Mas Guatemala..

Soooooo..
It feels strange updating this blog about Guatemala now that I have been back in Canada for a week. Weather, surroundings, people and energies are very different, and though I was in Chichicastenango with my sis just seven days ago, it already seems eons away.

I landed in Montreal on Monday night, was surprised to find the temperature was 18 degrees CELSIUS (WTF?, it's November in Quebec, should be at least 0!!)

Since I wanted to keep the capoeira beat going, I immediately tried to find some capoeira classes for the week, which I did.
So I tried http://www.capoeirabrasileira.com/ in Montreal on Tuesday and Wednesday, this one on Friday in Quebec http://www.capoeirasuldabahia.qc.ca/groupe.php?sct=mst and this one http://capoeirasaguenay.com/ in Chicoutimi on Saturday.
Now it's Sunday, my shoulder hurts somewhat and I'm very happy. :o)

I'm hanging around at Louis' place. For those who don't know, Louis is my friend I went on a little bike trip to South America with.
For more info, this used to be our blog, but it's mostly in French and was last updated in November 2007, just before I flew back to France.
http://www.biking-south.blogspot.com/

Catch you later!!
This pic is totally irrelevant, but I've been playing with my camera and I really like it!

I bought this really cool blanket in Todos Santos.. Flo has one almost similar, but mine is waaaaaaaaay nicer!! :P

It's also Christmas in Flores around the beginning of November.. Note that the Xmas tree is sponsored by the local beer, Gallo..

Rio Dulce.. I LOVED that place.. life is indeed dulce there.. I took a trip to Livingston along the rio with the lancha
Tikal.. Tikal is a nature reserve as well as a Unesco national park, so there is loads of wildlife there (and I'm talking of the ABOVE picture)it takes all kind of tourists, paseando no mas... A week end in Chichicastenango, market day.. at the comedor.. The front of the church is a place where mayan rituals are celebrated as well Last picture together for a while :(

And back to Canada..

A first batch of Guate pics

Ok, so I know it sounds a little funny but I find myself taking holidays from traveling at the mo..
My sister managed to convince me that since I was already in America, I might as well hop on a plane to see her.
Fair enough.
The magic of the flying tin thus brought me to this beautiful country I am surely and not so slowly learning to like very very much indeed.

Here are a few pics I like, not entirely representative of the trip, but well...
a) more will come
b) there ARE other things to do than just hang around on the internet..

Fun painting with my beautiful sis in her garden (note the abundance of green and flowers, thank heavens for small mercies!!)

A view from the roof unveils Volcano Pacaya Which a group of valiant capoeiristas, including one- to-become then proceded to climb, up up up, ganz close to the lava.. Feeling hot hot hot!! *Acaraje-Mestre Aranha-Alma Boa-Chama Grande-Louva Deus*

1 dream come true for little Emma!! :o) One of the most astounding things with the moving lava is the sound it makes. Oddly comparable with the sound of breaking ice.

Flo and I went on another of our crazy road trips to Todos Santos in the Cuchumatanes, where they were preparing for the annual cavalcade, which involves pretty much getting drunk on a horse and getting the aforementionned horse drunk as well so it will stand running through the day with a drunk on its back, if you see what I mean.
There is a very relative more subtle and deeper meaning to it all, something about honour and stuff, but it got lost in times.. :P

Some of the grocest sweets ever, but thumbs up for the colour!! :o)

1st of November is the Day of the Dead here as well. People go to the cemeteries and repaint the tombs in bright colours, sit around and eat and talk and make small ceremonies where they make offerings *I presume* to the deceased.

They also fly kites known as bariletes. This is NOTa barilete Not this either
Later, on the way to the beach.. Pasamos por Xela.. this is not a prison by the way, it is a 4 star hotel.. Fuimos a Sipacate en la costa Pacifica
He is real, but just for show, poor thing..

Then the bariletes...
Uiiii, preddy!!!

Oh yes.. and this trip to Guatemala rhymes with a few words including capoeira amongst the most important..
Thanks to Flo, I was able to realize a long time lost project (if you know whaddimean) and go to my first capoeira classes during the visit to Guatemala of Mestre Aranha.. And thanks to that, I was able to legally fight with my sis, teehee.. :P

Here is one of the videos of the last roda...