Second Monday in Antigua

We had a wonderful weekend. Normally the weather here is suitable for t-shirts, jeans and flip-flops but the last couple of days there has been an overcast together with a bit of humidity and a slight breeze. That combination with a temperature at its peak of less than 70 degrees has caused even the most thick-blooded of us to don an extra covering on the upper body. But, today the weather has returned to what we can usually expect here in Antigua. Neither John nor I even thought of another covering than t-shirts for our 7 a.m. trek up to the cross.

On our way over the cobble-stone roadways, we saw youngsters scampering along to their schools, others going to their workplaces and lots of folks on their bikes. Yes, the chicken buses were loaded to the gills with passengers who were arriving here from Guatemala City and other stops along the way. There are some stops for the bus that are set but, more frequently would-be riders will simply signal the bus driver to stop. While the bus is still moving, the helper leaps out, the passenger jumps followed by the helper and the bus is on the way again. There are no cords to signal a stop along the way so it is the responsibility of the rider who desires to cease his ride to wiggle up to the front and tell the driver or helper the words in Spanish that would translate to English such as: down, here or stop. Exits can be done via the front door or from the rear door. Of course there is quite a jump for the tenderfoot should one opt for the rear. Most often the buses are full and one really has to seek a place to settle his derriere. In previous posts I have explained that where perhaps three small North American children would be sitting in each of the seats, here one can expect four with the middle two passengers on two seats across from each other sitting only one-half on each of the two seats with portions of their behind hanging over the aisle. Of course the two middle folks create barriers for other passengers and especially for the one collecting the fares. It is tight my friends and there is lots of rubbing. But, the good part of it all is that you usually get to your destination. But, not without hanging on tightly to the stainless steel tubing at the top of the seat ahead. Good that the center of gravity is low because the operators of the buses run as speedily around curves as is absolutely possible. Now, there is no virtue in arriving first at one's destination but there must be some real reason for speeding. I simply have no answer.

We had thought of going out for breakfast this morning but both decided to do a bit of house cleaning in our separate digs and to wash clothing. Adjacent to my dwelling are two driers and one washer sitting in an open-to-the-elements position. While they are covered to eliminate rainfall, one side is open and easily accessible to all tenants. My first load of whites is in the drier and I have colored t-shirts and my bed linens in the second wash. A final wash of darkly colored clothing will be my final input for this week. I will add one note I may have mentioned before about washing clothing. Before water was made available to the homes in this town, washing was often done at the communal pilas or wash areas. Interestingly, the Spanish term pila is applied to the washing area here as well as to batteries. They still do exist in many homes and there are a couple dozen of them in an area not far from where we live where we still see folks wash their clothing, dishes and anything else that may need cleansing. When we have observed them being used in this way, it appears it is also a great social gathering place because mothers, fathers and perhaps grandparents are there together with their children. 

While taking our morning trek, John and I were talking during a small moment of rest on the mountain this morning and I decided that one of the topics we spent a bit of time on would be worthy of sharing with you. Both of us have read The Help and at least I have seen the movie on the Silver Screen. One of the items that was highlighted in that book and movie was the fact that the bathroom facilities for the owners of the plantations were never, never to be used by the help. Well, interestingly, within the compound there are two such privies set up for the hired folks. And, yes, I use one of those - with enjoyment and pleasure! The one I use is perhaps twenty steps removed from my apartment. It has a fine commode, a wash basin with cold water only and a commodious shower stall with what we call here a "widow maker". It is a contraption that has a shower head with electrical wires leading to the heating unit on the very spot where the water falls from the unit. I have never been shocked by the unit but it does take some manipulation in order to get the warm or hot water adjusted. It does work and that is the important thing. Of course I do most of my showering in John's apartment where there is pressurized hot water with two knobs. The widow-maker has only one knob - cold!

The public water piped to most of the dwellings in Antigua is unacceptable for drinking, at least for most North Americans. I do know some who brush their teeth with the water and have not suffered ill. But, most of us from countries outside of Central America do not use the water in that way. We drink purified water which we in the compound get from a process that seems to remove the microbes and has given us no intestinal problems to date. Water is available for purchase also in large five- and ten-gallon plastic bottles.

Our landlord is in the city today. He offered to take us along but we decided that clean clothing was also a necessity so we will postpone a trip to the city. There are a couple of stores similar to Costco and Sam's there which have their roots and headquarters in San Diego, California. The chain of stores is called Pricesmart and there are such stores spread in most of the Central American countries as well as some Caribbean islands. We find nearly anything there that we could ever think of needing. Very near that store is a store called Hiper Paiz. Or, at least it was so named until last year sometime when the moniker displayed on the storefront was changed to the familiar Wal-Mart logo. Yes, even here in Guatemala! For us it is wonderful as it is a full-service store with groceries and just about everything that we in the USA find in our Wal-Mart stores. 

On this coming Wednesday we have been invited to join the daughter of Paul and Ruth and another friend of theirs from New Zealand to help Ruth celebrate her 80th birthday. We are going to a country club not far from Antigua for our midday meal. We will spend time also looking about the property. I may be convinced to take out my camera to record some of the events. If I do that, I will share with you. Their friend from New Zealand is over here on semester break and will soon be heading back to begin another year of classroom education in Auckland.

I have mentioned the cobblestone streets here in town and I must say that somewhere in town there is repair and reconstruction on one or more stretches of street at any one time. And rightly so because they are rough and provide a very bumpy ride despite the sort of vehicle one opts for passage. Just a couple of days ago John and I were walking on a sidewalk while a vehicle passed by us. The wheel caught a boulder the size of a large grapefruit and spat it just ahead of where we were walking. Fortunate for us its target was the sidewalk and not our limbs. Speed bumps have been installed in several critical places and locations since we were last here. Good for all of us since it does a wonderful job of slowing at least the chauffeurs of the sedans as well as the chicken buses. There is only one speed for the bus drivers and it is floored. They go careening about corners in such a manner that I am puzzled and amazed that the large loads atop the bus simply do not shoot out in orbit. I suspect they are secured since I never see anything hurl.

The day after Inauguration Day here was another day of celebration. I did not catch which one but it really does not matter since fireworks are common place here. It is the rare day or night when one does not hear the boom and crackle of the fireworks. At around 5:45 a.m. I was awakened not by the loud blast of the fireworks but by the sound of my door bursting open. Needless to say, I was startled. I sat up in bed and saw two hairy creatures trying to enter the room. The duet of resident curs in the compound, Chico and Sandy were beside themselves with the continual booming of the fireworks and, as usually is the case, they sought  shelter in the ground floor of where the English patient resides. I was puzzled because when I tried to shoo them away, they returned and scratched on the door. Even with pressure on my door, Sandy poked her osico (snout) into my dwelling such that I was unable to close the door. I have marks on my door as well as on my ankle to prove my point should anybody ask about how earnest the puppies were! I went out into the yard and found that the shop door had blown shut and they had no other refuge. I found the key and made sure they saw that their shelter was available. The shop is large and provides entrance to yet another storage area and the curs retreat to the farthest reach of the area when there is thunder, gunshots or fireworks.

The omnipresent odor of burning of refuse is less apparent to us now than what it was when we first came to Guatemala. However, this is Antigua and this city is different from any other area of the country. There are still some open fires within as well as outside of the city and it is easy to locate the plumes of smoke when we go hiking in the mornings. But, I feel there is far less burning here now than in the past. In other parts of the country burning goes on freely and unabated. When I return to the USA after a stint here in Central America, I stow my luggage in my storeroom. When I go to retrieve it the next year, I can still detect the distinct odor or smoke from the fires. There are roosters here in town the crowing of which we do hear from time to time and dogs roam about freely without fear of the clutches of the pet-collector. Sadly, the streets and sidewalks here are reminiscent of those we observe in Paris - littered with the digested excrement of the pets and strays which roam about. Sad, but true. It behooves one to be watchful.

There are no fewer than 70 Spanish language schools here in town. I do not expect that all of them are full but there is no lack of educational opportunities for those seeking such. So far John has decided to limit his studies to the textbook he purchased a couple weeks ago. And, I have been faithful with Rosetta Stone. For those of you struggling with languages other than English, I would strongly recommend a look at that method. If I were to do it all over again, I would pursue that way without a doubt. It is easy and does not use translation. You think and work in the new idiom instead of going back and forth between English and your new language. A great idea that would have worked well for me had it been available and had I known.

Speaking of noises, we have a duet of pip-squeak, shivering puppies resident just next door. They seem to have found comfort in finding in their vocabulary a high-pitched yap for the majority of the day. It is not nice and I must either find a way to make peace or to work on a scheme to promote their early demise. Seriously, I have my Bose noise-cancelling headphones and a very full iPod which works wonders. Also, I do have several sets of earplugs to ward off the unwanted and noisome sounds. Weekends are especially difficult for those who suffer from wakefulness due to outside interference. The hotel Casa Santo Domingo and we share a common wall and their hospitality hall happens to be on the obverse side of the wall. Well, one can only imagine what one hears. Lots of thumping from all of those pechangas!!! Being sordo (deaf) has its benefits,  does help and I would highly recommend that malady to anybody who comes here to stay for a spell or for just a visit. Earplugs shield one and are highly recommended for those who have acute hearing. If that is not bad enough, when the party is all over at between 4 and 5 a.m., all of the leased party items are loaded loudly into the backs of vans and trucks situated just outside our back portal. So, one can finally expect peace at half past six in the morning.

Well, it is about noon here so I think that I will wrap this portion up for now. Time for lunch at the table of Ruth. We are having a green salad with chicken today.