I know some of you are about to board a plane already, so I'm sending this out now!
When you get to Guatemala City airport, pass through baggage claim and customs. You will leave the doors of the airport where you will see people behind a barrier waiting for their loved ones to come out. A man should have a sign with at least one of your names. His name is Edgar, and he is the Casa Colibrí shuttle driver. His phone number is 4739-9949. If for some reason you need to call him, ask one of the security guards in the airport there to let you make a phone call and dial just those eight numbers. Edgar's car is a new gray 15-passenger van. He will take you to the lake, on tomorrow's trip only passing through Antigua to pick up other members of our party. If you ask him, he can also take you to an ATM. The total trip to the Casa Colibrí from Guatemala City Airport, without stops and without traffic, is 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
If anything happens that doesn't match the descriptions I've given you or if you feel uneasy at any point, please call me at 4633-5890 (from U.S. phones 011-502-4633-5890). However, the trustworthy owner of the house, David Yates, has told me that Edgar has always driven his guests without any problems.
See you very soon!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Dress Guidelines
This would be a dress code, but that's a little restrictive, isn't it? "Dress guidelines"
For women: Short dresses (knee-length) or skirts. There are no restrictions as long as it's in good taste!
For men: Suits, sport coats or blazers. Dress shirts with or without ties, as you like.
Weather: As far as we know, these are the predictions. Partly cloudy with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, chance of showers earlier this week. We are hoping for good visibility! However, it is good to be prepared for different weather situations.
For women: Short dresses (knee-length) or skirts. There are no restrictions as long as it's in good taste!
For men: Suits, sport coats or blazers. Dress shirts with or without ties, as you like.
Weather: As far as we know, these are the predictions. Partly cloudy with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, chance of showers earlier this week. We are hoping for good visibility! However, it is good to be prepared for different weather situations.
Donations
A few of you have asked about making donations while here in Guatemala. There are any number of good causes around, but I've picked a couple that are directly administered by myself or friends that I trust to make the best possible use of your support. I have very close knowledge of each of these projects. Each of these projects is administered by volunteers; thus there is no overhead.
1. El Shaddai Church Prayer Room - Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos. "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3). Prayer is fundamental practice for any Christian, the gateway to heaven, as some say, and a prerequisite for allowing the Holy Spirit to act in our lives and communities. The congregants of El Shaddai Church in Esquipulas Palo Gordo have a desire to pray, having taken to praying one hour daily in a group in different houses. However, in their own houses they are rarely able to pray. Like most Guatemalans, they almost all live in extended family situations in small or medium-size houses, meaning there is very little privacy within the home and little space where one can withdraw and have alone time with the Lord. This is further compounded for women, who make up the strong majority of the congregation and are tasked with doing manually all the "reproductive" work of taking care of home and family, having very little free time to themselves.
The church plans to construct a prayer room on the second floor of the current church building which will be open for all to enjoy time in peace and quiet with the Lord. The goal of the prayer room is to establish shifts of prayer so that there will be someone intercessing for the town's population 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Budget: Approximately Q. 25,000
2. Primavera Water Project - Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos. This is a project that I worked on while a Peace Corps Volunteer in my site but unfortunately could not finish. Caserío Primavera is a community of about 500 people located about 3 km away from the town center of Esquipulas Palo Gordo, where I live. During the wet season the inhabitants are able to catch rainwater for their daily needs, but during the six months of dry season (for instance, now) they have no water resources. Women must walk about 2 km downhill to fetch a jug of water in the closest running stream and then return uphill, a 400-meter (1,250-foot) elevation gain. In total, the process takes about 2 hours, leaves them extremely tired and gives them only as much water as they can carry.
In years past, the community had a functioning pumped water system, but disagreements with the neighboring community and technical problems sidelined the pump. Most families were having to pay from Q. 75 - 120 per month ($10-15) for their water service for 2 hours, twice a week. For comparison, this is equal to about two days' work in a community where very few people have stable jobs.
In the last few months of my Peace Corps service, I worked closely with the community in establishing a plan to restore service and improve the performance of the pump so that it could operate with less diesel fuel (and therefore save money). We established the plan but without full financial support, and some of the pledged support from the municipality didn't pan out when the mayor was not reelected.
The project has both financial and organizational needs. The technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation of the aid can be administered by yours truly or by my Peace Corps sitemate Emma. The financial needs, approximately, are the following:
Replacement of 2" captation tank exit sequence with 3" - Q.3,500
Professional cleaning, maintenance and repairs of pump - Q.10,000
Physical checks along the distribution line - Q. 1,500
Total = Q. 15,000
(All unskilled labor provided by the community).
3. Bottle School Canillá - Canillá, El Quiché.
Bottle schools are built on a simple idea - to turn waste into something that promotes development. In bottle buildings, used plastic bottles filled with other inorganic trash replace concrete block in the construction. In Guatemala, unfortunately, plastic trash is everywhere, causing not only eyesores in an otherwise beautiful country but polluting cropfields, rivers and streams. It is a source of a large number of health problems. While I was a volunteer, I was lucky enough to build two bottle buildings, and they were among the best things I did. (Here I am with my aunt in the half-finished school I worked on.)
In a rural community of Canillá, El Quiché the school to be built will fill a crucial educational need expanding access to primary education for those who do not have it.
Susan Alvarado, a Peace Corps Volunteer from Los Angeles and who lives in Canillá is managing this project. They are seeking the cooperation of Hug It Forward and local NGO's.
Budget TBD
The best way to make these donations depends on the amount:
1. For larger amounts, you can write me a check and I will make the corresponding deposit here in Guatemala, sending you the correct documents. A certain percentage is lost due to ATM fees or wire transfer fees.
2. For smaller amounts, cash in quetzales is the best option.
1. El Shaddai Church Prayer Room - Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos. "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3). Prayer is fundamental practice for any Christian, the gateway to heaven, as some say, and a prerequisite for allowing the Holy Spirit to act in our lives and communities. The congregants of El Shaddai Church in Esquipulas Palo Gordo have a desire to pray, having taken to praying one hour daily in a group in different houses. However, in their own houses they are rarely able to pray. Like most Guatemalans, they almost all live in extended family situations in small or medium-size houses, meaning there is very little privacy within the home and little space where one can withdraw and have alone time with the Lord. This is further compounded for women, who make up the strong majority of the congregation and are tasked with doing manually all the "reproductive" work of taking care of home and family, having very little free time to themselves.
The church plans to construct a prayer room on the second floor of the current church building which will be open for all to enjoy time in peace and quiet with the Lord. The goal of the prayer room is to establish shifts of prayer so that there will be someone intercessing for the town's population 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Budget: Approximately Q. 25,000
2. Primavera Water Project - Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos. This is a project that I worked on while a Peace Corps Volunteer in my site but unfortunately could not finish. Caserío Primavera is a community of about 500 people located about 3 km away from the town center of Esquipulas Palo Gordo, where I live. During the wet season the inhabitants are able to catch rainwater for their daily needs, but during the six months of dry season (for instance, now) they have no water resources. Women must walk about 2 km downhill to fetch a jug of water in the closest running stream and then return uphill, a 400-meter (1,250-foot) elevation gain. In total, the process takes about 2 hours, leaves them extremely tired and gives them only as much water as they can carry.
In years past, the community had a functioning pumped water system, but disagreements with the neighboring community and technical problems sidelined the pump. Most families were having to pay from Q. 75 - 120 per month ($10-15) for their water service for 2 hours, twice a week. For comparison, this is equal to about two days' work in a community where very few people have stable jobs.
In the last few months of my Peace Corps service, I worked closely with the community in establishing a plan to restore service and improve the performance of the pump so that it could operate with less diesel fuel (and therefore save money). We established the plan but without full financial support, and some of the pledged support from the municipality didn't pan out when the mayor was not reelected.
The project has both financial and organizational needs. The technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation of the aid can be administered by yours truly or by my Peace Corps sitemate Emma. The financial needs, approximately, are the following:
Replacement of 2" captation tank exit sequence with 3" - Q.3,500
Professional cleaning, maintenance and repairs of pump - Q.10,000
Physical checks along the distribution line - Q. 1,500
Total = Q. 15,000
(All unskilled labor provided by the community).
3. Bottle School Canillá - Canillá, El Quiché.
Bottle schools are built on a simple idea - to turn waste into something that promotes development. In bottle buildings, used plastic bottles filled with other inorganic trash replace concrete block in the construction. In Guatemala, unfortunately, plastic trash is everywhere, causing not only eyesores in an otherwise beautiful country but polluting cropfields, rivers and streams. It is a source of a large number of health problems. While I was a volunteer, I was lucky enough to build two bottle buildings, and they were among the best things I did. (Here I am with my aunt in the half-finished school I worked on.)
In a rural community of Canillá, El Quiché the school to be built will fill a crucial educational need expanding access to primary education for those who do not have it.
Susan Alvarado, a Peace Corps Volunteer from Los Angeles and who lives in Canillá is managing this project. They are seeking the cooperation of Hug It Forward and local NGO's.
Budget TBD
The best way to make these donations depends on the amount:
1. For larger amounts, you can write me a check and I will make the corresponding deposit here in Guatemala, sending you the correct documents. A certain percentage is lost due to ATM fees or wire transfer fees.
2. For smaller amounts, cash in quetzales is the best option.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Money
With just a few days to go until the big day, I'm starting with a couple last-minute blog posts about logistical things.
Money:
The Guatemalan currency is the quetzal.
Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. As of January 6, the exchange rate was US$1 = GTQ 7.86. Do it in your head as 8 to 1.
ATM's are pretty common in Guatemala, so I would recommend that you make use of them rather than carrying around large sums of cash. You have to pay a bit in ATM fees, but it's worth it rather than having large sums of US$ being stolen. When you use ATM's, be careful; as everywhere else in the world these days, there is ATM fraud in Guatemala so check out your surroundings for modifications to the machine, cameras, etc. The best is to use ATM's located within businesses. When you initially come into the country, I don't think it's necessary to change money - those of you who are waiting in the airport can buy things in dollars or with your credit card, and I'll instruct the driver to have a bit of petty cash on him in case you need to make small purchases before he can take you to an ATM.
It's common in Guatemala to be charged extra for using a credit card. Those of you staying at Hotel Aurora or D'Leyenda Hotel in Antigua will incur a 10% penalty on your bill if you pay with a credit card. D'Leyenda people, I reserved your hotel by making a 50% deposit in cash so it would be great if you could reimburse that to me also in cash.
Keep in mind when you think about your spending that lodging at the lake is covered, except for those who I've talked to. Breakfasts every day except the day of the wedding are covered, dinner is covered on Friday night and of course the wedding lunch on Saturday. It's hard to tell you how much to budget since much depends on the activities you're going to do and how much you intend to buy.
Any other questions, let me know.
Money:
The Guatemalan currency is the quetzal.
Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. As of January 6, the exchange rate was US$1 = GTQ 7.86. Do it in your head as 8 to 1. ATM's are pretty common in Guatemala, so I would recommend that you make use of them rather than carrying around large sums of cash. You have to pay a bit in ATM fees, but it's worth it rather than having large sums of US$ being stolen. When you use ATM's, be careful; as everywhere else in the world these days, there is ATM fraud in Guatemala so check out your surroundings for modifications to the machine, cameras, etc. The best is to use ATM's located within businesses. When you initially come into the country, I don't think it's necessary to change money - those of you who are waiting in the airport can buy things in dollars or with your credit card, and I'll instruct the driver to have a bit of petty cash on him in case you need to make small purchases before he can take you to an ATM.
It's common in Guatemala to be charged extra for using a credit card. Those of you staying at Hotel Aurora or D'Leyenda Hotel in Antigua will incur a 10% penalty on your bill if you pay with a credit card. D'Leyenda people, I reserved your hotel by making a 50% deposit in cash so it would be great if you could reimburse that to me also in cash.
Keep in mind when you think about your spending that lodging at the lake is covered, except for those who I've talked to. Breakfasts every day except the day of the wedding are covered, dinner is covered on Friday night and of course the wedding lunch on Saturday. It's hard to tell you how much to budget since much depends on the activities you're going to do and how much you intend to buy.
Any other questions, let me know.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Gifts part 2
Hi friends!
For information about gift-giving, please see my Gifts post dated December 14, 2011. If you choose to not bring a gift to Guatemala (options #1,2 or 5), that's completely fine, but I would like to ask you to bring a card. Per Guatemalan custom, there is a part of the wedding in which the guests individually give their gifts to the couple and present-opening at the end with close family. If you don't physically have a gift, the card will give you something to hand to us at the indicated moment and something for us to open later.
Thanks, and see you very soon.
For information about gift-giving, please see my Gifts post dated December 14, 2011. If you choose to not bring a gift to Guatemala (options #1,2 or 5), that's completely fine, but I would like to ask you to bring a card. Per Guatemalan custom, there is a part of the wedding in which the guests individually give their gifts to the couple and present-opening at the end with close family. If you don't physically have a gift, the card will give you something to hand to us at the indicated moment and something for us to open later.
Thanks, and see you very soon.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Gifts
It's weird to write about gifts I'm going to receive, right?
These are the things to take into account about gifts:
These are the things to take into account about gifts:
- Your presence is the most important gift. It is by no means necessary to give a gift.
- If you would like to give a gift that you would rather not take to Guatemala, please send it to my parents' house and they will give it to Patty and me when we move to the U.S. in the future. Their address is:
- If you would like to bring something to Guatemala, you are welcome to bring it and present it at the wedding reception.
- We are not registered in any store.
- If you would rather contribute to a Guatemalan charity, that's great. Talk to me and I'll make a recommendation for something probably local from Esquipulas Palo Gordo or anything else you're interested in.
Still more questions? Send me an e-mail.
77 Glen Summer Rd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
Transportation and Antigua Guatemala - our new transportation hub
Antigua - Guatemala's #1 tourist destination. It wasn't contemplated in our original plans, but for some of you we think that it could be a fortunate coincidence and result of logistical issues.
Everyone has a different flight time both in and out, but we don't want people travelling alone or trying to find their own way from the airport to La Casa Colibrí. So we have tentatively bunched people up on private shuttles with particular schedules. We will cover the cost of these private shuttles. Some of you whose flights don't line up perfectly with the shuttle schedule will have a morning or a night to spare. We don't recommend that you spend that time in Guatemala City (see the Security in Guatemala Post), and we DO recommend that you spend it in Antigua Guatemala. Antigua, as it is known, is located about 45 minutes to one hour from the Guatemala City airport, and while it is not exactly on the way to the lake, it is in its general direction. On the map below, you can see Antigua Guatemala about 40 km west of Guatemala City, and Lake Atitlan about 100 km west of the city.
Everyone has a different flight time both in and out, but we don't want people travelling alone or trying to find their own way from the airport to La Casa Colibrí. So we have tentatively bunched people up on private shuttles with particular schedules. We will cover the cost of these private shuttles. Some of you whose flights don't line up perfectly with the shuttle schedule will have a morning or a night to spare. We don't recommend that you spend that time in Guatemala City (see the Security in Guatemala Post), and we DO recommend that you spend it in Antigua Guatemala. Antigua, as it is known, is located about 45 minutes to one hour from the Guatemala City airport, and while it is not exactly on the way to the lake, it is in its general direction. On the map below, you can see Antigua Guatemala about 40 km west of Guatemala City, and Lake Atitlan about 100 km west of the city.
Antigua is a stop for almost all tourists to Guatemala for its colonial architecture and ruins, near-perfect climate and picturesque surroundings and its cosmopolitan culture. It is a World Cultural Heritage Site. It was the colonial capital of Guatemala and at points of Central America. Severely damaged in an earthquake around the time of the American Revolution, it was abandoned for today's Guatemala City. This spelled short-term doom for the city but long-term benefits, as the lack of development preserved the colonial architecture for centuries. Today this architecture, "charm," "feel," makes Antigua an excellent place to stay. I am very wistful of my Peace Corps days when I had an excuse to go to Antigua every couple months for Peace Corps meetings there.
What should you do with a few hours there? These are just some quick personal highlights and ideas (Q. 7.8 = $1.00):
Convento de las Capuch
inas. A beautiful 17th-century convent on 2 Calle, 2 Avenida still in excellent condition. Hire a tour guide for Q. 50 and he or she will tell you about every detail of daily convent life and the structures built to facilitate them. Q. 40 for foreigners.
Central Park. Just hang out for a while and people watch in the beautiful central park. But do expect to be offered things to buy by indigenous women. Free.
Walk to Cerro La Cruz. This is about a 30-40 minute hike from the central park to the city's viewpoint. 1 Avenida Norte. Free.
Watch Volcan de Fuego in the morning. True to its name, most mornings Volcán de Fuego is angrily steaming southwest of the city.
Iglesia La Merced. One of the biggest and most beautiful churches in Antigua. End of Calle del Arco. Q. 5.
Iglesia San Francisco. Church with extensive grounds with ruins and a museum to Hermano Pedro, Guatemala's only official saint. 7 Calle, 1 Avenida. Q. 10.
Catedral. It's interesting to look at both the current cathedral, which is lit up beautifully at night, and the cathedral ruins behind it. Off the Central Park. Q. 3.
La Azotea Coffee Plantation. A bus will pick you up in the central park and drive you to one of the many coffee plantations around Antigua, but this one separates itself by having English-language tours, an informative coffee museum and an annex Mayan music museum. Jocotenango. Q. 50.
Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm. This is a little further away and requires a taxi ride or chicken bus trip, but it's interesting. Learn about organic agriculture, macadamia nuts and business as social enterprise. Free; food to buy; taxi might cost Q. 40 each way, chicken bus Q. 3 per person each way. Ciudad Vieja camino a San Miguel Dueñas.
Chocolate-Making. I haven't done this, but apparently it is very popular nowadays.
And to eat:
Doña Luisa Xicotenatl. Very good place to go for breakfast or brunch. Breakfasts, sandwiches, pastries. Great ambience, can be crowded. 4 Calle Oriente. Q. 40 pp.
Sabe Rico. Also in the sandwich / pastries area, but more innovative and completely natural ingredients. 6 Avenida Norte. Q. 60 pp.
La Fonda de la Calle Real. Quality Guatemalan dishes from different parts of the country. Calle del Arco. Q. 80 pp.
Frida's. Mexican food and innovative margaritas. Calle del Arco. Q. 80 pp.
Sobremesa. Innovative dishes and an enjoyably eccentric American owner. 3 Calle Poniente. Q. 120 pp.
There are plenty of nightlife options too, drinking and Latin dancing, depending on what day of the week you are there. Ask me for more specific info.
Here are some websites to look at:
AntiguaGuatemala.info
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