Obama and El Plan Migratorio

Before  I leave Guatemala  I would like to comment on the executive  orders that Obama has proposed .   This will affect many  both  within  and outside  of Guatemala .   No one doubts  it will  be fought  in the courts  as well as congress over  the next  few  years  and no one doubts  there will be some changes  It  does mean that a.most 200,000 people with roots in Guatemala  will  now reside   in the United  States  with   papers  of  legal  residence.  The changes will allow  families  to stay together  where there are parents  or children  who reside  in the United  States  legally.  Because  people can now come out of the shadows  of society  they will  be able to obtain   better employment  and pay more taxes .  They will also be able to send more money  back to Guatemala  improving  the economic  situation  for many families .   Almost  every  leader  of the counties in Central  America  strongly support  the law  as it takes  pressure off the leaders  to stem the tide of migration.  It is difficult  to know  what  will  happen  going forward.  Will the migration  numbers change?  I doubt  it.  As long as the economic  gap is so rediculously wide and the gangs  rule the streets  there will be those who  see no option  but to leave.  Until the economic  situation  improves  for the bulk  of Guatemalans  there will be migration.  No wall, no  body  of  water , and no police force will  stop people who have nothing  to lose.

It's been a great  three weeks .  In two days it's  back to work  and time to pay for my "indescetions".  It has been great  fun.

Saint Catherine's Arch

Saint Catherine's  Arich is one of the most  recognizable  sites of Antigua.  About  three  hundred  years ago it was built so that nuns could  travel  from one building  to the other without  being  seen or seeing  the public  as the order of nuns was  kept  in seclusion.   Nowner the arch survives as a reminder  of all the orders  of nuns and priests  that once inhabited  the city.  Before the big earthquake  at the end of the 18th  century  there were fifty  different convents and priestly   orders.

I had dinner  tonight   with Walter  Ramírez ,  a man I have known for 10 years. I met him when he worked as gardener in Antigua.  He now is a distributor  for a carbonated juice .    I do hope some day he may visit me in the US.

more about Antigua

I had dinner  last night  with a number of friends  I met in Xela.  They were passing  through  Antigua  on their  way to other places.  Antigua is one  of those  places  where  people  congregate  from all over  the world. At my table were two friends  from Turkey  and one from Bosnia .  The next table had two Israelis and and a German .   I can compare the scene to something  like a combination  of Casablanca  and the bar at the beginning  of the first  Star  Wars  film.  One finds a cast of characters  from every corner of  the  globe  and you don't  know  what will happen  next.  There are also many, many  young people, the 20-30 crowd, who are attracted to Guatemala  due to it's  scenery  and low prices.   Even  in Antigua  you can  find  a secure dorm bed for 6 dollars .   Like the country,

 Antigua  is a place, of contrasts, old   and new, young and old, and rich  and poor.  From top notch  gormet  food to  street  food, there is something  for everyone .    It is a great way  station of the world.

Picture is a church  built in 17th  century  next to the Spanish  School .  No longer  a church  it now is used for functions  from  weddings  to funerals .

volcanos and earthquakes

Volcanos  and earthquakes  are a part of daily  life here.  It is said that housewives  do not have to mix their food if they just  leave  it out  for  a  while,  due to the frequent  quakes.  Indeed, I have  felt three in the past two weeks with one that made me sit up  and take notice.  A quake  in   1976 killed 10,000 people and  destroyed  many  homes.  There are three volcanos  you can see from  anywhere  in Antigua  and one, El   Fuego  is very  active  and  is always  spewing  smoke, ash, and lava.  The capital  of  Guatemala  was in Antigua  from   the  early 16th  century  up  to  the  late  18th  century  when  it was moved  to  Guatemala  City  to try to  avoid serious  quakes. This  did not work but it did allow  Antigua   to keep  many of its  old colonial  buildings .   The skyline  of  Antigua  is very much like  it was 300  years ago .

The photo  shows  El  Fuego  erupting.

antigua

Antigua, Guatemala  is one of the most beautiful  cities  in the world.  Set in a broad valley, it is also surrounded  by threel volcanos.  One  of the volcanos, El Fuego, has been in a state  of active  eruption  for years.  One time  when  I  was here  with Brian  Goss , a family friend ,  it lit up the sky at night from  the lava flows.

Being  such  a beautiful  city  has  its  price and here  it  is  tourism.  The streets  are literally  filled  with  them  on  weekends .    There are hotels  of all price  ranges,from a dorm room for 6 dollars  a night  to rooms  for 300 per night .  There  are also many restaurants.

  I am staying   at San  Jose  El   Viejo ,   a Spanish  School  and hotel combined.  The grounds  are well maintained  with many tropical  plants.  Compared to the stay  in  Xela  this is plush .  I do miss the family  I stayed  with  in  and Xela and would not trade  them   for anything . Tomorrow  it's  on to more Spanish  classes.

Sadness at leaving

I am leaving Xela this Sunday for Antigua.  It is with great sadness as I will miss the family i am staying with, the teachers of Spanish, the students i worked with, and the town itself.  This is a real working city with little in the way of a tourist industy and very few people that speak English.  The quality of instruction, the unbelievably low prices to live here and study, the friendly people, and the great places to hike and visit make it , in my opinion, the best place to study Spanish in the world.  It is not historic like many places in Spain, no very scenic within the city itself, it is difficult to reach, but for a place to immerse oneself in a language it cannot be beat.

 I am on to Antigua, the old colonial capital, which is very scenic, but loaded with tourists.   I will be able to cook my own food there and come and go as i please which will be nice.  The Spanish school there has beautiful grounds and is quite resful.

food

This topic  could  take forever  as it is complicated .  My diet changes dramatically when I come to Xela .   Rarely  is anything  baked.  With all the great fruit you  would think this be a big item but fresh fruit is rarely   served.  Breakfast is typically  refried black  beans ,  eggs, tortillas ,  and cheese.  Cereal  is also served.  Lunch is the big meal  which is almost always something  fried. I have had

fried  chiken, fried  empanadas, fried pork, and fried rice .    Steamed tamallitos  are very  popular (a steamed dough) and paches (steamed stuffed   mashed potatoes  ).  Dinner,  the smaller  meal is usually  what is leftover  from the previous  meals.  Drinks can be tea, coffee, or refrescos (some kind of sweet  juice).  I am suprised  that  all members  of  the  family  drink  coffee , including  the  five  year  old. I do like  the food  although  i  miss my American  diet of cheetos  and coke .