Going Home – Dec. 9, 2008

This day was bittersweet. I was scheduled to fly into Madison on Dec. 9 but my grandmother passed away the day before so I made a detour and flew to Detroit. She was 96 and lived a full life. I was very sad to lose my grandma but was happy that I was able to attend her funeral and to see my whole family again.

The rest of December was cold and snowy in Madison but it was wonderful too. We enjoyed our annual cocktail party, Christmas, and New Year’s with family and friends. I hope that you all enjoyed the holidays as well.

Thanksgiving in Belize – Nov. 27, 2008

For any of you who know Melina, she is a planner, and boy did she plan a wonderful Thanksgiving! To start, she made sure we had our very own Christmas tree – carefully selected from the farm.

And she made 8 pies! How can you go wrong?

We shared the day with Little Heinze, Peter, and other friends that live in Belize but that have American roots. It was a perfect day.

Little Heinze is in the house! – Nov. 22, 2008

Today I dropped off Steve at the airport and at the same time picked up Melina’s and my good friend, Julie Heinze (A.K.A. “Little Heinze” – I’m “Big Heinz” by the way). Julie was in need of a serious vacation and along with the rest of us wisely chose lovely Belize.

We hiked the stunning Cascade Trail with Mr. Peter (the trail’s founder) and visited Caracol, Belize’s largest discovered Mayan ruin. It was so nice to have a housemate in the “enchanted” cottage (the guest cabin) and to catch up on life.

Antigua – Nov 19, 2008

Our last stop in Guatemala was to the lovely Spanish colonial town of Antigua. Here we enjoyed baroque architecture, charming cobblestone streets, and an abundance of wonderful restaurants. We spent our days visiting churches, a jade factory, and shopping.

To our surprise, women in the surrounding communities still do hand wash laundry in the center of town.

On the last day we decided to hike Mt. Pacaya, an active volcano, located between Antigua and Guatemala City. As we climbed higher and higher, we felt the heat rising from our feet and wondered, “What are we doing!?” But we cautiously continued on and were rewarded with stunning flowing lava. We also could see another active volcano in the distance. I don't think I would choose to live in this area! It was well worth the trek and a great way to “top off” our excellent visit to Guatemala.

Lake Atitlan – Nov. 18, 2008

Lake Atitlan sits between 3 volcanoes (one is active) and offers majestic views. We relaxed in Panajachel and took in the beautiful sunset over the lake.

The next morning we visited 3 indigenous communities (including San Antonio – I should have saved my up do). Each offered friendly locals promoting their goods, simple architecture, and bustling streets.

We also couldn't leave Guatemala without a ride on a "chicken bus". We took the bus to Solola, the region's capital, to visit another market.

Chichicastenango – Nov. 17, 2008

We flew from Flores to Guatemala City and arrived at nighttime. There was an amazing traffic jam and we learned we were in the midst of an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. A big deal here! Fireworks and all.

The next day we visited the huge indoor and outdoor Chichicastenango market filled with local indigenous Guatemalans, colorful textiles, fresh fruit and vegetables, and chicken feet! We loved it! At lunch, a woman from San Antonio Village did a spectacular up do with my hair – too fun.