The hotel where I stayed at the start of my trip had sand painting & the floor freshly laid with pine needles. The colors were as vibrant as these paintings in the market.
In the room where I stay my last night in a house with students, a painting drew my attention. It's a view of Central Park in Antigua. The buildings are the same, but there are far fewer trees. I like how the painter has paid attention to rendering the shadows.
The hotel where I stayed at the start of my trip had sand painting & the floor freshly laid with pine needles. The colors were as vibrant as these paintings in the market.
In the room where I stay my last night in a house with students, a painting drew my attention. It's a view of Central Park in Antigua. The buildings are the same, but there are far fewer trees. I like how the painter has paid attention to rendering the shadows.
Could not identify until I looked up last night: Datura. Gorgeous, but very poisonous!
Who can resist? And it's the dry season!
Passion Flower
Some reforestation
Scallions & a native green
Lantana in the dust
The flower of a tree foreign to me
Corn
Impatiens.
Coffee flower (heavenly fragrance!)
Coffee bean.
Coffee fungus.
We are up in the clouds.
Most walk.
Always more women because the men are off working in Mexico. They return when the rain begins, in May, to plant. Harvest is usually in Oct. but past few years of drought have destroyed crops & malnutrition continues to have rampant effects.
She already carries a backpack. In a few years she will probably carry a younger sibling...
Composting Latrines
AFOPADI bananas
With his best compost
Some of his family.
With his wife. Husking corn they bought since the drought demolished their harvest. For the Maya: corn is life.
Full moon
Best farm with new water
Garbage by the river.
The energy company is corrupt. Spanish company sold to Italian.
Nice garden!
Soap to wash clothes
The important part of looms. All the women in the villages weave clothes. The mean wear western garb. All the male friends I have seen this year have different, very fashionable haircuts!
Great timing. Visits to 3 new communities that AFOPADI works with. Many details to share with SSG friends at home.
As always: little water, lotsa dust, much conflict b/w men and women because of machismo.
AFOPADI integrates all and more into strategy & programs.
New bridge from highway since 12 years.
Mtg in community without much water and thus: fewer trees, more sickness.
The earth is dry rock: scary roads.
Kids love to play & see their photos.
This village is far from the town, but close to river. A community more in solidarity with more water. The mayor attended our reunion. It takes 1 1/2 hrs each way for the few children who walk to school in the Pueblo.
The restaurant in the town has Wifi! Here we visited to find clay pots with holes for plants And fire. We didn't find a small one to burn Copal (Myrrh).
In Guatemala, 40 days before Easter, carnivals sprout up in the weekends. Last night, we ambled through the largest. I only saw one other gringo. It is where the Guatemalans do their annual shopping & where Special sweets entice the eye.
It is also a place that clearly embodies race & class distinctions. Almost all the vendors are indigenous. So my mind & heart are more connected to the village where we will go tomorrow
In the outskirts of Quetzaltenango, known as Xela. About 7,500 ft. and Always damp & cold and interesting.
This is the end of the street where my AFOPADI friends live.
A few doors down. ..
And this Was the plant surprise!
Thunbergia mysorensis. Of the previous post. Thanks to Dan Harris for sleuthing.
The nights are beautiful here, away from the big city lights. Last night, the moon hung over this ruined church as if posed by a lovely assistant. Both moon and ruin (Antigua used to be the seat of national government until earthquakes forced a move to Guatemala City in the 1700s) give context to our human condition. In the village, I am usually embraced by stars. But I will be there during the moon's brighter two weeks. So I shall see...
Hi from the lovely tourist town of Antigua, Guatemala! Eating Kale & Chickpea salad while I am still in a place where I can eat raw veggies without worry of parasites.
The plant Life here is always enticing, but the misguided pruning seems to be universal. Here are some squared trees against the natural curves of the volcanos. One erupted the day I arrived! Geology & Black Hole discoveries expanding my experience of the universe...
Central Park
Aqua volcano. Fuego erupted.http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fuego/news.html
Tropical vine whose name Escapes me...
First visit since place repaired after damaging hail storm. http://www.garfieldconservatory.org
Read this recent Guardian article on one of the artist-activists I most admire: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/feb/01/ai-weiwei-poses-as-drowned-syrian-infant-refugee-in-haunting-photo?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H&utm_term=154072&subid=7923725&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
Nature is so So arty.
