for all your help and support in my last week in Seattle. I couldn't have done it without you!

(Photos)

Next up: Amsterdam!

The next journey begins

This is just a quick post to say I've finally packed up and moved out and landed safely in Amsterdam. I'll compose photos and notes for a longer posting later today or early tomorrow...

One more week in Seattle

Seattle is an amazingly great place to live and I'm going to have a hard time leaving it behind. A week from tomorrow morning (10/30/08) I'll be getting on a plane that will take me, well, lots of different places -- all of which are far away from here.

Even as the days grow shorter, colder and wetter in Seattle's late autumn, it is still a delight to take a brisk walk up Queen Anne hill in the morning with a mug of hot tea to grab a view of the sun rising over the city. I imagine 90% of Seattle-ites would prefer to be outdoors any time of year, given the chance. Rain or shine, you'll find bicyclists, dog-walkers, stroller-joggers, and skateboarders out and about, and I really like that about this city (even though I was never any of those...)

I've enjoyed revisiting some of my favorite places in the past few weeks: Pinnacle Peak at Mt. Rainier, Deception Pass on Whidbey Island, Leavenworth, Bainbridge Island, Port Townsend, and just about every neighborhood in Seattle. The city is home to a guilty abundance of wonderful restaurants: Volterra, Moxie, Cafe Flora, Quinn's Pub, Library Bistro, Sazerac, SAM Taste, Purple, Tavolata, Peso's, 5-Spot, and (wonderful in it's own way) the Mecca Cafe -- just to mention a few.

I've also been able to catch up with many of my friends in the past few weeks. I don't know if I'll have time to see everyone before heading out of town, but I'll certainly try :)

If you're in Seattle and want to connect before Oct 30, feel free to drop me a line!

I'm not sure where I'll end up next May, but I suspect the amazing people and places in the Pacific Northwest will entice me back to visit fairly often.

Home -- for a little while

The border crossing line was long and slow, and when I arrived at the guard booth I discovered why. The border guard was cheery and chatty and before we finished he tried to convince me to take a detour to Mt Baker, and had several other suggestions for places to visit. Funny. At this point, of course, I was ready to head home.

I knew I was back in Washington State with my first sighting of a roadside espresso stand. I still remember my first visit to the state in 1995, when I marveled that all the old Fotomat booths had been converted into espresso stands and transported into remote parking lots in tiny towns all over Western Washington. I still don't know how they manage to stay in business. Then again, I happily paid nearly $3.50 for a "grande caramel-hazelnut latte" (the day's special). I don't even especially *like* lattes, but for some reason I just had to have one on this morning.

Before heading home to Seattle, I stopped in nearby Redmond for a nice breakfast of pumpkin pancakes at the Village Square restaurant with my dear friend Keith and his daughter Sarah. By mid-day I'd arrived at my apartment. The slide-show chronicles my arrival...

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Banff and Trans-Canada 1

Driving Trans-Canada Highway 1 west from Calgary, the landscape quickly morphed from flat prairies into the Canadian Rockies. The change in scenery took my breath away. I was surprised by how much I'd missed the grand western mountains! The town of Banff is cute and touristy, filled with hotels, gift shops and overpriced restaurants. (It reminds me of Whistler BC.) I'm not especially fond of super-touristy places, so didn't spend much time in town.

The scenery in the area is spectacular. When I first arrived I stopped at the Cave and Basin, a historic site considered the birthplace of the Canadian National Park system. The site consists of a small cave with sulfur hot springs, a replica of the 1887 pool and bath house, and wooden boardwalks through the surrounding sulfur marsh -- with a great view of the surrounding mountains. It's a nice place to start a visit to Banff to learn the history of the area.

After settling into my Tunnel Mountain campsite I took a walk to the Bow River Valley to get some much-needed exercise and watch the sunset. In the morning I hitched a gondola ride to the top of Mt Sulphur, which hosts an abandoned weather observatory used in the 1920s -- and of course spectacular views. On my way out of Banff NP, I stopped at Johnston Canyon to hike a short path to a decent waterfall -- worth a stop if you're in the area.

By mid-afternoon I felt compelled to hit the road toward home in Seattle. Nonetheless, in the late afternoon I couldn't pass up a tour of the 3 Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town. An eccentric entrepreneur/collector has assembled dozens of abandoned buildings from the region into a little town complete with a saloon, school, hotel, Chinese laundry (etc.) and holds guided tours. The proprietor also collected trains and automobiles, so visitors to the ghost town are treated to a tour of a full-size railway roundhouse with several furnished rail cars, as well as a respectable collection of 14 fully-restored automobiles built from 1902 to 1929. This out-of-the-way roadside attraction has something for everyone.

Even without the roadside attractions, the drive along Trans-Canada 1 through Canada's national parks is truly spectacular and worth repeating. (I imagine it would be even nicer in the summertime on two wheels!)

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A tour of the Eurovan

For anyone unfamiliar with the joy of Eurovan camping, I thought a little pictorial tour might be helpful. I'm traveling in a 1999 VW Eurovan Winnebago Camper. I bought it on E-Bay from a dealer in Atlanta, and drove it home in November 2007. It had 93K miles when I bought it and 98K miles when I started this 2008 road trip (and yesterday it turned over 105K).

Amenities
The interior is equipped with a sink, double-burner propane stove, 3-way refrigerator (AC, DC or propane), propane heater, 12-gallon fresh water tank, 8-gallon gray-water holding tank, two double beds, two folding tables, swivel bucket seats, and a surprising amount of interior storage. The van top pops up to provide plenty of head room to stand while cooking, plus screened windows that unzip for ventilation. Click here for a pictorial review. It is a fairly comfortable set-up, especially for one person. The only thing I don't have is a toilet, and fortunately they're not too hard to find. (I keep a jar handy for emergencies. Click here if you need more info...)

Parking
Mostly, I park at visitor centers, tourist information centers, and rest stops. They're free and quiet and generally have a restroom. Occasionally I'll stop at a truck stop or Wal-Mart; they're also free but tend to be noisy. Free overnight spots are pretty easy to find and easy to use, following a few basic guidelines. If I'm desperate for a shower or WiFi access, I'll pay for spot at a private campground (e.g., KOA, avg. $35/night). Public parks (state, national) are cheaper (avg. $15/night) but more difficult to find and don't have WiFi and sometimes not even showers.

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Summary
I often feel like I'm traveling in a space shuttle. The shape and color are somewhat similar, sure, but the bigger reason is that I'm sealed inside this climate-controlled, screened-in, locked-up shuttle craft in which I can see the environment I'm passing through, but don't have to touch it if I don't want to, and nothing out there will be able to get at me. After talking with Dan and Danny (hitch-hikers from Medicine Hat to Calgary), I feel that my trip through Canada so far could just as well have been a movie: pretty pictures seen through my window, but not really experienced. For the last part of this trip, I'm determined to get away from the van and stomp around on the dirt a bit. And talk to more people!

Hitch-hikers in Canada

Yes, I picked up hitch-hikers -- and lived to tell about it. Dan and Danny (their real names) needed a lift from Medicine Hat to Calgary AB, and I was happy to oblige. They are nice guys just out of undergrad hitching from Toronto to Banff and looking for adventure. I won't go looking for more passengers, but today I was ready to talk and listen and their company was a welcome change.

Blasting through southern Canada

I've learned that it is possible to travel for two entire days without speaking to anyone. With pay-at-the-pump for gas, boondock camping, and eating whatever food I have in my camp pantry, I don't really *have* to talk to anyone. This a very different approach to travel than I've taken in earlier legs of this trip. It's not that I've turned completely anti-social, I just haven't been able to find anyone I wanted to talk to. (It doesn't help that I'm fighting a cold, I suppose.) Even when cruising intentionally 25 KM off route in search of a diner or tavern where the locals would go, all I can find are other travelers.

I've been back and forth from Seattle to the midwest at least a dozen times and I'm having a hard time getting excited about doing it again. For this trip, I decided to head north from Minneapolis to Winnipeg and cut across Trans-Canada 1 to Vancouver. Turns out there's really nothing between Winnipeg and Calgary except farmland... much like what you'd find along I-90 or US 2 just south of here.

Fortunately, I'll be in the Rockies near Banff NP tomorrow. Even if I can't find anyone to talk to, at least there will be something other than farm fields to look at!

A storm blows over North Dakota

It is 7:30 PM and I'm stopped at a visitor center/rest stop near Grand Forks North Dakota. Angry black clouds blew in fast from the west, with lightning on the horizon. The rain is coming down in sheets and the wind is howling. The van is shaking and bouncing in the wind; even with the emergency brake, it feels like it will jump over the curb and into the grass. Fortunately, there's free WiFi... I'll stop here and wait out the storm, perhaps stay the night. If the WiFi holds out, look for at least one more post by morning.

Sister's Family in Lakeville, MN

After a long lunch stop in Madison, WI, a leisurely drive along the scenic routes in southwest WI, and an overnight boondock at a rest stop along the way, I pulled in for a stay with my sister's family. I always enjoy seeing how much my nephews evolve between visits. Phil is now as tall as I am!

We drove about an hour from their home to the Minnesota River Valley state park for some muddy fishing. I think we end up fishing every time I visit :) Huge fish splashed in the river but none made it onto the fish hooks -- this time. A quick stop at a local farmstand meant a fresh, hot apple pie for dinner. After dinner, we cozied into the kid's study room to watch a movie on the computer (Hangman's Curse).

Again, this was a brief visit, but I'm starting to get anxious about returning to Seattle to prepare for my GVI trip.

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POST SCRIPT
Reflecting after the visit with my mother and sister's family, and after seeing my brother a few weeks earlier... My family isn't exactly close-knit. We don't say, "I love you," we rarely phone or email, and our physical contact is limited to an awkward A-frame pat-pat hug at the end of a rare, brief in-person encounter. I think it's always been like this for us (or maybe just for me). I have always admired and longed for the closeness I see in other families. I daydream about building closer ties not just with my immediate family, but also with cousins, aunts, nephews -- but at this point the chasm seems very wide.

Mom in Milwaukee

On the eastward-bound leg of this trip I could only stop for a quick dinner in Milwaukee before heading on to Columbus; heading west I made time to stay two nights and spent the day exploring the city with my Mom. A dozen years ago I used to visit fairly often when I lived in Chicago, but have only stopped in twice in the last dozen years. The city has changed!

We started our downtown trek seeking a book store, and found ourselves caught up in a charity walk/run. We continued our exploration at Milwaukee's Public Museum, which hosted a special community event for residents to show off their collections of... whatever. Stuffed animals, miniature tea sets, frogs, etc. I was delighted to chat for a bit with David, who proudly displayed his collection of early American photographs. He even made us a gift of a small tintype photo. (note -- Turns out David had attended a week-long Gettysburg seminar that my old school friend Joel recently attended. It's a small world!) My Mom is excited to participate in next year's show to display her massive collection of lions.

After the museum we hunted out lunch, and I was pleased to see the rejuvenation around the Historic Third Ward neighborhood. The area supports a vibrant public market, several small performance venues, art galleries, restaurants and bars, with condominiums or apartments on the upper floors of most buildings. It seemed like a very livable neighborhood.

We also visited my Mom's husband Okorie (aka Chief) at Bradford Beach, where he spent the sunny Saturday selling sunglasses from his push-cart. (His usual weekday for the last 20+ years is downtown at 3rd and Wisconsin. He's there consistently enough that you can see his portrait in Google Maps Street View if you enter 301 W Wisconsin Ave -- though you've have to mess with Street View a bit to find the right image. I needed to "walk" to 304 W Wisconsin before he came in clear. Look for the guy in a white outfit.) Bradford Beach was very busy for so late in the season. A live band entertained swarms of volleyball players and sunbathers at the tail-end of a sand castle contest. The sand was nice but the day was a bit hot, so we didn't stay too long.

After an evening of chillin' and laundry and cocktails it was nice to hit a real bed for a second night and then enjoy a second home-cooked breakfast. Though the stay was perhaps too brief for Chief's sensibilities, I really as eager to get back on the road with thoughts of hitting Seattle by the end of September.

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