keeps me humble

This pretty much sums up my experience learning Spanish... 

There are at least 15 large language learning schools in Antigua, Guatemala and many with immersion courses. It fits my schedule best to work one on one with a spanish tutor and there are many to choose from in Antigua. 

The teacher I have used for the last two years is Edwin Vega. He comes round to my house or we meet up in a cafe. He has a wicked sense of humor and a lot of patience. He is fluent in English which helped me when I wanted an explanation of something. He offers classes online as well so it's possible to maintain a class schedule even when I'm traveling.

He's also an expert salsa dancer! You can check out his website here Edwin's Website.

Buying Boots in Pastores, Guatemala

Fabulous new boots .... so happy with how they turned out! Here's everything you need to know to shop like a pro in Pastores. I've been a few times now, so i have talked to several boot makers.

First, find Pastores on a map... it is just past Jocotenango as you head out to Chimaltenango. It's about 30Q [$4] for an uber from Antigua or 5Q if you grab the bus from the mercado.

Pastores has over 20 boot makers and they don't seem to like each other very much - and they are all in competition so prices won't vary much. There are plenty of shops on the main road ... no need to wander further. One of the first shops as you enter Pastores is Hernandez. All the drivers know this shop because it's one of the biggest and it's a great place to start. You can look at what's on offer and get an idea of how much items cost.

You can wander up and down the street checking out the other shops... If you find what you want you are all set!

If you decide you want a pair custom made I'm going to recommend Lorenzo [card below 5985-4185] at El Rancho. It is one of the tiny shops but he does great work, charges a fair price and will get it right for you. I have high arches so I get him to build support for me. He made the first pair of boots I got and they are sooo comfortable - remember this post? 

I've sent some other people to him and they also had a great experience and beautiful boots!

So look for this shop ... and tell him a friend sent you. Lorenzo doesn't have English but I've still been able to get by or bring a friend with better Spanish.

It usually takes around 10 days to get the boots made - but in the past I've always asked for changes so that takes another week. Since there is a La Torre [super fancy grocery store] in Jacotenango I usually combine with a grocery run.

When I finally decided I wanted a pair of boots that incorporate a Guatemalan textile I picked out a used huipil at the NIM POT near the arch in Antigua. [the NIMPOT is a socially responsible business providing artisans from throughout Guatemala access to the tourists and the prices are very good] I love the greens and blues in my huipil but there are hundreds of huipils from 20Q - 100Q stacked along one side. The boot maker used that textile for my boots. The cost for a pair of boots bought off the shelf or made should be around $50.

When I picked up my boots I saw Lorenzo was taking orders for this leather backpack which I loved but thought it was a tad pricy at 650Q [$85].

We didn't find any good spots to eat in Pastores but it's great for a couple of hours of shopping. On one trip I was with my amiga Laura who is a fantastic shopper and she found the shop where the boot makers buy their leather... and of course we both ended up with a half a cow hide. Great for a rug or upholstery, etc. The cost varies but I think it was about $40 for the hide. The owner said the hides come from Huehuetenango.

Most of the shops do close for lunch ... but it seemed like around 2 instead of the usual 1PM. The boot makers don't like people to take pictures so maybe look around online if you have a specific style in mind so you can show a boot maker what you want. 

Last note, I don't consider the chicken buses from Chimaltengo to be safe so I usually don't ride that route... I know plenty of people who have ridden that route safely. I'll debate that in another post.

If you go to Pastores for boots leave a comment below so this post stays current and has other feedback.

chruch crypts

One of the other practices the Spaniards brought with them is the burial of the wealthy and influential patrons under the flooring of the churches.  

The deceased were buried under a dirt floor inside the crypt with lime and eventually moved into an ossuary in the same crypt. Coffins are not common and it was very rare to have a tombstone. 

The cathedral in the main park has some of the few crypts visitors may visit including one under a chapel that is currently used by mayan spiritual guides for ceremonies. Under the main altar, the remains of the conqueror Pedro they Alvarado and Bishop Francisco Marroquin are believed to have been buried. The remains are excavated in 1943 And put in a box in the local courthouse.

A beautifully excavated crypt is below the Santo Domingo church and has an exquisite mural painting from 1636. 

built from cacao money

fun fact.  there are about 26 catholic churches in one square kilometer [half a mile] that is considered the city of Antigua.  this is the cathedral at the central park [don't call it the square or the center - people will say they don't know what you are talking about] -  only a portion of it is still used.  like many ruins in Antigua, massive portions of the structure are left where they landed during the earthquakes.  

the architect who designed one of the rebuilds of the cathedral is credited with the ability of the superstructure to withstand additional earthquakes.  it provides a spectacular view of the sky on a clear day.

so, what does this have to do with cacao? one of the crops highly valued by the spaniards was cacao from which chocolate is made. much of present day guatemala was planted with cacao that was exported to spain. it is the cacao trade that funded the origninal cathedral. 

true devotion

there is a rich and vibrant history behind the processions during lent.  the reasons for these processions are in line with the catholic themes of introspection, devotion and penance.  what the processions have become are quite a distortion of those original concepts.  

participation today is based purely on economics.  participants carry the floats for a set distance [about a 1/2 mile].  the cost to participate is based on where during the route you carry [higher visibility areas cost more] and where on the float you stationed.

devotional is not a word i would use to describe this ritual.  the participants are on average as devotional as a two year old in church.  introspection? not when you can't put your cell phone down for your 20 minute shift.  penance?  yep, walking in the hot sun carrying a float that weighs up to 700 pounds is brutal.  

makes you wonder what would jesus say?

angels

then a saint

first the romans

day processions

night processions

going to a procession

cuaresma

lent.  it's been around for a long time - like 2000 years.  it is called cuaresma here.  most people know what ash wensday is but the significance here is amplified.  this year the begining of a time of austerity and internalization for catholics lands on a day otherwise known best for a celebration of lovers.  february 14. so a bit awkward.

mardi gras isn't really a thing here but they give lent a whole new meaning.

i haven't commented on this because i've been watching and trying to understand the unique relationship Antigua and Guatemala has with lent [cuaresma].  also, as an outsider it is really easy to see the rediculousness of the traditions.

when i first arrived i was creeped out by the veneration of the religious statues in the churches.  i'm not sure why, i grew up in the catholic church, i had been around them all my life.  maybe i have spent too much time in the east.  

these religious statues are kept year round is specific churches.  each week during lent there are processions as statues are moved from church to church or on sundays, they are just taken out for a really long walk.  so more on the processions next....

money, recrossing the border, navigation and rental car

$0.20 - twenty cents american

we ended up not changing any money as we were able to get around using our credit cards and american dollars.  i had filled the gas tank in guatemala so i wouldn't have to in Honduras and that worked out great.  we ended up with a few lempira notes as change for coffee in one shop [give them american dollars - they give you a really crappy exchange rate - you get change back in local money] 

driving back to the border the road had dried out enough in washed out places that traffic was moving quickly.  

we all had valid stamps for Guatemala in our passports and since we had not been stamped out [just stamped into Honduras] i drove past the immigration buildings and to the Guatemalan border gate.  i get challenged by someone in the car who was either just thinking out loud or wanted to go stand in more immigration lines.  i say let's see what happens and let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be.  it takes a minute for the guard to walk out of his shack and he lifts the gate and waves us through.  i shout a 'muchas gracias' and it was that easy.  i don't believe we did anything improper but remote border crossings are always unpredictable so someone else might have a different experience.  

the route we took back was not the same because of a navigation error.  i had fallen asleep in the back seat and when i woke up we were off route.  so, not a big deal but driving in remote areas does require both a skilled driver and some with navigation skills.  roads are poorly marked and google maps/waze was not 100% reliable.

when i return the rental car there is of course a final surprise, the contract is in US$ but when you return the car if you don't pay in US$ cash then they convert using a very bad exchange rate and charge your credit card at the much higher Guat quetzales rate.  this pissed me off because it's just a blantant rip off but i need the transaction to go on my cc for coverage reasons.  i told them i would dispute the added costs with my cc company - which i did because i had a contract in US$ and didn't pay the extra amount.

this was a great adventure and i had a wonderful time.  i hope that my travels take me back to Honduras.

violence in Honduras & Guatemala

this topic is toxic but this is my opinion  -  i try very hard not to make it worse than it is but to see it how it really is.

competition to be the most violent country in Central America is fierce.  the top contenders of the moment are El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.  Honduras has been in the news at the moment because of the violence and protests surrounding the recent elections.  in my time there i was cautious but did not see any evidence of violent crimes in the area i visited.

image from theindependent.co.uk

from my short time talking to people in Honduras there are bigger problems than the protests around the elections. it's the narcotics industry that is impacting the country.  due to flight logistics the major drug producing countries of south america need to land their planes in Honduras then move the drugs over land from there to the US.  hundreds of airstrips have popped up creating a new crop of narco warlords.

likewise, the same trends are visible in Guatemala as that money creeps north.  they aren't going to target expats or tourists but it is still possible to get caught in the crossfire.  

the narcotics industry and ultimately poverty are systemic problems that need to be addressed by sustainable economic solutions in developing countries.  

on security, i don't trust expats or other travelers because everyone's security experience, exposure and risk tolerance is different and just as important every culture has it's own nuances.

the real experts on the level of danger in a country are the insurance guys  [and the O&G sector]. they pay people to evaluate the social, political and economic stability of a country to make sure they aren't overexposed.  in my experience that list is far more valuable than what comes out of the state department in the US. 

asked recently by a Canadian about security in Guatemala this is what i said:

death, violent attacks and sexual assault - yes, it's possible but easy to minimize this risk by not going into the specific regions known to have high levels of related activities.  specific zones in Guat City and a few rural areas.

home property theft - yep.  expats are a big target here and the longer you live here the risk increases.  in my opinion, this is usually not random so it's just makes sense the longer you are here to more service providers will be in the house and it's just a matter of time.

street crime - more than most countries and being a gringo i know that i am a bigger target.  i minimize risk by carrying limited amounts of cash, don't wear expensive jewelry, expose my camera or phone on the street, carry technology [other than a phone] or walk alone after dark.  where i live it's easy and safe to use taxis/ubers after dark.  risk goes up during holidays.

in Guatemala i feel more safe here than in Africa, less safe than in Asia or the US.  still, the only place i have ever been robbed at gunpoint or had my home robbed is in the US.  

the place of tea and chocolate and vanilla

having navigated the border and washed out segment of the road to Copan, i get a lovely note from my Guatemalan phone provider - only $2 per minute for roaming in Honduras.  i only pay about $15 per month in Guatemala for my phone so this is not a welcomed note.  

it is just another 10 minutes to Copan.  my first stop is the tea and chocolate place  to meet up with the vanilla guy - David - that i was introduced to by the macadamian guy.  i get a tour of the vanilla experiment he is running and i'm not disappointed.  in fact, being a vanilla geek, i am shocked and amazed at the work he is doing.  vanilla is only native to mesoamerica so i was excited to see it in that environment.  instead of the hand pollination methods used elsewhere, he is cultivating the insects that naturally pollinate these flowers and getting very high yields.  i totally geek out about this amazing work he is doing [not just on vanilla but on other levels as well] in awe and humbled by how we all have such different ways to contribute to making our world a better place.

the tea and chocolate shop they run by his family is only open for a few hours in the afternoon but it is charming and rated very highly on trip advisor for a good reason.  the tea they give me is heavenly.

next we set off to find our accommodations.

off to Copan in Honduras

this is no short tale and will require multiple posts for the telling.  

there are currently two major sites that tell the story of the Mayan civilization.  the most well known is Tikal in the north of Guatemala which i previously visited on a different trip.  it was phenomenal and ignited my interest in the Mayan history.

the second site is Copan which is in Honduras just a few miles over the Guatemala border.  it's a bit of a trek but one i know i must do.  after much debate a few friends and i decide to rent a car and drive Antigua to Copan.  i'm as excited as a kid at christmas.  i got quite a bit of noise from both expats and locals who thought we were crazy to get a rental car and drive.  i hate when you tell someone about what you are going to do and they start projecting your fears onto you but i digress.  security and decision making is a different post.

there is a third, very exciting site emerging named El Mirador which still has limited access.

but there is a second reason i want to visit Copan.  there is a guy there growing vanilla.  when i was at the macadamian finca [Valhalla] Lorenzo had called him to introduce me because of my passion/fixation/experience with vanilla in Africa. 

the drive is fantastic... we avoid the traffic and an uncomfortable ride in a van and get to see a lot of the southern part of Guatemala just bursting with color ... until we hit the border.

i was expected by the vanilla guy so i was anxious to arrive but as we approach the Guatemala/Honduras border there is a very long [like 1 mile] line of semis [what we call 18 wheelers in the US].  after waiting a while and chatting up a bunch of miscellaneous people [did i mention none of us was fluent in spanish?] at the border we hear there is a washed out road on the the Honduras side causing delays.  what?  washed out roads in Honduras ... i expected it so i wasn't surprised.

being resourceful [like i think i am] i follow a tourist shuttle as it weaves in and around the semis to and over the border.  this is a good strategy and we avoid hours [or days] of delays.  

after driving on the wrong side of the road for a mile dodging oncoming traffic to the border, customs and immigration was for us no problem.  we parked, entered a building were 'fingerprinted',  stamped and paid our $3 in less than 10 minutes.  i say 'fingerprinted' because the machines don't work and i watched as the agents would eventually give up and stamp the passports and wave people through.  Honduras is part of a C4 coalition [guatemala, honduras, el salvador and nicaragua] which makes the borders less formal like in the EU.  except they all keep their own money - so we went in with american dollars to exchange not knowing exactly what to expect.  at the rental car agency we had paid $28 border fee for paperwork to cross the border with a car but no one wanted to see the documentation and we could have easily crossed the border without either a stamp or the car paperwork.  

turns out there was a spot on the Honduras side where where the road was washed out and they were using a massive tractor [like a front end loader] to pull the semis up the muddy hill.  i follow the tourist shuttle and make it up the muddy, rutted, washed out hill.  i don't recommend this for everyone.  i have years of experience driving off road in the mountains of Colorado in winter and driving in Africa.  that seems to be the right balance to be comfortable navigating in 3rd world countries. 

the biggest hassle was dealing with the car rental agency in Antigua [Budget] which was typical gringo BS but that is a whole different post.  

volcanos

so, this happened .....

there are almost daily eruptions from Fuego - the volcano to the west of Antigua - usually it is just a small puff so waking up to this created quite a buzz.  it was the day after the super moon so i wondered if that affected it.  

marketing in Guatemala

for both new and old expats in Antigua there is one thing that will always bring a smile to your face.  it's probably the best facebook page ever created.  it simply is ...  shit taped together at the bodegona

'For sharing of unique combinations of merchandise taped together at the Bodegona in Antigua, Guatemala for the scientific study of understanding the method behind the madness.'

no one understands why this store tapes miscellaneous stuff together but we all stop to look at what they are taping together.  recently we have...

buy rice and get a flashlight

buy a stencil and get honey

yes, this is my crazy life

wood delivery

it's cold here too!  Antigua is much colder - about 20 degrees - than the coasts because it's in a high valley.  so it's cold enough here to need a heater but they don't have any type of central heating.  if you don't have a fireplace it's blankets and soup.

the expats are all saying it is much colder this year so i guess it's a colder winter for everyone.  i'm not complaining as you can drive an hour to the coast or just out of the valley and it warms up very quickly.

angels in antigua

this fountain angel is just in front of the main cathedral in the central plaza of antigua.  there was a lot of decorating and lighting of the plaza for the holiday season.