04.07.2009 - 05.07.2009 Neverending journey!!! Although I've got some experience in travelling now and although I know what I need to bring and what not, I had a really hard time packing. After all the hazle and after a very busy week at home I could not wait to finally arrive at my new destination in Guatemala. If it weren't for the journey... Unfortunately there are no direct flights. I had to fly via New York and Houston. I'm not going to coment on my opinion about the American way of handling things (fingerprints etc...) for I could fill pages on [View Full Entry]

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So, after about 4 weeks of living in Guatemala and experiencing all the great things this country has to offer, I have decided someone needs to document their traffic laws. That way any new drivers in Guatemala can have some sort of basis to go off of when learning to drive, and foreign drivers can get accustomed to the cultural differences. 1. honk to tell other drivers to get out of the way 2. honk to let pedestrians know you are coming 3. honk to let other cars know when you are passing them on the shoulder driving on a cliff [View Full Entry]

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In Antigua, the Calles run East-West and the Caminos run North-South. This makes it easy to read the map. Visitors think this means it is easy to find your way around. The only problem is--there are no street signs. In your hotel room you can think, plan and organize your walk around Antigua. But you won’t find your way around by thinking. There are no signs. You have to look up from the map, find the landmarks and use your gut feelings about which way to go. Guatemala taught me the joy of going with my guts. Saturday was our last [View Full Entry]

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Saludos a tod@s, Como bien les prometí, no van a poderse deshacer de mi tan facilmente..., noooo , les habia prometido a todos mantener la comunicación y ponerles al día de mi periplo por tierras centroaméricanas y sobre todo tenerles infomados de cómo es el dia a dia en esta ONG del que muchos estabais interesados, y como también se trata de cumplir sueños...vamos a hacerlos realdad juntos!! Espero con este blog hacerles llegar un poquito de la realidad que vive este pais y sus gentes y sobre todo la realidad en este centro donde voy a intentar ayudar y cont [View Full Entry]

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As the fourth of July is upon us, Americans have 10 reasons to celebrate. The Bill of Rights. Guatemala does not have a Bill of Rights. Speech isn’t free everywhere. I have agonized over the writing of this blog. I long to share with you all the power, courage and beauty of my friend Julio’s work. It is what has impressed me the most about this extraordinary man. But I can’t do it over the internet. So, you are all invited to join me at my home on Friday, August 7, 2009 at 7PM. I’ll provide the margaritas and dinner. Julio [View Full Entry]

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I was lightheaded. I felt giddy, merry, joyous, free. Was it the climb up the side of the mountain? Was it the altitude? Was it the invigorating air that filled my lungs? No matter. Hiking behind Julio and Luke on a mountain trail at 8200 feet, and way above Lake Atitlan, I felt high. My thesaurus has 32 words for beautiful. None of them describe the mountains of Santa Lucia. Upon our arrival Friday morning, Julio hired a truck to take us to a path, about a half mile out of town, that he usually walks to. We would walk back. [View Full Entry]

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My father was a bit of a joker. When I started dating way back in 1972, he wanted to be sure the boys treated me right. When that nervous knock came at the door, he would open it wearing a warm smile and say... “Hello, My name is Herb Beck. You must be a smart young man because my daughter is very special. Here, let me show you my gun collection. I’m an expert marksman. Please have her home by 10:30 PM.” I was always escorted home by 10PM. Meeting the family of someone you care about can be nerve [View Full Entry]

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The power is currently out here, so I am entertaining myself by writing a blog entry in a word document and then I will post it in the blog when (if?) the power comes back on. It goes out fairly often here, randomly and without warning, which makes life kind of inconvenient. But no biggie, there are plenty of fun things to do in the dark, like light candles and run into things, not necessarily in that order. So this past weekend Jessie, Tony and I took a trip to Panajachel/San Pedro, which are two towns on Lake Atitlan, an impossibly [View Full Entry]

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Hey everbody, How's it going? Well things are going well here. I spend my days working and being daddy. Being a dad is the greatest thing I have ever had the pleasure of doing. I love it! I change diapers, play with Sofia, and talk to her. I do everything but breast feed her. She is so pleasant to be around. I have never seen a baby smile and laugh more than Sofia. She is awesome. I also got promoted. I am now a fulltime trainer earning a salary. I get paid vacation time, and all the bonuses that Guatemalans get. [View Full Entry]

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Every five years, the catholic boarding school that I graduated from in 1974, holds a reunion luncheon for my class. I dread it. Am I fatter than in 1974? Am I as thin as Suzy? Do my accomplishments match Anne’s? Will I have the most wrinkles? How will I be judged? Luke visiting me in Antigua had the same feel. Will he like it here? Will he understand? Will my friends here like him? Will we get along? All my petty worries were washed away in the Guatemala thunderstorm that raged when the van picked him up from the airport. He [View Full Entry]

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