Volcan de Santa Maria

After a long, frustrating 48 hours of solid rain here in Quetzaltenango, the weather finally took a turn for the better...

However two days ago just as the rain really began to fall I biked my way out to the base of el Volcan de Santa Maria, 5km outside of Quetzaltenango. Justin and I were planning to hike it this afternoon. Anyway, while I was there I ran into Juan (changed name). I pulled over to ask Juan for directions and we got talking about his family and he invited me into his house to check out the family picture album. Juan spent two years living in Charleston, South Carolina. After fifteen minutes of pictures I saddled back up and continued to the base of Santa Maria.

On my way back I saw Juan hiking towards Santa Maria with a big bucket, shovel, and machete. He was headed to work work on his plot of land about 1/2 mile up the volcano. I asked if I could join him and he said absolutely... Its funny how these things work out. Turns out Juan crossed the US border in Nogales, the exact place I will be working in Mexico in the fall. He told me about his struggles crossing: Having to walk two days and nights through the Arizona desert with no water. He crossed with a group of 17 and from what I understood an elderly gentlemen in the group died during the journey due to exhaustion. He took this risk because he had to pay school fees for his four grandchildren and feed his large extended family that all live under his small small roof. He worked in SC for two years working construction consistently sending money home until he hurt his arm badly and had to return to Guatemala. He says things are much harder now for his family. He blesses the good harvest that he has yielded thus far but worries about the future... I was blown away with Juan's willingness to share and simply his overall demeanor.

We spent forty five minutes digging a large rain water hole. Then we headed back down the volcano. He taught me a bit of Pichel, a Mayan dialect, and I taught him a bit of English. This afternoon Justin and I made the 5km walk to the Santa Maria but got a call from one of the professors asking us not to hike the volcano due to mudslide threats... However I did catch up with Juan and left my copy of I, Rigoberta Menchu with him.


Juan y su familia preperando por mas lluvia.


Mine and Justin's White Whale: Volcan de Santa Maria

Tuesday is painting day... I'm pretty excited. Adios todos.