Death is not the end

Some photos from the Quetzaltenago (Xela) cemetery.  It is in the style of the New Orleans cemeteries, with aboveground tombs...

It is large

...among trees

...surrounded by hills and volcanoes

!And full of color!

Because death is not the end...                                                                                ...It is a celebration

 

of life.

A friend described a Guatemalan funeral to me.  Keep in mind that, for the most part, everyone here is a catholic or evangelical.  She described an endeavor in which family and friends stay with each other throughout the night in the funeral hall or home following a eulogy.  There are two rooms for anyone to be in - a room for mournful sadness, and a room for laughter.  Yes, laughter!  In all the sadness of losing a loved one, especially when it comes to soon, we know it is inevitable, and we know the past was great, so let's have a smile.  Having a room like this is a great relief from the sadness, and you can have a rest here when the greif becomes overwhelming.  There are more American-style funerals here as well, ones without the laugh-room.  Though for me, I wouldn't like to grieve without the full balance of life.

One more note on the cemetery, it appears that economic segregation persists in the burial grounds:

Wealthy

Middle-class (can see the wealthy section in the back)



And the poor (these tombs line the cemetery perimeter)

The poorest of the poor probably are not here at all, burying their dead diectly into the ground, or cremated.  This is more reasonable anyway, rather than covering the land with concrete, and attempting to preserve ourselves in separation from the natural world.

Feed yourself back to the land that fed you!

Rest in peace,

Romjom

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")

Testing: Guatebuena Journal

Mal(a) = bad
Buen(a) = good
Que buena! = Awesome!
Que Guatebuena! = ?? vague creative ungrammatical gringo-spanish
Guatemala is a place of friendly people (hence, "Guatebuena") - they will help you find what you need, and help you speak spanish if you display an affection for speaking with the people.  And if they overcharge you, at least they do it with a smile.  I would say that when you make the effort to communicate with foreigners in their language, perhaps the perceptions of an arrogant and lofty American disappear.  Not yet have I experienced any negativity towards my nationality, even from people who are not trying to get at my wallet.  Maybe because I am not white...but some know I am Indian!  We'll see whats next.

Thus far, I have been in Gringo, Guatemala - the touristy town of Antigua.  Have been speaking spanish, sitting at the cafe, and experiencing night life (every fucking night) - We played open mic! A new English friend and I busted out on stage [me playing noisy blues rock on a spanish guitarra and him vocalizing to whatever nonsense I played] and we received a large applause from gringos and guatemalans alike.  I have never played in front of a crowd before, and I am convinced that traveling opens us up.  Japan is next!

Another feature of week one:  Rode a bike out to a coffee farm run by an American and Guatemalan couple.  Super beautiful - it was totally integrated with banana, papaya, cotton, birds of paradise trees and more.  We picked from a blend of five arabica beans (high altitude bean) as we walked around (dark red is ripe) and she showed me their threshing machine (spinning cheese grater that separates skin from bean with the help of some high water pressure).  The pulp is composted, and the beans go into a fermented wash which eats off a sticky coating on the beans.  It smells like Kombucha.  We need to figure out what to do with this water (changed out every wash) because they only dump it.  Thoughts??  I think coffee Kombucha is coming.  Anyway, the beans are dried on the roof, and then are ready for a roast in a tumbler.  Darker the roast, the more bitter the coffee.  The difference between expresso and charcoal is about two minutes.

fincalosnietos.com

This farm ("finca") is a smaller operation of mostly hand-work.  Let us imagine what the industrial farms are like: probably monoculture (only coffee trees), and giant processing machines with laser guided sensors.  I picture what Michael Pollen describes of the giant corn processing machine (at end of corn chapter) - massive vats and gears and output.  I'll have to go check it out.

Final note for today:  Coffee likes acidic soils.  Anybody think we can grow blueberries down here?  Let me know.  I think raspberries are integrated into some coffee farms, not sure.

Miss you all, cuidate
ronjon