Football, Wabi Sabi, and Volcanoes January 11, 2015
We could have been anywhere in the USA, sitting at a bar surrounded by multiple huge TV screens broadcasting the football game, New England Patriots vs. the Baltimore Ravens. A few fans wore Patriots t-shirts or Boston caps and yelled in English at the Patriots' mess-ups. Upon closer inspection, however, one might notice that Bruce and I were drinking Moza beer, a dark Guatemalan brew, and one of the bar tenders and a sprinking of fans were clearly Latino. We were, in fact, watching the game at Mono Loco (Crazy Monkey), a bar in Antigua, Guatemala. This had been one of Bruce's Sunday afternoon hang-outs when we were in Antigua in 2011, and he was eager to see the first game in the play-offs there. I went along because it seemed like the right thing to do :). Despite being a non-football person, I had a pretty good time, watching the crowd, chatting with a couple from Maine who have a home in Antigua, even getting caught up in the excitement of the game. When the close game ended in favor of the Patriots and after the jubilation had died down, we stepped out of the bar at 6:30 pm and into another world, far from the frigid New England winter. It was a warm evening and the cobble-stoned streets were filled with strolling couples, groups of families, little kids, horse-drawn carriages toting tourists, aromas of food wafting from the many restaurants, little white lights magically encircling the trees surrounding the fountain in the parque central (central park), the sounds of music lifting from simple instruments. We were pretty happy.
street musicians in Antigua, Guatemala
Guatemala is known as "the land of eternal spring". The weather in January certainly reminds us of June in Maine, without the rain. The dry air warms up to around 75 during the day and drops to the low 50's at night. Because the cement houses are unheated and open to the weather in places, I've come better prepared for chilly bedrooms than during our last visit - and thus have been toasty warm at night!
We are definitely beginning this year's adventure on a slow note, getting acclimated to the high altitude (around 5400 feet), reacquainting ourselves with the city and the language and customs, while trying to recover from a cold that sideswiped me just as we were leaving Maine. This means afternoon naps and lots of quiet reading. Luckily, we landed in a lovely home which Bruce had found on AirBnB. It's a colonial-style Spanish house, being rented and run as a B&B by a young Japanese couple who have also opened a Japanese resto, Origami, around the corner. They had been backpacking around the world and fell in love with Antigua so decided to stay here for a while. That was 3 years ago.
one of the many colonial churches in Antigua
Miwa and Kohei are not alone in their love of Antigua. I've been trying to figure out why I, too, enjoy this city so much. Certainly the beautiful 16th century architecture has a lot to do with it, as well as the gorgeous bright colors of the buildings, their human-scale height (nothing over 2 stories tall), the vibrant magenta bourgainvilla that hangs over crumbling brick walls, the ancient sound of church bells ringing out. I love the fact that the city has just the right degree of scruffiness - for me, anyway. It's a perfect example of wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that describes an imperfect appearance that comes from age and use. Much of Antigua is weathered and old and has a patina that only centuries can bring. There is obviously a high degree of respect for its history here. It hasn't been gussied up. In fact, the UN noticed and designated Antigua as a World Heritage Site. Where it has been modernized in order to fill the expectations of the many ex-pats and tourists, it has been done in accordance with the natural, worn look of the city. There is a calmness here; no big trucks are allowed on the old cobble streets and cars are slowed by the bumpy surface. However, loud firecrackers do break the calm and startle us, a peculiarly Latin occurrence, it seems. In the distance, three volcanoes look down on the city, Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Fuego (aptly named, since it is still active), and Vulcan Acatenango.
one of the colors I love
Among the 35,000 residents of Antigua, 3000 are "from away", half being Americans and half from other nations. In addition, there are lots of young folks here temporarily, drawn to the many inexpensive Spanish language schools. It's a cosmopolitan place with as many restos, per capita, as Portland, I'm sure, all tucked into the colonial buildings, often featuring a garden patio.
The omnipresence of the handsome Mayan people, clinging so tenaciously to their strong family bonds and beautiful textile customs, makes all of Guatemala a rich culture, visually and spiritually. They crowd the parque central and other places, selling their lovely crafts. At the same time, there is a melancholy that permeates the atmosphere where Mayans congregate, knowing as we do, the sad history of their genocide, as well as the discrimination that continues to keep them impoverished to this day. I read that Guatemala is the least Latino of the Central American nations, since nearly 50% of its population is made up of indigenous Mayans.
Our B&B is designed like other Spanish homes: from the sidewalk you see a blank wall, its expanse broken only by a windowless wooden door (and with a nod to modern life - a windowless garage door). Inside, one finds a small garden with an old stone fountain (not operating) to one side and a place for a car on the other side. Straight ahead an open foyer leads into the home, opening out into a large living room with fireplace (haven't seen that working yet but don't really need to) and a dining area, as well as a kitchen. There are 3 bedrooms that share a bath - and one bedroom off on the other side that has its own tiny bath (that's ours :). At the back of the house is another little lawn and patio, surrounded by a 15 foot high wall for privacy and protection. Up the outside stairs is a flat roof where we can sit and enjoy morning coffee or watch the stars - and hang laundry :). So far, we have the house to ourselves most of the time. The only other guests left the day after we arrived. All of this for $35/night, including breakfast!
the front garden and rooftop at our AirB&B
Guatemala is known as "the land of eternal spring". The weather in January certainly reminds us of June in Maine, without the rain. The dry air warms up to around 75 during the day and drops to the low 50's at night. Because the cement houses are unheated and open to the weather in places, I've come better prepared for chilly bedrooms than during our last visit - and thus have been toasty warm at night!
We are definitely beginning this year's adventure on a slow note, getting acclimated to the high altitude (around 5400 feet), reacquainting ourselves with the city and the language and customs, while trying to recover from a cold that sideswiped me just as we were leaving Maine. This means afternoon naps and lots of quiet reading. Luckily, we landed in a lovely home which Bruce had found on AirBnB. It's a colonial-style Spanish house, being rented and run as a B&B by a young Japanese couple who have also opened a Japanese resto, Origami, around the corner. They had been backpacking around the world and fell in love with Antigua so decided to stay here for a while. That was 3 years ago.
Miwa and Kohei are not alone in their love of Antigua. I've been trying to figure out why I, too, enjoy this city so much. Certainly the beautiful 16th century architecture has a lot to do with it, as well as the gorgeous bright colors of the buildings, their human-scale height (nothing over 2 stories tall), the vibrant magenta bourgainvilla that hangs over crumbling brick walls, the ancient sound of church bells ringing out. I love the fact that the city has just the right degree of scruffiness - for me, anyway. It's a perfect example of wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that describes an imperfect appearance that comes from age and use. Much of Antigua is weathered and old and has a patina that only centuries can bring. There is obviously a high degree of respect for its history here. It hasn't been gussied up. In fact, the UN noticed and designated Antigua as a World Heritage Site. Where it has been modernized in order to fill the expectations of the many ex-pats and tourists, it has been done in accordance with the natural, worn look of the city. There is a calmness here; no big trucks are allowed on the old cobble streets and cars are slowed by the bumpy surface. However, loud firecrackers do break the calm and startle us, a peculiarly Latin occurrence, it seems. In the distance, three volcanoes look down on the city, Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Fuego (aptly named, since it is still active), and Vulcan Acatenango.
one of our favorite restos, reflecting wabi-sabi
The omnipresence of the handsome Mayan people, clinging so tenaciously to their strong family bonds and beautiful textile customs, makes all of Guatemala a rich culture, visually and spiritually. They crowd the parque central and other places, selling their lovely crafts. At the same time, there is a melancholy that permeates the atmosphere where Mayans congregate, knowing as we do, the sad history of their genocide, as well as the discrimination that continues to keep them impoverished to this day. I read that Guatemala is the least Latino of the Central American nations, since nearly 50% of its population is made up of indigenous Mayans.
Our B&B is designed like other Spanish homes: from the sidewalk you see a blank wall, its expanse broken only by a windowless wooden door (and with a nod to modern life - a windowless garage door). Inside, one finds a small garden with an old stone fountain (not operating) to one side and a place for a car on the other side. Straight ahead an open foyer leads into the home, opening out into a large living room with fireplace (haven't seen that working yet but don't really need to) and a dining area, as well as a kitchen. There are 3 bedrooms that share a bath - and one bedroom off on the other side that has its own tiny bath (that's ours :). At the back of the house is another little lawn and patio, surrounded by a 15 foot high wall for privacy and protection. Up the outside stairs is a flat roof where we can sit and enjoy morning coffee or watch the stars - and hang laundry :). So far, we have the house to ourselves most of the time. The only other guests left the day after we arrived. All of this for $35/night, including breakfast!
So, we'll be here for about a week. Then it will be time to go to Panajachel, about 40 miles away on Lake Atitlan. That's where we will again "dream the impossible dream" of learning Spanish! In the meantime, we will contact Safe Passage and try to meet Charlie and Jordie, two little boys whom we and our church are sponsoring.
We miss you all but are settling into our new adventure, watching the sun set over Volcan de Agua, keeping an eye on the puffs of smoke that rise regularly from Volcan de Fuego, and marveling at this exotic land.
No comments:
Post a Comment