Day 10: New Year in Guatemala

This morning we left the comforts of the city and drove north toward Coban. Once in the mountains our driver and guide pulled into a tucked away paradise just before the village of Purulha named the Biotopo del Queztal. This reserve is a place where the Quetzal (Guatemalas national bird) is being protected from extinction. Needless to say, as soon as we unloaded our rain gear and got ready to begin the hike into the park our guide spotted the Quetzal in a tree near our van. He said that in his 30 years of being a guide in this region this was his 10th time ever seeing the almost extinct bird. I was unable to snap any pictures of the Quetzal with my iPhone because it was difficult to distinguish it among the trees from our distance. Below are pictures of the entrance into Biotopo del Quetzal. 

Once on the trail, about 15 minutes into the hike, we had the option to hike The Fern Trail (1,800 meters) or The Moss Trail (3,600 meters). Besides our guide there were two young women in our group, one from Canada and the other from Ireland. It was raining and the guide decided to choose the shorter trail. I wanted a challenge so I asked if I could hike the longer trail. So I continued on my own. It was a good decision on my part because the trail led to a waterfall I would've not wanted to miss. The whole time it was raining so the hike was dangerous in the sense that the rocks were very slippery. Below are some pictures of the ascend, please remember most pics had to be "selfies" since I was on my own. 

Once I reached the top of the trail and started making my way back down there were 2 signs with the option to continue down the mountain or head out toward a mirador about 250 meters into the center of the mountain. I was beat by the volcano climb the day before but I knew I would probably never come back here again so I chugged some Pedialyte and headed toward the mirador. It was worth every single meter. The trail ended into a waterfall with about a 500 meter drop. The water was shallow enough that I could bounce from rock to rock until I was in the center of the river before the mouth of the waterfall. My heart was furiously pumping so hard because I knew if I slipped I would be swept away into the mist below me. The thought made adrenaline sweep through me. I felt alive. Below are pictures, because of the mist it is difficult to make out the depth of the waterfall. 

On my way back down the mountain the waterfall broke into smaller and larger pools of water. I was struggling to keep my footing on the wet slippery rocks and the rain would not stop. I was so focused on not falling that I'm sure I missed many other spectacular sights, but below are a few I managed to see. 

Happy New Year to everyone! 

Day 9: Pacaya Volcano Hike

The Pacaya volcano is one of many active volcano's in Guatemala. It rises to about 2,500 meters (8,300 ft). The last eruption was in 2010, but has been erupting again since 2013. The porter (guide) informed us we were not allowed to walk to the very top since the volcanic rock is very hot. To prove this he dug a small hole; it was so hot we were able to roast marshmallows on sticks we picked out from nearby trees. 

He also informed us that there are 4 different types of volcanoes. The Pacaya volcano is mostly Strombolian but occasionally also Plinian. The difference between Strombolian and Plinian is that Plinian eruptions are very powerful gaseous explosions; on the other hand, Strombolian eruptions are milder and sporadic. If you look closely towards the top of my head in the following pictures you can observe hot gases leaking out of the earth.

It's interesting to note that local artists have set up shop at the edge of the volcanic rock. They have combined coconut shell and lava rock making interesting trinkets tourists can purchase. In return, this brings money into the local economy. Below are pictures of coconut shell combined with molten lava rock from the Pacaya volcano. Courtesy of The Lava Store. 

Total time to hike up and back down was approximately 3.5 hours. The climb was moderately steep with occasional steep inclines and loose rocks. After making our way down the volcano and getting back to my hotel and cleaning up I ventured to an ice restaurant. It's literally made of ice. I was given a thick coat after paying an entrance fee of 50 Q's (roughly $15). I thougth it'd be interesting to snap a few pictures. I thought the couches made if ice were the most interesting. 

Tomorrow I head out back into the mountains. For now, goodnight everyone and Happy New Year! 

Day 8: Expressed Silence is Peace

This morning my friend Aldo Lemos and Thony our driver returned to Sibinal. The experiences we have shared this past week have bonded our friendship in ways that are difficult to describe. For Aldo Lemos it is back to working among the people in Sibinal. For 19 year old Thony it's back to nursing school. Sometimes I tend to forget how friendships can be quickly forged after making it through a challenging experience or situation. On today's post I would like to briefly talk (with his approved consent) about a man who, in my opinion, has selflessly given himself to his work and the people in Sibinal. 

Aldo is native to Colombia. Born in 1985 to a loving family dedicated to farming and agriculture; early on Aldo became fascinated with nature. However, the land he lived in was rich with gold and soon the machines and corporations came. Greed dug up mines to extract the gold and poisoned the land causing farmers in the area to seek new lands. Soonafter, war came to Colombia. It was the paramilitary against the guerrilla rebels and as always, civilians were caught in the midst of battle. His family fled and in the process split up because it was too dangerous to stay together. Aldo describes living in constant fear of his life. After becoming completey displaced from his family there was one constant in his life which brought him hope and happiness: the guitar. 

Aldo talks about constantly being on the move, from one house to another, living in poverty and sometimes not having any food to eat. Living in the chaos which surrounded him he found refuge in his old guitar. Composing music became his sanctuary. A few years ago Aldo decided to become a volunteer for an orginization that does charity work around the world. He was selected to do so in Sibinal, Guatemala. 

In the past week I have observed Aldo's interaction with the locals in Sibinal. I had heard positive statements about his work ethics, diligence and dedication. As an outsider, being in Sibinal with Aldo I felt like he was everyone's "go to" man. Every time someone asked for help, including myself, you could count Aldo would be there. It has been an honor and a privilege to meet someone who leads by example. Good trip my friend. 

Day 7: City Life vs Village Life

Today we went out into Guatemala City and enjoyed the local food and people. Aldo (on the left), Thony (middle), and I spoke about the differences from being in Sibinal to suddenly being in Guatemala City. 

For Aldo, the differences were that in Sibinal he felt peace, tranquility, and harmony. In contrast, here in Guatemala City, he describes it as noisy and people always seem to be on the go trying to satisfy their own needs. Another difference for Aldo is that in Sibinal people are humble, sincere, simple and friendly. In contrast, here in the city people seem materialistic and superficial. For example, Aldo describes and event which took place today as we walked into a store to buy sunglasses for me. It was a prestigious part of town and as I looked around for sunglasses Aldo noticed that the woman in the counter kept looking at him and Thony from head to toe making them feel as if they did not belong in that part of town. On the other hand, I felt like she was very helpful, courteous and nice perhaps because she knew I was a foreigner. It wasn't until later that Aldo shared this with me. Below are some pictures of us in Calaya Plaza. 

For me, being in Guatemala City felt familiar. I could manage myself without asking Aldo for help. I could understand the dynamics in the city much better compared to Sibinal. In Sibinal I had to constantly rely on Aldo or other people from there. For instance, if I wanted to buy water Aldo would have to specifically point out where I had to go. In contrast, here in the city, both Aldo and Thony would look for me to take charge from getting on a Taxi to choosing a restaurant. 

It was interesting to point out the differences. What was most important about today is that we got to share one another's company one last time before they go back to Sibinal tomorrow morning. Today was a good day. 

Day 6: Down the Mountain

Made it down the mountain from Sibinal back to Guatemala City. After a 9 hour road trip and 5 days without a shower it is nice to relax and get ready for the next phase of my trip. Good night! 

Day 5: Watching Through Patient Eyes

Today we decided to give the remaining 38 Christmas gift bags to children. The choir group decided the best avenue of approach would be to personally hand deliver these gift bags to specific families around Sibinal that they knew needed it the most. The group mostly chose single parent homes. 

The first family we visited was in the Sibinal mountains. They lived on top of a steep hill in an aluminum house. The father came out to meet us and was a pleasant man. After consenting to have his picture taken with his children he asked where the toys and food came from. I explained to him they were from donations in the US. He became very quiet for a couple of seconds and then looked up with such gratitude in his eyes. He said he wished he could afford to buy things for his children but that life was difficult and that he was grateful for these gifts. It wasn't what he said, it was the way he said it that made my eyes swell with tears. Below are some pictures of this man with our driver Anthony and others of his children. 

On our way to the next house we stopped by one of the choir members home. Her mother owns a small shop. She said she knew of several children who had not received a Christmas gift. Minutes later the children arrived to the store. The left with big smiles. 

The next family was further out into the mountains where there was no water or electricity readily available. We had to walk up a hill to get to their home. Once there, we had miscalculated the amount of balls and were one short. We played rock, paper, scissors to see who would have to walk all the way back down to the car to grab an extra ball. Guess who ended up with that task? This guy!! 

The next several families were up higher into the mountains where there weren't any roads. So we unloaded the toys and food out of the car and placed them inside potato sacks. I've learned that when I ask someone from Sibinal how far some place is they always say 10 minutes away. I've also learned to multiply that number by at least three. In a few words, I knew we would be doing some serious up hill walking. Below you'll see pictures of the determination and dedication the choir group had to get these gift bags to children in the most remote areas. 

We arrived to the first home. I saw a little boy getting a fire started by gently blowing on the base of the sticks. His face was covered in dark ash as if he'd been working on that fire all day. Next to him was one of the most adorable little girls I have ever seen. She hardly moved and I felt as if she almost didn't see us or the toys. Her face brought out such tenderness in my heart. I felt overwhelmed. I wanted to hug her but didn't. Below are the little boy and girl. 

We continued our journey deeper into the mountain trail. Soon after, we arrived to the next home. There were a lot of children. One of the children had Downs Syndrome but boy was he friendly. He waved on almost every picture and when I showed him his own picture on my iPhone he would laugh and smile. When we gave him a ball he was just bursting with joy. Below you will see him and his family. 

As we made our way back to the car we saw several children sitting outside of their house. So we approached them and asked them if they'd like a Christmas gift.

Below are pictures of those children. 

As we got to the car a small swarm of children began to run toward us. They started asking for gifts (word spreads quickly even in the mountains) and as a team we decided we would hand out the remaining gifts. Below is a picture of the last Chritmas gift bags being handed to happy and very energetic children. 

Last comment of the day. Because of the monetary donations made to me in the US over 250 children were able to receive gifts and food this Christmas. For that I'm grateful. But I'm also eternally indebted to the people here in Sibinal that volunteered their time and energy to make this Christmas gift bag project a success. Thank you all so very much. Below is a picture of the Catholic Church choir. They all went above and beyond to make things happen.