2018: Celas Maya Spanish School, Second Session 

May 17, 2018.  Xela

• Great morning football match, sitting in the north bleachers next to the “band” and fireworks with my teacher Carlos, an absolutely mad fan.  Xela won, 2-1, But will only advance depending on the outcome of a match tomorrow.

• Later in the day took a bus with Carlos to Olintepeque to see the annual Fiesta de San Pascualito Muerte.  Only worshipped in a few places in Guatemala, and not recognized by the Catholic Church, he’s a skeleton figure that people present with gifts (typically alcohol and tobacco) and prayers that he will help them in some specific way.  In one room, men and women were smoking giant cigars.  And of course a ridiculously loud band and dancers.  I sampled an alcoholic drink labeled “Canabis”, with no noticeable effect.

May 18, 2018.  Xela

Took Nico out for dinner and the Ballet Nacional de Guatemala, at the Teatro Municipal.  Ballet was darn good, although the theater was only about a quarter full.  Nico loved it, and I got a lot of brownie points from the family.

May 19, 2018. Xela

• Spent a lot of time figuring out the CDT reprovisioning stops from Yellowstone to Canada.  It doesn’t look too bad - the longest stretch is 104 miles.  Plus Gary Gapp wrote that he would help me with hitches, and maybe even hike with me a bit.  Totaled up the mileage, and thanks to three alternates, I only have 885 miles to go, so can afford to wait until mid July to start.

• Also wrote Lynn Haerr, whom I had met last year just south of Yellowstone: possible ride from Bozeman Airport to Yellowstone.

May 20, 2018.  Xela

Morning hike with Luis and five other students up La Muela just outside Xela.  Lots of scrambling on volcanic rocks near the top, but I had my Levi poles to help me out.  

May 21, 2018.  Xela

• Xela is in the fútbol finals this Wednesday (first time in 7 years)!  But many years ago, in 1996, Xela was up against Comunicaciones, one of the capital’s two teams (the other being Municipal).  The capital’s stadium holds about 30,900, but only 500 tickets were allocated Xela fans (originally only 100, but Xela bargained it up).  Xelan attributes this treatment to the rascism of the capital against the Mayans of Xela.  It should be noted that the two capital teams received enormous government support, since the owner of the Comunicaciones was the son of the President of Guatemala, Álvaro Arzú.  (He was Guatemala’s 32nd president, and signed the peace accord with the guerrillas in 1999 to end the 36 year civil war.)

To get more tickets, Xela supporters went to the ticket booth in the capital wearing the team shirts of the Comunicaciones over their Xela team shirts.  They ended up with about 8,000 tickets for the game.  

• When the Comunicaciones fans began chanting “Hijos de la puta Menchú” (Rigoberta Menchú is a K’iche’ political rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992), the Xela fans took off their Comunicaciones shirts, exposing their Xela shirts, and chanted back “Hijos de 60 putas”.

• Xela won, 1 - 0.  Leaving the stadium, the fans were protected from the usual violence by Municipal fans, who were happy to see Comunicaciones defeated.  The fans refused to buy any food in the capital, but instead drove in a long line of cars and autobuses to the nearest Mayan town, Chimaltenango.

• Paid a visit with the Nico, Erick, and Martin to Nico’s mom’s ice cream (really sherbet) store, “FruXela”, next to the stadium.  All natural, no additives.  I had mango - best ever.  Been in the family for 34 years.

May 22, 2018. Xela

Left early to buy tickets for Carlos to tomorrow’s match - my ticket was being purchased by one of Erick’s sons, who had a connection.  Had to wait in line a few hours, was interviewed afterwards, and appeared in the local newspaper.  Got a chance to shake the players' hands as they left their quarters - big thrill.

May 23, 2018.  Xela

The Big Day.  Cut class for the first time ever, and walked to the stadium with Erick at 9 AM: 11 1/2 hours before the match begins at 8:30 PM!  We saved seats for other family members and friends, who trickled in during the day.  The stadium was packed, the fans were nuts, there was music, hot air balloons, drones, and, later, fireworks.  I participated, along with hundreds of others, in shooting fiery balls into the sky holding a Chinese firework with written instructions warning users to never hold while lit.  Red white and blue smoke bombs partially obscured the field at one point.  Miracle: I didn’t have to take a pee the entire time (it would have been really difficult to get to a “bathroom”, since every square inch in the stands was jammed with fans.  Final score:  Club Xelajú 1 - Club Guastatoya 1.

How would you like to be sitting with those guys on the fence?

May 24, 2018.  Xela 

Ordered trekking poles, air mattress, & hat from Amazon: will give existing ones to family when I leave.  Pretty much have all the equipment I need for the CDT.  Not sure when I will leave Guatemala for the condo - depends on snow conditions in Yellowstone.  

Talked with Eva about getting a new teacher starting Monday (want to concentrate more on grammar, vocabulary, and talking, less on listening about politics and history).

May 25, 2019.  Xela

Last day with Carlos as my instructor.  Visited the museum - really sad collection of stuffed animals (but had a stuffed quetzal).  More interesting was the display on when Xela and surrounding pueblas became the independent country of Los Altos from 1738 to 1748.

May 26, 2018.  Volcan Tajumulco

• Left early in the morning with a guide and four other Cela Maya students for a four hour bus ride to the base of the volcano, which at 13,840 ft, is the tallest mountain in Central America.  Camped two-thirds of the way up, foggy all the way, then cold drizzle all night.  Made it to the summit the next morning in a complete white-out.  

• Meanwhile, baby Rojeleo was born!

May 27, 2018.  Xela

Made it back in time for the Xela -Guastatoya final on TV, which I watched with Erick and about two dozen relatives on a projector screen at the home of a relative.  Xela lost, but there was very little gnashing of teeth.  

May 28, 2018.  Xela

First day with my new teacher Alejandra - and she is wonderful.  Organized, clear, lots of drills of all sorts, no b.s. like Carlos, plenty of tarea.  I will hopefully have her for a full month (my third).

May 29, 2018.  Xela

First day at the gym.  We’ll see how it goes.  Also purchased flights to Puerto Vallarta.  One month to go!

May 30, 2018.  Xela

Visit to chocolate store.  Long explanation in Spanish - I didn’t understand a word.  Still pretty discouraged at my slow progress.

May 31, 2018.  Xela

Warriors win the first game in the finals against the Cavs... in overtime!  LeBron was amazing.

Jun 2, 2018.  Xela

Walked to see two sculptures by Rodolfo Galeotti Torres: Monumento a la Marimba, and a bronze of Tecún Umán, one of the last rulers of the K’iche’ Maya people, killed by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524.

Then on to the main shopping center to get a birthday gift for Fatima Coti (she turns 11 tomorrow), and a viewing of the latest Star Wars flick (it kept me out of the usual afternoon showers).