Guatemala Ponderings

So many things happen every week, it’s hard to focus on one or two things to write about.  Amy said: “Start with a feeling, and then the details will come from there.”  Good advice, I think.  I do that often with writing songs and music, since for me, most of what I create musically is about capturing and communicating a feeling.  So…

What am I feeling?

I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity of spending some months in this glorious place, outside of San Marcos, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.  I was here in 1975, and coming back feels a little like coming home.  Much has changed, but the feeling of this place still connects with my heart.

After the hot springs near Antigua

First of all, it is stunningly beautiful.  Nature abounds, from the volcanoes that surround this magical lake, to the abundance of flowers, birds and butterflies that are all around us.  Then there is the magic of Maya, the indigenous people of Guatemala, who have been here for thousands of years, in spite of all attempts to conquer, annihilate and assimilate them into whatever culture was prevailing.  From the conquistadors from Spain in the 1500’s to the Ladino conquerors of the last 50 years or so, who set out to “cleanse” the population, resulting in the deaths or disappearances of by some accounts more than 350,000 Mayan people, men women and children.  Every town and village has stories to tell of relatives who were murdered or “disappeared” by the military or by mercenary squads.  And yet the Mayan culture still exists, and is becoming stronger.  Some people say that Santiago Atitlan, which we can see from our front porch across the lake, is the largest indigenous cities (population 32,000) in the Americas.  We have yet to visit there, but it is definitely on our list!

Fire Ceremony

So my feelings are mixed.  In the midst of extraordinary beauty and amazing sweetness of the Mayan people here, this place is truly f*&#ed up!  The poor people (mostly indigenous) are more than poor.  They are often hungry, the kids have no shoes, and they are often without parents.  Education is a very low priority, and boys may go to school for only a couple of years before they are needed to help pick coffee or work with the rest of the family.  The illiteracy rate is the second highest in the hemisphere, and though many outsiders (i.e. gringos) and local Mayan leaders are lending support to building new schools, buying shoes and backpacks for poor kids so they can be allowed to go to school, and convincing the parents that the kids have to go (and keep going) to school, the problem is immense.  And, what is most disconcerting, the government does not seem to have the resources or will to focus funding and emphasis on improving education.

Also, like many developing countries, Guatemala doesn’t deal with garbage or sewage with any kind of effectiveness.  I have heard that there was a sewage treatment plant in Panajachel, the tourist centre of the lake, and after the last hurricane in 2005, it was destroyed.  In six years, they have not managed to rebuild it, so “black water” is flowing freely into the lake.  With the tourism industry being one of the main sources of money in the country (after agriculture), one would think the government would be more interested in fixing such a serious problem.  But nothing seems to be happening.

I believe there is a lot of corruption here.  Of course, there is corruption everywhere, even in our beloved Canada.  But here it is flagrant, obvious, and accepted.  For some reason, the government finds funds to pave a section of road (only a section mind you) outside of San Marcos, and erect a giant gate with a sculpture of a lion on top.  Very nice very nice.  But the roads in town are unpaved, the schools are suffering, and people are starving.  Why the fancy gate?  I can’t help but think it can only be a power play, rewarding some crony with money.  There is money, but how is it spent?

There was an election this year, and the government is changing.  Or is it?  The new president was a former general implicated in the massacres during the Civil War years of the 80s and 90s.  He was also the architect of the Peace Treaty that ended the war, so he has done some good things related to reconciliation.  But no matter who is elected, it seems that it is more of the same, the same people representing the same interests.  Guatemala is controlled by a very small oligarchy, and no matter who is elected, it doesn’t seem to change much.

Where I do see change and hope is in the efforts of the indigenous peoples, aided by some of us “gringos” and a few ladinos, to rebuild the Mayan society, to celebrate the richness and sacred traditions of the Maya, and most of all, to connect with the natural world, and to repair, rebuild, and generate the seeds of holistic, natural life.  Lots of permaculture, organic growing operations, efforts to protect the heritage seeds of the indigenous people, especially from threats from without, including multi-nationals like Monsanto (can they really be as evil as they seem?).  These initiatives are truly positive and inspiring, and there is lots of it.

Tata Pedro

And lastly, it is important to remember that life is fragile, here and everywhere.  There are frequent earthquakes, hurricanes, and mudslides during the rainy seasons.  The water level of the lake is rising a lot, destroying property along the shores.  Pollution continues to plague the lake, though it is possible to swim where we are (at the moment).  And poverty and illiteracy are two huge problems that never seem to go away.  Robberies and violence are very common, especially in Guatemala city, but even here in this most peaceful and beautiful environment, we are told not to walk alone on the roads at night, not to hike unless we’re in a group, not to carry valuables, and so on.  So there is that edge of fear that also exists here. We have personally experienced only friendly beautiful people, and we have had no problems.  Yet we are mindful of the dangers of this place.

I love it here, I love being here, and I am learning and experiencing new things every day.  It is a kind of paradise, in a way, but as we spend more time here, we also know that there are many serious problems, and that in some ways things are not okay.  Still, our lives are blessed, and we are trying to take advantage of these opportunities as best we can.  Thanks to God for all You provide!

Pasaj-Cap days

Well it’s been a while since I last posted.  It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.  Amy and I continue our explorations of Lake Atitlan, and especially the San Marcos area.  Josh is on his way to points south, and another friend arrives today for a week, staying in town.

We traveled to Guatemala City last Friday to spend our second Shabbat with the Casa Hillel community.  They are so wonderful, and we have established a mutual love affair.  This time we stayed with a family that moved to Guatemala from Colombia five years ago, and began the conversion process to Judaism while here.  Yakov is a dentist, and he has become quite knowledgeable, to the point of being the main prayer leader.  Raudith is an esthetician, who has set up shop in their home.  They have three teenage children, two girls 19 and 17 and a boy 15.  They insisted on vacating the “master bedroom” so Amy and I could sleep there.  They speak little English, so we got to practice our limited Spanish a lot!  It is coming along, though it can be a struggle sometimes.  Actually it turns out that all three kids are learning English in school, so they were holding out on us!  Nevertheless, it’s important for us to be forced to speak Spanish.

I helped lead services, brought my guitar to share some songs and prayers.  Some they already knew, though not well, so I was able to enhance their knowledge of those.  Others were brand new, and we learned and then sang them together.  I was also able to chant some of the Torah portion from the scroll, which they are not used to doing, so that was a nice addition to their ritual experience.  After services, we shared lunch together, and then Amy went to work with the “kids” teaching them basic Hebrew reading skills, and beginning to prepare Ardany for his becoming Bar Mitzvah next November.  The teenagers are very enthusiastic and appreciative, as Amy weaved her magic with them.  I took a nap in the back room on an air mattress (well it was Shabbat after all!).

Life in Guatemala is complicated.  There is so much joy, and yet it is usually fraught with challenges and difficulties.  The day before our arrival, thieves ripped the water metre off the outside wall of the Casa Hillel house, so there was no running water or toilet available for the weekend.  We brought in big bottles of purified water, but we were limited in our water use.  So in the afternoon, Amy suggested we go for ice cream (and to use the Baños!).  We ended up at a large mall nearby.  It was packed with people!  This is life and entertainment for many in the big city.  Kind of crazy!

We returned to the Lake on Sunday with our friends Clayton and Rosalie (Maalaa) from Gabriola.  Rosalie arrived early Sunday morning, so we shared a ride with them and the wonderful driver Chema.  When I got back, I crashed!  Maybe I picked up something in the city, maybe I was exhausted, but I really had no energy and didn’t feel well.  Whatever it was passed through me over the next three days or so, and I felt myself gradually improving each day.  I feel much better now, though I have started taking some remedies to help keep my system free of unwanted “guests”.  So far so good…

When we are here, we have a wonderful routine of waking up around 7:30, making coffee and taking it slowly till about 9.  Then Yoga, meditation, then breakfast.  We have Internet here, so there is correspondence and computer “work” that we generally do in the morning.  My current activities include sending out applications to perform at music festivals in B.C. this summer, recording some songs and prayers to send to Casa Hillel so they can practice when we’re not there.  There are also “giglets” and other musical events happening here that I get involved with.  We are planning some hikes building up to the big one, climbing Volcano San Pedro.  We are also planning some trips to other villages around the lake, time in Antigua, and other explorations in this area.  We are busy and productive, with enough time to just be.  It’s a good balance for us, and I highly recommend it to anyone who can manage it!

We have been enjoying some of the local music scene over the past few days.   On Friday night we went to Ganesh, a nice restaurant performance space in town, and saw two Norwegian young women who sang sweet harmonies together, accompanied by Meaghan on violin. They accompanied a magican who did a climbing show on sheets tied to the high ceiling, followed by a magic/comedy set.  They ended early (around 9) so we headed to another spot in town called Blind Lemon’s, where Carlos, an American who has been connected to San Marcos for many years, held forth with his wonderful blues guitar and singing with vintage instruments including a National Steel Guitar, a parlour acoustic and another slide guitar.  Then last night (Saturday) we went to another musical show with Sativo, a local hip-hop artist who sings mostly in Spanish accompanied by acoustic guitar and beats using his mouth.  He incorporated others into his performance, including another rapper from Cuba, a young woman rapper/singer from Costa Rica and local man who rapped in the indigenous Kaqchikel language – that was a first!  Then he invited some of the local boys to breakdance.  It was an international hip-hop fest, and though I couldn’t understand many of the lyrics (which of course is the key to hip-hop/rap music), it was still very enjoyable and energetic, with lots of people dancing and partying.  A good night!

Sativo at Ganesh

I notice that time is flying by.  We will have been here on the lake for a month on Sunday, which seems incredible to me.  We are loving being here, and there’s lots to do before our time comes to depart.  So I’d better get busy now!

New Year’s Eve on Lake Atitlan

The Lake

What a magical place to be for New Year’s!  Josh Amy and I are here in our beautiful place at Pasaj-Cap, a fifteen minute to San Marcos.  Here is what my New Year’s Eve day shaped up to be:

I woke up around 7 or 7:30.  It’s hard to sleep when the sun comes up and illuminates Volcano San Pedro which faces are big window.  It’s better to get up!  We drank coffee, checked email, hung out for a little bit enjoying our surroundings.  Then I went up to our roof where there is a little palapa with hammock and some lounge chairs.  There is a shady spot up there, and I lay out my yoga mat and started a short yoga routine.  I heard a little explosion, and saw a puff of smoke in the distance, emerging from Volcano Fuego which is towards Antigua.  Okay, carry on with sun (and volcano) salutations.  I am struck by the power and magic of my surroundings on a regular basis.  The lake is always changing, it seems like it is different every moment.  The light and shadow changes, the wind rises and falls, sometimes it is calm, sometimes the lake is filled with whitecaps.  There are many villages visible around the circumference of the lake.

I was starting to wrap up my little practice and prepare to sit for 10 minutes, when Amy came up and was clearly upset.  “What’s wrong?” I asked.  “I must have left my iPhone at Del Lago last night.  It’s gone!”

So instead of sitting, we walked to town, about 20 minutes away.  There was upsetness happening, and I reminded Amy to just look around, or, as is my mantra when we travel: “Look where we are!”  The rough dirt road to town, is absolutely stunning, with tons of trees of all kinds, flowers, birds, and of course, the lake.

Del Lago is the name of the Hostalito/Restaurant we discovered immediately upon our arrival in San Marcos.  We tend to be drawn there for many reasons.  One reason is our Spanish teacher, Andres (Andrew).  Andrew is originally from Brooklyn, and was teaching Spanish to middle school students there for a few years.  He decided to step away from the “system” and come to Guatemala to see how he could apply his skills and knowledge to make a difference here.  He is 27 years old, and we have become good friends.  He also happens to be a wonderful Spanish teacher, and both Amy and I are working hard and making progress.

Amy and Amir in the communal kitchen at Del Lago

Anyhow, we started asking around, and when we asked Steve, who is kind of the manager of the place, he pulled Amy’s iPhone out of his pocket and said someone found it and handed it to him.  What a relief!

So in a much happier space, we grabbed Andres and took him out for breakfast at his favourite little Libreria/Restaurant called “Iris” near Del Lago.  Breakfast costs around $3 for a full meal with coffee and juice, and we spent some valuable time with Andres helping him process a difficult situation he was going through.  An hour or more later (Guatemalan time!) we strolled back home to join Josh.

Our “landlord” Pierre hosted a party here down by the lakeshore on the property in the afternoon for guests and friends from around San Marcos.  It was well underway when we arrived (around 2 pm).  There was a pile of fire roasted chicken, salads, including a broccoli salad we brought, mojitos and wine and beer.  There was a “weed” circle nearby as well.  Recorded dance music was playing, and around 30 people were there.  Josh and I played a few tunes on guitar and charrango, then the dance music came on again.  It was a nice party, and I met around 10 new people, some who were staying on the property, and some who live nearby.  It is a really interesting group of people from all over the world: France, Belgium, Germany, Canada, U.S., Sri Lanka, and more.  One intense thing that happened was the Sri Lankan man collapsed and needed some urgent medical care, with concerns about his heart rate.  One guest from Canada (also named Paul) is a psychiatrist, and he was able to help stabilize the man.  Finally Josh helped translate from English to Spanish, and the man was carried to a waiting truck for transport home.  It definitely affected the mood of the party, and was a reminder of the fragility of our lives, especially in a remote environment like this one.

We left the party around 5 pm, and rested in our apartment for a couple of hours.  Ahhh – quiet time!  Then the three of us walked into town to Restaurant Fé (which means faith in Spanish).   Again, the road is always magical and changing.  Last night there was a big circle around the almost half moon, guiding our way along the road.  Our Israeli friend Uria was performing on guitar and vocals for the evening, and Josh and a violin player named Jorge joined him.  I also joined on guitar for a couple of long songs.  We had a nice dinner (vegetarian Kashmir curry and Palak Paneer, Josh had chicken Biryani).  We spent some time hanging out with Uria’s partner Titeli (butterfly in Sanskrit, and when she danced to the music we could understand why that was her name), sleeping baby Ariel, who will turn two on January 9.  Ariel is a very special child, born exactly 30 years to the day after Josh.  They have a connection!  The family is traveling with Uria’s mother Tziona, and will spend a couple of months together in Hawaii, there next destination.  Lucky Mom!  So after more music, conversation, food and beverages, things wrapped up around 10 pm. How nice and early!  We grabbed a tuk-tuk (rickshaw) ride home, and actually went to bed around 11 pm.

We were awoken by the sounds of fireworks.  We got up and went to the window.  I wish we could capture what we saw in a photo - it would have to be a panoramic shot.  We can see almost all the way around the lake, and we could see bright colours flashing in around 8 different places, 8 different villages.  It lasted for more than half and hour, and we just observed from our little apartment fiery colours miles away.  It was quite amazing!

And so we had a very rich and full day to welcome in 2012.  Of course 2012 is a most significant year in the Mayan calendar, and it seems so fitting that we bring in 2012 here on Lake Atitlan!  I have a feeling that this year will be another adventurous one for us!  Hang on to our hats!

Hoping anyone reading this post also enjoyed a great New Year’s Eve, and wishing a good year to all!