Not long now and we’ll be back to the UK to celebrate the Christmas festivities. Until then there is plenty of sun, sea and sand to top up on, social events to attend and work tasks to achieve.
This past couple of months we have both been really, very lucky. Sept/October has been full of incredible travel and adventure. Mark and I found ourselves going off in different directions as I flew to Central America to experience volcanoes and dodge land slides in Guatemala and Mark flew across to the mid-west to experience desert and mountain biking five and a half thousand feet above sea level in Utah.
In between – I hopped on a couple of flights up for a weekend trip to Quebec with a wedding party from Miami and Mark had only recently discovered he needed to hop on a rather long distance flight to China to be there for the Hong Kong and Canton Trade Fairs for work.
Only now have our feet really touched the ground. The hundreds of photos have been or are in the process of being uploaded and I’m going to try and compile a short description of the experiences to accompany some of the pics so as not to bore or have you snoozzzzzzzzzzzing off to sleep. ;0)
Here goes… (grab a cuppa, this may take you a few sips)
Guatemala (late Sept)
Day 1 & Day 2 – Guatemala City, Day 3 – Monterrico (El Puerto), Day 4 – Guatemala City, Day 5 – Central Plaza, Cathedral & Government Buildings, Day 6 – Green Rush (the hills/mountains and jungle of Guatemala City soon to be the best outdoor activities center ever!), Day 7 & Day 8 – La Antigua
Birthday parties often have certain mandatory elements in Guate (the local shortened term for Guatemala) – a family (including super excited children – check), a delicious cake (oozing with yummy icing – check), a whole heap of food (most often including black beans ;0) – check), a pinata (most definitely present if it is a child’s birthday – check), balloons (that keep all occupied for hours on end – check), fireworks (or rather the loud and many bangs of fireworks – check) and rather like bookends our trip started and ended with birthday celebrations, it just happened to be a week of celebrations and catching up with Marian’s family and friends. I think we can safely say we drunk Guatemala City and La Antigua dry of tequila!
I thought I would attempt the challenge and take you through the crazy, full on, extreme trip that took me on a rather bizarre, contradictory tour between severe poverty and great wealth. Here’s a few of the hundreds of pics that try to capture this whirlwind adventure (yes, it did rain most of the time and therefore I didn’t actually ever see the top of a volcano – “what a shame! They are beautiful!”… or so I’ve been told?!)
Lesson #1: Religion. Cathedrals are still used and all ages attend the services that appear to happen on a frequent basis. This was my first realization that I’d stepped back in time. Mothers carrying babies, old and young men and women, teenagers, families and friends were queuing up for confession while services took place and the pews were occupied by people all focused on the speaker.
Lesson #2: Transport. All buses are decorated in bright colours and each one is completely different. The buses pump out all sorts of dark smoke – they seem to have no emission rules and regulations so I wouldn’t be surprised if their engines were running on anything they can get their hands on. They are packed to the brim with commuters using the transport to take them to and from their homes to work in and out of the city.
Lesson #3: Fashion. The fashion, or rather clothing and accessories of Guatemala is so varied. Those in poverty are wearing all they can cobble together from the good will stores and second-hand shops. I was shocked at how many people there are in Guatemala who do actually live in poverty, in huts and houses made from materials they can find, share and exchange. Given the circumstances it was rather inspiring seeing how resourceful the communities have to be. Then, there are those with the funds who can buy high street brands from the mall, having said that the prices are often too, too high so in some ways it makes more sense to purchase a plane ticket to the USA and cram suitcases full of nice, fashionable clothes for work and play.
Guatemalan clothing also reflects local creativity. People make their own clothes using traditional weaving and knitting to create brightly coloured patterns that tell specific stories about the women, their community and their family.
Lesson #4: Food. Food in Guatemala and in particular this restaurant Cafe Saul is AMAZING. The crepes were the most incredible crepes EVER. Food throughout the trip just tasted so ripe and fresh.
Happy pinata – Before…
Poor pinata – After…
Trip to El Puerto…
Yep, still no volcanoes…
Lesson #5: Communication. An outdoor advertising example above shows how copy isn’t always required – apparently a big Pepsi symbol will do just fine. A lot of the local independent shops are sponsored by key brands and what is interesting is you almost stumble across villages or towns that could be mistaken for being ‘Pepsi -owned’ or ‘Gallo – owned’ (the local beer) their logos and slogans can be seen everywhere, hand-painted on walls and shelters.
Canoe again – also trying to convince me that volcanoes really do exist here in Guatemala… “Honest” he says; “Honest… look, I’m looking you straight in the eyes, how could I lie to you?”
Guatemala’s rural villages haven’t see so much water and rain in years. This is the shallower flooding we witnessed on our travels to El Puerto.
Lesson #6: Compassion. There were children riding and pushing their bikes through water up to their waists trying to get to school (this pic is one of the shallower flood-hit villages). As they were trying their best to get around they all had smiles on their faces.
Wherever you are in the world there’s always time to herd the cattle int’nother patch o’grass.
Volcanic sand is super hot under the feet and the waves were some of the biggest I’ve seen, most definitely some of the loudest (struggled to capture it on film though)
Lesson #7: Patience. Below is a ‘new’ bridge being made out of old materials. The old bridge had just literally collapsed owing to the floods. Men from the community were busy working to make it better but it was single file traffic and rush hour so it was pretty hectic – again… everyone could only do what they could do and so continued smiling.
Us Brits get a little worried when 2cm of snow hit our streets, I wonder what we’d do with this much water? My battery on my camera died so I couldn’t capture it all – the local communities were busy trying to redirect the floods to point them away from their homes… again, smiling and laughing with one another while they work.
Lesson #8: Extremes. This is at the top of the hill away from the poverty, safe from the floods and not occupied right now as it was out of season. This community is full of houses and apartments all with access to their own beach, a few pools, dining areas and a bar. A summer vaca house for those with the cash to splash. 
As we left the rural parts of El Puerto I captured a short clip of local community spirit…
I got a little crayon happy – well, if a restaurant has a paper cloth and puts a shot glass on the table with crayons in it I’m going to get a little creative.
Lesson #8: Pride. I was more than half expecting to be approached more frequently by adults and children begging for money but I think it only happened once in the market. I got the impression that Guatemalan people are very proud of their arts and crafts and their ability to offer a service or a product in exchange for money, no matter how small. Another reflection of the poor financial economy but rich trade of knowledge and creative talent they otherwise exchange between one another.
Guatemalan pineapple happens to be the best pineapple I think I have ever tasted – so juicy and so fresh.
In and amongst all the creative, handmade products sits a Rival Crock-Pot by Jarden.
Lesson #10: Hospitality. Marian’s family and friends completely spoiled me and made me feel a part of their families. I’m truly grateful and whilst my waistline expanded I wouldn’t have changed a thing about each one of my dining experiences (except maybe the beans?!). Sharing meal times was a huge part of the trip and is an integral part of Guatemalan culture. Some of the family who live in the center of Guatemala City welcomed me with open arms and cooked the most amazing traditional lunch. The flowers in the rice were so sweet and succulent and went beautifully with the homemade guacamole.
Lesson #11: Colour. Pinatas brighten the streets of Guatemala’s rather dark, gray streets and buildings (although I have to admit the weather wasn’t great when I was there so it probably looked a little grayer than usual). No doubt there was once a time when the buildings with beautiful architectural detail were so clean and attractive. These gorgeous buildings are beginning to peel and look a little dilapidated, I have hope for the future of Guatemala’s old town but sadly they need a serious injection of money to see change.
“This is what I’m cooking tomorrow night.” The master sushi chef was building up the family dinner the following night – yum!
Lesson #12: Green Rush (indeed!). Henry and Canoe came and picked us up for a fun packed day of trekking through the rain forest/jungle amongst the hills/mountains of Guatemala City. Nothing could have prepared me for this. It was the workout Marian and I had been craving after all the incredible hospitality from family and friends homes across the city!
The vision: right in the heart of Guatemala and moments from the city it will be an activities retreat for people wanting to experience a true Green Rush – from zip-lining to zorbing; horse riding to trekking; climbing to camping. It will have it all and so much more!
Right now it is all work in progress and we were lucky enough to get the special VIP treatment and a grand tour (hoping to open early/mid 2011 WTS)…
I didn’t manage to get any decent pics of all the landslides we saw especially as we were often driving past them a little too quickly to capture them. However, we did take a quick snapshot of the muddy matter at Green Rush so you could see it. Owing to the amount of rain water over the past few months when it mixes with the ground it loosens causing the land to shift and when it is ready to slide it comes away in huge pieces often damaging houses and having a devastating effect on roads and highways. It requires clever planning and local knowledge to carve and make the land as safe as possible.
We climbed to the top of Green Rush and as the sun burned through the clouds Guatemala unveiled a wee peak or two. However, when the sky is clear the view is meant to look a little something like this… (kindly sent from our friends in Guate just the other day)
This bamboo stick wasn’t a fashion statement – it frequently saved my life as we trekked up and down the slippery mud paths.
The workforce are busy building into the land pathways for visitors of Green Rush. Everything is being carefully crafted and considerately created around trees and plants and they’re aiming for the whole place to be as green and sustainable as possible.
The seats in this skillfully built amphitheater will utilise the main material seen throughout the retreat, bamboo. This place will be great for corporate talks and team briefings before, during and after the activities at Green Rush.
Lesson #13: Design. Traditional technology that would now often be seen in a museum in affluent cities across the world continue to be used in a city and country that is lacking in technological and economical development. This man made well is so refreshing to see, a hand crafted innovation at work.
It made me reflect on the number of things we have to design and physically make to help us get through the day. The more I thought about it the more I realised we don’t. Home improvement is probably the closest we get to making things with our bare hands. Other than that we rely on tools (often made in China) to assist us with daily tasks.
Coffee bean – hopefully over time the plantation will produce real coffee – exciting stuff!
This is moments before we both slipped down and got very, very muddy bottoms!
Lesson #14: Trekking requires proper foot wear. RIP Converse.
Lesson #15: 5* Relaxation. Antigua is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in one of the most beautiful resorts central to Antigua at a great price the Casa Santo Domingo. A couple of days to get a bit of R&R while we digested all the incredible adventures we had been having and continuing to have with friends and family in Guatemala City.
Almost… nearly… so close to seeing the top of a volcano (amazing lunch though a restaurant owned by the hotel but up on the mountain overlooking Antigua in the valley, incredible location and fantastic service. For me this was the ‘ah ha’ moment of the whole trip – a sudden realisation of all I was taking in and absorbing).
Lesson #16: Sculpture. Both Guatemala and Antigua have copious amounts of sculpture. It appears to be a more current creative and cultural investment for both cities and they most certainly seem to know how to showcase a diverse number local established and emerging artists. I think there is a branding and marketing strategy for the country in there somewhere, maybe they could learn a lesson or two from Glasgow and Ohio… Guatemala ‘carving a new future as the city of sculpture’…
Tequila kept us going into the early hours most nights… or so I seem to remember?!
A small wedding party being assembled.
Lesson #17: PARTY!! There was a lot of partying to be had by all and almost every night took us to different hot spot (btw – photos have remained off the blog as the dancing made us all look a little sweaty ;0).
We managed to return to Guatemala City (after taking Marian the long way round Antigua) to a surprise party with family at her Uncle’s home and much to Marian’s delight it was of course a Dolphin’s (Miami American Football team) themed party. Fireworks went off and balloon games were more popular than a TV show or computer game as we practiced header techniques in the hallway.
Lesson #18: Andrews. Our morning-after-recovery-pick-me-up. Thank you.
Art that welcomed us back into Miami Airport…
Lesson #19: Re-adjusting. As we arrived back into Miami and left the ‘volcanoes’ behind us it all seemed a bit strange. Welcomed by the shiny floors and tall buildings, hot and humid air and lots and lots of artificial light. The flight was only two and bit hours and yet the country of Guatemala seemed worlds away from the shiny world of the USA.
I have to admit it took me a little while to adjust back into American culture. Peoples faces full of concern, furrowed brows and heavy shoulders – and that’s if their eyes were not covered by over-sized dark glasses. It was so apparent to me that two hours on a plane felt more like several years in a time warp. I’d stepped out of the time machine onto Miami soil and felt I was looking at 2010 with fresh eyes (admittedly slightly tired eyes), a connected world where we’re actually all so disconnected.
Lesson #20: Life Lesson. I thoroughly recommend to anyone who is fully reliant on being ‘connected’ via digital means take a break away from it all. Switch off the technology and enter a world where life is lived, family and community are celebrated, talent and creativity nurtured and where ideas are implemented daily owing to them being a means of survival.
At the risk of sounding like an ‘Eat, Pray, Love-Julia-Roberts-peace-freak’ (which I’ve not read or watched by the way) I’d like to share my one true lesson learned from this very special trip to Guatemala… In a world where we take for granted everything because everything is determined and we struggle to define the value of life and success because we’re competing in an era saturated by information and competition, we need to remember we’re not having to wake everyday to survive the next, so in order to make some sense of it all – I believe we must stop, reflect and disconnect to reconnect.
Muchas gracias Guatemala, te extraño mucho!
Culture Sponge 
