(continued from Part four: Walking in the clouds.)
“Tell me about Guatemala,” a friend shoots the question across the table at me over a fresh pint of beer. Between excursions that take me far from home, we seasonally return to this watering hole like the nomadic animals that we are. Today, perhaps I might begin with remarking about how great it is to have a proper ale touch my lips once again, but more likely I will jump write in and tell of the new friends I met on the road.…
(continued from Part three: Lake Atitlán.)
The paved road gives way to gravel, which eventually narrows to a rocky path before disappearing altogether. Here, at the literal end of the road, lies a tiny island of Guatemalan cloud forest and the community protecting it. I was to be a guest of both in the coming days.
Step. Stop. Listen. See. Walking through the cloud forest with a skilled guide, it is abundantly clear how much of the ecosystem, teeming with life around …
(continued from Part two: The coffee farmer on the volcano.)
A loud thud resonates through my bones as my head slams into the metal ceiling once again as the driver forgets to tap his brakes in lieu of an oncoming speed bump. I can attest to the strength of this inconspicuous van, in that my head hasn’t yet left even a dent in the roof despite repeated attempts. There are speed limit signs here in Guatemala, but in a country where low literacy rates result in buses needing …
(continued from Part one: The holiest of weeks in Antigua.)
It is dawn. Spiralling upward, a rickety metal staircase presents the first task of the day: climbing up from the kitchen to the rooftop terrace with a full cup of coffee, each step creaking and tentative, and hopefully not losing my precious liquid along the way. As I emerge victoriously to the open air from the shadowy indoor light, the sun simultaneously crests an uneven horizon, casting its first light …
(continued from Part zero: From here to there.)
Church bells rouse the city in the middle of the night, yet no one is woken. Restless with anticipation everyone is already up and waiting for this exact moment, because this particular April evening is not an ordinary one. The repeated clang of metal on metal rings out from the bell tower’s lofty nest above the city and beckons the community to gather at its feet. There, from the aged doors of the church-front, a formal procession…
A packed backpack leans up against the wall of a tidied apartment; the bed is made, the floors are swept, and the garbage bins have been emptied. The plants stand sentinel, and aside from the occasional visitor letting themselves in to quench their thirst, this place will sit untouched until my dusty boots walk back in to flip the calendar to the next month. When I return to this space that has stayed the same, I will be seeing it with different eyes. After a quick look back,…