tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45363141562830826252011-07-29T01:33:22.056-05:00Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-26782531943021055832009-07-12T09:18:00.008-05:002009-07-12T09:36:07.284-05:00

It did occur to me that I hadn't posted any photos of Xela. There are a few reasons for this. First, I didn't find all that much of Xela interesting (aesthetically). The second is the large indigenous population made me apprehensive about taking out my camera.As I mentioned in an early post, many Mayans have a problem with photography. As a tourist you are supposed to ask before you photograph

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-67294434181789970462009-07-11T08:54:00.002-05:002009-07-11T08:56:29.043-05:00

Made it safely back home. But I don't have a cell phone at the moment (or access to anyone's number).

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-91739848747651580422009-07-09T20:07:00.007-05:002009-07-09T21:39:15.074-05:00

I'm writing this from my hotel room in Dos Lunas. This has to be the best $22.00 I've spent on this trip. The Dutch couple that run the place are very nice and welcoming.My article is coming along nicely. How often do you get to tie in John Denver, Gene Wilder, and an exploding orange into one article about Guatemala? This is what I love about my job. I never know what to expect other than

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-54643705283728238962009-07-07T10:33:00.006-05:002009-07-07T11:38:37.795-05:00

So, how does an American celebrate 4th of July in a foreign country?a) Drive around the town square in a pickup blaring the Star-Spangled Banner?b) Walk around the town square wearing nothing but the flag and chanting "We're Number 1! We're Number 1!"c) Hiking with the enemy--a young woman from England.Of course the first 2 are outrageously attractive prospects. But I chose option C and headed to

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-45150284724467340882009-07-05T21:56:00.007-05:002009-07-06T18:37:48.938-05:00

I've been waiting for the right time to capture the "chicken bus" experience. Basically, the chicken bus is a cheap and painfully slow way to travel across Guatemala. (This isn't unique to Guatemala, many other countries use this sort of thing.) 90% of the buses are old buses taken from the U.S.--the big yellow school bus most of us took to school at some point. The buses have been repainted and

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-85242667689011384432009-07-05T21:34:00.005-05:002009-07-05T21:56:01.516-05:00

From San Pascual altar just outside of Chichicastenango. You have to walk through the woods and up a small hill to reach the site. Mayan leaders often perform ceremonies (based on Christian and Mayan beliefs) here.

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-88899317877080025832009-07-01T21:16:00.005-05:002009-07-02T15:35:20.701-05:00

Tajumulco is the highest point in Central America. The summit is about 13,800 feet. That's probably the highest place I've been by 2,000 feet. It was grueling trek through mud, rain, hail, and lightning. I can't write much more because I'm working on the article. But I can tell each of you in person when I get back.But in the meantime, I've got some video. So, 7 of us were stuck in a tent from

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-29084929181319593122009-06-21T17:07:00.004-05:002009-06-21T17:29:53.513-05:00

La mordida is a Spanish word for ¨bite¨ (like what a dog might do). It also means something else--paying off the police.Last night I was at a bar that stays open after the official close of business. Bars of this sort hire workers to hide outside and watch for local police. When the guard spots the police, he immediately alerts the bar mananger. Everything in the bar stops. The lights go out. The

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-47238692016213387312009-06-21T16:09:00.002-05:002009-06-21T17:28:11.231-05:00

I made the video several days ago and just haven´t been able to upload it. No script makes for bad dialogue. But hopefully this give you more of an idea of the house in which I´m living. (The dog is named Thor.)

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-55808660893035662382009-06-17T11:47:00.002-05:002009-06-17T11:56:47.355-05:00

I made it to Xela (pronounced: shay-luh) on Sunday. And I've been trying to get a feel for the city. I have a couple of videos to post, but I need to find a faster internet connection. I will say that the city is not immediately what I expected. It's definitely a big city (300,000 people compared to Antigua's 35,000).I promise to post more as soon as I can! Please check back soon.

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-27781449863025774872009-06-13T17:09:00.002-05:002009-06-13T17:17:59.946-05:00

I thought the "swine flu" had run its course. But I guess I was wrong. At the airport when I flew in I had to fill out a health form asking me a bunch of questions such as "Do I feel ill? Have a fever? etc." I then handed the form to a masked agent who briefly read it over and put it in a pile. I though that was the last of it.Earlier this week, schools across Guatemala were shut down. I have

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-57027683894041621502009-06-06T18:24:00.009-05:002009-06-11T20:47:35.899-05:00

Earlier this week my Spanish teacher told me a story about what happened to her nephew in the early 1980s. During the worst years of the war in Guatemala, Antigua was relatively safe. Most of the guerilla activity was in the mountains surrounding the town rather than in the town itself. Antigua wasn't safe enough.Her nephew was waiting for his girlfriend one evening at the street corner (above)

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-13591105108677585632009-06-06T17:08:00.006-05:002009-06-11T20:47:56.088-05:00

So, I was walking through the market (El Mercado) this weekend, and I knew that photos just would not convey the experience. I handheld my camera through a long strip of the market. The video is 3 minutes long. Short of uranium and Revolutionary War muskets, everything is sold at this market--Here are some of the items that you may see in the video.- Toilet paper- Goldfish swimming in plastic

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-57042069978498092762009-05-31T13:38:00.004-05:002009-06-06T18:06:08.377-05:00

Earlier this week, we got our first big rain. Lots of lightning and thunder. Lots of water. My waterproof kicks have paid off! As you could tell from my earlier video post, my "classroom" is outside but covered. So, we continue to have class under a tin roof with lightning. Eh, no worries.The weird thing about the rain is you never know when it will happen. Every day, big grey clouds threaten

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-18358714820080773872009-05-31T12:57:00.022-05:002009-06-03T21:01:01.560-05:00

Capuchin Church and Convent:This dates to the early 18th century. When I can find more history on it, I'll update the post. But for now, please enjoy the photos and video.This is a shot from the outside some sort of structure. The grounds are very lush. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what you're looking at. There wasn't much historical information provided at the site.This is a shot from the

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-47667795784524515882009-05-31T11:03:00.008-05:002009-05-31T13:27:14.141-05:00

Things are going great right now. Today marks the start of my second week in the country. It actually seems like I've been here for a while already (and I still have 6 more weeks). But with spending about 7 hours in class for 5 days, it starts to get a little tiring. I do feel like I've learned (or relearned) a great deal.

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-56228043779111439082009-05-27T15:23:00.011-05:002009-05-31T13:38:02.022-05:00

So, this is my first (real) post from Guatemala. And you got some text and some videos. Until today I was in a house with 5 other students. But 3 have left for a different house as of this afternoon. Apparently, their school (which is a different school than the one I'm in) had to rearrange some things. I'll write more about my family here later.At my school it's a 1:1 student-teacher ratio. Most

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-40836024571783888942009-05-25T16:46:00.001-05:002009-05-25T16:48:11.090-05:00

I'm in Antigua, Guatemala. School started today. I will be updating with some photos soon. (Internet connection is not bad.)

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-40226819859604944722009-05-17T21:33:00.003-05:002009-05-18T13:19:21.244-05:00

Still no additional evidence in the story of the murdered lawyer. But that has not stopped a growing movement of people against the president...AP News:"Thousands of Guatemalans protested Sunday to demand the president resign over accusations that he ordered a lawyer killed, a scandal threatening the rule of the country's first leftist leader more than 50 years..."

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-55068760477883764492009-05-14T11:32:00.005-05:002009-05-14T12:41:41.462-05:00

As of today, it looks like the biggest news in the country is a scandal involving a murdered lawyer and Guatemala’s president. Tell me if this sounds like a movie: On May 10, 2009, Rodrigo Rosenberg—a lawyer—was riding his bike in Guatemala City. “Unknown assailants” shot and killed him.On May 11, a video surfaced. Rosenberg made a tape before he died! And on this tape Rosenberg, talking directly

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4536314156283082625.post-12965493963187381492009-05-14T09:13:00.011-05:002009-05-14T12:47:16.004-05:00

Since I know you all want desperately to know what I'm doing for the next several weeks, I've created this page.Here are the basics:I'm in Guatemala from May 24 to mid-July. I'll be in two different Spanish schools.- One school is in La Antigua. It's a fairly small town that I spent a week in back in December 2008. I'll be there for a couple of weeks.- The other school is in Quetzaltenango (Xela)

Michael Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17070426408329938123noreply@blogger.com0