Shabbat, Chanukah and Christmas in Guatemala City

We spent our Chanukah Shabbat (December 24) with the Casa Hillel community in Guatemala City.  I will share my experiences with them in another posting.  Being in Guatemala City is a trip!  It makes me aware of the different way of life that is here, especially in the city.  I think all over Latin America there is a feeling of extremes.  The poverty is pervasive and grinding, and leads to violence and criminal activity.  From what I hear, this happens all over Latin America, from Mexico through Central and South America.  Guatemala City is the epitome of that existence.

We stayed with a family in Zone 11, which is kind of suburban, and supposedly safer than other areas.  Still, the fortress mentality was evident everywhere.  There was a guard with a rifle waiting as we passed into the street near the house.  Many roads were fenced off.  The houses all had steel gates and fences with barbed wire above.  Every window had bars, especially on the ground floor.  There were virtually no cars parked on the street – they are kept behind the steel gates for safety.  Hardly anybody walks alone, groups are safer.  We were there for Christmas, and were basically told to stay indoors at night, since a lot of drinking makes it even more dangerous.  There were loud fireworks that went on for more than an hour and a half, from all over the city.  I am amazed that people here, who clearly are not wealthy, spend thousands of Quetzals (hundreds of dollars) on fireworks to “celebrate” Christmas.  We could hear them near us, could see some of the trails from our window, and remained indoors the whole time.  What a life!

There are many murders daily in Guatemala City.  Our host family is still mourning the loss of one of the sons, whose car was “car-jacked” a year ago.  They suppose he might have resisted the robbers, and they shot and killed him.  Another member of the Casa Hillel community came to the synagogue in a “vintage” Nissan car from the ‘80s, all banged up and barely running.  When he arrived, he opened the hood and removed a spark plug cable.  He was worried that the thieves would steal his car.  Another member had his car stolen from the same spot within the last few months.  Robbery is rampant, we are warned not to go out at night, not to wear jewellery, not to carry much cash, and most of all, not to resist if we are approached.  We are told to never use the regular public buses, or to walk alone anywhere.

Nevertheless, life goes on for several million residents, they walk the streets, take the buses, and carry on with life.  There are apparently wonderful museums, parks and other attractions in the city, lots of night life in Zona Viva and other places, and many people say the city is great.  I suppose they accept the constant danger with resignation and then carry on.  Some have no choice.

We were taken on a car tour by one of the Casa Hillel families, and traveled through many zones of the city.  There are historic areas with beautiful architecture, a palace, many churches and cathedrals.  We drove past some synagogues, which again are mostly hidden from view.  We were impressed however by a plaza dedicated to the State of Israel, which is clearly appreciated and supported by the government of Guatemala.  There is a huge Magen David (Star of David) inscribed with words of thanks for the State of Israel.  We are told that there is little or no anti-semitism.  Yet we are told the traditional Jewish community is very insular and exclusive, afraid of outside influences.

A place of paradoxes!  We spent a wonderful weekend with our new friends of Casa Hillel (more on this later), and when we returned to the lake, we breathed a huge sigh of relief.  It is so peaceful and beautiful on Lake Atitlan.  Yet even here, there is danger.  Robberies are frequent, especially on pay days and before Christmas with its associated pay bonuses.  Sometimes robberies turn violent, even in this very quiet and rural area.  So here, and I suspect in most parts of Latin America, life is cheap, poverty is grinding, and the danger is real.

So why come to a place like this?  Lake Atitlan is a magical, mystical power place that is so beautiful it takes my breath away several times a day.  99% of the people we have met are absolutely wonderful, welcoming, warm and friendly.  The indigenous community is incredible, and we are hoping to be exposed to the spiritual life and practices of the Mayan peoples as we spend more time here.  There is a feeling of power and peacefulness here on the lake, and the travelers and expats who spend time here share a common feeling of seeking peace and harmony and learning.  Overall it is an incredible place, and an incredible experience.  We just have to remember to take precautions and be smart.  Then, with luck and grace, all will continue to be well.

Chanukah on Lake Atitlan

Last night was the first candle-lighting of Chanukah.  Amy and I pondered how to honour the occasion, and realized that we had sent all the Chanukah materials to Casa Hillel in Guatemala City, and did not keep any for ourselves!  We thought about making a crude Chanukiyah from stone and beer bottle caps, and even picked up a couple of likely pieces of stone on our way into San Marcos for our first Spanish lesson.

Our teacher Andres (Andrew) is a 27 year old man from Brooklyn who has been living on the lake for about four months.  He is a professional teacher with a Masters degree in ESL, and is working and living in San Marcos, teaching, cooking, doing whatever to live and learn.  He is also Jewish.  As soon as we arrived at Hostalito Del Lago, the hostel where he lives, we saw a sign on the wall announcing Chanukah celebrations and candle-lighting that evening at Ganesh, a restaurant/performance space in San Marcos.  So after our Spanish lesson, we planned to head over to Ganesh.

Of course, Amy got right to work making latkes in the communal kitchen at Del Lago with Amir, an Israeli living there.  Here they are at work:

We headed over to Ganesh, latkes in hand.  Daisy was there, pulling together the Chanukah celebration.  She was thrilled to see us, and even more so the latkes!  The fact that Amy and I knew the prayers was a big help to her as well, and there were around a dozen Jewish people there among the 50 or so people.  They had made a Chanukiyah from a big flat rock, and had lined up eight candles in the front, with many other candles around.  During the blessings, Daisy lit the Shamash and first candle, and then invited anyone who wanted to to light a candle outside of the eight.  

We sang Chanukah songs, accompanied by Meaghan on the violin, ate latkes and sufganiyot (Guatemalan style – no jelly).  Then a lovely four piece acoustic band played a combination of western and Spanish music.  After eating a fabulous burrito and consuming several beers, we took a tuk-tuk home (scooter with seats, like the Indian rickshaw), since it was dark, and it was safer than walking home at night.

So we celebrated the first night of Chanukah in style, in San Marcos, Guatemala.  We also learned of other events and workshops happening in this area, which is known as the New Age Centre on the lake.  So today, before our Spanish lesson, we will attend a Chocolate Shaman ceremony, where pure chocolate is consumed and creates an environment for raising emotional awareness, under the guidance of Keith, the Shaman.  Should be very interesting, no?  And later on tonight there is a Winter Solstice fiesta happening at another hotel down the lake in Santa Cruz.  We will take a shuttle boat there around 7 pm, enjoy the celebration, and get a boat right to our dock at 10 or so.

It’s going to be another full day!  Here is sunrise at Pasaj-Cap.

Pasaj-Cap

We arrived on Lake Atitlan on Thursday night, after a 12 hour travel day by multiple shuttle vans from San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico, south to Guatemala, where we boarded another van that took us to kilometro 148 where we were met by another van to take us to San Marcos, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.  Here is what our surroundings look like:

We are getting settled into our paradise spot here!  Surrounded by volcanoes, a beautiful lake with several Mayan villages around the shores, villagers speaking various indigenous languages (Kaqchikel, Tzotzil are two we have heard here).  People are generally extremely friendly and welcoming, and we are already having adventures, visiting Panajachel and San Pedro.  Yoga in the morning, excursions in the afternoons, making nice meals in our kitchen here, and generally feeling healthy and full.

We have a couple of volunteer projects we are involved with.  Next Friday we will travel to Guatemala City to stay with families of Casa Hillel, a Jewish community in the city.  I am not really excited about being in the city – I think it’s a bit of a hellhole – but we will “hide out” with the community we are staying with and I am sure it will be just fine!  This is a new Jewish community, native Guatemalans who sought out a religion for themselves, discovered Judaism, and were converted by a Reform Rabbi from the US.  They are just starting to learn Hebrew, customs, rituals, and prayer, and we are going to visit them for several Shabbatot to share whatever we know, as well as music for Chanukah and Shabbat and anything else.  I am excited to be with them, even if it is in Guatemala City.  It’s about a four hour trip from here, first a boat to Panajachel, then a shuttle van to the city, where our host family will pick us up.

Until then we will be around here, in this most awesome environment, chilling, exploring, doing a little work (Amy has a little remote work going on), taking Spanish lessons at a hostel in San Marcos, about a 20 minute walk from here, and experiencing life on Lake Atitlan.  We are so blessed!

Palenque/Chiapas

We traveled to Palenque on the overnight bus from Cancun – Amy, Josh and I.  It actually took around 14 hours instead of 12, but all in all it wasn’t a bad ride.  I probably slept around 4-5 hours on and off.  They played a succession and movies and programs, all made in English but dubbed into Spanish with no subtitles.  I watched a movie on my computer, then tried to sleep.  There were many checkpoints we passed through going from the Yucatan through the states of Campeche, Tabasco and finally Chiapas.  There has been some unrest over the years in Chiapas with the oppression of the locals, especially the Mayan population there.  The military and police presence is very evident on the streets and highways.  At 5 am on the bus, we stopped at a checkpoint, and a soldier came on the bus and started asking questions of various passengers, mostly the younger ones, including Josh.  They asked them to get off the bus and opened their backpacks and suitcases searching, I suppose, for weapons and drugs.  The soldier also came back on the bus while Josh was outside and snooped around in his backpack.  It kind of gave me the creeps, but Josh said that he was actually really nice, smiling and asking questions about is camping stove, how long the gas canister lasted and so on.  He figured he wanted one just like it.  Anyways, after about a half hour we were on our way again.

We arrived in Palenque around 11 am, and proceeded to the Colectivo – a van that takes people from one area to the next, and after a short ride we arrived at our destination, a compound of small hotels, cabins and restaurants called Al Panchan.  We booked into a small cabin on the river in a place called Jungle Palace.  The cabin was very basic, with no bathroom and only a small lightbulb in the ceiling.  The walls were all screened, so it was almost like being outside.  It was right on the river, so we could hear the sound of the water all the time.  And the jungle is amazing!  Huge trees and tropical leaves, great bamboo clusters and palms, lots of birds, butterflies, as well as hundreds of fish easily visible in the river.  At night we can hear the howler monkeys, though we have yet to see them.  We slept there the first night, not a great sleep as there was a lot of music and partying going on till the wee hours.

The next morning we decided to upgrade to a room with a private bathroom, slightly away from the river, but much roomier and a little nicer, even with towels provided.  For this we paid the grand price of 200 pesos per night, which is around $16.At night we returned to our place, and on the way began walking with a woman who was strolling along the road near us.  We started talking and I said: “You’re from Canada, aren’t you?”  Yes she said. “Where from?”  “Gabriola Island” she said.  Oh come on!!!  What are the chances of that?  Coincidence?  I think not!  So now she is hanging with us, we’ve done some yoga together and shared stories of our common friends on Gabriola (there are many).  We went for dinner and watched a great Mexican family band play a long set of very danceable music, and then settled in to watch fire dancing while drinking Margaritas.  The fire dancers – there were four men – were phenomenal!  Each one had a different character, and each act led to the next in a big crescendo of excitement.  Sometimes they danced in pairs, sometimes solo, and it was a wonderful combination of dance, theatre, mime, fire and magic!  We had a great party last night! 

We have been here for three days, and have taken two excursions so far.  Yesterday we went to the Mayan ruins about a half hour walk from here.  These ruins are very large and extensive, and right in the jungle, so there are ancient trees, including orange and banana trees, with the howler monkeys accompanying us with their sounds as we explore.  What a beautiful and powerful place this is!  At the height of the civilization that inhabited this “town”, there were approximately 8,000 people living here.  There are around 15 temples, a palace, residences, army headquarters, a ball court and so on.  It covers acres and acres of jungle, and there are rivers and waterfalls running through the area as well – gorgeous.  The timeframe was around 600 AD to 900 AD, after which the town went into decline.  There are sculptures of Mayan rulers and supernatural beings.  In the museum nearby we saw large incense “censers” made from ceramic and stones, depicting rulers, deities, animals and other figures.  I felt a real connection with the West Coast Native cultures like Haida, as many of the sculptures had a totem feel to them.  I tried to imagine what life was like living in this town back then.  We walked and walked through the ruins and the jungle, amazed by the scope of the ruins and the beauty of the surroundings.

 

Today we took a van with a load of travelers to two wonderful waterfalls.  The first one is called Misel-ha, and it is very high.  Amy and Josh jumped in the water and swam in the deep pools below the falls, and I hung out and breathed in the air filled with the mist of the falls.  All around are the green mountains of Chiapas, and it is quite a magical space.  Then on we went to the next site called Agua Azul (Blue Waters) with a multi-level series of smaller falls that run for at least a couple of kilometres.  We walked to the top of the park, and Josh and I jumped in the water in a safe area.  It was very refreshing, and again a magical and beautiful location.

 

So we have another couple of days to be here in Palenque.  Tomorrow we’ll go to town for a few hours to check in online (no Internet here in the jungle), check bus schedules to our next stop, San Cristobal de la Casas, and pick up a few things, including lunch.  Then back “home” for a chill afternoon and evening, preparing for yet another adventure in Chiapas.

Cancun Experiences

Well this is my first blog in a long time! I hope this will get me going again. Amy and I flew to Cancun on Sunday November 27, and booked into a little B&B/Hostel right in the heart of Cancun (Mercado 28), to be joined by four of our kids! We were invited to a wedding of Amy's New York cousin, and we invited the kids to fly down here and join us, and we would cover room and board for the week. And four came! Of course we could have stayed at the wedding hotel in Playa Mujeres, but it would have cost more than our travel budget for three months! So here we are in this lovely B&B with our wonderful host Patricia, cooking meals together, hanging out and taking excursions. The wedding was great - seeing family and their friends celebrate on the beach - very beautiful. We could have stayed another day there in the lap of luxury, but again, the costs were just too high. Also, this kind of place is so exclusive, I am excluded! I've been thrown out of much nicer places (not really!). It's amazing how our style of travel has changed over the years. Now I so much prefer being in the local environment, reasonable and simple. We're still tourists, but we are not removed from the regular life of the city of Cancun. I never thought I would like being in Cancun, but this experience has been great! Yesterday, five of us traveled to Akumal, a lovely beach area where we could swim with giant turtles, sting rays, coral and lots of different tropical fish. We snorkeled and hung out, then traveled further to Tulum and the Grand Cenote, which is a spring-filled fresh water pool with fabulous caves. People were actually scuba diving through the caves, and apparently this water runs all the way to the ocean. Amazing! Today is a chill day, catching up on correspondence, blogging and checking out our next step. Two of the kids have now left to go back to Canada, a third one leaves tomorrow. Josh, Amy and I will take the overnight bus to Palenque tomorrow night, and stay there for about a week before Amy and I head to our apartment on Lake Atitlan! I will try to write about each place at least once, so if you are interested, please stay tuned!