January / February

A Collection of Pictures...



Some of my lovely co-workers :)

They're building on at school.  (This may mean I will get a bigger classroom in the near future... fingers crossed!)

 

Goats using the Pasarela to cross the freeway (in the capital, Guatemala City)

 

My bedroom window

Working in the park:  A shoe-shine boy. You see them even younger than this, any day of the week.
Guys who take pictures in front of the fountain. They will either have a mini-printer in their bag and print it right there, or they run down the block to the nearest photo store. 

 

Weekend Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunshine at a ruins

 

Store Front

 

 

...and the house next door

 

La Merced church

At a former ruins, that now hosts a variety of businesses

Two more cafes I have found: at the Spanish Museum
 

 


And Fernando's Kaffee

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating a Mayan Fin del Mundo

Jumping back two months to December 21, 2012... Mayan End of the World Celebration.

I had the special opportunity to be in the "Land of the Mayans" for the end of their Baktun calendar era this past December.  My host family was going to the celebration and they invited everyone in the house along. 

At the north end of town is a hill called "Cerro de la Cruz".  It is general knowledge to use caution when climbing this hill, even in the day time.  However, for this event many extra police officers were brought in from the city.  They guarded the candle-lit paths through the woods.  The celebration took place at the top, but was much more modern than I expected.  Someone pointed out that since this only happens every couple thousand years, there is no "traditional" ceremony.

We left the house at 11pm.  The plan was to camp out to greet the New Era at sunrise.  We lasted until 1:30 am :)

Here are some pictures of the concerts, the bonfires, and Antigua at night:

 

 

Antigua at night

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antigua McDonald's... moved from other post

Naturally, there's a view of the volcano

picture taken by Azucena



I thought it was a frog eating a fly, Lisa thought it was a "dude" with shaggy hair, what do you think?  Sorry the shadows make it a bit hard to see clearly.

Y Feliz Año Nuevo!

Christmas at our house

Guatemalan Angel

My Christmas Tree

Christmas at school

Mine and Lisa's doors

Christmas Party Day- Great poses Pablo and Esteban!

Thanks for the great food, Ms. Gaby!  I had 4 pieces of cake :)

 

 

Ready to sing our Christmas carols
in front of the "big kids".

Snowman project

Christmas concert by the ruins

Trip Home

Out with the old, in with the new...