Cerro Quemada

I'm back in NH, and there is snow on the ground. Trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon, and meanwhile, here are some photos of my last hike in Xela. Guatemalan highlands. Cold, but if you'll notice, no snow in site.

Ryder Bike

Right before i ditched San Andres Itzapa and Maya Pedal for the affluent wilds of Playa del Carmen (I was trying to think of a good analogy for this move, but i realized the truth of the matter is this: It's like going from Guatemala to Mexico. Suddenly fruit popsicles aren't homemade in little plastic bags, they come in fancy, proper shaped flavors like cafe de leche and hibiscus. You can imagine the rest)

Right before I left a family came to Maya Pedal. A couple and three little blond boys from Portland, Oregon, moved to town to help out at the shop and learn Spanish.

Here you'll find Ryder's blog. He's eight, and incredibly enthusiastic. It's pretty clear that his mom is his ghost writer, but check out their video clip. It is San Andres Itzapa to a tee. Nice photos too.

Semuc Champey and Etc.

There are several bloggers at Maya Pedal, the appropriate technology nonprofit where I am currently spending time. ¨Sometimes I just don´t feel like updating it,¨ said Dory, an Oberlin College student. ¨Then I think, who is actually reading my blog? And I realize it´s only my mom.¨

Mediodia

Guatemala City Busdrivers get Bum Deal

Gang Cartels have taken over from Military and Guerilla warfare to continue to make Guatemala a somewhat dangerous place to raise your kids. A popular target in the capital are busdrivers, who must pay a lot of money to local gangs in order to freely manuever their bus routes. When they don´t, they often get shot, which, for a pretty thankless job in the first place seems pretty crap.

Photos by Jon Lowenstein: In Cold Blood
Latin American Herald Tribune: Yesterday´s Protest

In the doorway

We waited for the Sunday Procession in Antigua for about 2 hours. Consequently, I had plenty of time to take photos of the same doorway! Without moving a muscle! The lazy photographer at work.

March at Maya Pedal

After a lovely four days traveling from Chichicastenango (western highlands) to Semuc Champey (the Verapaces), I am back at Maya Pedal for an indistinguished amount of time. Every day new volunteers come through the door, and Carlos, the man of the hour and director, is starting to resemble a chicken with his head cut off, running around. Here, some of the staple voluntarios show their enthusiasm for gourmet chocolate.

Domingo en Antigua

So the month leading up to Easter, Guatemala (and esp Antigua) gets down to some serious business. On Sundays after church, the floats that carry Jesus and the Saints start at 2pm, and are walked at a funeral pace, zigzagging across town for a literal 8 hours. In the meantime, huge murals of sand and flowers on the street are smeared by the tired feet of the parishoners. Kids eat fried sugary things, and you can buy a watch, or a banana ice cream, and even a liquado in a pineapple. Just don´t try to drive anywhere, you´ll be stuck.

Having Fun

This is what a blog post looks like when there is too much to say:
















more later.