Travelers Tales - Antigua - Nov2008

One of the joys of trips such as this is meeting fellow travelers and hearing of their experiences. Here are a few tales from some friends in Antigua. (I shall do my best to recount them accurately).

Temptation

This is from Pedro, a 56 yr old Canadian who is originally from Slovakia. He joined our family in Antigua during my final week. He was there to learn Spanish for 3 weeks.

He told us that he when he arrived in Guatemala a few days earlier, it had been too late to travel the 30 miles south to Antigua, so instead he had spent the night in Guatemala City. Not having much money, he had selected a cheap hotel ($10), in a poorer part of town. It was called the Phoenix Hotel. The next morning, he had caught the bus to Antigua. There he had stayed the night in another hotel.

After his arrival, he suddenly realized that he had left his Sony digital VCR in a table drawer in his room in the Phoenix. The camera was top of the line, and had cost Ca $2600 several years previously. He realized there was very little chance of getting it back. Nevertheless, he asked the local hotel manager if he would be kind enough to call the Phoenix to ask. The manager did so. No one had seen the camera. Trying his luck, Pedro asked if they could please check the drawer in his old room. The maid at the Phoenix went off to check, and returned a short while later saying that, yes, she had found the camera. Pedro nearly fell over with surprise. He wasn’t sure how to get it back, and so was thinking of another day trip to the big city. Don’t worry, said the manager of the Phoenix, he would take care of it. Pedro was a little skeptical, but was grateful anyway.

The next day, Pedro checked with the manager at his new hotel. The manager handed over the camera. Apparently, the manager of the Phoenix had brought it over to Antigua in person.

I asked to see the camera. It was probably fancier than any I had seen before. Just for reference, it was probably worth more than a year’s salary to the staff at the Phoenix.

Friends in Need

This story is from Jenny, a 25 yr old Englishwoman who was part of our family in Antigua, and became a good friend.

A week earlier, Jenny had been leaving a coffee shop downtown in Antigua, when she tripped and fell. She was dazed, but struggled to her feet, and sat down on the steps to recover. There were a number of tourists around but none came to help. After a while she got up and tried to walk, before she realized that her knee was bleeding badly. Feeling light headed, she sat down again, unsure what to do.

Shortly afterward a local Guatemalteco woman came to her aid and asked if she was OK. Jenny’s Spanish wasn’t as good then, but she showed her injury, and then gave her the name and address of a friend in a nearby hostel. The lady called her son and then went off to locate the friend. Unfortunately, she had forgotten Jenny’s name and so was unable to connect Jenny with her friend. Meanwhile, the son showed up, and he could speak some English. He called the cops. Apparently they came quickly. By this time, Jenny was shivering with cold (it gets chilly in the evenings this time of the year). So the cop took off his jacket and put it around Jenny. The cop and the friend then rushed her off to the Public Hospital about 2 miles away. She was admitted to the emergency room, where they cleaned and stitched up her knee – I saw the injury later, and I think she had received half a dozen stitches. They then brought her back. By this time the lady had tracked down Jenny’s friend so was able to unite them. The cost to Jenny of the whole expedition was zero. Jenny later had to buy some drugs – antibiotics and pain killers –about $30 worth. A week later she visited a local clinic to have the stitches removed. Also free of charge. When I left, Jenny was as good as new.

Later Jenny contacted the family who had helped her, to thank them. I believe they all met up to share some good times together. I don’t know if she was able to track down the cop too, but she probably wanted to give him a hug.

Mugging does not always Pay

During my last week, a young European couple who lived a few doors down from our family was mugged in the street at about 2 am, while returning from an evening on the town. Two guys held them up with a knife. They had not been carrying much stuff, but the guys took her purse and some money from him. The couple later returned home, rather shaken.

The next day, they visited the cops to report the robbery. To their surprise, the cops replied that they had caught the 2 guys, and would they please come out back and identify them. It turned out that the mugging had been witnessed by a local, who had called the cops on his cell phone. While the cops were arriving, he had followed the bad guys, and was able to tell the cops where they had gone. (Probably they weren’t the smartest muggers on the block).

The couple identified the two guys, who ended up in Jail. They also got all their stuff back.

A Lucky Escape

This story is another one from Pedro.

Shortly after 9-11 he had embarked on a solo 3 or 4 month bike trip from Victoria BC to Mexico City. He was towing behind his bike a small trailer with camping gear, and started off with a ferry trip to Port Angeles.

He was passing though Oregon when his trailer and bike got out of control while descending a hill. He crashed, and was temporally dazed. The local medics took him to a nearby hospital, when he was examined and kept for 24 hrs. Apparently they found that he was only bruised, so he was able to continue on his way. However, he had to pay $3000 up front before being allowed to leave. Later they billed him for another $3000, which he paid.

He examined his bike and found several broken spokes. These he repaired. He decided that these had caused the crash, so he continued on his way without thinking any more about the accident.

He continued without mishap down through Baja California, and then crossed by boat to the mainland of Mexico. He had a number of long climbs until near Mexico City, when he was able to enjoy long fast descents into Mexico City. Unfortunately, disaster then struck again.

The last he remembers is riding fast down a long hill. When he recovered consciousness 3 days later, he was in a private hospital in Mexico City. He had lost his short term memory. Apparently, he had been found unconscious by some locals, amidst a jumbled mess of his bike, trailer and belongings. They had called the cops, who had collected all his gear and taken him to hospital. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage, so they had given him several Cat Scans and MRIs. They had found a large clot in his brain, but had decided not to operate. His life had hung in the balance for several days. Finally, the doctors were proved right, and the body re-absorbed enough of the blood clot to relieve the pressure on his brain. He then regained consciousness. The Canadian consulate visited him. To save money (after the Oregon expense) he asked if he could transfer him to a public hospital, which they did after 3 days. The cost of the stay in the private hospital was $180 total.

He spent another 2 weeks in the public hospital. It was not as fancy as before, but adequate. He got to know the director and the staff. They treated him like family. He was then well enough to leave. The total cost? Zero.

He visited the cops to get his stuff, and found that all his possessions were intact, including all his money and his video camera. The bike was a little beat up but he was able to make repairs, and later to make a successful return flight to Canada. Later, he figured out why he had had the two crashes. They had been caused not by broken spokes, but by the trailer getting out of control on long descents, and jack-knifing.

Antiguena Spanish Academy - Antigua - Nov2008

The entrance to Antiguena school.

.
I have a young man called Alvaro for a teacher. He is good, and demanding.
.
School costs $60 per week for 5x4 hrs of 1 on 1 teaching in the afternoon. ($75 mornings). The school seems to have more students than other schools, as it is recommended in Lonely Planet. Also, its prices are lower than average. Alvaro told me the school has a permanent complement of about 15 teachers. It can usually handle up to about 20 students in the mornings or afternoons, but most prefer mornings. There are only two PCs for use by students, so one has to sign up for ½ hours per day. Probigua has more PCs and I was often able to work on one for 4 hours at a stretch. However, this is not really an issue as there are numerous internet cafes nearby, costing from Q5 to 8 per hour (about $0.75 – $1.10).
.
Alvaro told me that the teachers receive about half of what the students pay, so that would be about $1.50 to $2/hr. Not very much. However, he seemed happy since he had almost a full-time job, except for May and December (the slow months). Many schools, including Probigua, are slow for a good part of the year and therefore offer only part time work.
.
I found the school to be less peaceful than at Probigua. One reason is that Antiguena is more popular and its premises are more cramped. It also lacks the plants and outdoor atmosphere of Probigua and El Viejo for example. Several times we were forced to look for another desk due to the noise, as I found I could not understand my teacher. There are two nice study nooks on the roof, with good views, but these were always taken. After a few days I became more used to Alvaro´s voice so the noise did not bother me as much. Also, we were often able to use one of the small enclosed rooms which are more private.
.
Antiguena provides an excellent array of free extra mural activities for the students. (More than at Probigua). I was able to participate in several, all of which I found gave an interesting glimpse of life in Antigua. They also helped with one’s Spanish. I found I was able to understand about 75% of what was being said, mainly because the teachers and guides are from the school and know to speak clearly and slowly.
.
Bike Tour of Antigua
.
About 8 of us were taken on an hour long bike tour of the city. The school provided the bikes. I found my seat was too low but the school didn’t appear to have any tools so I just put up with it. Biking was fine, although the cobbled streets and busy traffic can be challenging. I wore my bright reflector vest and bike helmet, which may have been unique in the history of the town.
.
Martha took us to various churches and ruins, and told us some of the history. The city was founded by the conquistadors in 1543, and became the capital of the region. It was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, and the Spanish moved the capital 30 miles to the east, to present day Ciudad Guatemala. The destroyed town was slowly rebuilt, and became known as Antigua Guatemala, or old Guatemala, which was later shortened to Antigua. Many old buildings still show damage from past earthquakes, the most recent of which occurred in 1976. These ruins add interest to the city, and are much loved by all. Today, Antigua is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is not hard to see why. A fascinating city, with weather that is hard to beat.
.
Valhalla Macadamia Farm
.
This afternoon tour was enjoyable. About 20 of us, including our teachers, traipsed off to the mercado (market) and caught a chicken bus for the half hour ride south west to the small farm. The journey was part of the fun. I just love the hustle and bustle of the mercado. I’ll bet a week’s wages there isn’t a mall in Washington that has half the products or color. If it is made or grown or dug up or pirated by humans, one can probably find it there. And meet a lot of interesting people while searching.

Pretty country. This was partly the route I had taken on my first bike ride. The farm is run by a group of environmentalists, and is totally organic. They try to promote environmental awareness, and run development projects with Indigenous villages, to teach them good farming practices. Volunteers are welcome.

.

They showed us the simple equipment used to remove the husks and sort the macadamia nuts.

.

The dehusker uses local materials, plus a small lawnmower engine, and costs about $120 total.

.

.

The nut sorting table. No moving parts.

.

.

The local toilet is so relaxing that one could spend all day there. The lady claimed that they are angling to get it into the Guinness book of records, as the most photographed bagnio in the world.

.

.
Candies of Guatemala
.
This was an interesting class held one afternoon at the school. Guatemaltecos have a sweet tooth, it seems. Sugar is one of the main ingredients, as one might expect. The large fruit is called a chilacajote and is related to the watermelon. The large sugary globs are from this fruit. They also boil milk and sugar to make a range of milk treats, as in India. Coconuts, pears, guayabas, and zapotes (red flesh) are some other fruits used. At the end of the class we were encouraged to sample the fruits. However, I found the samples too big. The teachers couldn’t understand my problem.

.
Cooking Class using Corn
.
This was fascinating. Corn is holy to the Mayas. It originated in the Americas, and has since become a staple in other parts of the world, such as East and Southern Africa. We were told there are over 300 species, of which about 35 are cultivated in CenAmerica. There are 4 colors – white, yellow (the two most popular), red and black. Ever seen black corn? I hadn’t. I am told one can find it in the market in a few places, so I am going to look for it today, for my Sunday meals.

The teacher explained how it is processed in the local mills (los molinos). Each morning on my hour-long walks, I meet women walking down to the mills in the nearby village of Jocotenango, carrying their large bowls of corn kernels on their heads. These mills are small communal affairs, located in a room about 12 ft x 12 ft. They seem to be a local hangout, rather like the communal washing areas at the water holes near villages in Africa. Afterwards they return home with the ground corn dough, called masa. This they use to make the staple tortillas, which are eaten plain (quite tasty), with avocado(great), as tamales (wrapped in banana leaves, with salsa, etc), or toasted or fried (tacos). They also use corn to make several drinks and pastries. Once again, we were encouraged to sample the foods after the class.
.
Views of Antigua taken from the top of the school.

.

.

My teacher Alvaro and myself.

.

.
The valley is quite scenic.

.

Local Inspiration - Antigua - Nov2008

The local library holds functions on a variety of subjects, many of which are free. This poster was promoting Women’s Awareness Month. It translates as
.
Woman
.
Let us change the way things change.
.
30 days of Activism
.
Against the Violence of a Generation
.





One afternoon in the Parque Central I came across a small booth offering what appeared to be classes in personal growth. The poster translates as:
.
The New Acropolis Celebrates
.
Philosophy is for all those who:
.
- ask and question
- search for an understanding of themselves and of life
-search (for ways) to be be better each day, and to improve the earth.
It serves you, and is by you!
.
Earlier in my trip, I visited the local police station. This is located in a mobile trailer about 300 yds from both of my families. The sign was placed on the wall behind the tables at which sat two young, smartly dressed and friendly cops. They didn’t mind my taking a picture of the sign but balked when I also wanted a photo of them. The sign translates as:

.
If you have lost money, you have lost little.
.
If you have lost a friend, you have lost much.
.
If you have lost you faith in God, you have lost everything.

Around Antigua 2 - Nov2008

I have settled into a routine now. I am up at 0545 for my hour long walk. One of the best parts of the day – quiet, cool, pretty views. After breakfast at 0700, I do the internet for an hour at the school (for free), then walk down to the quiet public library and study for several hours before walking home for lunch (15 min away).

.
The library courtyard where I study. It has a fountain. No charge for its use. My books are on the table to the left.

.

I study with Alvaro at my second school (Antiguena) from 1200 to 1600 after which I check my email, then walk 15 minutes south to the supermarket, where I buy a cold beer to drink in the park. After hanging out there for an hour or so (or until it gets chilly), I return home and join some of the ladies in the living room, where we do our homework. Often we get sidetracked and end up chatting about philosophical issues or whatever until dinner at 7 pm. This is usually a nice family affair with coaching in Spanish and lots of laughs. The ladies have discovered that I am a good target for jokes. It is all good fun.

.\
The kids playroom in the public library. No kids, however.
.
I saw a few gringo families with infants or young children. They said it wasnt hard traveling with kids in Guatemala.
.






This shoeshine guy was plying his trade near La Merced church, while his customer was feeding the local pigeons.
.










.
View SE from the roof of Antiguena school
.











.
Local Coffee Shop
.
This is the coffee shop where I would enjoy good cup of tea for $1.10 during afternoon break from school. This coffee shop has a peaceful garden and waterfall, and also does meals. The woman in the background is an Indigena weaver. Fun to watch her work. She makes my job look easy.








There are numerous books and newspapers to read, and free wireless internet. A visitor who was working there on his laptop said the wireless connection is good. If one buys something one can stay there all day. I dont think Seattle’s coffee shops can’t compete in terms of ambience and quality of the tea. Coffee - well, the experts claim that the coffee is sub standard as the best beans are exported, but for what it is worth, I tried the coffee in several places (not here), and it tasted better than at our Starbucks. But then, what do I know.
.




.
View of Antigua, taken during my morning walk
.











.
New marketing approach. This fat guy was promoting a new Pharmacy near the market.


.

.

The parque central and its pretty fountain, where I enjoy an evening cold beer.

.

Pacaya Volcano (Mis)Adventure - Antigua - Nov2008

There are supposedly 34-odd volcanoes in Guatemala, of which Only 3 are active. One, Volcan Fuego, is located within 15 miles of Antigua and regularly belches smoke, as if to warn everyone not to get too complacent. (I keep my bike ready just in case). It is about 12,500 ft high and is too tricky for casual climbers. A second one is located near Xela. The only one that is readily climbable is Pacaya, about 2500 m (8200 ft) high and a little south of Guatemala City. This is a “must-do” tourist destination for those among us who fancy ourselves as being fitter than the masses (whoever they may be). My teacher Alvaro had done it and so had Jenny in our home. I therefore decided to give it a go.

Jenny recommended a morning trip. Alvaro said the afternoon was better. I took his advice. Big mistake, as Jenny gleefully pointed out to me the next evening, after I had recovered. In future, I will listen to women. The story is as follows:

We were supposed to leave at 2 in order to complete the climb before night fall, but ended up driving around Antigua for half an hour and then changing buses (who knows why). So we left at 315 pm.


The1.5 hr drive to Pacaya was quite beautiful, as the terrain is mountainous and the countryside quite green.
.









.
This was our armed guard. There have been some robberies in the past. The guards are all very proud of their "escopeta doce" (12 gage shotguns). I think they would injure more tourists than robbers if they were fired.
.








.
Traffic jam on the way up.
.
We started climbing at around 5 pm, at sunset – great views of the ocean and of the other volcanoes.
.







We reached the small hut at the base of the volcano proper at dusk. By this time our group had grown to about 30 persons, of varying stages of fitness. This is really too much for one group – hence we were slower than normal as we often had to stop and wait for people to catch up. We started the ascent in the dark. It was very windy (as is the case at this time of the year) and rapidly became quite cold. The tour group, BARCO, had recommended that people bring flashlights, walking sticks, good clothing and strong shoes. But it appears these things are optional, so a number of people were lacking one or more items. Not good at all – in my opinion, all these things should be compulsory. One older man (with another group) that was coming down was very lightly dressed and was clearly suffering from the cold. A European visitor produced a spare jacket for him to wear, which I though was a nice gesture,since he probably would not easily meet up with hime again.
.
The going was rough, and the light went quickly, as so often happens near the equator. One would take 2 steps up and slide one back. The laval rocks were loose and abrasive. A couple of guys ahead dislodged some 20-30 lb boulders which came tumbling down, struck one of the local dogs that was accompanying us, and narrowly missed several tourists. Those without lamps or headlights were in bad shape, and had to rely on others for help. Several people could not make it and stayed back for the next 1.5 hrs, exposed to the strong winds and cold. The volcano is like moonscape, where nothing grows, and is rather like a huge cinder cone made up of loose larval rocks.
.
We arrived at the crater at 7 pm. It was impressive to get to within 10 ft of the slowly moving molten lava. Rock melts at between 600 and 1000 C (1100 to 1800 F). No one had a thermometer so we had to guess. The guide had brought along a long stick with branches at the end, on which he impaled 6 or so marshmallows at a time. He then proceeded to toast the marshmallows. Not your every day girlscout campfire.

One could glimpse the river of lava be moving below one's perch, and it made me wonder if a tourist ever fell in. Sure would make for a difficult rescue. The extra heat from the lava was welcome as the cold wind had begun to get into one's bones.

The descent was hair raising. I had a headlamp, walking stick and good shoes, but did not find it easy, and fell a number of times in the loose screen. One had to brace oneself on the sharp rocks. Fortunately I had on my bike gloves or I would have suffered more than just a few small cuts. The young Australian woman behind me fell every few minutes during the 45 min descent.

We made it back to the hut with many people complaining of sore body parts. The rest of the descent, along the path was uneventful. We finally returned to Antigua at 1045 pm, about 1.5 - 2 hrs late.

Two days later I bumped into a Canadian couple whom I had befriended on the trip. She had her arm in a cast. She said it had suffered a fracture during the descent, as the local hospital had discovered. They added that quite a few people had had to go to the hospital the next day.

Later I visited the Barco travel agency and the lady was unsympathetic. She said people had been advised to bring the necessary gear. I asked what the group had been so large, as it slowed us down. She shrugged. I added that in my opinion, they should insist on the correct gear, or one should not be allowed to join the group. Such people could be a liability to themselves and to the others, especially if an evacuation were necessary. She didn’t believe me when I reported the injuries. Her guide had told her no-one had suffered any injuries and she believed him. I guess it is possible he hadn’t been aware that people were injured, but then I didn’t see him checking up either. And of course many tourists cant speak much Spanish and he spoke no English.

Some thoughts I came away with were: safety is not of prime importance the the organizers on these trips. So ask around, and always bring enough gear. Don’t be macho, as were some young guys on this trip, and climb without headlamp or stick. Secondly, the travel Agency Barco tries to shave costs. I would not recommend them. Thirdly, climb Pacaya in the morning, as Jenny recommended, not at night. It is pushing your luck.

The Sactics - My Second Family in Antigua - Nov2008

After 2 weeks with Probigua and the Ixcamey family, I decided to try out another school and family for my remaining 2 weeks. I had been very happy with my first school and homestay, but I wanted to meet some other people. I first visited several of the schools in the town – there are dozens, and business is so slow right now that one can pick and choose. I decided to check out only those that had been recommended by Lonely Planet or by the other internet reviews (e.g. Travelers Notebook).

.

San Jose El Viejo has pleasant ouside nooks for teaching, but could not offer a homestay. I looked also at Christian Spanish Academy, Marroquin, and Ixchel. The latter had friendly staff, nice surroundings and offered a homestay. Furthermore, they offered me a free one hour lesson up front. I took them up on this. This time I had a 24 yr old very attractive and fashionable young woman who was studying to be a school teacher. She had a good sense of humor, and was a good teacher. Only one problem. Rather suggestive clothing, including a plunging cleavage. It may sound silly but it was a bit like trying to talk to someone with a TV on just behind the person. Distracting. I would make notes, look up and there was the cleavage. I pondered about this later, wondering if I could politely request less suggestive attire but my Spanish and dictionary combined weren’t up to the task. I therefore decided to go instead with Antiguena Academy.

.

Last Sunday I moved in with my new middle-class family, the Sactics. They have two daughters, one of whom won a scholarship and is studying medicine in Cuba, at no cost to the family. The other daughter Mariela has just finished high school and doesn’t know what to do. Many evenings she has been out competing with her basketball team against other teams. She does lots of chores around the house, including mopping the floors. Samuel the son is 15 and is studying English at school (plus other subjects). His English is much better than my Spanish. Interestingly, his class is also studying US history, and he is quite well versed in US geography. The don’t appear to study European history – maybe later.
.

The path leading up to the Sactics' front door. Theirs is about 3 doors down on the right. Tricky opening the lock - the key needs a light pull outward. Everyone seems to know everyone else in the neighborhood. Lots of friendly smiles along the way.

.

Early morning view from the front door of the Sáctic´home.
.

There are 3 other guests living with the family. Natalie is in her late 30s I think and is from Quebec, Canada. She has an M.A. in International Development, and spent 5 years in Mali and Senegal working for the Canadian equivalent of USAID. She now wants to work or volunteer in Central America. She is fluent in English and French and almost so in Spanish. Jenny is a 25 yr old bright Englishwoman from north England who works for a Formula 1 racing car team. She works very hard during their short season, in countries like China, Japan, and Brazil, and then travels for about 5 months. Like me, she wants to speak Spanish to get to know the locals better. Recently she invited her brother to join her for a tour of Guatemala. Her younger sister and parents heard about this and decided to come too. So she will soon have 4 guests. She is a bit challenged deciding how to handle this mob. She accompanied me on my regular hour-long early morning walk this morning, and we had a great time. We visited a local “Molino” or maize mill, although it doesn’t operate on Saturdays. We also spoke to several of the local women, and got lots of smiles.
The third lady is a 21 yr old student from Switzerland, called Severine. She is planning to travel down through S. America with a friend in a month or so’s time.

.
It has been fun getting to know the family and the 3 ladies. One soon learns to fit in. This week I was invited to join the ladies in a night out at a local pub, with live music. It was a lttle loud for me (I had to use earplugs) and I started getting sleepy around 930 pm. They sighed when I excused myself, and kidded me a little. They have now learned to make allowances for the old guy and we are all good friends. They are all three go-ahead women with lots of couraje (courage), and interest in the developing world. Interestingly, none appears to have had any serious problems traveling alone.

.
Cesar's brother Huberto lives upstairs wife hs wife Martha. Here he repairs bikes. he is also a capabale carpenter - I saw some of his work. Great views from up there.










Cesar makes silver and gold jewelry for a downtown store, in his small shop next to the dining room. His buffing wheel makes quite a racket and was on during one dinner time, which made it hard to hear what was being said. However, I told them I had had trouble hearing and it hasn’t been a problem since. They have been taking in students for over 20 years. Eva is a cocinera estupenda (a wonderful cook). The food is as good as in many homes in Seattle. I asked her at which university she had studied cooking and she beamed as she replied that she was self taught.

.

Breakfast with Natalie (right) and Severine (L).

Lots of fruit, cereals, tortillas, PNB, coffee, milk. Sometimes delicious pancakes. Total cost is $75 -week for the homestay, with private room, shared bath and all meals except Sunday. The best value I have had ever.
.

.

Lunch No 1.

I eat early on my own, at 1130 am.

.

.

Lunch number 2. The patty was of delicious fish, from Atitlan? Severine though it was some kind of local meat - we had a good laugh over this.

.

.
Views of the bathroom and of my room. Simple, but adequate. Not very quiet, but then homes are small here. One soon gets used to it. The water supply has been iffy all week. Not sure why. Some problem in the city.

.

This lunch time I was working on a children’s book in Spanish, about the Adventures of Ulysses. Interesting way to improve one’s vocabulary. I read about the mean old Cyclops with one eye.
.

.
I have started to grow a beard. This morning I struggled with my Spanish but was eventually able to explain why. I told them I have an electric shaver, and a charger. But the charger doesn’t work. Cesar asked if I had tried plugging it into the socket. I said that wasn’t the problem. The charger did not fit the shaver. This perplexed everyone. I then explained that when packing in Seattle I had chosen one of my two shavers and one of the two chargers. Unfortunately, the two weren’t of the same make and I had erroneously picked the wrong charger. Aha, said Cesar, so the problem wasn’t with his electric supply, it was with my brain. Everyone cracked up at this. Eva said I could use one of her sharp knives but I said that I would probably cut myself and all the blood would put the ladies off their food. This caused lots of amusement. I added that manual blade razors take weeks to get used to, and we don’t have much hot water (I left out the last comment). Anyway, I am now looking ever stranger by the day.

Bicycle Adventures Around Antigua - Nov2008

I had brought my small collapsible bike with me to Antigua, so one Sunday I decided to attempt a bike ride to a nearby village called San Antonio Aguas Calientes. (The name means hot springs, but a local told me there aren’t any these days). My host family (Xcamey) thought this a very unsafe – I am not sure why.

Anyway, I dressed myself as brightly as possible, with blinking lights and colored shirt and set out into the dangerous unknown after a quick breakfast.

The first thing I discovered is that the cobble- stoned roads in Antigua town are not very comfortable on a bike with skinny tires. I was soon forced to ride on the narrow sidewalks, or simply to push my bike along the streets. Fortunately, Sunday is day of rest in this very Catholic town, so there wasn’t much traffic. South of town I hit upon a smooth road and rode off.

It was a gorgeous morning, about 65 F with bright sunshine, birds singing, bougainvilleas in bloom, and the 3 volcanoes forming a postcard-like backdrop. I was in heaven.
In the first town, called Ciudad Viejo (old city) my outfit caused much amusement amongst the locals, many of whom were dressed up and walking to church. The teenagers giggled and the adults smiled. I stopped to ask directions and usually chatted a bit. No one uses a bike helmet around here, so this was interesting in itself. Then my blinking lights made me look like a cop, so one local told me. I soon found that most vehicles gave me a wide berth – one SUV even stayed behind me for a hundred yards or so until it was wide enough to pass.

The ride itself has to have been one of the prettiest I have done all year. It compares favorably with riding along the Columbia river to Portland, and biking through Snoqualmie valley and Sultan. Cyclists would ride alongside me and chat in Spanish. One Guatemalteco motorcyclist gave me a big thumbs up – not sure why, but maybe because I made his day. (Crazy gringos..)

.

I stopped to buy a huge avocado from a lady in a small store, and soon started chatting to her and her next door neighbor with my limited Spanish. If you tell them “estoy tratando de aprender espanol” (I am trying to learn Spanish) they love it, and are happy to help you along. Later I found the avo to be delicious – just ripe.

.

This kid was taking care of his little sister.

.

.

Colorful buses in San Antonio.

.

I stopped to talk to a couple of young guys who were hanging out with their bikes. They were curious to know where I had got my collapsible bike – not a common sight. I was able to explain that I had brought it on the plane in my maleta (suitcase). Then I asked then if one could bike from Antigua to Lake Atitlan, about 40 miles away. They were horrified at the idea. No es possible they assured me. Mucho lejos (much too far). Hmm, I thought. So, I asked, have you guys ever biked to Antigua? (This was only about 8 miles away). No, they admitted sheepishly – it would be exhausting, so they always took the bus. I chided them about this – if el viejo (old guy) could do so, why not los jovenes (young ones)? I decided they were not a reliable source of information about biking to Atitlan.

.
Woman washing clothes at the communal "Pila" or washing area. Antigua has one too, as do my two families. The family dishes are also washed here.

.

Later I stopped off in the parque central which faces the local church - perhaps twice the size of Bethany in Queen Anne - and was entertained by the locals packing the church. Many had to stand outside. The choir was good although the service escaped me. I had a view straight down the aisle from my seat in the parque.

People soon started joining me in the parque and I chatted to some. The parquet central is a central hangout in Central American towns, where one can goof off or play games or chat. Nice custom.

.
Young woman minding her sobrina (niece) in the parque.

.

Then I spotted a Guatemalteco dressed out in the latest spandex biking gear, complete with helmet, cleats and top notch road bike. I rushed out and stopped him for advice, figuring that here was a real biker. He told me that although it was quite feasible to bike to Atitlan, it would not be safe alone, due to the ladrones (robbers). He said a group would be OK, but that the traffic would be heavy and that the road was narrow in places. Sadly, I decided to bag the idea of biking there. .

Later I biked back home, after a wonderful 15 mile ride.

.
.
Volcan Agua
.

Ride Number 2

.

The next Saturday, I went out again, this time to a town called Chimaltenango up in the highlands. Big mistake going out on a Saturday. Everyone and his uncle seemed to be heading in to town for the market, including a group of about 4 enormous tour buses that took up most of the narrow road in Jocotenango. The tourists peered down at me from about 10 ft up, through thick tinted windows. I think I ended up in several snapshots, as a colorful local heading to market.
I climbed about 1000 ft in the first 7 miles – perhaps the steepest climbing I have done all year.

.
I stopped to ask directions from these 3 teeangers, who were both amused and helpful.

.

Some locals were amused when I bike slowly past them as they pushed their bikes up a 14% grade. Pretty country, but not as picturesque as on the first trip as there are no volcanoes up north. I made it to the market, and almost got lost there – survival Spanish came to my rescue. I enjoyed some good bananas and tangelos, and shared some with the locals.

On the way back I took a wrong turning and ended up along a new highway which bypasses Antigua to the west. Great road, with wide paved verges for cyclists. Pretty ,sweeping views of the hills and valleys.

.

When I got back home I had done 30 miles and over 2000 ft, and I was beat! But I concluded that biking is quite feasible and very worthwhile over here, provided one is sensible.