This purpose of this blog is to share my experiences while working and living in Antigua, Guatemala. Please enjoy!

Monday, May 30, 2011

San Pedro

Work these past few days has been a test of my independence, and patience too. Nest and I have been trying to set up a meeting with their business partner here, La Casa, that coordinates with multiple artisan groups around the country. I had been interested to see Max's workshop in the highlands and how Nest was incorporated to the Guatemalan culture. When I went to see the workshop last week, Max seemed eager to welcome me to his home and workplace, but also apprehensive to immediately start sharing details about La Casa and their entire production process. By conferencing with Nest, myself, and also Max and some of the La Casa staff, one could hope for a more clarified understanding of my purpose in Guatemala and a smooth transition for all parties. Although this meeting couldn't take place last week, I spent most of my time waiting researching other artisan groups in Guatemala that Nest had recommended I look into. All of them seemed really interesting, worth traveling to, and getting to know. However they were fairly spread out around the country, and although Guatemala isn't all that big, I felt more comfortable making my first solo journey to a more feasible location.

I was really interested in a group located in San Juan de la Laguna, right next to the town of San Pedro (an 55 queztal shuttle ride from my hostel). Sonny and Alex, whom I'd met while staying at Villa Esthela, were going to Spanish school in San Pedro as well, so I figured 'por que no'? So, this past weekend I took a break from the "bustle" of Antigua and headed northwest about three hours to the beautiful region of Lake Atitlán. The road there winds back and forth through the highlands of Guatemala - beautiful farmland scattered with quaint little groups of houses and stores. Definitely not the ride for travelers with fair stomachs, the people there drive crazy despite all the blind turns! Towards the end of the trip you come around yet another sharp turn, but all of a sudden there is a breathtaking view of an impressively sized lake, completely surrounded with jungly-looking mountains. Between every couple of mountains (one or two of which are volcanoes), lie little towns with populations of anywhere from 3,000 to 40,000. We drove through a couple before we reached San Pedro.

I knew that my friends were staying at a hostel called Hotel Pinnochio, but navigating through San Pedro at first seemed much more difficult than grid-like Antigua. The streets were hardly wide enough for one van, so 3-wheeled tuk-tuks dominated most of the traffic. We were dropped off on a street on which I couldn't find a name for, and were almost immediately surrounded by men and some children who were trying to lead us to various hostels, hoping to earn some commission. Luckily they didn't follow for too long, and about a half hour later I was able to find Pinnochio. At 9:45 the next day, after a great breakfast of local coffee (yummmmm) and banana bread, I took a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride to San Juan, the next town over.
I was meeting Elmy Hernandez to learn about the various artisan groups she was in charge of and the products that they made. I was immediately impressed when I walked into her shop, Xuaan Chi Ya. There was such a variety of products of great-looking quality and design and she seemed eager to inform me about their business.

I noted Elmy's warmness as soon as we got into her office. We sat down and she opened up so easily, describing the community and company to me. According to Elmy, San Pedro is a town of about 12,000 people, 55% of which are women. Aside from crafting, its primary economy is agriculture (coffee, tomatoes, onions, etc.), and is handled by men mainly. After Hurricane Stan in 2005 however, the agricultural market obviously suffered and that of artisan crafts started booming. But, like seen in any old economic situation, a change in the quantity should affect a product's pricing. To this day, many artisan groups struggle with fair pricing; at that time however only certain associations were receiving stable support from government organizations for example, and competition ensued. Eventually, 8 of these groups formed to what is now Xuaan Chi Ya, which Elmy is in charge of.

Xuaan Chi Ya's brand is Los Zumos, which represents the characteristics of strength, essence, vigor, and vitality. The 8 associations of artisans that represent this brand are: Asociación Bellas Cristalinas, Asociación Ixoqajkem, Artesanas de San Jose, Artesanos de San Juan, Manos Especiales, Qomaneel, Rupalaj Kistalin, and Chajil Chapup.

The presence of the Mayan culture struck me as still very prevalent in not only the names of the groups, but also in the town and Elmy's products. She explained to me that in addition to their 2 tourism lines (one for the land and one for the lake), they also worked with medicinal plants and a variety of natural and synthetic materials to make hygiene products and artisanal crafts. When I asked her about all of the products they made, she kept listing them off! Bags (beach and shopping), scarves/shawls, ponchos, make-up bags, purses, laptop cases, satchels, earrings, hammocks, pillows, tablecloths, decorative baskets, napkins, placemats, coasters, aprons, towels, gloves, pot holders, infant attire, soaps, shampoos, teas, candles...the list goes on!
Because there is such a variety of products, Elmy's team uses many different materials and techniques, depending on the product the artisan is making. Cotton, natural sheep wool, maguey (similar to agave), tulle (both the male and female plant), leather, and recycled materials are commonly used.
They use various dyes, some from from a certified producer, and others that are natural and made directly from plants. While some artists learn these skills through workshops, many of them (including Elmy) have been weaving since 8 or 10 years old. The majority of Mayan girls are taught varying artisanal techniques including how to use either a waist or a foot loom, or sewing machines. Because of the fragility of some of the materials or products, as well as the importance of tradition, Elmy's groups use machinery sparingly.

Overall, I left Elmy's very impressed and excited - I am interested to see where Nest wants me to go from here. I'm anxious to have this meeting with Max, La Casa, and Nest so I feel a little bit more productive during the day. Having this "down time" to do more research gives me the freedom to walk around Antigua when I want to, but there is only so much I can find out about a group without a trip there. Hopefully we're all on the same page soon.

So I'm back in Antigua now. The rest of my weekend was pretty relaxing - good and cheap food, lots of hammock lounging, and I took some great pictures! It's funny how my little room with no windows has become such a homey place, it was so great to be back to the hostel...just in time too because I started feeling kind of sick - must have been something I ate. Still waiting patiently to get a better understanding of what I should be doing day by day, but I really am enjoying my time here...taking pictures, sampling food, meeting people from all over. It's strange to think that I have just over a month left!

Friday, May 20, 2011

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page

Since I've been living in the hostel, we have formed a tight-knit group. Last night we all bought food to barbeque on the upstairs terrace - peppers, mushrooms, onions, corn, zucchini, chicken, steaks - and the Swiss couple (literally the nicest people ever), made a pasta salad and another one with cucumbers, onions, cheese, avocados, and tomatoes. Too good.

I've been so impressed with the amount of traveling this group has done, and feel like no words describe the benefits of doing so more than those of St Augustine. Hearing all of their stories, seeing their pictures, and understanding the global lessons they've learned inspires me to continue adventuring as much as possible. Alluring as world traveling may be, I'm reminded of the advice I got from a young Argentine guy I met when my dad and I were traveling in Mendoza. When I asked him if he'd ever been to the US, he'd said no. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but it was important to him that he got to know his own country before exploring too many others. I thought that was so interesting, especially because I'd never really looked at traveling from that perspective. Since then, a goal of mine is to do a cross country trip around the US, as there are still so many places I've yet to go - Colorado (my sister lives in Denver), Chicago (where my other sister lives), California and all the west basically, the deep south, LOTS. Hopefully I could find a travel companion, take my nice new camera along, and make it a point to do this after my graduation in 2012, before the world ends anyway.

Today some of our group is leaving - Sean is still here for a couple more months, and the Swiss couple is leaving tomorrow. Despite the frustration I feel from losing friends just as quickly as I've found them, I'm reminded that I now have that many more people in my network - friends that no doubt will accommodate me if I were (and hope to!) ever travel to their homelands.

In terms of work, yesterday I started doing some research about other artisan groups Nest had recommended throughout Guatemala. I plan to contact them today and hopefully I can go next week to visit a couple of them to learn first-hand more about them and their products. I'll update a list of some of the groups I plan to visit soon! So far, I'm especially interested in the groups around the Lake Atitlan region. A couple of my friends will be staying in that area as well so hopefully I'll be able to meet up with them, explore the area, and understand the crafts of and develop the connection with these potential new Nest artisans.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Night is Still Young, My Friends

The first night at Villa Esthela was enlightening to say the least. I’m a fan of this hostel because it’s busier than the last one I was in, so people are always around and completely friendly to talk to. The guests here are from all around the world – England, Australia, Canada, India, France, Switzerland, USA, Holland, Germany, the list goes on... There’s a bar on the terrace, and last night a very diverse group of us gathered around a table, drank Guatemalan beers and the popular Cuba Libre (rum and Pepsi), roasted marshmallows on the fire, and shared stories upon stories. Juan, one of the managers (and bartenders) here at the hostel is more than entertaining. He is very passionate about his country and opinions, as most people are I suppose, and he loves enlightening us through cliché yet truthful and humorous advice: "The night is still young my friends!" or "To be or not to be: Toquila (Tequila)". He's provided us with plenty of laughs so far. The majority of the guests are here to travel, some for longer periods of time than others. If I have time (and the courage!), I’d love to be able to get out of Antigua and experience more of Guatemala.

Yesterday was Monday, and my first day of work here. Sandra picked me up around 10am from my hostel. After showing me the bus station, how I’d go to and from San Pedro, we made the 45-minute or so trek to the highlands by car. It was so interesting to get out of the colonial lifestyle and city-scope, and see the mountain-highlands and more traditional culture of Guatemala instead. There were farms that seemed to go for miles, workers bent over in the hot and humid sun, dressed in historic Mayan textile patterns. Sandra told me they cultivated a variety of plants like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc.

Once in San Pedro, I was introduced to Max, who works with Nest’s business partner here, La Casa, and his family at their home. Inside his house, which is actually a combination of 3 related families sharing multiple kitchens, bedrooms, dining areas, and living space, there is also a small workshop. Inside there were 4 people (3 women, and 1 man) working on different sewing machines, making Guatemalan shirts for National Geographic. Max (striped shirt), with his son and the 4 workers, along with the shirt they're making for National Geographic. I talked to the workers briefly about the sewing process, where they lived, and how often they worked (8am to 7pm!).

Max’s wife brought Sandra and I along to the local market. San Pedro is notably different than Antigua. The entire time I was there, I didn’t see ONE other foreigner. The market wasn’t too overwhelming, but there were lots of flies – admiring the delicious goods while escaping the heat like the rest of us, I suppose. Women displayed fresh looking fruit and vegetables, cheeses, spices, and breads; meat and more commercial products like clothing were in larger booths on the outer edge of the market.

Max invited Sandra and I to eat with their family. They served us a delicious meat dish (honestly I’m not entirely sure what it was, but they said it was traditional of the area), rice, cheese, and of course tortillas. Dessert was watermelon, but despite my love of fresh fruit, I refrained, a bit worried about getting sick from it.

After lunch, Max showed me bags made by Nest artisans for FEED. When asking him about production and cost information, he seemed a bit apprehensive disclosing some information. I mentioned the work plan Nest sent me and told him what was asked of me - some production ideas, the community background, and testimonials of the women. I guess I'm still kind of unsure of what exactly I should be doing day by day, and I think some of the information that I was asking Max concerned him as I received a phone call from Ian, director of La Casa, before I was leaving. He wanted to make sure that I was focusing on the women, their needs, what they're currently earning/what they would like to be earning, and what are their available resources. All of this information to see how independent they could eventually become and how they could benefit from Nest. However, I've yet to meet women that are completely involved with Nest, so I'll be looking to Max and Ian to direct me to the right communities.

My independence is a bit stressful, exciting, but stressful. I'm still completely unsure of how I should be going about doing things day by day, but I’ll be Skyping with Nest sometime tomorrow or Thursday. Hopefully they can give me guidelines to help me run things a bit more smoothly. 60 days seems like a long time, especially because I'm unaware of in which direction I should be going, but I'm really happy to be in Antigua regardless. All of the people I've met here are so fun and friendly, and the city is pleasant to walk around in. I’ve already learned a decent amount about the city’s history. It’s a quaint city, more or less an isolated pocket of a country still affected by war, oppression, and poverty. I’m having fun meeting people from around the world, learning about how our countries differ, but also sharing similarities like passions for travel, language, and friends.

Sean, from Australia, and Sonny, from England, and I are walking up to El Cerro de la Cruz, the cross that overlooks Antigua, later this afternoon. It's been pretty cloudy since I've arrived here, and despite being rainy season, it hasn't rained once. Hopefully it clears up by the time we go so we get a clearer view of the volcano! Tonight the crew is making dinner because it's the Frenchman Pierre's last night before he continues on traveling, and the Swiss couple are leaving Thursday. Again, this hostel is so comfortable, and I can't wait to get to know all of my new friends even more. All of them are genuinely interested in the work I'm doing here, and it's been so much fun hearing all of their traveling stories. Some of them have lived in multiple countries for months at a time, or have been to over 40 countries! Hopefully one day I'll be able to accumulate a good list, but I'm comfortable with my experiences thus far considering my age.

That's all for now - sorry for writing a book! I'll have plenty more to say though I'm sure once I understand more of the details from talking to Nest. Chau!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Eagle Has Landed

Well, here I am - I made it! MaJo met me at the airport and immediately my nerves diminished as she made me feel comfortable in my new surroundings. My first impressions of Guatemala were basically what I expected. Bustling city, some smog, crazy drivers, heat and humidity, SPANISH. It was about a half hour drive or so to Antigua - we swapped stories about our families, school, and hobbies. I look forward to getting to know MaJo more, she’s 23 and I think we’ll have a lot of fun together.

I arrived at my hostel: Base Camp. I knew I was only going to be here a few days before moving to the other hostel, but it seemed homey enough (kitchen, sitting area, TV, WiFi, private room...not bad at all!). I left my things in the hostel and MaJo showed me around Antigua. It's such a nice town (approx. 30,000 people). The architecture is pretty colonial and colorful, all of the streets are cobblestone. Ruins of old churches and other buildings remain standing, nestled between small tiendas, restaurants, markets, schools, hostels and hotels, and tourist attractions or organizations. The people seem friendly and there appear to be lots of tourists. Overall it appears like a fairly safe and livable place :)

Classic Antigua picture with the arch and the volcano in the background.

Thursday night I met up with MaJo, along with Kat, Heather, and Doug. The three of them work for Habitat for Humanity and live here in Guatemala. It's funny how different a trip may be experienced when there is an end date to it. I only have 60 days or so here, so I'll need all of the help from them I can get. I'll want to live those two months to the fullest!

Friday, MaJo showed me around again. She’s been so awesome to have as my first friend in Guatemala. I’ve learned that Antigua, Guatemala is a pretty small world. Nearly half of the people I’ve met are from New Hampshire oddly enough, most of them friends from home, but nonetheless, neighbors of Vermont. Anyway, we went to La Bodegona, a huge grocery market where they offer everything from "diapers to bottled water", as they described in one of the travel books I was reading. I bought some food so I wouldn't have to go out every day/night to eat. They've budgeted me $10/meal, not including breakfast. Most of the time I don't normally eat breakfast anyway, but the smell that wafts from the local bakeries tempts me to consider otherwise.

So far, all the food that I've tried has been great, and reasonably priced as well. Taco salad, quesadillas, nachos, fresh bread, avocados, eggs, beans, coffee, cerveza. Sometimes the people here are referred to as having a "panza verde", literally meaning green belly, from all of the avocado they eat. Hopefully the only belly I get here is a flatter one, as I plan to run through the streets, and perhaps every so often uphill to the cross, but regardless, I don't believe there’s such a thing as too many avocados.

I’ve moved into my other hostel now, Villa Esthela. It’s bigger and busier, with a beautiful rooftop terrace (with a small bar!) that looks over some of the city. I’m currently writing my blog from here now, no internet though. The neighbors have a Range Rover and a BMW, beautiful gardens too. There’s an awesome view of the surrounding volcanoes and mountains, and I may have to take a siesta in one of the hammocks they have up here (after lathering on the sun screen and bug spray of course).

Tomorrow is my first real day of work, Sandra is picking me up from the hostel at 9:30. I’m anxious to see where in fact San Pedro lies in comparison to Antigua, as well as more specifics of how the organization works. I’m eager to meet the women and learn how Nest has affected their lives – I’m sure it will affect mine as well ☺. I’ll write more tomorrow when I have a better understanding of what I’ll be doing here. Thus far, I’ve been enjoying every minute, brushing up on my Spanish, learning about the history of this quaint little city, trying new foods, and making new friends. I’m thinking that these 60 days will go by faster than I want them too…

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Man on The Moon

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 LIFT OFF. More or less anyway. I’m sitting on the Dartmouth Coach – we just pulled out of the bus station and I’m waving a teary-eyed goodbye at my mom. Chau mama, te extrañaré sinceremente.

It’s the first leg of my journey, and the driver has put on a movie about the story of the first men to land on the moon. I suppose it’s suiting for my trip to Guatemala. While I’m not going to the moon, I’m certainly going to unfamiliar territory where countless things, good and bad, could happen.

I’m excited and nervous – anxious. I’m comforted by the fact that MaJo (pronounced Ma-ho) will be meeting at the airport with a shuttle to take me to my hostel. Apparently she’ll help me get situated in my new surroundings and to find a cell phone. Antigua is supposed to be a really nice place, probably the most sought-out tourist destination in the country. Three volcanoes surround it! It seems safer and a bit more globalized than perhaps some of the other parts of the country.

I hope to find and meet a lot of people from around the world, spend time with them, and learn from both our similarities and differences. I can’t wait to try the food, hear the music, speak the language, and feel the culture of yet another country. I’m eager to see my hostel, and where and how I’ll be living for the next 60 days or so.

The biggest concern I had before leaving was whether or not to bring my computer, especially because my hard drive was recently stolen or misplaced, so none of my files were backed up. My security and safety worried me. Although Antigua may be a safer pocket of the country, Guatemala is still nonetheless a third world, developing country with many issues including immense poverty, oppression of its native population, an intensifying gap between the rich and poor, and drug and human trafficking.

However, I’ve thought about my experiences abroad already, and realized that the biggest defense I embody is my prior experience. I know how to be smart and how to avoid certain situations. I comforted myself knowing that I’m fluent in Spanish and that if put in a compromising situation, I’d be able to ask for help. I then thought about my work and what is expected of me as an intern. Having a computer would make things much easier, especially because free WiFi is offered in both of the hostels I’m staying. So, considering the amount of work that involves my computer, and the additional comfort of having my family and friends only a Skype call away, I opted to carry it along (hence my blogging to pass the time).

As the bus ride is coming to an end, so is the movie, and I realize a couple things. First of all, unlike the first mission to the moon, not the whole world is watching me. Yes, I have important work to do, and people that my skills and results should impress, but this experience goes both ways. I know that I will help a lot of women reach an economical and psychological status that they deserve, and that without me, may not be quite as attainable. At the same time, I’ll be improving my Spanish, expanding my global perspective, and adding to a portfolio that, in the long run, will show off what I have to offer.

Secondly, I’m reminded of the words of Buzz Aldrin, one of the three astronauts from the first journey to the moon. At take-off, when asked if he was scared, he said, “No, we were not scared. Until something happens, then we’ll get scared.” He helps me to understand that the unknown should not be feared, and that there is in fact a difference between worry and fear. Of course I worry that something could go wrong, but at the same time I don’t want to waste my entire time in Guatemala thinking that there is a possibility that I get robbed or food poisoning. Nest sent me on this mission to help, to learn, and to experience, not to fear. I realize that it’s ok to be nervous, to have expectations, and to make this experience my own. Can’t wait until it begins!