Este blog es para mi sobrino Arik.
Mi tiempo en La Antigua es asodo. Yo fui en La Antigua aprender Espanol y Yo aprendi Espanol: no una cantidad inmensa pero mucho. Mi gusta Guatemala mucho. El pais es muy bonito y las personas son muy simpaticos. La Antigua tiene mucho proponer y yo creo cualquier personas les gusta aqui mucho. Adios La Antigua.
I’m not a big Facebook user. I’ve only searched for a “friend” once, mostly relying on others to find me. And if they don’t, that’s OK too. I enjoy popping on now and then to see what’s going on or to post a status, but I find Facebook to be a big time sucker, so I do try to avoid it most days. But sometimes it’s priceless.
I belong to a Facebook group called Families on the Move. It’s for families who have, are or will be traveling long term. It’s a wonderful group where families support each other in their travels, offer tips, create joint venture writing projects, ask questions…It’s a wealth of information rolled into one neat customized package. Prior to my recent trip to Antigua, Guatemala, I placed a post in my Families on the Move Group: “I’ll be in Antigua from January 5-23, if anyone will be traveling through, would love to meet up.”And sure enough, there was a reply.
Marina
Marina lives in Antigua as a US expat. She is married to a Guatemalan man and they are raising their two children here in Antigua. She is an expert on travel in Central America and maintains a blog and website on the area as well as offers travel services for those seeking help in planning their Central American trips. (www.travelexperta.com). And, she responded to my Facebook status regarding meeting up in Antigua.
On a cool Wednesday night, Marina met up with me at a restaurant here in town. She brought along three of her friends (also expats) to join in the “festivities.”For three hours we shared food, wine and “women talk.”It was like having a mom’s night out, Guatemala style; it was a delight. And, it was all possible because of Facebook!
In the past, I met many people when traveling, but it was all by chance. Never could you plan on meeting up with a person somewhere in the world unless you already knew them. With Facebook, you can create encounters before you even know someone. Clearly you have to be careful, but the opportunity exists for amazing adventures. Facebook is helping to make the world a smaller and friendly place.
New Hope for the Maya Daughters
When we took our year off to travel around the world, there was no question in my mind that our children would learn more being out of school than in. So what ever made me think it would be any different for me? Here I am in Antigua, Guatemala to study Spanish, but it’s the day I played hooky from school that I learned the most!
As a guest of Penny Rambacher, Founder and President of Miracles in Action, I attended the inauguration of a new school in San Martin Jilotepeque, 61 kms. from Antigua. Before you begin to imagine what this new school looks like, it’s a good idea to understand that while this pueblo is only 61 kms. from Antigua, it took almost 2 1/2 hours to get there, only half of which was on paved roads. It’s also important to get a glimpse of the old school.
Old School at San Martin Jilotepeque
The New School with Two Classrooms; Now with Desks and Chairs
We were greeted by the entire community lined up to welcome our entourage. A path of pine needles was layed out for us, the Mayan version of a red carpet. The Maya are a shy people but they welcomed each and every one of us with smiles and interest.
The majority of the community does not know how to read or write and many speak only their local language, Kaqchikel. The one thing that was perfectly clear, however, regardless of translators, was that these people were overwhelmingly grateful and thankful for their new school and the opportunities it will bring to their children and their community. Without this school, the future of these children is continued poverty and a life of hard labor.
A Pine Needle Path Welcomed our Group
Miracles in Action has built a total of 37 schools in the rural pueblos of Guatemala over the course of 7 years. Thanks to the generosity of many people, Maya in Guatemala are being given a chance to move their lives out of the poverty they have been born into. While Building schools may have been Miracles in Action’s original intention, it didn’t take long to realize that a school with a teacher was only one small step in helping these people. The tasks to provide school supplies, teacher resources, clean water, sanitary latrines and fuel efficient wood burning stoves quickly became part of their agenda. Miracles has also taken it upon themselves to provide fair markets for some of the handicrafts produced by the women of these villages. All of this is a daunting task which Penny pursues with patience and grace.
Girls Raising their Hands to Pledge to Stay in School through 6th Grade
This particular school was possible through a generous donation by Paula Latshaw in memory of Nadine Alexander, a school teacher of over 50 years. Paula’s family joined her on this special day to rejoice in the occasion. I had the honor of “tagging along” to witness the festivities and to help distribute school supplies to the students of the new school. Each student received a new backpack, pencils, pens, crayons, a toothbrush and a toy; the first ever for most of these children. While I can’t be sure, I would venture to guess that many of those children went to bed with those backpacks as clearly it was now their most prized possession.
Penny Rambacher with Guatemala's Future
Many people look at the woes of the world with sadness but hopelessness. They feel there is nothing they can do to change things. Fortunately, Penny never took on that attitude. She is clearly making a difference in the lives of many; as can you. Please check out Miracles in Action and help make a difference in the lives of the Maya of Guatemala.
Volcan Toliman - Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala
Many say it’s the most beautiful place in Guatemala; others say it’s one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Either way you look at it, Lake Atitlan, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala is stunning. The deepest lake in Central America is huge and guarded by three volcanoes, Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro. In between the volcanoes are the mountains of the Western Highlands.
La Launcha (Boat) - Lago de Atitlan
A curvy and sometimes dangerous road takes you from the cities of Antigua or Guatemala West. A local bus or a direct shuttle will get you there in about 2 1/2 – 3 hours. That puts you into the town of Panajachel, the largest city surrounding the lake. While you can stay in Pana (for short) with its ample infrastructure of hotels, hostiles, guest houses, restaurants and shops, many head to one of the many pueblos (towns) that surround the lake. Some of the pueblos are accessible by both land vehicles and boat while others are accessible only by boat. I caught a boat to Jabilito, a pueblo accessible only by boat with 2 hotels, a couple of restaurants and an indigenous population of about 600. Here the stark contrast between the sophisticated accommodations and the shear poverty of the locals is a disheartening reality.
Club Ven Aca - Jabilito, Lago de Atitlan
After breakfast on Saturday morning, I decided to explore some of the other pueblos on the lake. A 30 minute boat ride took me to the pueblo of San Pedro. Unfortunately the lake was feeling a little feisty that morning and it was a rough ride (Thank God for Dramamine). San Pedro was much larger than Jabilito and hosted not only the locals but hotels, restaurants, gift shops, Spanish Schools, tour operators….
La Nina y se Perro - Pueblo Jabilito
From San Pedro I headed to San Marcos, a much smaller pueblo. Unfortunately, the water had gotten rougher, not calmer and I felt grateful and lucky to be hitting dry land. San Pedro looked like it was caught in a time warp – a town for hippies who missed the 60′s or for those still living in them. There wasn’t much to keep me in San Pedro other than my anxiety about getting back on the water. But as my accommodation for the night was back in Jabilito, it was back to the docks.
The water had calmed a “little” and I took the 20 minute boat ride back to my pueblo. Having had enough of the Lake water for the day, I donned my bathing suit and headed down to the restaurant which sports a small infinity pool and hot tub. This water was a little more my style.
The lake has plenty to offer if you have the time. There is hiking, climbing volcanoes, horseback riding, SCUBA diving in the lake, boating, exploring the towns surrounding the lake and of course experiencing the Mayan culture as the lake is in the heart of the Mayan World.
Mayan Wall Art - Pueblo San Pedro; Lago de Atitlan
Now I am back in Antigua for my last week of Spanish classes. The good news is I’m off the water. The bad news is, the boat is still rocking.
The "Classroom" en el Jardin
While I have had an interest in Antigua, Guatemala for a long time, it has not been one of tourism; it has been for the purpose of studying Spanish. Antigua hosts about 100 Spanish language schools. Well, maybe not 100, but possibly as many as 50. Guatemalans speak slowly and clearly making it a perfect place to study Spanish. And with Antigua having eternal spring weather and great infrastructure, it makes an obvious choice for many who desire to learn the language.
Mi Maestra (Teacher), Heidy
Remove any thoughts you have of Spanish classes from your head – this is not your high school’s Spanish Class. For one thing, it’s not a class; it’s Spanish lessons – as in one on one lessons, just you and your teacher. It’s also not in a classroom. So far my lessons have been in the garden. But your lesson could just as easily be walking down the street, in the market or on a field trip.
And speaking of field trips, so far I have been to an archaeological museum, a textile museum and a macadamia nut farm all with my Spanish school. And, of course, while you are traveling to and from your destination, as well as while you are at your destination, you are speaking, yes, you guessed it, Spanish. Once a week the school hosts a lunch for all the students and teachers complete with Salsa lessons and the opportunity to make tortillas (not as easy as you think). It was a wonderful communal experience. Tomorrow night the school is hosting a dinner; looking forward to it.
El Almuerzo (Lunch) en la Escuela
I have studied 6 hours a day on some days and 4 hours a day on others. You have the opportunity to study up to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week; you create the schedule you desire. The more hours per day you study, the cheaper per hour it gets. And no matter what schedule you pick for yourself, the hourly rate is way cheaper than what you would find at home.
In order to expand your Spanish educational opportunities, the school can arrange for you a home stay. You will have your own room in a local Guatemalan home along with three meals a day, everyday except Sunday. And for this opportunity, you pay the bargain price of $130/week US. Yes, that price is for your accommodation and meals. I can’t live at home that cheap. Of course your host family will not speak English, so having a home stay increases your opportunities to speak your newly learned language.
Cooking Tortillas for Lunch
I’m currently studying at the Don Pedro de Alvarado Escuela de Espanol. I can’t say whether this school is any better than any of the other schools since I have no comparison. What I can say is I’m having an incredible learning opportunity!
In 1994, Marty and I travelled to Mexico. As we drove out toward the Yucatan Peninsula, I found myself amused by the mixture of the new along with the old. We passed by the Mayan huts and looking inside we could see people laying in their hammocks watching TV. Only dirt for a floor and thatch for a roof but clearly the TV was deemed a necessity.
Now, 18 years later, I find myself amused by the same dichotomy. While here in Antigua, I am not staying in a hotel but instead at the home of a local family. I have no hot water to bathe with; the toilets can not handle paper so all paper must be put in a waste basket and not in the toilet and I just hand washed my clothes in a stone sink, but, I have WiFi Internet access in my room.
In the town of Antigua, you can find any number of places to have a cappuccino or a very nice meal. You can stay in a luxury hotel. But next to those first class places, you may find a store or home with a corrugated metal roof or front. You see people who clearly are living a third world lifestyle but they all have mobile phones.
It’s fascinating to see how the world is changing and which changes carry over into other countries. Sometimes it seems strange to have some of the “new” luxuries of life and yet still be faced with the “inconveniences” of what we first world travelers would deem old or archaic. Yet, it gives us an opportunity to stop for a moment and evaluate what we deem a luxury and what we deem a necessity.
So as I take my very cold shower I ponder the question of the 21st century: “Would I rather have hot water or would I rather have Internet access.” And then I decide that a cold shower is not so bad after all.
Antigua and Volcano Agua
Nestled in a valley (a 5029 foot valley)amid three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Antigua. The former capital city of Guatemala, Antigua is now the country’s tourism showpiece. Dozens of Spanish language schools operate in this city making it a contemporary hotspot for global visitors; but don’t let that fool you, Antigua is 100% Guatemala.
Calle Del Arco - Antigua
The sidewalks are narrow and the streets are all cobblestone making it a little challenging to walk and look around all at the same time. Eventually you decide to trust your footing and you pick your head up. When you do, you have streets lined with pastel colored buildings amid the backdrop of the verdant volcanoes and countryside. Many of the buildings are in pristine condition while others are falling apart. But even those that are falling apart have a colonial charm draped in bougainvillea or other greenery.
I came to Antigua to study Spanish and anticipated streets filled with gringos. Wrong! Sure there are many tourists or expats in the city but the streets are filled with Guatemalans, not gringos; a very nice surprise. I have been here three days now and have only had my first English conversation this morning – with a Mayan anthropologist over breakfast.
La Merced
The focal point of the city is most certainly the Parque Central. It’s the gathering place for locals and visitors alike. Busy most any day of the week, it becomes packed on the weekend when there is live music and villagers selling handicrafts. I spent two hours there today sitting on a park bench, knitting, listening to music and talking to my new friends Cindy and Cindy. Practicing Spanish with kids is perfect.
Cindy
Otro Cindy
Today is day four of my nineteen day adventure in this city; stay tuned.
When I was in my teens and 20′s, I travelled alone. My friends all thought me brave, intrepid; but I just thought of it as easy. When you are a party of one, there is no negotiating, no compromise. I went where I wanted to go, when I wanted to go and how I wanted to get there. There was no emotional baggage to deal with other than my own (and I was used to carrying that).
Then, in my early 30′s, I met Marty who I would eventually marry. Our first trip was a cruise; totally not my style and I get sea sick, but it was a holiday gift so who was I to refuse. By the end of the week I was in such desperate need of space that I remember sitting separately at the airport while waiting for our flight. I was grateful at that moment that I lived in Washington, DC while he lived in Cincinnati, OH – we would be going home to different places!
But that was over 20 years ago. Now we travel every where together. And since 1998, we have traveled as a family with two daughters in tow; until now. Now I am in Antigua, Guatemala for 19 days by myself. I came down as a get-a-way. An oportunity to drop my familial obligations and be responsible only for me. And to study Spanish. Here I am able to experience once again the freedom of being on my own: to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, without compromise or sacrifice.
But now it’s different. This time I have left loved ones at home and I miss them. This time I am much older, without the energy and drive to push myself to do things that in the company of others I might be more inclined to do. And this time I am more aware of the loneliness that comes with traveling on your own since I have now had the opportunity of traveling with others.
So, today is day two. I am off to go study Spanish for six hours and then explore Antigua for a little bit. And, I guess, as I explore Antigua and Guatemala for the next 17 days, I will be exploring myself and rediscover who I am in the absence of those I love.
The New Year is just around the corner. This is often the time when people look back on the year just lived and make resolutions for how they will live in the new year differently. While there’s typically not a shortage of ideas out there on how to live a better life, I didn’t want this period of self reflection to go by without adding in my two cents. So if you’re a little short on time this holiday season, please feel free to use any or all of my ideas for making 2012 a stellar year.
1. Make time for you. There’s a reason the airline industry tells you to put your oxygen mask on before tending to anyone else.
2. Play more and work less. No one dies wishing they had spent more hours working.
3. Don’t just do something, sit there. Create some quiet/meditative time for yourself. You might be surprised how much better you feel and how much clearer life becomes.
4. Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Your body needs to recuperate from the day.
5. Walk or exercise at least 20 minutes per day. Don’t say you don’t have time, make the time. (see #1)
6. Drink plenty of water.
7. Eat more plants and less food manufactured in plants.
8. Spend more time with family and friends.
9. Read more good books; life is too short to read the bad ones.
10. Don’t take yourself or life too seriously.
11. Travel to someplace you’ve never been before.
12. Stop holding grudges – they just add ugly pounds to your soul.
13. Argue less. Would you rather be right or happy?
14. Accumulate more memories and less stuff.
15. Laugh. People who laugh more live longer.
16. Live life to it’s fullest; this is not a dress rehearsal.
17. Dream more, even when you are awake.
18. Don’t spend time hating, envying, or dwelling on negative thoughts. They just use up the time you could be loving and happy.
19. Perform random acts of kindness.
20. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
21. Keep in mind that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission.
22. Be the change you want to see in the world.
23. Stand up for what is right, even if you’re standing alone.
24. Live each day as if it’s your last; one day it will be.
One of the biggest debates prior to leaving for our one year RTW was whether or not to take a laptop computer. Both my husband and I were undecided; Marty leaning towards having one, while I was inclined the other way. My list of concerns: It was one more thing to keep up with, it will get ripped off, people will spend too much time on it. I also feared we would become so dependent on it that if we couldn’t use it (no Internet service, no electricity, it was lost or stolen) we would be lost. OK, I am going to put it in print, I WAS WRONG! Taking a computer was the best thing we did. Everything would have been so much more challenging without it!
We bought a Dell 11.3″ laptop with an external CD drive and used it for checking and sending emails, keeping a blog, loading pictures, uploading pictures online, travel research, educational research, schooling, watching movies, phone calls, paying bills, computer games…We bought a used one so that if it was lost or stolen, we wouldn’t be out an expensive piece of equipment, but the reality is, technology is so inexpensive these days, even a new one wouldn’t set you back too much.
If you don’t carry a computer, you will have to rent a computer (going to Internet cafes) for all your computing needs. When you think about this option, consider how many Internet cafes you have in your neighborhood? None? How many do you have in your city? Not too many? None at all? The more affluent a country’s population, the more people own computers, the less need for Internet cafes. There are exceptions to this. Some well touristed areas have Internet sites despite the country’s favorable economic circumstances. Others will have few. Besides availability, there are other issues to consider: How much per hour will you spend? What are the hours of operation? How long will you wait for a computer? How convenient is the location? What type of speed will you have and how long will it take you to do something?
While some of these issues don’t disappear when you have your own computer (you still need a signal etc.), the increased flexibility of having your own can’t be ignored. Still, that freedom can come at a cost. Our hard drive crashed in Poland and had to be replaced. Later it needed work in New Zealand. Each event required us to find someone who could fix it. Marty and I were not the most computer literate and it would have been helpful to know more about the equipment we were carrying. Learn as much as you can about your computer so you are not at the mercy of others when problems occur. Be prepared for a crash. Carry your operating system disk and any other program you must have. If there is a problem, you will be able to restore your computer to its previous state.
Think about how you will want to use your computer and make sure you have all the peripherals needed for those tasks. Planning on using Skype? You will need a head set and maybe a camera. Uploading pictures? You’ll want a transfer cable for your camera. Other items that are useful or necessary: an extra battery, electric cord with worldwide adaptors, MP3 player charger attachment and flash drives.
Each quarter, 15% of the proceeds on the sale of this book, from my website, will go to an international charity. This quarter, contributions will be made to Miracles in Action, a 501(c)(3) charity that builds schools in rural Guatemala.
