Jumping back into life and Building Houses!

So much for taking it slow... this past week found me jumping back into life in Orocuina. Ready or not, here I come! After learning there was very little for me to do at our weekly planning meeting, I decided to come up with my own work plan! My new work model is lead by example. Even if I am unable to make change on a large scale, perhaps by starting at home, I can inspire the change I would like to see in those around me! (Here`s hoping ;) )

Among other things, this week found me:

• Beginning a natural medicine garden
• Marching in protest of mining concessions
• Teaching first aid to teenagers
• And building a house!

The most rewarding experience by far was assisting a family put a roof on their home.

A few months back, one of the health volunteers the Association works with approached me seeking assitance for a family that needed help building a home. The family has faced extreme obstacles that most of us can ever imagine- the result of which, they were living in a tent made of promotional banners and sticks. While Project Lluvia funds have finished, I made them a deal: If they could come upwith the wood and materials to strengthen the structure and build some walls, I would provide the roof. Two months later we put the roof on the house!

Our very first visit to the family´s home

The house the morning we arrived

The finished house!

I was lucky enough to spend the day with the family, puting up the roof, and was incredibly humbled when the family bought chicken to make us lunch. (Most families only purchase chicken for Christmas and Easter.) While having lunch, I asked them if they had ever thought about starting a small garden. After discussing access to water and other details, I made them a new deal that I would help them start a garden if they promised to keep it up. There were many other ideas discussed over lunch, and while I know that I can`t do everything alone, I hope that this is the start of a relationship and perhaps a model for larger scale work (on a shoestring budget).

We took turns hauling the aluminum sheeting from the highway to their home

Stripping wood to create supports

The girls loved the camera :)

That evening, after I headed home, a huge rain storm hit and while I thought of all of the families that still do not have rooves over their heads, it was comforting to know that one more does.

Tikal, Belize, and Beyond!

From Lake Atitlan, it was a straight shot to Peten, Guatemala`s Northernmost district and home of Tikal. Traveling between Guatemala City and Tikal requires a 10 hour bus ride (!!) and so, inorder to take advantage of time- and save on hotels- many travelers take an overnight bus, leaving at 9pm and arriving at 6 or 7am. After taking both the ¨economic¨and ¨luxury¨ lines I can say... you don`t sleep much in either... but it saves a couple of days of travel!

Super comfy overnight bus from Guatemala city to Tikal

Again, plans changed, but always for the best! Arriving in Flores at 6am, I made a straight shot to the Tikal park. (Until 3 months ago) the park had a deal where you enter after 3pm and your ticket lets you in again the following day to explore and watch the sunrise. After arriving to find out I would not only have to pay for a ticket for each day I wanted to see the ruins, but I would need to pay an extra $20 to enter the park early for the sunrise, I got creative! I found a great hotel with a campsite right outside the ruins and for $10 ¨camped¨ at the park. After a little asking around, I found out that there were trails outside of the ruins that you could hike for free, so I decided to head out solo (only because I was on ¨park grounds.¨) I found a great, all beit rickety, tree fort look out and a crocodile pond- cheque! That night, I had the luck of meeting up with a pair from Canada and a gal from France, with whom we bartered a sunrise tour for $12 each the next morning- double Cheque!

My campsite at the Jaguar Inn inside Tikal park :)

Mist rolling in before sunrise in Tikal

Climbing through the jungle to get to the ruins

After sleeping through a crazy thunderstorm, we arrived at the guard´s station at 4:30am and we were at the top of the temple by 5:00am. It turned out to be cloudy and the sun never officially ¨rose,¨ but the early entrance was still worth it to have the park to ourselves (yes, just the four of us!!!) and hear the AMAZING cries of howler monkies echoing for what had to have been miles. Around 6am the monkies decided to come check us out and the 160ft temple we climbed was surrounded! When we finally made our way down, we were in for a surprise... the night´s storms literally closed off sections of the trail! Since we were the first on the scene, we decided to forge through before the clean up crews and tours.

The Grand Plaza

The ruins were awesome! One of the things that sets Tikal apart from other ruins is that it is literally in the jungle. (It takes 30 min to walk in and out!) Because of its setting, the wildlife was incredible- monkeys, parakeets, macaws, toucans, snakes! :P

After Tikal, the plan was to head to Mexico, but after consulting the map (and my pocketbook), Belize was closer and cheaper... Belize it was! In three and half hours I was across the boarder and in my hotel! For $15 a night, I found a great little cabaña in the woods, with onsite kitchen, restaurant, butterfly museum, disc golf course, hiking trails, and natural medicine garden=SWEET! I spent the next 3 days, hiking, visiting more ruins, and finally getting to that drawing I had been planning to do all trip :) It was the perfect way to relax and unwind after a whirlwind trip! I did learn one veeeeery important lesson in Belize- always check after they stamp your passport... After a ¨misunderstanding,¨(in ENGLISH) the immigration official stamped my passport for 1 day... and I then had to spend the day traveling to Belmopan and pay an ¨extension fine¨of $25- thank God Belize is a tiny country and traveling is relatively fast!!- Lesson learned!

My sweet little cabin in the woods in San Jose Succotz, Belize

Swimming in the river :)

A Belizian sunset

The final leg of my trip was back to the Southwest part of the country to visit AMDV`s sister site, Amigas del Sol (Friends of the Sun). While it was a quick visit, it was great to connect and exchange ideas. The women in Guatemala have years of experience in natural medicine, and I had a chance to learn a lot from them. We exchanged recipes and commited to looking for funds to create a formal exchange between the Honduras and Guatemala projects. This will hopefully be one of my final projects to complete with the Association and I couldn`t be more excited!

Guatemalan health promoter Petrona displaying Lemon grass- used to treat fever

Honduras volunteers past and present united!

For more photos of the trip, check out: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=116429006352388993425&target=ALBUM&id=5605858287057395313&authkey=Gv1sRgCKPRmtGy5_D-KA&feat=email

and for those who have asked, here are more Antigua and Lake Atitlan photos :) https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=116429006352388993425&target=ALBUM&id=5601579126130233121&authkey=Gv1sRgCO3srfPh9Y-NfQ&feat=email

Mayan Nawales and Deciphering 2012

After an amazing week with Dad and Jane, I made my way back to Lake Atitlan. The plan was to spend a good 4 or 5 days in San Marcos de la Laguna, a small town known for its spiritual vibe. With thoughts of yoga, massage, and meditation dancing in my head I set off!

The dock of San Marcos la Laguna, in Lake Atitlan

It is easy to see how many fall in love with the romantic dirt foot trails leading into tiny cafes and massage parlors along the water`s edge; however, an immediately noticeable divide between the San Marcos natives and new residents/tourists left me feeling uncomfortable and out of place. (On one hand, I am a tourist, but on the other hand, the thing I enjoy most about traveling is conversing with and learning about local culture. The last thing I want to do is spend time in or support development that does not appear to have been done with the blessing of local residents.) I will say that for those purely interested in a beautiful retreat-San Marcos delivers- it was beautiful and is an easy place to lose yourself for a day or year. There are also many foreign residents that are attempting to connect with natives. I can not say if this sentiment is reciprocated.

An adaption of the traditional Maya sauna at La Paz, in San Marcos la Laguna (A mixture of herbs in steaming water made for an amazing cleanse!)

The shores of San Pedro la Laguna, Lake Atitlan

After taking advantage of a couple of great yoga and energy sessions, I took the advice of a fellow traveler and made my way to San Pedro la Laguna, another, larger, town along the lake. I spent the next two days in San Pedro and San Juan, studying Mayan culture and religion in a local cultural center and even had the chance to meet and work with a Maya healer. It was an amazing experience!! I learned from natives that San Pedro (ironically known by tourists as the ¨party town¨) is one of Lago Atitlan´s longest established towns and for this reason is one of the most committed to maintaining and reviving the Maya culture.

View of the lake from a new cultural center opened in San Pedro

Those who know me know that while I am not very religious, I am an incredibly spiritual person and strongly believe in the universal energy which connects each and every one of us. Learning about the Maya religion was an opportunity to view this energy in yet another light from those who have developed systems of knowing (time, astronomy, even medicine) which continue to play large roles in modern society.

From the very little I was able to glean in 2 days time, I learned that the Maya believe in a calendar of 20 days, which repeats 13 times in a year. Depending on the day and year in which you are born, you are assigned a Nawal, or spiritual guide. This Nawal also supports the growth of individuals by shedding light on the strengths and weaknesses of those born under its sign. (My guess is that modern day astrology is based off Mayan cosmology... that´s right, your daily horoscope is deeper than you thought!! ;) ) I was personally amazed by the accuracy of my Nawal`s predictions that I will be drawn to work in health, psychology, and politics and should devote myself to curing others. (Good to know that I am on the right path!) I am also prone to suffering because of my stubborness... so $%·&ing true!!

A mountain range affectionately known as the ¨Mayan Face¨as seen from San Juan

I also had a chance to talk to various individuals about what the upcoming 2012, or end of the Maya calendar, means to them. The universal response I received was that 2012 does not infact indicate the end of the world (sorry Hollywood), but rather the end of an era or way of thinking. One individual likened it to the entry of a new period- similar to the Dark Ages or the Age of Enlightenment, they said that 2012 marks the entry into a new period of growth and understanding of ourselves and how we interact with this world. Many of those whom I talked to believe that we have already begun to prepare for this change as we move away from the use of fossil fuels and seek alternative forms of energy; however, they say that the changes will transcend ¨being green,¨ to affect all systems, from the way we organize as communities to the way we rule as nations. (One healer forecasted that Capitalism and globalization will no longer reign as the driving forces.) I think the most important thing I took away from our conversations is that our generation has been and will continue to live in a period of transition and that we have the opportunity to both create and heal. None of these changes will occur overnight, but rather will occur over our life span and will be looked back upon as a turning point.... as so many other major landmarks.

The towns of San Juan and San Pedro were amazing sources of history, culture and art that I would highly recommend visiting! San Juan in particular was an adorably small town filled with artisan cooperatives which sold fabrics, bags, and scarves, canvas paintings, and natural medicine. San Pedro is also known for its fantastic chocolates- and while my efforts to find and tour the factory were futile, my backpack was filled for the trip back!!

All in all, my trip back to the lake was absolutely nothing like what I thought it would be and yet, at the same time, so much more! Whether you are looking for cultural connections, natural healing, art work, or just some good chocolate- Lago Atitlan is sure to hold something for every traveler!

For a great starting point to Maya culture:

http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_culture.htm

A Week en Familia in Guatemala

Whew! What a wirlwind three weeks! After finding out that my internet no longer works in Orocuina (need to get a new plan), I decided to take advantage of one of my last afternoons in Guatemala to hunker down at the computer and catch up!

While this trip has been amazing from start to end, by far, my favorite part was spent ¨en familia,¨ with Dad and Jane. After a fantastic few days in the capital, I met up with these two Wisconsin escapees and we headed straight to Antigua. Check out pics of my adventures in Guatemala city:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=116429006352388993425&target=ALBUM&id=5598834796401562257&authkey=Gv1sRgCK3AzIOEmuTG4AE&feat=email

While they had been up at since 2am, Dad and Jane were not about to miss anything, and as soon as we set our things down in the hostel, we were off to see the sites. We visited Saint Pedro´s Cathedral (cannonized in 2006, he has become the patron saint of the crippled and has cured thousands of their need for crutches.) Ruins from the original cathedral after the earthquake remained and as we toured, we could hear the hymns of the brothers who to this day live in and serve the church.

Jane inside of the ruins of St. Pedro´s Church

The next day was spent taking in the festivities of Palm Sunday. The processions were amazing. Thousands of men, boys, and babies dressed in royal purple robes with white sashes and filed down the streets to be followed by processions of the crucifiction, carried by members of the church. We learned that individuals paid by the block to carry either Mary, if they were females, or Jesus, if they were males. It was explained to us that the processions are actually weighted so that individuals to experience a small part of the burden that Jesus took on when carrying his cross.

Before the processions came through

Blessing the carpets

Another, equally amazing part of the processions were the carpets. Made hours before the procession would pass over, families take great pride in lining the streets in front of their homes with elaborate carpets of pine needles, flowers, sawdust, and in one case, cheetos :) The carpets became more and more intricate as the week went on with the final carpets taking over 4 hours to create! As the processions past, the carpets were blessed with incessence before being passed over by those carrying Mary and Joseph. Just as quickly as they were created the carpets were swept away immediately after the procession... nothing lasts forever :)

Our group after the climb!

In the middle of Holy week, we decided to steal away and climb Volcano Acatenango, Guatemala´s second highest peak. We were challenged by the 9 hour hike up, but were in great company with others from Canada, the UK, Guatemala, and Finland. Our hike up took us through farmland, cloud forest, alpine forest, and then above the tree line for the final ascent. We were met at the top with freezing temps and high wind. After assembling our tents, our group climbed to the outside of the crater to watch the sunset and Fuego, a nearby volcano, explode. On top of all of this, we watched a lightening storm roll past... while drinking wine... what a show!

For more volcano pictures, check out:https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=116429006352388993425&target=ALBUM&id=5598549963288250209&authkey=Gv1sRgCNKJmauOmLiltwE&feat=email

The next morning, it was back down the volcano and on to Lake Atitlan where we stayed in two different villages along the lake. On the lake we relaxed and explored the surrounding communities. Dad and I found a great little hostel/coffee roaster and spent the afternoon hatching plans to open our own place in Central America... a long term dream for sure...

From the lake it was back to Antigua for another day of processions and goodbyes as Dad and Jane headed back to Guatemala City and Wisconsin. It was a fantastic week, thank you both!