Day Trip to Xela

After 9 months of staying home, Bert & I finally decided to take a trip to Quetzaltenango, more commonly known as Xela (SHAY-la). It was good to get out of town for a bit and see the "big city" but also a bit weird with all the COVID-19 restrictions still in place. Masks are mandatory still, of course, and the buses had dispensers of antibacterial gel bolted to the side of them. Technically, only one person was allowed per seat but only one of our buses actually enforced this. The driver was also behind a plastic sheet, yet the ayudante (helper) who collects the money walked freely thru the bus touching everything.

Most of the buses had some form of sticker indicating where you could sit.

The bus driver behind his plastic. You can see the blue mandatory mask sign as well.

We had thought about taking a private or semi-private shuttle but decided to take chicken buses because they're super cheap and also give you plenty of time to reflect on your life choices as you hurtle at 100 km/hr along twisty mountain roads with no guard rails. 

The prices have increased since I last took this trip.

Panajachel to Solola Q5

Solola to Los Encuentros Q5

Los Encuentros to Xela Q30

So it was Q40 per person one way to go from Panajachel to Xela. The trip normally takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.

However, we ran into a bit of trouble this time. There was construction at Cuatro Caminos so our bus took a detour. Suddenly, we stopped at the side of a four-lane highway and the helper motioned to a few of us to get off the bus. He told us to cross the road and get on a different bus to go to Xela. We bolted, terrified, across this extremely busy highway and got on a new chicken bus...which then proceeded to wander through a strange town I'd never seen and dropped us off by a blue arch and a McDonald's. The guy said something in rapid Spanish that I didn't understand as we got off the bus. Another guy immediately tried to push us onto a packed minivan but we hastily declined and spent a few moments just catching our breath and trying to find our bearings. Eventually, we found a taxi and decided it would be better to pay Q30 for a ride to our destination rather than try to walk around lost on steep and unfamiliar city roads. 

Finally at the Pradera (Walmart) mall, we washed our hands in the stupidly crowded bathrooms (keep your distance?? How when there are a dozen women in one small room?) and then had a quick lunch in the food court. I had Panda Express Chinese food, mushroom chicken & rice plus two yummy spring rolls for Q46 (about $7.50 Canadian or $6 American) and Bert eventually decided to have McDonald's, which he didn't like and ended up sharing my Chinese. 

Christmas Tree in the mall.

After fueling up, we began to walk down to the Dollarama at the Utz Ulew mall a few blocks away. We had forgotten how chilly it could be in Xela (higher altitude) so we stopped at a sidewalk vendor and bought Bert a lightweight Adidas hoodie for only Q40 (cheaper than my lunch!). 

Passed this ginormous Xmas tree on the way.

Weird giant fake Christmas tree in Xela.
They were selling real pine trees nearby.

We hiked down to the other mall solely to shop at Dollarama. However, we found that the prices weren't nearly as cheap as we expected them to be and the selection was poorer than we remembered from last time. (Although that was a different location.) We picked up a few things that are hard to find in Pana and walked back to the Megapaca. Megapaca is a giant second hand store that's behind the Walmart mall. It's HUGE. You could spend hours in there shopping but we didn't have that much time, so we kinda hurried through the racks and managed to find a nice pair of sandal-shoes for Bert.

Just one part of Megapaca in Xela.

A quick trip into the Walmart to look for anything else we missed and we were back on the bus to head home. The problem with doing a day trip to Xela is that it takes so long to get there and back, that you have little time for relaxed shopping. We had left Pana at about 9 in the morning, got to Xela at around noon, and were back on the bus just past 4. We reached home after dark at 6:30 and trudged home to be greeted by our overly ecstatic dogs. 

However, as I said, it was nice to get out of town and see the beautiful countryside. Traveling around Guatemala always reminds us that we are in a foreign country. That might sound weird but living in Panajachel has become so mundane, it seems just like normal life now. Even a little bit of travel makes us both feel inspired and adventurous. Time to start planning for another trip... but to where?? Hmmm...

Bert took some GoPro video for you to enjoy.

Five Things to Love About Guatemala

Sorry I haven't been blogging. I was surprised to see how long it had been seen I last posted! I guess the coronavirus lockdown kinda makes time weird. I often don't know what day it is. 😁

To be quite honest, I haven't been all that happy for a while. I'm not sure if it's COVID-19 or culture fatigue or just the blues. Bert and I were seriously talking about going back to Canada. Of course, that's impossible right now -- and not just because the airport is closed. We have far too many pets to go anywhere. Plus I think we've forgotten how expensive it is to live in Canada. I mean, we'd have to get, like, real jobs or something! 😝

So instead of allowing myself to feel bummed out, I'm focusing on what I love about living in Panajachel. Here are my top 5 things about Guatemala that make me happy. 

1. The weather. I've said it before -- the weather at Lake Atitlan is perfect every freaking day. Even the rains are nice. It's sunny and warm almost every day, but not too hot. The hottest part is obviously the middle of the day, so you just hang out in the shade until after 3pm and then you go out in the cool evening air. When it gets chilly at night, you put on some fuzzy socks to go to bed. When the rains come, you just hunker down inside. It's almost like when it snows back home in Canada. If you have nowhere to go, it's lovely to look at from inside your cozy home. It's a weird little thing but I love being able to have a hot coffee in the morning, an iced coffee in the afternoon, and a hot chocolate at night. 

It looks like the volcano is erupting but it's just clouds. 😄

2. The scenery. Guatemala is gorgeous. The volcanoes at Lake Atitlan are stunning. My eyes are always drawn to them. I've always loved nature and Panajachel is small enough that it's easy to get off the cobbled streets and find green spaces. There are beautiful flowers and interesting plants and the big green hills all around and the rushing river and lizards sunning on the rocks. And of course, there is Lake Atitlan, El Lago Mas Bello del Mundo, the Most Beautiful Lake in the World. Its blue waters in the distance always lift my spirits.

I am anxiously awaiting the travel restrictions to be removed so I can go on more trips around this beautiful country. I want to go back to the Pacific Ocean, up to Huehue, and over to the east coast to see that side and hopefully fit in another trip to Tikal while I'm there!

3. My quirky house. I love my house. It's a total wreck and has a lot of problems but it's two stories, which means I can look out into the trees and watch the birds. I have a totally awesome big yard that the dogs love. They sunbathe and dig up the plants and chase each other in circles. I can sit outside in the sun and the big fence means I have almost total privacy. (The only exception is sometimes my neighbours go up on their third floor roof to have a look around.) Bonus points -- I have an awesome landlord who isn't upset that my dogs have trashed the place! I could not afford to have such a nice big house if I lived in Canada. When I left Canada in 2015, I was living in a crappy, cold, tiny one-bedroom apartment in a sketchy neighbourhood. Total upgrade here!

This is not a great photo in any way but I had to include it because it's a snapshot of my life.
Tarzan is sitting on top of my Ecofiltro (water filter) while Reina & Sebastian are having a spat, and in the background is my messy home with all my windows WIDE OPEN. 😁

4. Low cost of living. When Bert and I got all homesick and started googling rental houses in Canada, we were instantly reminded at how expensive stuff is back home. Here in Guatemala, I work online part-time and have a pretty easy life. I'm not running on a hamster wheel to keep up with my bills. Rent is cheap. Utilities are cheap. (Internet is expensive and slow but this post isn't about complaining!) If I eat locally, I can stuff my face for hardly any money at all. If I want to splurge on imported foods or American style dinner, I can do that too. I don't have a car here so no more gas or repairs or insurance bills. If I don't feel like walking, I can get in a tuc-tuc for Q5 (less than a dollar) and go anywhere in town. This easygoing lifestyle is something that I appreciate every single day when I sleep in until noon and wake up without an alarm because I'm no longer part of the rat race. 😊

5. The novelty. I've been an expat in Guatemala for more than five years now and I am still being surprised. The culture here is wonderful and strange. When a stupid virus isn't messing things up, there are always elaborate parades and fascinating events going on. Even just walking to the store, I'll notice a new flower or stop to watch a bird or say hola to a cute street dog. I've found myself pausing to watch Guatemalans doing bizarre things. 

The other day a big truck tried to go down a small callejon and got caught up in the electrical wires, stopping all traffic and seriously endangering everyone involved. People came out of their houses to watch. It's like TV has no interest for them. They'd rather see if some poor guy is gonna get electrocuted as he climbs on top of a truck to move cables. #JustGuatemalanThings 🤦

I think if you stay in one place your whole life, you end up walking through it like a zombie. Being in a foreign country forces you to open your eyes and really notice what's going on around you. It's not always a good feeling but it certainly isn't boring.

Um, what the heck is this plant?? LOL

My five best things about Panajachel may not be the same as my expat friends' lists. Some have told me that they love different things than I do, like the cheerful locals, the freedom from rules, or the anonymity. I think if you maintain a positive attitude and grateful mindset, any visitor to Guatemala will find something to love. When travel restrictions lift, I hope all my readers will consider a trip to Guatemala to experience just a little bit of what makes it such a wonderful place. 

A Relaxing Weekend At Home

Sorry I haven't been blogging much. This past week was full of drama and stress! Nothing to do with COVID-19, thank goodness. It had to do with my pets!

First crazy thing that happened was last Friday, my cat Queso fall off my neighbour's roof into their yard. When I first picked him up, it appeared his back was broken. His back legs weren't working at all and he was in a lot of pain. But by the time we got to see a vet (that's a whole other story), he was fine. It was so weird! He came out of the cat carrier at the vet's and ran to hide under a table. I was shocked! The vet examined him and said that maybe he had dislocated his hip but it had popped back in. She gave him so pain killers and sent us home. We scheduled a follow-up appointment for Monday morning.

Queso relaxing at home after his ordeal. He is a big boy. He weighs 12.4 pounds!

 Which leads to the second bit of drama. On Monday as I was taking Queso to the vet, three of my dogs escaped! Gus, Honey-Bear, and Moo-Moo got out of the gate and raced off down the road. I knew that I couldn't catch them because they always think it's such a fun game to have me come after them, so I just got in a tuc-tuc and took Queso to the vet.

When I got back from the vet's office, Gus and Honey-Bear were waiting at the gate to be let back inside. But Moo-Moo was not with them!! I figured maybe she got distracted by something or someone and she would come home soon. But she never did!

For the next FOUR days, Bert and I searched the town over and over. Bert biked up and down all the streets, up to the bridge and down to the Lake. I walked until my thighs chafed, calling out and whistling while people stared at the crazy gringa. I posted Moo-Moo's picture in all the Facebook groups for Panajachel and tagged all my friends to share. But no one had seen my Moo. 😟

I was a freaking MESS. I cried all day every day. I was so mad at myself for not catching her when she first escaped. But at the time, I was more worried about Queso and his weird disappearing paralysis, so I just figured the dogs would come back and it would all be fine.

By Thursday night, I was losing hope. A friend suggested that I make paper posters and offer a reward. Another friend graciously allowed me to use her phone number so she could answer the calls in Spanish. I prepared the posters but it was after curfew so I was waiting until the next day to find a shop to print them out. I shared the virtual poster on all the Facebook groups again.

Friday morning my friend called me. Someone had seen the poster online and said that there was a white & black dog hiding in their workshop. It had been there for days but it was too scared to come out. I got directions and rushed out with my leash in my hand.

I arrived at the shop, a metalworking place I was familiar with, and the guy led me to the back. Under a weird piece of machinery, a dirty Moo-Moo peeked out with fearful eyes. OMG it's her!! She was so terrified, she was shaking, but when she realized it was me and we were going home, she started jumping all over with her happy smile. The guy laughed and took our picture. I gave him a reward of Q300 -- basically all that I had in my purse -- because I was so happy!! (Q300 is about $55 Canadian or $40 American. WORTH IT!)

The picture of Moo-Moo that I used in my missing posters.
She is just the best dog! She is the only dog that I consider "mine".
All the others are available for adoption, but not my Moo!

Which brings me to the title of my post -- a relaxing weekend at home. It's not only relaxing because all of my fur babies are safe and healthy but because we really have no choice about staying home. Ha ha!

The cases of COVID-19 in Guatemala have been ramping up quickly, which is actually the normal course of this disease, but our President kinda panicked. He is actually a doctor so he's taking the pandemic very seriously.

Anyway, on late Thursday night, he decided to lock down the country. We already have very strict rules here but he ramped it up by saying that NO stores could be open this weekend, except local tiendas. People could only go out from 8 am to 11 am. And also people couldn't use any sort of vehicles to go anyway; they had to walk.

So basically, we had 3 hours in the morning to walk to our local cornerstore, buy anything we needed, then we had to get home. CRAZY!

Someone posted this on Twitter! The lockdown rule said "no transportation with neither two nor four wheels."
Well, horses don't have wheels!! 

The prez also said that next week would be more restrictions and then the weekend after that would be full lockdown 24 hours. The schedule was so confusing that people were making charts to help understand when we could go and where.

"New Presidential Decrees"

Of course, the new lockdown measures created a storm of controversy ... online. People ranted all over Facebook. Conspiracy theories and insults at the President and ridiculous "what if" scenarios. Armchair fanatics typed their fingers raw with their doomsday predictions and negativity.

But in reality, people just dealt with it. There was some food buying panic in the city, but here in Panajachel, people just put on their masks, walked to the tienda, bought their beans and rice, stopped for tortillas from the ladies who will never ever never cease making them, no matter what happens, and then everyone went home to spend time with their families, listen to music, do some gardening, play with their dogs, and wait for the President's weekly address tonight at 7pm.

So that's my update for this week. I'm lucky that my online work has started up again and I have money coming in. I am grateful that I even have some extra to donate to the local people who aren't as lucky. More on that in a future post!

Take care, faithful readers. As we say in Guatemala, Juntos Saldremos Adelante! Together we will get ahead. 😊

Some Perspective From Guatemala During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Yesterday was a tough day. I ended up crying in the back of a tuc-tuc on the way home from running errands.

Was it because I was feeling sorry for myself? NO. One hundred freaking percent NO.

It was because there are people in my town who have no food. They go to bed hungry. Their children go to bed hungry.

There was a 60-year-old man who walked 4 kilometers from another town to beg for something to eat.

Every day, I see grandmothers gathering sticks at the side of the river so they can make a fire to cook beans.

People line the roads with white flags to signal that they don't have anything to eat today.

And I come to freaking Facebook & Twitter & the news and stupid first-worlders are rioting cuz they can't get a haircut.

PEOPLE HERE ARE STARVING. Do you understand that?

They can't order pizza to be delivered. There is no stimulus money. They can't work from home...cuz they don't have work at all. Their kids aren't online doing school on their freaking iPads -- they're begging in the street.

"Wah wah wah, I have to wear a mask! Wah wah wah, I can't go to the mall. Wah wah wah, I wanna go to the beach."

Shut the f*ck up.

And send money ⇨ Mil Milagros - A Thousand Miracles

BONUS FACT: Guatemala "only" had 617 homicides in the month of March, down from 800 last year. To put this in perspective, Canada had 651 in a whole YEAR.

Easter Was So Different This Year

A poignant article about how Easter celebrations changed this year in Guatemala. This Vogue feature was written and photographed by James Rodriguez and is worth looking at just for the awesome pictures of what life is like in Antigua during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click the link ↓

Holy Week Celebrations in Antigua, Guatemala, 2020

A girl helping at Easter Sunday Mass in Antigua, Guatemala in 2020

I Went Outside Today

A few pics of daily life in Panajachel during the pandemic. Mostly normal, with the addition of masks and the subtraction of some needed items.

Guatemalan women wearing traditional clothing (tipico) plus masks to ward against COVID-19. They are also selling masks that they sew themselves. (Not my photo.)

Masks are mandatory for everyone now. If you get caught without a mask, they take you to the health center and give you a COVID-19 test. If it's negative, you are fined Q7,000 ($1,300). If it's positive, you are fined Q150,000 ($27,500). 😲

 Lots of colourful flowers in bloom right now.

That's pink!

This plant is serious about social distancing.

There are signs around town about how to wash your hands and also the symptoms of coronavirus.

First stop, visiting my kitty friends that I'm taking care of while their mom is stuck in the U.S.

Walking up Santander street. It's so empty. :(

I went to the bank and had to stand in line outside the building with a bunch of other people. Then they let us in as a group. We had to be several feet apart at all times and the guards would come tell you if you got too close.

Kind people have been putting food out for the street dogs.

No flour at Despensa.

A tuc-tuc ride home! I've been taking them a lot more often to support the drivers.

Crossing the yellow bridge. The river workers are still working (with masks on).
Lots of haze this time of year. You can't see the lake at all!

A quick video of the street corner near the grocery store. I would love to take more videos but I always feel embarrassed when I have my camera out.

Because I am petsitting, I have to go out every two days, but often I just go there and back home right away. I don't like going ot Despensa because it's crowded (and far) so I'm going to my local tiendas more often. I haven't been to the market in a long time. It's too crazy. But the local tiendas are now selling more fresh fruit and vegetables, so that's helpful.

I bought two more masks today just because. They only cost Q5 -- less than a dollar. There are lots of entrepreneurial people selling them on the street all over town. I still haven't found a purple one though!

Stay well, my friends!

The Corte Challenge

A corte is a traditional woven skirt. This video shows modern Guatemalan women and girls changing from their "regular" clothes into their traditional outfits. They are beautiful! 

No Easter in Guatemala This Year

Because of this stupid coronavirus, Easter celebrations in Guatemala have been cancelled. This is sad for two reasons. Number one, Easter is a big deal for the many religious people here. Number two, Easter is a huge tourist attraction and therefore brings in a lot of money for tourist-based businesses.

Not being allowed to have Easter events, gatherings, parades or even church services actually presents a difficult moral decision for many people. Think about it: would you rather disobey your government or your God? I know that I have seen some people on TV in other countries who are still attending large church services and proclaiming that God will protect them from the virus. Yeah, sorry, but that's not gonna work, guys. 😳

Panajachel's religious leaders have come up with a clever way to deal with the cancellation of Easter. All over town, there are purple bows and signs with different inspirational messages and Bible quotes. I snapped a pic of this one on my way home from the grocery store.

Messages on poles in Panajachel about Easter.

The sign above says, "Love to our brothers is to recognize that we have more things that unite us than those that will separate us."

Below that in small print, it says, "Holy Week lives and is celebrated in the hearts of all Panajachel."
I really like that!

As for me, I'm not religious but I will certainly miss the fancy processions and beautiful alfombras (carpets). Here is a picture from a few years ago to show you how awesome they are.

Besides prohibiting all Semana Santa celebrations and gatherings, the most recent COVID-19 restriction is that the President has decreed that during Easter Week, no one can travel between departments (provinces or states). All tourist sites and all beaches are closed.

Here in Panajachel, no one who does not live here can enter the town. All roads into the town are guarded by police who check documents to verify where you live. Of course, emergency vehicles can pass and also trucks delivering food or medicine. 

The other big thing is that all sales of alcohol have been prohibited for 9 days. The ban is said to expire after Easter Monday. Can you imagine the party that's going to happen on that day? 😆

In good news, the Office of Migration here has said that there will be no late fees or fines for any tourist with a valid tourist entry stamp if it expires while the State of Emergency is in effect. This is a relief for me as my stamp is expiring on April 17th. It also means that once the State of Emergency is lifted, which could be many months from now, there will be a tonne of expats who need to do visa runs! I've already talked to a bunch of my friends here who agree that it would be fun to all go together to Mexico for a weekend!

So that's life for me in Guatemala right now. Pretty normal actually. So far the restrictions are just minor irritations. And I'm SUPER grateful that I am not sick, and neither are my family and friends.

Stay healthy, folks. Wash your hands, don't touch your face, and keep your spirits up!

Five Years in Guatemala!

Yes, today is our 5th Guateversary! On April 1st, 2015, Bert and I packed up our lives and got on a plane from Toronto to Guatemala. How crazy is that? 😊

I think this is the most interesting, adventurous, life-changing thing I have ever done. Not saying I won't do something MORE life-changing in the future, but so far, this tops the list.

The beautiful Lake Atitlan

I'm struggling to figure out what to say about living for five years in Guatemala as an expatriate, expat, foreigner, immigrant, or extranjera. It's hard because everything right now is about COVID-19, the coronavirus pandemic. Guatemala has taken drastic measures to flatten the curve, which is awesome. So far, there have been only 38 cases in the whole country, I believe. There are zero cases in Panajachel, the town where I live. I am grateful for that, although I worry that if I do get sick, the healthcare system here is not nearly as good as in Canada. But no sense fretting over something I can't control.

So back to the topic of five years as a Canadian expat in Guatemala....it's great! I've written about the pros and cons before but I will sum up.
Biggest downsides -- culture differences, which includes language problems, morality, safety, and racism.
Biggest bright sides -- lovely climate and low cost of living, plus I'm meeting a wide array of fascinating people from all over the world.

What I would say to anyone thinking about leaving Canada to move to Guatemala? Go for it! Honestly, the scariest part was leaving. Now that I'm out of my home country, I feel so free. Like I can go anywhere and do anything. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to live in a foreign country. Daily life becomes fairly routine after a while, even though I still stop and stare at Guatemalan things that would never happen at home. For instance, a family of five riding on one motorcycle, people banging pots in the middle of the night to wake up the moon, a barefoot five-year-old running to the store to buy eggs, and soooooooo many stray dogs everywhere. Life is certainly different here but it is also most definitely GOOD.

Take care of yourselves, dear readers, and keep your eyes looking forward to a better time when you can follow those dreams you've been putting on the back burner. 😀

Fresh Cheese in Guatemala

A long time ago, I tried the local Guatemalan queso fresco (fresh cheese) and I decided I wasn't a fan. But I thought I might give it a second chance seeing as how we're trying to save money and buy more things from our local tiendas rather than the big chain grocery stores. I think I paid Q15 for this block of cheese, which is about $2.75 Canadian or $1.95 U.S.

Fresh cheese is sold wrapped in a banana leaf. It is very soft. It barely holds its brick shape and when you cut it, it is almost like cottage cheese that has been pressed together, or maybe ricotta. It is very wet! The flavour is mild, tangy, but with a bit of pungency at the end. It's not bad really but to me, it almost tastes like cottage cheese that has gone a bit off. Not moldy but maybe vinegary? You will have to try it for yourself to know for sure!

Queso fresco de Guatemala

Sliced fresh cheese of Guatemala

Cheese is also sold as seco (dry) where it is pressed into a circle shape, is very hard, and you shave it off like Parmesan. I've sometimes seen the fresh cheese with loroco in it, which is a flower bud (I think) that tastes a bit like asparagus. I've never seen anything but pure white cheese. No orange cheese here!

I found this interesting video about making fresh cheese in Guatemala. It's quite long -- 16 minutes -- and rambles quite a bit. They seem to be having fun! I don't understand most of what they're saying cuz their Spanish is so fast! But it is worth watching, especially for any readers who don't know much about Guatemala.
The part that will interest you is not making the cheese, but the environment. They are working in their kitchen, which is just a dirt floor with tin walls. Their stove is propped on cinder blocks. They wash dishes in their pila (stone sink) and spill the water on the floor. When they need a banana leaf for the cheese, they walk down their dirt road to their neighbour's house and just cut one from a tree. (And their neighbour has a squirrel in a cage???) It is a fascinating look into the life of a family in rural Guatemala.

It appears that they do use rennet to make their cheese but I have also seen people do it just with lemon juice or vinegar. 

If you would like to try making fresh cheese at home, it is very easy! Here is a recipe I found:

Homemade Fresh Cheese

Bye for now! I'm going to go cook beans & rice and top it with my queso fresco, tomatoes, and fresh jalapeños. Yum!

Finally Bought an Ecofiltro

Super excited to start purifying my own water with my new Ecofiltro. 👍💧😀

Ecofiltro with optional stand.

Did a short video for your viewing pleasure. 😊

And of course, the best thing about a new appliance is the big box!

Queso in the Ecofiltro box.

Check out Ecofiltro.com for where you can buy one or how you can support disadvantaged people in Guatemala. Gracias!

Coronavirus in Guatemala

Nothing is higher in everyone's minds right now than COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, that is infecting people all over the world.

As of today, Guatemala has 16 people infected with coronavirus and 1 person who has died from it. So on the timeline of the infection spread, we are very early.

Add caption

The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, has acted swiftly and decisively to put measures in place to protect the people. However, not all his decisions have been happily accepted by Guatemalans and expats.

1. All borders are closed to foreigners. Guatemalans and legal residents can enter, but no one else.
2. The airport is closed to commercial flights.
3. Markets are only open from 7am to noon, and now closed completely on Sunday.
4. Non-essential stores, factories, and other workplaces are all closed. 
5. As of yesterday, there is a nation-wide curfew. Everyone must be off the streets by 4pm.

Yeah, kinda crazy, right?

These restrictions were announced on a televised broadcast, as well as on the radio. But as many people here are poor and don't have TVs, internet, or radio, trucks with loudspeakers were sent out to all towns to announce it. I filmed a bit of the one that passed our house.

So how are we dealing with this coronavirus madness?

CLOSED BORDERS
Many tourists and even some expats took advantage of the very short window of opportunity to get out of the country before the borders closed. Some people who were a bit slow to understand the seriousness of the lockdown scrambled at the last minute to find a way to get to the border by land and cross into Mexico. They were allowed out of Guate but will not be allowed back in. Many then flew home from Tapachula airport. (Mexico has not enacted any restrictions.)

The Canadian Embassy arranged for a bus from the city to the Mexican border. The American Embassy, I believe, hired a charter plane to take citizens out. (I think they had to pay quite a hefty sum though!)

As for Bert and I, we never had any plans to leave Guatemala. Our home is here. Our pets are here. Our lives are here. So closing the borders hasn't really affected us personally, although if they are still closed in a few more weeks, I may have some trouble getting my tourist visa renewed.

The only minor way this has affected us is that I was supposed to pet sit for my friend until the 29th of March while she was traveling. Well, now she can't get back! So I am continuing to pet sit for her indefinitely. No big deal. I enjoy visiting her cats every two days, and her dog is staying at our house and having a load of fun.

CLOSED MARKETS AND STORES
This is really just an inconvenience for us as we have to get out and do our shopping earlier in the day now. It's annoying that the 3Q store is closed (dollar store) because we love to buy cheap stuff there. The grocery stores haven't really run out of many things but I've been doing more of my shopping at our local tiendas (corner stores) because I want to support my neighbours.

And that's the big problem with this decision to close all non-essential workplaces. The people are suffering. The town is shut down. Santander, a street normally packed end to end with vendors, is EMPTY. Clothing stores, stationery stores, shoe stores, everything is closed. Restaurants can only do takeout or delivery.
And all of those people are not getting paid. They have no money coming in at all. How will they buy food for themselves? Buy gas or firewood to cook? Pay their electric bill? Even buy water to drink? (We can't drink from the tap.)
The decision to close all business was a bad one. I think the politicians in the city don't truly understand the level of poverty that exists in most of Guatemala. Many indigenous families are already living hand to mouth, eking out a living on meager wages and inconsistent income. Which brings us to...

CURFEW
Yes, there is now a nation-wide curfew for all people, with the minor exception of anyone delivering food and medicine. Why enforce a curfew? Crime, that's why. I can't think of any other reason to make people stay in their homes at night. And not even really night...at 4pm there is still 2 hours of daylight left.
Yesterday was the first day this went into effect and police and firetrucks went around with sirens on to remind people. I even got a text message on my phone to remind me. Weird.
I'm irritated by how early the curfew is as my favorite time to go out is 5pm so I can run errands and see the sunset on my way home. I am NOT a morning person! I imagine the curfew is probably really bothering extroverts who enjoy going out to socialize, but I'm pretty much a hermit so I feel happier (and safer) inside my home. Besides that, we have a big enclosed yard that I can relax in, so it's not like I'm trapped indoors.

Speaking of the yard, we're starting a vegetable garden! Bert worked really hard to prepare a nice section of earth for planting. He even went out with a wheelbarrow to get sawdust and straw for mulching and big green leaves to add to our compost pile.

Working in the yard to create a place to plant veggies.

All of this coronavirus panic has reminded us that we are not all that self-sufficient. We always intend to stockpile dry goods and water in case of an earthquake, and we always talk about growing veggies cuz the climate is so great here, but we've never really been motivated until now. It's a good way to keep busy and feel productive, plus we will get food in the end -- yum! 😋

Anyway, the coronavirus pandemic is a scary thing and will probably get scarier here in Guatemala over the next few weeks as the number of infected people increases, but I think it's important for all of us to stay calm, positive, and hopeful. Lots of folks are panicking but I am trying to channel any nervousness I have into productive pursuits, like gardening, cleaning, organizing, learning new things on the Internet, or designing tshirts. I am lucky that I make money online and we have a source of income, even if things are tight right now.

I want to share one last picture. A resourceful person in Panajachel is making masks out of the local patterned cloth and selling them on the street for Q5. Smart!

Cloth masks in Panajachel, Guatemala.

Stay healthy and safe, everyone! And wash your hands!! 😁

Bert Bechamel, Professional Mosaic Artist

Bert has finally finished this amazing commission art piece for a friend! It is spectacular!

The final piece!

There are gems that sparkle in the light.

He bought the gems from the local sewing and fabric stores. The local ladies sew them on to their traditional clothing.

The 8 ball is particularly impressive! Very difficult to make such small pieces.

 I really like how he shaped the white tiles to outline the bones in the face, like the eye sockets. Here you can also see how the black grout highlights the contours.

The details are amazing. That's a spade, diamond, heart, and club.

In the picture above, you can see more detail of the background pattern. I told him he should have just done a scattered broken tile background for a quick, easy finish, but he insisted on making this complex pattern. He took a picture of a cobblestone road in town as his template.

Three highlighted pieces -- a green and two white.

In the photo above, I've highlighted three pieces that explain why it took so long for Bert to finish this. He carves out the tiles to the exact shapes he needs to fit in the space. This is no ordinary mosaic where the artist just breaks pieces and fits them in willy-nilly! Bert is a perfectionist! He told me sometimes it takes him 45 minutes to make one piece. 😲

Congratulations, Bert, on this great artwork!

Volcán Fuego Erupting

Imagine waking up to this! 😲  (Sound on!)

This is the Volcano of Fire near Antigua. You can book trips to hike up Acatenango volcano and camp overnight in tents. (Intense! Get it? 😆)

My friends over at Trekking Duo did this hike and give great tips here -- HIKING UP ACATENANGO

Here is another personal account of hiking Acatenango so you can be prepared if you decide to do this challenging adventure! HIKING ACATENANGO IN GUATEMALA

Pollution in Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is often touted as The Most Beautiful Lake in the World. But it won't be that way forever if something isn't done about all the raw sewage, garbage, and pollution going into its beautiful waters every day.

Drone photo of the river delta in Panajachel emptying silt and sewage into Lake Atitlan.

I filmed that video just a few days ago. I like to walk the dogs down this gravel road to the lake cuz it's peaceful -- albeit stinky! Sometimes there are big gobs of dirty foam in the water that comes out from the sewage plant.

The amount of untreated sewage water (aguas residuales no tratadas) being dumped into Lake Atitlan every year.

The governmental organization here that is assigned to take care of Lake Atitlan is called AMSCLAE -- La Autoridad para el Manejo Sustentable de la Cuenca del Lago de Atitlán y su Entorno. In English, this is The Authority for Sustainable Management of the Lake Atitlan Basin and its Environment. They have a lot of great info on their site, but in Spanish of course! They do studies, offer educational programs, and spread awareness. Not everyone agrees with their methods and proposals, but it is good to have a central official governmental body.

For some heavy reading, here is an extensive article about wastewater treatment at Lake Atitlan in English:
https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:6451/WorkingPaper_No6.pdf

Almost every day on my Facebook feed, I see photos, links, complaints, and posters about Lake Atitlan's dirty water, garbage, and pollution. Locals and expats alike are very concerned and working as best they can to find a solution. Education and awareness are key. But I think the limiting factor here is money, unfortunately. I can only hope that something gets done before it's too late. 😔

Are We Animal Actor Agents Now?

Two more of our dogs were in a commercial for Ruff on the Road dog apparel. Chunk, the chubby black puppy, and Snoopy, the medium blonde dog, stole the show in this video about doggie bandanas.

Bert jokes that it's great to have dogs that pay for their own vet bills. The money the doggies made for their participation went directly to Chunk's vaccination series. Good job, boys!

Shop Ruff on the Road collars, leashes, beds, bags, and bandanas HERE⇒ https://www.ruffontheroad.com/ 

Sugar High On a Friday Night

My life is so thrilling. My Friday night is staying home playing video games and overdosing on sugar!! 

Amongst the junk food I bought at La Torre grocery store today, on a whim I bought this ginormous bottle of POP. Can you guess what the flavor is? Soda Shampan...champagne! Champagne cola is kind of a unique flavor in the Carribean and Latin America. It tastes sort of like cream soda. This one is not bad but a little weak. I realized belatedly that it has aspartame which gives it a yucky aftertaste. Oh well.

That's a lotta pop.

Another strange find in the store today, Fruit of the Forest Oreos. I can't really say they taste like much at all. I mostly taste the chocolate cookie part but I guess the purple filling tastes like...tangy sugar. Not raspberry or blackberry or anything.

Fruit of the Forest Oreos

Just in case you need more sugar for breakfast, Guatemala is obsessed with horrible sugary cereals. It was fun at first, but it's getting kind of tiresome now. I mean do you really need marshmallows in your chocolate rice krispies? I would love to have some nice lightly sweetened LIFE cereal or some brown sugar Mini-Wheats.

Chocolate Rice Krispies with Marshmallows

Poor Bert is subsisting on Cream of Wheat, yogurt, bananas, and pudding. He's getting his teeth fixed, which basically means he's getting most of them pulled out. He's had four done already. After they're all done being pulled, he will get fitted for partial dentures. Ack, that sounds like such an old man thing, doesn't it? Ha ha!
For reference, getting a tooth pulled (extraction) costs Q150 each. That's roughly $26 Canadian or $20 U.S. dollars. Pretty cheap!

Heart of Wheat -- the closest to Cream of Wheat we've found here.

Look at that face! 😍

Bert is being comforted in his dental pain by a new puppy. Yes, we know. Not another dog! Well, he wasn't supposed to stay but he's just so darn cute! His name is Chunk! He's about three-and-a-half months old and he already weighs almost 20 pounds. He is a big boy. His coat is super shiny and black with brown undertones. He is very handsome and laid back and adorable.

So life is pretty normal. Nice and warm here, a bit cloudy in the evenings but no rain.
It's pretty quiet in town because we're in that peaceful time between Christmas and Easter. A few months of calm and then tourists will come pouring back in.

I hope you're all well and enjoying life wherever you are. Peace out from Guatemala!

High Praise for Lake Atitlan from Fodor's Travel

I just read this great article about how you can vacation at Lake Atitlan for far less than a trip to Italy and still experience all the joys and beauty you would expect from a European destination.

👉🏼 An Affordable Alternative to Italy 👈🏼

Casa Palopó, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

The article from Fodor's features several rather ritzy places and activities, but I can tell you that you can get a lovely hotel for far cheaper than you might think. Plus eating at the restaurants here is very inexpensive, especially for traditional barbecue (churrasco).  That means you'll have more money to splurge on traditional hand-woven fabrics, real jade, beaded animals, wooden masks, amazing paintings of the lake, and buying knick-knacks from the cute child vendors. 

Bert and my sister in the jacuzzi and Hotel Atitlan.
This is not some fancy photo from a hotel website. This is a real pic that I took!

When my sisters visited for the first time, they stayed at the beautiful Hotel Lake Atitlan. It is located just outside of Pana so it is very quiet. They have gorgeous gardens to wander through, a pool with a view of the lake and volcanoes, and extravagant rooms decorated with local art and textiles. My sisters loved it because you could flush your toilet paper. 😄 (Read my article about bathrooms here.)

Lakeview room in Porta Hotel Del Lago

For a more first-world style hotel -- complete with elevator! -- The Porta Hotel Del Lago is a popular choice. It is located right in the middle of Panajachel, only steps from the waterfront. They recently installed a "living wall" of plants that goes all the way up the side of the building. They have a pool, lakeview rooms, conference facilities, and gardens.

Gardens at Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, Panajachel

Another popular waterfront hotel is Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo. They are proud to feature Guatemalan traditions, food, dance, clothing, and decor, yet they still offer first-world amenities to refresh and relax you. Wouldn't you love to be in one of those hammocks right now?

"But I'm a poor traveler. I can't afford those hotels!"
No worries, my friend! Head over to TripAdvisor and sort by price low to high. You will find rooms for as little as $25 Canadian ($20 American) per night! Hmm, at those prices, I might spend a night in a hotel myself!

TIP: Many folks are scared off of Guatemala due to over-exaggerated news reports about violence and crime. While the city and border towns can be a bit scary, Lake Atitlan is pretty peaceful and safe. The locals know that tourism is their bread and butter -- or should I say tortillas and beans -- and they want visitors to enjoy their time. (And spend lots of money too, of course!) Use your common sense, as you would in any city, and you'll be just fine.

I hope to see more of you strolling around Panajachel in the near future. And in case you need more incentive, today it's 23°C (73°F), sunny and breezy and beautiful! 😎