Feliz Cumpleanos

Feliz Cumpleanos                        February 16, 2016

The day began well (and unrolled beautifully) that Friday, February 5.  Candelaria and Gregorio, the owners of Jabel Tinamit Spanish School, had somehow figured out that Bruce's birthday was about to happen. They had ordered a beautiful birthday cake and surprised him with a little fiesta during break time, including singing Happy Birthday in Spanish "Feliz Cumpleanos".  It was a very sweet and thoughtful gesture.  Bruce was definitely pleased.  

That evening, Ana, our host, had enlisted Natsumi, our young Japanese housemate, to cook us a Japanese meal.  Natsumi is in Guatemala for 2 years, working in a program supported by the Japanese government, a bit like the Peace Corps, as I understand it.  She often cooks her own meals.  Natsumi had rushed home from her work that evening and immediately had begun preparations.  

Ana had already done the sous-chef job of chopping garlic, ginger, scallions, chicken, etc.  It was fun for me to be the extra sous-sous chef.

In very little time, we sat down to a delicious meal of miso soup and chicken with a ginger sauce.  I had ordered a blueberry pie - Bruce's favorite - from Mike, an American cafe owner here.  His South African wife had baked it.  Ana supplied a lovely white wine, and Bruce managed to find some music on his smart phone.  It was a delightful beginning to his birthday weekend. 

The next morning, Bruce's actual birthday, we headed to the Lake Atitlan waterfront to catch a "lancha" for the nearby pueblo of Santa Cruz.  Bruce had made arrangements to stay for one night at Isla Verde, an "eco-hotel/resto" on the edge of the lake.  The boat was full of passengers, and the lake was very choppy.  The wind had been blowing a gale for a few days, even ripping the rusty tin roof off a building near Ana's house.  On the water, waves splashed onto the folks in the front of the boat, necessitating that they pull a sheet of plastic over themselves and some bulging bags of produce.  Most of us were protected from the waves, sitting under the canopy of the boat.  

We arrived in Santa Cruz, and then it was off by foot to Isla Verde, which sits further along the lake.  A haphazard route, some of it on land, some of it on rickety boards suspended above the water, led us there. Luckily, we had only backpacks with us.  Rolling a suitcase would have been absurd!  

Not for the faint of heart or anyone with balance issues!  We passed a few really nice homes, a small field of coffee plants, and a kayak rental place before arriving at our destination.  Isla Verde is made up of little casitas, built into the side of the very steep mountain that rises sharply from the lake's edge.  Our bungalow was situated high up and was accessed by many, many stone steps that wound their way through a lovely wooded area.  We got our work-out getting up to it.  Along the way were a spacious yoga/meditation building overlooking the lake and, further along, a tiny massage room.  We passed an outdoor altar for the use of guests, with small statues of Buddha and St. Mary - something for everyone - set among flowering plants.   An old cayuco, a wooden canoe used by indigenous fishermen, had been given new life by being hung like a swing for use as a hammock.  We would be back to the cayuco!  

Our little house, when we finally arrived there, consisted of one simple but charming room with an attached bathroom, down a few steps.  The "eco" part of the equation was the shower, fed by a solar hot-water heater further up the mountain.  The view of the lake was stunning from the front porch and from almost any point on the property. 

The wind had continued to blow hard all day.  That evening it was wild, trees rushing back and forth, whirling and whistling.  At dinner time, Bruce and I made our way carefully down the stone steps with a flashlight.  Eating outside on the lakeside porch was not an option, and we settled ourselves inside with a view of a cozy fire in the fireplace.  A classy young couple from Omaha sat at the other end of the table, and we chatted a bit with them.  The staff, including the young American owner, his British manager, their friendly, funky Canadian waitperson and a handful of Guatamalteca employees, were all helpful.  Bruce's meal ended with a special birthday touch.  

That night the lights of the other little towns around the lake twinkled brightly in the dark.  Strings of settlements, high on ridges along the sides of the mountains, invisible in the daylight, popped out like sparkling bracelets. Above us, the sky was studded with stars.  Muy romantico.  

We spent our 24-hour get-away reading and relaxing, eating a couple of good meals and drinking pineapple smoothies and Moza beer.  Isla Verde had all the necessary ingredients for kicking back. The weekend had been filled with interesting encounters and the kindness of others - all in all, just the kind of celebration that Bruce loves.   

Here are few more shots of the birthday boy.