The Little Flavors of Guatemala

What the heck is that thing at the top right of this blog?!?  Does it look familiar?  Sure does!  That´s because its the same bus you rode to school when you were first learning to dress yourself.  I found your milk money, and spent it on firecrackers.

This is what is called a chicken bus.  Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun (headbanging).  Rock on!    http://www.google.com/images?q=picture+chicken+bus&rls=com.microsoft:es:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7SKPB_es&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=fDFYTZCvJoPLgQe-u-GNDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CCYQsAQwAQ&biw=1260&bih=809

They are the main transport for getting around Guatemala.  The US ships their used schoolbuses down here, and then the Guatemaltecos get to refurbishing.  Inside is just as decorative, and on your trip you will listen to blasting latino love-rock.  Paruse the pics in the link above and you may find out why they are called "chicken" buses.

Oh, and here´s the firecrackers I bought with your milk money.

That´s a single ignition, with a big boy in the middle.  These things are set off regularly in the cities of Guatemala.  Usually in a small alleyway of concrete.  Perhaps you can imagine the reverberating sound.  Duuun dun dun dun dun dun duuuun.  Fireworks are set off all the time as well - everyday its some Guatemalteco´s birthday.  Alas, it is no match for the dynamite they celebrate with in Peru...

What else?  CUMBIA brother!  Last night I nearly hit my head on the ceiling dancing to cumbia-reggae.  It will light you up like a roll of firecrackers!  Check it out, and make it happen in the States.  Also, in Xela (second biggest city in Guate) I have been watching this professional flamenco-trova-cubano guitarrist.  He plays with a trumpeter and a couple hand drummers.  Man!  I can only describe it as fast, technical, melodic, and harmonious.  Left fingers stretching five frets, all moving with complete independence of each other, while the right hand somehow strums super fast syncopated rhythms in between finger-picking.  I have made a vow to learn some spanish guitar while down here (how could I not!).  Upon my return, we will start a psychadelic cumbia-flamenco-metal-noise-funk band.  Cassidy, I need you on synth!!!

And, I have to mention the ´Washing Machine Disco´:  Pretty ridiculous.  Some gal on the trailer bed of a truck showing of a washing machine, on the mic, blasting dance music.  Nothing special, but nothing I´ve seen in the States.

The market is quite a scene for those who have never been out of the country.  You think there´s a giant farmers market in your town!  Ha!  This is one part of the massive outdoor market in Xela:

That´s veggies and fruit as far as the eye can see.  Avacado, tomato, potato, broccoli, califlower, spinach, onions, garlic, green onions, beets, cabbage, cilantro, mangos, papaya, banana, plantain, orange, and more.  Butcher shops are here too.  But no coffee...

While trying to figure out which vendor to buy produce from, you can grab street empanadas or taco-like plates.  Get a hot dog if you are homesick!  And for a quarter, enjoy an ice-cream cone.

This, the bikers will find cool.  Street food cooked and sold out of these:

Maybe this video will work?

And, I´m off.

All for you,

Ronjon ("Ron") (= Rum)

Earthbag Buildings and the Earth Lodge





A week at the Earth Lodge - a beautiful vacation spot up in the mountains outside of Antigua, run by super-friendly French Canadians.  http://www.earthlodgeguatemala.com/ 



Here´s a shot of one of two volcanos that are visible from the Earth Lodge

A snap from the road to the village:  La  luz shines upon whichever town that is!

That is the same volcano in the background as the above pic.

One night the volcano in the above picture erupted (!).  That was the first time I had seen a live lava flow, though it was from many miles away.  It was dark, so we could not make out the mountainsides - only there was a bright orange movement in the sky, visible for a quarter of a minute until it cooled to match the black sky.  Bright orange like a summer setting sun.  The eruptions coincide with a small earth-rumbling.  What a beautiful sound and feeling!  Everyday there were rumblings - the earth was most certainly speaking.

At the Earth Lodge I found my first work.  We dug out the area shown in the first picture - this will be the location of a new school classroom.  Since we are voluntarily buliding a new room for these kids, we made them work.  And they are hard workers (second picture)!  However, they don´t work for long, and work turns into dirt-throwing wars.  Oh well. 

The Earth Lodge has hooked up with an NGO which provides volunteer English teachers for this small village named El Hato.  In addition, they raise money and school supplies for the vilage.  The volunteers teach in the morning, and then work at the Lodge in the afternoon.  Is English necessary for this small pueblo, you ask?  I asked the same thing...why not spend time teaching the children about their own culture and roots?  Well, hopefully they will.  But at the same time, to be able to work any job in Guatemala, including the tiny stores, they are required to pass a basic English test.  Many adults who cannot speak English are now taking classes in order to pass this test.  Otherwise they are relegated to generate income on their own (farming or under-the-table work).

The owners of the Earth Lodge have been implementing a "natural" building practice in which the dirt removed from the area to be built upon is placed in feed bags and used for the walls (fourth picture).  The spaces between the bags are filled with a cement, and then reinforced with barbed wire (in this case).  This is only the primary wall - conventional wood and cement construction is used to finalize the building.  Though, much less of these imported products are needed when the earthbags are used; mostly you use the material that is right next to you after digging - dirt!  It is also thought that the bags are more resistant to earthquakes (many in Guate) because they have a little give compared to rigid building materials.  The Earth Lodge dudes also used earthbags to preserve the road in El Hato (last two pictures) after massive damage from the tropical storm Agatha (that bitch!).  The Guatemalan government told them they were nuts, and that conventional methods must be implemented (concrete), but as of now, the earthbaggers have demonstrated their method with success.  Also of interest, the Guatemalan govt has banned the use of adobe (cobb, mud, etc...) for construction purposes.  This is where the earthbags may become a popular material.  I have seen them used in a few places in my short time here.  The earthbaggers apologize to the construction industry, but they are going to use what is practically free, durable, and right under their feet.

What say you Cassidy?  What did you do with all that dirt from the soil pits you dug?

http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/

http://www.earthbagstructures.com/basics/basics.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Earthbag-Building-Tricks-Techniques-Natural/dp/0865715076

The firecrackers are going off on this saturday night.  I´m off!

Peace,

Ronjon ("Ronhon")