Gringotenango

PS

nelsjohnson — Sun, 3 Jul 2011 01:42:00 GMT

Here's a compilation of longer clips...

Day 20

nelsjohnson — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:11:00 GMT

Sanitation...security...service

The 3 S's Guatemala needs to become a tourist draw like Costa Rica, according to ex-pat Jim, our host today at Atitlan Adventures. We splurged and did their 3 hour horseback ride up Atitlan Volcano, followed by the best meal we've had the whole trip. We encountered 3 microclimates--fog, rain, humid warmth--and, after suffering our last lancha ride back (and those tedious negotiations which leave you paying in advance and sitting there, sometimes 40 mins, until the boat is full), we have a dizzy combination of bow-sea legs.

Ex-pats like Jim are admirable, but strange stories we've encountered a lot around Atitlan. There's what Jim calls the nietzschean desire to build one's own world, which is admirable alone for all the hurdles down here. With him it's a true, frontier spirit (with the Norwegians in Santa Cruz, more of a frontier spirit over the Internet).

What's strange is the loneliness and isolation. He showed us his concrete and steel encased safe room (a necessity in Guate), and proudly declared he's stocked it to live there a month.

Guess I'm a little leery of those in such a hurry to escape people and the trappings of civilization.

Tomorrow's the getaway day to Guate City, mudslide in Solola permitting.

Add an E to those 3 S's: Efficiency.

Flickr Photostream

nelsjohnson — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:24:00 GMT

(The iTouch and Flickr don´t allow direct embedding, so hit link below to view our iTouch photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gringotenango/

Day 19 Erik Diving at San Marcos (30 ft)

nelsjohnson — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:34:00 GMT

Today we discovered this 30' diving platform outside of San Marcos, eclipsing yesterday's best day ever and putting to rest any notions of traveller's relativity. Nice swimming, too, and the closest thing to clean water in Atitlan.

Paul and I took 2 jumps each, but Erik had to be dragged away after 5...

Day 18

nelsjohnson — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:17:00 GMT

Today we overpaid a guide ($40!) to hike 8km from Jaibalito to San Marcos, walking through mud and repeatedly quick ascents and descents, carrying barely enough money for a lunchtime drink for everybody to deny the robbers the satisfaction, walking more than our lazy, soggy bodies can handle (even Erik, our x-country runner, passed his threshold), and this was my favorite day yet.

Maybe it's an exercise in traveller's relativity, that the disfrutidad of one day is a result of the malidad of the previous day (don't think those are words), but after all the rain and funk of the past 2-3 days I'm walking on air.

Day 18 (Dena)

nelsjohnson — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:35:00 GMT

The rain finally stopped!! We've been getting a little stir crazy having to stay indoors, but when we saw a sliver of blue sky this morning we set out on a hike. We went back to Casa del Mundo to hire a guide. We'd read that the trail we wanted to do was one of the most beautiful, but also a bit dangerous due to the prevalence of machete bearing thieves. If you go with Mayan guide, however, you're supposed to be safe since they know everyone along the way.

And of course we were.

Nels and I have read much about the dangers of traveling here, but so far we've seen nothing but kind people eager to help. (I'm still not going to take my chances exploring Guatemala City!)

The hike was amazing. It was 2+ hours long and the trail meandered through jungle forest, and then through corn and coffee fields; there was rugged climbing up dry waterfalls, and flatter parts with stunning views of the lake and volcanoes. And we walked through small villages where there were no cars or even (it seemed) running water or electricity.

We walked from Jaibolito to San Marcus, had lunch (or at least the boys did--we didn't bring much money in case of thieves), and then came back on the lancha. Now we're home chillin'.

I took a shower despite my fear of this enormous moth living in the bathroom. It woke me up last night banging around in there. I thought it was a bat, but it was only a moth that happened to be the size of a small bat. It sleeps up in the corner of the ceiling and I guess it must sleep all day.

Still scary.

Day 17 (Paul)

nelsjohnson — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:57:00 GMT

Today me (Paul) and the family went to a nature reserve. It was a beautiful rainforest. The fun part, though was all of the ziplines we went on. They were about 300 feet each and about 600 feet high. The beginning of the first one was so scary but in the middle of it, I got less scared. There were nine in all and on the third one, I started going no-hands. The problem I had was normal for me: I went too fast an out of control. My mom had an opposite problem: she went too slow. She didn't get to the end on most of them. My brother and dad both did it pretty well. The men that helped us were very quiet but one of the got mad at me for being too reckless and out of control. At the end, there was an obstacle course. I was good at the first part which was just walking across thin wooden monkey bar things, but then there were swings that were also like steps. I got tangled in the ropes but got across. It was very fun, the most fun day yet. When we walked home the street was flooded with water because of rain. There is a tropical storm here that will end Wednesday.

Ps: when you come bring board games or cards

Adios:)

Day 17 (Erik)

nelsjohnson — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:21:00 GMT

This is Erik again. We arrived at our new apartment a couple of days ago, and all of us really like it. Everyone speaks English, throughout the 6 rooms of tenants, and the yard is an oasis. Peacocks roam the grounds, and so many fruits are edible that you climb trees to eat. During our tour of the yard, we saw papayas, bananas, a vitamin c fruit, grapefruit, dragonfruit (pytaya), mandarins and loads of herbs. But the most interesting part of the yard is the peacocks. They roam everywhere and are extremely beautiful. She once had a toucan caged up too, but she told us of the sad story where a tenant accidentally let it out of it's cage and it got away. Another plus of this place is it's toilet situation. Toilet paper can be flushed down the toilet rather than being put in the trash can. You will realize how important this is when you come to guatemala. The wifi is good too. At our homestay they had wifi but wouldn't let us use it for some reason. Anyways, its a great place to hang out in the hammocks and lounge out with the 2 great dogs she has. That is when it is not raining. They big thing you have to keep in mind about Panajachel or Guatemala in general is the rain. Especially in the winter here it rains torrentially. The mornings are when you should do all your activities, for that is when it is nice out and actually sunny. But every day that we have been here after 1 or 2 it starts pouring. For example, we went out for lunch at this pizza place one afternoon and it was overcast but not raining. When we were ready to go the street was flooded and no matter how hard we tried to stay dry we couldn't help being soaked. What I'm trying to say is that when you come to guatemala be prepared to have your plans ruined in the afternoons. And to bring 2 or 3 changes of clothes a day if you plan on doing outdoorsy activities.

Day 17 (Nels)

nelsjohnson — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:12:00 GMT

Wall to wall rain, got some fun zip-lining in the AM, but the CA (not California; down here that's Central America) rainy season is no joke.

Gilles (and music) fans:

Playing Vol 4, No 3 of Gilles Peterson Worldwide to death; a great mix by Phillipe from Gotan Project (go to iTunes, search Gilles Peterson Worldwide, download the Jan 13, 2011 podcast. I may be drunk on that Guate rum, but I'm lovin' it...)

Day 16

nelsjohnson — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 02:57:00 GMT

Rain delay.

Lluvia en la tarde, nada mas;

Lluvia en la mañana, the day's a bust.

(The rhythm and rhyme's a bit strained, but I'm invoking English teacher poetic license on this little ditty...)

It's Sunday, our 3rd day in Atitlan, and as the final week of our trip this is where we tick off the last days: last Sunday (market day), last Monday, etc.

We'd planned a hike of indigenous villages, from Jailbalito to new-agey San Marcos, but the rain intervened to change our plans to loafing and reading at our week's lodging, Chalet Tony (see my pics in photostream). Dena likens our Canadian landlord to Anna Madrigal, the kindly trans-sexual in Tales of the City who takes in various strays and cast-offs at 28 Barbary Lane. There are 6 units in all (we have 2 of them), and 3 of the rooms are inhabited by full-timers, all women in their 50s who've walked away from their lives in the States to live here full-time. Divorcees, spinsters, subscribers to Cat Fanciers,...not sure what the story is, but our well-stocked bookshelf includes a "Dumb Men Joke Book" (sample: Why do men always have stupid grins on their faces? They're stupid), and I think that's The View I hear my neighbor watching via the Internet.

The comparison to Anna Madrigal is only figurative; the owner Marion is actually a big-hearted, reddish-purple haired, middle-aged woman, not a tranny, who left Canada 30 years ago to create her own quirky world here. There are flowers in her garden that seem to grow before your eyes, like you're watching time-lapse photography. The boys love picking dragonfruit and following the peacocks around the grounds (peacocks!).

The 2 apartments cost me $300 total for the week, but I get the sense that Marion takes a lot of people in for free...

Yesterday we swam in the morning on the cleaner side of the lake (still kinda murky; lots of bluegreen algae on the Pana side), did a little kayaking (better in a single, as the heavier guy in back gets pretty wet), haggled our way back to Pana on the lancha, then paid way too much for groceries at an ex-pat "gourmet" store called Pana Super ($7 for Cheerios!).

Tomorrow we head to Atitlan Nature Reserve on a tuk-tuk for spider monkeys, hanging bridges and zip lines.

Weather permitting.

Technical Note: VIEW VIDEOS AT 480p FOR BETTER RESOLUTION. These entries are all done on the iTouch, using Notes for the stories (hence the many errors and typos!) and uploading videos to YouTube and photos to Flickr directly from the Camera Roll using whatever WiFi we can find. Facebook is even easier to use with the iTouch, but the blog is more appropriate for longer entries and non-Facebookers. (My blog site is free through World Nomads, our travel insurer, but there are several, free alternatives.)

Day 15 lanchas

nelsjohnson — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 06:05:00 GMT

Day 14

nelsjohnson — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:59:00 GMT

Day Fourteen (Nels)

We bumped our Antigua getaway up a day, skipping school Friday to leave for Panajachel on the 8:00AM shuttle. I've been wary of these Pana shuttles, because every tourbook warns of bandits on this busy tourist path. I haven't found that impossible balance of vigilance and calm whenever we're going someplace new in Guate; Dena and I wrote off Tikal more out of fear (a massacre of 28 in nearby El Mirador in May) than the additional cost.

Once you get where you were going, however, and stick around a bit, you wonder what you were so scared of.

The lanchas (Lake Atitlan "ferries," really just covered motorboats with 4-5 rows of benches) here are a unique bargaining experience, as the prices vary every trip. From Pana to Jaibalito, the price started at 100Q and closed at 50Q. The Norwegian couple we met told us they never pay more than 5Q for a shorter jaunt we took later, but the driver insisted on 40 for the 4 of us (he settled on 30). There are 3 price tiers-- local Quiche, ex-pat homeowners, and tourists-- but an indefinite number of actual prices.

Tonight we're at Casa del Mundo, a beautiful hotel in Jaibalito I'd characterize as "backpacker chic". Check out our photostream for photo of San Pedro volcano from our room (and Paul reading in a hanging chair); we hope to hike SP sometime next week.

Post-note from Paul, on hiking among potential bandits: "Remember, Erik, we still have our knives [which we bought at the market".

Day Fourteen (Dena)

After a curvy and sometimes frightening journey from Antigua to Panajachel, we found our new home away from home. We have rented two apartments in a secluded garden that is absolutely charming, complete with peacocks roaming the grounds. But we only dropped off our stuff before heading to lunch at Deli Jasmin and then onto the boat docks.

Nels negotiated a price and we got on the boat and met a Norwegian couple who invited us to see the house/mansion they have built in another village called Santa Cruz. They had a pool and invited the boys to swim. The place was spectacular with 4 bedrooms ( all with views) and 4 bathrooms, three stories high.

The couple seemed a bit eager for company, but every detail of the place was beautiful.

Day Thirteen (Erik)

nelsjohnson — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:39:00 GMT

This is a journal entry from Erik. As we are approaching the end of the trip, I have many thoughts and feelings about my stay in Antigua.

First off, if you want the ultimate Guatemala stay like a local, a homestay is a must. But if you have any worries about the quality of your house, whether you will like their food, and if there will be running water (which probably won't be all the time), stay in an apartment or hotel. For me as a 15 year old staying with 15 year olds have been a blast, but for others I can see how it wouldn't be fun. They stay up until 11 and play soccer every day at 4, the latter pleasing me more.

We did need to get away for a couple of days, which you have to do if all you get is cold water and have a tiny cramped room. It feels so good to be relaxed in your room without having to worry about being on a food schedule.

For an overview on Antigua though, I really love it. The people are so nice, respecting you and always saying hi. If I were to give someone advise on what to do first when you find out were you live, I would say to find the closest and nicest cafe, somewhere you can chill out and do something like reading or writing reviews like I am now.

Antigua should definitely be a destination on people's radar, although when I told my friends where in was going for vacation, all they said was why would you go there if you had no family there?

(It's a question without an answer.)

Day Twelve

nelsjohnson — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:29:00 GMT

Day Twelve

We're deep into the rainy season now. The weather's nice until 1 or 2, then the thunderheads roll in for the afternoon. It makes it tough being in school until noon. I feel a bit like a kid in summer school staring at the clock, then out the window, aloof to studies and responsibilities.

I'm not the best student. I try to get my maestra away from the text book as much as possible; the ejercisios orales are pretty tedious, and you find yourself adopting an affected tone on the canned responses:

Penso que sus ninos le gustarian sus maestras?

SI, pense que ellos le gustarian MUCHO.

We got out of the class today for a birthday party at Cerro de la Cruz for one of the students (see pictures of this beautiful locale in our photostream). I had rope duty on the piñata, quickly regressing to wild childhood as I tried to drop the piñata on the head of whoever was taking a swing. The weather was beautiful, the games divertido, and there was ample opportunity to slip away from your maestra and chat in English with our diverse and interesting group of classmates (by my count, representing 8-9 countries). I mentioned before how novel it is for Erik to hear the experiences of an early 20-something on a post-college/pre-death culture sojourn for 6-7 months or whenever the money runs out.

There's a line in the book I'm reading, The Sheltering Sky, comparing tourists and travellers. When tourists grow weary of a place they are eager to return home; when travellers feel the same weariness, they long to move on to someplace new. The tourist accepts his own civilization without question, while the traveller constantly compares it with others and rejects elements he doesn't accept.

We're tourists, definitely, but a nascent traveller is awakening in each of the boys.

Tomorrow's our last day of class, then it's off to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan for the week. Our turnaround on the homestay has been the most pleasant surprise of the trip; no way would the boys have picked up as much Spanish as they have in these 2 weeks simply from class. The earnestness and warmth of the family has made the occasional discomforts not just bearable but worthwhile (vale la pena!).

Still, as an unabashed tourist, I look forward to something like privacy for a week (if four people on vacation together can ever find privacy!).

Day Ten our local German pub

nelsjohnson — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:01:00 GMT

Day Eight (Paul)

nelsjohnson — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 07:59:00 GMT

Paul here, to tell you about all of the kids in the neighborhood. First is Arturo who actually isn't a kid, he is twenty-six and has epilepsy. He is a shoe shine boy (man?) who acts like a kid and is very nice but can get annoying. Next is Diego who is a fifteen year old and is one of our hosts. He is super buff and nice and is learning English. Next is his twin brother, Carlos who looks like him except for a freckle on his eye and his hair is in a Mohawk. He is not learning English. They have one other brother who is seventeen, named Marvin. He is super duper nice but doesn't play soccer with us like the others do.

They have another cousin also whose name is Carlos Carlito or Pepe. He speaks no English and is my best friend here. He is athletic and nice. Another one of my friends is Chino. He was shy at first but now he likes me and my brother Erik. He is very athletic and nice. He lives across the street from our family. Last is Pedro. Nice like the rest of them and was the only guatemalteco who played basket ball with the Americans. I admired that about him.

Adios, for now, from Guatemala

Day Eight

nelsjohnson — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 23:47:00 GMT

The video is an excerpt from our Sat market scavenger hunt. (Paul`s looking for a live piglet, I think.) Imagine the Ferry Plaza market with raw sewage smell, bootleg Spanish DVDs and a shantytown vibe...

I`d planned a weekend outing to a hotel in town but a combination or poor Spanish and vacation disregard for specific dates screwed up the itinerary. Friday was the Latin Father`s Day, which we were reminded of with the 3-5AM wake-up call of fireworks, music and a local personality wishing us all Feliz Dia del Padre over a megaphone. My plan was to get away for the weekend to Hotel Aurora, a hook from a teacher friend whose husband is from Antigua, but I reserved Sat and Sun instead of Fri and Sat. The blessing in disguise is two rooms for the price of one tonight, sleeping on comfortable beds in unfathomable privacy. (See Day Two notes...)

The kids are watching Meet the Fockers in their room (we saw Back to the Future 2 nights ago at a cafe movie night). Not quite the colonial Spanish immersion experience we´d characterized earlier.

Paul promises to deliver the next entry.

Day Six Erik Soccer

nelsjohnson — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:01:00 GMT

Day Five Paul`s Boda

nelsjohnson — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:03:00 GMT

Day Five (Erik)

nelsjohnson — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:44:00 GMT

Note: Paul was married today in pueblo San Antonio in a short cermemony before his family and a group of random tourists.

The couple is registered at Walmart Guate City.

Day Five (Erik)

Yesterday was Wednesday, or miecoles. We started out by waking up to a breakfast of fruits, including papaya, which I have never had. I was generally happy, for today was a field trip to San Antonio, or Mayan central.

We saw a demonstration of a wedding which my brother participated in, coffee grinding, which he also participated in, and some weaving, which we both participated in. We also got to taste homemade coffee and make and eat tortillas.

I learned an important lesson in bartering prices today too. Ever since day one I wanted a machete as a souveniur, something I could show my friends and say, Yeah, I did that. I saw a perfect one at the cooperitiva. The woman originally asked for 125Q, which is way too expensive. My maestra, or teacher, came to talk to me and immediately the price went down to 100Q. I figured the presence of a local frightened the other local, so I took another try at it to get the price down to 50. She wouldn’t do it, so I took the price at 100Q.

A few seconds later my teacher said she didn’t want to interrupt, but I could have bought it at the local market next morning for 70, a 4 dollar difference.

Despite getting ripped off a little, I really enjoy it here in Antigua.