Gallo Holidays

Gotta love that teacher schedule. As of noon on December 7, we are on vacation until Jan. 3. Woohoo! We have been taking it easy in November, spending the Thanksgiving weekend at the Earth Lodge overlooking Antigua. The hammock and hiking shots are from there.
Check out the shot illustrating Shalom's love of chocolate ice cream. She makes her mama proud!

At the intersection of Avenida Reforma and Avenida de las Americas (close to airport, hotels, and the American Embassy) is the famous Gallo (guy-o) tree. Gallo, which I have no doubt already mentioned, is the national beer of Guatemala, carrying a Budweiser type patriotic loyalty. Though it is difficult to make out, their emblem tops the city's Christmas tree. Isn't that special!!???

Though we will miss everyone over the holidays, we are looking forward to our big Central American road trip. Check out our new ride. On Sunday, December 9, we leave Guatemala heading for Costa Rica. We will pass through El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Don't worry, Shalom is only allowed to drive in Honduras. We will spend over a week in Costa Rica, including Christmas day camping on the beach. Wish us luck and love on our adventure. We will certainly post pics upon return.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all!

Lago de Izabal & Copan Ruinas

We had a four-day week-end for November 1st & 2nd for"Todos Santos." We drove for about three hours and then took a boat for about 20 minutes to get to Denny's Beach, a couple of cottages with a very swimmable little beach and a restaurant. Another family of four and we were the only guests there. We enjoyed the little lake and took a nice hike in the area, where we interestingly found the longest sidewalk we have seen so far in Guatemala--cutting through the middle of the jungle.

It got a bit rainy at the lake, so after two nights at the lake we headed to the ruins in Copan. Copan Ruinas is a very cute little town about 10 kilometers beyond the Guatemalan border in Honduras. Our border crossing in the Jeep with Guatemalan plates went well: they just waved us through. Copan bears the longest known Mayan text, hundreds of hieroglyphs reading up a stairway of 72 steps (not the same steps in the picture here). Shalom's favorite part of visiting the ruins was a group of "guacamayas" (toucans) hanging around the entrance. Copan was crawling with tourists, so due to the short notice we ended up staying in a musty & cold room that cost less than the jacket we ended up buying for Shalom to keep her dry...and the jacket was about $10. We were all very glad to return home to our own beds after that!

The Royal Decameron

Last year we illegally drove our Honda with Illinois plates around Guatemala for months before the truth sank in that they wanted to charges us about $7,000 for Guatemalan plates. Michael bribed his way past the Guatemalan border and returned the Hybrid to the States. Now that we drive a Jeep with Guatemalan plates, we can leave the country with no fear of our vehicle getting confiscated! We took a short trip across the border to a resort in El Salvador. Behold our family pit stop with Shalom using her potty and Dahlia having a snack. At the Royal Decameron, we enjoyed the pools, beach, and all-you-can eat & drink all-inclusive resort lifestyle for a few days. Dahlia had her first swimming experience in a warm, ocean-fed pool while Michael held her. Once she got used to it, she loved it! (If it looks like Michael has a black eye it is from taking an elbow to the eye during an Ultimate Frisbee game earlier that week.)

Parque de los Nationes Unidos

On Saturdays when it is not raining too much, we go to various area parks to hike and picnic. This park is about an hour outside of town overlooking Lake Amatitlan. When we arrived, a horse was "parked" next to our car. Shalom and I were admiring it from a few feet away when this unharnessed, unbridled horse decided to get a closer look. It was sniffing and practically licking Shalom's face. Shalom was a bit scared and I didn't want to make any quick moves while making sure the horse didn't mistake her for an apple, so I didn't get a picture of that.

Shalom's wheels!

Michael & I decided to buy Shalom some kind of tricycle. Since she is as tall as the average Guatemalan four-year-old, she ended up with a two-wheeler. Mostly we pull her around on a dogleash hoping she will get the hang of pedaling. On nice days, she and the neighbor kids ride around the street together.

We got mail!

Thanks so much of those of you who have been brave enough to ship items to us in Guatemala. Last year, we used one company to forward our things from Florida until we realized they were "losing" half of our things. So, we switched to TransExpress with a different address in Florida, but they are also doing a crappy job. It turns out that the mail we have had sent directly to the school from the States has been arriving in about a week, so that is the best bet. Envelopes, letter-sized or large ones with goodies inside, come directly to us without stopping at Customs.

Our address at the school is:

Diana Richard—Intermedia
CAG, Universidad del Valle
11 Calle 15-79 Zona 15
Vista Hermosa III
Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A. 01015

Michael Richard—Primaria
CAG, Universidad del Valle
11 Calle 15-79 Zona 15
Vista Hermosa III
Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A.
01015

Pacaya '07

Last year, I got to climb to the top of Volcan Pacaya and look into its cone of smoldering lava. This year, we took the whole family! The girls didn't get to close to the lava flow. We hiked to the side of the volcano with some friends and found a picnic spot to leave the kids on while the adults took turns hiking a bit further on to see the lava flow. The magma is moving pretty quickly, so we got close enough to feel the heat, watch the red-hot lava turn to rock, and listen to the crackling rocks tumble along. If we stayed in the same spot for too long, the lava would've carried us along, too. Fortunately, I was encouraged by the wisdom of my parents who have recently written a book about volcanoes. They have assured me that a "slow" flow can be in fact much safer than a so-called dormant volcano which may blow its top Krakatoa-style. If you, too, would like to witness the magic of this natural phenomenon, be assured that there are at least two active volcanoes within a few hours of our home!

Marley se fue

Unfortunately, we returned to Guatemala to find a strange growth on Marley's lower jaw. Sadly, he had developed an aggressive cancer which couldn't reasonably be treated. He seemed in good spirits and at first remained very active, but gradually ate less and less. We treated his swelling and pain for a few weeks and I had a hard time figuring out when was the right time to let him go. His jaw got so swollen that his upper tooth poked through his lower jaw. Up to the end, he was still sitting on my bed and purring. We will remember Marley for the dozens of birds and moles he laid waste to, at times either munching them in front of us or dumping them in my bed. Marley was a good boy whose crazy-loud pigeon purr could be heard in the next room. Marley was a Mama's boy who preferred sink water and would wait in the bathroom until we could share our evening bathroom time together. Marley had a penchant for licking plastic bags, and that probably didn't help and may or may not be related to his cancer. Marley lived in Chicago and Guatemala but was a Californian at heart. He spent his best days lounging near the beach in San Diego or trolling the woods of the Santa Cruz mountains. Marley was a tough guy, so I had Michael take him to be put down rather than continue the nonsense of trying to shove meds down his throat and watch him unable to beat up Minnie. The funny thing is she does not seem to miss him much. She now gets to lie on our bed, which Marley would not let her do. She seems pleased to step into the position of favorite cat. (She will be holding on to the title of most annoying cat along with that.) Shalom keeps saying "Marley se fue." She and Marley were just starting to tolerate each other when he got sick.

Summer '07

Although we are a little slow to post our update, being back to work for several weeks now allows us to look back on our summer vacation with yet more appreciation. Over the several weeks we spent in Chi-town, we got to visit with just about all the friends and family we had hoped to see. We were especially excited to introduce Baby Dahlia to her family and friends, meet her new cousin Benjamin (two weeks older to the day!), and hang out with a newborn friend, Camille. Some of our highlights while up North included Shalom's role as the flower girl in Scott and Angela's wedding and Michael and Shalom's trip to the 10,000 Lakes music festival in Minnesota with Tony and Annie. While they camped, danced, listened to music and swam, I had a few days to spend with Dahlia without worrying about whether her sister was going to draw on the furniture in our sub-let. Most of our fun this summer involved our visits with Grandpa Wuh-Wuh, Grandma Dee, our friends new & old, Shalom & Dahlia's great-grandfathers, cousins, aunts, and uncles. The Chicago weather was perfect for going to the park, the beach, the zoo, the Botanic Gardens...

Although Michael's Aunt Sally and cousin Rebeccah have moved to Chicago, we stayed with MaryAlice in Sulphur for a few weeks while we visited with the rest of our family and friends in and around Southwest Louisiana. Not far from Mary Alice's house is Chris and Julie's big, beautiful new house--not nearly as interesting to Shalom as the trampoline out back. She and her cousin Lauren played nicely and shared some quality moments at the pool, jumping on the trampoline, and on the potty. Dahlia and Shalom are indeed lucky to have such nice cousins in Chicago and Louisiana. Michael's dad also recently moved to Houston, where we had a short visit with him and Marilyn.

We truly felt a lot of love--from the barbeques held in our honor and the outpouring of gifts to the free meals, babysitting, and time spent just strolling, talking, and playing. While at times it was frustrating to be more or less living out of a suitcase with a newborn and a two-year-old, it was also liberating to not have any nearby work or home to worry about. It may have taken our family over an hour to get fed, clean, packed, and down four flights of stairs to go anywhere, but we fortunately had plenty of time on our hands. Now that we are back at work and not only away from our friends and family but away from our kids, we do miss all of you and our slow-paced summer days. Although I have neither enough space on the blog or good pictures to do justice to all our friends and family, be sure that we are thinking of you!

Love, Diana, Michael, Shalom & Dahlia

Big sister and Grandma D

Shalom has taken to the big sister role quite well. She immediately began to share her toys with Dahlia. Nevermind that we had to stop the pileup to prevent suffocation.

We are lucky to have Grandma D around helping out. She has been awesome, even relieving us during 3am feedings! We all enjoyed an outing to Antigua on Sunday.

Today Dahlia offcially became a little Guatemalteca, receiving her birth certificate. This we took to the US Embassy, where her passport application was accepted. As far as we know, she will be able to maintain dual citizenship. She continues to do her baby thing of eating, sleeping, pooping, and growing. We are busy preparing for our US tour. Look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Bienvenida a Dahlia Sol Richard

Dahlia Sol was born Wednesday, May 23 here in Gutemala City. She weighed in at 6 1/2 lbs and measured about 19 inches. Diana had a quick, pain-free (just kidding), natural water birth. Both are doing wonderfully. Share our joy as the love in our family grows.

Stovall Girls Visit

My mom and aunt Carol came in on Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday morning. During their visit I forgot my camera on several occasions, so will have to wait to post some pics. Instead I just post some of Shalom!

Mom loves being able to reread what she forgot she did, so I promised I would write down all the details. After getting in from the airport, we visited at home for awhile before eating at the Casa Chapin (a local word for Guatemalan), where they had the first of many servings of Guacamole. On Thursday they took it easy while Diana and I went to work. Then, that evening, Mom, Carol, Shalom and I went to Family reading night at school, where we listened to Justin Mattot, a children's author, entertain the kids.

Friday began the whirlwind. Mom, Carol, Shalom, and I drove to Antigua and had lunch at Casa Santo Domingo, a beautifully renovated convent that is now a 5-star hotel. Diana met us after lunch and we drove to Panajachel. Well, we had planned to drive to Santiago, but realized that was unrealistic. In retrospect, even the drive to Pana was unrealistic, as I had to break my own rule of not driving at night. Luckily, Mom and Carol were quite giddy about the possibility of being smushed by a bus going 80 MPH on a mountain road. I guess the fear turned to enjoying the absurdity of it all. In the end, we were lucky to get two room at the Hotel Regis and enjoy several magaritas before a great nights rest.

In the morning we took a boat over the Lake Atitlan to Santiago, where we met Dolores for a tour. Dolores is the ex-wife of Martin Prechtel, an author who has written extensively about the Mayan religion practiced in Santiago. Dolores brought us to visit Maximon, a Mayan saint represented by an effigy. As is typical, he was smoking a cigarette and chillin' out with his silk scarves that had been offered to him. We then went to the Antigua cathedral, where Mayan saints hold equal rank alongside Christian saints in the unique blend that is Santiago. We confirmed that many an evangelical sect would like to "purify" the people of Santiago of all their native beliefs. Finally, we visited the home of Dolores' mother, who continues to practice the traditional Mayan belt loom weaving. Mom and Carol left with beautiful examples of her work.

After a great lunch at Posada de Santiago Atitlan, we did some shopping and then took our boat back to Panajachel. We had a peaceful drive back to the city, where Shalom was kind enough to wait to puke all over the back seat. Good thing we love that kid.

I probably forgot something from our busy weekend. We all enjoyed having the Stovall girls here. Hopefully, Sally will get to come next year. Mostly, I think Shalom loved having her MaMa here to shower her with love.

You betta Belize it!

We enjoyed a fabulous spring vacation on Caye Caulker in Belize.

As you can see from the pictures, it boasts crystal clear blue waters and white coral sand beaches. We ate plenty of fresh seafood and explored the sealife under water. Michael went scuba diving to see the famous "Blue Hole," which is a 300 foot wide and 480 foot deep sinkhole along the lighthouse reef. There wasn't much plant life, but the underwater stalagtites were awe-inspiring. Diana enjoyed two separate outing with Ragamuffin tours to snorkel in the Coral Gardens, Shark and Ray Alley, and South Channel spots off of Caye Caulker.

A big highlight of our trip was our visit from Lisa and Fiona, who hopped down from Miami. They were our first visitors in Central America! Who needs Guatemala city when you can meet us in Belize? Nice going Lisa!

Beach in Guatemala?

Well, sure. It is Guatemala, at a hotel in Montericco. But this was just an awesome beach weekend at a fancy shmancy resort. It could have been anywhere below a reasonable line of latitude.

Mostly, I just wanted to post the picture of my stunningly beautiful wife in all her pregnant glory. Enjoy it while you can because when she finds out I posted it I am in big trouble. Oooooooowhee.

Look for more fun beach pics coming soon from Belize, where we will be spending Semana Santa, or Holy week.

Volcano Double-Header

I have already posted this pic taken from Volcan Agua, but it is the best image to capture to concept of the volcano double-header. The plan for the first day was to hike to the summit of Volcan Acatenango at 3976m (13,044ft), then descend to the saddle at 3300m which sits between Acatenango and Volcan Fuego (approximately 3800m, or 12,400ft, and growing). Acatenango is on the right and is considered "dormant." My in-laws tell me that there is no such thing, but when you are hanging around the summit in the crater it is an important distinction. Fuego, pictured on the left, is most certainly active.

The trail begins in small crop lands and progresses into the cloud forest. Above the cloud forest it turns subalpine with pines and bunchgrass before finally turning alpine above 3700m. A burn had cleared most of the upper ridge which made for great views of the surrounding mountains and volcanoes.

We reached the summit of Acatenango after around 7 hours of hiking. The large crater served as a nice venue for throwing around the football. Twas truly a moon-like setting (not that I would know much about the moon).

We pitched our camp and awoke at 4:00am for a sunrise climb up the north ridge of active Fuego. The picture through the trees shows the ridge nicely. We stood in awe of the erupting Fuego, a clear moonlit morning, and the rising sun sneaking up behind Volcan Agua. Fuego growled, burped, boomed, and heavily breathed its firey breath under our feet and before our eyes. Needless to say, we respectfully stayed below the summit. As the day began, we returned to our camp and the final hike around the east side of Acatenango's flanks and back to the trailhead and village.