The highest I have ever been

We started out at 10,000 feet. That is where the bus dropped us off. While we waited for the rest of our fellow hikers, I pulled out my GPS and we were at exactly at 10,000 feet. So we had that going for us.

When everyone arrived, we departed on what was about a 3000 feet climb that would take roughly 4 hours. We started off on a dirt road, following it until we arrived in a big grass field with no real discernible trail. We had another volunteer with us who had done the hike twice before (a fellow Vandal actually) and told us that we just had to cross over the two ridges we saw in the distance. After these two ridges lies Volcan Tajamulco, our destination.

We hiked along slowly, inching our way towards camp. I could definitely feel the effects of the altitude; my lungs were burning as I hadn’t felt before. I wasn’t dizzy or nauseous, but deep breaths were not coming easily.

After about 4 or 5 hours of hiking, we arrive at camp (13,100 feet) and are greeted by roughly 30 Guatemaltecos, some of whom we had encountered on the way up. One in particular was drinking Gallo, the Guatemalan beer of choice, and tossing his cans on the trail as he went. When we came upon him and his group earlier they had built a fire for lunch on the side of the trail and were walking away with it still lit. When he was asked why he didn’t put the fire out, he told us that this isn’t California and it isn’t hot enough to have a big fire. Needless to say, not the brightest guy in the world. Unfortunately, we would be sharing a campground with some other folks of about the same intelligence level.

We made camp, gathered wood, tried to get warm and finally had a nice hot meal of chicken quesadillas and black beans and rice. After we ate, we all wanted to get to our tents and into our sleeping bags as quickly as possible. We planned on making our summit at 4 am, to be on top for the sunrise. We headed to our respective tents at about 8:30, ready to crash. Good and tired after a long hike and full of warm food, plus a splash of rum in my hot chocolate, I expected to fall asleep immediately. However, I did not factor in the drunk guys outside of our tent. Our wonderful neighbors were up talking loudly, playing music from their phones (a favorite pastime) and making a ruckus until about 11. Then again at 2 am, they were up cooking and talking, shouting and playing music. When 4 rolled around, I had neither the energy nor the motivation to get out of my sleeping bag and really did not want to see any of our neighbors.

I convinced myself to get out of my bag, put on a couple layers of clothing and headed out into the darkness at 4:30 am. With headlamps we trudged along, step by step for the last 700 feet up to the summit. We got separated from our group and climbed a hill that I would like to think of as the second highest point in Central America. Finally, from there we found our way and made it to the true summit, Volcan Tajamulco the highest point in Central America (13, 854 feet). The view was amazing, the wind was cold and we hung out for about half an hour, eating, taking pictures and complaining about the cold until we made our way down. Well worth the trip.

A view of the peak.

Countryside below on the way up.

Our group.

Katie and I at the summit.

A great view of the volcanos, one of which is smoking.

Another volcano.

View after the sun came out.

On the way down.

Still working our way down.

An empty field on the way down.

Katie, "going rogue" like our good friend Sarah Palin. If you look closely you will see that Katie is sporting a Rogue hat, not of the Sarah Palin ilk, but more of the Dead Guy Ale type. She thought that having a photo of her wearing this hat on the highest point in Central America may garner some good favor (free beer) with the folks at Rogue Brewing Company. Well, we forgot the hat on our summit, but decided to take a photo anyways. So, yes, this is the highest point in Central America.

Todos Santos

Drunken horse riding is no joke.

In Guatemala there is no real celebration of Halloween like there is in the States, however, there is All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos during which they honor the saints and also their relatives who have passed away. As you can see from my blog around this time last year, where I lived when I first came to Guatemala celebrates the event by constructing enormous kites. This year we headed out to northwestern Guatemala, the department of Huehuetenango, to the town of Todos Santos. Todos Santos is located in the Cuchumatanes mountain range and is a beautiful setting in the Guatemalan highlands. In this almost purely indigenous town the men still wear the traditional garb, unlike the greater part of Guatemala where the women will still wear the traditional clothing but the men will not. Although it was not Halloween, one definitely could have thought they were dressing up, as the clothing is very bright and includes chaps and a hat. They wear this clothing year round though and it is recognized that anyone wearing this traje is a Todo Santero.

In Todos Santos there were no giant kites similar to those in Santa Maria Cauque. The celebration here manifests itself in a horse race on the morning of November 1^st. The race is more a test of endurance rather than your typical horse race. There is a fenced in track of about 150 yards on which selected men will ride their horses back and forth, in an all out sprint. The feat is no small one, as it gets very crowded on the small track and wrecks are common (although there was only two that I was aware of). The men are aided in their courage by drinking large amounts of alcohol; before, during and one would surely assume after the race. During the actual riding, many of the men ride with no hands on the horse, demonstrating their bravery to the curious onlookers. How and if a winner is determined is unknown to me, as we were only able to stick around for a couple hours in the morning. The event attracts tourists worldwide and this year even the US Ambassador to Guatemala, Stephen McFarland was spotted in the crowd. We also saw some photographers from Reuters there documenting the event for their news organization.

The town itself was an incredible place and it amazed me to see how much diversity exists in Guatemala’s ecology. As we left in the back of a pickup on Sunday, we were bundled up and even covered with a tent rainfly for part of the trip, however, less than two hours later we arrived in the city of Huehuetenango and it was extremely warm, in an almost desert setting unlike the pure mountain climate we had just left. The different climates that exist in such a small area are one of the many things that make Guatemala unique. The event in Todos Santos is one that I am definitely glad I attended and is one that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Chiantla, outside of Huehuetenango before you begin the climb into the highlands. The landscape looks a bit like Idaho to me.

The view as we climb....

....and climb.

Katie makes fast friends with a Todo Santero gentleman.

Here the racers congregate with the men of importance in the pueblo. This was also the starting point for the race.

A drunken rider.

Too fast for my camera.

And they're off!

Here, Katie turns a blind eye to the race, trusting me to tell her when the horses are getting too close for comfort. Did I tell her?

All is well that ends with a peanut butter cookie.

Un Año

In November of 2008, I arrived here in my site. As I approach November 2009, a lot has changed. When I first arrived work was short, my Spanish was noticeably slower and less advanced, and I had very few acquaintances outside of the members of my association. I can’t believe that a year has passed already and now as I look at my calendar full of work, visitors and trips I know that the coming year will pass even faster. Evaluating where I am today compared to last year, it is an entirely set of different circumstances. My work is abundant, my Spanish is much better and I have numerous friends in my town and others nearby.

As I look back on the first year of service I can see what I have achieved here and still have a lot that I want to accomplish. There have been projects that have been very successful and others that have not been. I am working towards finding ways to ensure that those projects which have been successful continue to be once I leave. The phrase to describe this idea is one of the buzzwords here and in Peace Corps worldwide: sustainable development. How can a volunteer work to make certain that the progress achieved does not fall off once he or she leaves? It is a difficult question and one that I am certain all of us struggle with daily. We are here as facilitators, helping others to achieve rather than doing for them or giving things away. This is easier said than done, but it is something that can be done if both the volunteer and the person being helped approach the problem correctly.

Living and working in another culture has been a great experience thus far. Although there have been frustrations, setbacks and barriers; there have also been numerous occasions where I have learned, taught or had the chance to experience something completely new. The good times definitely outweigh the difficult ones. Work here is unlike anything I have ever done, at times very slow and at other times only kind of slow. Actually, my days here are now pretty well filled, there are days when I leave my house at 7:30 am and don’t get back until 6:00 pm. While that may not be an extremely long day, when you add in the fact that you are speaking in another language the entire time and walking miles and miles; it can be both mentally and physically exhausting. In a good way though.

Certainly, I can look at my time here thus far and know that I made the right choice in coming here. There have been times when I have felt differently, but it has been a great experience and I look forward to the challenges that my second year will bring.

Guatemalan Independence Day...one day early

The day began as most days in Guatemala do….waiting. We were supposed to all meet at the school at 7 am, on the road to the school at 6:45 I encountered some parents waiting who told me that the teachers had not yet arrived and we would be leaving through this road anyways, so rest and wait here. I did, expecting the teachers to arrive shortly and roughly an hour and a half later they did. When they arrived with 2 Toyota pickups we all piled in the back—the backs of these pickups are equipped with racks allowing everyone to stand up and also fit an extraordinary number people in them—and headed out for the day.

The trip was with an elementary school I work with in canton El Naranjo. They invited me to join them on their field trip for the 14^th of September. The 15^th is Guatemalan Independence Day and the day before seems to be the day that all of the schools get out to run around and have a good time. Here is how it went:

We leave El Naranjo in the pickups, about 40 of us in two pickups and make the 45 minute trip into Santa Cruz del Quiche. Once in town we head to Comedores Solidarios, a government subsidized nutrition program where you can purchase breakfast for 1Q—about 12 cents. The breakfast consists of beans, plantains, a small roll of French bread and a small “pan dulce” which is sweet bread with a bit of lard and sugar sprinkled on top (“It’s the lard that makes it so delicious”—another nugget of Guatemalan wisdom from the one and only David Castillo, our tech trainer). The one thing they do not provide is tortillas, which can be purchased across the street at 4 tortillas for 1Q and any way you cut it you will not find a cheaper breakfast.

One of the pickups, loaded down with folks on the way home.

After we finish eating, we load back up and head out to Balneario Pachitac, a small park with swimming pools about 5-10 minutes outside of Quiche. As we drive out to the park, we see many trucks, buses and vans crammed with students heading back to Quiche. As we pass them the kids yell, wave and generally just behave like kids. As we pass one especially large truck they began squirting us with water and suddenly I was hit in the face with a sandwich bag full of water. Everyone in the truck was wet and laughing, thinking of how we could get some water to be able to fight back. Shortly thereafter we arrive at the park and while there was more than one pool, all of them were overrun with kids. Except the deep end of the largest pool which was relatively free of people. In the deep end there is a platform for people to dive off of. I stand watching people dive when I notice that there is a rope hanging from the platform. I soon discover what it is for when one of the divers (not really diving, more jumping I guess) puts the loop around his hand as he prepares to jump in. As soon as he hits the water, he comes back up, pulls the rope tight and uses it to pull himself back to the safety of the side of the pool. There it is, the Guatemalan life preserver for those who cannot swim, which is definitely the majority.

We leave the park and head back to Comedores Solidarios for lunch—3Q. After lunch we go to Gumarcaaj, the Mayan ruins outside of Quiche. As we approach the ruins there are buses, trucks and vans parked along the road for a mile or so. It seems that all of the schools in the area went to the park and then to the ruins. We park and walk into the ruins, briefly exploring them before the main event of the day: the running of the antorchas. This is the same event that took place in an earlier blog for the school anniversary, diesel fueled torches and this time we would be covering a much further distance while running with them. Also, it is not just the group that I was with who take part in this. All of the schools have this event, along with the fireman, police, hospital workers, and what appeared to be almost all Guatemalans within the vicinity. The kids get into groups, light one torch, prepare their banner and take off. We run out of the park and towards Quiche, all of the adults and kids running with the pickups following behind. Once we are near Quiche, we implement a system of having one group of kids run then switching to another once that group was tired. Those who were waiting would follow in the pickup. As we approach Quiche I am in the pickup. Now as we come in from the ruins into the city, there are quite a few students and people lining the roads. As each group of runners and vehicles passes, the onlookers are grabbing cups, buckets, hoses and whatever they could get their hands on to soak them with water. Especially when we get into town, there are people on top of their roofs waiting with buckets of water to soak us. I am wet from head to toe as we come into town. I believe that given that I am a “canche”, have a beard and am about a good 6 inches taller than the average Guatemalan male and was riding in the back of a pickup full of elementary school kids; I was a target. I heard the laughs and cries of satisfaction as they pelted me with water. I like to think that I really made some Guatemalans’ dreams come true when they got a chance to soak the gringo. Just giving back in any way I can.

At the ruins with the kids, teachers and parents.

The kids running out of the ruins with the antorchas.

Approaching the plaza and church in Santa Cruz.

Lighting all the antorchas before heading into town.

The objective of the running of the antorchas is to make it back to your canton, running the entire way. Well, in true Guatemalan fashion we are way behind schedule and will be arriving very late if the kids run the whole way. Our driver, thankfully, tells everyone that he is cold from getting soaked during the drive and wants to get home before dark. We load up and resume the running about a half mile outside of Chujuyub, about another 15 minutes of running to Naranjo. As it is getting late, I hop off the pickup, stop by the tienda to buy some eggs and head home for the evening.

It was definitely one of the best times I have had here in Guatemala. The best part was that the parents of the kids who came along seemed to be enjoying it as much if not more than the kids. They stopped and bought bags of water so we could fight back, they were taunting the people were lining the streets and looking for cars with open windows passing by that we could target. As a vehicle approached, one of the parents would alert everyone and tell them to prepare their water. The kids seemed to be having the time of their lives and I was really happy to be able to take part in it.

It was a long day and 12 hours of a Guatemalan elementary school field trip is something that I can now mark off of my list of things to do.

No visitors for one year....

And then 2 within 3 days. Andrew went home on Tuesday and then on Friday, my cousin Stephanie was passing through on her way to language school in Nebaj and numerous other adventures during a 6 week trip. In her short stay here we were able to do some hiking, eat some good food and just enjoy the relaxing lifestyle that living in the middle of nowhere provides. A few pics from Stephanie’s couple days here…

Stephanie and I before we began our descent back to town.

Main Street Chujuyub...in all of its glory.

Katie and Stephanie playing Frisbee in a field after lunch.

This Blog is brought to you by Andrew Miller, Pollo Campero and the number 5

So, I have been here in Guatemala just over a year. I arrived last August 13^th and didn’t actually begin my service until November 1^st and although I have over a year of service left I have been living in Guatemala for over a year. With that said, I have not had any visitors thus far so when my brother Andrew came to see me over the last couple weeks it was a good experience for both of us…I hope.

Andrew arrived with numerous gifts, one being a laptop on which I am writing this very blog. This laptop will make my life much easier, as I am beginning to find a need for typing up lesson plans, reports, handouts for the schools, etc. Also, there is a fast food restaurant in nearby Santa Cruz del Quiche, Pollo Campero, which offers free wireless. This makes getting podcasts, checking email and all the finer things the internet offers more accessible. When Andrew arrived we were in Antigua for a short time and then headed to my site. Andrew stayed with me for a few days, had the chance to meet some of the kids at the school I work with, meet a couple families that I work with and see how life in the Guatemalan countryside goes.

After staying at my place for a few days we headed out. Our first stop was Gumarcaaj, some Mayan ruins outside of Santa Cruz del Quiche. These ruins were the home of the Quiche Mayans and were the site of the battle between Tecun Uman and Pedro de Alvarado in 1524. We wandered around for a couple hours and went into a cave, outside of which there was a Mayan ceremony being performed. Unfortunately, we were a couple minutes late; as we walked up a woman was dripping the blood of a chicken’s freshly slit throat onto a fire.

After the ruins, we continued on to Chichicastenango and the artisan market there to buy souvenirs and gifts for family. From there we continued on to Katie’s site and Andrew was introduced to the one and only Hendrick, Katie’s host brother. They became fast friends and Hendrick took over Andrew’s Ipod Touch for a couple days, playing games.

After leaving Katie’s, we headed to Lago Atitlan for some leisure time. On Saturday, we went to a eco park above the lake for some ziplining with some other volunteers. One of the ziplines was 400 meters long and 200 meters off of the ground. It was good times.

After the lake, we headed back to Antigua for a couple days, hiked an active volcano (of which Andrew has all the photos) and then Andrew headed home. It was a fast trip and we were able to see a lot of Guatemala in a short time. Andrew was able to experience chicken buses, comedores, markets, paca and pretty much all that comes with living in Guatemala. Thanks to him for bringing everything down; between the computer, scotch and books my time has become much more enjoyable.

Andrew and I at Cafe Sky in Antigua.

I quickly discovered that much like your average Guatemalteco, Andrew has the ability to fall asleep just about anywhere in under 3 minutes. Here he is sleeping on a bus.

Here Andrew is above the house of a man I am working with in one of the cantones near my aldea, Don Lolo. We are working to make a demonstrative garden using all organic methods to show people in surrounding cantones what can be accomplished.

Of course I had to take Andrew to meet my friends Don Pedro and Dona Tina. We had lunch, chatted and just hung out for a couple hours with these folks. After lunch, we were relaxing outside when Andrew walked by their dog, La Mancha (spot in Spanish), and they noticed he was a bit afraid. This is completely normal, as the dog is huge and they keep him on a short leash next to the chicken coop to ward off intruders. Well, they thought it was funny and next thing you know, they want Andrew to have a picture with the dog. Andrew obliged and it was a good laugh for everyone.

Here Andrew is at one of the altars in the cave at Gumarcaaj.

Andrew, spreading the Frisbee skills worldwide.

Andrew and I preparing to zip on a line.

The ziplining group, L to R, Charlotte, Sara, Kayla, Andrew, myself and Katie

Andrew diving into Lago Atitlan.

Schools

(Disclaimer: This blog was started about two months ago and just now is being published. My bad)

Lately the schools that I work with have been taking up more and more of my time. This is a good thing. I really enjoy working with the kids and they seem to enjoy it also. There are always the constant reminders that I am working with 15 year old kids--for example, they decided that they wanted to work on the garden at 5 am one morning. I show up at 5, wait until 5:30 head home and then come back to find them working away at 7. They of course tell me that they were there right at 5 and when I explain I was there it suddenly becomes 5:30 and then when I say I was there till 5:30, it becomes 5:35. Maybe the time frame is more of a chapin issue than a 15 year old kid issue.

Anyways, it is going well and at the end of the week, they invited me to join in a celebration of the anniversary of their school. They mentioned torches, but not many other details. I show up Friday at 5 and we begin to walk out of town, about 3 miles where everyone convenes. We have all the kids (about 90 or so), teachers, various members of the community and all the recent alumni there for the social aspect. A truck with a generator, amp and two enormous speakers blasts ranchero and banda music, along with the classic "What is Love" from SNL fame. This noise is also competing with the school band and all of the students chanting, talking, yelling, etc. And of course the torches. It seems that the school has a tradition of having the kids construct torches with empty cans tied to a stick and then filled with diesel soaked rags. Keep in mind this is a school sponsored event so safety is top priority.

The banner of the school, specifically the secondary school. The school itself has been around for some 40 years or so, but the secondary school has only been here for about 7 years according to the teachers.

Lynch mob? Luckily no, the gringo lives to see another day. This is where we all met up to start the march back to town.

Here one of the students, Lester, reignites his antorcha. Yes, that is a water bottle filled with diesel fuel. The other student behind him was helping to light another torch before this when I noticed that his hand was soaked in diesel, which seemed a bit dangerous to me but he didn't seem too worried about it when I mentioned it.

The school band, part of the marching brigade to town.

A view of most of the torches from a hillside.

Good times with diesel fueled fire.

Rough Commute

One of the many things I appreciate about Guatemala is the simplicity of it. Although there have been more than a few instances when I have wished that I could hop in my own car and make haste for the next destination, it is nice being able to take the time to stroll at a leisurely pace as I make my way to work...or anywhere really. This dawned on me as I was taking a route to a small village where I work with the school, about a half hour walk I make once or twice a week. I imagine that this commute will probably be the one by which all others are measured throughout my lifetime and none of them will compare.  Take a look...

The trail begins here, about a five minute walk from my front door. 

Rush hour traffic can really be overwhelming at times. 

 A creek for me to cross, which I have only fallen into once. 

A nice meadow along the trail. 

Young corn growing on a hillside. 

This is what most of the trail looks like, nicely shaded. 

Buena vista. 

The trail to the left is my path.  

As the rainy season technically began in May, but seems to have begun officially in the last couple days, everything is nice and green. 

The road to the village. 

View from the village looking east.