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On May 7th, I arrived in Guatemala City from Fort Lauderdale on Spirit Airlines... for free!... It cost me more money to get from my apartment in downtown San Francisco to SFO then it did to get from San Francisco to Guatemala City... that's a trip... you can't beat that price... Oh, and anyway, look at that flag!
Spotting odd, awkward, and ugly buildings is becoming a fascinating travel activity for me.... these buildings are an eyesore, but strangely charming in a way... This particular one is very funny because it is across a beautiful cathedral in the city's showpiece square... as if it just doesn't care and thumbing it's nose at the conventional norms of society's aesthetics.. almost in a punk manner... it's the ugly duckling.... the unloved one relative... the one who always gets picked last at playground sports... and yet, I find it endearing and worthy of my love and affection... can you see the beauty behind the facade?...haha... I'm sure some amazing things happen in there...
Architecture!
Tired and pink gringo trying to blend in (unlikely) and just watching the rhythms of life... It's always interesting to spend the first time.... the first hour..the first day in an unfamiliar country... just trying to adapt to surroundings and trying to "get it".... that's always the fun, if not slightly uncomfortable part...and it's a high... a rush, so to speak... and everyday, things become clearer as if fog slowly clears before you.... demystifying things, but become no less interesting in the process...
Here was something odd.... I couldn't help but focus my attention on the gringo in the orange hat talking very loudly and being obviously more boisterous than the laid-back locals... He was attracting a lot of attention but in a appreciative and bemused way... I think he gave a poor Mayan kid a Chicago Bears hat, a small nerf-like football, and a small soccer ball. I watched as he threw the little boy a football across the square and exclaimed "touchdown!"... I mean, he was cool, but it made me wonder "What's that guy's deal?... What piece!". Good guy though... helping the poor...
....walking down the street to a scene of uninspiring buildings and then looking off to the side to see something unexpectedly grandiose is always a treat...
This one actually looked downright unsightly from afar and walked well out of my way to have a closer look, but upon arrival it turned into a funky thing of beauty... It may have been embellished throughout the years.... like the average-looking girl who puts on make-up and a new dress then suddenly gets attention...
ah, street theater ....and in this instance I mean actual planned street theater... not in the way I usually mean it (watching crazy, inebriated, or people making foolish scenes of themselves.. not usually to entertain).... This reminded me of street performers in Colombia and Peru... It's basically a comedy show that attracts hundreds of smiling and genuinely amused people... of course, I don't really get what's going on, but it's still funny... Also, this guy is apparently a Vikings fan...
I feel like clowns have sharply falling out of favor in the U.S.A... being that they scare kids and everybody else for that matter..... not necessarily so in Latin America... their view of clowns doesn't seem so cynically perverse... something about a Spanish-speaking clown seems more approachable and friendly to me... I don't really know why... I've got more to do than analyse this in-depth at the moment... time is fleeting...
The hostel in 'Guate' (what the local call this capitol city) was more interesting than I expected.. I don't expect entertainment from hostels or even care for it, but this one was bizarre and my time here will be more memorable than the outside city itself....
It was sort of a "work-in-progress"... the owner was out of town and the place being run by a quirky, shifty-eyed, and semi-intelligible Swiss guy who has been in Guate for 12 years.. just the thought of ending of living in this city for 12 years is odd being that it is not really that appealing compared to more beautiful places here, but he had character and was very helpful... he took care of everything for me (bus tickets, cooking food) without me even asking... and yes, we had more than a few beers at night...
The other two occupants were a washed-up former German rock musician and former Berlin-air pilot who left Germany to run a hotel in Guatemala with his wife and two dogs. The plan didn't work out as well and his wife went back. Meanwhile, he has been trying to work his way back too, but only with his dogs in tow, which has become a logistical problem. He was an interesting guy indeed.
The other occupant was a neurotic, middle-aged woman from San Francisco who has been traveling the world non-stop for 6 years and hasn't been back since... she works on the road selling minerals or something through her computer and plans on settling in Uruguay... I neglected to mention to her that I didn't think that sounded very exciting and was a bad idea since I've been there... I mean, nothing wrong with Uruguay, but really?... it's like the poor man's Argentina... pick someplace more exciting (my apologies to Uruguay). However, she didn't stop talking, so I didn't bring it up. She was vastly interesting..
And then we had a fondue party.... the end (?)
Also, for three nights, these mischievous kids were watching me.... well OK... only the little shit disturber on the horse looked like a trouble-maker...
A few blocks where I stayed in Zona 2, I walked by a house emitting smokes and seemingly smoldering outside but with a dangerous lurking fire inside.... a only a few neighbors stood by and then dozens appeared as the bomberos arrived... It was like walking through a movie set... just something unexpected around every corner.. that's why I walk around.. life... it's a free show..... however, very costly for someone else in this instance.
I was surprised to run into a baseball stadium.... didn't expect that... To me, Guatemala isn't exactly synonymous with baseball. Yes, I did ask if there was a game and was told it was only on the weekends.. darn.
I'd like to know and it sparked my interest... naturally, I think it would be cool if the team was named the "Mayans".
Beisbol Guatemala!
I think about Jon Miller's call when a Spanish-speaking Giant hits a home-run.... "Adios pelota!"
My new Swiss best friend told me something about a giant map, so after a lunch of pollo and rice (all ate there really), I headed out to see it..... Indeed it is a giant map of Guatemala and for a guy who loves maps, it was a no-brainer... although I hesitated initially to walk into the little park because it was neglected by people, you had to pay a fee and the tour guides looked anxious, bored, and eager to do something... meaning that I would feel obliged to take a guided tour (which was included in the ticket price), but I prefer to walk alone and quietly contemplate..... However, it was good for both parties... being that I got to practice my very rusty Spanish and they got to practice their English....
Guatemala has many Volcanos.... and interestingly enough these are the only ones I actually saw... the representations of them.... the one in Antigua, the place I went to later was shrouded in clouds... oh well..... Oh yeah, and did I mention I love maps!! I bought a new book at the Philly airport a few weeks ago called "Maphead" by Ken Jennings... I want to get around to it soon...
The guide was 22.... he had very good English, which I can tell he was nervous about using..... but he passed the test.... I admire people who can fluently speak mroe than one language... I'd lve to one day.. just takes time like anything else.....
Saluting you, Guatemala!
.... sitting in the sun and enjoying free music.... sometimes I like nothing better...
I arrived in Antigua after taking an hour-long bus ride from Guate..... local buses are very interesting.... fast rides, school bus-like seats, getting on and off while still moving, children selling candy, music on the bus-wide speaker system, and even preachers who come on board every so often and solicit a Quetzals for short, passionate sermon about Jesus....... Antigua reminded me Cusco, Peru and Cartagena, Colombia..... yes, it was very pretty, but these Spanish colonial towns end up looking the same.... undoubtedly pretty though indeed...
I always think it's neat when you finally make it to a place that you specifically recalling mentioning about to people in the past in off-handed remarks... As in,..."You're from Guatemala?... I wanna go there one day"...... and then, suddenly.... one day....boom... you're there... a character from the olde Club 77, Angel, told me about this once...
I may never be in Antigua again, so I may miss the Santa Semana parade.... every Easter week.... here are some floats... I must say, very cool.....
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
Torture!
I hiked to the top of a hill with a local, but could not see the volcano as it had been obscured by the clouds?...fog?... ash?...hmm.....
Crosses on mountains..... Rio, Cusco, Medjugore....places I've been to.... and now another, Antigua....
Guatemalans.... those are my people...... thank you,... I don't remember your name... too many names, too many places....
Back in Guate, a Silver Mayan Pirate aims his gun at my head and tries to kill me........ interestingly enough, 'Silver Mayan Pirate' was the name of one of my old college bands... I was the alto-sax player.
So many guns in Guatemala....... but seriously, almost every shop had security officers stationed in them with , yeah, real guns..... police walk around carrying huge guns as well.......
When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go.... Downtown!
Smiles all around...... alright, enough of these guys...let's move on....
Mayans have style!
Old school never goes out of style....
... I left Guate on an overnight bus to Flores... and straight to Tikal in the morning... I hired a cab and it didn't take me long to realize that we were heading deep into the jungle....
This is an animal I've never really heard about, The Coati or Pizote,...similar to a racoon... kind a dog, rat, racoon hybrid... I later one saw one (and Belize, later, I got to meet one)....
We stopped along the way to view these birds nests... (i left my good camera at the hotel, so all these tikal/jungle pics are androidje pics)
Jaguar crossing.... no joke.... this is for real....
legends of the hidden temple.
There he is...Pizote!
I would have rather seen this than the jaguar for sure.......
Hard to see, but there were a lot of big, fast ants.... ants in the jungle don't mess around.... it reminded me of that stupid scene from "Chrystal Skull".....
I saw this guys bike and checked out his website... pretty cool... he has ridden his bike through all these countries ...
Defecating on peoples heads to show their presence ..... how primitive! Such animals!...
Yeah,.. I don't know why the pic was so small, but this thing was large.....
After a long hike through the jungle, this is what's up.
Gringos socks in Flores.....
The sunset over the lake in Flores... watching the locals take a swim..... a good way to say goodbye to Guatemala...
That's the one.... Thanks for the good time, Guatemala.... onto Belize next...