No one could ask for a more beautiful work site. Halfway up Volcan Agua (note: dormant) lies Santa Maria de Jesus, the Mayan community for which From Houses to Homes has been building. Blue, red and orange houses dot the landscape—proof of their tremendous work.
The second stop on Sara's Famous Fabulous Walking Tour was the Iglesia y Convento de la Recoleccion. This was Sara's favorite building. Also devastated by the earthquake of 1773, it collapsed into itself. The roof and walls remain where they lay after the quake, which is awe-inspiring and strange. We got a chance to climb and explore the rocks and tunnels in the company of a few beautiful mariposas. As we were exiting, a young woman in a (prom) dress was climbing the stairs for a photoshoot. Quinceañera?
Our final stop on Sara's Incredible, Amazing Unforgettable Walking Tour was Cuevita de las Urquizas. A spot for the locals, offering regional specialties like tongue and stomach, it attracts passers-by with earthenware pots simmering at the front of the store (see photo). Everything looked delicious, but we stuck to the traditional carne and shared a plate.
Monday morning, almost fully recovered but still relying on rice and bananas, we set off for Spanish class just steps from our hostel. Annie sat down with Ana and I with Lety. For eight hours on Monday and Tuesday and four on Wednesday, we practiced vocabulary, conjugated verbs, and conversed with our maestras. Annie and I played each other in a couple rounds of Spanish Scrabble, and quizzed each other at night. During our last class (Wednesday morning), Lety and I talked for a long time about everything. I struggled to remember the right words, but I learned so much in that hour long conversation. We talked about tourism and adoption in Guatemala, and shared stories about our families. I actually began to feel comfortable speaking Spanish. Now that our lessons are through, it is time to practice in the real world. Monday and Tuesday night we prepared dinner in our hostel's tiny kitchen, where we shared the stove's burners with several other guests. Liv and Livy from England, Tate and Kathleen from Brooklyn and Aniq and Menau (an architect!), a Dutch couple enjoying their four week holidays, mandated by law in Holland. (Hello???) Menau said he lives opposite the office of Rem Koolhaas and that their vacation schedule is quite different (more like -4 weeks).
Wednesday afternoon we waited at Hotel Carmen for Aunt Judy and her friend Lisa to arrive for the beginning of three days of festivities celebrating the noble work of From Houses to Homes, a charity that builds houses for the Mayan poor around Antigua. The organization was started by my uncle, Joe Collins. They have built 260 homes to date. (http://fromhousestohomes.org) After a quick lunch at Pollo Campero (the KFC of Antigua), we headed up Volcan Agua to the town of Santa Maria de Jesus to witness the closing ceremony of a newly built house. It is a moving and joyous occasion in which the volunteers who have helped to build the house hand over the keys to the family. Judy brought a SpongeRoberto Squarepants pinata for the kids.
Along with Judy and Lisa, the Moran family of Harding, NJ came down to witness the opening of a school that was funded by them in memory of their husband/father Bryan Moran. We all dined together that night at Hotel Antigua, posh accommodations replete with lush gardens, a huge in-ground pool, and pet macaws decorating the trees.
On Thursday morning everyone piled into a bus to head to the capital to the National Palace for a ceremony honoring Joe's work. He received the Ambassador of Peace Award. The ceremony included Joe changing the white rose of peace, signifying another day of peace in Guatemala (the civil war ended only 13 years ago). Several speeches were made, including Joe's, urging everyone to do more to fulfill the human rights of the poor. The children performed a traditional Mayan dance, the crowd favorite a little boy with a paper maiche bull's head and maracas. He was very into it; their teacher had to retrieve him from the stage several minutes after everyone else had finished dancing.
After the ceremony, we accompanied Judy to the US Embassy to get an emergency passport. The crazy Vermonter next to her on the flight in had stolen it right before they landed. Everything went smoothly here for the most part; it took us about three hours total. Entertainment for a good portion of this time was an American woman who had driven from Las Vegas to Honduras with an expired passport. She was demanding a new passport pronto, as well as for the embassy to reimburse all the fees she had incurred while bribing border guards through three Central American countries. We watched her conversations with the infinitely patient embassy ladies, hoping that the metal detectors at the entrance were in good working condition.
Friday was another awesome day: the opening of a new primary school in Pastores, a town about 20 minutes outside of Antigua. It is truly a beautiful school by any standard; photographs do not fully express its dynamism and charisma. It is the first school built by FHTH, in association with the organization Cambiando Vidas (http://www.asociacioncambiandovidas.org/). The ceremony included the notably lengthy Guatemalan National Anthem, many speeches, loads of Gracias, and another performance by the little toro. Touring the school was the best part; it was designed pro bono by a talented young Guatemalan architect, still completing his studies. It is all concrete block, like most buildings, painted bright orange with a sloped tin roof. Afterward, more tasty grub at Hotel Antigua, a visit to Santa Maria to see the families that Judy and others built for in August, then Reilly's-- an Irish pub that made us forget we were in Guatemala, except for the fact that we were with about 12 Guatemalans (the staff of FHTH). Father Paddy honored us with an a capella version of Danny Boy. One more stop before turning in for the night: Cafe Condessa for a small bite to eat and some delicious chocolate cake. Finally got that cheesecake with Aunt Judy.
Saturday morning Judy and gang departed, and we spent the day exploring Antigua a bit. Tomorrow we will explore a bit more, then Monday we begin our house!!
We finally decided to go to the hospital at about 3 p.m., right after Annie (pale as a ghost) nearly passed out on the concrete floor of our hostel. She yelled upstairs for me and when I rushed down, I found her sprawled on the floor, unable to make it to the bathroom a few steps away. She almost fainted.
We had both been sick at this point for about eight hours. Whatever we ate at Cafe Escudilla (recommended by Lonely Planet) gave us “food intoxication,” according to the doctor at the first clinic we visited (2:00). He examined us and prescribed antibiotics and immodium to begin immediately. I improved, Annie got worse. And worse. And worse. At one point, her arms and legs went numb-- pins and needles. So I hauled her into a tuk tuk and we headed for el Hospital Privado Hermano Pedro.
We soon found ourselves in room number four conversing only in Spanish with the attending nurses. They were all very kind and patient. I was still very weak and curled up in the chair while every nurse struggled to find a vein for Annie's IV (her first ever!) Even her veins are small. She would receive four bottles of fluids and two bags of antibiotics throughout the night while I slept curled up at the foot of the bed. The good news is we had cable TV—even HBO, which we've never had. Over the course of our illness, we watched Along Came Polly, Narnia, Miss Congeniality (missed the ending: tuk tuk to the hospital), Oceans 13, Wedding Crashers, Frida, Mona Lisa Smile and some crazy movie about a fake therapist played by Ashley Judd. More TV than we've watched all summer.
Well, our first test communicating in Spanish, and we think it went pretty well judging by our improved health. We're not 100% yet, but our dinner of rice and gatorade and a good night's rest should do the trick.
September 18, 2009
1. Spirit is a great bargain if you're 5'
2. Bring tea. Everyone gives out free hot water.
3. Don't forget cough drops on the plane if you're sick (Thanks, Judy!)
4. Pack baggies full of treats (Thanks, Jeannie!)
The last 36 hours have been pretty exhausting and intense. We left LGA an hour and forty-five minutes late, so we didn't get into Fort Lauderdale until 1:17 a.m. Spirit Air wasn't too bad, really, for the price. There aren't any TVs or complimentary beverages and no leg room, but if you're 5'
When we landed, the airport was empty. It seemed a little unsafe to crash on the benches for twelve hours (we're used to northeast airports-- always bustling), so we decided to stay at a Best Western ($64). Bed, hot shower, breakfast all made it worthwhile, plus we met Mara Finn, a teacher from Brooklyn who is moving to Guatemala for a year to help develop a high school curriculum. Sara and I are planning to meet up with her one weekend to check out an aguacate plant and hot springs.
Plane ride to GUA was a bit bumpy towards the end, but otherwise pleasant. The man traveling next to me was coming back for his sister's wedding but has lived in Miami for 22 years. He said, “Thank you for choosing to visit my country first.”
Edgard from From Houses to Homes picked us up at the airport, and we made our way through the noxious fumes of Guatemala City to Antigua. We arrived at the Yellow House (as charming and laidback as it was in 2006) and were greeted by Ceci. After getting her recommendation for the Instituto Antigueno de Espanol, we signed up with Julio for Spanish classes-- beginning tomorrow at
We hit the bank (8.2) and got a late lunch/early dinner at Cafe Escudilla-- pollo, frijoles, aguacate, and a side of pappas pure con wasabi. The place was empty, since it was three, but a hummingbird joined us. It was very rico, friendly staff, but too expensive. Tomorrow we will need to get creative.
We crashed after lunch. I was too sick to sleep, unfortunately, so I stayed awake listening to the rain patter on the metal roof. It poured.
Turning in early tonight: school tomorrow! Saving money for cervezas when classes are out and we've both recuperated.
We are sitting at gate H1 in the Fort Lauderdale airport (why do people live in this state again?) waiting for our connecting flight to Guatemala City. It's a nice time to reflect on all the planning efforts that have gone into the trip, and hopefully alleviate some of this burden for other travellers.
Welcome to ¿dónde está el éxito?, Annie & Sara’s blog about adventures in Latin America. For three long years, we’ve toiled and saved so that we might have the opportunity to travel in chicken buses, sleep in hostels, and face our most primitive fears (snakes, drowning, bed bugs). We leave on September 17th with the hope of meeting new people and making friends, becoming fluent in Spanish (at least enough to impress 4th graders), volunteering, exploring natural landscapes, and embracing new ways of being. Share in our experiences as we get lost searching for success!
