The gringo is back!

Hola a todos mis amores!
I apologize for being silent so long. Rest assured that I am safe and sound and enjoying my time in Guatemala. I've been occupied with meeting people and learning Spanish and exploring Xela and the surrounding pueblos, but now I'm back online and I intend to share some of my experiences.

First, however, I'd like to send a shout out to my newly engaged friends Ben and Andrea! Felicidades, guys! Make sure you invite lots of hotties to your wedding. Maybe I'll meet someone.

Anyway, where to begin? I find that my photo log tends to jog my memory, so I'll just start posting away and see where it takes me:

This is a panoramic view from the rooftop of my house. Click on the image to see the full size version.

This is an example of the older architecture of some public buildings in the historic district. I think this particular building is or once was a bank.

This is a monument to the Mexican president Benito Juarez, in Benito Juarez Park near La Democracia market.
In this detailed shot, you can see the use of Mayan (and maybe even Aztec) symbols in a modern monumental form. Who was this Benito Juarez guy? He was the only full Native American to serve as president of Mexico. The story of his life makes Abe Lincoln look like a rich kid: Both of Benito's parents were peasants, and by his fourth birthday he was an orphan. He worked as a shephard until he was 12, then he walked to Oaxaca in search of education. In the political history of Mexico, Juarez's tenure is regarded as La Reforma. He worked to increase rights for Mexico's indigenous population, made the government more federal (and established civilian control of the army), and appropriated all of the Catholic Church's lands. He is still fondly remembered in Mexico (and apparently in Guatemala as well), although the presidents who followed him contributed to the dismantling of his social reforms.

Directly across the street from Parque Benito Juarez stands the Iglesia de San Nicolas -- the Church of St. Nick. I'm not sure if the main building is still used as a church, but the surrounding buildings house the Universidad de Mesoamerica. Perhaps the government appropriated the property, following Juarez's example. They're busily restoring the main church and the wall that surrounds the complex with a sky blue paint.

This hot iron surface is a tortilla maker's workshop, deep inside La Democracia Market. Lydia and I asked if we could take the lady's picture, but she didn't feel properly made up to be in photos. An interesting fact about tortillas in Guatemala (and presumably elsewhere in Latin America) is that limestone is a principal ingredient. I'm not sure exactly what is the purpose of adding limestone -- perhaps it serves as an abrasive agent to help grind the corn into meal -- but any home-made tortillas in this country are bound to contain some little quantity of the rock. I'll try to get a picture of the little old men selling chunks of limestone in little plastic bags.

Well, this tiny update is just the beginning of a flurry to come. I have tons of pictures to categorize into more meaningful groups, and then I'll post updates for each group.

Stay tuned for the truly interesting stuff, including howler monkeys at Tikal, wine and cheese Bajo la Luna, and the 9-hour hike from hell!