Exploring San Pedro

Why do we travel?  Another sola woman and I were talking about how many folks ask:  "What are you going to DO there?"  (Usually followed by some version of "That is so brave/ Aren't you afraid?")  The answer to what do you DO is:  the same thing you do at home. Eat. Sleep.  Look.  Ponder. Do. Learn.  Notice.  Sit. Walk.  Think.

Sitting in the central park or wandering the town are some of my most favorite activities, especially because you never know what you are going to find. San Pedro is a town divided.  Along the waterfront are all the tourists, and all the tourist attractors (bars, hotels, activities, language schools).  Altho this part of town was pretty because it was near the lake, it was kind of boring to me (or cringe-worthy, watching gringos in teensy, skimpy outfits [Guatemalans dress conservatively] walking barefoot down the main street bellowing in English, often drunkenly).   The local folks all live uphill, centered around the traditional park.  A few tourists wandered this far, and none of the drunk ones (maybe the climb was too steep?  Or the bars too far away?)  My family lived just beyond the park.    The town is set on a very steep hill, so every day was a workout!

Lighting the City on Fire:  New Year's in San Pedro

So, I feel like I can attest that Guatemalans LOVE their bombas colores (fireworks--altho bombs would also be an apt description, as people seemed to especially love the big boomers).  It is socially acceptable / tolerated to set off bombas night or day, "day" being defined loosely, with 4 in the morning definitely included.  However, I have to say that if every citizen of every town along an entire lake buys bagfuls of fireworks and exuberantly sets them off at midnight, the display is out of this world!!!  Marblemount should really try this, given our paltry "city" display.  

I had plans to get up early for a volcano climb the next morning, and thought I might "cheat" as I sometimes do and just celebrate New Year's on the East Coast so I could go to bed earlier, but it hardly seemed worthwhile, what with the town armed to the teeth with explosives, so I stayed up.  Earlier in the day I'd had the traditional New Year's meal with my family (empanadas served in banana leaves, and a huge piece of cake!)  I wandered in the park and listened to the bands, until midnight seemed imminent.  I was slowly making my way back to my house as the clock ticked down, but I suddenly realized I needed to pick up the pace, as small, thoroughly unsupervised children were starting to fling firecrackers into the street, screeching with delight, and I thought I might be in danger of catching on fire or loosing my hearing, so I sped back to my gate.   

I joined my family in their top-floor room, with the window open.  We could see the entire town spread below us, and the towns all around the lake, too!  And every house, every town, every hillside, was bursting in color as explosive-happy citizens torched their stash.  Good thing for metal roofs! As the spectacle wound down, we had a moment of meditation / praying / wishing for the New Year [which for Felix and Francela poured out as a mix of Mayan and Spanish].  Then the family pulled out their own bag of firecrackers (naturally), and we all lit sparklers and threw mini-poppers until we had burned up everything we could. It was a great New Years, and probably the best fireworks display since the year Bonnie and I were in Times Square in New York City! 

View of town and lake beyond.  There is coffee drying just past the tops of the banana trees.

Luis and his coffee crop:  grading and drying your coffee!

This scene sums up a lot about local life in San Pedro:  Lots of Jesus signs ("Only Jesus can change your life"), lots of motos, and happy dogs.

A cat's life, San Pedro:  finding a rooftop lounge.  Each night there would be an incredible caterwauling that I could hear from my room.  It didn't keep me up, tho.  There is so much noise in Latin cities that if you can't sleep thru a cat fight you are doomed.

A chicken's life, San Pedro. Fresh to market, in their little baskets.

This wash station was right below my school, so I passed it every day. And every day there were women washing here. They use a lot of soap, which is obviously not good, and there is a good amount of detritus in the lake, but overall it is a pretty clean lake. Relatively speaking. 

Tuk-tuks lining the street, waiting for business.

The main park and cathedral at dusk.  Note the flank of Volcan San Pedro (which I later climbed) on the right of the pic. This park also had singing lights.  So I would be sitting there as the lights came on, and a tinny, electronic cacaphony of Christmas songs would emerge from the bushes.  It was really bizarre at first.  But by the end, I had gotten used to the singing lights, and it was almost like little friends greeting me each evening as the sun set. 

I'm not sure who this saint is, but I like the giant rooster standing there with him.

Color in the park.

Preparing for New Year's Eve festivities. These boys were all playing soccer on this basketball court that also serves as dance floor. Masked dancers were parading out, soon to perform while the band played.

More folks coming to watch the dancers, including the cotton candy man.  Note all the women in traditional Mayan dress--very common.  I love how they mix and match prints and stripes and colors.  

Waiting for action in the park.  I could tell folks were dressed up for New Year's because everyone had their fancy shoes on--like these girls next to me with their pretty sandals.  I could not tell  "dressy" Mayan clothing from "everyday' Mayan clothing--it all looked beautiful to me--but the shoes I could tell were the party shoes.