Central Park

Like the rest of Central America, Xela is built around a central park. The Parque Central is lined with government offices, museums, the Cathedral, and other lovely old buildings. Shaded by trees, adorned by neoclassical monuments and flower beds, the park is great place for people watching. Whereas some such parks in Central America have fallen into disrepair and become havens for beggers, stray dogs, etc., this one has not. Since we were last here, the municipality has worked to clean it up.

The park is a vibrant place day and night where all sorts of people pass the time. Pat loves to read his paper here and it is truly blissful to soak up the afternoon sun on a bench, surrounded by the buzz of activity. Business is conducted, old friends and school kids hang out, families stroll.

While we are fortunate to mostly see only the positive aspects of the Park, we are not naive enough to believe that the scruffy children who used to ask to shine our Teva sandals no longer exist. They have just been forced out of the park, and have to seek work elsewhere. We also realize that some of the night time inhabitants of the park are gangs (called Maras here), a growing problem here. This IS Guatemala. A country still crippled by extreme poverty, and, since the end of the civil war in 1996, further debilitated by the government´s failure to control the huge wave of violent crime, and the influx of narco trafficers that are being flushed out of other countries thanks to the US war on drugs.

And then there is the constant belching of black smoke from busses and cars..... And, yes, there is now a McDonalds in the Park, offering free internet if you eat there. At least it is fairly unabtrusive and the golden arches are tiny.

The fact is that most of our daily needs are met withing 5-6 block of the Central Park and we find ourselves stopping for a brief respite often.

We never know what we will be doing at Education and Hope (heretofore called The Project). This week Pat started some building projects (bookcases) and now that the word is out, the orders are coming in. The kitchen senoras want series of little tables to use for working with their large pots, and Pat will wnt to keep them happy, since they have been feeding him very well. It looks like he will have plenty to do.


t We also helped with weighing and measureing the kids (to make sure no one is losing weight) and doling out medicine to combat stomach worms. Another day we helped with the distribution of uniforms for the school year. The school years starts in January here, and goes until sometime in October. The shoes and uniforms that we have been passing will be for this entire school year, and at the project they are very organized about keeping track of who and been given what, and about letting the kids know that they must take care of their clothes. Nobody wants to face the wrath of the formidible director, Sandra.


One of the small kids had a birthday and his Mom (one of the kitchen senoras) brought a pinata, and the project bought birthday cake. Lots of fun squeeling and stick swinging. Pat even got dragged into the action, and unfortunately lost the battle to the paper Elmo.

One morning this week we found that the thermometer in our patio read 28 degrees F. I think that is a record for this year, and it is bloody cold when there is not heater. However, by 9:30 am we are able to go out in shirt sleeves. So, although the temperatures are quite extreme because of the altitude (8700 feet) it is sunny everyday and managable.

We are very aware of the dangers here and we are very careful about what we carry and we are never out past 10:00pm, and even that late rarely. In fact, we avoid going out after dark. Last night we did go to the first of the season for the local soccer team. It is quite an experience and a great deal more rowdy than the average sports event in the States. Fireworks, torches, drums (constantly) lots of blowing of horns and throwing things. During the first few minute or so of the game, the field was covered with so much smoke and paper that I don´t know how the players could see. I am pretty sure that we learned a few choice new words that we probably should not practice in public. We live very close to the stadium, so it probably won´t be the last game we see.

I apologize if the format of this is odd. I am struggling with this blog site, and the placement of pictures a bit. Probably by the time we get home, I will have it figured out.

Love and best wishes to all.