Exloring Otavalo: Nearby Adventures

Part 2 of 3

El LecheroEast of town between Otavalo and Laguna de San Pablo, at the top of a steep hill in a grassy clearing there lives an old tree called "El Lechero". Legend says that if you approach the tree with sincerity and give it a hug and a kiss, the tree will grant a wish. In addition to giving out wishes, the tree also provides a "buena vista" of the surrounding area, including the lovely Lago San Pablo below. When I climbed up to the tree with Carol, Tracy and Sophie I think we took a somewhat unconventional (steep and muddy) route to the top, but I've seen others deposited at the top by taxi. I think it's a better adventure to search on foot and if we could do it, anyone can.

(Photos)

Parque Condor
Carol and I continued on foot to Parque Condor after visiting El Lechero. Parque Condor is run by a foundation dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey native to the Andes. We arrived just before 11 AM for a walk around the park, which turned out to be perfect timing. After a stroll through the gounds looking at all the captive giant birds, we arrived at the condors. The enormous pair of birds was enthusiastically chasing each other around the huge enclosure, affording us some great photo opportunities. We were in the amphitheater by 11:30, in time for the flight demonstration led by a pair of guides. We learned about and watched half-dozen different birds of prey flying over the valley and back to the guides... an awesome spectacle well worth the trip. Sure, it was a little depressing to see all the caged birds (I feel the same about al zoos.) However, the guides explained that all these birds were rescued from injury in the wild or abandonment by prior owners. If they can be re-introduced to the wild, they are. They all certainly seemed well-kept. The $3 donation seemed like a fair price for such an experience. Open Tuesday through Sunday and public holidays. (Link to Parque Condor)

Laguna de San Pablo y La Cascada de Peguche
A short bus-ride from town is the lovely Laguna de San Pablo, which we used as a starting point for a lovely walk along the river to la Cascada de Peguche. I was very fortunate to have a local guide and friend, Edwin, show me the trail. Along the way I heard many stories about his childhood and family from the area, and he pointed out many hidden treasures that I could never have found on my own, such as natural springs bubbling mysteriously out of little caves or grassy mounds near the waterfalls. At the waterfall, be sure to climb the stairs at the right side of the falls and crawl through the little man-made cave at the top of the steps. Kick off your shoes, roll up your jeans and hop into the stream at the top and continue upstream around a bend in the rock... and you'll encounter another wonderful waterfall out of sight to the right. It's well worth getting your feet wet! On a prior trip to Peguche with Zoe, we stopped before returning to town at a little tienda (shop/bar) for a beer and great sunset view of the city, surrounded by mountains and birds and purple-orange clouds. It was delightful. Thanks to both Zoe and Edwin for making Peguche so memorable!

(Photos)

La Cruz y Socavan
To the east of town you'll see a hill with a giant cross. In the late afternoon, it's well worth a short walk up the hill to sit at the base of the cross and watch the city unwind. On a clear day the view is amazing, surrounded by volcanoes with the city spread below. (For those familiar with Otavalo... you'll
undoubtedly hear the garbage truck somewhere below.) Just below and slightly to the north of the giant cross is another religious icon of the town that's worth a visit. Tucked into the hillside near the piscinas (pools) of Barrio San Francisco is a little cave with a shrine in a pool of water behind an old metal gate. I tossed a coin through the gate into the pool (as instructed) and hope my wish comes true.

Exploring Otavalo, Part 1 of 3: In Town

Now that I've arrived safely in Arequipa, Peru it is well past time that I posted about all the amazing places I explored near Otavalo, Ecuador. Otavalo has plenty to do and see, and I'll recount it in three parts.

This is part 1 of 3: In Town

SHOPPING
Artisan Market. One of the primary tourist attractions in Otavalo is the astonishingly large open market. Bright colors seems to be the recurring theme. If you're looking for brightly-colored tapestries or any variety of clothing, handbags, hammocks or household accessories made from the same tapestries, you'll be in heaven here. Beaded jewelry is also prevalent, and silver with coral, turquoise and other embedded stones. Cotton and wool weavings, bright paintings, mass-produced touristy carvings, and of course ponchos are always available. During the week, the market is large but manageable in a few hours of browsing. The Saturday market swells to fill most of the north end of the city, with products from throughout South America. The prices are a bit higher on Saturdays because the throngs of tourists fill the plaza on the weekends.


Farmers Market. In addition to the enormous artisanal market, slightly to the southwest you'll find Otavalo's farmers market substantial and well worth browsing. Though you could purchase daily necessities from the large supermarkets around town, the food is fresher and less expensive at the farmers market. With the other GVI volunteers I made several trips to the market to purchase fruits, vegetables and meat for our schools.

DINING
Because most of our meals were provided by our host families, We generally only visited restaurants for snacks, coffee and drinks. Occasionally, all the volunteers would gather at a restaurant for a going-away party as well. Some favorite places:

Deli Cafe-Restaurant. I love this place. At the corner of Bolivar and Quiroga, this quasi-Mexican restaurant has good food and a nice coffee-shop feel, and the coffee is the best in all of Otavalo (real espresso served strong!) But the most important characteristic of this shop is the amazingly friendly owner, Yolanda. She also has a room for rent above the restaurant, and her son has two additional rooms in Quito. If I ever return to Otavalo for any length of time, I will try to arrange a stay with her. www.delicaferestaurant.com

The Sanduche Shop. It's not the real name for the place, but that's what is is listed as on the GVI volunteer map, and that's what we called it. On Bolivar between Salinas and Morales, this little shop has enormous sandwiches, nice little pizzas, local breakfasts, a deli counter full of cheese, and shelves full of imported goods. And chocolate! In this miraculous little place we could buy gold-foil wrapped perfection one bite at a time. Or for $0.40, about three bites worth depending of the size of your bite. Yum.

Shenandoah, or the Pie shop. On the south end of Plaza de Los Ponchos you'll find a row of shops and restaurants targeting tourists. The GVI crowd meets at the Pie Shop for, you guessed it, pie, every Sunday night to welcome new volunteers. The project manager Tracy makes a little speech and everyone introduces themselves... and we gorge on $1 slices of chocolate, strawberry, babaco or other fruity pies made fresh each day in the back of the shop. There's also ice cream but everyone comes in for the pie.

Buena Vista. Also on the south end of the Plaza de Los Ponchos, this tourist-friendly (and somewhat expensive) restaurant has a great balcony view of the Plaza. Don't bother with the sandwiches but the nachos are amazing. I often sat on the balcony with a cup of tea in the afternoon to do my Spanish homework or plan lessons for school. Its comfortable, if you don't mind the price tag.

Sahara. This great little home-town place is a chill 2nd-floor bar that only serves beer, and the seating is either at the bar or at pillows on the floor around little candle-lit tables. I didn't see any other tourists; just locals. My kinda place. It's on Bolivar a few blocks south of Parque Bolivar.

NEXT: Nearby Adventures

Exploring Quito, Ecuador

I've been living in Otavalo, but spent two weekends exploring Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Quito is two hours from Otavalo by bus. My first visit to Quito was when we first arrived in Ecuador from Nicaragua. Since I was somewhat preoccupied with adjusting to the altitude, I managed to return for another weekend to really enjoy the city.

NOTE: Quito is a BIG city. It has all the art and history (and crime) that goes along with the other big cities. As you're exploring keep hold of your camera, put it away when not in use, and keep a sharp eye on all of your belongings. (Zoe had her camera nicked while were on a street corner looking at a map, like a couple of stupid tourists.) Nonetheless, there is plenty to see and it is definitely worth the risk. Just keep your eyes open and your wits about you and it just as safe than any other major city in the world.

(Photos)

What to Do

The National Museum of the Central Bank of Ecuador (Museo Nacional del Banco Central del Ecuador). If you're new to Ecuador, this should be your first stop. For $2 you'll get a beautifully laid-out overview of the history, art and culture of this amazingly diverse country. The archaeology gallery was my favorite. I was surprised to learn that the Incans only lived in Ecuador for about 100 years before Spanish conquest, and there was a thriving social history all the way back to 4000 BC. Bi-lingual informational placards, detailed dioramas, maps and artifacts lead visitors through Ecuadorian history from pre-ceramic cultures up through the decline of the Incans in 1533. Other galleries highlight colonial, republican and modern life in the country. After two to three hours you'll have a solid foundation for exploring the rest of the sites in Quito and around Ecuador. Closed Mondays.

Walking tour. We used a book "Walking Quito Ecuador" by Rita Bornemisza as a guide for our walking exploration of the city, but I suspect any guidebook would do. Some highlights from our walk:

• Alameda Park. Filled with families and artists and street vendors, I was reminded of the painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. The park was laid out in the 16th century shortly after Spanish conquest, at the origins of the city's design. Today it has a little river with paddle boats, an astronomical observatory, and several monuments and statues for kids to avoid while playing football (soccer) or Frisbee in the grass. It's a nice place to sit under a tree with a book or people-watch, and you can pick up a variety of great street foods for less than a buck.


• Basilica of the National Vote. Begun in the late 19th century and still under construction, the exterior of this Neo-Gothic basilica is covered with gargoyles unique to Ecuador, representing the animals of the country. You'll see leaping monkeys, anteaters and sloths along with sea birds and other fantastic creatures of the jungle. Impressive stained glass windows make the interior glow. Don't miss the opportunity to climb to the very tippy-top of the clock tower; if you can stand the narrow stairs and ladders, you'll get a special treat of the view from this highest point in the city.


• San Francisco Square. After walking up and down hills and looking at the exteriors of old buildings, monasteries, churches and shops, Zoe and I were looking or a nice place to sit and enjoy a cold drink. She led me to an little outdoor cafe in San Francisco Square. With white-linen service we enjoyed our beverages while watching the tourists and locals buzzing around the square.
  
  NOTE: Every city I've visited has had a big fountain in a central plaza, surrounded by important buildings; usually a cathedral on one side and government buildings on the others. What I hadn't realized until reading my guide book in San Francisco Square is the importance of that central fountain. According to my book, "Indigenous people obtained their water supply from the Pinchincha Mountains by means of well-designed channels directed towards their royal buildings and neighborhoods..." When the square was flanked by an Incan palace this was true, and when Spaniards settled on the site they maintained the system for the same purpose. Well, of course. There was no central plumbing, and no rivers passing through town. The fountains in central plazas allowed the church and/or government to control the city's water supply. While sipping my bottled water at the cafe table I could envision a time when women and their children came to fill urns of precious water, and at the same time were reminded of the power of the church and government in their daily lives.

Twentieth Century Quito. Quito isn't all about archaeology and Spanish colonial history. On my last full day in the city I visited some more modern sites. I certainly didn't hit them all, but here were my highlights:

• Teleferiqo Cablecar. From town, take a $3 - $4 cab ride to the Teleferiqo (the driver will know where to go) and for another $8 get a 10-minute cablecar ride to 4100 meters and a great view of the city and surrounding mountains. Don't bother if the weather is lousy. Otherwise, the view is amazing, and you'll get to see how a little altitude feels in your lungs. There's a little cafe at the top, and a chapel. Otherwise, it's a path through grassy hills and amazing views.


• The Chapel of Man. My guidebook tells me that Oswaldo Guyasamin, a long-time resident of Quito, was one of Latin America's most important 20th century artists. On the grounds of his home in the Buena Vista neighborhood, Guayasamin designed and built a museum to display his art. This impressive architectural and artistic expression of a visionary is a moving example of the the power of art. Absolutely with a visit. You'll need to take a cab, and arrange to have a return trip out of this lovely hillside suburb.
  
  (Photos)
• Camilo Egas Museum. Back in the center of old Quito, this museum is inside a lovingly restored colonial home. Born in 1880 and trained in the Beaux Arts school, Egas lived in New york for much of his life and was widely regarded as an important Latin American artist. His museum highlights the different phases of his art in different rooms: indigenous, expressionist, surrealist, cubist, and abstract art. You can clearly see the influences of other well-known artists in his work. My favorite gallery was his indigenous art, where he clearly captured the personalities of his subjects. On Sundays, admission to the museum is free.

The Middle of the World. Ecuador has two competing Equator museums: the largest and best known monument "Mitad del Mundo" is supposed to be quite impressive, but we passed on it in favor of the smaller (and I suspect less expensive) Intiñan Solar Museum, which claims to be sighted a few hundred meters from the original monument according to modern GPS technology. It's quite kitchy, and were I to return I'd visit the original Mitad del Mundo instead. Either way it's worth it to get your picture with one foot in each hemisphere.

(Photos)

Where to Stay

The Marsical Sucre neighborhood ("La Marsical") is filled with tourists, and also with reasonably priced hostels. It is in easy bus/taxi range (or moderate walking distance) from old town, parks and museums. You'll find every type of restaurant nearby. The downside to being in the middle of the tourist zone is, well, the tourists.

• Posada del Maple Bed & Breakfast. In the largest dorm-style room with bunkbeds and dorm-style ath and showers, we paid $7/pp/night. Smaller rooms are a bit more, and I'm not sure if they have private rooms. This is a big place but very well run and extremely hospitable.


• Villa Nancy. GVI is a regular customer of Villa Nancy, a Scandanavian-inspired bed & breakfast. With three floors of rooms in varying sizes (some with shared bathrooms), a nice breakfast and free wireless and internet service, it's not a bad place to stay.

Where to Eat

The Marsical Sucre neighborhood, near the hotels listed above, has dozens of restaurants targeted at tourists from around the world. We were amused by some of their names: a hamburger joint named "G-Spot" and a Chinese retaurant named "Ho's", with the slogan "I love Ho's". Nonetheless there is something for everyone. Some repeat visits worth mentioning:

• El Pobre Diablo. This one is in your guide books. It's a bit out of the way and might need a taxi ride, but is worth the trip. Our first visit was on Valentine's Day, when we first arrived in Quito. It was perfect. They offer live jazz on the weekends beginning at around 9 PM. The food is updated traditional Ecuadorian with plenty of options at reasonable prices ($5-7 for a large entre). The real draw is the atmosphere. High ceilings and walls covered with art and movie posters, warm colors, wood and candlelight make for a welcoming place to hang out with friends. An upstairs loft-balcony would be ideal for a romantic dinner for two, and a large party room had what appeared to be a wedding rehearsal dinner. And our group of 16 volunteers was able to pull together enough tables for an impromptu gathering. The staff was friendly and acommodating. Highly recommended.


• Coffee Toffee. For decent coffee, breakfast/lunch, and free wireless (or a hard-wired computer if you forgot your laptop), check out this little Ecuadorian cafeteria. The quiche & coffee special is a good deal, the sandwiches are nice, and you can get a fullllapangachos meal for just a few dollars (cheesy-mashed potato fritters under a fried egg, with sausage, avocado, salad and rice on the side.)


• A little ways out of El Mariscal neighborhood you can find cheaper local food, and it's worth the search. I didn't catch the name or exact location but if you look you can find a wonderful lunch "menu of the day" for $2.50. I suspect it's pretty common. Look for where the locals eat and you'll probably be happy every time.

Teaching at Larcacuna

I'm beginning my fourth week in Ecuador and it's about time I posted more information about where I'm working...

I've been teaching a group of third graders in a community called Larcacunga. I have 7 boys and 1 girl ranging in age from 7 to 11 years old. Of the eight, three are brothers (Juan, Luis and Mario), and Bryan and Nayeli are siblings as well. All the family relationships make for interesting dynamics in the class :)

The kids all speak Kitchwa as their first language and their Spanish skills vary based on their ages. In addition to teaching basic literacy, I teach math, social science and natural science. Most lessons combine vocabulary and language skills along with the other subjects, since the kids are still just learning Spanish. Sciences are fairly basic, such as health/hygiene or domestic vs. wild animals. In math we're focusing on 3-digit addition/subtraction, and single-digit multiplication. I especially enjoy teaching math. Do you remember first learning how to borrow 10 for subtraction? Or discovering multiplication tables? It's really fun to watch the kids figure out these basic concepts. And I can teach math without needing elaborate language skills, which is nice.

(Photos)

When we're not in the classroom, we're out on the playing field with the kids. You'll most often see me playing with the younger kids. they love to be tossed over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and we run around the yard making noises like an airplane with our arms out to our sides. The bigger kids will often get a horseback ride instead (I can't quite get them up over a shoulder.)

A few weeks ago the volunteers were invited to Dia de Banderos (Flag Day). This is a special day where the 7th graders all gather in one school (in Tangali) to receive honors, and to pledge their allegiance to the nation. It was adorable. At Larcacunga we have 5 seventh graders. The highest-ranking student at each school gets to march with their school's flag, and the 2nd and 3rd ranking students flank the flag at left and right. The other 7th graders march in formation behind. After several speeches by school and community officials, each student from each school marches individually to their flag, kneels and kisses the flag and makes their vow of citizenship. Near as I could interpret from the speeches, these kids are now considered full and responsible members of the community at this point. It was a long ceremony, but the kids and their families seemed to take it all VERY seriously. I was glad to have been invited.

(Photos)

In another week or two I will be joined by a new volunteer who will take over the classroom after I leave. I'll be disappointed to move on just after getting settled in, but that's the nature of this sort of volunteer program. I enjoy seeing all the different countries (that was one major motivation for taking this program) but if one were really focused on the teaching aspect I would recommend at least 3 months in one place in order to "get in the groove".

Settling into Otavalo, Ecuador

I've been here just over a week, but I'm having a hard time settling into my new place in Otavalo. If it's possible, I believe that I'm feeling homesick for Copan!

The GVI Phoenix project has approximately two dozen people on the ground here, working in four different schools surrounding Otavalo. I'm with five others in a community called Larcacunga. We take a city bus 15 minutes out of town, then walk about 40 minutes up the mountain on a dirt/mud road to the school. The scenery is breathtaking (when it isn't raining), so I don't mind the walk. I'm teaching the eight third-graders (7 boys, 1 girl). I partner with Matt until he moves on to Peru at the end of this week, then I'll have the class on my own. I've discovered that I really enjoy teaching math to kids this age. The language and soocial sciences are a bit more challenging as I'm still working on my own Spanish skils... but it's al a good time nonetheless.

The home stay and lifestyle in Otavalo (outside of school hours) is much different than I enjoyed in Honduras, and I'm still having a bit of trouble adjusting to this new place. I'll post more as I settle in a bit and have some more photos to put online.

Welcome to Nicaragua

We'll be here less than a week, but the country still deserves a proper entry in this blog...

About Esteli, Nicaragua
Many people still won't consider traveling to Nicaragua because of its long history as a trouble spot. These days, however, the guidebooks say it is the safest country in Central America. From what I've seen so far, Esteli feels more like a suburb of Houston than an out-of-the-way Central American city. You can find fantastic cafes, a juice bar, fast food joints, gas stations with mini-marts, and the occasional American chain store such as Radio Shack. The big grocery store chain here is owned by Wal-Mart. The streets are wide, clean and well lit.

I'm staying at a boarding house just outside of town along with Aaron and Rufus (Maya and Aviv are in a different house on the other side of town). We have three private rooms with two shared baths, and the other two bedrooms in the house are used by the owner and the live-in housekeeper/cook. It is a simple but comfortable one-story edifice made of concrete block covered with concrete. The bedrooms don't have windows, but there is a green corrugated plastic skylight in one section of the corrugated tin roof to let in a little light. The showers are mostly cold. All meals are provided, so far generally including some form of rice, beans, plantains, and sliced white bread -- all filling and relatively nutritious. We have been encouraged to use the provided mosquito nets when we sleep, but I haven't encountered any mosquitoes yet. This is certainly the most basic of accommodations I've encountered on the trip -- but really, it is perfectly comfortable and we will only be here a few days.

(Photos)

Building stoves in La Tompson
For four days Aaron, Aviv, Maya and I will be working with GVI staffer Rufus and local workmen to build three stoves in a community outside of Esteli called La Tompson. As with many of the GVI Phoenix projects, the families of children who attend GVI project schools can be eligible for a concrete and brick cooking stove in or near their home. The stoves initially serve as thanks for families who provide special help to a school, and later are allocated to the families most in need. The stoves are funded and built by volunteers, so the speed with which families receive stoves depends on how many volunteers sign up to visit and build them. We each purchased one stove as part of our six-month volunteer trip; three will be built here in La Tompson, the fourth will be built in Ecuador.

La Tompson is only a short bus ride away from Esteli, but it is an entirely different kind of place. My information about the history of the place is largely thiird of fourth-hand, but here's what I know: The government promised land to the nations' veterans. To fulfil this obligation, unimproved parcels of land were appropriated from individuals or companies and handed over bit by bit to eligible citizens. The result is a profileration of high-density shanty towns like La Tompson. This village of nearly 1000 people was created during 2008 in a giant field once owned by a telephone company, complete with defunct communications tower in the center. What we see now is row after row of tiny plots surrounded by barbed wire, many with rough-hewn board shacks.

(Photos)

I can't help but think of the different frontier towns I've read about in history classes or seen in museums... it looks like a Hoover-ville from post-depression USA, or one of the gold-rush towns in Alaska, or a refugee camp after some major disaster. And yet from what I could see, everyone is banding together to make the best of their newly-granted land-ownership. The neighborhoods were clean and orderly, and everyone has been extremely polite. The first priority seems to be a supply of water to all the homes. We saw fresh trenches with water pipes and many homes already have a water spigot (but no sewage system). We also saw wells dug in several yards. Electricity seems to be far down the priority list.

This new community has a public school with two classrooms, but only one teacher for the 500+ children in the community. Even with separate morning and afternoon classes, there is no way all the children can attend -- so they don't. The GVI project includes the recent construction of a supplementary school for the younger students. Volunteers Noah and Marian (who painted the mural at the school in Honduras) and two others are on the ground to get the school started along with project manager Steve and his intern. The project has a great potential to grow into something wonderful. I look forward to hearing how it evolves along with this brand new frontier town.

About the stoves For those interested in the technical construction of the stoves, I'll attempt to summarize it here. On day 1, the base is constructed with concrete blocks set on packed earth, mortared together with cement. On top of a two-layered U-shape of blocks, we pour a solid slab reinforced with a 4x6 grid of re-bar. We end up with a smooth concrete table with storage underneath for wood or cooking pots. On day 2, on top of the concrete slab we lay three layers of bricks with a small opening in front for the wood. Inside there is a smaller brick firebox with a chimney at the rear. The space between the firebox and exterior surface is insulated with sand, and then the interior is plastered over with a mixture of earth and lime for fireproofing. A brick and metal chimney is fitted onto the rear of the stove, and a steel three-burner plancha (cooking surface) encircled by terracotta tiles makes up the top of the stove. Typically stove construction is completed at the end of the second day, and the stove is ready for use two weeks later (after the concrete has fully cured.)

(Photos)

Build your own stove with GVI!
(Apologies for the shameless GVI plug.) All of the GVI Latin American projects offer stove construction for the students in their schools; Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the South American countries as well. Most stove volunteer projects are only a week or two, and the end products make a huge impact in the lives of the people who recieve them. The stoves also serve as incentives for families of GVI students to keep their kids in school instead of having them work in the fields or city streets. In addition, the GVI stove projects employ and train local masons to build the stoves. A stove project is a great way to get a taste of another country and do a little good at the same time. Check out the GVI Phoenix web site for more information about how to get involved and maybe build a stove of your own!

Coming soon...

In Esteli Nicaragua - but not ready to write about it yet...

Even though I've arrived safely in Esteli Nicaragua, I have a few things to wrap up about Copan Ruinas before moving on in this blog. Look for two back-dated Copan posts, then new info about Esteli and our project in nearby La Tompson.

Comidas Ricas -- Food in Copan

This post is simply a listing of some favorite foods from Copan, so that I might attempt to recreate them once I settle into a place with a kitchen of my own. Generous thanks to Carla and my host family for helping me puzzle out ingredients for some of these items.

Baleadas
Served anytime of the day as a meal or a snack. My favorite version in Copan was from Pupuseria Mary, near Commercial Chillys. The ones served at Cafe Welchez were also quite good, as were those from Cafe Picame. (Actually, it's pretty hard to mess up a baleada but we certainly made a good effort to taste and compare all the different variations. Nearly every day, in fact.)

A giant flour tortilla spread on one side wth frijoles (refried beans), then topped with cream, and a sprinkle of hard white cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and grill both sides until everything is toasty, then serve with escaveche vegetables on the side. For an extra special treat, add scrambled eggs inside and serve with sliced avocados.

Frijoles
Served with every meal in some form. At Carla's house, we always had red beans -- but some families had black beans served much the same way. At the beginning of the week there was a pot of frijoles enteros, or whole cooked beans. Some might be mixed in with a rice-n-beans dish, or simply served by the scoop as a side dish. As the week progressed, the same pot of beans would be cooked more and more. At mid-week we had pureed beans that would be reheated for the meals, and later more water could be added for a kind of bean soup. My favorite was the refried bean paste, followed by the rice-n-beans dish called Casamiento. I expect to keep a pot of beans on hand all the time once I'm in my own kitchen again.

Casamiento (rice and beans casserole)
Served for special occasions at Carla's house. It includes a slightly different mix of ingredients depending on what's in the fridge.

Saute julienned onions and bell peppers. Cook and drain chorizo or other sausage. Stir sausage and vegetables together with cooked white rice, whole beans, a bit of margarine, black pepper, consomme powder (chicken bouillon), mayonnaise, and soy sauce. Once combined and heated through, stir in shredded mozzarella cheese. Serve with escaveche vegetables on the side.

Escaviche Vegetables
A staple condiment that is always on the table. At times I recall seeing it on the table in Mexican restaurants in the US, but thee version I remember from the states was always overcooked and over pickled. This is a fresh version that fit appropriately at every meal. The ingredients change based on what's in season.

Julienne or chop vegetables to bite-sized pieces: carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, jalapeno peppers. Quickly blanch vegetables for a duration appropriate to the variety (beans first, then carrots, then cauliflower and broccoli), Do not blanch the onions or jalapenos. Mix all prepared vegetables in a large bowl with thyme, salt, vinegar, oregano, bay leaf, and a bit of salad oil. Let it set for awhile for the flavors to soak in before serving.

Anafre (bean dip)
Served at the fancier restaurants as an appetizer. My favorite version in Copan was from Pupuseria Mary, near Commercial Chillys. The dish is a melty concoction of beans, onions, bell peppers, melty cheese and cooked chorizo pureed together and served in a crock over smoldering embers. The best versino has a bit of cream drizzled over the top and is served with thick fried flour tortilla chips.

Plantanos (fried plantains)
A staple served with most meals, ripe plantains are sliced on the diagonal and fried in a bit of oil on the stovetop, or baked in the oven with a touch of oil.

Tortillas de maiz (corn tortillas)
Always served warm and generally made fresh the same day, every meal is served with these wonderful tasty starchy round things. They are only marginally related to the corn tortillas you find in the supermarkets in the USA. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a local Latin American vendor for fresh-made tortillas in whichever city I land in after all this.

Chile Picante de Carla
The everyday raw picante sauce served at Carla's house. Puree together garlic, cilantro, onions vinegar, jalapenos, salt and black pepper.

Liquados
My afternoon refreshment on hot days. A licuado is a sort of fruit shake, with nothing in it except perfectly ripe fresh fruit, a touch of sugar and either water or milk blended together with a bit of ice. My favorite variety was pineapple and cantaloupe with water.

Maya Frozen
A dangerously tasty concoction that would be difficult to make at home, but is worth a mention on my Copaneco favorite foods list. The best version is served at Cafe Welchez. Blend together coffee granita (sort of a coffee-n-cream flavored slushee) with ice cream, a shot of espresso and chocolate cookie. Pour into a tall milkshake glass with chocolate sauce drizzled over the inside. Top with whipped cream, more chocolate drizzle, and a cherry. Serve with a straw. (And don't forget the little napkin-apron wrapped around the glass.)

Update on Isaias' Family in Llanatios

Remember Isaias and the family we visited a few times with Ellen in Llanatios? The Thursday before we left Copan the matriarch of Isaias' orphan family died in the night. Isaias walked into town to tell Ellen early in the morning, and we ran into Isaias in Central Park as we were waiting for the truck to school. Even though he had just suffered a terrible loss, he was working hard to smile and put on a positive face -- as always. His ad-hoc family is so unbelievably warm and kind and POOR... it was a real blow to learn of their loss. This group of orphans lost the only adult in their lives, which means 18-yr-old Maria and 16-yr-old Isaias are now the heads of the family and must look after the younger kids.

The day was terribly stormy in fact and not just because of the sad news. The rain poured down and the roads turned to mud. My host family and my instructor at the Spanish school insisted that no sane person would attempt a trip up the mountain in the rain. I chose not to join the other volunteers on their treacherous tuk-tuk taxi ride up to Llanatios that afternoon -- but truly appreciate that they wanted to be with the family. They told me later that after pushing the taxis uphill through the mud, they were able to witness the Llanatios community showing their respects to the family, including a vigil over the fresh-built coffin in the family's mud-brick house.

(SOAPBOX) Ellen will continue to look in on the family from time to time as she has been, and has started another campaign to raise funds for the family. If you have any interest in helping out this wonderful family that touched my soul while I was in Copan -- please contact Ellen at ellenlfinn@hotmail.com. She will put all funds to good use to provide this family with what they need. (/SOAPBOX)

Life in Copan: part 2 of 2

I haven't taken the time to write in my blog much during my stay in Copan. For those interested in following my travels -- I apologize. I'm not sure what it is about this town that has sucked me into a sort of time warp. Every few days I think... "dang, I should get online and post something..." and then it's time for dinner, and then we meet up afterward for drinks or a game of Triominoes and I say to myself... "oh, I'll get to it tomorrow..." suddenly five weeks has gone by with only a single post. I've been a little bit better about keeping up with email and Facebook posts. I offer my thanks to those of you who have written. I really do appreciate the contact and well-wishes.

My time in Copan has been wonderful. I feel that I've seen much more of the area surrounding Copan than was ever possible to see near Antigua. We have quite a bit of free time, and the place is safe enough and comfortable enough to walk around alone or in very small groups (unlike Antigua). Even though I enjoy Maya, Aviv and Aaron, at times we have different interests and it has been refreshing to finally find my own footing and do things on my own or with some of the other (non-GVI) students at Guacamaya Spanish school (I will miss you Wess and Katia!) My host family and accommodations are great (see earlier post), which makes it possible for me to comfortably hang out on my balcony at home and read or sip tea and chat with others (or play Triominoes... did I mention that?) Life has been quite good here.

In addition to hanging out in town, we've had some amazing experiences in nearby barrios (neighborhoods). We met a lovely woman named Ellen who introduced us to some of her friends in a nearby pueblo called Llanatios. Ellen is a former Seattle jazz musician who moved to Copan just over a year ago to find some way to improve the lives of children in the region. With her we've twice been up to visit Isias, Alexander, Merci, Maria and her grandmother at a rural homestead in the mountains of Llanatios. A 45-minute taxi ride up a steep and rutted dirt road into the mountains, we walk up steps cut into the dirt to a surprisingly modern building and landscaping that was constructed with world bank funds a few years ago. The front building houses a small workshop and showroom for Maria's handcrafted pottery. Visitors are invited to help prepare clay from the mud the children collect from higher in the mountains, and visitors may then craft their own pottery. If desired, Maria will fire the visitors' pots in an open fire for collection at a later visit.

(Photos)

On our first visit we not only helped prepare clay and made our own little pots, were also invited to prepare and then enjoy a simple and delicious lunch of frijoles and tortillas. we also brought a plastic soccer ball and a jump rope rope to play with the kids, which they seemed to enjoy. We were all so touched by sincerity and kindness of the family that we all wanted to return a second time. A week later we had a chance for another visit. Wess planned to give his guitar to the very musical Isias as a gift for his 16th birthday, so we were all excited to see how the gift would be received. If it is possible to imagine, our second visit was even more moving and enjoyable than the first. Wess played guitar and Isias sang for us, and then Wess taught Isais to play a few chords. Since Ellen is a professional musician, she helped pick out a few more tunes that Isias could play. His brother Alexander also picked out a few chords, and Maria played a bit as well. When Wess explained to Isias that the guitar was a gift, the whole family was so amazingly happy; and we gringos got all teary-eyed. It was a beautiful moment. We rounded out the morning with more jump rope (the kids couldn't get enough of it), and finally Wess introduced the boys to hackey-sack, which Alexander took to immediately. It was tough to leave. I hope to learn from Ellen how the family turns out, and perhaps will return to Copan to see for myself.

Though there are many challenges with any kind of charity (such as cultivating dependency), I was pleased to see the effect of Ellen's efforts here to help the people she meets. About Ellen: she teaches private English and music lessons to pay the bills, and spend most of her time with her own "Project School Supplies". At the moment, 100% of donated funds goes to her projects. Unaffiliated with any organization, Ellen seeks out schools and families in need of support, and matches funds collected from friends and family to accomplish amazing things at a very personal level. For example, with support from the Seattle-based Elliot Bay Book Store she recently raised funds for a new roof and fresh paint for a village school. If you want to learn more about Ellen's projects (or help out with a donation), contact her at ellenlfinn@hotmail.com. She is an amazing woman doing good work on her own terms, and I admire her approach. She deserves support.

We move onto Nicaragua in a week, on February 7. Though I'm sure the other countries in our itinerary will be great too, I will never forget Copan Ruinas, Honduras. I could imagine making a life here, or at least making this a Central American second home. What a place!

Life in Copan: part 1 of 2

Copan Ruinas is a busy tourist destination. Though my group is in town primarily to help out at the primary school in the nearby community of San Rafael, we have been able to take advantage of many other activities in and near this laid-back Honduran town. 've had significantly more free time here than I did in Antigua, and as a result I've been able to visit many interesting attractions nearby:

Copan Ruinas Archeological Park and Museum
Most people visit Copan to see the nearby Mayan ruins. They are a short walk from the city center, and I was enchanted enough to return several times. Much smaller than Tikal, the carvings in Copan are better preserved and had been more ornate to begin with. I've enjoyed seeing both, plus nearby Quirigua.

HISTORY: Ancient Copan began ~200AD and within 200 years grew into an important Mayan city with a peak population of 20,000. The city thrived during the 420s to 850s when Copan was ruled by a single dynastic lineage of 16 kings. A slow decline followed, and by the time of the Spanish conquest the former ceremonial center had been swallowed by the jungle. Today the ruins cover about 12 acres along a river valley. The site is best known for well-preserved intricate carvings and hieroglypic inscriptions, including a large series of portrait stelae (symbolic statues). The guides say that if Tikal (in Guatemala) was like the New York city of ancient Mayan civilization, then Copan was like Paris.

TO VISIT: The archeological park has several parts with different admission rates. $15US/pp gets you into the primary archeological site. Two hours is plenty to see everything, and it is well worth the additional $25 per group for a trained bi-lingual guide. For the hardcore Maya enthusiast, an additional $15US gains you admission to a few short stretches of the archeological tunnels cut under the tunnels (I don't think it is worth the price.) Not to be missed, though, is the nearby sculpture museum ($7/pp) which houses some of the more elaborate original carvings and stelae, plus a full-size vividly colored replica of an ancient temple. There is no charge to simply walk the nature trail, with informational signs, plenty of wildlife and a restored Mayan ball court in the center of a peaceful glen.

(Photos)

Luna Jaguar Hot Springs (Agua Calientes)
I enjoyed the hot springs enough to go twice. The resort is an hour drive from Copan through astonishingly beautiful countryside and the Sesesmil community, just 5 KM from the Guatemalan border. The steep mountains are covered with a patchwork of wild jungle and cultivated fields established hundreds of years ago by the descendants of Spanish settlers. If I return to Copan, I would like sign up for the two-day horseback trip, including five hours in the saddle each way and an overnight stay at the resort hotel.

The resort has two parts with a different admission ticket for each. The picnic grounds, blue plaster swimming pools and unimproved riverbanks are available for ~$2US. This is where locals hang out is they're coming in for a soak. For an additional ~$10US guests (mostly tourists) have access to the improved resort designed to resemble a Mayan holy site. To begin the "journey to the underworld", guests cross the river on a suspension bridge and then walk through a cave-like tunnel decorated with replicas of Mayan carvings. A guide leads each group of guests through the grounds to explain the steam bath, foot bath, massage temple, ritual areas, and hot to adjust the water temperature in some of the pools. guests are then left to explore or settle into a pool of their choice. The resort is truly in the jungle with exotic birds, butterflies and flowers surrounding stone pools of sulfurous hot water streaming out of a natural spring. If you go, plan to stay through sunset to watch and listen to the jungle life shift from day to night, with bats and frogs waking up as the sun goes down. It is well worth a visit.

(Photos)

Birds and Butterflies
Two popular attractions are only a short taxi ride from the city center. The Macaw Mountain Birk Park (Parque de Aves) is a private sanctuary for rescued birds, mostly prior house pets. On the grounds visitors walk a zoo-like path between large cages to view captive Macaw, parrots, toucans and other colorful Central American birds. In one area visitors are invited to pose for photos with a few friendly birds. Visitors are also given a short lesson about the coffee plantation managed by the owners of the bird park, and the tour ends at the plantation's coffee shop.

At the other end of Copan you can visit a private butterfly and orchid garden. When we went, only a few unspectacular butterflies inhabited the butterfly enclosure, and only two of the 117 varieties of orchid were in bloom. However, I can imagine this to be an amazing stop in a warmer season, when both the butterflies and orchids are in full color. For the orchid enthusiast I would image the garden of interest at any time of the year. Even with somewhat bland inhabitants, with landscaping and buildings were interesting and comfortable to walk around in for an hour.

(Photos)

Hacienda San Lucas and Los Sapos archeological site
About half an hour's walk out of town we went out to enjoy the sunset from a lovely vista at Hacienda San Lucas. We didn't stay for dinner or overnight (it is one of the most expensive hotels in the region). Before dusk, we walked through the Hacienda grounds to the interesting Los Sapos archeological site, with giant carved stone toads that were part of an ancient Mayan holy site related to fertility and childbirth. Before dark we returned to the Hacienda to sit out in the grassy hillside to watch the sun go down over the valley. It was well worth a nice walk along the river and through Copeneco farmland for the lovely view.


Guacamaya Spanish School
The Guacamaya Spanish School served as base camp during our time in Copan. I've heard it is rated as the second best Spanish school in Central America, and I believe it. The one-on-one instruction is marvelous (especially my maestra Yarely) and the teachers have a well-defined curriculum with three workbook levels based on student competency. I'll have taken 30 hours of instruction by the time I leave, and feel that my Spanish has improved enormously. It would be significantly better if I practiced more -- but that's not the fault of the school. In addition to providing instruction the school arranges transportation and tickets for many of our activities, and they coordinate all the homestays. The school serves as a general meeting place and internet cafe for GVI volunteers. The school hosted an Obama inauguration party, and the schoolmaster Enrique is generally helpful with anything related to life and travel around Copan. If anyone is considering a Spanish immersion program with homestay in Central America, this is ABSOLUTELY the place to be.


Horseback riding to La Pintada

We mounted up on horseback for a three-hour ride including a stop in the indigenous Chorti pueblo (village) of La Pintada. The pueblo is a popular tourist destination that has received quite a bit of funding to develop a school, a textile workshop, and and small market for other handcrafts. Tourists are welcomed, and immediately surrounded by children selling corn-husk dolls. While in the village we were invited into a home very close to the market building for a demonstration of tortilla-making. After patting little balls of masa (corn dough) into flat discs, our tortillas were fried on an iron plancha (grill) over a wood fire in our hostess' home. While this experience was clearly set up as a tourist attraction, I have since learned that what we witnessed at La Pintada closely reflects the cooking setup of many homes in the mountains surrounding Copan.

(Photos)

Stay tuned for part two...

Welcome to Copan Ruinas, Honduras

On December 27, 2008 my group (me, Aaron, Aviv and Maya, along with GVI intern Sophie) drove 5 hours from Antigua, Guatemala to Copan Ruinas, Honduras for the next six weeks of our GVI volunteer trip.

About Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas (often called simply Copan) is just a few minutes' drive east of the Guatemalan border in mountainous western Honduras. Copan is just half mile from a nice collection of Maya ruins that give the town its name. Much smaller and less-frequently visited than Antigua, I find the town much more comfortable and welcoming in some ways. It is certainly safer to walk alone here, even at night.

(Photos)

Like Antigua, the town surrounds a 1-block square Central Park with fountain. On one side is a cathedral, on another is small indoor farmers market, and the rest of the city an interspersing of little shops, hotels, restaurants and private homes. Like any other town, the ratio of homes vs shops increases as you get further from the central square.

I've found that just about anything you might need is available in the nearby shops. In fact little Copan seems to have more imported goods (shampoo, snack foods, etc.) than I found in Antigua. Copan has plenty of great little coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Some favorites are Cafe Villamil for liquados (fruit smoothies) and hot chocolate and free internet in the afternoons, Cafe ViaVia for drinks and music and the occasional brownie after dinner, and Barcito - a little hole-in-the-wall bar good for chilling out with a beer when Cafe ViaVia is just too crowded.

About the GVI Project
(Courtesy of the GVI website)
"We are working with the Indigenous Chorti community of San Rafael, which is a 20-minute drive up through lush mountain scenery from Copan Ruinas. Our aims are to improve the standard of living of the Indigenous families who live in extreme poverty by providing children with a better level of education at the local state school. We aim to achieve this through working alongside the two resident teachers to improve the basic facilities at the school, supplement the learning materials required and offer enhanced levels of teaching through the presence of volunteers. GVI works in the community with the full support of the Indigenous leaders of the community."

As there are only two resident teachers for a school with nearly a hundred students in six grades, volunteers often take responsibility for a specific grade. I believe I'll be teaching 2nd graders the entire time, with lesson plans and class materials provided by a local teacher.

(Photos)

The state school is still on holiday, so we've spent the past two weeks painting the school and working on a water collection and storage system with a local craftsmen. On Monday we begin two weeks of GVI-hosted pre-school warm-up for the two youngest grades. After two weeks we'll be joined by grades 3 to 6 and the two "real" teachers to begin the regular state school curriculum of Spanish, math, and natural and social sciences.

In addition to the regular 1st to 6th grade classes in the mornings, GVI hosts optional afternoon classes in English for secondary school students and adults.

My Home in Copan
I'm staying in one of three apartments rented by Carla and her family. I have a second-story room with private entry, bath and balcony. I especially enjoy the balcony with a view of the surrounding hills and all the activity in the street below. This feels like the middle of a metropolis (in relative Honduran terms), with traffic at all hours and bustling tiendas (shops) on all sides. Kids play in the street and stray dogs and cats roam unmolested. Most of the tiendas are in the front entry of private homes, so I see my neighbors out on their second-story balconies up and down the street, enjoying the same breezes and views that I enjoy.

(Photos)

In addition to leasing rooms, Carla runs a sort of catering business out of her kitchen. She has a handful of regulars who eat lunch or dinner in her kitchen, sometimes she hosts groups either in her large reception area or on the roof terrace, and she also prepares food for parties and events in other locations. She's ALWAYS busy, and her cooking is wonderful.

I've been invited to join in a number of family events at Carla's home, including a New Years' eve party, the baptism of her god-daughter, and her brother's 41st birthday party. There's always something going on in the house, and everyone has been welcoming and patient with my slowly improving Spanish language skills.

Contact Information for Copan
I'll be in Copan until mid-February, which really isn't enough time for mail to arrive via post. email is still the best way to contact me. In an emergency I can be reached through the the following phone numbers:

* Carla/Roberto (Host family, only speaks Spanish) (00 504) 6514815
* Enrique (Host family coordinator, speaks English) (00 504) 99253988
* Dom Williams (GVI Director for Latin America, in Antigua) (00 502) 58384217

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!