Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Antigua may be the most outstanding and best-preserved colonial city in Spanish America. Tourists visit Antigua every year from around the world to enjoy its natural beauty and historic monuments. The Spanish Colonial style permeates every part of the town: its houses, churches, squares, parks and ruins, also its traditions and folklore as well. Antigua is a city of charm and color where you can see and buy an overwhelming variety of attractive, handmade products that honor the traditions of generations of artisans.
This is a column which fell. The historians want to keep it here to show the that it fell but that later they would replace it. Something like that.. where is Havierre' the tour guide?
This was the answer! Steps go up this arche on one side to a bridgeway to the other side. Voila! I don't see the nuns, do you?
They got so full that they had to buy more property. Trouble was, there was no adjacent property and they had to buy it across the street. Whats the problem? Cloister nuns can not be seen going outside in public!
For the religious ceremony. These street carpets where in some cases very detailed and made of all natural things like flower petals and pine needles.
Some men getting ready for the procession. 120 men pay for the priveledge of carrying the statue of Jesus through the streets of Antigua for 12 hours.
.I don't know the significance of the dress. These men look like arabs while the ones on the other side look like Knights of Columbus. If anyone knows please comment here.
Bobbie spotted that trap door in the floor down there and Havierre' gave her props for noticing. Way to go Bobbie!
Looking down the ole 'oop shoot'. There was at one time running water down there to ferry away the 'oop!
One of the folks in our group said that it isn't unusual in Antigua to loose power at night. Although this never happened we did have an quake at 3:30 a.m. according to many. I slept right through it. One of the girls caught a man trying to come in through her motel's window. One of our own guys climbed in through the window as not to wake his room-mate.
I want to do this in my shower at home..hook up electric right to the shower head. What a way to wake up in the morning! bzzzzzzz! yeoh!
It was like hey! look at that girl. She has our textbooks and is keeping them safe in the plastic just as we'd hoped! According to CoEd, these plastic bags take a beating but often the books are in such good condition even after four years that now some of the schools are thinking of ways to keep them even when they buy new updated ones.
.This home made of block vs. adobe in the pics below. Adobe is the cheapest though nearly every home has a corrogated or sheetmetal roof. Sheetmetal was introduced after the war.
We were invited to see this woman's home. The cousin lived through that breezeway. She ran a store next to the school (common to see stores right next to the schools) while her husband worked in the cauliflower fields.
Joe said that this woman would show up time and time again begging CoEd to bring a computer lab to her village. When she spoke to our delegation Joe said "Thats the most English I think I've ever heard you speak!"
Chipiacul School in Chimaltenango
Thats the woman who was relentless with the goal of getting this computer lab in her village.
This rooster was probably the one waking us all up at 4:30 a.m. Or probably just guarding the water source.
Chicken bus rally. The buses are outcast school buses from the U.S. that have been painted bright colors. There is a pattern to which colors go to which place. Bus company names are painted along the bottom in wild fonts, and often decaled women's names over the top of the front window - the bus driver's girlfriend or wife's name, or sometimes his mother.
Anunciata School in Chichicastenango
One last class picture. I hope these little jewels all make it into the CoEd level grades and beyond!
Ruins of Utatlan
David..did you enjoy your box lunch with the chicken sandwich after watching it get sacrificed just minutes earlier?
That chicken is going to be sacrificed. The priest is on the far right. He just poured alcohol into the chicken' mouth and now he'll dangle it over the smoke from the fire. Then with the woman's help, it will be beheaded to finish the ceremony and prayer. This sacrafice is a common ritual of the Maya.
This family was praying for so many good things.
Sacrifice was thought to please the gods. If the gods were pleased, then the people would be rewarded with good crops and happiness. This is where that chicken under the preist's arm comes in. On the bottom right of this picture you see a roundish preparation for the next prayer fire. Lots of colors. These are candles. Each colored candle has a significance in the ceremoney. Red is for love. Blue is for luck. Green is for money matters. Yellow is for people over 50 looking for work. And black is for ridding oneself of evil spirits. Slowly as the priest prayed to God they lit the candles and then the coals. Some say the color representation is: yellow, skin; black, hair/night; blue, rain/water; green, earth; red, blood/heart.
Ruins of Utatlan
Ah! Someone figured out that if you light fires in an enclosed space it fills up with lots of smoke! The prayer group at the end of this cave acted like it was nothing. Welcome! Sit and pray with us!
Ruins of Utatlan
More smoke please!
Utatlán was also known as K'Umarcaaj. The archaeological site is located in the department of El Quiché about two miles from Santa Cruz del Quiché almost 100 miles from Guatemala City. K'umarcaaj is mentioned in the Popol Vuh. References call the city impressive and powerful. The ruins are in pretty bad shape and very few structures remain. The city was destroyed by Pedro de Alvarado during its conquest and burning in 1524 A.D. K'umarcaaj was the ancient capital of the Maya Quiché region
Classe School in Santa Cruz Del Quiche'
Modern songs were a great change from all the traditional songs we heard repeated from school to school. Everyone remember the corn dance? Los Huastecos!
Many many buildings and or homes in some stage of progression. When the money runs out for materials they will wait until the following year to continue.
Monday, March 07, 2005
It never stopped amazing me how our drivers would attempt to pass traffic going uphill not knowing what was coming down around those curves!
Chichicastenango
Casa Del Ray..where the walls are so paper-thin you can hear a sneeze from the other side of the property!
Behold a very large home. Made of clay, straw and egg whites, a bit of wood and of course the sheetmetal roof.
San Franciso de Asis School at Lake Atitlan
This is where St. Francis of Asis is currently building a school. On the donated property of a parent.
San Franciso de Asis School at Lake Atitlan
Its Victor's turn to teach the students how to care for their books.
Speech by the class president. Is that Linda Forster to her left, then Amy and Christie? Jeff Berninger and the school's principal to the right.
Students of St. Francis of Asis. In fact, all classes are currently being held in a residential home with three sessions per day.
All open windows, skylights and a beautifully formed roof of sheetmetal artistry. Seats are all individually sponsored. Supposedly, this town was the home of the basketball champions some xx years running now.
San Franciso de Asis assembly at Lake Atitlan
I thought, hey this school doesn't need our help..but it wasn't a school at all but the town's multipurpose center and gymnasium.
Sodom, Gamora and Sibling. The middle one is a resort hotel of sorts? What happended to being structurally unsound due to the earthquake?
Santa Cruz School on Lake Atitlan
The Barney song is an international favorite! Sing it with me.. (video)
I couldn't believe I saw this stove, after the Principal was boasting about her new kitchen. Each student brings two pieces of wood to school every day. They had a nutrition program at this school.
Santa Cruz School on Lake Atitlan
I had fun with these guys in the back of the salon. Thats why the jokester sit in the back! You get away with so much more!
I need help again.. Maria on the left. Which one of you is that next to her? Dennis Forster looking very patriotic. Just one of many more Guatemalan National Anthems to be sung on this trip.
Santa Cruz School on Lake Atitlan
Ah! Finally a seat after that long trek up the mountain to talk to God. Sorry, wrong story.
Nothing is a straight shot in Guatemala. Back and forth and slowly we'll get to the top. Anyone feel winded yet?
Oh look! The only vehicle available which has the monopoly on the transportation service up and down that old switchback road.
He's not picking his nose. He's asking the singer to find out the name of the good looking Ohio woman at that table over there!
The crazy hippie. Whats his name? I don't know about you but I could of made the pasta meal better with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back. But hey...it wasn't about the food. It was about the atmosphere. Friendly, and great music!
Santiago
Daniela came across a legless woman who dragged herself to church. The woman refused help. One of the others dropped some money into her pocket. Hope it was still there when the woman got home. The church was packed with people but the service was well run.
Anunciata School
Mario of CoEd is explaining to the children how to care after the new books they will soon be getting and taking home to study with. Victor and Blanca of CoEd are in the foreground.
Anunciata School in Chichicastenango
Thats Daniela from Hobsons who did much of the interpretation for our English speaking delegation.
That is broken glass embedded into the top of the wall to deter would-be theives from climbing over after-hours.
Anunciata was one of the largest schools on the trip with 500 students, 200 of them are boarders. L-R Bill Earman, Cathy Smith, Gail Earman, Sister Patrice, and... someone help me out here. And stopping traffic in the street is Mario from CoEd.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
"Want to come into our class?"
The area around Chitatul is predominantly Quiche Mayan, as is apparent by the clothing and language.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
We're studying geography and other cultures.
Chitatul is nestled in the mountains of Guatemala's Quiche region.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
left to right: David Harris, Sharon Dysan, Rick Olano, Daniela Locreille and Bobbie Huber of Hobsons UK and Hobsons US.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
This area was one of the most strongly affected by the civil war. It has seen many massacres and much guerilla activity. It is also one of the poorest areas of Guatemala. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, grew up in Uspantan, here in the mountains of Quiche.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
The more smoke, the better the prayer, festivity, sacrafice or whatever is going on. Smoke is key here.
Hobsons Sponsored Chitatul School
Some traditional festivities at the schools featured a bull rigged with fireworks.
Saquilla' School
After the students are finished with their entertainment segment, it is time to dance with us Gringos!
Cortés and la Conquista, which relate the arrival of the Spanish. When the Spanish came they brought the first horses to the area. The Mayans thought that the man and horse were one beast.
In some Guatemalan towns, children are taught not to look at the camera because people might be using the pictures to later steal the children.
Saquilla' School in Chichicastenango
Students prepare to give us some entertainment in thanks for making this textbook program possible.
Parents usually the Mothers attend the textbook project inauguration toting young children along who are too young or are not enrolled in the school.
Panajachel on Lake Atitlan
Depending on the size of the town, some streets are paved while in smaller towns and villages there is only the dirt.
That smoke on the side of the volcano is a farmer burning the stocks of his old crop. Getting ready to plant his new crop.
6:15am
This is one of the most talked about photos from Guatemala that I took with my little Canon camera.
It is hard to believe that this is the top of a volcano. Its so vast! Two other volcanos in the distance.
Construction on those hotel highrises down there stopped following an earthquake in the 80's. They deemed the structures too damaged to continue finishing them.
