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Hola mis amigos,

The day is quickly approaching when Treena and I will head for the airport on our way to Guatemala. Though up to our necks in Christmas preparation, we are looking forward to a deep immersion in the geography, culture, people and history of this great part of the world.

This is the first blog post for this adventure, but I hope to be able to post from Guatemala, so check in for periodic updates. I have attached our itinerary at the bottom of this post which has links to places we will stay and organizations we will be visitting. I hope to be able to post pictures as we are going and some reflections on our experience.

Special thanks for the amazing generosity of all who contributed bedding, toiletries and money. We will let you know how these were used.

Adios, Will

Revised Itinerary: December 28.2012 – January 9.2013  GUATEMALA

Friday, Dec. 28    8:00 pm evening arrival at Guatemala City airport, meet Doris and Maco, drive to Antigua, and settle into Casa Christina for the night.

Saturday, Dec. 29  8:30 am Breakfast at Fernando’s & orientation to the programme,
10:00 am depart Antigua by van and visit Ex-Valhalla Natural Reserve and Macadamia Nut Farm (lunch)
1:30 pm  Walking tour of colonial Antigua
4:00 pm  Conversation with Rev. Emilie Smith, an Anglican priest from Vancouver who has lived in Guatemala for the past 3 years about the current situation in Guatemala @ Fernandos
6:00 pm Dinner @ Fernandos, overnight at Casa Christina in Antigua
 www.fernandoskaffee.com
 www.exvalhalla.net
 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/65
 http://www.anglican.ca/relationships/files/2010/04/PEACE-HOUSE-BROCHURE-FINAL-3.pdf 

Sunday, Dec. 30  7:30 am Breakfast at Café Condesa on the Main Square in Antigua, 8:00 am departure to Chichicastenango, Eduardo Elias meet us in Los Encuentros on the drive to Chichicastenango, 10:30 am arrival in chichi, Spend time at market in chichi, 1:00 pm meet for lunch at appointed restaurant, more market or rest in Hotel.  4:00 pm Drive to Santa Cruz del Quiche and have dinner at the Peace House with Peace House founders.  Drive back to Chichi, overnight in Chalet Hotel.
 http://www.enjoyguatemala.com/chichicastenango.htm
 http://www.chalethotelguatemala.com/
   
Monday, Dec. 31    Early breakfast in Chichi at Hotel Chalet, 7:30 am drive to Zacualpa to visit the church there and gain understanding the history of the civil war and it’s impacts in the Highlands 9:00-11:00, 11:30 am stop to visit Betty in Chinique and have lunch at her house on the way home, 2-4 pm stop in Santa Cruz del Quiche at the Peace House and visit Don Juan, Mayan Priest and have blessing with him.  4 -6 pm Drive to Panajachel, dinner and new years eve celebration, overnight at Hotel Utz Jay.
 http://www.hotelutzjay.com/

Tuesday, Jan 1  8:30 am Breakfast at Utz Jay.  Visit Mayan Families programme and host lunch at seniors day programme.  Share Lunch with Seniors.  Free afternoon in Panajachel, walk to Santa Catarina option, Maco will pick us up.  Meet for dinner in Panajachel.     
 http://www.mayanfamilies.org
 http://mayanfamilieselderlycare.blogspot.ca/
 http://www.santacatarina.palopo.info/index.html

Wed, Jan 2  Breakfast at Hotel, take boat over the lake to Santiago Atitlan, visit with the CCDA (Campesino Committee of the Highlands), the hospitalito and with the Coffee Project, visit the church in Santiago Atitlan and the memorial to Father Stanley Rother & have lunch, take a boat back over the lake, dinner in Panajachel, overnight at Hotel Utz Jay. 
 http://www.justuscoffee.com/producers/our-growers/ccda-guatemala
 http://ndepth.newsok.com/father-rother 

Thurs, Jan 3  8:30 am Breakfast at Hotel, 10:00 am depart Panajachel, arrive in Quezaltenango, settle into Hotel, freetime. Tour of the school, PLQ and storytelling with Eduardo.   Dinner at La Taqueria.  Overnight in Xela at Hotel Modelo. 
 http://hotelmodelo1892.com/
 http://www.plqe.org/ 

Fri, Jan 4  Breakfast at Hotel, Visit mayan village of Chwitziribal for the day.  Help with the school, visit families, dinner in Xela. Overnight in Xela at Hotel Modelo.

Sat, Jan 5  Breakfast in Xela, 10-11:30 am Visit at Trama Textiles, a cooperative and weaving centre, they will give us a demonstration and talk about the back-strap weaving process, walk to the market in Xela, lunch in Xela, depart Xela, afternoon arrival at Fuentes Georginas, dinner at Fuentes. Visit Fuentes Georginas for swimming and overnight.
www.lasfuentesgeorginas.com
www.tramatextiles.org

Sun, Jan 6  Breakfast at Fuentes, depart Fuentes, Drive to Antigua, lunch enroute, stop at Iximiche (Kaquichel Mayan historical site), Overnight at Casa Christina.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iximche

Mon, Jan 7  Breakfast at Fernandos, Drive into Guatemala City, Trip to Mining Protest at San Jose del Golfo and with Yolanda, key leader and anti-mining activist.  Lunch at Pollo Campero in Guatemala City, visit the Women in Solidarity Organization and their clinic and hear about their work, drive back to Antigua, dinner in Antigua, Café Opera. 
http://www.amnesty.ca/our-work/individuals-at-risk/guatemala-yolanda-oquel%C3%AD

Tues, Jan 8  Breakfast in Antigua, visit transitions project, hermano pedro hospital (short visit and drop off any donations we have), reflection in the afternoon, closing dinner/party in Antigua.
 www.transitionsfoundation.org
 http://www.obrashermanopedro.org/

Wed, Jan 9  Early morning departure for Tikal Option 4 am, or departure to Guatemala City for flight 5 am. 
 http://www.jaguartikal.com/

 

Hi folks. Sorry it has taken me a bit to get these blog posts online. Here is an update to bring you up to yesterday.

December 29,

Today was spent in Antigua and environs. We visited a stunningly beautiful macadamia nut farm run by a crazy ex-pat American named Lorenzo, who came to Guatemala in 1976 for three months and never left. He is an evangelical farmer trying to save the world from environmental suicide through farming macadamia nuts. I didn't know these nuts sink carbon at an astounding rate. And besides that the nuts are delicious, and the man is a nut himself- totally charming on one hand and crazy sexist sense of humor on the other. And busy trying to save the planet!We spent the rest of the day in Antigua walking the city and getting our bearings. This former capitol of Guatemala has beautiful classic Spanish architecture that was devastated over and over by earthquakes until finally they moved the Capitol to Guatemala city and quit trying to re-build. We had dinner and spent the evening with Emilie, an Anglican priest from Vancouver who has lived in Chichi for 3 years on a peace making project. She gave us a one evening primer on the history of Guatemala from the first Spanish colonial invasion. She is a font of information and passion.

 

December 30

We hopped into our 12 seater van with our steady driver, Maco, and headed for Chichicastenango (say that five times fast) in the regional district of Quiche. Quiche was the epicenter of the civil war in which 250,000 people were killed. But we began in the market, the biggest and best place we will go to in this trip to find the most colorful and beautiful handiwork. Oh my goodness. This place was overwhelming with people and handcrafts and people of all ages approaching us to buy their wears.We also happened upon a cemetery like none I have ever seen before with colourful and deep devotion to saints and ancestors. Our evening was spent at Peace House in Santa Cruz Del Quiche with some Mayan community workers who powerfully and articulately spoke of the struggle of their people to create a world and a life that is in harmony with their ancient values and traditions against the huge powers of corruption and globalization. Once again, Canadian mining companies figure prominently and unfavorably. These were smart and impressive people.


December 31,

Happy New Year, Felic Nuevos Anios!This was far and away the most intense day of the trip so far and likely will be the most powerful day in the end. Having spent the night in Chichi, we drove to Zaqualpa, which took us well off the beaten track and far into the Quiche. Zaqualpa became a the place where some of the worst atrocities of the war took place. We visited sister Anna Maria at a church which was taken over by the military and used as a place of torture and execution. Imagine your church being used to torture and kill members of your congregation and community. The human rights abuses that took place in this place are beyond imaginable. In an attempt to uncover the story of what took place here and to bring about a healing process, the church has set up a centre to honour the martyrs of the war, people of faith who died at the hands of the military. Thousands of Guatemalan citizens were tortured and killed here, buried in massed graves including a well beside the church. It is very hard to visit this place without coming away changed. Sister Anna Maria is an amazing healing presence and led us through the story in an honest and healing way. From there we had lunch with Betty, the principle of a school in a small village. This gracious woman welcomed us into her home, fed us lunch and told us of the work her school is doing to try to give desperately poor school children an education and a chance in life.We then returned to Peace House, a place in the heart of Santa Cruz Del Quiche where the Anglican Church, led by the energetic and passionate Rev. Emilie Smith has partnered with mayan leaders and others to create a centre of healing. Here we participated in a Mayan sacred fire ceremony in which Don Juan, a leading Mayan priest led us in prayer around a fire of incense and candles. What a privilege to be allowed in to such a prayer, and given the intensity of the day, what a healing time.Needless to say, when we finally arrived in PanaJachel, a 2 hour drive later, we were exhausted, but ready to party. Largely uneventful, this evening was spend over dinner and live music at a great little restaurant. Things got a little interesting when we went out into the streets to ring in the new year and got caught up in the biggest fire cracker and fireworks explosion I have ever witnessed. When these bombs got tossed around our feet we got a little unnerved (dance gringo dance), but we arrived home safely. What an incredible day!

 January 1, 2013

Well Felix Nuevos Anios everyone. IIt is a new year and this country that is new to us as already brought blessing to us. Today we had a gentle beginning and went up to San Jorge de Atitlan, a small village above Lake Atitlan, just outside of Panajachel and met with the seniors group that we had been planning to have lunch with. We went with Sharon and Dwight who are the founders of "Mayan Families", an NGO working for the health and life of Mayan people in this region. One program among the many this organization runs is a Seniors Care program which includes a daily lunch, medical care and pretty much anything else that these dear old women (mostly) need. 

Thanks to the gracious contributions of the Northwood Seniors, the lunch included some chicken and we all enjoyed it. I must say though, these people have virtually nothing. Most of them are utterly dependent on their families for support in their later years, and their families are desparately poor, often with 6 children living on perhaps a dollar or less per day. This noon meal is likely their only for the day. We heard many stories of single moms raising 6 children on 50 Q ($7) per month. And if you have an aging parent in the mix you have to choose how to spend your precious few pennies. The aging parent often goes without. This seniors program is to care for these people.

So friends, after lunch, we delivered the two beds we perchased for two of these women. Treena and I participated in the delivery and set up of one of these beds, to Maria Coroxon, a lovely 80 year old with diabetes who lives in a one room hut with a cement floor. Hopefully you will see some photos we took, but this dear woman was thrilled with her new bed replacing the straw mat she had been sleeping on. Unfortunately, she has no other furniture, only a stump for a chair. We are hoping she will be able to get a chair in the near future. Both heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. We returned to Panajachel with a lot to think about.

January 2

Today was out boat trip across Lake Atitlan to the town of Santiago de Atitlan where we took a truck ride up to the coffee processing project of the CCDA, the organization of the Campasinos of the highlands. This organization has 39,000 members all over the highlands of Guatemala working with land, agriculture, community and political reform. They do some very exciting work with families and communities to lay the necessary groundwork for the improvement of the lives of poor campasinos. I was totally impressed with their programs and their deeply thoughtful vision for a better Guatemala.

We toured the coffee processing project where the coffee which comes from families and collectives all over the region is processed to them be marketted as Cafe Justicia, and Cafe Etico. Sound familiar? We use this coffee at Northwood, and we got to see where it comes from. This was a most hopeful visit. The necessary works of charity yesterday contrast with the hugely important works of justice making from today to give much to reflect on.

On our way back we stopped at the church where an American Catholic priest, Father Stanley Rother serves for many years and became a beloved saint among these people. He learned the local language and stood with the people through the repression of the late 70s and early 80s. He received many death threats for his consistent solidarity with the suffering of his people, left once to save his life, but returned to accompany his people no matter what the cost. The cost was his life when the army came into his church where he was sleeping one night and assasinated him. Another atrocity in such a long list, and at the same time, another story of astounding courage and hope as the people remember this amazing man and continue to struggle to create and transformed Guatemala. God bless this dear and faithful man of God.

On a completely different note, Santiago is a tourist destination which means it is also a place where poor people selling all kinds of wears gather. One of the struggles visiting here is that we come with more money than any of these people can imagine having in their lifetime. If they can relieve us of just a bit of our money, they can scratch out a living. So it often feels like we are seen as dollars on legs. Such high pressure to buy all kinds of mostly quite beautiful crafts and textiles, but the result is often overwhelming. You can't walk anywhere without being approached to purchase something. The hotel compound becomes somewhat of a safe haven.

 January 3

Today we left the warm lakeside town of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan and climbed over the 10,000 foot Alaska pass to our next stop, Xela, or Quetzaltenango. This is the second largest city in Guatemala and was the home of significant organizing in resistance to the army during the war in the late 70s and 80s. We visited the PLQ, a Spanish language school started in 1988 by a group of Spanish teachers who wanted to attract international students to the area to teach Spanish, to be an international presence in the area and to take the story of the struggle of Guatemalans to the world. Today this school has the language component, a cultural centre, a couple of rural mountain schools, and works support for organizations working to improve human rights in Guatemala. This is a great example of courageous ingenuity in the struggle for a just and compassionate society here.

This evening some of us went out to our translator and marvelous interpretter of all things Guatemalan, Eduardo's home for a home cooked meal and a worship service at his church. The dancing and singing was amazing at this church and we were welcomed as sisters and brothers with open arms. 

January 4

Today was our school day. We travelled outside of Xela and up the side of a mountain to the small community of Chuitsirebal (I am sure I spelled that wrong). This is a community of about 30 dwellings with a church and a school. It is very rural and very poor. The school has between 50 and 60 students, and struggles as a neglected cousin of the Guatemalan school system. There is never adequate space, never enough teachers, and resources for school supplies are very sparse.

We met with the principal, a regional supervisor neamed Manuel, some teachers and members of the parent committee, a community elder, and the mayor of the village. We met in one of three classrooms in a cold brick building and heard the struggle to maintain adequate education under these conditions. Doris, our guide and a member of St. Andrew's Wesley United Church delivered some school suplies and a cheque for $3000 for the school. This money will allow them to make majour improvements to the classrooms which they believe will improve the adequacy of the classroom setting. At this point about 25% of students move into junior high in this area. The rest begin work. The goal is to get more and more students getting a greater and greater education because education is the key to creating a better life and a better society. This was a great gift and it was received with gratitude and tears. These teachers and principal are working so hard for these kids!

They made us lunch down by the river, a lovely picnic, and then we had a great game of soccer with about a dozen kids. So much fun!

January 5

In theory, this is a down day. In practise, this is another great day of travel. We left Xela and drove 30 minutes to the town of San Andres Xecul, the home of one of the most picturesque and intriguing Catholic Churches  in Guatemala.

The Catholic church is a worldwide institution and as you travel around the world, you can expect to see some pretty consistent architecture no matter where you are in the world. But Guatemala is a vision unto itself when it comes to Catholic architecture. The facade to this church is painted bright yellow, red white and black with all kinds of figures sculpted  and painted on the front. Jaguars hold some kind of poll at the top, Mayan figures dangle their legs off the ledges holding jugs and playing guitars, angels flit up and down. What a colorful, playful merging of Mayan and Catholic imagery. I will try to get some images posted on our facebook gallery, but to see this facade all you have to do is look at the latest cover of the Lonely Planet Guide to Guatemala. 

From there we braved the windy narrow mountain road up well over 8000 feet to the beautiful Fuentes Georginas hot springs. Perched on the edge of a volcano, this natural spring pours out of the high mountain jungle creating something of a paradise. Two years ago, the buildings and the pools here were swept down the mountain in torrential rains, filling the pools with mud and tossing the buildings into the valley bottom. In a fit of uncharacteristic swiftness, the rebuild has happened and the fourth and most beautiful pool, along with the 9 cabins have been re-built and are gorgeous. Well, the pools are at least. The cabins suffer from the dampness of the climate, although we discovered that if you light a fire in the fireplace, it makes for a wonderful quiet get-away. We basked in the hot water pool carved into the side of the mountain, leaded up against the hot rocks (are the rockes heating the water or the water heating the rocks?), lit candles and placed them on the tiny ledges surrounding the pool and had a great evening.

January 6

 Well today was our big travel day as we left Fuentes Georginas and made our way back to Antigua, and Casa Christina, our final stop in the trip. It was a big day as we also bid a fond farewell to our dear translator, interpretter, guide and friend Eduardo who lives just outside of Xela. He has offered so much to this trip of his language skill, wisdom, kindness, cheaky humour, and personal reflection. I will always be grateful for his generosity. 

After breakfast in Xela we made our way over the mountains to the mayan ruins of Iximche where we stopped for a break. Iximche (pronounced Ish-mishay) in not as old or as big as some of the major Mayan ruins but it does date back to before Eurpoean contact. Built on the top of a mountain in the mid 15th century, it was a great stronghold for the local Mayan ruler against any intruders. However, no one could have predicted the power of the Spanish intruders only 60 years later and the site was over-run. Today it has been largely but not completely excavated and you can see four plazas totalling the size of about 5 football fields (football being soccer in this place, of course), one of which holds the remains of an ancient palace. If you walk far enough in you can see the charred remains of recent mayan sacred fires that took place in celebration of the new age in the Mayan calendar. 

We ended the day with a quiet evening in Antigua.

January 7

 You know, this trip has been so filled with intense and moving experiences, and every day I look back and think, this was the best day yet. I am sure this will be the day that I look back on as the most memorable of the trip... And then I have another one. I knew today would be an important one, but I had no idea just how important.

Today we spend the day in and around Guatemala City beginning east of the city at a mining protest near the town of San Jose del Golfo. There is a long and incredible story connected to this protest. I will give you the thumbnail sketch.

For the last three or four years, villagers in San Jose and a neighboring town have been watching as trucks and equipment sirculate around a plot of land purchased by a Canadian mining company, Gold Corp (or its subsidiary). When asked what this was all about, villagers were told there was no plan to mine in the area. Though nobody really trusts the government around here, they waited and remained watchful. They knew how Canadian mining companies had devasted other communities in other parts of the country but they were told there was no plan for this site. Then in the early part of 2012, a woman and three men were driving the road on which this particular piece of property is found, and they ran across some trucks and a drilling rig, on its way to the property. They knew this was not a good sign and they parked the car across the entrance to the property and refused to let the rig on the property. The workers threatened to throw the car off the road which led the three men to flee, but the woman held her ground and stayed in the car. With her cell phone she called for help and the community came. This began what is now a 10 month blocade of a driveway on to the property where we now know the mining company, with the assistance of the Guatemalan and Canadian goverments, had long planned to mine gold.

The core problem that has been experienced all over Guatemala is that whenever a mine comes in to a place like this, it destroys the land on which the people grow their food (corn and beans), it poisons the water, and uses so much water that there is nothing left to water the fields. The communities die, and the people who have lived on this land for centuries are forced to leave. There is supposed to be a consultation process leading up to a project of this kind but there was nothing of the kind leaving the mostly poor villagers no choice but to physically stand or lie down in front of the gate to the proposed mine.

 It is hard to imagine from the perspective of a Canadian used to police being there for your protection, and a government which is at least mostly bound to play by a set of rules largely free of corruption, what this kind of peaceful civil action means for people in this place. Grandmothers and grandfathers, parents and children have occupied this site on a rotation for 10 months. One leader has been shot. Others have been detained and beaten by police without charge. All of the key leaders have had their lives threatened by police and para police groups. One leader now has a full time two person armed guard 24-7. There were about 30 people of all ages when we were there, and this is most often the case. In early december, the government send hundreds (the exact number is unclear) of riot police to this site to clear the 15 or so villagers from the site. However, the 15 people (including a 78 year old woman holding a picture of the virgin Mary) lay down across the gateway, braving the teargas, and the police were unable to remove them.

These people are fighting for their lives, their land and their water against huge international mining interests, most of which are from Canada, and their government is neither protecting them nor supporting their right to civil protest. Much the opposite, their government is supporting Canadian mining interests. I was moved by the stories of these brave leaders and villagers, I was utterly impressed by their strength of character and faith. And as I prayed with them before we left I made a commitment to them to hold them in prayer, stay aware of their struggle, do what I can in Canada to call these canadian companies to task for their outrageous practises, and I invite anyone to join in this commitment.

And that was just the morning. 

 In the afternoon we went to visit a project called Women in Solidarity in Guatemala City, run by a joyous and powerful little woman named Rosita. This project which now runs a clinic and a long list of community projects in and around Guatemala City began as a cluster of women in the early 90s were trying to support each other in their health and welbeing in the final days of the armed conflict. Supporting and advocating women's reproductive rights is a hard task in this country, but these courageous people have braved teh dangerous streets of Guatemala City and advocated for women carving an amazing space for their voice in the country. We toured the clinic and heard about the wide scope of advocacy work done by Women in Solidarity.

From here we went to the dump. Why? Becasue hundreds of the poorest of the poor in guatemala City make their living sifting through the sity dump. Most live in the surrounding slums, and it is utterly heartbreaking to witness hundreds of people combing through the garbage because they have literally nothing else to support their life.

Needless to say, by the end of this day we felt like we had touched some pretty raw elements of life. In recent years at the end of worship services I have sent people out with the call to count our blessings, practise our faith, and never look down on the struggle for life. Well today we experienced that full range and the struggle for life was evident everywhere we looked. What an honour it is to meet such heros in that struggle, to hear their stories of struggle and their dreams, and to pray with them. What a profound honour.

January 8

Our final full day in Guatemala. I enter this day with really mixed feelings. This country and the people we have encountered have gotten under our skin. The big smiling  grandmothers struggling to make their way on a dollar a day. The teachers and children at the school in Chwitziribal who walk two hours to get to school and who tear up when they speak of their dreams of a better life. Sister Anna Maria who tenderly leads people to healing from the atrocities of war. The mayan priest, smoke billowing around him as he offers prayer around a sacred fire. The sellers in the market calling to Treena, "Lady! What you want to buy!" Eduardo, Maco, Emilie, my fellow pilgrims on this journey... So may images and encounters come to mind as we embark on our final day. 

We began with a trip to an organization called Transitions, dedicated to the building of wheelchairs and prostheses for disabled Guatemalans. Now here is a truly inspiring story. One of the founders, John Bell (not the musician) found the other founder, Alex, in a hospital dying of his wounds, and was moved to help him. Alex had been shot in a store a couple of years earlier and had not received the necessary treatment that would heal the bed soars that had emerged on his body. John took him back to the States and got him treatment after which Alex came home and visited the hospital in Guatemala City where he had been originally treated and met others who were in need. He called John and from that inspiration and need, an organization was born dedicated to the care of people with disabilities in a country that has no infrastructure for such care.  

We visited their shop where they make hundreds of wheelchairs custom made for the needs of the patients. We went to their prosthesis manufacturing shop where home grown technicians craft artificial limbs for people who have, for whatever reason, lost a limb. Guatemala is a dangerous place. People are losing abilities and limbs every day. Transitions works directly on the ground to meet their practical needs with no support from the Guatemalan government. A real inspiration.On a personal note from the small world department, the Rotary club from Salmon Arm, led in no small measure by Dr. Maureen  McTavish, is much appreciated at Transitions, and the organization Poco a Poco, which has a strong connection in Salmon Arm, has helped this project immeasurably.

The rest of the day was spent getting ready for an early departure for the Guatemala City Airport at 4am in the morning. We had a lovely "last supper" and had a chance as a group to reminisce, appreciate, and prepare for the hard transition to home and the rest of life .