Antigua Weekend and El Fuego

Sunday February 8, 2015

I'm at the completion of my first week in Antigua and am realizing how much I've missed it.  Oh, yes, it's not quite as comfortable as the US.  The streets are cobblestone, there are lots of cracks in the sidewalks when there is a sidewalk to use.  But, oh how I love these people, the climate, the beauty!

Friday evening Linda and I had planned to go to the Children's Dinner.  It's part of a NGO (Non-Government Organization) program called Tess Unlimited, a charitable organization founded by a young woman from The Netherlands, Tessa De Goode de Ordoñez.  Who is Tessa?
We arrived at El Parque Central to be picked up by the shuttle to the dinner, which is done as a training program by Tessa's organization in order to teach children (ages 10-16) how to run a restaurant.  They learn how to buy food and supplies, cook and bake, serve tables, manage the operation including finances, and decorate and clean.  And, in addition, they learn enough English to prepare them to be employable when they go job hunting.

I spent a lot of time doing volunteer work when I was here last time, and hold Tessa and her volunteers from all over the world in high esteem.  However, when we arrived for the shuttle, we realized that the number of tourists wanting to experience the evening with the children outnumbered the number of reservations the foundation had received, so we gave up our seats.  It wasn't all bad!  We sauntered over to one of our favorite Antiguan restaurants, La Cazador Italiano (the Italian Hunter), a truly fabulous Italian restaurant, Guatemala style.  When my daughter-in-law and twin granddaughters visited me for 5 days when I lived here, we went to La Cazador two times; the food is that good!

Father and daughter shopping on
Friday afternoon.  Most Maya women and
girls still wear their traditional
clothing, different depending on which
pueblo one lives in

Maya ladies selling wares in the central park.  All community life
revolves around the park.  Every Friday evening there's a band
that plays for about three hours.

Linda and I with Luciano, owner of El Cazador Italianp

Saturday:

Saturday dawned beautifully and Linda had asked her good friend, Carmen, a lovely Guatemalan doctor who works as an administrator for the Peace Corps in Central America, to accompany us to lunch at a new hillside restaurant located outside Antigua in the pueblo of San Cristóbal.  We drove in Carmen's car (Linda doesn't have any desire to own and drive a car in Antigua) the short 20-minute ride to El Cerro de San Cristobal, the name of the restaurant.  

I'd planned to eat first, then walk around to take photos of this lovely eatery and location overlooking the valley below, including Antigua.  I was in for an interruption, or it may be better to say an eruption.  El Fuego, an active Guatemalan volcano, decided to let us know he's here!

View of the valley including Antigua from Cerro San Cristobal

Linda studying the menu in an outside dining room of El Cerro de
San Cristobal.  It's a beautiful location and buildings in the
traditional stone construction

Just about the same view from the restaurant a few minutes later

Clouds filled with ash

Ash on my pants

My partially finished quesadillas with ash!

All the diners abandoned their outdoor meals for
obvious reasons!

Car with significant request on windshield -
"Wash Me!"

Carmen letting folks know why her windshield is dirty!

El Fuego volcano has been almost continuously active for centuries. The "Volcano of Fire", some 3,763 meters (12,346 feet) high is famous for being almost constantly active at a low level. Steam and gas issue from its top daily, a larger eruption occurred in September 2012.  I was here for that eruption also; it was very impressive.

This is what El Fuego looks like almost
every day.  When I was first living in Antigua,
my bedroom window framed a perfect view of the
volcano.  I saw this nearly every morning
as I woke up!

September 2012.  Kari, my daughter, was visiting at the time.  It was
quite a memory-making experience!  El Fuego is located southwest of
Antigua about 15 miles.  Kari and I went to a restaurant to the west of El
Fuego during its several weeks of lava flow.

Finally I'll leave you with some more of Linda's beautiful house and artwork.

Lilies given to us by Carlos' family when they came
for dinner.  I've now had two Spanish lessons
and it's all coming back.

Wooden sculptures and a corner of an oil painting over
the fireplace

Sun streaming through the window this morning.  All of the yard
and house with its open construction is getting cleaned and dusted
today.  The ash is everywhere!

Remembering Why I Love Antigua

Friday February 6, 2015

2/4/15
I'm well settled in at Linda's beautiful house that's just south of the downtown area of Antigua (El Parque Central) about 8 or 9 blocks. She lives in a gated community, which often means mostly gringos live there; that's not true in Linda's community.  There are about 10 houses, owned by a few North Americans (USA and Canada), a couple of European households, and the rest are Guatemaltecos, some who live here all the time, and some who come from Guatemala City for the weekends and holidays.  As you would have noticed from the photos, each of the houses is its own compound within and compound.  There is a large park-like central area with shade trees, grass and lots of vegetation and flowers with all the walled compounds located around that central area.  The houses appear to be connected to one another, their exterior walls are.  But, none of the walls of the house proper are in any way connected to the external walls, so there's a lot of privacy and it's almost impossible to hear noises emanating from other residences.

Linda and I had lunch today with a very good friend I met two years ago when we were both here.  Tamra is a retired attorney who lives in Southern California, but travels a lot, like me.  I spent a couple of fun days with her last summer, sightseeing in the Sacramento area.

Great friend, Tamra, with me at
Doña Luisa restaurant

Linda returned from a week-long vacation in El Salvador on Monday afternoon and had gotten her dates mixed up.  She'd told me before I arrived that she'd planned a dinner party for my birthday, which was Tuesday, but she had invited friends for Wednesday.  So last night I was treated to a scrumptious and entertaining birthday dinner with Linda and my wonderful Guatemalan friends:  Carlos and Nancy, and their two daughters, Heisel and Shirli.

L to R:  Heisel (21), MP (72), Shirli (18),
and Nancy (40).  

L to R:  Heisel, Nancy, Shirli, Carlos (41), and Linda (60s) holding
Honey (3).  I love the entire Hernandez family; and, of course I
love Linda, whom I 'found' in Guatemala, and also found out we are
third cousins!

Linda with the girls - Linda met Nancy at Antigua's Christian Spanish
Academy (CSA) five years ago.  I met Nancy as my private tutor
in 2012.  I studied with her for quite a while.  Now she's back at the school;
so, while I'm here I'll be tutored by Carlos three mornings a week for
two hours each time.

My plate with a conservative portioning of a mild cream curry sauce with
pork and vegetables, a delectable rice pilaf, and lots of wonderful Guatemalan fresh
vegetables.  I love the carrots (sanahorrias) that come in many colors; I missed
serving myself a reddish purple carrot!

For the birthday dessert, Linda made the most fantastic pecan bars and served them warm with delicious vanilla ice cream.  My dessert even had a candle on it!  I was so looking forward to it I forgot to take a photo!

Over the course of the 18 months I lived here in Antigua, I made so many wonderful friends.  Nancy and Carlos' family are among my favorite people in the world! My first two-hour class will be at 8:30 tomorrow morning.  I'm already feeling more comfortable in my speaking ability, which seems to be coming back almost moment by moment; I can't wait to get back on the Spanish language wagon.  Nancy was my private tutor for about 8 months; however, it will be Carlos giving me lessons during this stay.

Today, Linda and I took it easy in the morning; I started a big pot of black beans with additions of lots of vegetables and seasonings.  Black beans are a staple of the Guatemalan diet; these won't be exactly traditional, but they'll be hearty and healthful.  Tonight we'll dig into the leftovers from last night and I love leftovers!

This noon I accompanied Linda to Hermano Pedro Hospital in town, where she volunteers 4-5 days a week.  Herman Pedro was a Spanish brother who came to Antigua with the conquistadores when they established Antigua as the first capital of Guatemala in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.  Hermano Pedro had instructions from the Spanish crown to build churches and a care facility for the indigenous Maya people.  He fell in love with these wonderful people and their plight in lieu of the treatment and terror rained upon this gentle culture by the conquistadores.  Hermano Pedro dedicated his life to the welfare of this gentle culture; he's now been canonized by the Catholic Church - the only canonized saint from Guatemala - a true hero.

Hermano Pedro Hospital has been in continuous operation since the 1600s.  Many of the buildings date from that time; this is true of many, many of the buildings in Antigua and surrounding pueblos.  Each day around noon, Linda goes into the little angel department [what we would call the "Pediatrics"] to assist the nurses with their duties and to give as much love as she can.  Many of the babies and children are hospitalized for months, and even permanently, after having been brought in as a result of severe malnutrition and other sometimes horrific maladies.  Malnutrition definitely isn't the extent of their health problems, so most have varying degrees of mental retardation and other chronic or disastrous physical anomalies.  Herman Pedro Hospital is completely free to anybody in need of care who shows up at their doors.

One of the hallways outside of various departments at Hermano Pedro.
Nobody in need is turned away

A Canadian contingent of Rotary International was at the hospital to give
25 patients a new wheelchair; the patients were thrilled.  Many of these
actually live at the hospital, going home, when possible, for holidays

Entrance to the "Little Angel" Department with
Heidi (pronounced A-E-DE) one of the nurses.
She's a very good friend of Linda's whose wedding
Linda photographed - all very traditional Maya

Linda with three of her babies; she's holding a new little girl.  In front of
her are from left, Hamilton and Robinson - not sure why they both have
traditional names.  Both boys are over two years old!  They're
definitely on the mend.

This is Kevin, a severely developmentally handicapped
boy who also suffered from severe mal-
nutrition.  He's almost three.

This is Dulcie, a severely malnourished little girl who's been
recently admitted.  Unable to eat, she's given tubal feedings.  She's
about six years old.

This is the nurses' station for the department, no computers here!

I post these pictures, some of which are distressing to view, because these are the lucky children.  Others are out in the pueblos being loved and cared for by their families, to the best of their abilities.  They either can't or do not know about the help they can receive at Hermano Pedro.  Also, it's very difficult for these poor people to leave their babies and children, which they must do in order to return to their other family members and work to provide food and shelter that's so necessary for their survival.

More of Linda's Home . . .

Sorry for the interrupted presentation of these beautiful photos.  If anyone has tips on posting series of photos, please let me know.  When I try to maneuver them, they jump to the beginning of the post and don't stay where I put them!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I didn't bring a camera with me on this four month adventure; all photos are taken using my iPhone!

Another yard garden off the living room and
dining room.  See the wall that encloses the entire house
and yard

Not huge, but oh-so-workable kitchen with modern interspersed with
traditional Mayan decor

This was taken at 2 in the afternoon - love it!

View of front doors from courtyard

Linda's bedroom with a commissioned oil painting by
Lauro Salas, a Guatemalan artist

Walkway from entry to all rooms of the house

Linda's office and sometimes 2nd guest bedroom

Door from walkway into kitchen

Official guest bedroom - mine while I'm here!

Linda's Home, Continued

This is the interior courtyard / living room

Comfortable seating while enjoying the
beautiful climate

This is Lola, Linda's beloved wooden
hand-crafted lady, who's life unfolds to guests
with love and mystery

Now inside the house - the dining room and glimpse of
kitchen.  Linda is one of the world's foremost
cooks and hostesses

Yes, even a lovely fireplace that's never needed for warmth, only
atmosphere

Indoor living room - kind of - see open doors and windows

Living room view of outdoor living room!

Magnificent Maya fiesta dance - in oil

Antigua, Guatemala and Casa Linda

February 3, 2015

A beautiful Antigua morning, the Land of the Eternal Spring, and what a way to celebrate my birthday!  I feel so blessed.

Street view of Cousin Linda's casa, Antigua - the yellow one in the
foreground

What is inside those austere walls is a secret paradise. View from
inside the front door

The house, like most here, is built around at least one interior courtyard

Flowers bloom all year long in this tiny spot of paradise,
growing in the ground and even from trees and buildings

Growth is never stunted in this temperate climate.  I know this as the "shrimp
plant"

Oh, the colors of life of the fauna

Más colores

This is Honey, Linda's beloved kitty

I'm going to post photos in separate posts, as I'm having a devil of a time adding hem in any kind of proper sequence.

To be continued . . .     

I'm Back!!!

Monday, February 1, 2015

Long overdue in posting, I'll try to connect the dots of my traveling adventure of a life for the past few months.  For now, here's the story of my day Sunday.  Then, I'll make an effort to at lest make some sense of my adventures.

For now, I'll say that I left California in mid-November for Cozumel, Fort Lauderdale, Celebrity cruise ship Infinity, points in between, and Valparaíso, Chile, and Antigua, Guatemala.

Valparaíso, Chile to Antigua, Guatemala

Up before the crack of dawn yesterday, I was leaving the beautiful city of Valparaíso, Chile; truth be told it was 3:50 am to be exact, which is called the “madrugada” in Spanish.  I’d bought a bus ticket for the trip directly to the airport in Santiago; the only direct bus each day leaves the bus terminal in Valparaíso at 5:20 am!  My flight wasn’t until 12:20 pm but it was worth the effort not to have to go into Santiago and then hire a taxi, or whatever, to get to the airport on time for departure.  I arrived at the beautifully modern airport at about 7 hoping that the Copa Airlines check in would be open.  No such luck!  So, I schlepped my two bags around while I had breakfast and sat in the main airport waiting area.  Copa Airlines opened at about 9, and even though I’d been there so early, there was an instantaneously-formed long line for the ticket-check-in counter.  This is the time when I’m always happy I arrived with time to spare; that part of the day lasted over an hour!

From there I was happily unencumbered and walked through the many duty-free and airport concession stores.  I’d been reading a novel (in Spanish) at Santiago’s, but left it there unfinished, so I bought a novel to continue what I’ve found to be an immeasurable aid to learning Spanish vocabulary - especially slang.  Again, let me say this airport is about as modern as any I’ve seen; it’s a pleasure to simply walk around and enjoy the sights.

Both of my flights were on Copa Airlines, and each was on a brand new plane, both of which were gorgeous.  Both flights included free snacks drinks, and meals that were tasty and well presented.  On the 7-hour flight from Chile to Panama there were TV /  movie screens at each seat with ongoing programs during the entire flight.  I guess I’m really learning that even though I believe I live in the world’s greatest country, other countries are catching up rapidly.  Copa Airlines is just one such proof.

On the two-hour layover in Panama City, which by the way, I hardly recognized from my visit there a little over ten years ago, I sauntered through the shopping arcade with the likes of Ferragamo, Valentino, MAC, Prada, Chanel, Hermes, etc. boutiques.  No, I didn’t buy anything but I certainly had a great time looking.  I’d been very impressed with the looks of Panama City as we circled around to land at the airport; I’d visited there a little over ten years ago and had found the metropolis bedraggled, crumbling, and dirty.  Now, it appears to be loaded with fancy skyscrapers, clean, white sandy beaches, and its really spectacular airport.

From Panama I flew to Guatemala City on another new, but smaller, Copa jet, arriving in Guatemala City exactly on time.  As I walked off the plane and through the international airport to the customs and baggage area, I quickly knew I was in Guatemala, a poor country.  The airport is functional but severely without decor and / or the accoutrements of the earlier described Latin American facilities.  Because telephones aren’t available in the airport, I only hoped my ride to Antigua would be outside when I walked out.  For several minutes I searched the crowd that is always congregated outside, but I couldn’t see Eldín, my friend from my last sojourn in Antigua.  Then, all of a sudden there he was, all smiles and ‘holas.’  His new van was parked only a short distance away; in less than 10 minutes we were on our way to Antigua, some 25-30 miles.

One of the first things I noticed, both in the airport and with Eldín, was that my Spanish starting coming back very quickly.  Although I’d loved my stay in Chile, the language was difficult for me to understand and my ability to go back and forth between English and Spanish isn’t so good.  Additionally, many, many people in Chile speak English to varying degrees of fluency, so I didn’t get the practice I would have liked.  So many other aspects of life in Chile were pleasant, I left the language improvement for Guatemala!

I encountered lots of practice time right from the get go.  Airport employees, etc. do not often speak English; when we have to, Spanish abilities come back rapidly!  I’d even given Eldín English lessons when I lived here two years ago, but, of course he’s forgotten most of it and I wanted to Speak Spanish.  By the time we arrived at Linda’s new house in Antigua, I was beginning to think in Spanish, always a good sign in terms of getting back into it!  

We arrived at about 10:30 pm, ending a very long travel day of almost 20 hours, including a three-hour difference in time.  Linda is in El Salvador, returning home tonight; but her friend, Nancy, a Canadian lady who has lived here for years, was kitty-sitting for Honey, Linda’s beloved cat.  I remember when Linda picked Honey out of a litter of kittens at Bodagona, Antigua’s only sudo-supermarket.  Like many supermarket-style stores in Latin America, Bodagona sells everything but the kitchen sink, so to speak.  In the animal feed department there’s often kittens and puppies for sale and often for give away.  Linda picked Honey out and has loved her in the way only an American lady can for the last almost three years.  Honey was here with Nancy to greet me, and spent most of my first night sniffing all the wonderful aromas of my two bags - lots of Lacy and Eleanor odors, in addition to whiffs of Mexico, Florida, the cruise ship and Santiago’s condo.  It really kept her busy, and I enjoyed having a pet around me, although it reminded me how much I miss Lacy and Eleanor.

Linda’s new house is spectacular, a truly authentic Antigua casa; each room of the house is located off a central garden / patio, in the traditional indoor-outdoor living people enjoy here in the “Land of the Eternal Spring.”  The weather is essentially the same throughout the year, except that there is a rainy season that lasts for about 3-4 months, when it rains every single afternoon, then returns to the lovely 70s the rest of the day.  The evening and night temperatures are usually in the 60s.

I’ve missed Guatemala; I guess we never know how much we love a place until we go away and then come back.  The air smells like flowers, the humidity brings out the curls (and frizz) in my hair, Antigua’s cobblestone streets with its buildings’ plain facades, opening to untold beauty of the compound-like homes.  Linda’s home is loaded with authentic Guatemala furnishings and art work, including a plethora of her own magnificent photography work adorning walls throughout.  Of course, one of the proofs that Linda and I are actually cousins is that when I wandered into her kitchen, there, displayed prominently, are her cookbooks, so many of which I have in my own collection.  I’ve not had access to mine since I’ve been living my nomadic life, so I spent a couple of hours this morning just refreshing my memory with some of my favorite cookbooks.  Neither Linda nor I use cookbooks only for cooking;  we both totally enjoy simply reading them from cover to cover; during that time, we can mentally ‘taste’ the wonderful concoctions the author has developed in his / her printed recipe.

I just know I’m going to have a fabulous time here.  Today is only the beginning.  The Mayan housekeeper was here today, working quietly and cheerfully throughout the morning and early afternoon.  Also, the fish monger came after noon on his weekly visit to offer the most delectable  treats from the Pacific; each week he offers the freshest and most beautiful fish and seafood that the ocean has to offer.  Today I purchased a beautiful white fish, the name of which escapes me at this moment, and ten of the most incredibly large, fresh and delectable giant shrimp you’ve ever seen.  The only place I’ve ever seen the likes of these has been in San Francisco Chinatown, and there only very rarely.  Now, I have to return to cookbook perusing to come up with some fabulous creations with my purchases.