In Loving Memory of Abuela

Our hearts continue to go out to our compadres in Guatemala. Humberto's mother, "Abuelita" (little grandmother) to the kids, passed away Sunday at the age of 75. She is the matriarch of the alley on which the whole family lives.

Abuelita

When we first met her, Humberto warned us that, having lived through the terrible Guatemalan civil war in the '80's and '90's, when Mayans were persecuted and even massacred, she was wary of outsiders. He meant this in case we perceived her as unfriendly to us in some way, because we are foreigners. But the truth is that she never did. She was always very polite to us. We weren't able to communicate much with her in words, because of our poor Spanish. But she soon saw how much we loved her grandchildren, and that was what mattered to her. Sometimes actions speak louder than words, and we feel that she accepted us as members of the family.

Family Visit to La Aurora Zoo

We shared some fun times with her over the past 5 years: baptism parties for Aracely and then Eddy, Vanesa's quinceañera, a trip to the zoo in Guatemala City, a New Year's Eve Party, and a joint birthday party for Yasmin and Paola. We also went to the family's farmland in San Gabriel (outside of Panajachel), where she had grown corn and coffee since Humberto was a child. She harvested enough corn to supply her and her chickens through a year, and they would sell the coffee that they grew.

Abuelita and Eddy at Eddy's christening

Most recently, we had gone on a family picnic at a gorgeous lakeside villa.Toward the end of the day, she was sitting in a chair on the green lawn overlooking the gorgeous Lake Atitlan and its surrounding volcanoes. She looked totally at peace. This is how we will remember her.

Abuelita relaxing at Lake Atitlan

It is sad that she had to experience the loss of her great-grandson David in the weeks leading up to her death. She had been in declining health for the past year or two, and maybe she decided it was time for her to go as well, to continue to look after David.

In Loving Memory of David

We received devastating news from Guatemala on Tuesday: David, Humberto and Paulina’s 4-year-old nephew and the kids’ cousin, passed away unexpectedly. We have limited information about the circumstances, but it seems that he injured his leg a week prior. It was still bothering him Tuesday morning, so his parents took him to the doctor. After several tests, the doctor said all looked fine and they sent him home. Later in the day, his condition worsened. They brought him back to the hospital, where he passed away.

David and his parents Blanca and Pablo live several doors down from Humberto and family. David was often outside playing with his cousins. We really got to know the three of them starting this past January, when we visited for New Year’s. They came to Humberto and Paulina’s New Year’s Eve party, and to Yasmin and Paola’s joint birthday party the following day. When we visited last month for the 4^th of July, they came to a house party at Humberto and Paulina’s, and we also spent a day with them at a villa on Lake Atitilan, having a cookout and swimming and kayaking.

David was a very sweet child. Craig and I joked that he was my boyfriend, because he seemed to have a little crush on me. He often tried to get my attention by calling “Hola Stephanie! Hola Stephanie!” and he wasn’t satisfied until I specifically addressed him with “Hola David!” In fact, the last time we saw him and his parents and grandmother was when we went out for pizza with the family the night before we returned home. We were finishing up our meal when they arrived at the restaurant. We all waved to one another and we stopped by their table as we  left. David was not satisfied with a greeting addressed to the entire family; he kept calling “Hola Stephanie!” until I specifically addressed him by name.

It is hard to believe that this vibrant doe-eyed little boy no longer graces the earth with his presence. He always had a smile for us and we will remember him fondly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family during this difficult time. We are heartbroken.

Aracely and David

Tyson and David Visit

Tyson and David at the Black Lobster in Salem

Last week, probably the hottest week of the entire summer, Tyson and David visited from Utica, New York. Tyson has been a dear friend of mine since middle school, and this was our first opportunity to meet David.

They arrived on Saturday and we spent the afternoon and evening huddled around the air conditioner catching up on each others' lives. Steve stopped at the Sea Witch for some take-out and we enjoyed fried seafood and a round of drinks.

On Sunday, Tyson, David, and I took a drive to Salem to do the tourist thing. The record-breaking heat was in the 90's, but at least there was a sea breeze. We went into some of the unique shops and then took David to the Salem Witch Museum. This is a museum which illustrates the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 through a series of tableaux of wax figures (though not to be confused with the Salem Wax Museum). It is delightfully kitschy; some of the wax figures look like they could actually have been made in 1692 and the audio recording is over-the-top with melodrama. But it still manages to convey the history of the area in an entertaining manner. After that, we were brought in smaller groups through a second, newer exhibit called "Witches: Evolving Perceptions." It traced the evolution of a witch stereotype from an ancient Celtic midwife to the witch in Grimm's fairy tales, to the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, to modern-day practitioners of Wicca.  It highlighted other times in history when certain groups were used as scapegoats, and urged keeping an open mind. However, as David pointed out, all of that  "don't stereotype" message kind of went out the window when you enter the gift shop and see rampant commercialization of the stereotypical witch image.

Tyson in a stockade, Salem

After that we walked around some more. We walked down the jetty past the replica of the Friendship (a 1797 merchant sailing ship) out to the Derby Wharf Lighthouse. Then we went to Ye Olde Pepper Companie Candies, America's oldest candy company, since 1806. Its cool, air conditioned interior smelled so good. There was a sign on the door restricting entrance to 10 students at a time, and we realized what a nightmare this store must be during field trips. We bought some candy (the dark chocolate covered espresso beans are fabulous) and then walked down the street to the House of Seven Gables. We were tired and didn't really have a tour left in us, but we sure could use something cold and refreshing. So we stopped at Captain Dusty's Ice Cream, where the guys got cones and I had a vanilla ice cream soda.. On the walk back to the car, the guys bought a case of Ipswich Ale at Bunghole Liquors. On the drive home, we stopped at Market Basket so that Tyson could stock up on Moxie.

That night, we went to the Black Lobster in Salem for dinner. We ate outside on their patio right on the water. We enjoyed some drinks and their pepper calamari as an appetizer. Tyson and Craig got the twin lobsters, David got a fisherman's plate, and I got baked scallops. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the local color as fishermen and biker chicks pulled up to the dock.

Craig's twin lobsters, the Black Lobster, Salem

After dinner it was starting to sprinkle rain, but we stopped at Salem Willows for some dessert. Craig got an ice cream, David got a slush, and Tyson had some fried dough. I was too stuffed from dinner to eat anything. We passed the arcades and bumper cars and walked down the dock where people were fishing by flashlight.

Unfortunately, Craig and I had to work the next morning. Tyson and David went to Rockport for the day and enjoyed the coast. We met up back at the house in the evening and hung out. On Tuesday, they went to Gloucester for a whale watch. The last time Tyson had been on a whale watch was a 6th grade field trip (that I didn't go on) when they got caught in a storm, saw no whales, and virtually the whole class got seasick. Luckily, this one turned out a lot better. It was supposed to hit 97 degrees today, but it was quite comfortable for them out on the water. They saw seven whales and had a fantastic time. On Wednesday, they went into Boston for the day and we met up back at the house in the evening.

It was a fantastic visit and we miss them already!

A Week in Panajachel, Guatemala

Yoselin, Humberto, Aracely, Eddy, Paola, Vanesa, Paulina, and Yasmin at Lake Atitlan

We just returned from an incredibly enjoyable week-long visit with Humberto, Paulina, and the kids in Guatemala. The trip started out on the right foot when we got a surprise upgrade to first class on the first flight. Our connecting flight in Houston was a bit delayed, but we still arrived in Guatemala City in the early afternoon. After a three hour van ride, we arrived in Panajachel at around 5:30 p.m. to find Humberto, Paulina, and the kids (Vanesa, Paola, Yasmin, Yoselin, and our godchildren Aracely and Eddy) waiting for us.



Even though we had been there a mere 6 months ago, much had changed since our last visit. All of the kids had gotten taller. Aracely's burgeoning English skills were even better! Humberto had made various improvements to the guest rooms, and Vanesa and Paola were now sharing one of these rooms. In sadder news, Terri the dog had passed away.

Eddy, Steph, and Aracely at Lake Atitlan

Yoselin and Yasmin at Lake Atitlan

We spent the first few days around the house, playing with the kids and enjoying as many hugs as we could get. We made several visits to the local market with Paulina, Eddy, and Aracely to buy fresh food.  On Sunday the whole family walked down to beautiful Lake Atitlan. The four youngest kids got to play on a trampoline and we all got some ice cream while we took in views of the stunning volcano-rimmed lake. They are so lucky to live right down the street from a world-renowned destination.

Paola and Vanesa cooking dinner

Aracely, Abuelita, Eddy, and Paulina

On Tuesday, we went with Eddy, Aracely, Humberto, and  Paulina to the soccer field for some exercise. On the walk home we stopped in to see Paulina's sisters' house. We saw Olga and her kids Pamela, Juan Isidro, and little toddler Allison Margarita. We also saw Estela and her girls Loren and Laisa. Estela has a new baby, little Michelle, who is tiny for a seven-month-old. She has a wonderful disposition and I enjoyed holding her.

Craig, Vanesa, Humberto, Paola, Paulina, Yoselin, Yasmin, and Aracely

On Wednesday night, we went to Paulina's sister Isabela's new restaurant. It is right around the corner from Humberto's house, on Rancho Grande. She previously had a place up near the market, but she just moved to this location last week; it's so new she doesn't even have a sign. We showed up with a party of 10 and took over the place.  She made fantastic tacos with soft corn tortillas, chicken, onions, and peppers.  The kids had fun watching their aunt cook in the kitchen and then playing in the restaurant.

Isabela's daughter Heidy came in to help her make all the food, and Heidy's husband then showed up with their adorable little kids Chino and Diana. All of the kids played together and there was much laughter as they chased each other around the restaurant, playing soccer with a bottle cap. Eddy pretended to cook food and took people's orders. Humberto, Paulina, and Craig shared some large bottles of Gallo beer. It was a wonderful time with lots of laughs which culminated with Paola squeezing 3 limes into the remnants of Humberto's beer while he was in the bathroom. It was great to get to patronize Isabela's restaurant, and we wish her the best in her new location. As Humberto says, "When you're good, the locals find you." She is an amazing cook, and the bill was quite reasonable considering the mountain of food, 3 grande bottles of beer, and about 7 sodas that were consumed.

Dinner at Isabela's restaurant

On Friday night, Humberto and Paulina threw a party at the house and invited both of their families. We had met many of them during previous visits, at Eddy and Aracely's baptisms, Vanesa's quinceanera, and this past New Year's Eve party. It was great to see everyone again: Humberto's nephew Victor, his wife Rosa, and their kids Julisse, Alex, Andrik, and Neli, Humberto's other nephew Juan, his wife Yolanda, and their kids Junior and Fatima, Humberto's sister-in-law Prisceda, her daughter Blanca and husband Pablo with their son David, Paulina's brother Carlos and his wife Vilma and daughters Erica and Elizabeth, Paulina's sister Olga and her kids Pamela, Juan Isidro, and Allison Margarita, Paulina's sister Estela and daughters Laisa, Yesmy, Loren, and baby Michelle as well as some friends and their daughter Gisele. Humberto's mother also attended, which was very nice as her health hasn't been that great lately.

We feel so accepted by both families. Even though our poor Spanish makes it more difficult to communicate, we share smiles and laughs. We love all of their kids and give them each some candy when they arrive. Even with so many people present, circumstances don't always allow everyone to attend,  and they are missed. Humberto's sister Juana and her daughter Rocio (who used to be inseparable with Humberto's kids) were not there this time.

The kids all had a blast with our netbook and our older camera. The women cooked up some excellent blackened chicken on the grill along with fresh home-made guacamole, rice, and corn tortillas. The adults enjoyed Gallo beer and rum and orange juice. A lot of the guests had also been at the New Years Eve party so I showed them the video that we made out of pictures from that party. They got a kick out of seeing themselves in silly 2012 plastic sunglasses. Before we knew it, it was 4 a.m. Vanesa and Yasmin were the last kids standing, after others had long since gone to bed.

Gisele, Steph, Fatima, Craig, and Loren at the party

At 9 the next morning Humberto had made an appointment for us to visit Atitlan Multicultural Academy. Aracely will be starting her third year there in the fall (1st grade), and Eddy will be starting preschool.  Every time we have visited within the past two years, the school had been closed for vacation, so this was our first time to see the interior of the renovated hotel which houses the school. The school is also under new ownership, so this waas our chance to meet some of the staff and learn about their plans for the school. The new leadership consists of a group of passionate "founding parents" whose children have graduated from AMA. They were quite nice and we could tell what a "family" the small school is.

We have been very impressed with Aracely's education thus far. Her spoken English is amazing. Her reading and writing abilities are impressive, especially given that she knew no English before attending, and now she is totally immersed. In kindergarten, she was doing the equivalent of pre-algebra ( 19 -  ___ = 12)!?!  We are  very excited for her, and we are also excited that Eddy gets to start attending at age 4 in the fall. He seems ready; at the house we did several activities with him and although he can be very intense and impulsive at times, he does have an attention span necessary to complete quiet activities.

Vanesa and Yoselin on the boat

Kayaking on beautiful Lake Atitlan

After our visit to the school, we went back to the house and quickly got our things together for an outing. Humberto's nephew Victor and his wife Rosa are caretakers at a beautiful set of rental villas right on Lake Atitlan (Villa B'alam Ya). They had invited the family for a day of relaxation there since none of the villas were currently occupied, and were kind enough to include us. So shortly after 11 o'clock, Humberto, Paulina, their 6 kids, Blanca, Pablo, and David, Prisceda and Humberto's mother got onto a private lancha (boat) which brought us to the villas.

Rosa, Prisceda, Eddy, and Paulina at the grill at Villa B'alam Ya

Paulina, Aracely, Rosa, Pablo, Victor, Blanca, Prisceda, and Craig enjoying lunch at Villa B'alam Ya

As you step off the dock, you step onto an inviting span of nicely manicured lawn. Victor, Rosa, and their kids Andrik and Neli were there waiting for us. We disembarked and Neli, Victor, and Rosa gave us a tour of two of the four villas. They are absolutely gorgeous - a mixture of modern and traditional architecture and interior design.  Rosa and Paulina were cooking in the modern well-appointed kitchen of the biggest villa. Every room had patios and terraces with exquisite views of the lake and volcanoes.

Humberto, Pablo, and the kids were swimming and taking kayaks out for a ride. Craig and I hadn't realized the nature of the place, and had left our bathing suits back at the house. We decided to just go for it, and we took a two person kayak out for a quick spin and followed that up with full-fledged swimming in our clothes. Afterwards we headed back up to the large villa for lunch of grilled steak and fresh guacamole. We enjoyed the tranquility of the place and the gorgeous vistas until 4:30, when we took the boat back to Panajachel.

Paulina and Eddy at Villa B'alam Ya

To celebrate the last night of our visit, we took Humberto, Paulina, and the kids out for pizza. It is always bittersweet to have to say goodbye, and the kids were a bit solemn at dinner. We had a wonderful visit and can't wait to go back. We appreciate the hospitality and love shown to us by the entire family. Panajachel is truly a home away from home.

Farewell pizza dinner

In the News: Galapagos, Bhutan, and Mali

There have been several news stories within the past week that have hit close to home for us, as they involve places that we have visited over the past few years.

In the Galapagos, Lonesome George, the 100-year-old Pinta giant tortoise who was the last living member of his subspecies (Chelonoidis abingdoni), passed away on June 24. Repeated attempts to get him to reproduce during the 40 years that he was under the care of the Galapagos National Park were unsuccessful, and his subspecies is now extinct. A cause of death is not currently known.

The tortoises in the Galapagos evolved into different subspecies on the different islands, with unique characteristics specialized for their particular environments. In the 1800’s, humans killed tortoises on the islands to the point of near extinction. Some tortoises were removed and given to zoos around the world. In fact, the Pinta subspecies was thought to be extinct until Lonesome George was discovered on Pinta island in 1971. In 1972, park rangers brought him to the Tortoise Center (now the Charles Darwin Research Station) on Santa Cruz. The hope was that a female Pinta tortoise could be found (perhaps even in a zoo in another country, if not in the wild). When this didn’t happen, they found the giant tortoise subspecies which is closest to the Pinta tortoise (the Española tortoise). Females were placed in the same enclosure as Lonesome George, but they were unsuccessful at breeding.

This is what I wrote about him during our visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island:

As we continued along the various walkways, we were gazing down into the pens and admiring all the birds that darted in and out of the trees. Soon we reached a rather large viewing platform and wondered what it was used for. The pen seemed empty on first glance but then it all became clear. This pen was the home of the research station's most famous resident, Lonesome George. He is the sole survivor of the subspecies of Pinta tortoises, who so far has been unable to successfully reproduce. The station has not given up on George and regularly attempts to mate him with the next closest subspecies. Visitors are not able to enter his enclosure, but there is a raised viewing platform which overlooks his paddock. He has a reputation for being pretty shy, and was so far away from the viewing platform that it was difficult to see him in his enclosure. We could barely make out his shape from afar. We tried inspecting his pen from various angles but nothing offered a nicer view of him. In the end we had to settle for just a glimpse of the real George, so we decided to pick up a postcard for a more detailed view.

Lonesome George was seen as a mascot for the good work that the scientific community is doing to try to conserve the biodiversity of the Galapagos. His loss is sad, but his memory will live on and will inspire future generations not to let this happen again.

Lonesome George's Enclosure April 2008

On the other side of the world, in Bhutan, Wangdue Phodrang Dzong, the third oldest dzong (fortress/monastery/government building) in Bhutan, burned to the ground. It had been built in 1638. When we visited it in 2007, we wrote the following:

This monastery hasn't been restored, and the paintings on the walls are centuries old. They are protected behind curtains, but you are allowed to pull the curtains aside to view them. They have aged remarkably well and the colors are still surprisingly vivid. There was a golden statue of Buddha, a bit smaller than ones we had seen in previous dzongs. Young monks were chanting, reading from long narrow cards written in dzongkha. One monk was beating a drum. It was mesmerizing and we felt entranced. I couldn't help feeling a bit awkward, like we were intruding on something private and spiritual. I think this was because it was the first time we were witnessing something like this alone; unaccompanied by Dorji. The monks didn't seem to mind our presence at all, and we made sure to be very quiet and respectful, minimizing our movements and just watching a listening to the scene unfolding around us.

After soaking up the atmosphere inside the monastery, we went back to the courtyard and spun the old prayer wheels, some of which were off axis and looking rather worse for wear. It was nice to see an older (non-restored) dzong. Though the restored ones are gorgeous, this one somehow felt more authentic. As we walked through the courtyard, we noticed a small tan cat relaxing in the rafters. I took pictures of some young monks as they brushed their teeth with sticks, and they corrected my pronunciation of "thank you" in dzongkha.

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong October 2007

Thankfully, many relics were able to be saved. People hoisted statues out of windows with ropes, and put other relics into safe boxes and dropped them from the roof. Apparently the architecture made it difficult to fight the fire efficiently, and the entire structure was lost. The Bhutanese are mourning the loss of this historic ediface, and our thoughts are with them. They plan to rebuild, but obviously much has been lost. They think that the fire may have started with an electrical short.  Photos of the fire appear on  KuenselOnline.

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong October 2007

And then there is Mali, the west African country whose government has been overthrown, launching the country into a state of chaos. The north of the country (including the historic city of Timbuktu) is under siege, fought over by Tuareg rebels and Islamist militants. Refugees have fled to other countries, and internally displaced persons have fled south within Mali. The Tuaregs want to secede from Mali, and have declared their own independent state which they call Azawad. Islamist militants want to impose sharia law over northern Mali, whereas Mali’s general population follows a more liberal form of Islam with a secular government. Timbuktu contains historic architecture as well as priceless collections of ancient manuscripts, which UNESCO believes are now in danger of looting and destruction.

We received an e-mail from our friend Daniel, the director of the Kori-Maounde school in Dogon country near Bandiagara. Their village has taken in internally displaced persons from the north, and their scarce resources are having to be stretched even further. As if this wasn’t enough, locusts are currently plaguing Mali, making the problem of food scarcity even worse. Chemicals and vehicles normally used for pest control have been destroyed by rebels, so there is no recourse against the insects.

Our friends in Mali (Daniel, Timothee, Bahini, Bouba, El Hadj, as well as all of the wonderful villagers from Kori-Maounde) are in our thoughts and prayers. Our friend Anna Taft at the Tandana Foundation is raising money to provide sacks of food for communities in Mali. Tandana is a grassroots organization that planned our service project in Kori-Maounde back in 2009. It’s a tax-deductible donation which can help directly with food security in the area.

Djingereber Mosque, Timbuktu January 2009