Antigua in the day is beautiful. I got to see many oooold cathedrals that I missed last year. The history there is intense. The stone streets pulsate and the wind is easy going on your tired body.
I've been taking lots of photos and I plan to post them in a better fashion than this website which is extremely slow.
Lago Amatitlan is full of life - a small village next to the lake with lots of color, nice people, rival mariachi bands, and stray dogs (there are lots of stray dogs in this country, not many stray cats). I sang with two local guitarists, talked a lot with the locals, and had my crazy face on the whole time. Who is this white boy? What planet did he come from? That seems to be the response to my appearance and personality anywhere I go in Guatemala, but I consider those that can have fun with it to be my friends.
We escaped the city and went up to the mountains yesterday where Tita's aunt lives. She's the sweetest woman I have ever met! Esther, 70 years old, still works hard, moves fast, and drinks beer. She's also under 5 feet and incredibly cute. Going to her house in the "aldea", aka smaller than a village, of Canton Las Limas was very eye and heart opening. She lives on the top of the mountain in a house she and her children built 30 years ago. The aldea is very poor, but full of lots of happy young kids that roam the main tall street. To bathe and wash clothes, you have to journey down a big hill to a water trough, then get back up. It is such a tranquil place, away from the city, and made a big impact on me. I thought I would possibly live in Antigua when I'm older, but Las Limas is so much more at peace. It doesn't have a night life, but hey, what the hell. Esther would accept me as a guest any day.
My Spanish is getting better and better, and the Guatemaltecos think I am a good speaker.
Moving beyond the basics, I have been learning what I need to scream at the cockfight this weekend. Actually, we will be going to two cockfights, also known as Palenques. The first is in the central square of a village in El Salvador. Jose and I will be leaving tonight and the rest of the gang (I think 4 or 5 cars) will head down tomorrow, with gallos and of course Gallos. The second is on a farm in Guatemala. Adventure. High hopes. Blood.
I am doing very very well and I hope you are too.
Deep breaths
-Caspianita (my new nickname)
I remember thinking 'who is this crazy white boy?' when I met you too. ;) I'm sure that guatemala is enjoying your energy
ReplyDeleteglad to hear that you're doing well!
~MK