Guatemala, and Beginning the End

I just boarded the ship for the last time. It's another reminder that this voyage is really in its final stages. That is a very sad prospect. Jonathan said something very wise, though, that I'm trying to follow. He said his goal for this final week is to concentrate on making the days the happiest and most memorable that they can be, rather than wasting time moping. So the promise I've made myself is that I'm going to be honest and admit to myself when I get down about the voyage ending. But then I'm going to consider what's making me sad and try to turn it around. I'm going to miss so many of the people I've met on the ship. So I'm going to spend as much time with them as I can. I'm going to miss a lot of the faculty I've gotten to know on a personal level. So I'm not going to miss any chance to let them know how much they've taught me and helped me grow. I'm going to miss all the ship's crew, so I'm going to tell them how grateful I am for their insanely hard work. I'm also going to miss you, dear reader, so I'm really going to make a strong effort to post a lot in these last few days, and catch up with some of the things I've skipped over.

OK, Guatemala.

Guatemala was unexpectedly fantastic, and probably the most pleasant surprise of the voyage. Before we arrived, we were overwhelmed with warnings about violence and crime within the country. Luckily I've gotten better at taking that info with a grain of salt, and interpreting it as simply a caution, instead of letting it create a negative bias of the entire culture. So I entered Guatemala determined to keep an open mind, and to find redeeming qualities of the country. Surprisingly, my experience of the country was on the complete other end of the spectrum...I felt safe and at home the entire time we were there.

The night before we arrived, I didn't have a single plan. That's another thing I've gotten good at as a result of this voyage: being comfortable with open (or nonexistent) plans. Ari showed up at our room, and he, Jonathan, and I decided that we would spend our time in La Antigua Guatemala, which is a city about an hour's drive north of Puerto Quetzal, where the ship was docked. Antigua was the colonial Spanish capital of Central America, and is a main tourist destination of Guatemala.

On the first morning, we revived our skills at taxi haggling, and spent a good half an hour holding our ground against a crowd of drivers. Our patience paid off, and we got a decent fare. Our guy drove way way fast. (I realized that driving in the US is going to be completely boring.)

When we arrived in Antigua, my first impression was that the city was too small to be the hot tourist destination we had read about. The cobblestone streets were narrow, and the entire city was only seven blocks square. There's a pretty central park, a couple of active churches, as well as a haunting one that was destroyed in an earthquake ages ago. The city was probably the most culturally diverse I saw on this voyage, because it's a hub for every tourist that visits Guatemala.

We found a hotel pretty quickly, and spent the rest of the first day exploring the city. We ran into SaS students often and had lunch with some. We found a great place for dinner called The Travel Menu, which is geared to travelers and owned by a friendly Danish guy. They served the best Guacamole I've ever eaten (it was so good that I accidentally capitalized it in this sentence.)

A big attraction near Antigua is the volcano called Pacaya, which is actively flowing and a popular hiking spot. We booked a 6 am tour, and at the hotel that night we played a great game of Settlers of Catan, which Jonathan had brought in his luggage.

We woke up before sunrise the next morning for our volcano tour. All fourteen people on the tour were SaS students. I had intended to sleep during the hour-long drive but the bumpy cobblestone streets shook us all up, so we ate stale bagels and got to know each other. We met our guide once we arrived at the volcano (which wasn't immediately visible). He didn't speak much english, but we got by pretty well with Ari's translation. The climb took about 90 minutes, first through forresty areas which then thinned out into open cascades of volcanic rock. Eventually we could see the volcano in the distance, with red glowing highlights and steam where lava flowed. It got difficult to climb as we neared the vents, because the porous rocks got smaller and less stable. When we arrived at the lava flow, I was awestruck. I really don't think I can do the experience justice through words. It's a sight like no other, to see rock dripping and flowing. The heat was intense. It was unbearable to be closer than five feet for more than a few seconds. Some students brought marshmallows and sticks, and could toast a marshmallow from about a meter away within two seconds. Jonathan poured water on the ground nearby the lava flow, and it boiled and steamed instantly. It felt disarming to interact with a natural force that is so powerful and unstoppable.

Tired from the long hike, we all slept during the return drive. Jonathan, Ari and I wandered the streets looking for a cheap lunch. We eventually decided to return to The Traveler's Menu, temped by that Guacamole. Afterward, we visited one of the churches, which is home to a crucifix with a life-sized figure that is built with movable joints and flowing hair. Every year on Good Friday, they carry it as part of a ceremony, and this marionette Christ kind of dangles his limbs and his hair flows realistically.

We also explored the ruins of a Cathedral, which was haunting. Massive chunks of carvings and stone architecture have fallen, and the former ceiling was open to the sky. We took steps down into what I'm pretty sure was a crypt. It was beautiful and chilling at the same time.

The three of us headed back to our hotel for a nap, and ate dinner at La Pena de Sol Latino, which served us quesadillas and the most delicious brownie in the world, I'm convinced. They had a really good panflute/guitar/bongo band.

We had been running into SaS people everywhere in Antigua, and since it was our last night of the voyage in port, we decided to walk until we found a gathering of people we knew. There was a bar that was packed full of students and professors. Much later in the night, we returned to our hotel for a game of Settlers that we took a lot less seriously.

We woke up late the next morning, checked out, got bagels and a second helping of those delicious brownies, bought hand-stitched slippers, and shared a cab back to the ship with my music/sound professor and his wife.

I was completely satisfied with my time in Guatemala, which I think is a testament to the traveling skills I've developed on this voyage. I've learned to take comfort in a certain amount of confusion and haphazardness, and that it only takes a shift in attitude to change a stressful situation into an amusing one.

That's all I have for now. I know I'll be doing a lot of reflecting as the voyage comes to an end, and I'll do my best to share my thoughts and feelings here. Love to everyone, and thanks for reading.