Holy Semana Santa

:: Day 98 in Guatemala ::


So I had promised an update after spending Holy Week in Antigua. It is a bit late [insert excuses about how I'm really busy here] - but here it is.

After Chris spent a few days with her family in Guatemala we met up and on Thursday morning we took an early bus to Monterrico via Antigua. Yes, I've already been to Monterrico - but it was beautiful! And it's the beach! Who passes up a day at the beach! However, I will admit that we didn't come fully prepared for a beach-day. Chris had a little hand-towel and I had.... a box of fruit bars. I'm not kidding. I took out the bars and unfolded the box. Somewhere on Chris's camera there is a picture of me sitting in the sand on my little piece of cardboard.

Anyway... at the end of the day we headed back to Antigua - sunburned and sweaty. After a shower and a nap the holy week festivities began!

:: Non-Stop Alfombras, Cucuruchos & Processions ::

The Alfombras were gorgeous! And some were extremely creative - my favorite featured Barbie with a watermelon dress and traditional Mayan outfits.

The Processions of course were huge! I think that all of the Andas needed to be carried by over a hundred people. And, they lasted for hours! We were able to see one of the processions twice with a 4 hour "nap" and "breakfast" in between viewings. Probably the most beautiful procession happened on Saturday night -- it was a candle-lit vigil.

On Good Friday we even got up and waited outside of a church at 3am until they opened the doors. This procession featured Roman soldiers on horseback who are announcing the condemnation of Christ by Pontious Pilot. Even though it was 3am there were tons of people out! And food vendors! So much food! You would think it was only 9pm. They were opening the doors at 4am and there was a mad rush into the church (La Merced). People were trying to push their way through, they were getting mad at the Roman soldiers who were blocking some parts out - letting only people in the middle into the church. We actually got really lucky because they drew their line right in between us and then Chris moved over to my side - which was the side that got into the church.

On Easter Sunday we actually went to mass inside the Cathedral. Afterwards there was a small procession - which was actually much "happier" than the ones from previous days. Which of course makes sense since they were celebrating the resurrection. What made it very cute was that the Anda was carried by children! Eventually the adults had to relieve them of their carrying duties, but nonetheless it was adorable. In general, the kids were adorable:

 

So, I wanted to make a compilation video of all the processions I managed to record. I have to admit - it is not nearly as exciting on video. There is a lot of waiting around and just watching people walk by. Plus, apparently it is impossible to upload :(   The one from last time gives you a pretty good idea.

:: Who Said Climbing a Volcano is Supposed to be Fun? ::

So when Chris said she wanted to go to Antigua for Semana Santa - I immediately said that I really wanted to get in one of those volcano hikes before I leave Guatemala. Everyone had told me how beautiful it is and that is is one of those Guatemala experiences that you just can't miss! So we decided that Saturday we'd take the 6am bus to Pacaya for a hiking tour.

We packed sunscreen, water, and the three fruit bars I still had left over from Thursday. Our group was pretty big - maybe about 25 people. Most of them were European and seemed to be in hiking boots - whereas Chris and I were in our running shoes. When you get to the starting point there are a bunch of little kids trying to sell you walking sticks. No one really bought into it except for two of the older women in our group. The kids kept insisting Es necesario! Es necesario! Yeah right, how necessary can a walking stick be? Right? Then come the "taxis". We had the option of hiking the whole way - or paying for a horse taxi which would get you most of the way up. Only two people opted for a horse.

30 minutes in... and THAT is where we're going.

So we start walking up the mountain volcano. At first it is a pretty steep climb but not terrible. About 10 minutes in I really started rethinking my decision to hike rather than go horseback. The guys with the horses were riding alongside us - hoping someone would give up and pay for the ride. But how embarrassing is that!?!? So we kept on hiking. Another 10 minutes and I'm panting, dripping with sweat, and my thighs and calves are burning. By this point Chris hates me. She did a pretty good job of not turning around and cussing me out for making her go on this volcano hike - but she was clearly not happy. Turns out it is about 1.5 miles of hiking on a ridiculous incline. Then you get to an area where there is no more dirt, no more trees, just volcano rocks.  Here is where it gets really interesting because every time you step the dirt under your shoes slips - which wouldn't be bad if it weren't so steep that you could reach your arm straight out and touch the ground in front of you.

Oh how I wish it wasn't cloudy. 

At one point it almost started to rain. That would have been miserable! When we got to the end of our tour everyone sat down and pulled out their lunches. I guess we missed the memo - you are supposed to bring a lunch when you go on a 4-hour hike. Oops. Well anyways. We didn't actually get to the opening in the volcano. I looked up at the top - which might have been like 200 meters up - straight up - and decided that I didn't care enough to climb up there. Pacaya has been an active volcano for the past few years. So I was excited to see lava - however, I didn't do my homework. The guide told us that since Pacaya erupted in 2010 the lava flow has been dormant. So I pretty much decided that I wasn't going to kill myself climbing the last 200 meters (on my own because the guide stopped there) if I wasn't even going to see lava. (That's crazy right? I would have climbed to the rim of an active volcano but not a dormant one!)

That is our group.... and that is the peak.

Anyway, it was a good experience. [Note: Chris did end up enjoying it once we got to the top and as we slid/skied/ran our way down the volcano.] And a great workout! Even the way down was exhausting. I mean, that says something about how steep of a climb this was - my thighs and calves burned on the way down and my knees were starting to hurt. I think I lost 5 lbs during that hike. Of course, I gained it all back with everything we ate in Antigua.

Mole con Platanos

Dulces Tipicos

Churrasco

Anyway, so thats the gist of the experience. Now I'm in Zacualpa finishing my last week of work! I don't think I've ever been so excited to go home. Just FOUR more days!

Vacations in Guatemala are Great Workouts!

:: Day 87 in Guatemala ::


So for the past month or so I have been looking forward to Chris (my sorority sister / line sister / captain) coming to Guatemala. Travelling by yourself in Guatemala is just not really an option - so this week we are taking advantage of having each other as travelling buddies!


:: Cobán ::


Friday morning we caught a 6am bus from Guatemala City to Cobán. No we didn't go on a chicken bus - that would have been awful and dangerous! We paid the extra Q100 to upgrade to Monja Blanca which is more like a Greyhound bus. We both managed to sleep through the first hour or so of the ride, so before we knew it we were stopping for breakfast. It took about 5 hours to get to Cobán. Then it took us about another half hour to figure out where our hotel was. 


We stayed at Casa D´Acuña (a.k.a. Hostal de Acuña). The restaurant at the Hotel was great, and the central courtyard was very pretty (Spanish style of course)! The accommodations were exactly what you can expect at $13 a night for a double room: a bunk bed and small table in a room with one overhead light, a window facing the kitchen sink and washroom, two big creepy spiders, and a shared bathroom in the hallway with motion-sensor lights that turn off if you don't make a big move every 15 seconds. Sounds like I'm complaining - but I'm just telling you what it was.


The trip to Cobán was really just a way to avoid wasting ALL DAY riding a bus to Tikal. So we got there around mid-day. We didn't really anticipate how difficult it would be to get around. We thought we might be able to take a few hours to do some touristy stuff around Cobán. But apparently it takes 45 minutes to get to a place that is five miles away because the roads are small and unpaved. 


So we opted for the closest option: el Balneario Cecilinda y las Grutas de Rey Marcos. The Balneario is like a park with a bunch of little ponds, rivers, waterfalls, and hiking trails. They have picnic tables and hammocks set up all over the place. It looks like a great place to come on a hot summer day - either with the family, or with a group of friends and an ice chest full of beer. 


From there they  have guided tours of las Grutas de Rey Marcos - a set of caves with some beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations. The caves were just discovered in 1998 after Hurricane Mitch. The opening is a small hole that seems to have a constant wind of cool air coming out. From that small entrance we climbed through a tunnel that sometimes was big enough to stand in, but most of the time required us to crouch down and/or slip through side-ways. At first I was trying to not use my hands because the rocks were kind of slimy - like watery clay. I quickly gave up on that idea when the climb became steeper. As usual I pulled out my camera and took pictures of everyone as they climbed up behind me. I also liked the fact that the flash of my camera would give me a quick glimpse of the cave we were in. There was running water along the bottom of the cave and a constant mist. 


When we got to a big opening at the top of the cave the guide stopped us there. The cave continued onward but the guide said that the climb was more dangerous and there was a place where we'd have to swim for awhile (I want to say 600 meters - but that sounds exaggeratedly long). People have come here to spend a few minutes praying or meditating and some have reported having visions in that cave. So when we stopped he asked us to turn off our lights and take a few minutes to enjoy the silence of the cave. It was really nice and peaceful. Lately when I pray I don't know what to pray for so I just reflect upon the blessings I've had - in this case it includes the incredible experiences I've had in Guatemala. Suddenly I realized how DARK it was in the cave. It was absolutely pitch black. I had thought that I could still see the walls of the cave but when I thought about it I realized that was an optical illusion. I started to look around and freak out a little bit. You couldn't see anything! Not even your hand in front of your face. I tried not to think about it because I immediately started to think about how this has been the setting for plenty of horror movies. Soon enough he asked us to turn our lights back on.


You would think that the trek back would be easier - but you'd be wrong. Now we were climbing down wet and slippery rocks, instead of up. There was a point when I thought maybe it'd be easier to slide down on my butt, but all that did was make things more difficult and get my butt full of clay and water.


We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing - had dinner, a couple beers, and went to bed relatively early because at 5am we were off to Flores, Petén so we could see Tikal. 


:: Flores, Santa Elena, Petén::


The bus ride to Petén was awful. We thought that we'd be better off taking the earliest bus (microbus) possible to get to Flores so that we could at least spend the afternoon in Tikal and hopefully get 2 days of Tikal out of the trip. So we were up at 4:30 waiting for our cab, which was inevitably late. Then waited for the bus which they told us came at 5am and then left as soon as it was full. It came at like 5:30 and was full by 6am. At the first stop there were three girls - two tall blonde Swedish(?) girls and their translator who looked Latina and spoke English with a British accent. The bus driver said that we were full but that they were welcome to get in if they wanted to stand. They of course opted to get in - but rather than standing they insisted on squeezing in with everyone making us go 5 to a seat. I blame them for this horrible ride. I don't think they realized it was a 5-6 hr bus ride. I'll be honest - I did scoot over a little bit - just enough for one of them to squeeze their skinny butts into our seat - not enough for them to get comfortable. We were all uncomfortable now that they were in - so when she asked if I had more room to scoot over - I told her the truth: "No, we are already hip-to-hip." I didn't need to make the last 3 hours of the ride worse than the first 3. We were squished, hungry, sleepy, and hot! 

Our Bus - and you can't even see the back two rows here.

There was a point where we were stuck in traffic in a Saturday morning market. That was probably the worst part of the ride because now there was no air flowing in the van. Also... our van had to cross a river where there was no bridge. Quite interesting watching your van and a big-rig drive onto a little platform/boat and float across to the other side of the river.

I suppose we should be grateful it wasn't 6 hrs in one of these!

When we finally arrived in Santa Elena we immediately took a Tuk Tuk to Flores. We checked in to Hotel Santana. I had looked up all sorts of bus schedules before our whole trip even started. So we thought that there would be shuttles going to Tikal intermittently throughout the day. I was wrong. The only shuttle left at 3:30... arriving in Tikal at about the same time as the LAST shuttle leaving Tikal for the day. Since we weren't able to get a room at one of the three hotels in Tikal - that was not an option. So we had lunch and walked around the small island of Flores. 

As we were walking we were offered a boat tour of Lago Petén Itzá. Our guide was a young guy who said he was from San Jose - which is just across the lake. He was really nice and extremely knowledgeable about the history of the lake and the Mayan Itzá people. He told us that the lake used to be a valley in which the Itzá lived. When the meteorite struck quebro la vena de agua que corre debajo de la tierra y se llenó el lago - it broke the vein of water that runs below the earth (underground river) and the lake filled up. This underground river still provides a natural spring that fills the lake. In some areas you can see where the clear spring water comes up. The natural springs combined with the preservation efforts make this lake very clean - or so he says. He took us to the top of a hill on the Peninsula de Tayazal where we could see 75% of the lake. It was gorgeous! But it was really quite a hike! Both Chris and I were out of breath by the time we got to the Mirador Rey Canek. 

Lago Petén Itzá

That night we took a walk to the central park for dinner, had a few drinks at the local bar and called it a night because (again) we had an early morning the next day. 


:: Tikal ::


Tikal is probably the most famous of the ancient Mayan ruins - although not the largest. The name Tikal means "place of voices". One explanation might be that there is a certain area of the ruins where there is an echo. If you clap - you hear it bounce back off one of the temples. I imagine that if it was quiet out there (you know - without all us noisy tourists) then you'd hear voices echo as well. However, the hieroglyphics indicate that Tikal was originally called Mutal.


Of course, Chris and I agreed that this is not the kind of place where you just take a self-guided walking tour. So we paid for a guide to show us the highlights of Tikal national park. We had the option of taking the English guided tour - or the Spanish guided tour. Considering that (1) the English group consisted of about 30 people, where as the Spanish group had just over 10, and (2) those Swedish girls that I'm still annoyed with were in that English group, I think we made the right choice by opting for the Spanish tour. 


It was a 4-hr walking tour. There is no way to describe it accurately... so this is where I turn to picture blogging:


Not the first stop, but definitely the first big climb on the tour: Templo IV:  Templo de la Serpiente Bicéfala [Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent]. Built in 470 A.D., this temple stands at 65 meters [over 213 feet] making it the tallest in Tikal.

Me & Chris at the Top of el Templo de la Serpiente Bicéfala 

Here our guide is telling us about this tree that grows along another tree wrapping its branches around its trunk and branches until eventually it strangles the tree and kills it. It is known by two names:  (1) El Arbol de Muerte, (2) El Arbol de Amor.   [The Tree of Death, or the Tree of Love]

This is in El Mundo Perdido [The Lost World]. Here we see el Complejo de Conmemoración Astronómica [Complex for Astronomical Commemoration] - which is different from the other temples in Tikal which were built for religious purposes and to commemorate past leaders. And of course, we all know that the Mayan's were incredible astrologers. When you clap, even really lightly, this temple behind us sends an echo back - they think that's why they call this place Tikal "place of voices". El Mundo Perdido is the oldest section of Tikal - dating prior to 500 B.C.

The interesting thing about the typical Mayan temples is that they are solid - not hollow like Egyptian pyramids. The are built in layers. Archaeologists have found that as you go deeper and deeper into the temple you find smaller versions of the temple inside. Here at the corner of el Complejo de Conmemoración Astronómica you can see the inside layers of temples.

The temple behind me is one of the temples of the Gran Plaza or maybe El Templo de la Serpiente Bicéfala. Of course I was too busy running around taking pictures and didn't listen when he told us which one it was.

Below is Templo V, the second tallest at Tikal measuring 59 meters [over 193 feet]. Unlike the other temples that were built in layers - this one solid all the way through - built in one piece. Our guide says that this indicates that there were other influences in the building of this temple. It was probably built at a time when the leaders of Tikal had been overthrown by other  Mayan groups.

So, you see that very tall steep ladder on the left side? The guide told us that we were free to climb to the top - if we thought we'd be able to get back down. You probably can't see me in the picture - but here I'm standing at the top of the temple on the left side of the opening. Everyone I had watched coming down was really freaked out and moving really slowly. I put them all to shame when I climbed back down without any problems.

Behind me is a view of the Acropolis Central.

Here is a panoramic of la Gran Plaza. I'm standing on one of the buildings of the Acropolis Central. To the Right you see the Temple of the Great Jaguar - the most famous of the temples at Tikal. In the Center is the Acropolis del Norte, to the left there is el Templo de las Mascaras [Temple of the Masks].

Templo I: Templo del Gran Jaguar; 700 A.D., 45 meters [over 147 feet] tall.

Huge Mayan head carving at the Acropolis del Norte. It is probably as tall as I am. 

Well.. this by no means does justice to the incredible experience we had at Tikal. If you ever make it to Guatemala - either pay for a flight or just put up with an overnight bus ride to Tikal. It is absolutely worth it. We also saw birds, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, anteaters, a crocodile, some small snakes and some wild turkeys running around Tikal. I have tons more pictures, but they can't all go in the blog. Next time, because I hope there is a next time, I want to camp out in Tikal - yes I do mean pitch a tent and sleep outdoors. 


So, that's all folks. Sunday night we took the overnight bus. We were exhausted enough to sleep the whole way. Next up: Antigua for Semana Santa. 


-----------------------------------------------  

Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Days in Guatemala: 87

Date of Return to Los Angeles: May 4, 2011 [15 Days!!]

Date of Return to Boston: May 18, 2011

Barbri Bar Prep Start Date: May 19, 2011

Graduation Date: May 27, 2011

California Bar Exam: July 26-28, 2011

Is this Justice?

:: Day 82 in Guatemala ::


Keeping count of my time in Guatemala through my blog has been really useful. It reminds me that my visa expires after 90 days and that the deadline is quickly approaching. How ironic would it be if I ended up being "undocumented" in Guatemala. Anyway, I'm not bold enough to take that risk. Or maybe I'm just too cheap to pay the fine at the airport - I'd rather pay for the visa extension. So anyway, Monday I went to "Migracion" to pay for and request my extension. They took my passport for processing and said to come back in 8 days.

:: Is this Justice? ::


This week we were finally going to San Marcos for sentencing in the case of the dad who sexually abused his two daughters. (I know, I know - my topics are sooo uplifting.) At first it was just going to be me and Jenny going - so I was going to drive us to San Marcos (that is a 5 hour drive). But as time passed more people decided that they could go after-all. In the end it was me, Jenny (MTM Attorney), Ana Lucia (MTM Director), Brenda (MTM Psychologist), and David (MTM Board Member).  I still drove. Mostly because if Ana Lucia drove she would try to make it all the way without stopping - good luck if you are hungry or have to pee. Driving was fun. I kept feeling like I was really speeding because sometimes the speedometer was reading at 80 to 100 km/hr, but I had to keep reminding myself that is only 50-62 mph. Anyway, I mentioned previously that in some parts this road is full of curves. I kept getting self-conscious about my driving because the people in the back seat are swerving back and forth with every curve. Again, I had to remind myself that I've been the one in the back seat getting flung from side-to-side all the other times we went to San Marcos - it wasn't my crazy driving, that's just the road!!! That is my story and I'm sticking to it!

MTM: Jenny, David, Ana Lucia, me, Brenda

So Tuesday morning was the "hearing" as usual. There weren't any legal arguments left to be made - all the debate concluded at the previous hearing. There was just one last opportunity for the querellante (the mom of the two girls who is pressing charges) and the defendant (abusive dad) to each address the court before sentencing. Mom was great! She had kept it together before the hearing but once she started speaking she got emotional. She was very clear and concise - demanding that the court do justice to her daughters, reminding them of her daughter's cries before this same court only a few weeks prior. She told them that while she was blinded and didn't know her rights for so many years, that every step of the way he - a former police man - knew that what he was doing was wrong. She said that now that she knows her rights and her daughter's rights to be free from abuse and to receive reparation ($), that the court simply protect and uphold those rights.

When the dad/defendant took the stand (for the first time throughout this process) it made my stomach curl. He has shown up to every hearing bible-in-hand. His whole speech (and yes, it was a speech - it actually sounded much like a sermon) was about how he has found God and that he is right in the eyes of God. That only God can judge us and calls us to forgive each other. He had the audacity to say that he loves his daughters. That he loves his wife more now than ever before. He talked about how he has paid his dues because it is not easy being a former cop in jail. He talked about how he has received a calling to spread the word of God and help others. He was extremely eloquent - it made me sick to listen to him. After having heard his daughters tell the scream and cry through the story of how he sexually abused and raped them, I don't think anyone in that courtroom was buying anything he had to say.

So the court adjourned and requested that we return at 19:00 for sentencing. Yes, 7pm - 10 hours later. We drove back to Xela and ran errands and killed time. Had a very interesting debate about horses, donkeys and mules. I later had to pull up wikipedia to prove that I was right. I went through my animal obsession phase as a kid and still remember some random animal facts. We found a Texas BBQ restaurant in Xela and had lunch there. They all ordered chicken soup. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. Who orders soup at a Texas BBQ restaurant!?!? We finally made our way back to the courthouse around 6:30pm.

At around 6:45pm they come out and tell us that it is going to take a bit longer - probably until 8:30pm. We decided to wait in the lobby area rather than go out and come back. At 7:10 the Fiscal (prosecutor) runs up in her gym clothes semi-apologizing for being late. Jenny informs her that it has been pushed back until 8:30. Her response? "Oh good, I'm starving I can go get food. Oh, but my novela starts at 8:30!" Really? They are releasing the sentence and you are worried about your novela instead of your client who is having an emotional crisis? She then goes on to say she hopes it comes out okay because things have really gone wrong for her in the past - and she starts listing mistakes she has made that had unfortunate results in her cases. Needless to say - she left to have dinner and watch TV at home.

While we were waiting Jenny got a surprise gift from the Court Secretary!

About an hour later la Jueza Presidente (presiding judge) comes out. She comes up to where we are sitting and starts complaining about how poorly written the complaint/charges are. "The laziness of these prosecutors amazes me! When she turned in the first complaint I gave it back to her and told her she should revise it to make it coincide with the girls' testimony. She gave it back in a worse condition than the original! We are really struggling to get the sentencing out from this complaint, I'm just warning you so that you are prepared for what you are going to hear." Jenny started telling her how much trouble MTM has had with her. Since MTM can only act as co-counsel to the prosecutor there have been times where they offered her advice or changes to the complaint but couldn't do anything once she had made her decision. The best they could do is try to do some damage-control in court during debates. Even then the Fiscal yelled at Jenny for admitting (on the record) that the Fiscal had made a mistake. While it was good to hear that what MTM has been saying about the Fiscal all along has been right - it was also incredibly depressing. She has been doing this work for about 10 to 15 years and it looks like she's making a life-long career out of this. She is not a rookie prosecutor - there is no excuse for her mistakes and no one keeping her accountable.

When the sentencing finally started (at 9:30pm) the Public Defender and the Fiscal were not present. The court gave the dad/defendant 15 years for sexual aggression against both girls, and 24 years for the rape of his youngest daughter. The rape of the older daughter couldn't be proved because of that doctor's horrible expert testimony. The court also offered Q40,000 in reparations for each of the girls. In the end he has to serve 39 years in prison (minimum 20 if he gets out on good behavior) and pay Q80,000 ($10,500). While this is a victory for MTM, and a tremendous step forward in the healing process for the girls and their mom, it doesn't make up for all the damage he has caused. Even if he is punished, and even if they go through years of therapy - how does anyone recover from years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father?

Top: Panel of 3 Judges; Left: Defendant & Attorney;
Right: Fiscal, Querellante & Querellante's Attorny (MTM); Bottom: Witness Stand

It was bound to happen sooner or later...

:: Day 77 in Guatemala ::

So I had almost decided not to post to the blog this week because nothing exciting had happened. This week was slow. Sure, stuff happened, but nothing to write home about. Here's a quick recap of everything that was marginally interesting this past week:

Aura's Birthday!!!

-- Saturday we had a party for Aura from MTM because Sunday was her birthday!!

-- Monday was just another day at work.


-- Tuesday was blah, but then we (everyone from MTM) went to the hospital to try to donate blood to Paula's grandfather. Which I guess is interesting because the whole office went. Apparently you need to bring your own donors. And if they aren't an exact match (which I wasn't because I'm A+ and apparently most people are O+) they won't take your blood at all. It just seems like they really want families to have to PAY for each pint of blood their loved one needs.


-- Wednesday was the next Diplomado workshop. Unfortunately, this was the worst one. The first day was really repetitive because it was about Domestic Violence, and we already talked about that.
Wednesday Guatemala also beat the U.S. in Sub-20 soccer - making Guatemala eligible for a world cup for the first time in over 100 years. So the whole city went wild around 10pm at night, and unfortunately a man died because of the excitement. He was the father of a woman who works closely with MTM. Just as they were celebrating the win -- he died from a heart attack. He was only in his 60's.

-- Thursday the Diplomado was about "Health" which is a great idea in theory, but poorly executed. When we came back to the office there was a meeting with the director of Open Society Institute in NY, apparently she is a BC Law alumna! She asked me to contact her when I get back to Boston.  (Oh, and I finally talked to Xochil & Mami via Skype!!!)


-- Friday would be just another day in the office, plus a funeral, but then....




On Friday April 8, 2011, my 76th day in Guatemala, the inevitable happened:


Aura was going to run some errands for the office, which required driving downtown to Zone 4. It was almost lunch time and I was wrapping up what I was doing, so I joined her. It was really hot out so we were driving back with the windows half down. As we are rolling to a stop at a red light, Aura spots some guys who are headed to our car and who clearly are up to no good. We both hit the window buttons to roll them up. But they are just not fast enough. Two guys come to her window, one guy comes to mine and they stick their hands in the window to stop us from rolling it all the way up. The guys at each of our windows stuck their arms all the way in the windows - they were rolled up too high and the car is an SUV so they couldn't reach very far in to the car. They were both kind of pulling on the windows - either trying to force them down or break them. Meanwhile all three of them are yelling at us to give them our cell phones, money, wallets...

This whole time I'm trying to figure out what to do. Our doors are locked. The two guys with their arms in the windows clearly aren't armed, but maybe the third guy is. I've got my purse in my lap - which I instantly grab and hold towards the middle of the car where they can't reach. I'm fumbling with my purse trying to stall and trying to figure out what is going on... meaning: trying to figure out what Aura is doing. My instant reaction is - I'm not giving them ANYTHING. But, I'm in a foreign country with a high incidence of violence and everyone warned me that I'd probably be assaulted at some point and the smart thing to do is give them what they are asking for. So I followed Aura's lead. She hid her wallet but gave them her cell phone and the Q10 which were sitting on the dash. Since this other guy had his hands all in my face - although I don't remember him actually touching me - I fumbled with my purse for a while then remembered my phone was in my pocket. So I gave him/ he took my cell phone. We were still trapped at this red light long enough for him to yell at me more to give him my wallet, to which I respond I don't have one, even though I'm clearly still holding on to my purse. He looks at my purse and I say, "its full of books!" which is only partially true. It also had my debit card, camera, and house keys in it - so I was definitely not going to let that go as easily as the cell phone. The light finally turned green and we were able to go.

In the end, neither of us were hurt, but we were short two cell phones and Q10. Today (Saturday) the plan is to go to Tigo and try to get them to give me a new phone with the same phone number. It could have been much worse.

Moral of the Story: Guatemala is dangerous. Just when I was getting comfortable, three delinquents decided to remind me that I need to constantly be on alert.

Truth is, this week has been full of stories like this. On Saturday two men tried to do the same thing to Ana Lucia (the director at MTM) while she was stopped at a red light. On Monday, Hugo, who just got hired as an accountant at MTM, was assaulted while he was riding the bus home. They took the Q10 he had on him and basically just left him so shaken up that he took the next day off from work. Someone else was telling us this week that her brother was held up at gun-point while riding another local bus. And then Friday, Aura and I were assaulted while driving just a mile-and-a-half from the office.

I think I have avoided mentioning the scary stuff in my blog. For instance, the first time we went to Coatepeque was actually kind of scary. They had warned me that one of the defendants was a narco-trafficker and that he had made threats against Yasuri, the attorney for the Fiscalia/MP. As we were waiting and during the trial it was no big deal. But suddenly, as we were getting ready to leave it was like Yasuri went into a panic. She kept glancing outside and started calling to see if anyone from her office could come pick her up. She even called for a police escort. Apparently the defendant's family members - who are also involved in whatever drug trafficking business he has - were waiting around on the outside of the courthouse. The police came and made people leave, but she was still afraid that they'd just be waiting around the corner and find her as she was walking to her car. We ended up staying with her in the courthouse for at least 45 minutes after the trial was over. The longer we stayed, the more worried I became. We finally decided that Yasuri and the victim's family would go with Paula in the car we brought from MTM since it was parked across the street. Meanwhile Aura, Jenny, and I would go find Yasuri's car and meet them back at our hotel. I think I was nervous that something would happen until we actually pulled into the parking lot for the hotel. The threats against Yasuri became so extreme that they took her off the case. They replaced her with a different lawyer and she is requesting a transfer to Xela.

There is some good news in the Coatepeque case, however. Now remember, this is the case where the 13 year old was raped by three different men. She became pregnant, and now has an adorable daughter who she also named Yasuri, and contracted HPV. Well, there had been problems because the STD tests - which could provide crucial evidence for proving the rape by the other two men - would have cost over Q13,000 ($1,695). That is simply money that MTM and the victim's family do not have. Yasuri has been great on this case and did everything she could to convince her superiors that MP should pay the costs of those exams!

But anyway, the scary stuff comes with the territory. I knew what I was in for when I agreed to come to Guatemala. In fact, that was part of the reason I decided to start a blog - its almost like a weekly alert letting you know I'm still okay! But, I feel like I've been lucky because my experiences here have been more good than bad. I've got big plans for this last month, and I'm going to make the best of the time I've got left! But don't worry, I'll be careful. 

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Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011  (Happy 21st SLG!)

Days in Guatemala: 77

Date of Return to Los Angeles: May 4, 2011

Date of Return to Boston: May 18, 2011

Barbri Bar Prep Start Date: May 19, 2011

Graduation Date: May 27, 2011

California Bar Exam: July 26-28, 2011