One week and already there are so many directions in which to write. For both you and me, this entry will be an enjoyable introduction to the beauty of Antigua. I will mention how fantastic it felt to finally board the plane knowing my mind could relax, as all that could be done at this point, was simply figure out how best to respond to the situation at hand. There was no more preparation, no more to benefit from living in the future.

Arriving in Antigua on Palm Sunday, I was welcomed by a vibrant pueblo full of excitement, buzzing with people from todo el mundo, here to experience the celebration of Easter. Antigua is said to have the most festive, beautiful Easter celebration in the world. After experiencing the week, I believe this to be most likely true. I have not traveled the world at Easter, so I cannot say for sure.

Because this was a week of celebration, the house of the Spanish family I am staying with was lively with children playing, food preparations and multiple conversations taking place at an exhausting pace. Needless to say, I had an extremely warm, sincere welcome by four generations of the Rosales’ that I have known now for three years. The entire family gathered for almuerzo (lunch) con pollo, arroz, y cervezas.

My accommodations are simple and picturesque. I live above the kitchen overlooking the courtyard of the house. There is an outdoor sink (which I love!), a private bathroom with an electric shower, a balcony and my bedroom. Washing your face and brushing your teeth in the open air is therapeutic. The view is wonderful, with metal roofs and swaying clotheslines against a backdrop of the surrounding plush mountains that are quickly turning green from the recent rain. The rain is daily, but only for an hour or so. Rain in Antigua is similar to the strongest downpours we experience in Florida.


The first night there were multiple celebrations. Jose, a child with special needs in the family, turned 14. Cake and ice cream were plentiful. Then came time to walk the cobblestone streets of Antigua to attend the first parade of several to ensue throughout the week. There were mariposas (butterflies) of flower petals meticulously placed on the cobblestone in which the procession would pass over.






At this moment, I wish you could hear the rain! Increible!! Son las cuatro en la tarde, el tres dia de Abril.

During the procession, globos (what a great word for balloons!) in every color abound, cotton candy, toys and trinkets are being sold by locals.

Incense fill the air adhering to the music of Ave Maria being played by a band that is managing to walk on the uneven surface, play, and hold their music in one hand all at the same time. Strung Out, you would have been amazed at their talent and stamina.

Jesus appears bearing His cross atop a heavy, hand carved wooden platform that is being carried on the shoulders of an assembly of men, much like a casket is carried during a funeral, but different. Typical of Antigua, the display of color is unparalleled. Mary follows Jesus, being carried on the shoulders of an assembly of young women fatigued from their duty. As the incense and music dissipate, the parade humbly ends with a following of more globos and other items brighter than a coral reef aglow with the flash of an underwater camera.















The family gathers once again, this time for cena (dinner) or supper as my Mom would say! The fiesta continues.

Sleep is very interesting here. There is seldom silence in the streets that echo every sound. In addition, behind the doors and windows that adorn the continuous walls that line the cobblestone streets, are the open air homes that have tropical courtyards, surrounded by partly enclosed living spaces. The sounds from house to house can easily be heard. Surprisingly, I find the noise comforting. Next I know, I abruptly awaken to firecrackers, a common echo in the walled streets of Antigua for what they say are birthdays. The sound is distinctive, a lot like setting off firecrackers in an enclosed yet hollow space. I am convinced firecrackers are a nightly ritual of the locals just to alarm the tourists in the middle of their sleep! In 2005, the first time I came here and firecrackers awakened me, I hit the floor, crawled under my bed and believed guns were being fired into my room! Now, I just awake and think, oh, another birthday and fall right back to sleep. Shortly following the firecrackers this night were the roosters! It was 5:30am. There is no need for an alarm clock.

My Spanish classes with Rosalinda Rosales begin a las ocho en la manana, at the Academia de Espanol Guatemala (www.acad.conexion.com or www.learnspanishinguatemala.com), not far from the house. The school has a fantastic view of the Volcan de Agua. Below is a picture from where I sit with Rosalinda and study, there is no quantifying the beauty of this place.

Before school, at 7:15am is breakfast with Rosalinda, her Mom Natalia, and Alfredo and Carlos, the two brothers. Today is pancakes, fruit and always café con leche. I think they enjoy trying to talk to me and they are easily amused at my choice of words! Rosalinda has been my teacher the last two years I have come to Guatemala. Previously, I only stayed for 10 days or so. Progress during that time was great, but we both knew that right when I was getting the flow of the language, I had to return to the US. This is partly what drove me to find a way to spend three months here studying and practicing Spanish. By 12 noon, four hours of struggling to find the right words, the right tense, the right order, I am exhausted and head to the park to see los ninos (the kids).

El Parque Central de Antigua is a stunning, tranquil, place where people hang out to have their shoes shined by the children, observe the Mayan in their traditional dress, and simply pass the time. At the center of the square is the fountain where water flows from the breasts of women. Flowering trees fragrant the air. This space is full of culture. The heartbeat of Antigua, the park is surrounded by restaurants, banks, internet cafes, shops, and one of the many magnificent iglesias in Antigua.











Lilia and Irma were the first two children that recognized me in the park. They were together selling bracelets and hand made Mayan cloths. They recognized me immediately and we quickly reacquainted. They were hungry so we went to get some food from a Mayan woman that sells to the Mayan people. I am unable to eat this food "from the street" as it most likely will make me ill, though it looked very tasty. Next we got Coca Colas. The girls would not eat their food without first finding their mother so they could share. From there we split after I reassured them they would find me in the park many times in the future.

On my way home this particular day, I ran into Lilia and Irma’s mother. She too recognized me. While talking with her and explaining I would be there a few months, she then invited me to her house in a small Mayan pueblo called San Antonio outside of Antigua. I told her I would love to go home with her one day when she finds me in the park as I do not have plans to keep! About this time, Irma and Lilia came around the corner with their plates of food still wrapped, untouched. The family let me take a picture of them.













La Semana Santa has Antigua bustling this week. Next week, things will go quiet when all the tourists return to their lives. I am happy to be staying. I look forward to my time volunteering at the hospital and the mission. Tonight, I am going out with two other students from the Academia, Patrick from Germany and Willimien from the Netherlands. We are climbing Mt. Pacaya together next Tuesday, wish me luck! I did bring a big bottle of Advil.

Until another time,
cathy