Guatemala

In 2007 I spent two months studying Spanish in Guatemala. I loved Guatemala and my vocabulary improved although irregular verbs kicked my butt. I met some wonderful people, including a retired American couple who had served as PCV in Guatemala. They were a big factor in my decision to spend my 60th birthday in the Peace Corps.

Last Friday, the Pacaya volcano erupted. Saturday, a tropical storm hit. People died, homes were destroyed and more damage is expected. I sent an email to my friends Mily and Jorge Mario from Escuela de Espanol Cooperacion in Antigua yesterday but haven't gotten a response yet. I'm hoping it's because they're safe at home, without internet access. One thing I'm sure of is that Guatemaltecos are tough and will come through this. I'll be praying that their recovery is swift.

Here are some photos from my time there.

The hills near Antigua are covered with fields of produce. It was tough to come back to the expensive, so-so stuff at Publix after shopping at the mercado every day for locally grown produce sold for pennies.

I became friends with Nino in Santiago de Atitlan. He founded this pre-school and took me there to join the kids in creating special masks for Valentine's Day. They were performing a chicken dance in this shot.

At the mercado in Solola (near Lake Atitlan) many of the men wore traditional dress. The fabric is woven on back-strap looms and hand-embroidered.

Lake Atitlan is in the Guatemalan highlands. There are several villages surrounding the lake. San Antonio Palapo was especially hard hit by the weekend storm, with a number of lives lost.

It is difficult to walk down a street in Antigua and not see a volcano.