Goin' to Antigua, Guatemala

I was able to catch a ride one day to Antigua with a friend of mine. The drive takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic, but I wanted it to last longer because I could stare at those mountains for hours...

Getting through town is no easy task - If it looks like the angle of my picture is offset, you might be right, but the roads are curved and look more like ditches to me... Look closely and you can see that the road is handmade with cobblestones (and the roads stretch for probably 10 miles around the city). This makes for a pleasent scene on foot, but also an awefully bumpy car ride:

The center of the city contains a beautiful park

that acts as a rest area for visitors as well

as a gather place for live music and art vendors.

(above: Markets are common in every town,

but the one in Antigua is exceptionally

big - Volcan de Agua adds to its grandur.)

Antigua was the second location of the nations capitol city. The first was destroyed by a gaint mudslide that started on the side of a Valcano. Antigua was partially demolished by a great earthquake. Luckily, some of the beautiful architecture (built by Mayan slaves for Spanish conquitadors), still stands today.

Late night in this city is magical. Tourists (mostly gringos[Americans]) and chapinas[Guatemalans] congregate in mass number around tasteful dance clubs, cantinas, or the central park to enjoy good converstaion and good company.

My favorite pub (pictured below), contains lots of space to relax(two floors), hammocks, cheap rooms for rent, and even a shrine that preserves the Mayan cultural experience.

Here my friends have gathered for a couple of pints at another well known cantina... full of gringos. My host-brothers are the one with the white shirt and the one with the red vest. The other two guys are part of my pueblo: Andres (Andrew) and Juan (John)... team San Bartolomé!



Home again home again, jiggity jig...



So- as much as I miss Bojangles cajun chicken biscut combo with french fries and sweet tea, topped with an outer swirl of ketchup and an inner swirl of texas pete hot-sauce - I'm still really excited to be here to experience this adventure.

It has been a month and a half since I left the country, and I feel like I've learned soo much from these people. Their open kindess has no match in the fast paced technologically developed society I came from. I still have a lifetimes worth of Spanish to learn and I haven't even chipped off the top of the iceburg (I don't even have any idea how to say iceburg - something I probably won't need anyway).

So I'll keep everyone posted as much as possible... and thanks to everyone who's stopped by to check this out: hope you get something from it. Till next time, Adios!

p.s. My dog had puppies (pictures on the next post!).

Just Catching Up

Check it out! Volcan de Pacaya is the biggest I've seen so far - and also the most intimidating - as it is currently categorized as one of the three 'active' volcanoes in Guatemala.

Note: There are 33 volcanoes here and more are developing every day. Guatemala is at a point where three tectonic plates collide. Our world is ALIVE!





Before we ventured to Volcan de Pacaya we made a trip to visit the tourist attraction of Lake Amatitlán. Unfortunatly the beauty that this place has to offer is overshadowed by its overwhelming enviornmental problems: Flavio Linerez (the director for the environmental sector of the Peace Corps) explains this to our group.







The lake recieves water from surrounding rivers and streams that contain all kinds of pollutants: agricultural, industrial, and commerical wastes.











As my co-worker Andrew explains: "... as result, the water has extremely high levels of nitrogenous compounds, phosphates, and mercury. The entire lake is in a dramatic state of eutrophication. The flow of raw sewage and agricultural agents has stimulated a choking growth of algae, blocking the sun. As the plants in the lake died, the process of decay consumed oxygen, devastating animal populations. There are still fish in the lake, enough to attract a few little green herons and great and snowy egrets, but the ecosystem is far out of balance.

Here you can see a school of minnows struggling to receive light through the curtain of algae that coats the lakes surface:















Snowy egrets perch atop small boats and rafts meant to serve the needs of tourists.











We continued to Volcan de Pecaya to view the condition of eco-tourism at a fellow Volunteer's work site.
















This is a beautiful view from the side of the Volcano. One of the many rest stops on your journey to the top.

This park is split between three different Municipalities. This makes it very hard to gain permission for projects that would benifit the park.

Fortunatly this is a place where you can find a fair amount of well trained guides that will provide information from a cultural and geological perspective.



On the hike back to the base of the Volcano:












Tourists are approached by a barrage of unhealthy looking young boys (who should be in school) peddling walking sticks to make extra money for their families.

At the volcanoes small dining facility we were solicited by a good number scraggly looking dogs who have figured out that tourists are easy pickings for their next meal. It becomes apparent that with the help of the local communities changes could be made to help this park generate much more income. If the municipalities governing the park agreed, these communities could benefit from the income and keep many Guatemalans from poverty.



After seeing the changes that could be made in a couple of Guatemala's parks, I was glad to get back to my host-family - and specifically my perro (dog) named 'Dokkie' who I hope never changes.