RVing thru Central America San Jose - to San Jose y Beyond

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We spent ten days at Lake Atitlan. We got to know our hosts Edward and his wife Shenney pretty well. They were very nice to us. It was hard to say goodbye.

Wolf and Patty from New Orleans left. A few days later Josef and Dorothy from Düsseldorf, Germany moved into their spot. Josef and Dorothy have been traveling the world for five years in an awesome custom designed Mercedes RV resembling an armored vehicle. They’ve been to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and God knows where else. They are on their way north from South America, thru Central America and on to Galveston, Texas where they will put their rig on a ship to Bremerhaven, Germany and fly home for a few months. After a brief home visit and vehicle maintenance, they will travel to Africa. Joseph, who is 56, told us that he had owned a prosperous auto trade business in Germany. He sold his business and their home, put their possessions in storage and hit the road.

They had Alemania (the Spanish word for Germany) stenciled on the front of their truck because as they are white, it is assumed by border authorities that they are Americans. They said Germans are well liked but Americans are not. They told us that while many of the people in the countries they have visited like Americans in general they do not like our government and particularly dislike former President Bush.

Although our campground at Atitlan was very comfortable, Edward was unable to get his internet up so we caught a taxi (scooter with seat room for three) into town most days to make our internet connections at Soloman's Porch.

Soloman’s Porch in Panajachel is affiliated with a larger organization of the same name. A poster in this restaurant lists some of their accomplishments. Since 2006, the local group headed by Lloyd and Melanie, has organized teams which have built 11 new homes, renovated 10 houses, built 55 medical clinics in indigenous villages, provided food for disadvantaged families and individuals and provided over thirty scholarships per year.

One day we took a boat trip on Lake Atitlan. Our boat passed one of the villages that had been destroyed by the 2005 earthquake which buried hundreds. From a distance it looked like a glacier. Our boat docked at three distinctly different indigenous villages. We chose to go on Tuesday because that was the market day in San Pedro our first stop.

Johnette and I got a chance to talk to a very knowledgeable American woman about the craftsmanship of the items offered for sale. Her craftspeople showed us how they make yarn out of cotton which grows copiously in the hot southern Guatemalan area. She also explained that the women in each village wore different styles and created different designs in their crafts. This is decreed by tradition and by the village leaders. It seems strange to me that any artist should be told what design he or she could create but that it the way it is here.

In some of the villages, the men also wore a unique style although most of the men we’ve seen wear ordinary men’s clothes. Neither men nor women wear socks. Actually, only little girls seem to wear socks. Most of the women have very long hair. Some had their hair braided in two braids interwoven with ribbons and tied together at the bottom. I never did get a chance to photograph this style.

School children wear uniforms. Boys in slacks and girls in pleated skirts and knee socks.

Our 2nd and 3rd villages were unremarkable except that in one we met a gringo hotel/restaurant owner who had moved here from Los Angeles in 1988. He told us about his life here and that although robberies and purse snatchings and such do occur, he has never heard of any Americans ever being killed except some stupid nun who tried to step between warring gangs several years ago.

We have heard that Guatemala has the most corrupt government in Central America but the battles between rebels and the government ceased several years ago.

On the boat trip back we visited with a family from Rapid City, South Dakota. The son and his wife were spending three years working with a Mennonite group called Mennonite Christian Center helping people in Nicaragua. They were up here in Guatemala for R & R while his parents were visiting. They told us that they were on their last year of a three year commitment and said that visiting Nicaragua was safe as long we made no adverse comments about Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. Although Chavez is unpopular in the U.S., guess he’s best buds with Nicaragua’s president Daniel Ortega.

On another day, the four of us caught a van to the nearby town of Chichicastenango. This village is famous for its market and indigenous church where Mayan ceremonies were going on. People placed some sort of wrapped bundles on the floor and then placed candles around this bundle. When their turn came the local shaman (sort of a witch doctor) came by and blessed their offering and sprinkled it with something out of what looked like a small whiskey flask all the while kissing his fist between his thumb and forefinger and making signs somewhat like the Catholic’s sign of the cross. Incense permeated the air. Although cameras are forbidden inside the church we got quite a few photos outside on the church steps and at the market. We found that the tourist stalls were located on the outside of the market area and the stalls patronized by locals were further in. We had lunch consisting of fried chicken breast, rice and mashed black beans, in the inner side “food court” along with the local people.

We were amazed how the women balanced all of their purchases in baskets or tied in bundles on top of their heads. Talking with a couple of guys in a doorway later, I expressed my admiration while Ray snapped a few discreet photos. I commented that they must have very good posture, “si, erecto” one man said. Even little girls can do this. Some of the ladies wind a cloth in a circle and then place their bundle on that. Others just balance their loads on top of their head. They all seem able to walk at a normal speed and sometimes we even see ladies almost running while balancing these bundles on their heads. Many mothers also have their babies tied in shawls on their backs, maybe holding a toddlers hand and still balancing their purchases on top of their heads. Ray assisted one lady in lifting her possessions to top of her head because it was too heavy for her to lift by herself. He had seen another man help another lady in a similar circumstance.

On our next to last day at Lake Atitlan, we caught the chicken bus to the village of Solola to attend their Friday market. Here almost everybody, men, women and little girls were dressed in their village styles. Boys and some men wore ordinary clothes. This market was totally for the locals. And, it was packed with bodies pressed together as we moved thru the aisles. Nobody ever stepped on our feet but being bumped and shoved a couple times I feared I’d lose my balance. As we are much taller than these people, our heads brushed the tops in the tented areas. Often Ray had to duck.

We bought some fruit and vegetables. Prices were the same from stall to stall. I tried to bargain but these ladies took a take it or leave it attitude. Prices were about the same as I’d pay at home at my favorite local Mexican market, Mi Pueblo. We’ve had good luck haggling over gift items, saving about a third off the original asking price. And, no we’re not cheating these poor people. Bargaining is expected. In fact, if you look and walk away they’ll make a much lower offer.

We were unable to take many pictures in the Solola market as we were two of maybe eight gringos in the whole place. We got most of our photos outside the market while standing in an obscure street location. Here we watched a young mom with a baby tied in a shawl on her back, holding a toddler by the hand while carrying home a thick rolled up straw mat that must have measured at least 4 x 8 on top of her head. That thing had to have weighted at least thirty pounds, probably more.

Our chicken bus ride was an experience. I’ve never ridden that fast on a curvy mountain road since we sold my sports car. It was kind of fun but I couldn’t help thinking how long it had been since I went to confession.

On our last day at Lake Atitlan, the four of us walked up to a nature preserve where there were monkeys, a bunch of cute little critters called coati, birds, butterflies and a zip line through the tropics with an awesome view of the lake. This was my second experience zip lining and everyone else’s first. The guys were somewhat reluctant to go but everybody had a great time. John video taped a few of his rides and got great footage of the rest of us too.

As we were leaving the campground we visited with an American surgical team over here helping the indigenous people. As it was Sunday, they were on their way to the nature preserve for a day of fun.

Leaving Panajachel, we drove thru mountainous areas past small subsistence farms and much larger farming operations. The countryside was very beautiful. The roads were good, mostly well paved two lanes until we came to CA 1, the Pan American Highway which was divided and four lanes. Flowering trees in almost every color are scattered along the roadside. If this country was in the United States, we’d build a fence around it and designate it as a National Park.

Roads in Guatemala are generally in better condition and less littered than in Mexico. Again, the villagers seem more curious and friendly than Mexicans but the drivers here are not as courteous. In Mexico, it is the custom to move to the shoulder when being met or passed by another car. In Mexico, when passing a slower vehicle, he will pull as far to right as he can safely then indicate with his turn signals when it is safe to overtake him. Not here. We found that these folks were unwilling to move to the right forcing us into the oncoming lane. Truck drivers here do drive much slower and more cautiously than their neighbors to the north. Thankfully, Guatemala doesn’t use those darn topes to slow traffic in villages. Occasionally, we come across what is called vibradores. These series of low speed bumps are well marked and not nearly as teeth rattling. Motorists here do tend to have a little more respect for speed limits.

There are a lot of police on the road. They all use cute little black and yellow Japanese made pickups. Guatemala must be very security conscious because almost every business besides small mom and pop operations employ an armed security guard as did the park I describe below.

Diesel in Guatemala is sold by the gallon vice liter but costs more than in Mexico. We’re paying between 23.9 and 26.9 quetzals or about $3.18 per gallon. Shell and Texico are the predominent gas stations. There are a few Esso stations and some unfamiliar brands as well.

One afternoon we stopped at a Burger King. A chicken sandwich, fries and a coke cost about $5.00.
We spent the last two nights at a government owned park called Parque Ecologico Florencia in a small village on the outskirts of Antigua. We arrived on Sunday and the place was full of families enjoying the outdoors, playing soccer, horseback riding and just lounging on the grass. Quite a few people stopped by to talk to us. We showed our campers to those that seemed interested.

Antigua is a very pretty colonial city of about 45,000. There are many immersion Spanish language schools and lots of gringos there. My Lonely Planet describes Antigua as what Central American cities would look like if the Scandinavians were in control. Most power lines are buried, streets are clean, and there are no stray dogs wandering the streets.

Antigua served as the governmental center from as far north as Chiapas in Mexico to Costa Rica. The governmental building on one side of the plaza was begun in 1558 and is still standing. Much of the city was devastated by an earthquake in 1773. Some of the buildings have not been reconstructed such as the Catedral de Santiago. It was an immense multi-roomed building. The front has been reconstructed so from the street the cathedral appears to be intact. While visiting the cathedral, we had an interesting visit with a young man who was from a family of nine kids and had grown up in one of the Mayan villages near where we had last stopped. I commented that he was tall for a Mayan. He told us his father was a Spaniard and that he was mestizo. We know that he speaks at least four languages because when he turned to wait on other customers, he spoke to them in French.

Antigua is surrounded by three moderately active volcanoes. One evening we saw one of them spew some smoke. Guatemala is about the size of Pennsylvania and has, we’re told, 33 volcanoes.

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Photos

Raynondo enjoying a Margarita at Paris Paris.
All of the restaurants in town were pretty chintzy with the tequila but we did have wonderful filet mignon dinners here for about eight dollars each.

Market in Chichicastenango.
What a load this poor guy is carrying. And they are very small people.

Little mama.
We were told that they marry as early as thirteen.