Dear Texas...

92 degrees tomorrow? What happened to spring? Is it too much to ask for 60's or 70's and some spring showers?

Guatemala installment two-Churches and folklore

Antigua was the capital of Guatemala for many years-it was the third capital of the country, and remained the capital until a large earthquake flattened most of the city, which was subsequently abandoned for many, many years. As a result, the city is a step into the past, and littered with the ruins of what was once there.  The streets are all cobblestone, and walking though you might come upon a ruin located next to a store, a restaurant, or a hotel. I loved walking through the city and imagining what once was. The architecture is beautiful.

I don't know what all the churches are, but the city is littered with them-I believe my guide book said over 30 churches in the city before the earthquake.

The church above was on the corner of the block where our hotel was located the second week of my stay. I loved walking past it each day. The picture is taken from the roof of Ray's hotel, which is about four stories up and gave a great view of the city. Below is a picture taken looking at the church from street level.

This ruin was used for a wedding while we were in the city. There was a man dressed up as a footman with a horse drawn carriage covered in flowers waiting for the wedding to end. I was happy to see that even the ruins are made use of, and noticed that several things that were ruins ten years ago when I was in the city have been restored.

Another ruin, we passed this one on the way out of Antigua for our weekend in the mountains at the Earth Lodge.

This one had a Boy Scout crest on the door.

I believe this is the church that my host family went to-the family I lived with ten years ago when I was on a study abroad. I had lots of moments where I thought I remembered things, but the city has changed so much it was often hard to know what was accurate and what just looked familiar.

I definitely remember this pila (where the Guatemalan women come to do their laundry by hand). My teacher and I walked past it several times. Once when we were walking she told me the story of La Llorona (the crying woman). This woman, who was named Maria, was very beautiful. When she was young she had many suitors, and in spite of her poor family married a rich man. The first few years of their marriage were wonderful, and she bore him two sons. After the birth of her second child, however, he started to spend more and more time away from home. He still visited, but paid her little attention, and focused on the children when he was home. She took the boys for a walk along the river one day, and he passed in a carriage with an elegant looking woman as his companion. He stopped and talked to the children, but as usual ignored her then drove on. In a fit of rage, she threw her sons into the river. As her anger subsided, she realized what she had done, and raced down the river to find her children but was unsuccessful. She uttered mournful cries and continued to search the river for her children as the days passed. As people encountered her, they started calling her La Llorona, because of her constant cries. She grew thin, then emaciated, then skeleton-like as she could only pace the river bank wailing and looking for her lost children. Eventually, she herself died along the river bank, still searching for her sons. The legend tells that at nighttime near any body of water (including something as small as a pila), she can be heard wailing, and sometimes a gaunt figure in a white dress appears.

Sweet dreams!

Guatemala...installment one

 Several angles of La Merced, my favorite church in Antigua. I believe it is also a convent, but I've yet to take a tour of the whole thing. Note the Jacaranda tree blooming below-the purple was a great contrast to the yellow, and the tree itself reminded me of Australia (even though the trees are originally from Central America).

La Merced from down the street where the Santa Catalina arch is located (pictures of the arch in another post). Both the church and the arch are landmarks in the city. The street is typical of Antigua, and most of the cities I saw in Guatemala, though the streets in Antigua are in good repair compared to most, and are extremely clean. I love all the color!

Another typical street in Antigua. Again, I love the color. The large, imposing mountain in the background is actually the Volcon de Agua, or the water volcano. I caught it on a relatively clear day-usually there aren't clouds in the morning, but by early afternoon the cone is obscured by cloud cover.

Another typical street-the street where my hotel for the first week was located. Just a block from La Merced. I shared quarters with a family practice doctor the first night. For the rest of the week, my $16 a night room was all mine. Two med students, one teacher and her husband also stayed in the hotel, and they were good company for after clinic dinners. Clayton (one of the med students) and I spent a good deal of time wandering the streets of Antigua after clinic and engaging in deep and meaningful conversations.

Speaking of my hotel, here is the entrance. Central American cities amaze me. Almost all the facades look the same, and you never know what you'll get when you pass through the doors. It might be a small store selling snacks and sodas, or a fancy hotel that covers at least a city block.

Ray is the friend that got me in contact with the group. This was his third trip to Guatemala with the group, and he was good company most of the time...in this instance he makes a good prop for a photo of an interesting entrance and lots and lots of bougainvillea.

He also snapped this lovely photo of me while we were wandering the city our second night there. We'd attended church in the morning and decided to see what we could see walking around the city.

I thought these sinks were funny. The masks are typical of Guatemala-they are linked to the Mayan culture and come in all shapes and sizes. I bought a couple when I was in the city ten years ago. Anyhow, this is long enough for now. It's past my bed time, and I'm tired of fighting with Blogger about where I want the pictures and in what order. I'm sorry this has taken so long to post. There has been a lot of sorting through pictures, and copying other peoples pictures from Facebook. I realized when I got home and started looking through pictures that I hadn't taken nearly enough of us while we were in clinic. Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed your quick tour through Antigua. Another will shortly follow!

Some notes

• I should not go grocery shopping hungry. I came home with a cake mix, Cadbury mini eggs, jelly beans, the ingredients for Rice Krispy treats, and some other things that I don't really need but sounded really good!
• I'm amazed at what someone can miss in two weeks-two friends had loved ones pass, two got engaged, one announced a pregnancy, and one moved into my apartment complex. There are probably additional things that I don't know I missed yet.
• I should have taken more pictures in Guatemala.
• I just got home and the next three Saturdays are planned, and I had little to say about it.
• Finding the perfect gift for someone is supremely satisfying.
• I feel like I'm living on the edge-drinking tap water and eating fruits, veggies and icecream. Two weeks not being able to will do that to you.
• Guatemala pictures are forthcoming-the film is developed, I just need to sort.