Paradise Found

This might be it.  We might have found paradise on the Pacific coast in Ecuador.  

Glad for no surprises on our short flight to Manta, we enjoyed the meandering drive south along the coast.  Smoothly paved roads seemed fitting for this smooth leg of our journey.  Fishing villages like the one below punctuate the otherwise vacant sandy shoreline.

Our destination was in the tiny village of La Entrada. (Check out our new Map page with the tab above the beginning of our article on our blog.)  The sleepy village looks something like this:

There are miles of sandy beach in each direction.  No crowds.  Hardly any people at all.  The boys love the waves which are sizable enough for surfing but small enough that Shelly and I can comfortably allow the boys to play in them.  The beach in Montanita, a town 15 minutes south of us, hosts an international surfing competition annually.

When trying to decide where to visit after Guatemala, we knew we wanted to be near the coast where the water and air were warm and where rainy season wouldn't be a damper.  We also knew we wanted to be in a Spanish speaking country.  And finally, we wanted to relax.  Shelly found a spot where we could do all of this: a bed and breakfast right on the beach.

And this bed and breakfast comes with lots of perks.  First, the hosts (named Marsha and Shell, believe it or not) are extremely warm.  They drove the two hours to the airport to pick us up and gave us a multi-stop tour of the coast on the way to the villa.  They've catered to our needs very well so far.

But the list of perks keeps going.  A pool with a slide.

Atticus is already rapidly improving his swimming.

A beach volleyball court.

If you knew Shelly's phobias, this last perk might surprise you: a chocolate Labrador aptly named Choco.

At three years old, this Lab is both playmate and protector for the boys.  He never tires of fetch and prefers to bring back more than one ball at a time.  It's been a pleasant bonus to have this mild-mannered and playful dog with us.

It'll be many sunsets until we tire of this haven by the sea.  Good thing I got my passport extended!

The Middle of the World

"Hola" from the middle of the world!  We made it to Quito, Ecuador on our third try and already find ourselves wishing we had more time here.  The sites have been fun and the city itself even more enjoyable than we had expected.

For our first adventure in the city, we took a street map and walked out the door to navigate the metro bus system hoping to find the equator.  Walking to the bus stop, we marveled at all the cyclists riding on an avenue that had been closed to cars for the morning.  It didn't take long to learn of a strong network of bike lanes and a municipal bike sharing program installed here as well.  Quito is progressive!

The bus and trolly system runs smoothly, frequently using dedicated traveling lanes to bypass the rubber-necking motorists.  We figured out the transfer from trolly to bus and our return as well.  In total, two and a quarter hours of transit time.  Cost for our family: $2.10.

Mitad del Mundo (literally "middle of the world") is a little village north of Quito centered around an impressive monument marking the equator (above photo).  Though beautiful and welcoming, we still found we preferred the guided experience at neighboring competitor Museo Intinan where GPS technology has more precisely identified the location of the equator.

Here we learned about indigenous culture and enjoyed demonstrations of sundials and of the Coriolis effect.  

But perhaps most amusing to Baxter and Atticus was the temperature.  For some time, we've played a made-up game at home called "Which is Warmer?" in which we pick two spots on a world map and ask which is warmer.  The boys have quickly caught on that closer to the equator means warmer.  With temps only in the 70s, our boys were confused why standing on the equator wasn't the hottest they'd ever experienced. . . .

Enter altitude.  Quito sits at roughly 9,000 ft above sea level.  The urban sprawl of just over 2 million people sits in a narrow Andean valley.  For a good vantage of this, we took the Teleferiqo gondola ride up to about 13,500 ft on the side of Pichincha Volcano.

Atticus smiles to leave the city 4,000 ft below.

Despite the clouds, we enjoyed great alpine views.  We were amazed how much green existed on both sides of the valley.

 Seeming out of place, an amusement park existed at the base of the gondola ride.  Couldn't resist a ride on the pirate ship!

And then we stepped back a few centuries to take in some beautiful architecture in the "old town" section of Quito--the reason this city was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We sampled the 16th-, 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century structures.

The Church of La Companion de Jesus took 160 years to complete.

Perhaps our favorite was the relatively modern, neo-Gothic Basillica.

With winding staircases, catwalks, and ladders, visitors are allowed to climb into the belfries and clock towers.  We felt like we were living in a Dan Brown novel.

Atticus climbs to a perch above the roof of the chapel.

There's much more to explore here in Quito, but we'll have to save that exploration for a return visit.  Short domestic flight tomorrow to bring us to the ocean where we plan to settle for a few weeks in a small fishing village.

Wheels up!

Oops! An Unexpected Detour

When boarding the plane at the Guatemala City airport yesterday, I was shocked to be turned away from the flight that was going to take us on our way to Ecuador.  There was a problem with the expiration date of my passport.  Whereas most countries we have traveled to require a minimum of three months remaining on the passport to enter the country, Ecuador requires six--a fact we missed, the online check-in tool missed, and the ticketing agent missed.  Argh!

We had to choose:

A) Let Shelly and the boys go ahead to Ecuador without me while I sort out my issue,

B) Go together on the first leg to Panama (which requires 3 months) to sort it out there,

C) Forego the flight altogether and sort out the issues in Guatemala City, or 

D) Some legal combination of the above.

We made a quick and painful decision to forego the flight.  This meant having the crew take our bags back off the plane and having a pair of agents walk us through immigration so we could go through customs again before being ushered to the airport exit.

We asked a cab to take us to the U.S. embassy to get started on processing a new passport for me right away. It's probably not hard to picture our anxiety not knowing how long a passport would take, when we could rebook a flight, if the flight would cost us substantially more, if we would be able to get in touch with our contact in Ecuador to cancel our driver and change our lodging plans, and how much it would cost us to stay in Guatemala City while it was all being worked out.  What we needed was info at the embassy and a good wifi connection to make calls (our phone access is only through the web) as well as do a bit of online research.

But those who read part 1 and part 2 of our story about arriving in Guatemala know that things have a way of working out for us.  Though we've lost a day we planned to have in Quito, Ecuador and have had to spend an extra $150 or so making alternate arrangements we have secured a new passport, have new tickets for departure today, and most importantly are completely safe and healthy.

We'd be content if the story ended here, but there's actually a sweeter ending.  Shelly remembered that before we left the States, someone had told her about a woman from our hometown of Peterborough who was temporarily working for the U.S. Government in Guatemala.  Figuring it didn't hurt to ask, I checked with the embassy clerk who was processing my passport paperwork and she confirmed that she did indeed know Beth. The clerk summoned Beth for us and we were able to meet in the embassy.

Though we had never previously met Beth, it was easy for us to discuss things we had in common.  Beth's husband is the attorney who drew up our will in Peterborough.  She's friends with a family of four Shelly often enjoyed play dates with (and Marshall worked with one of the family members).  Shelly served on the volunteer committee at the town library with another of Beth's friends.  

Beth kindly invited us to stay in her apartment for the night.  Knowing it would be easier for us to make it back to catch a flight if we were in a hotel near the airport, we politely declined.  But the kindness wasn't lost on us.

From the White Mountains of our native New England, there's a saying "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes."  In our travels, we've seen storms dissolve into blue skies enough to wonder if the same holds true for our circumstances.

Time for us to catch our flight.  Hope our next post really is from Ecuador. . . .

Lovely (and Lava-ly) Antigua

Before leaving Guatemala, we wanted to take in the culture and beauty of its former capital city: Antigua.

Santa Catarina Arch straddles this typical Antiguan avenue.

We booked a room in a small hotel and enjoyed the freedom of setting our own daily schedule and menu.  Prior to this, we had only spent two nights in hotels in Guatemala despite our original plan to spend the first seven nights in a hotel.  Walking distance from all the sites in town, we enjoyed strolling the grid of cobblestone streets.

The Spanish colonial influence dominates the architecture even as many serious earthquakes have damaged or destroyed original structures.  

La Merced temple and convent--an actively used facility.

Many buildings have been restored multiple times and in some cases, only the facades are currently restored.

Perhaps the most impressive feat of restoration is the hotel and museum Convento Santo Domingo.

Restored fountain surrounded by cloister and remains of Santo Domingo Convent.

One part archeological dig, one part restored structure, two parts new construction, and all parts educational the facility blends old and new tastefully.

A new canopy stretches over original parts creating a chapel for hundreds that is used weekly.

Our boys were especially interested in the two subterranean crypts where centuries-old skeletons laid to rest.

Spanish colonial influence doesn't just extend to architecture--it visibly persists in religion as well.  Visiting during the time of Lent, we witnessed one of Antigua's famed processions in which hundreds of purple-robed parishioners carry several 3-ton floats through the streets exhibiting the stations of the cross.

Example of the exquisite floats.  Photo credit: Nelo Mijangos

Aside from self-guided walking tours, we booked one outing with a local tour operator.  The guide picked us up at our hotel in a mini school bus and drove us to nearby Pacaya Volcano.  We ascended this active volcano with the aid of some horses.

Posing with our local guide in front of the active volcano.
The dark stripes on the volcano are from the recent small eruption.

Though volcanic activity currently prevents visitors from summiting, we were able to climb most of the way until we encountered the lava field from the volcano’s most recent blast fifteen days prior.  At the edge of the lava field, we enjoyed a unique take on an old favorite: s'mores.  Our guide roasted marshmallows over the heat of the magma that was still coming up through the lava field.  

Atticus has never roasted marshmallows like this before!

The heat coming up from the ground collided with the cool breezes of the altitude to create a truly otherworldly sensation.

Though more expensive than San Pedro, Antigua was a site worth seeing.  We'll be happy to add our endorsement to UNESCO's designation of Antigua as a World Heritage Site.

Many have asked through Facebook and email where we're headed next. . . .  We've decided it's off to the equatorial nation of Ecuador for the next several weeks.  And that will be a story for a different day.

So long, San Pedro!

We're on the move and have said "hasta luego" to the host family that has cared for us for 6 weeks in San Pedro.  As a parting gift to us, our hosts took us to a neighboring town where we participated in a traditional Mayan ceremony.  A guide first explained to us some traditional Mayan beliefs, the use of the Mayan calendar, and helped us identify the Mayan symbol correlated to our birth date.  Then we watched him make a fire containing spices, chocolate, candles, and pine nuggets.  In all, it was fascinating to learn a bit more about how the Mayan culture has interpreted the natural world around it.

On our final day of class at school, we put down the books and visited the local poor families we had been visiting with our teachers over the past several weeks.  It was our third and final time bringing food and other basic supplies to the impoverished families. 

A little boy peeks out of the door of one of the homes we visited.

Baxter and Atticus pose with 7 of the family's 10 members.  When we pulled out a
 camera, the mom made them all change their clothes and put on shoes for this picture.

One of the house's two rooms serves as kitchen for 10 and sleeping area for 4.

Detached from the house is the bathroom.

Thanks to some of you who kindly contributed, we were able to make our deliveries bigger than before.  We added some used clothing, new blankets, and larger quantities of food.  It was hard to leave the poor families behind.

Saturday saw our final basketball practice with Coach Mauricio.  The boys have enjoyed the 6 they've attended but had to say goodbye to their teammates and other friends from the basketball court area.

Javier became the boys' best friend in San Pedro.

On our last day with our host family, we were served a special meal of fish (the whole thing across the plate), a crab, and one shrimp.  Afterwards, the family gave us some traditional clothing and also jade necklaces made in the shape of the Mayan symbol corresponding to our respective birth dates.

Sporting our new Guatemalan garb on our last afternoon in San Pedro.

We all agreed not to say goodbye but rather to say "See you later."  Our host family warmly extended an open door to us and offered that we could stay for as long as we ever might want in the future.  This has been a truly special experience for our families.

My Mayan symbol is Iq' which is closely tied to the wind.  The Mayans believe that anyone with this symbol has tendencies towards moving about.  And with that, we let the winds blow us from San Pedro to a final stop in Guatemala before hopping a plane to a new destination. . . .

Our belongings on our backs, we reluctantly leave San Pedro.

Open Air Markets: A Photo Essay

Living one block from the central market in San Pedro, we passed through almost daily--sometimes many times a day.  

The main street bordering the market bustles with pedestrian activity.

Most of the produce is from the surrounding mountains.  Seafood is a combination of lake-caught and food from the ocean.  Local women (yes, it's always the women who shop at the market) know what the going price is for everything they buy.  Tourists often pay more, but still very low prices.  Locals purchase much more of their food at the market than at stores.

Shelly put together a digital album of photos we took mainly in the San Pedro market with a few included from neighboring Santiago.  Hope you enjoy the photos and captions found at this link: 

Photos of San Pedro and Santiago Markets.  

If photo essays work well for our readers, we'll try a few more upcoming.  Until then. . . .

7 Ways Guatemala Is Similar to The United States

We recently highlighted some differences between our host country and our home country.  Of course there are many similarities too.  Here are a few things we've noted in common.

1. Religion.  Yes, believe it or not, there are heavy religious similarities between Guatemala and the United States.  The dominant religion in both countries is Christianity. In San Pedro, more than half of the population is affiliated with Catholicism.  Another significant but smaller portion belongs to an evangelical strain of protestantism.  However evangelical churches outnumber the lone Catholic church by more than two dozen.  We've also witnessed more traditional Mayan spirituality which is sometimes practiced in tandem with a more Western religion.

The Catholic church in the center of San Pedro beneath the volcano and protected by the patron saint.

 2. Economic Strata.  As in the States, the population falls into various economic strata.  Basically, in Guatemala there are the "haves" and the "have-nots."  A very small portion of the population holds the majority of the wealth.  Sound familiar?  The main difference we see in the economic comparison is that the robust middle class in the United States has no corollary in Guatemala.

3. Social Connections.  Facebook and Twitter have a presence here, but the strength of the Guatemalan social fabric is in the thread of family.  Multiple generations live together.  Extended families often live within walking distance.  There is a family in San Pedro whose 100 or so members all live on the same street.  Families do everything together.  We witnessed our hostess's mother and mother-in-law hand-washing the household laundry together.  Perhaps because of distance or cultural reasons, social connections in the U.S. seem to thrive through media.

Social and familial connections in action at the birthday party.

4. Corn.  It's the critical staple locally and really is life.  It's simultaneously occupation, sustenance, and economy.  Corn is similarly significant in the United States, but often in less visible ways.  We were reminded of this by the documentary Food, Inc.  

The early stages of corn grown in the mountains of San Pedro.

5. Coffee.  The other agricultural mainstay and primary export is coffee.  We were surprised to observe how integrated coffee is in daily life in Guatemala.  Traditionally, Mayan families drink coffee with all three meals each day and even serve it to young children.  There are various forms, but we've most frequently experienced it served weakly and with some sugar already mixed in.

Coffee beans being dried in the sun on black tarps by the lake.

6. Kids.  They're a universal part of life.  And like elsewhere in the world kids in Guatemala love to play, learn, and share.  Guatemalan children have been quick to engage all of us in conversation and in play, especially our boys.  Because of our consistent trips to the central basketball court, our sons have become somewhat famous around San Pedro.  Every day we hear people hollering out greetings by name to Baxter and Atticus as we walk around town.

Kids take a break from gym class to pose.  (Photo credit to Atticus.)

7. Smiles.  Of course kids offer smiles the most readily, but the local adults show their sociability on their faces too.  Those smiles have a way of making us feel welcome and safe.  They make us smile more too.  And those smiles remind us of some of the best parts of what we've temporarily left behind in the U.S.: warm people.

Aweex indulges us with smiles regularly.

We're wrapping up our time in San Pedro this week so that we can pursue more Latin American adventures.  Stay tuned for more!

12 Things That Take Getting Used To in Guatemala

Our arrival in Guatemala gave us a dose of brief culture shock.  We're now used to many of the things that struck us as strange in our first 24 hours.  Here's a rundown of what's taken some getting used to in Guatemala.

1. Alleys.  Dozens of nameless alleys in San Pedro provide pedestrian access to homes and shortcuts between the cobblestone roads.

Baxter tries to catch up to his brother on this familiar alley walk to school. 

2. Transport.  Getting around is mainly by foot, but when traveling more than a mile we've ridden in the backs of trucks.  Everyone pays the driver about $0.25 when they hop off at their destination.

Our family goes on a field trip with our teachers.  Where do we put the car seats?

3. Hauling.  Women balance things on their heads.  Men carry them on their backs.  Loads often exceed 100 lbs.  Not limited to adults. . . .

These kids scavenged this firewood and are hauling it home, including the 4 year old boy.

4. Trash.  There's a different cultural approach to trash.  It's relatively acceptable to litter on the ground.  In this respect, Shelly notes a similarity to her travels in India.

Vacant lots become dumping grounds.

5. Flies. Of course where there's trash, there are flies.  Hundreds swarm around us at the basketball court.  Street vendors swat at them to keep them off the fresh fish or other foods.  Even in the kitchen in our house, cloth napkins often cover fresh food to keep the flies off.

On the curb next to where I'm sitting: How many do you see in this 1 sq ft area?

6. Dogs.  Stray dogs rule the streets at night when people toss the bones and other inedible detritus from cooking into the streets.  During the day, they sleep or wander about harmlessly.

This stray visits the water bowl left at the entrance by the cafe owner.

7. Noise. Nighttime brings a cacophony of yelping dogs, stray cats, and sounds from roosters that never got the memo about crowing at daybreak.  In the daytime, the most shocking sound is from bombas--much like our explosive fireworks--heralding a fiesta of some sort.  We all ducked reflexively when one launched surprisingly just feet from where we were standing.

8. Color.  A pleasant cultural difference is the use of culture in this Mayan culture.  It's seen in everything from clothing to landscaping.  Bright colors rule.

Our teachers recently posed for us, unwittingly demonstrating the use of color.

9. Tortillas. Served with every meal, every day tortillas are the staple in the local diet.  In Guatemala, these are made from corn, water, and limestone (to help break the shells off the kernels when preparing).

All prepared fresh daily on the wood stove in our kitchen.

10. Water.  Like many places in the developing world, fresh water is not a given.  In San Pedro, municipal water flows three mornings a week so our host family fills up as many buckets and barrels as possible on those mornings. Hot water is typically prepared over a wood stove.  Drinking water is trucked in for makeshift water coolers.  We supplement this with a filtration system we brought from home.  We never use the tap to rinse our toothbrushes.

Common cold-water sink with non-potable water at reputable local restaurant.

11. Bathing. Hot water is a luxury.  In our house, we have the only hot-water shower.  Given the limited supply of water, we try to use the shower sparingly.  The water is heated by an electric element retrofitted to the shower head.  So far, it's only been shocking metaphorically.

Our shower complete with blue and white water heater and requisite electrical wires.

12. Toilet Paper.  How else to finish a 12-things list than with toilet paper?  It was with some embarrassment that we were told by our hostess 3 days into our stay that toilet paper shouldn't go in the toilet.  All toilet paper goes in the trash can to preserve the effluent plumbing.  Oops.

So that's what the trash can is for!

There's more we're learning and getting used to.  But these 12 jumped out as some of the first things.  More to come.

Also, we've made some changes to our blog including the format and the ability for anyone to comment (sorry, we weren't previously trying to force people to join Google+).  Post a comment with what you think about the changes or which of the above would be hardest for you to get used to.  We'll use your input to help evolve the blog.

Next up, a fresh post about unexpected similarities to America we've seen in Guatemala.