It´s been raining a lot here in San Pedro but POURING higher in the mountains - landslides and flooding. I think it´s supposed to subside in the next day or 2. Tomorrow would be nice!

Syl and I spent the morning volunteering in the program for kids with disabilities. It was very interesting and basically resembled my worst nightmare for my own program - lots of kids and no help or money for supplies. As always, the kids were great and it was nice meeting and talking with the teacher.

The 1st photo is of my host family here in San Pedro: Roni, Pedro, Petrona, and Alejandra.

The 2nd photo is Syl and a local man heading up the hill from my house in the rain.

The 3rd photo is Syl in front of the program building, "Children of the Lake".

The 4th photo shows me helping Jose' wash the dishes after lunch - a great functional routine!

The last photo was taken from the ice cream shop where we waited out a huge downpour. Spirits were high, though! I guess you can count me in with the locals that it´s an experience worth smiling about.
Happy trails,
Stacey

San Pedro!!

A note on our blogs: It has become easier for Sylvia to use her photo cards on her Travelingrandma blog and for me to use my photos on this one. Consequently, you´re getting a more Stacey-oriented blog here and I don´t want you to miss Sylvia´s pictures, so check out www.travelingrandma.blogspot.com

The 5 photos in this edition are mostly from San Pedro (but the order is a little off). We didn´t take very many photos in Panajachel because it was too touristy for our tastes but I´ve included one (#2) of a wonderful, talented women named Juana we met on the street. Her talent for weaving was incredible and she agreed to pose for a picture since I bought a huipil from her (the gorgeous blue one I´m holding).

The 1st picture shows a very nice man who was gardening in his traditional clothes, the pants (usually capri length) rolled up above the knee. I engaged him in a conversation about the names of trees and he was gracious enough to let me take his picture - one of my favorites on this trip.

The next photo shows my classroom yesterday, a palapa cover with table and chairs with a view of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world - amazing. Sylvia´s spot had an even more incredible view and I think there are 10 similar spaces, all surrounded by gorgeous gardens. The gardener, Dolfino, is a wonderful anciano (very old man) and a prime example of why I´m learning to speak Spanish - to meet and enjoy conversation with folks like Juana, the happy guy in the shorts, and Dolfino.

The produce here is vibrant and beautiful; the 4th picture is an example from the San Pedro market a block from my house.

Sylvia and I spent hours walking on the narrow pathways that weave around this town. The man in shorts photo was taken on one and photo number 5 was taken from one as it hit a dead end by the lake. It shows a man working in his corn field with fisherman in boats just off shore. Enjoy!
Happy trails!
Stacey

Last adventures in Nebaj

The 5 photos in this batch represent our last adventures in Nebaj

First is a photo of me (Stacey) learning to make boxboles, the traditional food specific to this area. They are corn meal wrapped in squash leaves and boiled; you eat the leaves and all with picante sauce, very tasty.

Next is a photo I took of me with my host family; I´m the one on the right. :o) My host father is running for mayor of Nebaj. I told him everyone should vote for him because no one else could possible be more handsome. He announced to the family today that I´m returning to Nebaj next summer with my family and we´re going to live with them - news to me! What a joker, ja, ja, ja (that is Spanish for ha, ha, ha in case you did not know).

Syl and I hiked 7 or 8 miles yesterday up (and I mean UP) to a small village called Cocop. The 3rd picture is a view of the village from the hill above. The 4th is a woman and her daughter preparing a traditional meal for us, a savory soup with squash leaves, tomatoes, and eggs served with fresh tortillas. The last photo is the food. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed that meal!!!

Happy trails,
Stacey and Sylvia

Special places and occasions

We´ve done a lot more exploring and it was hard to select just 5 photos for today´s blog. Today we walked to 2 cemeteries with our teachers, an older cemetery with lots of above ground structures in startling colors and a newer one with fewer buildings and lots of wood and cement crosses in bright colors. The 1st photo shows my beloved teacher, Pedro, with a memorial to the victims of the military in the 80s. He said it´s wrong to call it a war, because a war is when 2 sides fight each for something. This was the military coming in with helicopters and weapons and murdering people who were not soldiers and who had no way to defend themselves; it was a holocaust.The ¨5th¨ picture didn´t post so I´ll try to add it at the top. Today we walked to 2 cemeteries with our teachers, an older cemetery with lots of above ground structures in startling colors and a newer one with fewer buildings and lots of wood and cement crosses in bright colors. The photo shows my beloved teacher, Pedro, with a memorial to the victims of the military in the 80s. He said it´s wrong to call it a war, because a war is when 2 sides fight each for something. This was the military coming in with helicopters and weapons and murdering people who were not soldiers and who had no way to defend themselves; it was a holocaust.

The 2nd photo is hilarious to me: dogs waiting with hungry looks in front of Carneceria Esperanza (Meat shop of hope).

Next is a sacred Maya site high on a hill above Nebaj, hidden in a corn field.

The 4th picture is of dancers representing the conquistadors; the costumes are fantastic and it´s an honor to be chosen to perform, but the point is more to make fun of the conquistadors than to reenact factual events. I enjoyed the marimba accompaniment, too.

Sylvia and I went on a guided 3-4 hour hike yesterday out through the country to see some of the waterfalls. The good parts were the exercise, the views of country homes and gardens, and the beautiful waterfalls. The downsides were pounding rain and roads lined with garbage. The 5th picture shows a waterfall tumbling into a corn field.

Our time in Nebaj is winding down. It may be a few days before we´re able to post again, but we´ll try when internet access becomes available.

Happy trails!
Stacey and Sylvia

Exploring Nebaj

We´ve taken time the last few days to explore Nebaj more, partly because we were looking for a bakery and an ice cream place we remembered and partly because it was sunny instead of rainy yesterday afternoon. Here are the pictures we selected for today: a typical street scene with a sign for a dentist that is blessed by God and guarantees his work (note the adobe wall near the sign, very common) and a photo, shot from the hip, of some young people ordering ice cream. We got a kick out of the huge basket and traditional clothes with the ice cream store backdrop. The 3rd picture shows Cecelia and Maria Linda, the mother and daughter in my host family, preparing dinner and laughing at my attempts to make round tortillas (I told them ugly tortillas taste just as good as perfect ones). The 4th photo is of Pedro, Stacey, Angelica, and Sylvia, in the country taking a break. The town of Nebaj is preparing for their big annual fair which begins this week-end. Today there was a political rally and a march of indigenas people carrying signs (lower right of photo) ¨We´re looking for Jose Efran Rios Monte for genocide¨. He was the president in the early 80´s when there were massacres in most of the villages in the highlands including Nebaj, where hundreds died. Others are carrying a huge quilt with squares representing those who died (none of them were soldiers, all innocent civilians). You can also see the banners they´ve put up for the fair. Enjoy!
Happy trails,
Stacey and Sylvia

More photos from Nebaj

At the top you´ll find a picture of Stacey and Pedro, a fascinating, articulate, opinionated Maya. He is an excellent teacher and I´m learning amazing things about Guatemala, the Maya, and the holocaust here in the 80´s. Sylvia is pictured with one of the girls in her host family in their kitchen. She is lucky to have an interested and interesting family. The 3rd photo is of a pig and a dog with my house in the background, followed by a woman (with her cat) doing laundry; picture was taken from the roof by our classrooms. The final photo is a detail of a beautifully embroidered huipil or traditional blouse. The geometric shapes and animals shown are only found on huipiles in Nebaj. Enjoy!
Happy trails,
Stacey

Syl´s 1st day of school