Bruce Makes Sense of Guatemala!

Bruce Makes Sense of Guatemala        March 24, 2019

                    Lake Atitlan as seen from a fancy hotel! 

Like most countries in Central America, Guatemala can be overwhelming to the senses.   It takes some adjusting, because we live in such different circumstances.   We are both delighted and annoyed by the contrasts with our own culture - but that is part of the travel experience.

Sights
Dress - We are struck by the profusion of brilliant colors in Guatemala.   Walk down any street in Panajachel and you will see indigenous women in bright native dress - often selling colorful woven fabrics.  We are always impressed by the richness we see around us.

Flowers - The climate and the people here produce many colorful flowers and flowering shrubs.  The most impressive is the hot pink bougainvillea that grows vigorously everywhere.   There are any number of other flowers, shrubs and trees that bloom.   When the rainy season comes in May,  the process accelerates.

            Pink bougainvilla on top of a colorful clothes stall. 

Landscape - The landscape around Lake Atitlan is especially stunning.  Dubbed by an early German explorer as "the most beautiful lake in the world", the area fits the description well.  The towering volcanoes surrounding the lake, the clouds prowling in from the Pacific, and gorgeous sunsets all contribute to this impression.   At least one day a week, we do our best to watch the sun go down behind the mountains, while sipping a beer. 

Colors - In addition to the colorful clothing, we note the Guatemalan fondness for brightly colored buildings,  scarlet red tuk-tuks,  multicolored chicken buses, and attractive large murals on buildings.   One gets the impression of a kaleidoscope when the traffic is moving and pedestrians are walking against the backdrop of brightly painted buildings and murals.

              Tuk-tuks lined up on the main street of Panajachel

Detail of an alfombra, a temporary design made from colored wood shavings and flower petals, assembled on the street in advance of a Lenten parade (procesion).   


Sounds
The noise levels are higher here.  In Panajachel, where we are spending a couple of weeks, the noise is constant.  Because of the warm climate and the crowded conditions, doors and windows are open to generate and receive all manner of sounds, such as ...

Music -  It's turned up to painful levels on big speakers that cause your stomach to vibrate to the bass.   The sound of the evangelical band playing at the retreat center next door is accompanied by singing of hymns for days on end and well into the night. Marimbas being played at the local tourist restaurants along the main street create their own sound.  Radios are heard blaring from private dwellings and stores.

Engines - The streets are packed with motorcycles, scooters, tuk-tuks, chicken buses, cars, vans, pickup trucks, construction vehicles, generators, and taxis.  Even though Pana is a small town, there are only two main roads, and they are packed with traffic all day - thus the loud growl of engines.

Dogs - The dog chorus is constant and especially annoying at night.  There is something about Spanish culture that seems to allow dogs to run free and bark at each other all day and night.   There are many street dogs but they are mostly placid.  House dogs however,  often kept on the roofs of houses or behind gates, are the most aggressive.  It is widely accepted and just seems to be part of life here.  Trying to sleep amidst this constant din is a challenge, and ear plugs come in handy. 

                     A chorus of barking dogs on a nearby roof

Birds - In more tranquil times - at dawn and dusk,  you can hear birds twittering and singing in the trees.  It's a lovely sound and a much appreciated counterpart to the otherwise noisy background.

Bells-  The churches here seem to ring their bells at odd hours that follow no discernible pattern.  Sometimes, they ring on the hour but often they ring randomly and, if there are multiple churches,  they seem to ring all the time.   The plan that guides the bell ringing is a mystery to us. 

                                The Panajachel church at night.


Bombas - One of Guatemala's traditions is the lighting of bombas (small and very loud bombs) and fireworks, often associated with birthdays. The tradition is to light the fireworks off at 6 in the morning to shock the celebrant out of bed.   They are also used to celebrate just about any occasion and can vary widely in duration and noise level.   We have been jolted awake by huge bombas that quiver your stomach and get your heart bounding.    Following an extended episode, the streets will be littered with bomb and firecracker wrappings.

Wind - The wind can be fearsome at times and, because the windows and doors are not tightly sealed, the wind can cause great whistling, roaring, flapping and rattling of windows and doors jarred loose.  This can occur anytime but is especially noticeable at night when trying to sleep.

Pat-Pat - One of the very unique and delightful sounds here is the making of tortillas in the small shops that line the streets.   In the small callejon (alley) that we take to school every morning, we hear the distinctive sound of women forming the corn-based dough into flat tortillas - about 5 inches wide - before they place them onto the hot griddle.  The women rapidly pat the dough with both hands while rotating the round. They make it look easy, but it is very difficult to do for newbies.  Folks here eat a lot of tortillas, and it is a major task for the women to make enough for the whole family, 3 times a day - lots of pat-a-pat-pat.

                   Tortillerias are open for business three times a day. 


Smells 
Bread - We often awake to the smell of bread and rolls baking in the wood oven of the commercial bakery down the street.  This is a wholesale operation so they bake a lot of products, and they seem to be working most of the day.  There are other smaller bakeries that operate in town, and they all contribute wonderful aromas to the air.

The bakery near us transports its loads of aromatic rolls several times a day to its storefront operation, using manpower.   


Wood smoke - The bakery uses wood to fire its ovens, so the smoke is a familiar smell.   The small tortilla shops often use wood to heat their stoves, and many homes use wood for heating or cooking.  The food carts typically cook their wares on charcoal trays.   All this wood burning creates a bit of a haze that covers the town when the wind is calm.

Coffee -  Since coffee is a major product and widely available, we smell lots of coffee being brewed by individuals and small shops and restaurants.   There are also coffee roasters in town that take the huge bags of raw coffee beans and roast them for sale to other vendors or retail customers.

                      Sacks of coffee beans waiting to be roasted 


Exhaust - There seems to be very little in the way of pollution control on local vehicles, so they spew exhaust fumes into the air.   This is especially noticeable with large trucks and chicken buses when they are starting up.  The smell of diesel and gas fumes are noticeable - especially in the center of town where the most traffic passes.

Sewer - The infrastructure here could be improved and in some areas of town, raw sewage runs under the walkways which are not well sealed.   The smell of sewer gas is noticeable, at times.   

Food Vendors - The smell of food being cooked in outdoor stalls or carts can be tempting.  We tend not to eat the street food out of health concerns, but the smells are alluring.   Food cart vendors sell fried chicken,  french fries,  steaks,  roast chicken,  bread, pastries, and any variety of other foods.   The climate is so mild that restaurants and homes are largely open, and the smell of cooking food escapes to perfume the air and tingle the taste buds. 

A street vendor with grilled ears of corn for sale. 

Plants - One evening in Antigua, we returned to our hotel courtyard and were gob-smacked by an intense flowery aroma that we hadn't noticed earlier in the day.  We inquired and were told that a particular flowering bush called, appropriately enough, "huele de noche" (scent of the night) gives forth its fragrance only in the evening.  It was delightful, if powerful, and followed us right into our room.

My reaction to all these sensorial stimuli is mixed.  On the one hand it can be overwhelming, prompting a retreat to a quiet place, if it can be found, to recharge.   On the other hand, it is an intriguing melange that defines a culture very different from our own.   Pleasing at times, it can be downright annoying at other times (think about a chorus of dogs howling at each other during the early hours of the morning).

In the end, we delight in the warmth and authenticity of the people and the richness of the culture here.  We feel fortunate to be able to immerse ourselves in this experience, albeit for a short time, and are intensely aware of the pros and cons of every culture.