Happy to be home, happy memories from my trip....here are a few of the best photos and moments!! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone!!
25 December 2012
22 December 2012
Antigua's Greatest Hits!!
My final few days in Antigua were fantastic. The days flew by in a rush of one fantastic thing to another. Clearly the end of the world did not happen.....only a new Mayan era...which is what most of the people here expected anyway. But as is typical of most of the Guatemalans that I have met, the celebrations were loud, fire filled and festive!!
The people I hung out with during the last week and a half of my trip were the kind of people I could hang out with forever...when I left them all last night they all expressed such kind words and sentiments and shouted that I should not leave....leaving my ego quite large.
It's been a long time since I felt the feelings I have had in the last day or so....for those of you closest to me you know what a bumpy crazy ride my life has been over the last few years...some of it due to my own choices and some of it beyond by control....for the first time, in a long time, I feel like I sort of found my feet again...I feel like making the choice to come to this place alone, to travel and explore helped me find me again.... I know it sounds silly, I did not come here looking for this...in fact I think I came here hoping that I would be able to escape myself a bit but instead I think I found myself a bit more and was able to love myself in a way that I have not for a very long time.
BTW......I am crying like a baby sitting here waiting for my shuttle back to the airport..hahahahahahaha
Enough with the mushy sentiments on to the craziness of the last few days...........
Making mole with my house mother was a hoot...the woman is maybe 4 foot 10 inches...she is a rotund and jolly woman who waddled around the kitchen shouting out instructions & directing me to cut the plantains & roast chillies & push blender buttons...it was awesome.
The members of my home stay changed drastically from carefree 20somethings to two families with one child each. Dinner became a hysterical orchestra of Swiss German, Polish, English and Spanish....with a bit of Turkish (a single Turkish traveler moved in my very last night).
I met a travel loving spirited Jewish guy from Australia, an energetic woman from the United States who's living in Costa Rica (who is also Jewish).....watched sunset from a roof top terrace while doing homework....and prepared for the end of era activities.....Friday started waaaaaaaaaay early.....
At 430am Friday (my last day) I rolled out of bed and was standing on a corner with 13 other people by 445...we walked up to a giant cross that looks over the city of Antigua where we, along with 50 other people, watched a Mayan ceremony that was taking place all over Guatemala at the same time...it was somber & beautiful. The opportunity to watch the sunrise over the city and to witness the ringing in of a new Mayan era was just too tempting for the 13 of us & we were all willing to forsake sleep and sanity to be there!
Once the ceremony ended I met my teacher...who is really my friend at this point, for my last class & a decadent breakfast at at locals restaurant. We traded a few final stories...gifts (she had a small incredibly thoughtful gift for me)...& finished a bit early...she hadn't slept much either the night before....
I wandered to the center square...sat & just watched people, met up with a few friends, & then had lunch at a Mayan Festival Gastronomicó with a friend...& then treated myself to a pedicure!
I should have gotten a pedicure sooner..it proved to be the perfectly uncomfortable silence that pushed me to chat ...had I done this sooner I might have had more opportunities to practice talking....I made a mental note of this for my next trip....
I returned home, packed my bags (my backpack wasn't much bigger buuuut I do have a large additional bag of gifts that I will now have to manage at the airport later today)...& then I was off again...this time to have a Shabbat service with my two new Jewish friends. We pieced together a service, using beer vs wine, candles from the market, and a hand written kiddush....
There are only so many ways for me to express my amazement at this day...I started by bearing witness to the arrival of a new Mayan era with Mayans all over Guatemala & finished the day participating in a Jewish ceremony practiced by Jewish people all over the world at sundown.....it was a humbling day and an honor to be able to recognize the wonder of the day. (The Jewish ceremony was photographed by our good German friend Bjorn...the irony was not lost on any of us)
I hurried home for my final dinner & game of word charades...and then out again for a glass of wine with a friend...& what turned out to be a fantastic party...street dancers on stilts dressed like Cirque du Soleil dancers...on cobble stone streets they danced, hopped around on one foot, did back bends & handstands all do heart pounding drum sounds....it was awesome. No good Guatemalan party is complete without a bit of fireworks & fire...the street party ended with bright explosives and an odd spinning flying firework thingy...it was absolutely awesome!
I quickly left the loud party on the street for one final night of laughter & drinks on the same terrace I had been on earlier during the Shabbat service...a few drinks & lots of laughter later I bid farewell to my friends....& now I find myself quietly and slightly teary eyed waiting for my shuttle to the airport....excited and anxious to get back to my family!
Antigua's Greatest Hits:
Best two pick lines:
I'd like your "feedback" on my website.
I can make you "shine" on the dance floor.
Best T-shirt:
(Worn by a plump smiling little girl): "I'm the best big brother in the whole world"
Strangest moment:
When the mother of the Polish family asked if my hair was real & if she could touch it.
Silliest & classic Rennie moment:
When I (this is true) fell into a hole walking in the dark up to the Mayan ceremony...I literally walked into the hole...it was hysterical!
Methods of keeping pedicure instruments clean: spray them with Lysol before using them on a persons foot...
I'll do one more post with my top photos from the trip!!!
The people I hung out with during the last week and a half of my trip were the kind of people I could hang out with forever...when I left them all last night they all expressed such kind words and sentiments and shouted that I should not leave....leaving my ego quite large.
It's been a long time since I felt the feelings I have had in the last day or so....for those of you closest to me you know what a bumpy crazy ride my life has been over the last few years...some of it due to my own choices and some of it beyond by control....for the first time, in a long time, I feel like I sort of found my feet again...I feel like making the choice to come to this place alone, to travel and explore helped me find me again.... I know it sounds silly, I did not come here looking for this...in fact I think I came here hoping that I would be able to escape myself a bit but instead I think I found myself a bit more and was able to love myself in a way that I have not for a very long time.
BTW......I am crying like a baby sitting here waiting for my shuttle back to the airport..hahahahahahaha
Enough with the mushy sentiments on to the craziness of the last few days...........
Making mole with my house mother was a hoot...the woman is maybe 4 foot 10 inches...she is a rotund and jolly woman who waddled around the kitchen shouting out instructions & directing me to cut the plantains & roast chillies & push blender buttons...it was awesome.
The members of my home stay changed drastically from carefree 20somethings to two families with one child each. Dinner became a hysterical orchestra of Swiss German, Polish, English and Spanish....with a bit of Turkish (a single Turkish traveler moved in my very last night).
I met a travel loving spirited Jewish guy from Australia, an energetic woman from the United States who's living in Costa Rica (who is also Jewish).....watched sunset from a roof top terrace while doing homework....and prepared for the end of era activities.....Friday started waaaaaaaaaay early.....
At 430am Friday (my last day) I rolled out of bed and was standing on a corner with 13 other people by 445...we walked up to a giant cross that looks over the city of Antigua where we, along with 50 other people, watched a Mayan ceremony that was taking place all over Guatemala at the same time...it was somber & beautiful. The opportunity to watch the sunrise over the city and to witness the ringing in of a new Mayan era was just too tempting for the 13 of us & we were all willing to forsake sleep and sanity to be there!
Once the ceremony ended I met my teacher...who is really my friend at this point, for my last class & a decadent breakfast at at locals restaurant. We traded a few final stories...gifts (she had a small incredibly thoughtful gift for me)...& finished a bit early...she hadn't slept much either the night before....
I wandered to the center square...sat & just watched people, met up with a few friends, & then had lunch at a Mayan Festival Gastronomicó with a friend...& then treated myself to a pedicure!
I should have gotten a pedicure sooner..it proved to be the perfectly uncomfortable silence that pushed me to chat ...had I done this sooner I might have had more opportunities to practice talking....I made a mental note of this for my next trip....
I returned home, packed my bags (my backpack wasn't much bigger buuuut I do have a large additional bag of gifts that I will now have to manage at the airport later today)...& then I was off again...this time to have a Shabbat service with my two new Jewish friends. We pieced together a service, using beer vs wine, candles from the market, and a hand written kiddush....
There are only so many ways for me to express my amazement at this day...I started by bearing witness to the arrival of a new Mayan era with Mayans all over Guatemala & finished the day participating in a Jewish ceremony practiced by Jewish people all over the world at sundown.....it was a humbling day and an honor to be able to recognize the wonder of the day. (The Jewish ceremony was photographed by our good German friend Bjorn...the irony was not lost on any of us)
I hurried home for my final dinner & game of word charades...and then out again for a glass of wine with a friend...& what turned out to be a fantastic party...street dancers on stilts dressed like Cirque du Soleil dancers...on cobble stone streets they danced, hopped around on one foot, did back bends & handstands all do heart pounding drum sounds....it was awesome. No good Guatemalan party is complete without a bit of fireworks & fire...the street party ended with bright explosives and an odd spinning flying firework thingy...it was absolutely awesome!
I quickly left the loud party on the street for one final night of laughter & drinks on the same terrace I had been on earlier during the Shabbat service...a few drinks & lots of laughter later I bid farewell to my friends....& now I find myself quietly and slightly teary eyed waiting for my shuttle to the airport....excited and anxious to get back to my family!
Antigua's Greatest Hits:
Best two pick lines:
I'd like your "feedback" on my website.
I can make you "shine" on the dance floor.
Best T-shirt:
(Worn by a plump smiling little girl): "I'm the best big brother in the whole world"
Strangest moment:
When the mother of the Polish family asked if my hair was real & if she could touch it.
Silliest & classic Rennie moment:
When I (this is true) fell into a hole walking in the dark up to the Mayan ceremony...I literally walked into the hole...it was hysterical!
Methods of keeping pedicure instruments clean: spray them with Lysol before using them on a persons foot...
I'll do one more post with my top photos from the trip!!!
18 December 2012
Travel Friends
There is something wrong with me....I like being here in this place where I do not fluently speak the language, where there is a strong possibility of food poisoning, where it is not super safe to walk home alone after 11pm, where the outside appearance of buildings looks worn and run down.....where nothing seems as it might be, where I cannot run or climb and the culture is completely different than what I know......
It is absolutely wonderful to walk past open doorways to hear the sound of tortillas being made....catch a glimpse into the door of what looks like a run down doorway only to find a beautiful garden and patio inside.....the smells, sounds and tastes tease me at every turn. I love being in places that are so foreign and unknown...I love the adventure and the sense of freedom...the quick friendships and sharing of stories....the hidden gardens at a cafe...nothing is as it appears!
At times it feels like I could be here forever.....there is much to do, many people to help, many sad stories and families in need of something...and I have so much to give...
And here I am so relaxed and calm...with little stress....the illusion of real life with my school schedule and daily activities....it would be so easy to stay forever....in this travel space I make time for the things I don't seem to remember how much I value...in this space and time it feels ok to be leisurely with my time and mind....
BUT......Fret not....I know it is just a matter of time before I catch up to myself!!
My English vow of silence was short lived...I speak too much Spanish for many students, and not enough for a lot of the locals...but I have been conversing regularly with a Swiss guy who speaks better Spanish then English ...buuuut you can image what our conversations must sound like. I speak more Spanish then most students at this point and so I often play translator...but that is just fine too. Plus I decided that at home my brain is going to have to be able to move back and forth between English and Spanish readily..this is probably good practice. I can speak easily to my teacher and a few shop owners at this point and I am always learning something new...I even read a childrens book the other day...it was great.
My week has been super busy.....chocolate making was fun and as one week ended a group of friends moved on...and a new group of friends emerged. It is fun hearing new stories and adventures. Learning about new people and different cultures and ideas. Late nights out chatting, birthdays to be celebrated, street food to be eaten, markets to explore.
I went to the market last week with my teacher...more as friends than as student and teacher.....I needed a safety pin and a few other things...we played the best game of guess what I need when I tried to explain that I needed a safety pin....I have definitely developed the skills to get people to understand what I want when I don't know what something is called....we would be great at the 10,000 dollar pyramid game if it still existed on tv!!!!!
I spent last week exploring most of the church ruins around Antigua and ended up here for the weekend. I found a cafe with awesome croissants....and spent Saturday alone in the city...I loved every minute. Sunday I went to a place called the Earth Lodge and enjoyed live music, sitting in a hammock and just hanging out with friends. I visited a town where they make leather boots for dirt cheap (and bought a few goodies). As Christmas approaches there are nightly processions on the streets, there was an odd and random fashion show in the center park (Kelsey I totally thought of India)...I celebrated the day of the virgin Guadalupe...which includes dressing small children up and parading the virgin around the city...and I attended the strangest outdoor disco with unbelievably loud music....no one danced because they were too shy and the virgin Guadalupe looked on during the festivities!!!!
As the week winds down I am sad to be leaving this coming Saturday (provided the world does not end on Friday) but ready to see my family, Charlie and the dogs. I am making Guatemalan mole this afternoon with my house mother, seeing ruins with a friend tomorrow and attending an end of the world party somewhere in Antigua Friday night...my plane leaves at 3:45pm Saturday.
Sorry...no time to rotate the photos!!
Hope everyone is well!!
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