Here's a great travel tip: If you want a real feel for a culture make sure your hotel is right next to an elementary school. All this week starting before 8 in the morning and continuing till after dark the place was jumping. One day there were about 60 or so 4,5,and 6 year olds lined up. Boys on one side of the street, girls on the other. They were all dressed in cowboy/ girl gear( plaid shirts, lassos, fake chaps, painted on mustaches, bandanas and ten gallon hats). Some had fringe material sewn onto their shirts or pants. All were [View Full Entry]

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I have to give the sellers of everything from pens to bracelets to tablecloths to scarves and more credit- they are persistent in the face of almost constant rejection. They follow you down the street. They come to your table at the restaurant. They wait for you outside the restaurant. They stand by you at the Internet cafe. Always the same words " For you lady, a special price. Good Price. $1." And, my friends, if you believe that one then I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. When I answer that I have one they respond "Otro mas [View Full Entry]

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Antigua, Guatemala is in the throes of preparing for Semana Santa. It is as if the entire city is planning one HUGE surprise party for about a million visitors who are expected to attend. The pre- Holy week processions have already begun. Alfombras are being made in the streets. These are either very simple arrangements made out of pine needles and flowers or in one case pine needles and hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces of foil from used potato chip and snack food bags. Or elaborately planned and executed paintings made from colored sawdust that stretch for a hunded feet. [View Full Entry]

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Hola Chicas y Chicos, Today was moving day. Val and I left our lovely little Hotel Aurora in Antigua( highly recommended for price, location and great breakfasts!). We moved into the home of Senora Consuelo Lopez. Her home is located just behind the La Merced Church which is one of the most beautiful old buildings in Antigua. It is part of our week of Spanish study at Casa de Lenguas. Well, actually, we opted to do it. It is not for everyone as you have to share a bathroom and fit into the routine of a family. But it gives you [View Full Entry]

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In the culture of 'machisimo', women are taking control of their destiny. In Chile, they just elected the first woman President. It was with a twist of irony as her father had been killed by Pinochet in the CIA planned and funded 'coup' that overthrew their democratically elected goverment and replaced it with a cruel dictator. In the tiny agricultural village of Santiago Zamora, which sits on the outskirts of Antigua, a group of 30 women took economic matters into thir own hands about 12 years ago. They formed an association called Ixoqui Ye Samej, which means Women Workers of Kaqchikel. [View Full Entry]

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It was our first night in the Hotel Aurora in Antigua, Guatemala. It fits in perfectly with Hollywood's picture of an old colonial hacienda. Lovely, high ceilinged rooms surrounding a flower filled courtyard with a flowing fountain in the center. We were going out for dinner and right in front of the hotel were at least 5 tow trucks lined up doing what they do best. It was a first for me to even see these beasts of evil in Central or So. America. And they were doing the devil's work with diligence. Car after car was being hauled away to [View Full Entry]

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And, what, you may ask, could THAT be? Listen my children and you shall hear.... From Santa Rosa de Copan there are two types of buses that go to San Pedro Sula- that being my destination for today- as I fly out very early on the 17th to go to meet my travel pal, Val, in Guatemala. The taxi from the hotel pulled into the bus station and before I knew what was happening two boys had grabbed my bags and were running across the street. They were yelling " a lado! a lado!" I paid the cabbie and ran after [View Full Entry]

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After my 2 week stay in Copan de Ruinas I decided to have a little R & R. I picked the little colonial town of Gracias which is located in the department (or state) of Limpira. Gracias was founded in about 1536 by Capt. Juan de Chavez- a Spanish conquistiador. Apparently he had been looking for a long time for a flat enough place to build a city. When he came upon this place he supposedly said " Gracias a dios que hemos hallado tiera llana"- thanks be to God we have finally found flat land. So that is how the [View Full Entry]

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This is Part 2 of the Crowning of the Queen of the Copan de Ruinas Fiesta. Part 1 is entitled: 'They like 'em young and Sexy'. It was now time for the 'Evening Gown' portion of the beauty pageant. The little girls came first. Most were in sweet Cinderella type gowns in shades of ice cream- vanilla, black raspberry, strawberry, pistachio, lemon sherbet. But one, you guessed it, Miss Tiny Gold Bikini, was in a form fitting, off the shoulder white dress. Again, she was blowing kisses and sucking up to the audience. The crowd went wild. Then the big girls [View Full Entry]

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Last Friday morning during class I kept hearing a voice blaring throughout the town with some sort of annoucement. I assumed it was some politican. Next thing I knew my teacher jumped up and told me to come. We went out to the park and stood there. I asked what was happening. " The candidates for Queen and Princess of the Copan Fair are in a parade." Ok. I've seen some great parades: 4th of July in Plymouth,MA; the German- American parade on 5th Aveune in New york City; and the grand daddy of them all, the 16 hour ( you [View Full Entry]

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