Trade in these wings on some wheels

So it's my last day here in Antigua. I am just about out of quetzales and time, so it sounds like it's time to go home. We finished classes on Thursday (which involved a lot of papers and a lot of partying) and I've just been trying to wrap everything up before I head out...I leave for the airport tomorrow at 3am. Somehow I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight.

I will try and update you a little more, and put up more photos once I'm home. I can't wait to see you all! Thank you all so much for reading this blog and keeping in touch while I've been gone. It's been a hard but incredible four months, and I'm looking forward to an exciting summer. It will so good to be home.

Lasts

Hi all! It's hard to believe that a week from not I will be arriving into Dulles Airport. These four months have gone by so fast! (Though I must admit sometimes time seemed to drag by) Now begin the "lasts" of my time Antigua, as I think of what I need to get done before I go.

I sent in my history final essay today - "Maya, Marxists, and the Military: The Role of Indigenous Guatemalans in the Armed Conflict" - and am set to turn in my anthropology essay Tuesday (I have yet to write it...) No worries, it will get done. I have two Spanish exams this coming week as well, but that's not really a reason to stress out, either. I must say it will be nice to be back to the rigor of W&M classes in the fall, though I'm sure I'll complain plenty about it.

This past week we did a couple fun things. Wednesday, Tamara and I attended the Antigua Cooking School and learned how to make tamales (there are three different kinds), guicoyitos rellenos (stuffed round zucchini - in the picture), arroz en leche (rice pudding), corn tortillas, black beans in several ways, and Guatemalan guacamole. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything. It was a lot of fun - I can't wait to make Guatemalan food for some daring taste-testers.


We took a field trip on Friday to Iximche, a post-classic Maya site. We were supposed to have our own Maya ceremony but our sacerdote's car broke down. However, we got to watch amother ceremony...including a chicken sacrifice. It's really not as dramatic as you would think. We learned the meaning of our month and day of birth in the Maya ceremonial calendar. I am a Kawoq, which means (among other things), that I will make a good teacher and spiritual leader and I generally end up guilty of doing things. Hm.

I'll make a post before I head out next weekend. Can't wait to see you all! It has been too long.

Days Go By

My little boyfriend, José, one of the boys I tutor at the Semillero de Mi Angél Guardián. A bunch of us went to the pool a coulple Wednesdays back.

Well, it’s my next-to-last full weekend here in Antigua – hard to believe! I have now been here a full fifteen weeks and only have two more before I head home to Virginia. How the time has flown! I must say I am beginning to feel ready to go home. Things are winding down here: we have done course, program, and homestay evaluations and I am only a few more classes, two papers, and two Spanish exams (and a trip to the Maya site of Iximche) away from heading home. It will be so hard to leave Antigua. I have come to love the city we well as my host family and everyone at CIRMA so much!

I know it’s been a while since I posted. I have had a lot of papers, projects, and exams lately – it seems the semester is finally catching up with me. The transition to new leaders for next year at W&M has taken place as well, so I’ve been busy trying to keep up with events and planning at home. All the same, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to have more adventures here.

Mom and Dad came to visit last weekend. I met them at the airport Thursday – I can’t tell you all how good it was to see familiar faces!! We made our way to Antigua and got lunch (Dad enjoyed Gallo, Guatemala’s beer), then Mom and Dad rested while I went to classes, a colloquium speaker, and a CCM board meeting by skype. We checked out the Meson Panza Verde (Green Belly Inn) for dinner and turned in relatively early. On Friday I showed Mom and Dad around Antigua. They must have brought the Virginia rain with them, because we had our first shower of the rainy season! I finally got to visit the Antigua Vineria (wine shop), which I had been eyeing up for about three months.

We took a bus to Panajachel at Lake Atitlan on Saturday. Mom and Dad learned what an adventure it is to travel by minibus in Guatemala. We took a boat tour and visited a few towns on the lake, where people tried (and succeeded) to sell us things, then got lunch and drinks, followed by walking around the town. We got stranded by a rainstorm and so we were driven do get more drinks. We all enjoyed dinner at a French restaurant called Chez Alex, where the waiter spoke English and I didn’t have to order for Mom and Dad. Or rather, I ordered for Dad, and then the water asked in English how he would like his steak done. (Way to steal my job!!) The next morning was a little clearer so we got a good view of the lake before heading back to Antigua on another exciting journey. I was sad to see Mom and Dad leave on Monday – but it helps to know I’ll be home soon.

Santo Hermano Pedro (Saint Brother Peter) procession on Sunday

Mostly I’ve been catching up on e-mails, phone calls, and homework this week – and my goal for the weekend is to get my history paper done – then I’ll be a third done with classes! Things I have yet to experience: hiking up the Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) to get a great view of Antigua, attending a cooking school so I can cook for some more adventurous eaters like Mom, Beth, and Derrick, and learn what my birth date and time really means, according to the Maya.

I forgot to mention this before – thank you to those of you who sent me Easter cards, and mail in general – it brightens my day to hear from you!! I have learned that the Guatemalan postal service is more than a little unreliable. Take care and I can’t wait to see you all soon. I should be posting at least one more time before I head home.

Home Again...four weeks and counting

I'm back in Antigua again after a fun weekend in Honduras! I got to visit my fifth Maya archaeological site (Chichen Itza, Tullum, Kaminaljuyu, Tikal, Copan) and once more see so many of those temples and artifacts we talked about in class. Copan is known for its sculpture, which is very intricate and well-preserved. Most famous is the heiroglyphic staircase, which is the longest of it's kind in the Americas. When it was constructed, every step was carved with glyphs. Intense!!

At Copan's famous Heiroglyphic Staircase

My roomie and I took an exceptionally early shuttle (4am) on Friday to Copan Ruinas, which incidentally is the city a kilometer outside of the ruins. I guess people like to be confusing when naming things. The city is very beautiful, with cobblestone streets like Antigua, and plenty of restaurants, hotels, and souvenir shops. Neither of us had slept much, so we just explored the city and went to the Archaeology museum for the afternoon, then got pizza and drinks and crashed early. A note on Honduran beer: very similar to Guatemalan beer. I tried four kinds - Port Royal, Imperial, Barena, and 'Salvavida', which struck me as kind of funny, as the purified water in Guatemala is 'Salvavidas'. 'Salvavida' means 'lifesaver' or 'saves lives', by the way.

From left to right: K'ak Chan (Smoke Serpent), K'ak' Nab-Kauil (Smoke Jaguar), U'ba K'auil (18 Rabbit), and K'ak Yip Yahchan K'auil (Smoke Shell) - the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fifteeth rulers of Copan.

On Saturday we made an early start - got breakfast and took a tuk-tuk (it's like a taxi, but more like a motor bike with room for passengers in the back) to the ruins. We spent about five hours exploring just the main area of the ruins, which was pretty awesome. Highlights: Seeing tons of awesome Stelae and Altars (especially the unfinished Altar L), the second largest Maya ball court, the heiroglyphic staircase, and the view from the top of the temple of the inscriptions. We got to explore some of the excavation tunnels as well.

Do you remember the tiger of sand from Aladdin? This reminded me of that so I had to have a picture. I'm supposed to be considering sneaking in. The museum at the ruins had a really awesome layout - I was impressed.

We got lunch and then headed to the sculpture museum in the afternoon. A lot of the sculpture from the site is now housed in the musum so that it will be preserved. We finally got to see the real Altar Q (showing all the rulers 1-16). The museum was set up in a way that really goes in like with Maya worldview and conception of life and the underworld. You enter through the mouth of the earth monster and go through a tunnel (which is supposed to resemble the excavation tunnels) to the lower floor - exhibits on the underworld. There is also a lifesize version of the Rosalila Temple in the center of the museum. The upstairs exhibit deals with non-underworld material. A lot of the stelae were set up as they would have been in relation to the temple. Kudos to whomever designed that museum.

I snuck a kiss with Yax K'uk' Mo', the founder of Copan's dynasty. (Don't worry, he's been dead for 1600 years).

We headed back to the city in the evening and got dinner and drinks with our classmate Sarah and her friend Noel. Caught the 6am shuttle back this morning - I've gotten used to traveling in the wee hours of the morning. Mom and Dad come to visit this Thursday and I'm really excited - it should be so much fun :)

Early morning sun from the van on the way back to Antigua.

Happy Easter!

Well, it's another Monday and I'm beginning to realize that I have a lot of work to get done before the semester is over. We have four more weeks of normal classes, then one of finals. It's hard to believe things are starting to wind down.


The second half of Semana Santa was pretty incredible. I got a chance to help make an alfombra (the key: patience, water, and a good sense of humor) on Holy Thursday, and then watched the procession destroy it. It's quite a sacrifice when you think of how much time pepople put into these works of art...hours and hours. I took advantage of the abundance of vendors to eat plenty of tostadas mixtas (see previous entry) and empanadas - sort of like apple turnovers, just not as gooey and buttery. A note on Guatemalan food: after a while it seems like everything is sweet, from coffee and tea to fruit (they eat a lot of fruit here) to bread to sodas. I can go days without having actual dessert and still feel like I have OD'd on sugar. So I guess that's why I drink beer, to balance things out ;)


I really enjoyed going to Masses and Laudes (Morning Prayer) this week. When you spend a couple hours at church every day, you begin to feel like you know everyone there, even if you never talk. It makes me feel a little at home. While Mass on Holy Thursday and the Good Friday service were packed, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses were not nearly as full. It's like our professors tell us - in Latin America, there's much more emphasis on the sorrow of Christ's suffering and death than the joy of His resurrection. However, there was plenty of celebration in the carnival atmosphere of the processions throughout the week.


The Easter Vigil Mass was beautiful - as everywhere, it begins in the darkness (tinieblas), and then they light a small fire outside the church, light the Easter candle, and then we all light our candles from it. There was a cantor accompanied by guitar at the beginning of the Mass, as we stood, our candles illuminating the dark church. I have no words to express how...incredible this was. The weekend was fully of so many joyful moments. I could tell you about them but somehow it would not be the same. I miss home but am learning and growing so much here, it's worth it.


Yes, we went out for a "special" easter dinner - two of the other students and I - to an Italian restaurant. I indulged in tortellini in a cream sauce with bacon, and a glass of the house wine. Yes, it was amazing. Can't eat like that every day but it's a nice treat.

Midweek Update

Hello All! Somehow time passes all too quickly, and I find myself wondering, where did it all go? Life is difficult, but beautiful (as usual). Thank you to everyone who has sent me e-mails, messages, or who I've been able to talk/skype with lately. It really does help me so much.

I think I missed the "two thirds" mark, but now I'm into the last third of the program. It is strange to think of everything wrapping up. Mom and Dad are coming to visit in just over two weeks - I'm so excited!! Perhaps you all know the feeling of being excited to show other people the places you have come to know and love. Coming to Guatemala has completely removed me from life in the States and the familiar people, places, culture, and language. It will be fun for them to see my life here for themselves rather than through my eyes. How strange it will be to go home!

We are in the midst of Holy Week, and all of Antigua is going crazy making alfombras (carpets of colored sawdust or pine needles and flowers) over which the processions cross. Each church has its own processions, so I can hear the solemn music about every night from my house. Tomorrow begins the Easter Triduum, the three days of Holy Thursday (Jueves Santo), Good Friday (Viernes Santo) and Holy Saturday (Sabado Santo). The Mass of the Lord's Supper is on Thursday night and the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. This is a very special time of prayer and I'm excited to see all the celebrations in the city. From what I hear, there will be plenty of drinking going on in the city as people make the alfombras. I think some of the students and I are going to Easter dinner at a place called the Earth Lodge outside of Antigua. There's supposed to be ham, pumpkin pie, and so much more - American style :)


Yesterday we made an expedition to the City to get our tourist visas renewed, and somehow I got everyone to come with me to the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia (National Archaeology and Ethnology Museum). It was pretty much a dream come true (I'm not even joking!). Got to see so many artifacts, stelae and altars that we studied in Mesoamerican Archaeology last semester. I was told I was acting like a kid on Christmas morning (that's pretty much how I felt). So cool. The above picture is me with Stela 10 from Kaminaljuyu, dating from around 50 BC - AD 50 (though some archaeologists will give it a later date). I wrote a paper about this last semester, and the long hours paid off, just being able to see it. Other cool pieces: the ball court marcador from Tikal (to commemorate Spearthrower Owl!), jade inlaid or otherwise modified teeth, jade masks, incensarios, stelae and altars from Piedras Negras...you name it. Incredible. (End nerd rant).

I'm off for now - hope you all have a beautiful Easter. I miss you all so much! I'll let you know about the Easter celebrations next week.

Peace

Hello all! It's been a nice, lazy Saturday for me here in Antigua. We have the entirety of Holy Week (Semana Santa) off from classes, so after catching up on internship hours yesterday, I decided to relax today. I went out walking before breakfast (about 6:30am) and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Watched a bit of a movie, caught up on e-mails, and started to browse through some of the shops. I think we're going to go out dancing tonight, which should be fun. I don't intend on being this much of a bum all week!


I owe you all a bit more information on last weekend's excurisons. We headed out of Antigua around 4am Friday morning and arrived in Sayaxche in Peten around mid afternoon. Peten is the northernmost department in Guatemala (the big pink one), and Antigua is due west of Guatemala City. It was a long trip. We had an incredibly refreshing lancha (speedboat) ride to Aguateca, a terminal classic Maya site in the jungle, known for its defensive crack - which we got to hike through! We took the boat to our hotel (by this time it was dark and the stars were out, so we tried to pick out constellations since it was so clear), which seemed pretty luxurious to those of us used to paying for $5 beds in hostels when we travel.

The next morning we had another lancha trip back to Sayache, then took the van to Tikal. After lunch we spent about five hours exploring the site, and saw a bunch, though not nearly everything. It was so cool to pick out architectural details and understand a bit of their significance as it was to climb the pyramids and enjoy the view. We were pretty wiped and dehydrated for the trip to our lodging for the night. We stayed at a cooperative set up after the Peace Accords were signed, but I can't tell you much more than that, because I was sick and missed the presentation. I'm still alive, though, and mostly just relaxed during the long van ride home Sunday. I was even feeling well enough to eat Wendy's when we stopped for dinner that evening.

Looks like I'm out of time. Take care all, I miss you very much. I'll keep you updated with my religious revels this week :)