Life On A Chain

Life On A Chain

It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. -Wendell Berry

After saying my goodbyes in Guatemala, I gave myself three weeks to visit a bit of Honduras and Belize, before heading home to celebrate the holidays. After three weeks in California, it was onward for some cruisin’ and boozin’ in the Antarctic for another 21 days, before getting dropped off in Buenos Aires. All of that nonstop motion explains why I was feeling very travel weary and still uncertain about whether or not to return to California. In an effort to have a bit of downtime, I decided to visit the Eco Yoga Park, just outside of Buenos Aires.

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Desaparecido

Desaparecido

I’m back! Life has been a whirlwind, within the span of a month I went from the tropical paradise that is Belize, to its polar opposite. (Get it?? Polar!) Antarctica is the first place that I have visited that is analogous to nothing, but I will struggle through this blog nonetheless.
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Disparate Youth

Disparate Youth

Somehow I let three months go by without writing a single post. I don’t understand quite how that happened, except that I suppose my adventure here has turned into what feels like normal, happy life. So, let me start with a picture of food, because really this entry should be called ‘Eating My Way Across Mexico,’ or ‘How to Gain 5lbs in 2 Weeks.’ For those of you who haven’t already been mocking me, let me share that I have been, as of late, trying to be vegan… I know. I know! Don’t start. The majority of my conversations prior to coming here usually contained a reference to my love of pork products, and yet somehow I find myself living in a yoga commune trying to eat a plant-based diet… Just let me be for now. This phase might pass, and then we can go on happily eating bacon and Cheezits together as if nothing ever happened.

Anyways, the point is that all of my best vegan intentions went out the window basically immediately upon crossing the Mexican border. On the 8 hour journey from Xela to San Cristobal I was lucky enough to meet a man who runs a hostel there, and after dropping off my bags, we headed out to what he claimed is the best taco stand in the city. I tried to restrain myself and only order one chorizo and one al pastor, but after scarfing those down less than a minute I needed to go back for seconds. And thirds. The tortillas were fresh, the meat melted in your mouth, and there were three types of actually spicy and flavorful salsa, something I had been completely deprived of in Guatemala. I was in heaven. We followed up tacos with fresh coconut ice cream and a visit to a mezcaleria. Mezcal tastes somewhat similar to the way a teenage boy’s gym locker smells, but probably was successful in killing whatever bacteria I might have picked up from those street tacos. Not a bad first day.

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Volando Voy

Let me start with the most important updates from this week: First, I used the upstairs bathroom in the Yoga House for the first time, and it was glorious. I will let the photo do my explaining for me.

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No Surprises

No Surprises

I should write a real post about Semana Santa in Antigua, but I’ve already let two weeks go by and it feels like a lot of work. Besides, I was there two years ago, so you can just read that post. Instead I will upload a few photos and say, Spring Break! Jasmine in town! Antigua, the Disneyland of Guatemala! Lots of carpets and processionals for Jesus! Lounging in the sun! Rainy afternoons! Climbing an active volcano! Street food galore! Our soundtrack! Enjoy.

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Wajxaqib’ B’atz’

Wajxaqib’ B’atz’

Feliz Wajxaqib’ B’atz’! Happy New Year! Last Tuesday was the start of another year in the Mayan Sacred Calendar, what some say will be the beginning of the end. We had a big party at my school to celebrate, where each class made a traditional altar to give thanks. I loved seeing all the little girls in their Mayan dress, proud and eager to teach me about their heritage. Aside from learning about the patterns in the traditional textiles, and the numbers/ a few words in K’iche, the majority of what I learned was about Mayan spirituality.

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After the Storm

After the Storm

This week I started taking Spanish classes in the afternoon with my new favorite Guatemalteca, Mileni. She is actually the coolest, and I am happy that I can pay her to be my friend. According to Mileni, Guatemalan winter is right around the corner, which means sheets of rain in Xela, for weeks at a time. I got a little preview of the upcoming months on Saturday, and I was not very happy about it. I spent most of the day inside, staring out the window while listening to Silvio Rodriguez and pouting, which in retrospect was probably a much needed respite, since last week was pretty exhausting.

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In Between Days

In Between Days

In school news, we are currently in the midst of a lice epidemic. Piojos, we meet again. Other than that, all continues to go well. This week the students had exams, so only half were at school on any given day, which made for a nice test run for the library. I still have not tired of helping the kids check out books. Their faces literally light up when they find the one they want, and then they will actually skip with glee out of the library, clutching their new books to their chests. Gets me every time.

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