EST. 2011

My father recently visited Guatemala and so I've asked him to share some of his experiences and feelings towards the country of my service. He was a PCV in Bolivia in the 70's and hope you enjoy his entry as much as I have. According to the Maya, God created the Cosmos consisting of three levels or realms, the Upper World, the Middle World, and the Lower World each inhabited by numerous and distinct deities. The Aurora International airport in Guatemala City made by Man also has three levels. A five foot poster is hung on a wall at the lowest third level. At the time I took the photo a 20 something traveler was sprawled on the floor under it listening to music through his ear buds and looking at his MAC screen. He was oblivious to the image of a stepped Maya temple rising out of the Guatemalan jungle above his head. With pride and a bit of arrogance the words written in the sky above the temple proclaim "We were born in the country of the first "rascacielos...

This March the Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary. It also marks the 1 year anniversary of my service, as I swore in on March 26th 2010. I've now been a volunteer for an entire year and look forward to my second and final year in Guatemala. This picture was taken of my site-mate Megan and I only a year ago at our swearing in ceremony in Antigua, although at times it can seem like ages ago. We, as volunteers, will be celebrating the 50th anniversary this friday March 25th with the rest of the PC Guatemala administration and family. Happy 50th Peace Corps!

F útbol is the country's obsession and favorite past time. While Guatemala has its own domestic league, many people choose to follow the Spanish league or La Liga. Historically , La Liga has always been a two horse race between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and this season is no different. I'm a fan of Barcelona. Their free flowing football can only be described as the "beautiful game" and many have even questioned whether the current Barcelona squad is the best team the world has ever seen. El Clásico or the La Liga matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most important games of the year in Guatemala. I'd even say that more people tune in to watch the clásico than any other sporting event in Guatemala. I decided to add these photos to show you what an average Guatemalan field looks like. The photos are taken from the same field. Fields here are normally all tierra or dirt. I currently play with the local town team, Pueblo . Every village in Mala...

This is a good example of what a "chicken bus" or camioneta looks like in Guatemala. Camionetas are old US school buses that have undergone a serious makeover reminiscent of the MTV show Pimp My Ride. This particular camioneta says "Jehova is my shepherd" and "God guides me, I drive" . This fatalist mentality towards the dangerous roads of Central America is a commonly written expression on the c amionetas of Guatemala. I often wonder whether roller-coasters will ever feel dangerous again after having spent countless hours traveling by camioneta throughout the mountains of Guatemala. One thing is for sure, riding a "chicken bus" in Latin America is truly an experience like none other.