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

Teenagers are a Tough Crowd

:: Day 67 in Guatemala ::

Thanks to my lovely friends on Facebook, this weekend I watched a quick clip by spoken-word poet Sarah Kay and had a profound appreciation for professional spoken-word performers. Even when she stopped doing her poems and was just talking to the crowd, she still sounded like every word was planned out and perfectly executed. And suddenly I was insanely jealous.

Last week was another week in Zacualpa (in the convent) for me. I feel like every day I made more and more work for myself. When one plan fell through, I'd come up with an even more elaborate one. Now suddenly I'm planning an Expo for the Centro del Migrante as well as workshops for teenagers on the topic of migration. Its four workshops in four days, and on the fifth day - the Expo. Seriously? Yes, and it gets worse. The three schools I'm visiting don't have a space where I can do a single workshops with all the kids so...

• April 27 - I'm doing 3 one-hour workshops at LICEO
• April 28 - I'm doing 2 one-hour workshops at Alegria y Fe
• April 29 - I'm doing 1 or 2 one-hour workshops (TBD) at INEB, and
• April 30 - I'm doing a workshop with the youth group at the convent.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Perhaps the bright-side is that my workshop planning is already half done! Hermana Ana Maria failed to mention that she had youth group coming on Saturday and that she wanted me to do a workshop with them. I didn't find out until Friday night. Now of course I couldn't say "no". That word is a recent addition to my vocabulary and I haven't quite learned how to use it yet. So I spent all of Saturday morning preparing to give a workshop in the afternoon. And man, let me tell you, teenagers are a tough crowd.

:: Back in the Day When I was Young (I'm not a kid anymore) ::

So I used to think that working with teens was easy, because I'm young and they can still relate to me. Well, I think I'm passed that point. Being just a few months from being an attorney kind of puts a big divide between where I am in my life and teenagers. Not to mention the fact that I'm an American city-girl talking to a group of rural Guatemalan teens.

So naturally, I start thinking of other ways to open the workshop that is going to help them feel more comfortable with me and therefore more comfortable participating. I start with a joke at my own expense, tell them about me, my background, and my experience with migration issues. Then I want to gauge to see how many of them know people who have migrated to the U.S., and what they already know about the subject. So, I thought, let's do this by the least confrontational way possible - a show of hands and questions that start really generally and gradually get more specific. I really forgot about the power of peer pressure and teenage self-consciousness. Statistics from the PDHRP's research in this community tell me that over 50% of families have someone in the U.S. And in a group of perhaps 50 teens, only about 10 raised their hand. Okay, I guess that's as good as it gets.

I would say that I "winged" the rest of the presentation, but that is just not true. I had a power point presentation with over 25 slides, not enough pictures, and two video clips. This is where I am insanely jealous of people like Sarah Kay - I wish I was compelling enough to keep people's attention without visual aids and confident enough to make it through without relying on a power point presentation to remind me of my next point.

At the end of the whole thing I of course opened it up for reactions and/or questions. What was I thinking? Of course they aren't going to ask anything. So we broke them up into small groups and then had one person "present" what their group had talked about and any questions they might still have. It is always easier to speak up and risk looking dumb when you can blame it on your group.

I have to say that I felt like I was walking a fine line with this presentation. I'm not trying to scare the kids out of migrating - that just doesn't work. But I want them to know the risks and the realities of migrating through Mexico, the U.S. Border, the U.S. immigration (deportation) system, and social realities of being undocumented. I also wanted them to know that there are people who care, and organizations that are fighting for migrant's rights and can help them if they face any abuses along the way or end up in deportation proceedings.

For the next seven of these workshops I'm going to have to find a way to keep this presentation balanced and present the good with the bad.


:: Birthdays and Funerals ::


Last week while I was in Zacualpa, two things happened on the same day: (1) it was Hermana Ana Maria's birthday! and (2) the mother of a woman who has been involved with the PDHRP for the past few years passed away. So the week was also filled with birthday celebrations and mourning. The birthday stuff was really cute. They decorated her place at the table, had a big lunch with people from the community, had a piñata, and at night the novice nuns performed a dance for her! So cute.

Hermana Ana Maria's B-day Table Setting

B-day Lady totally missing the piñata 

How cute is she?

The Priest finally just grabbed the piñata with his hands.

Nice! Shirt full of Candy!

The funeral was the next day. The PDHRP team in Boston asked me to get flowers for the family. No big deal, right? Wrong. Zacualpa is a small town. There is no flower shop in Zacualpa. In order to get flowers I'd have to take a bus to Santa Cruz el Quiche or Joyabaj which are the nearest big(ger) towns. I ended up asking Sor Ivonne (one of the nuns) to come with me so that I wouldn't get lost. Thankfully, they do sell flowers in Joyabaj. However, they don't sell flower arrangements. So I got to try my hand at a little creativity. With a dozen roses and four other types of flowers, a vase and some gold ribbon - I think I did a decent job. Right?

:: Accidentally a "Good" Catholic ::

So on Friday at dinner, right after Ana Maria informed me that I would be doing a workshop with the teens the next day, I accidentally agreed to do the Stations of the Cross with the nuns. I didn't understand what they were talking about. This is a problem when all your Catholic vocabulary is in English. Truth be told - I'm not even sure how to say "Easter" in Spanish.

So after dinner, Sor Neisy tells me "vamos ir a ver las cruces" (we are going to go see the crosses). Or at least that is what I heard. I was confused, so I asked "where?" And she said "out in the community". I was even more confused. What crosses? I walked around town all week and I didn't see any crosses. So I asked again, "Adonde van a ir?" ("where are you going?"). And she answered "A las cruces". Fine. Maybe its a display the community put up, or maybe its an area of the town that is called "Las Cruces" that I just don't know about. So I grab a jacket and I join them. Afterall, Rachel went back to Boston and the Italians left for the City that morning - so what else was I supposed to do?


Next thing I know, we are walking into the church and upon Ana Maria's cue a small procession starts. I'm still confused about what is going on. Then we walk down the street and stop in front of a house that has a small altar out front. Then the reading begins "Primera Estación: Jesús es condenado a muerte" and it clicks - I just agreed to do the stations of the cross! And aren't there like THIRTEEN of them!?!?!

Turns out she was saying "Via Crucis" - in Latin. Makes sense. It is a Friday in Lent. Which also explains why we had nothing but eggs, beans, and veggies today.


Anyway, it was too late to turn back now. So I stuck with it - through all thirteen stations! The whole thing was actually very cute. Each station was in a different part of town and the group of about 50 people would walk together, singing, and stop at each home to do the next station. Afterwards in the intentions they'd include a prayer for the family that put up the altar. I had never seen the stations of the cross done this way and it was a million times better than what I remember from elementary school where we just went around to each of the stations inside St. Andrew's Church.

:: Getting "Home" ::

So after being in Zacualpa since Tuesday, and working every day, by Sunday I was ready to go home! Well... "home" as in back to my apartment in Guatemala City. Sunday I still had to meet with Jose Daniel and Victor to do some planning for the workshops and Expo, but my mind was set, after lunch I was leaving!!!

I told Sor Ivonne that I was going to take the chicken bus to Chichicastenango and then a tourist bus from there - because I don't trust the ghetto buses and am afraid to get robbed because I'm taking my laptop. Well... as it turns out, the dangerous part is actually between Zacualpa and Chichicastenango - if I make it that far then I'm golden. But, she reassured me that they don't rob the buses on weekends because they are too crowded. When I got on the bus I remembered why - it is impossible to walk around in there! How are you going to hold up a bus when you can't even walk down the aisle to collect your money?

Anyway, so I took the Chicken Bus from Zacualpa to Guatemala City. That is a FIVE hour bus ride crammed into a seat that was intended for children but is now filled with three adults. Woo hoooo! I was just glad to have a seat! And I was glad that no one talked to me! Having the guy next to me fall asleep and once in a while accidentaly rest his head against my shoulder is waaay better than getting stuck sitting next to a guy who I'm afraid is trying to figure out where I live.

Yes, that bus is moving. Yes, he's waving at ME.

So now I'm back in the apartment. I've got just over a month left in Guatemala. I am at that strange point where (1) I am ready to go home! but also (2) I am finally feeling "at home" in Guatemala. This month is going to fly by! Next weekend I'm going to Livingston and Rio Dulce with the Italians and Juan Leo. In a few weeks my sorority sister Chris is coming so we'll be out doing touristy stuff and visiting Antigua for Holy Week! And in the meantime I have a 20 page research paper to write (that is how I know time is going to fly - deadlines always sneak up on you).

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

Date: Sunday, Mar. 30, 2011

Days in Guatemala: 67

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

Let the Processions Begin

:: Day 51 in Guatemala ::

The other day as we're driving home - correction: Oliver who is the assistant at the office is giving me a ride home - Oliver asks me if I've ever seen a procession. Sure, of course I have. They have those in LA sometimes, and I'm pretty sure I've seen some in Mexico. Then he asks me how big those processions were. Now I'm confused. Big? You mean the number of people involved? No. He means the size of the processional float (anda). So we stopped at a church on the way to my house. The thing was huge!!! I of course didn't have my camera on me this day. But when I say huge - I mean it takes 50 people to carry it.

So that leads me to this weekend, which was rather kick back. I did laundry, wrote my previous blog entry, did some reading. Sunday as I'm sitting in our little garden terrace I hear a whole lot of noise outside. I'm thinking maybe its a religious event, after-all it is a Sunday in Lent. Eventually I had leave the house to run some errands: ATM, pharmacy, pay electric bill, buy dinner. The next block over something is happening... people are arranging flowers on the floor. It is actually really pretty, and I assume it is something religious because some things are in the shapes of crosses, but I just figured I'd ask Ceci when I got back to the house.

Two hours later there are tons of people on our street. Ceci informs me that those flowers on the ground are an alformbra, a carpet made of flowers, in preparation for a procession that would be coming through soon. So naturally, I pulled out my camera and we hit the streets to see what was going on. (This alformbra is nothing compared to the elaborate ones they'll have during Semana Santa - Holy Week.)

There were street vendors, tons of people who came to watch, and cucuruchos who were dressed in white and purple robes and others who were dressed in all black. Ceci told me that these are the ones who are supposed to carry the processional float. Of course these are all Catholic devotees, but they are also the Guatemalan upper and middle class. Sure, carrying the float is a sign of devotion, but you also have to pay for your spot. So participating in these processions seems to be not only a sign of one's religious devotion but of their social status.

When the processional finally came around in front of our house, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to take video or pictures. So I took both. Unfortunately... that didn't make for a great video. So please excuse the terrible workmanship on this video and the mixing of the music... I was just looking for a drum beat to fill in the silence:

So I suppose this was only a taste of what Semana Santa will be like in Guatemala City. This particular procession was not very long. It started at a church that is about 6 blocks away and was just circling around the neighborhood before going back. That of course does not make it any less impressive.

The bad news is that as I'm scrambling to get my camera and some money so that I can take pictures of the madness and of course buy a snack from one of the street vendors - I discover that my change purse is missing. Not really that big a deal. It only had like $20-$25 in it. However, it also had my ATM card inside. Fortunately I'm paranoid enough to have put the money I had taken out of the ATM in my bra rather than in my pocket or change purse. So I still have the $200 I had just taken out and I was able to call and have it frozen before anyone could try to use it. I must have lost it somewhere between the little restaurant where I bough a Guatemalan hot dog for dinner and the two blocks I had to walk to get home. I just hope that whoever found it - really needed the money.