A Few Nights in Bangkok

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We spent the first night of our budget trip to Southeast Asia in a Hilton Hotel…in Chicago. Our plane sat on the tarmac in Toronto for three hours waiting for the snow to let up to in Chicago, and when we finally arrived our connecting flight had already gone. We had left our winter clothing in Toronto, so we were not prepared to spend time in freezing temperatures. The Hilton cost us three times our daily budget—even with the half off voucher given to us by the airline. Not a good start, but we’ve learned to be flexible. In spite … Continue reading →

Alien Invasion

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Illegal immigration has been a contentious issue in the US for the past several years, especially around election time. We constantly hear about how aliens come illegally to our country, either sneaking in the back door to the American dream, seeking a better life and citizenship. Or, and this is what we hear mostly, that they are taking American jobs, using American health care, and bringing crime and disease into the country. Neither is true for most immigrants. In past years the money immigrants from Guatemala send home has accounted for about 10% of the money in the country. Most … Continue reading →

Party Like It’s 2012

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OK, that’s a joke. As far as I can tell here in Guatemala present-day Mayas either don’t know about the dire predictions of the end of the world in 2012 based on the old Mayan calendar, or they don’t believe it. Either way, it is life as usual, which means celebrating important events, some traditional, some not so much. This past weekend my oldest goddaughter, Angelina, graduated from college with a degree in medical science. It is sort of a pre-med degree and she plans to continue and become a doctor. Such an achievement is not at all traditional amongst … Continue reading →

Changes

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I am already nearly a week into phase two of this year’s trip: Last Monday I flew from Canada to Guatemala, where I’ll be spending the month of November. I’ve been to Guatemala many times over the years, and it is a familiar place for me. Coming here seems not so much a trip or vacation as it does a parallel reality. It is like the difference between a dream world and a waking world. Which is which—which seems more real—depends on where I am. For the first few days here I feel fuzzy headed. At night sometimes I am … Continue reading →

Surf and Turf

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I’ve been fascinated by the history of Eastern Canada and the Atlantic provinces. There are old buildings with dates I’ve seen only in history books. In places entire neighborhoods, perhaps out of simple neglect, have survived urban renewal and look like a set for a historical drama. If only they could talk. Whispered stories fill the air in small cemeteries scattered around the countryside. Some headstones have little more than a name and date. Some hint of tragedy and the harshness of life a century ago; other inscriptions suggest an intriguing story such as the woman who, after one husband … Continue reading →