The Day of Houdini's Death

Day

I am sure you are taking a moment to remember the passing of the the preeminent prestidigitator of the early twentieth century. I offer this song, referencing said necromancer, from R.E.M. 

After a restful Sunday, the goal of today was to find a Spanish Language School. I walked around and visited a couple and we have decided on Tecun Uman. (Editorial digression: it has been brought indirectly to our attention that we may have neglected to specify where in Guatemala we are so I will rectify that. We are in Antigua, Guatemala – a town we first visited some twenty years ago and have always loved. It feels special to be able to spend an extended period of time here.) Among other parts of its illustrious history, Antigua has been a place to learn Spanish for decades and there are lots of great language schools. We decided on TU after I spoke to Mario, the owner. We had a great conversation and he seemed more concerned with meeting our language needs than just getting us to enroll. We start on Wednesday because tomorrow is a holiday and we are headed to a festival in another town (more on that in tomorrow's ramblings I would expect). 

Here are some random thoughts from the day: bought some rolls and empanadas from an excellent bakery we had noticed the other day. The thing that grabbed our attention was the line of people waiting and the lack of gringos in the line. We have had a lot of luck in our travels by following the locals. This town is so beautiful to walk around in though the cobblestone streets are less than desirable sometimes. It is the low-tourist season which makes the town seem quieter than on some previous visits. Saw some kids trick or treating on the one of the main streets mainly going into businesses. It seems easier to find wi-fi here than in BCNC (and yes, it is faster than some of our friends get back home. Sorry.). A lot of the restaurants/bars are having Halloween parties – I know that this is a special day for the Guatemalan's but the bars seem to focus on the party aspect much like how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the States. 

Lazy Sunday

 Surely you know what to expect . Now here is a first attempt at video (yes, it is dark but you can hear the guys below.

October Saturday

Plantain chips

That is what I am munching on at almost 11 pm (local time) and they are so good. I have no idea whether they have any nutritional value or not (though, being the lead fruit/vege-phobic member, I mentally convince myself that they do) and they are yummy with football. Speaking of which: we have READACTED, L &J here right now. If you are familiar with a particular two out of the three...here is the substance of today: take the ingredients of the last Saturday in October and add the words Florida and Georgia and mix them with the beauty of mystical signals in space and...we got to watch Florida lose to UGA. Incredible game. Amazing plays. And realizing that this is the first UF/UGA game GPJ hasn't seen in umpteen years, well... It was a great game. The fact we got to watch it is pretty amazing. Don't get me wrong though. I mean everything is not roses – our 100 channels of cable tv only had the Missouri/Texas A&M game so we had to actually walk to a restaurant to watch it. And it wasn't even that simple, we had to go to two completely different restaurants because all the tv's in the first one were showing other NCAA games. But being the dedicated fans we are no suffering is too great. I will concede that it is slightly different from twenty years ago when I ran through a train station in Europe to pick up a two day old copy of the International Times so we could read scores that were two days old when the paper was printed. Oh, yeah, and we don't get ESPN3, so we are suffering with that also.

After the game, we split up to pick up some things at different stores – plantain chips, tortilla chips (have to have something to eat the fresh made pico de gallo/salsa with), etc. and came home. The town was crowded with weekend visitors but our end of town is pretty quiet.

Dia tres o el tercero dia

Today was spent trying to complete tasks related to our long term stay. First task was a trip to the bank so we could pay for our dwelling. I headed out and went to a bank on the Central Park (Parque Central) where, I was told, I could take out more money from a cashier inside the bank than at the ATM. My information was correct and the people in the bank were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful and graciously informed me that I needed my passport in order to get money from a cashier instead of the ATM. So I walked the six blocks back to our humble abode to get my passport. The entire expedition then embarked for the bank and were successful in obtaining necessary funds. A celebratory lunch was had and enjoyed by all (well, at least two-thirds of all and slightly enjoyed by the remaining third). After remanding said newly acquired funds to the manager of our casa, we set out to provision our temporary casa. This venture included a delightful wrong turn (does sarcasm come across in writing) giving us an opportunity to exercise our legs vigorously. Our first stop was at a hardware store as someone has become quite enamored with machetes and wanted to compare prices with the artisan market (where machetes come with decorated leather sheaths). This was a valuable lesson in the cost of a machete versus the cost of a machete with a sheath. I predict future dispatches will detail the cost of medical treatment from machete accidents.

Next stop was in the mercado/market for vegetables. The mercado is where you can go to buy anything you need from dishes to shoes to pinatas to furniture to DVDs to food. It is comprised of small stalls specializing in various goods laid out in a maze-like configuration ensuring your disposal of funds if for no other reason than to gain access to an exit (I believe the North American casino industry has studied this marketing plan extensively). Previous experience allowed us to find the vegetable section quickly and ogle over the luscious produce. If vegetables tasted as good as they look when they are fresh, a certain person associated with this blog would eat more of them...pity they don't. Lettuce and onions and potatoes and cilantro and red peppers and jalapeno peppers and apples and tomatoes and three dollars later, we were done.

Then we ventured into the SuperMercado which is the equivalent of a Publix or Ingles with the unfortunate exception of us not knowing where anything is and not understanding the set up. With the assistance of extremely helpful employees, we found much of what we needed before having to extricate ourselves due to interpersonal dynamics of team members influenced by immediate surroundings (yeah, only of us will be going in at a time again – just too much going on and too cramped). A tuk-tuk (motorized three wheeled vehicle commonly found in Thailand) ride later we put away our stores and collapsed for a respite.

The weather has been amazing – warm to almost hot during the day with a breeze to cool/cold at night – best estimates put the high today in the mid-70's and our lowest was our first night when it was mid- to low 50's (of course, accurate readings by trained meteorologists may differ with my estimates). It has been plenty warm enough in our new house that we haven't had to make use of the fireplace yet – yes, we are roughing it...if only the darn internet would work. While watching the sunset from a rooftop terrace this evening we talked to some med students from Pennsylvania. They have been here for two weeks helping out at a hospital in Zacapa and are heading home tomorrow. They found out today that a Nor'easter may dump inches of snow while they are flying home. They are not eager to leave this beautiful place especially with a new clinical rotation beginning on Monday.

A stroll to the Parque Central 

and then to see the junior member's new favoritest kitty completed the night.

Our abode is on the south end of town closest to the shadow of Volcan Agua. We are in a small complex of one bedroom apartments populated primarily by long term renters from other countries. Not quite the local experience we sought but the next best alternative given our relatively short time frame. We have all the requisite amenities – 24 hour security, wi-fi (sketchy at best so far but they are working on it...), quiet neighborhood, friendly and knowledgeable hosts. Not much to complain about except the absence of a strategic door but that is a recurring theme given our house(s) back home.

Notes: given the slightly nonsensical nature this blog has taken, I, REDACTED, thought I should intervene and clarify or give a more factual account of our adventure so far. I drove to Ft. Lauderdale and hopped a plane from Miami on Wednesday morning (special thanks to Dad for delaying his scheduled 4 am walk to drive me to MIA and yes, I just stayed up). Met up with L&J at the ATL airport after they had gotten up at 5 am to drive to Atlanta (special thanks to Deeee-Büstenhalter and her prescient purchase of a house with exceptional proximity to ATL). I slept during both flights thus foregoing the special incentive of international flight, namely free drinks, and we arrived, got a cab, got to Antigua, found a hotel fairly easily, dropped our bags and went for food. Had mediocre pizza (Granada, Nicaragua still reigns supreme - yes, Iron chef verbiage intentional) and will search for better. Stopped by park and then took the plunge and bought a cell phone. Yes, I barely use one at home so I thought, great, I can not use one here! Actually, it has been useful in contacting folks to look at apartments, etc. and we have actually made calls back home. Some collapsed into bed while I tried to type the first blog post. Woke up, L&J went for breakfast, arranged meetings to look at lodging, appointment broken, bought fresh tortillas (yummy!), walked to square, arranged second meeting, lunch at Fridas, saw options with first agent, saw more with second, tired, tried to evaluate options, realized the one we wanted wouldn’t work, made a decision, retrieved bags from hotel, 'read' a contract in Spanish, signed it in English (that has to void it in an international courtroom, right?), put bags in, I went to bank for money to pay for newly acquired lodging, L&J got us settled, went to dinner which consisted of trying to replace lost fluids, came home and crashed, woke up, I went to bank (while they did school) and was rejected, came back, we all went to bank, went to lunch (pizza again, trying to get something other than flour into his body), back to lodging to pay rent, walk to grocery, take uninformed turn and walk extra-long, go to hardware store cause J's new passion is machetes, go to local market for vegetables, head to supermarket which is a nightmare – we are all tired and hot and cranky and the cart is tiny and we don't know where anything is and we can't figure out the organization of the place and we can't seem to find things that J will eat and the carts are tiny and the aisles are tinier and aww crap get us out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We came home. Put groceries away. Relaxed. Went to Sky Cafe to see the view and watch dusk – it wasn't really a sunset – and see some amazing views. Missed a program in the Park. Sat for a bit in the park (it feels so good to be there). Went to Nim Pot to pet cat and I saw some amazing photos. Came home. Sleep.

PS – shit. This doesn't even begin to capture the wonderful things we have experienced – from a willing cab driver from the airport, to helpful hotel workers, to beautiful music at Rainbow, to tired legs and feet after pounding cobblestones (you mean we aren’t 25 anymore?), trying to find food for a picky eater, and the kindness of people who think we look different from them and are so willing to help in any way they can. In this short of time, it has been amazing and frustrating and it is amazing how much junk we brought with us.

Trying to balance my experience of writing in a journal (actual pencil and paper) versus something more attune to a travel blog. We will see how it progresses. We welcome feedback as to what is worthwhile and what is tedious and what is entertaining. Feel free to send in questions you may have whether the price of a Coca-Cola (old glass bottles and real sugar, of course) or what is involved in getting transportation from Guate airport. Without your input, this will continue to be a devolution of my own internal ramblings sometimes edited for public consumption.

Where we live...today

We all crashed pretty hard last night. The time change (Guatemala is two hours behind EST) combined with walking around town got the best of us. The youngest of our group (sidebar – years ago I read a great book by Gordon MacCreagh called White Waters and Black about traveling with an expedition in South America and in order to be objective and not impugn anyone's reputation, as well as to lessen potential embarrassment, came up with noms de guerre for the expedition members. I found this to be quite prescient and am considering doing it on this blog though some of the readership may be able to discern as to which member I am referring to though neither confirmation nor denial will be provided should said readership venture to guess) is fairing quite well. He does have some experience with travel to other cultures, however, prior to this trip he had expressed reluctance mainly due to having a fabulous time in school and with his friends.

A note about yesterday. We engaged in an endeavor to remain relevant in this current climate. Said endeavor involved the acquisition of a, I believe the proper name is, cell phone. Yes, on this expedition, even as you read this (and some readers should be exceptionally thankful given the two hour time difference) I could pick up our phone and call you. Or you could call me. Though, to be honest, as at home, the odds of me answering it are slim and the odds of me retrieving and listening to a voice mail quickly approach zero (I am not sure even Mr. Pickett could draw a graph with that steep of a slope.). But I include this to show that the expedition is somewhat willing to flirt with late twentieth century technology in a more intimate manner. Basically a cell phone here costs the same as a large roast beef sub from La Spada's (reason enough to go to Ft. Lauderdale though I can only vouch for the Lauderdale by the Sea location) or two exquisite burritos at Mamacita's (providing exceptional sustenance in Asheville, NC and I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE them to open in BCNC) so we said what they heck. I should note that all the instructions are in Spanish and I am fairly inept at cell technology in any environment but we have had successful communication, both within and outside Guatemala, so far with varying degrees of success but crap, compared to international communication twenty years ago (Yes, we fondly remember USADirect), this is pretty cool. For an excellent mediation on getting frustrated with modern technology, I humbly direct you here). Just to be clear, I am still not answering if you call...though maybe one of the other expedition members may be more amenable.

This morning involved a brief search by two members in search of caffeine and doughnuts while the third member continued a time of inner reflection which involved eyes closed and what has been referred to in medical literature as snoring. When all three members were ambulatory, the group met with a local realtor to tour available properties in consideration of renting one for the duration of the expedition. In reality, this involved cell phone calls, waiting, missed appointments, new appointments, lunch, and finally, a tour of the exceptional accommodations available at this time. After vigorous discussion, the expedition decided to encamp at a lovely one bedroom abode on the south side of the Central Park in a quiet neighborhood. Much thanks go to Doria for her assistance in this endeavor. After the expedition's equipment had been properly stored (much thanks to senior member of the expedition for organizational skills and physical willingness to bring such organization to fruition) a tired crew headed out in search of sustenance. After a day of focused walking and searching, the expedition discovered that hydration had been sorely neglected. Efforts were made to immediately rectify this which led the expedition to Rainbow Cafe (a place which opened the year before the two senior members of the expedition made their first trip to this amazing country). 

Appropriate fluids were had by all accompanied by sonorous melodies of Kevin and Friends (composed on this night of two excellent guitarists and a percussionist).

I write this as two expedition members recharge their batteries in preparation for tomorrow's work.

Seven Gray T-shirts

DISCLAIMER: this is my first attempt at this and google keeps defaulting to spanish so please be understanding and we'll hope it improves as time goes by.

Here is the quick version of how we ended up in Guatemala today and the events of 2011 that led us here. My father-in-law died in February at the age of 88. While he "rode it hard and put it up wet" as my wife says, it was still an emotional and difficult thing to deal with as I assume most deaths are. Let's fast forward to the first week in May when my wife finds out on a Wednesday that her position is being eliminated. That will hit you in the gut. And we spent a couple days not sure what to think or what we would do or how could we ever cope with the enormity of the 'tragedy' which had befallen us. Well, perspective hit us smack in the face three days later when we learned that a friend had died of a heart attack the night before. Forty-four years old. Had even been checked out the morning of his death by a doctor. It sucked. It still sucks.

The only joy was in a celebration of his life in June. His wife gathered an incredible visual record of his life giving a glimpse into a person who, as described in his obituary, was: an accomplished sculptor, musician, educator, poet, author, athlete, carpenter, fisherman, gardener, photographer, environmentalist, chef, winemaker, world traveler, dreamer, visionary, and hero to all who knew and loved him; the true definition of a Renaissance Man.

You can read an excellent article about one aspect of him here. At one point in his life, D decided to buy seven gray t-shirts and that would be his wardrobe. It was a statement about our obsession with labels and consumerism but just as important, it was a declaration of a life of simplicity. When some people read or hear that word, simplicity, they conflate it with boring. Well, D was anything but boring. The second celebration of his life (yeah, he was too amazing for one to suffice and allow all the people he touched to attend so K thoughtfully and thankfully had a second one) was in mid-June and it was inspiring to be reminded of what a life well lived and lived fully looked like. A week later, my position was eliminated. At least I could see that one coming.

So we decided to simplify our lives and get back to living what was important to us. Our language skills had deteriorated  since our language immersion as Peace Corps Volunteers in Paraguay and the jobs that hold the most interest require a higher level of fluency. How to get those skills back? What could be better than heading to one of our favorite countries since our first visit 20 years ago. And that is how we ended up hopping on a plane this morning (thank you dusty frequent flier miles!), taking a taxi to Antigua, having dinner at La Fonda Calle Real and the writing of this blog. We will attempt to share stories of life down here to keep everyone up to date and maybe inspire some of you to hop on a plane and come visit.