Sunday, July 13, 2014

Way Way Back to Huehue



For those of you who do not know, what looks like "Hughie Hughie" is really pronounced "way way." While it is only about 265 kilometers from Guatemala City, it takes 5-1/2 hours to drive. We start at about 5,500 feet elevation and climb around and around and around mountain roads to 10,000+ feet then back to about 6,500 feet. The highest point is called "Alaska" and it is the highest point on the entire Pan American Highway which stretches from the US state of Alaska to the tip of South America. It's a little confusing to newbies when we reach a certain part of the journey and they are told, "Hey look!! We are in Alaska."

Last Tuesday, as planned, I made my fifth trip in thirteen days up the Pan Am Highway. Edwin and Rob, the leader of the Kalamazoo group, picked me up in Antigua and we headed for Huehue. Rob, his wife, Sharon, and their two children stayed a few days longer than their group. Rob accompanied his team to Guatemala City to see them off and then returned to Huehue. 

Our trip was very pleasant. Even the delay for road work gave us a chance to stretch our legs some. We stopped at a little comedor (restaurant) and enjoyed some local cuisine then continued our journey. It was good to be back "home" in my "own" room. 

There's always work to be done at the house in Huehue especially between teams. The laundry takes center stage but the cooking and cleaning also continue. Beds must be stripped and all the linens including towels and such must be washed, folded and put back into place for the next group. After the chores are done there's time for play. Tuesday night we piled into the back of the pick up truck and drove up above the city to see the lights. Every year it seems that the city lights take up more space. Huehue is growing.

On Wednesday, Edwin took us to the fish farm. Like every trip in Guatemala, the countryside is beautiful and a truck full of gringos attracts a lot of attention. Some just stare, some giggle and wave, and usually we hear at least one call out, "gringos!" The fish farm is also a day trip destination with a pool and horseback rides and a little zoo. Last year it seemed to have only birds and an iguana. This year there was a puma who did not look happy and a coyote who was even less amused. The parrots stole the show. They whistled at all of of us -- even the guys -- and very plainly said, "Hola." We were only there for fish and a quick look at the animals but it was an interesting cultural experience.

Thursday was our day for some fun. Rob, Sharon, and the kids were leaving Friday so this was our last day to enjoy a treat. After the breakfast dishes were done, we loaded up the van and truck and drove. We drove and drove and drove. Our destination was Nebaj way up the Cuchumatanes. Lindsey, Rachel, Karen and I had been to Nebaj once before. It's one of those communities that anthropologists used to study for it indigenous peoples.

About eleven years ago, Edwin decided he wanted to take some of us to Nebaj. One of his brothers had done ministry there and it seemed like a good time for us to check it out. We drove about four hours over mostly dirt roads. When we arrived, the Parque Central was fenced off for renovation. There really wasn't much to see so we got a snack and went home. When I posted to Facebook that we were taking a day trip to Nebaj, Lindsey quipped, "were you that desperate for a Pepsi?" Karen's commented, "was that the place we went for a coke?"  So much for their memories of Nebaj. I wish they could have been with us Thursday.

Like eleven years ago, we drove several hours but the roads are much better and the country side is breathtaking. The real surprise still awaited us. We parked the van in the city and continued driving. This time we were on dirt roads. We finally arrived at a dairy farm named Hacienda Mil Amores -- Thousand Loves. The family who owns it operates a sort of bed and breakfast. We sat down in a beautiful dining room at an enormous table and were fed an amazing meal. We started with soup which was probably a cream of some kind of squash. It was wonderful. Next came the main course: thin melt in your mouth grilled to perfection steak, rice, and a cucumber and tomato salad. At the same time we got tortillas with fresh cheese melted between them. Dessert was a pudding of some kind. We think it was rice but whatever it was, it was delicious. The meal, the home, the countryside, and the company blended to create a little slice of heaven on earth. For me, Nebaj is no longer a long way to get a coke. I hope someday I can share it with my children. 

Friday brought the changes. The Bradford family left very early and the Canadians finally arrived. That's the subject of my next blog. For now it's way past time for bed. The house is quiet. I'm the only one up.  We are getting up early in the morning to pack the truck and head to Agua Dulce for three days. The laundry is almost done and it's my time to sleep!

Blessings!

 


Monday, July 7, 2014

Week 1 (plus a few days) Part 2 -- 2014



My last post ended rather abruptly and I apologize for that. I wasn't sure at the time why, but I just felt like I needed to get out and walk. I took a route that I don't usually take -- just wanted to see another part of the street. I had gotten a couple of blocks from my hotel home when I heard someone say, "Ms. Kennedy??!!" I don't usually hear that when I am walking around Antigua but I found myself walking right up to Christina Hunter, a Cary Christian School graduate who was a student of mine for at least two years. 

Do you believe in divine appointments? I certainly do and I know this was one. Neither of us knew the other was in Antigua. Christina spent a week in Guatemala last summer and, as she told me when I saw her afterward, she came to understand why I love this country so much. This summer she has the opportunity to do two weeks of language school in Antigua and then she will be working in Guatemala City teaching English to children for about four weeks. She was just finishing her first week. Just running into Christina was remarkable. I see my students -- present and former -- out and about in Apex and Cary sometimes but not in Guatemala. I couldn't stop hugging her. 

We arranged to meet Sunday and have a meal. What a blessing it was to share her experiences and hear more about her ministry. Six weeks is a long time to be away from home but, as Christina said, it will go by so fast while on the other hand, there's still five more weeks. I understand that. I do get homesick sometimes too. I miss my kids, my home, my dogs and my cats, yet, I cannot imagine a whole year going by without being in Guatemala. It's part of who I am. It's good for me to learn that I cannot hold anything or anyone tightly. Everything belongs to God and it is His concern to hold it. My hands are to remain open to receive and give back. 

This is my last night in Antigua. The day started with a jolt. Literally. An earthquake. The quake was off the coast of Mexico but we felt it in Guatemala. The team in Huehue woke up to it as well. This is the second quake I have felt in Antigua. Apparently I slept through a strong one in Guatemala City a few years ago but then I also slept through Hurricane Katrina which went right over my house. 

The Huehue team came to Antigua this afternoon on their way to Guatemala City. They return home to Kalamazoo, Michigan, tomorrow. I enjoyed hanging out with a group of them. I especially enjoyed exploring the ruins of the cathedral in Parque Central. To say that it is awesome to stand in the middle of the ruins of a 16th century cathedral seems like a cliche but it's hard to express it any other way. Even in this state they have a majestic beauty. They have gone through many very strong earthquakes which have reduced them to the ruin state they are now in and yet the grandeur and workmanship is still evident.

I have actually been in the country for twelve days so far. I have spent each the past six days in Antigua walking several hours just enjoying the sites. Tomorrow I will return to Huehue. Two weeks from tomorrow I am scheduled to return home. It's going by so fast, but there's still fourteen more days. I wonder what divine appointments are ahead. I'm grateful for the ones I have already had. 

Blessings!

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Week 1 -- 2014




My first week in Guatemala seems like it was spent on the road. Between Thursday when I arrived and Wednesday (the 2nd), I made four trips on the Pan American Highway between Guatemala City and Huehue -- three of them on the bus. 

When you mention "the bus" to people who know Guatemala, they usually think "chicken bus." The chicken buses are old American school buses which have been retired by school systems across our country as no longer reliable/acceptable, or whatever the reason. These buses are purchased in the US and driven to Guatemala where they are resurrected into bus glory. They are brightly painted and encased in chrome which generally shines. The owner adds his own mark by writing something on the windshield such as "Dios es mi pastor," The Lord is my shepherd. Whether it is actually true or not is beside the point, though it is usually the sentiment of the driver/owner and it is meant help protect the bus. The amount of miles and wear put onto these buses prove that they are are not really unreliable. They are driven daily around mountain roads that twist and turn, through potholes that would destroy a car and loaded inside and outside with people, animals and many baskets of goods.

Chicken buses are the main mode of transportation for the average person in Guatemala particularly on market days. They are cheap to ride and easy to find. These buses which are meant to hold 40 American school children usually have 80+ riders -- and the person beside you might be holding chickens -- thus the name. Of course, "cheap" is a relative term and to someone who makes an average of $300USD per month, even 25 to  45 cents is a hardship. 

I have ridden chicken buses (that's a story for another day) but when I go between Huehue and Guatemala City, I go first class: Los Halcones -- the Falcons. I pay Q85 or about $11.50 for the trip which takes about 5-1/2 to 6 hours. To me, that is cheap but to the average Guatemalan it is prohibitive. Unlike the chicken buses, Los Halcones makes only one stop -- at the Rapi Comida Santa Rita -- for the driver to eat and rest. They have cleanish bathrooms and decent food -- best moshe I've had in a very long time. (Moshe is Guatemalan oatmeal.) Where the chicken buses stop for any possible passenger, Los Halcones only takes passengers from their depots. The buses are basically comfortable and usually provide music or a movie for entertainment. Los Halcones has a very good track record for safety and security. 

My first bus ride was to Huehue on the day I flew into Guatemala on Thursday, the 26th. Friday I slept. I took a four hour nap and went to bed at 9:00 (though that is 11:00 NC time). Saturday I traveled by van to Guatemala City with five of the Kalamazoo group who were flying home on Sunday. Sunday night, two young men arrived to join the remaining team members in Huehue. We rode the 7:00 a.m. bus on Monday arriving in Huehue just in time for a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

Late Monday afternoon we had an outing. Generally we go to a hot springs in Aguas Calientes just outside the state line of Huehuetenango. This time we went to another hot spring about an hour ride by four wheel truck from the city. We parked the trucks and hiked  steep trails finally reaching a cow pasture (being careful where we stepped because most of us were wearing flip flops) and just beyond that a small spring house. The water is very warm and feels very good to achy bones and muscles. I had been to that location about eight years ago with Lindsey and a small group from several locations. Of course we had to hike back to the trucks but the warm water was rejuvenating especially for the group who have an average age of about 21 -- if you exempt Edwin and me. I think we were the only ones over the age of 40. 

Tuesday, I had the chance to walk to the market in Huehue. I was looking for an umbrella. That's a bad thing to forget when traveling in the rainy season. My search was successful and I reaped the reward my first night in Antigua (Wednesday night) when I was caught in a total downpour and had to walk several block to my hotel. I was soaked to the bone and had to wring out my shirt and pants. I think my shoes have just dried out.

That's enough for now -- I am eager to get back to exploring Antigua which will be my next report -- Lord willing of course.

Blessings to you all!!


Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Recap: And I'm Off -- Take 2




Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. . . . .   Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

If anyone had asked me on Tuesday (June 24th), "When are you going to Guatemala?" my answer would have been, "Tomorrow." My ticket was for June 25th. That's when I planned to leave but the truth of James 4:13-15 became reality for me just as I was about to leave for the airport. 

Wednesday morning, about 4:30, the car was loaded with all my bags and Karen was waiting to drive me to the airport.  I was saying my last goodbyes to my cats and dogs. Just as I leaned down to kiss Riker, he lunged forward and bite my face. My nose looked like it has been sliced and the blood flowed profusely from inside and outside of my nose. This was not part of my plan. My plane was scheduled for 6:45 a.m. That left no time for such emergencies. 

I really had no idea what to do so I went on to the airport -- bleeding all the way. Karen stayed in the car with my luggage on the off chance that I could change my ticket without a hefty penalty. Despite the fact that I was clutching bloody tissues to my face, once in the terminal, I had to wait in the line for the next representative. As I told her my story, she interrupted and asked me if I'd like to fly the next day. My response, "Yes, please! How much?"  Her reply, "No charge. I am changing your ticket now." Apparently they didn't want blood all over the plane ;-)

This was unusual behavior for Riker. He is not a biter. He is rarely aggressive and even then only with other animals who annoy him. He's gotten more jumpy in his old age -- he's 14 now -- and apparently I startled him. Who knew that it was providential and totally for my welfare?!  Apparently the Lord did not want me to leave on Wednesday.

It was good to have another day at home. My injuries were not serious. The nose slice was just a deep scratch and did not go all the way through. The bleeding eventually stopped. I had time to adjust the contents of my luggage, clean my house some and actually get some sleep before traveling. 

My parents did the airport run on Thursday morning. Daddy pulled up to the curbside check in and I was done before he even had time to pull away. Once in Miami, I meandered toward the next gate. My original schedule had a 3+ hour layover in Miami. Gratefully, I checked my ticket in time and it was then that I realized I had a 9:45 flight. It was almost 9:00 already. Of course my gate was at the end of the concourse that required a ride on the train. 

Once at the gate, I checked in to find out what time the plane would land. I had made arrangements to be picked up at the airport based on a much later flight. Once again, Providence smiled upon me. The clerk asked if I would mind sitting in an exit row. Sure -- no problem. Then she said that I had been so nice that she was upgrading me to first class - - - - - - free! My only experience with first class was walking through to get to my seat. I was not only able to reach Edwin to let him know I was coming in earlier, but I was served a meal on real china with real utensils. Since I had not had time to eat between flights, this was a special blessing. 

In Guatemala, I was the third person off the plane and both pieces of my luggage were some of the first to come out. Rudy, my contact, was waiting to take me to put minutes on my phone and then to the bus station. I was originally scheduled to take the 3:30 bus on Wednesday. Edwin had changed my reservation to Thursday at 3:30. Since I came in so early, Rudy changed my ticket to 1:00. Then I found out that there was another Huehue bound traveler joining me. She had a 2:00 bus ticket. So, of course, I changed my ticket to the 2:00 bus to travel with Melanie. The ticket agents were seriously ready to see me leave.

The bus ride was uneventful and we arrived a little tired but with all our luggage and sanity. Gail had a hot meal waiting for us and there were beds made up ready for sleep. 

My plan was to travel on Wednesday. God's plan was Thursday. God's plan was best! I have never had a travel day go so smoothly. So, when am I planning to return from Guatemala? If the Lord wills, I will return on July 22nd. Meanwhile, there are many more adventures ahead - - - if the Lord wills!