Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone!

I was unable to snap any photos of our feast before the hungry vultures (myself included) swooped in armed with knives, forks, or just their greasy digits to enjoy the bounty. Since Guatemalans do not celebrate Thanksgiving, it was a long work day in the office awaiting the mouth-watering spread that awaited us for our evening dinner. Mashed potatoes, greenbean casseroles, cranberry, pumpkin pies, baked macaroni & cheese, and of course turkey aplenty kept everyone satisfied. As I mixed and matched flavors in a single, large plate I began to feel for just a second that I was back home in the great U S of A. Kudos to the chefs!

My wonderful friends put on a feast for Americans, Canadians, Scottish, and our Guatemalan friends alike.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and no one got peppered sprayed at Walmart to ring in their Black Friday (Can you believe it?!)

Head In The Clouds

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala

Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala

Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala

Driving through Pennsylvania, USA

Tres Cruces, Peru

Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Caution: School Zone

Exactly what kind of school is this?

Go Fly a Kite

Here in Guatemala less emphasis seems to surround the October 31 Halloween holiday and instead November 1 finds itself in the spotlight. First off, Halloween as we gringos know it is not Halloween, but rather "Day of the Dead." I’ll give it points for a cooler a name, but no Devil’s Night? No Trick or Treating? No Haunted Houses or Haunted hayrides? No Peanuts-esque costume parties and waiting for the Great Pumpkin?

Halloween (As I know it)

Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition dating back thousands of years and is celebrated in Maya culture, Guatemala, and throughout Central America. The general idea is to pay homage and tribute to those who have gone before us. Rather than the usual macabre atmosphere we associate with a cemetery, a lively, festive mood is felt throughout graveyards as families and friends celebrate together in remembrance of loved ones. I personally didn’t see a lot of hoopla over celebrating Day of the Dead where I live in Antigua, but that could have easily been due to 1) being extremely busy at work, 2) I don’t watch TV and thus don’t see any media brainwashing/coverage promoting (if that exist here) such holidays, like is force-fed back home in the US during any holiday season, and 3) I was too devastated about missing out on my annual stash of funsize Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to focus on anything else. Sure, it was strange to not be in a last minute frenzy looking for a Halloween costume this year for the usual blowout parties, but in a way that was slightly relieving. As much as I missed carving my pumpkin and partaking in the usual Halloween revelry, it was great to experience something different in a new country.

Happiness

So while Halloween came and went, I took it upon myself to take advantage of the national holiday (read: a day off of work) on November 1 for All Saints’ Day. Here in the department of Sacatepequez, where Antigua is located, is a town nearby called Sumpango. Sumpango is known for having a Giant Kite festival to celebrate this time of year for Day of the Dead and All Saints’ Day. Never having been to Sumpango before, I followed my roommate’s lead and generally followed whichever bus looked the most full, as that could only mean it was headed towards the party.

Welcome to the land of giant kites!

Full buses indeed. We watched a few buses pass us by as they were too full to accommodate all those waiting at the bus stop and then after half of our party was able to board a bus (puppy in a friend’s purse and all) my roommate and I decided we had had enough of being left behind. 

Puppy in a purse

The next bus rolled up and to no one’s surprise was full of passengers packed like sardines. So you understand, public transport in Guatemala prioritizes profit over safety, so as drivers’ assistants will find space for extra fare-paying passengers in any possible nook, cranny, or other unsuspecting passenger’s lap. Knowing this, it didn’t exactly baffle me when our ayudante, or assistant, yelled at us “Arriba! Arriba!” No this was not his finest Speedy Gonzalez impression, he meant that there was space for us on top of the Chicken Bus, not inside it. Having been in an overcrowded Chicken Bus or two in my day, I actually jumped at the opportunity thinking, “Hey, at least we’ll have plenty of space.”

My roommate enjoying the ride on top of the bus

The highways around Sacatepequez are serpentine and riding in them are akin to a rollercoaster ride as you bend and wind your way through your journey while holding the bar on the seat in front of you for leverage. Take that sensation of riding on a rollercoaster and then add the blustery winds of a wind tunnel as you cruise in the open air at top speed and you will have a sense of our adventure. Yes, certainly a “Do Not Try This At Home” and not an activity I’d do under normal circumstances, but it was safe (I swear Mom!).

Want dangerous? His job is to move in & out of the bus while at top speed. At least we stayed put.

After our heart-racing jaunt to Sumpango we made it to the Kite festival. Not without first winding through the narrow streets and alleyways littered with people buying and selling anything from slices of pizza to head massagers, we made our way to the open field that on this day would serve as ground zero for Kite Air Traffic Control. Groups of kite fliers marked off makeshift runways and took turns trying to get their intricately designed kites airborne as gigantic kites loomed in the background on display.

The giant, colorful kites

Vibrant

Legend has it that each November 1 bad souls fly into local cemeteries to disturb the peace of those souls of the faithfully departed. The disruption causes the souls to roam the streets and cause general chaos and uneasiness. Upon consultation to the old and wise men of the town in times long past, the solution was to fly kites to keep these bad souls at bay and to keep order in town. Apparently “the sound of wind against the paper” creates a powerful repellent for the bad souls and people have been keeping with this tradition, putting much thought, time, energy, and creativity into these impressive kites.

Lift off

12-E

Today, after wrapping up a full week with a volunteer team, I took a moment to pat myself on the back and relished in not only the newfound appreciation for my normal desk job in the office, but the deeper admiration I have for my fellow coordinators who normally are in charge of the volunteer groups. Traditionally, my role is to coordinate with team leaders and arrange all the logistics of their trip before the team’s arrival. Settling the score with hotel reservations, making sure the team is fed, and finding timely transportation for the team among many other tasks is what fills my days in the office 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Sure, the routine of the daily grind behind the computer can at times turn mundane, but with great co-workers, an amiable work environment, and the convenience of knowing when I will enter and leave the office (read: set work hours) the job is enjoyable. Going out into the field every once in a while is always a welcomed break from this routine and, not to mention, exciting as I often plan team trips for months without ever having the chance to meet team leaders in person. The team’s arrival marks the moment when my work is complete and the Field Coordinator (FC) steps up to the dish to dazzle them. The FC will meet the team at the airport and spend the next days with them non-stop orienting them to Guatemala, translating for them when necessary, keeping them safe, and guiding them on the Habitat construction sites.

Within the Habitat family all of us have experience building and traveling with volunteer groups, others obviously more than others, so taking on the role of FC becomes helpful at moments like this when our resources are spread a bit thin. Currently, our seasoned FC veterans are reaching the end of their contracts and making moves back to their home countries. Meanwhile work continues, volunteer teams continue to visit Guatemala, and houses keep going up brick by brick. Hence, in the face of less FCs on staff, I was tasked with leading a team of volunteers as the lead FC, while taking a new Habitat employee under my wing for the week for training.

Things were off to a messy start as Tropical Depression 12-E dumped buckets of rain throughout all of Guatemala. Previously I had weathered the Guatemalan rainy season (or “winter”) without much dismay. Equipped with an umbrella every day in my backpack, it was rather easy to predict the rains, which came nearly each day at the same afternoon hour like clockwork. Sure, there were times it came down quite hard or times it came inconveniently into the night making it hard for my friends and I to enjoy the weekend night life, but since May (start of rainy season), we never had to endure this.

For nearly two weeks straight we were cursed with rains that never seemed to stop. It all seemed so Genesis-like…ok, so maybe I didn’t have to look around for Noah or worry about what time to catch the Ark, but there was a lot of rain. Rains saturated the hilly landscapes and caused mudslides throughout the country. Mudslides on main roads caused havoc for travel. Havoc for travel meant crisis for my co-workers and I. With a team I had previously spent months planning for on their way to Guatemala, I was in a frenzy to relocate them and their build to a safer area of the country free of landslides and road blocks. Miraculously, we were able to arrange a build for them in Santa Rosa, which is traditionally a drier area of the country near the border with El Salvador. However, after settling in for one day it was apparent that while the area didn’t seem in immediate danger, the rains were heavy, the nearby river was rising fast, and the earthquake prone area was still unstable after a decent quake shook the land no more than a month previously. It might not have been a scene from Revelations, but as I drowned in work it all felt very apocalyptic to me.

Anyhow, with all this Tropical Depression business going on, I was once again forced to make last minute changes for my new team coming into Guatemala for a build. Fortunately, having just made similar adjustments for my previous team, the last minute changes were not as hectic the second time around. And just as we planned for the worst, the rains turned off just as suddenly and unexpectedly as they had started. It was as if someone simply turned the faucet upstairs off. We were blessed with perfect weather for the week and, fortunately for my new arrival of volunteers, it was nearly impossible to tell what disasters had stormed through Guatemala just days before.

As I reflected on my hectic week of planning with the volunteers I realized what larger problems now existed for the thousands of Guatemalans affected by the rains. Hundreds of families now had damaged homes or no home at all even. Simple supplies and food now gone. A question I never have to ask myself now raced through the minds of many local families, “Where am I going to sleep tonight?” It all put things into perspective. As I worried about my logistical nightmare planning for the arrivals of my volunteer teams there were problems much more grave and important all around me. We spent the week helping build two new homes for local families and as we did backbreaking labor digging the homes’ foundations I couldn’t help but feel confident that these strong concrete foundations stand a far greater chance of survival in a landslide than the traditional shacks that so many families live in. These Habitat homes are here to stay.  

My recent volunteer group on the build site

Las Verapaces: Part II (Don't Tap The Glass)

On my way south to Baja Verapaz we stopped in the town of Tactic, which is for the most part a traditional, small pueblo. Surprisingly enough, at closer look Tactic had more to offer than the traditional small pueblo feel with local shops jutting out from its centrally located park and church. On the outer rim of town is a small park tucked into the hillside which offers a mini-zoo and water park.

Tactic below, view from Chi'ixim Church on the hill

Chi'ixim Church in Tactic, Alta Verapaz

No more than a handful of cages, the zoo portion of the park is more impressive than you’d initially think upon hearing about such a place located in a no-named town in the middle of Guatemala. Interestingly enough, the arrangement of the animals is strategically done so as to increase your wow factor, which I think adds to the overall allure of the park. You start with a few birds, squirrels, and local fauna that slowly increase in size and awe. Next thing you know, you’ve perused the 9 or 10 cages feeling alright about spending the $1.25 entrance fee and…holy bejesus, there’s a tiger over there!

World Series bound Tiger

And how could you possibly have a tiger without the accompanying lion?

 Currently undefeated (Detroit) Lion

I could tell my local, Guatemalan coworker was equally excited when he began rattling the cage and gently flicking small pebbles at the large cats in order to get their attention; just another example of the small cultural differences between my upbringing and the Guatemalan upbringing. Add “No tapping the glass at the aquarium/No rattling the cages at the zoo” to basic life lessons learned as a youth to the list of things Guatemalans generally don’t adhere to. That would fall somewhere near “Throw trash away in a proper receptacle/Don’t litter” and “Obey the laws of the road while driving.”

After visiting the felines we cruised to the crocodile cage and even got up close and personal with the spider monkeys. Given the park's general laid-back attitude (i.e. lack for general safety and hygiene), we were able to get right next to the monkey cage, which only left a simple chain link fence between us and our fellow brethren. Not heeding my earlier advice on not rattling the cage, my friend stepped right up to the fence and by gently poking our new friend, encouraged the monkey to pep up and give us a show. I began to scratch my head contemplating the theories of evolution and how this one was the one on the opposite side of the fence taunting the other. 

Disgruntled spider monkey

After a little exploring in Tactic for hotels, restaurants, and sites to see, we were on our way to Salama, the capital of Baja Verapaz. The final haul to Salama is as hilly as you’ll find in the Verapaces and you can find some great parks including a Biotope where you can find Guatemala's national bird, the quetzal, in its natural habitat as well as some caves deep within the hillsides.

Water Park in Tactic

In Baja Verapaz I found much of the same that Alta Verapaz had to offer, and that is meant in the best way possible. The laid-back attitude remained and the beautiful, hilly terrain rolled on - if not more so – in Baja. Again, I was invited to saddle up on the back of a motorcycle as my new guide and I made our rounds throughout the area to explore new hotels and restaurants.

Hills and views of Baja Verapaz

The visit to these two departments was not only a relieving breath of fresh air from the suffocating smog from what life around the capital can sometimes bring, but was also a great learning experience allowing me to better manage future Habitat teams that visit and build in Guatemala. Previously I had to advise visitors on what they could expect in certain parts of the country without fully knowing or having experienced these areas myself, however now I am better equipped with this knowledge, which is an underrated skill to have in my toolset.

Local celebration in Baja Verapaz

Las Verapaces: Part I

This past week I was sent on a mission to explore the departments of Alta Verapaz and Baja Verapaz The Vereapaces). Two popular areas for sending our Habitat volunteers for house constructions, these 2 departments (of Guatemala’s 22 in total, for those of you keeping score at home) are roughly a 4 hour (to Baja) and 5 hour (to Alta) drive north from Guatemala City.

My mission was clear: visit the Habitat for Humanity affiliate offices in each of these departments, learn more about their general practice in how they receive and manage volunteer teams, and explore the area for potential new hotels, restaurants, and activities for future volunteers. Yes, having my employer foot the bill for a mini-vacation to review areas previously unknown to me was exciting. I was eager to hit the road, try new foods, and sleep in comfy, new beds, all while carrying the heir of a VIP, travel critic. This was going to be great.

Central Park in Coban, Alta Verapaz

Without fail it was fantastic, although much more exhausting than I had imagined. Unsure of what minute detail might further serve fruitful for future Habitat employees or volunteers, I took painstakingly detailed notes on what lied within each nook and around every corner, so as to leave no stone unturned in my exploration. Ok, so I am guilty of a bit of embellishment, but noting where future visitors to Coban - the capital of Alta Verapaz - can find the nearest ATM, for example, is by no means irrelevant. Try spending a week with a group of volunteers for a week fresh from the US and you’ll hear infinitely more ridiculous inquiries that would boggle you’re mind and flip your idea of common sense on its head. But more on that in a future post….

I reached Alta Verapaz (which, as its name suggests, lies above its neighbor Baja Verapaz) first via a direct shuttle from Antigua. Not only because the cost was on the company dime, but making the trip via public transport will only save you ~Q70, but could potentially cost you an extra hour and some good old fashioned Central American frustration via ambiguous directions, late buses, and discomfort. If you plan on making the trip yourself I highly recommend a private shuttle from Antigua, which you can find for about Q140. Anyhow, I reached Coban and was immediately pleased to find myself in its relatively clean and tranquil environment as compared to Guatemala City.

Coban's Central Park

Having grown tired of the dirty and hectic hustle & bustle of Guatemala City via occasional visits and thoroughfares to other locales, I was relieved by Alta Verapaz’s cleanliness and quieter way of life. Sure, things around the neighborhood tended to close around 8 and 9 PM, which makes it hard for it to earn a slot on my “Top Places to Spend the Rest of my Life” list, but for a guy looking for a simple get away and some down time, this was just the place.

My colleague took me around and showed me the ropes, which included a 1.5 hour motorcycle ride out to the town of Lanquin. Meeting one morning in the office in my usual attire of shorts, tshirt, and flip-flops, Rudy started asking me strange questions about whether I had a coat when we discussed our upcoming jaunt. Given the usual 75 degree weather and sunny skies outside that morning, I grew a bit worried as I started to catch on to what he was getting at. Sure enough Rudy tossed me a helmet, which meant we wouldn’t be blessed with the comfort of a car for this journey, but rather the painful reality of a motorcycle, and as he tossed me my headgear he was sure to remind me how cold it will be when it starts to rain. Great.

Cathedral in Lanquin's town center

Fortunately for us, the rains held off for the entirety of that trip, but unfortunately taking the backseat of the motorcycle was even less comfortable as I had imagined. Sure, I felt a bit like Gael Garcia Bernal/Ernesto Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries (minus, of course, the dashing good looks and the imminent potential to become a world famous revolutionary like Ché), but it was hard to go more than 10 minutes on the back of that motorcycle without my body falling asleep from the waist down.

Whatever discomfort I felt was fortunately soothed by the gorgeous landscapes that surrounded me as we whipped through the mountain passes that dipped, bent, and wrapped all around the lush green hills of the Guatemala highlands. Never having been to Switzerland, I cannot confirm, but began to understand why my colleague was telling me that this hilly region was known as the “Switzerland of Central America.”

The hills of the Verapaces

Making our last 10 km descent on a mountain “road” that lowers you into the town of Lanquin, I was relieved to finally stretch my legs and honestly a bit surprised to still be in one piece upon reaching our destination. If I was at all anxious about cruising on the back of a motorcycle at 55 MPH around mountain passes (or 90 KMH, for my Metric System using fan base out there), those worries quickly dissipated as I faced more pressing fears nosediving down this half gravel/half dirt “road” that can only be described as akin to the Aggro Crag on Nickelodeon’s Guts. As my driver bobbed and weaved through large holes and ditches, jostling the moto’s handlebars as if he were handling a Nintendo controller racking up points in a game of Excitebike, I cringed around every turn, left with nothing more to do other than trust that my driver was making all the right moves. I felt like after conquering that descent without a bad spill I deserved a Gold Medal and a celebratory victory lap draped in the American flag around the track as seen at the conclusion of every Guts episode.

The Aggro Crag

Without more time explore beyond a hotel and lunch, I was unable to take advantage of the parks and other sites in the Lanquin area; however, judging from what I took in from simply looking around, I can tell these sites must be breathtaking a worth a return visit. In and near Lanquin one can visit caves, Guayaja Park for canopy tours and ziplining, as well as one of Guatemala’s top destination spots, Semuc Champey, which is a close 10 km away. Not worth “squeezing in” such a trip, we decided against making the extra trip to Semuc and instead I hope to return for a weekend when I can devote more time to exploring this gem.