Guatemala, Xela, Lago Atitlan, Yoga, Crepes, and More!

February 20th , 2010

I have eight keys on my key chain. Is this a sign that my life is overly complicated? Maybe a psycho-analysis would show I'm insecure. Five keys alone are for the truck. The truck is definitely a complexity for the travelling life. One key for the truck ignition and doors, another for the back canopy door, one for the “Club” lock, then one for the garage we're renting in Xela, and finally one to get into the garage parking area. At least behind five locks and a secret switch on the fuel injection unit I don't worry much about the truck disappearing. In Xela, Guatemala, we're renting a room at the Posada San Andres where two more of the keys come from. One for the main door and one for our room. Finally the last, and eighth key, is for a room at Hotel Peneleu on Lago Atitlan. We're visiting Lago Atitlan for a few days to get out of Xela and for one last trip with Ilsa.

Ilsa has just finished a week at a Spanish language school in Xela. Ilsa spent the week studying, going on “field trips”, and staying with a host family. Aña and I we're busy investigating volunteer work and studying Yoga. We all decided to spend our last few days together on the amazingly gorgeous Lago (lake) Atitlan which is a crazy two hour drive from Xela. After a few days here on the lake, Aña and I will go back to Xela, and Ilsa will do some solo travelling. She'll have almost a couple weeks on her own before heading back to the States.

Aña and I have decided to spend three to four months living in Xela. Although it is the bustling second largest city in Guatemala with some foul air in certain parts, it does have it's appeal. There are interesting volunteer opportunities, there is cottage industry income potential, many intriguing destinations are within a days hike or drive, and finally there's the Yoga House. The Yoga House is actually the main reason for us wanting to temporarily live in a city again. It is a large cooperatively run house with about 15 international residents, several outstanding Yoga teachers, and four Yoga classes a day. One of the best and most intense Yoga teachers we've come across, Kevin, we met three years ago when we last passed through Xela. Much to our surprise and delight he's still living at the house and defending his reputation for intense classes. Weekly class rates are about U.S. $4.40, but will be free once we move in to the house on the 8th of March. Then we can also attend some Mai Thai kick-boxing classes!

In Xela we've been investigating volunteer opportunities, but haven't found anything solid yet. We we're interested in one, but we're dissuaded by rumors of financial corruption and the 12hr/day - 7day a week work schedule. To their credit, we we're told you get one afternoon off a week. I guess lack of financial transparency is a trend among non-governmental organizations (NGO's) in Guatemala. PhD dissertations of U.S. scholars have been dedicated to this very subject. We also spent a day helping out an “environmental engineer” starting a reforestation nursery. Unfortunately he didn't seem to have a well thought out plan. He is set on growing a species of cypress solely because he likes its shade of green. Other problems with finding earnest volunteer work are numerous. There's a matter of being able to see a difference, funding issues, involving locals, volunteer scams, sustainability, privatization, etc.

We've only been in Guatemala a week and have been staying busy. We've hiked up mountains to geo-thermal saunas with an older Mayan woman (Alejandra), up to high altitude lava rock precipices, explored mercados, studied Yoga, looked for work, made traditional dinners with a family in Xela, and now we're at Lago Atitlan. Here it's kind of a vacation within a vacation. We're currently in San Pedro; one of the several villages on the lake. Our hotel is U.S. $5/night with a private bathroom, parking for the truck, and an unbeatable view. It is a huge lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes with peaks over 9,000'.

San Pedro, the town we're staying in, specifically, is quite bizarre. Along the lake is an area referred to as the vortex. There, restaurants, bars, hotels, and spas have been opened by people from all over the world. People that have been trapped in “The Vortex”. Up the rather steep hill takes you into the town of the local Mayan people; the Tz'utujil. Here the local language dominates along with invasive Catholicism and it's surplus of churches and religious graffiti. It's as if the “sins” of drug and night life scene along the lake are offset by the worship of the locals on the hill. The only drug I've been enjoying here is caffeine.

This is a region of Guatemala that grows some of the best and most potent coffee in the world. Here in San Pedro we were happy to find a growing cafe that we stumbled upon three years ago. The owner, Luis, roasts and grinds his own beans everyday. He has expanded his cafe with a bigger roaster, computers for internet, and is about to start serving breakfast. I currently find myself extremely caffeinated from some powerful Americanos. He gave me a huge discount when he found out Aña and I have cooking experience. We're going to teach him how to make crepes tomorrow morning. He also wants to come to Xela for some more cooking lessons. He is a great guy and he's got some great connections. We'll also make him teach us some Tz'utujil.

Who knows? Maybe after studying Yoga in Xela we'll succumb to the vortex for awhile. The local people here are some of the friendliest I've encountered. Additionally, the local Mayan girls are some of the most beautiful in the world. Too bad their religious upbringing makes them unlikely to engage in any “scandalous” activities. Furthermore, the surplus of restaurants and hotels creates a highly competitive environment with very low prices; even by Guatemalan standards. Finally, there is a plethora of outdoor activities. On the lake you can go kayaking, and scuba diving and get PADI certified for U.S. $250. There is lush jungle to hike through and there are volcanoes to climb.

As a bonus, the villages around the lake are very culturally diverse. There are four Mayan languages spoken by people, mainly women, that wear clothing made by hand as it has been for thousands of years. The cultural integrity is quite amazing when considering what it has been up against. The Spanish conquistadors of the 1500's plundered, raped, and enslaved the locals. They sent the church to conquer areas where their military failed. Right before the Spanish arrived, Toltecs, migrating south from the Yucatan had also started battling with the Maya. More recently in the 1960's and 70's, government sponsored military euthanasia exterminated over 400 indigenous villages. The government only began to stabilize in the late 1990's, but oppression, segregation, and discrimination remain rampant. All of this in an area smaller than the state of Louisiana. Despite all this, the Mayan culture perseveres with it's beautiful languages and clothing. The people on the lake are friendly, upbeat, and optimistic.