Vagabondette

15 September is Independence Day in Guatemala.  As with most festivals in Latin America you could tell there was something coming up because all over town you could hear and see dozens of bands practicing for the big day.

The parade was pretty similar so parades you would see in the US except the music had a much more Latin flair with most bands including marimbas in their lineup.  The notable exception to the Latin music was the bad that played Lady Gaga.

One thing I really noticed was the shoes the women were wearing.  I suppose this is because I find walking on the streets of Antigua to be challenging enough when I’m in sport sandals (the streets here are badly done cobble stones so can be a pain in the ass – sometimes literally) so watching these girls walk this parade on these streets in high heels – in one case, 3″ spikes – was impressive.

One of the bands was really amazing. Not only did they play well but they put on a great show.  They wore black and white uniforms and you can check them out in the video and pictures below!

Like giant sleeping beasts, the volcanoes surrounding Antigua lay silent.  Generally dormant, they vent the occasional burst of smoke or ball of flame and rattle the ground to remind the population of the power which surrounds them.  Word on the street is that another eruption is expected in the near future similar to the one that happened on 28 May 2010.

This photo was taken on 5 September 2010 from the front porch of Earth Lodge.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in the US for almost 10 months!  That’s about 9 more than I had planned or wanted but things don’t always work out as anticipated.  The last months have been full of friends and family and I got to spend significant time with people I rarely see which was wonderful but I’ve been more than ready for the day I could start traveling again.  Today is that day!

As I type this I am winging my way from Chicago to Guatemala City via Fort Lauderdale.  It’s been a challenging summer full of personal and financial losses that have been frustrating and today’s trip started by following that pattern as the ticketing agent demanded proof of ongoing travel before they’d let me board the plane.

This is the first time this has ever happened to me and was immensely frustrating.  After much heated debate and clock watching I finally ended up purchasing a short segment on a Mexican bus line to “prove” that I’d be leaving Guatemala within 90 days.  Thankfully I’m familiar with the bus system in Mexico otherwise I would have been in trouble.  As it was, I made it onto my plane with 5 minutes to spare.  I can only hope that this was the final hurdle and there will be smooth sailing going forward.

After weeks upon weeks in cities I decided it was time to get off the beaten track a bit.  While at the party in Tuxtla I was told about the tiny coastal town of Puerto Arista and I decided it sounded like just the ticket.

Puerto Arista, is located on the Pacific coast and is ideal if you’re looking to just get away.  While I was there, I had the beach to myself during the day – aside from the occasional fisherman – and in the evenings would be joined by a few families who would come out and play in the waves during sunset.

Fresh seafood is the main cuisine in town and is served at a variety of similar looking palapa topped restaurants all facing the beach.  Slide your feet into the sand while downing a cold corona, some fresh shrimp and watching the sunset – it’s not a bad way to spend the evening.

However, if you’re looking for nightlife, this is not the place to be.  I was the only person in most of the restaurants I visited and I would rarely see others when walking to/from my hotel.  It picks up a bit on the weekends and during Mexican holidays but I imagine it’s pretty much always a sleepy little town.

If you need modern conveniences like TV, Internet, shopping, etc. it’s also probably not for you as there is a single place to access the internet and I didn’t see a TV.  There are also not really any markets, just stalls along the side of the road that sell incidentals.

If you’re looking for a spot for swimming, PA is not the place.  While the water is warm and clean and shallow, there is a wicked rip tide that can make standing, much less swimming, treacherous.

Getting there:  You can take a first or 2nd class bus and then you grab a shared taxi (mine held 6 adults and 2 kids) for 15 MXN to the coast.  They’ll drop you either in the center of “town” or for an extra 10 MXN will drop you at your hotel.

After finally having a good night sleep, Lisa and I were ready to go explore.  Katinka had heard about horse back trips to the neighboring village of San Juan de Chamula which is best known for it’s church which is sprinkeled with pine needles and the congregation drinks Pepsi and sacrifices chickens to keep the gods happy. After a bit of comparison shopping we found an outfit that would take us on a 4-5 hour excursion for 100 MXN (@ $8) each.

We met our guide at a restaurant on Real Guadalupe and we followed here to the collectivo which dropped us off at the farm.  They got the horses saddled up and, after all doing a shot of some local liquor (really bad!) we headed out into the hills surrounding San Cris.

The ride was beautiful, through forest and flatlands, passing through farms and small villages.  It was an interesting way to get a closer look at how some of the natives live.  One of the more interesting sites was when we passed the local laundrymat.  All of the local women were out with the kids washing the clothes and eachother in the stream.  It was definitely a world apart from how I’m used to living.

After about 2 hours of riding (on wooden saddles) we finally reached Chamula where we were given an hour to explore.  We visited the tourist office to buy our tickets (20 MXN) and then headed to the Church.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.  The inside of the church is fairly plain, but the walls are lined with statues of different saints and there are hundreds of candles all over the place that people had lit during their prayers.

Because we were there just a few days before Semana Santa (Easter) they were working on preparing the idols that they carry through the city during the parade.  It was interesting to look around, but I think that it was not what we would normally have seen during a visit.  A friend visited 2 weeks later and during his trip he was able to watch a sacrifice being performed for a boy that was sick.

I don’t have any pictures from the inside of the church because taking pictures is strictly forbidden and the locals have been known to damage your camera (or your person) if you get caught.

After exploring the church for a bit, we wandered the local market and relaxed with an ice cream before heading back to the horses for the ride home.

The ride home was harder than the ride out because by this time I was beyond sore.  I haven’t ridden in years and trotting with a wooden saddle just isn’t comfortable.  I didn’t know it then, but I wouldn’t end up walking right again for about 4 days.

Back at the farm we said goodbye to our horses, played with some puppies, and played voyeur to the wonders of nature (some turkeys were mating) before grabbing the collectivo back to town.

It was worth it though and I’d recommend the horse trek as a different way to see some of the countryside and one of the local attractions.

A small city located on the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche looks like someone dumped a large bucket of rainbow sherbet over the town. In the central area, each building is painted a different color ranging from purple to yellow with everything in between. It makes for a very beautiful view as you wander the narrow, winding streets.

We stayed only one night so didn’t get to explore too much but I’d like to come back at some point when it’s cooler and see a bit more of the town. The main square, as with most, is surrounded by shops/restaurants on three sides and a church on the other. There is a stage in the middle of the main square where live music is performed and on the night we were there, a lot of people had gathered to listen and sample some of the cakes from the street vendors. With the lit up church and the light-draped trees, the main square is beautiful at night.

Just a few feet from the main square are some remains of the old fortress walls (they encircle much of the central area and in some spots you can walk along the top to get a better view of the city) and a series of fountains which were lit up in the evening and displaying different colors and water formations.

I didn’t get much sleep that night (see my review of the Monkey Hostel to find out why), so for the first time in a long time I sat up and watched the sun rise and the city come to life. I’d forgotten how peaceful a sunrise can be and enjoyed watching the color spread in the sky behind the cathedral. To further take advantage of the quiet (and cool) morning I decided to get my wandering in early and proceeded to get lost among the windy, pastel colored streets.

The buildings in the central area are beautiful. They each have something that makes them unique. Whether it’s the color, or the shape of the roofline, or the carvings over the doors and windows, or the texture of the walls, they each have something to show that it’s different from its neighbors.

There seems to be a lot of rehabilitation going on in the city which is nice to see. I came across one whole section of street which was several blocks long which was pretty much all under construction. I couldn’t tell if it was both external and internal but it was nice to see things being repaired. It fits with what I was told about the government paying to repaint the city with its unique colors each year.

After 9 weeks in Merida I’m finally moving on. I learned a lot from my time there and, in the final three weeks, met some really amazing people. I improved my Spanish, learned a ton about Mexican history, I learned how to make tamales, I met people from over a dozen different countries, I had dinner with someone I’d not seen in 17 years and I saw beautiful things.

I’ll miss it and I have a feeling I’ll be back, but it was time to change. I’ve set out southwest with some friends and will probably be settling in San Cristobal de las Casas next. I’m looking forward to a break from the heat and humidity and to exploring the beauty that Chiapas is known for. But first, Campeche, home of my friend Rafael.