4 Days of Driving from Guatemala to West, Texas. We had to drive in 4x4 on back roads to get around protesting workers in Guatemala blocking the highway. In Chiapas, Mexico we drove through a tropical storm. In one city a street was flooded so much that water got into our air intake. Water was two inches below the floor boards. We were pulled out and a mechanic had us back on the road in an hour for about $20. Tampico, Mexico: pulled over three different times by traffic cops soliciting us for bribes. One let us go for $16, one let us go after half an hour of me getting pissed telling him he was a liar and corrupt. He told me "I had balls" before giving me my license and truck permission back. The third one let us go when we told him we didn't have any cash. Day four took us by 15 dead mutilated bodies in the highway in the state of Tamaulipas. Getting into the U.S. was a pain and then I was stung by a wasp on the leg and in between two fingers. 70 miles from my dad's house in Ft. Worth our truck threw a rod at 2:00a.m. Today we'll scrap the truck to cover the towing bill.
All in all, a crazy four day trip. Somehow, we still have a positive outlook. We are curious as to where the universe is trying to lead us.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Change of Plans
That's a funny title. Change is always happening all around us. With an unexpected change we will be heading back to the U.S sooner than expected. I haven't been able to write, or rather focus enough to write. I've been staying busy. Busy enough to distract my mind from the ramifications of recently transpired events. Busy saying goodbye to a lifestyle that was picking up momentum. Busy saying goodbye to new friends made. Trying to prepare for the culture shock of the return. A return to excess, naivety, corporate rule, and endless highways.
I plan to leave Xela, Guatemala tomorrow (Monday, July 26) around 6:00. Travel along the West Coast to the only break in Mexico's longitudinal mountains (Salinas Cruz). Then, crossing over Mexico's narrowest East/West stretch to the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully make it though Mexico in four days.
After a short visit with my father working in Texas, onward to Wisconsin. How long we'll be there is uncertain. Where our path will lead from there is uncertain. The only certainty, that we'll be together loving each other. Growing stronger and wiser together.
May we see many much missed chronically distant friends along the way.
Sorry for the nebulous theme of change. I'll fill you in eventually.
I plan to leave Xela, Guatemala tomorrow (Monday, July 26) around 6:00. Travel along the West Coast to the only break in Mexico's longitudinal mountains (Salinas Cruz). Then, crossing over Mexico's narrowest East/West stretch to the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully make it though Mexico in four days.
After a short visit with my father working in Texas, onward to Wisconsin. How long we'll be there is uncertain. Where our path will lead from there is uncertain. The only certainty, that we'll be together loving each other. Growing stronger and wiser together.
May we see many much missed chronically distant friends along the way.
Sorry for the nebulous theme of change. I'll fill you in eventually.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Back on the Road with Aña's Brother
Two days ago we drove to Guatemala city from Xela. What a drive it was! Under normal conditions the drive would be scary enough. In addition to steep winding mountains roads, there is now debris scattered on the highway from Tropical Storm Agatha. There must have been close to forty (yes that's 40) landslides that had covered the highway to various degrees. In most places only half the highway had been excavated necessitating a reduction to two lanes. Many sites were being worked on with bulldozers and backhoes. In one place half of the highway was gone. It had slide down the mountain side. Another place was still flooded with half a meter of standing water. Glad to be driving a truck.
We made it to Guatemala City after four hours of crazy driving. Unfortunately the craziness level only exponentiated. The first part of our Guatemalan City mission entailed researching a way to extend permission to keep our truck here. We became lost a couple of times on busy one way streets with chaotic drivers. Eventually we landed in a secure parqueo near two of the official buildings we needed to visit. After confused officials tried to find loopholes in confusing policies we decided to retreat. We will have to try talking with some folks in Xela when we return in a few weeks.
The second part of the mission involved finding a recommended Korean restaurant. With more driving in circles, cars cutting us off, and blind buses almost pulling out into us this didn't go much better. We decided to abandon yet another part of the mission.
Luckily the third, and most important part of the mission, was completed with style and panache. We mainly went to Guate. to pick up Aña's brother, Matt at the airport. We arrived a few hours early. We were not allowed into the airport and had no idea to check the flight status. Luckily the vagabondgoddess is on our side. The first gentlemen we asked about this conundrum had a spiffy iPhone. With this he quickly navigated to the airline's website and confirmed the arrival time for us. We spent most of the time across the street at an outdoor food stand eating barbecued chicken tacos and sipping coffee. We were eating amongst airline workers, waiting Guatemalans, and motorcycle police with Uzis and other toys. I also spent some time sleeping in the back of the truck while Aña serenaded me playing Guitar.
Matt arrived safely and on time bringing tons of goodies we'd requested. The most prized goody is a wheel of our favorite goat cheese. Aña had thought the wheels were smaller than the massive one we're now travelling with. It ended up being a $100 5lb. wheel of our Humboldt County Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Just a little more expensive than we had counted on, but it's hard to complain.
We promptly drove out of the insanity that is Guatemala City. Driving at night here isn't the best idea, but neither is staying in Guate. Our plan was to head to the Earth Lodge in the mountains north of Antigua. The drive to Antigua was mostly fine. The only scary part was running into an unmarked flooded stretch of highway. This quickly slowed the truck down from about 50mph to a near stop. At least now I have a better idea of what it must be like to drive into a lake.
We reached Antigua around 10:15pm. We had to stop and ask several times to find a small unmarked road out of town. This road took us up about 300m (1000') to a tiny village. As per instructions we had to locate the pilas (community wash area) and park there. Then a step decent down a dirt path and we had arrived at the Earth Lodge. A remote hippy hostel. We threw some stuff in small dormitory cabin and began work on the cheese wheel. Waking up we realized that the site offered one of teh most incredible views in Guatemala. Three volcanic peaks nearby with one erupting every half hour or so. We'll spend three nights here since the third night is free. Then off to exploring the rest of Guatemala.
Stay tuned for more pictures and vagabond rambling.
We made it to Guatemala City after four hours of crazy driving. Unfortunately the craziness level only exponentiated. The first part of our Guatemalan City mission entailed researching a way to extend permission to keep our truck here. We became lost a couple of times on busy one way streets with chaotic drivers. Eventually we landed in a secure parqueo near two of the official buildings we needed to visit. After confused officials tried to find loopholes in confusing policies we decided to retreat. We will have to try talking with some folks in Xela when we return in a few weeks.
The second part of the mission involved finding a recommended Korean restaurant. With more driving in circles, cars cutting us off, and blind buses almost pulling out into us this didn't go much better. We decided to abandon yet another part of the mission.
Luckily the third, and most important part of the mission, was completed with style and panache. We mainly went to Guate. to pick up Aña's brother, Matt at the airport. We arrived a few hours early. We were not allowed into the airport and had no idea to check the flight status. Luckily the vagabondgoddess is on our side. The first gentlemen we asked about this conundrum had a spiffy iPhone. With this he quickly navigated to the airline's website and confirmed the arrival time for us. We spent most of the time across the street at an outdoor food stand eating barbecued chicken tacos and sipping coffee. We were eating amongst airline workers, waiting Guatemalans, and motorcycle police with Uzis and other toys. I also spent some time sleeping in the back of the truck while Aña serenaded me playing Guitar.
Matt arrived safely and on time bringing tons of goodies we'd requested. The most prized goody is a wheel of our favorite goat cheese. Aña had thought the wheels were smaller than the massive one we're now travelling with. It ended up being a $100 5lb. wheel of our Humboldt County Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Just a little more expensive than we had counted on, but it's hard to complain.
We promptly drove out of the insanity that is Guatemala City. Driving at night here isn't the best idea, but neither is staying in Guate. Our plan was to head to the Earth Lodge in the mountains north of Antigua. The drive to Antigua was mostly fine. The only scary part was running into an unmarked flooded stretch of highway. This quickly slowed the truck down from about 50mph to a near stop. At least now I have a better idea of what it must be like to drive into a lake.
We reached Antigua around 10:15pm. We had to stop and ask several times to find a small unmarked road out of town. This road took us up about 300m (1000') to a tiny village. As per instructions we had to locate the pilas (community wash area) and park there. Then a step decent down a dirt path and we had arrived at the Earth Lodge. A remote hippy hostel. We threw some stuff in small dormitory cabin and began work on the cheese wheel. Waking up we realized that the site offered one of teh most incredible views in Guatemala. Three volcanic peaks nearby with one erupting every half hour or so. We'll spend three nights here since the third night is free. Then off to exploring the rest of Guatemala.
Stay tuned for more pictures and vagabond rambling.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Tranquility in a sea of Chaos
I just want to take a moment to assure family and friends of our safety. This might be hard to do considering recent events. However, we are very well informed and in a very safe place to live. Many recent events here in Guatemala have been devastating and ominous. Two recent natural disasters struck this tiny country; the size of the state of Louisiana. An active volcano near the country's capitol erupted killing several people, causing thousands to be evacuated, and created hazardous conditions raining down ash. Right on the tail of the eruption a tropical storm hit causing intense flooding and mudslides across the country. Besides natural disasters the political system has entered a period of turmoil. Drug cartels abound, the crime chief resigned, the attorney was just dismissed over corruption allegations, and in a political stunt some severed heads turned up in Guatemala City.
All this aside, we are in a relatively safe city. Quetzaltenango, or Xela, has a genuine small town feel to it. It only gets a little sketchy at night, but it's safe when walking in small groups. Although we are near the active volcano belt in Guatemala, we are relatively distant from any threat. Our house is also located at a high point so flooding during a tropical storm is unlikely. It was a kilometer away that people were being evacuated by small boats a couple weeks ago. As far as the political situation goes, we are white. Tourism makes up the base of the Guatemalan economy. Thus, we are fairly well protected and privileged over the mass populace. We also have a bad ass 4x4 truck and could get the hell out of dodge if need be. Other than petty threats of theft we generally feel pretty safe. For these we can arm ourselves with mace, our trusted machete, or a quaint hunting knife. It also helps being about a foot taller than most men down here.
We feel safe enough here that we are considering staying until late winter/early spring. We have been busy studying Yoga and making foodstuff to sell. I've even started teaching Yoga and would love to become more experienced. I've been teaching beginner classes in the mornings. My classes are usually in Spanish, but sometimes become bilingual. Aña has also been enjoying the steady Yoga routine. We are really getting into our bodies and making steady progress. We are constantly surprising ourselves with our bodies' capabilities. Along with the practice comes a great tranquility of mind that we are cultivating. Definitely worth sticking around for awhile longer. Of course, we'll see how events transpire.
All this aside, we are in a relatively safe city. Quetzaltenango, or Xela, has a genuine small town feel to it. It only gets a little sketchy at night, but it's safe when walking in small groups. Although we are near the active volcano belt in Guatemala, we are relatively distant from any threat. Our house is also located at a high point so flooding during a tropical storm is unlikely. It was a kilometer away that people were being evacuated by small boats a couple weeks ago. As far as the political situation goes, we are white. Tourism makes up the base of the Guatemalan economy. Thus, we are fairly well protected and privileged over the mass populace. We also have a bad ass 4x4 truck and could get the hell out of dodge if need be. Other than petty threats of theft we generally feel pretty safe. For these we can arm ourselves with mace, our trusted machete, or a quaint hunting knife. It also helps being about a foot taller than most men down here.
We feel safe enough here that we are considering staying until late winter/early spring. We have been busy studying Yoga and making foodstuff to sell. I've even started teaching Yoga and would love to become more experienced. I've been teaching beginner classes in the mornings. My classes are usually in Spanish, but sometimes become bilingual. Aña has also been enjoying the steady Yoga routine. We are really getting into our bodies and making steady progress. We are constantly surprising ourselves with our bodies' capabilities. Along with the practice comes a great tranquility of mind that we are cultivating. Definitely worth sticking around for awhile longer. Of course, we'll see how events transpire.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Volcanic Eruption, Tropical Storm, Landslides, and Flooding oh my!
I had thought that having a minor cold for the last four days would be my only worry. I thought wrong. While sniffling away my Thursday morning shift at the bookstore a patron shared a rather disturbing newspaper. He himself had come to buy something to read while waiting for the airport in Guatemala City to re-open. I had learned that one of Guatemala's several active volcanoes, Pacaya, had just erupted. This is a volcano Aña and I climbed up three years ago to see flowing lava. It is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Guatemala City. Its eruption was extremely powerful. It was reported that there were two spurts of lava launched almost 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) in the air. Tons of rock, dust, and ash fell on nearby villages, Guatemala City, and its international airport. This was the initial cause of the airport being closed. Almost a thousand people have been evacuated from the volcano's proximity. Luckily we are currently residing quite far from that volcano.
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Busy Times!
Last week and weekend were extremely busy! It started Sunday night with us making dinner for the house. Continuing with our food fetishes, Aña and I jarred up four of our five gallons of kimchi for eating and selling. I made a big batch of 100% whole wheat sourdough to sell and hand cranked out eight pounds of peanut butter. Aña made some chocolate truffles; some with Chai spices, and some mixed with a blackberry reduction.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
Kimchi on the market!
We're finally advertising to sell Kimchi and other cottage industry goodies. Using 12 heads of cabbage and other veggies we were able to make 5 gallons of Kimchi. This will finally be enough to meet demands greater than those of our house-mates.
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