We had been looking forward to it for months, and finally our week of Richard-Dreyfuss toddler baby Spring Break madness arrived! The very adventurous Dreyfuss family came down to spend 10 days with us touring Guatemala. We rented a 12-passenger van, packed in four car seats, four adults, and a ton of gear, and toured the country. We spent two nights at the Posada Santiago in Santiago, Atitlan on the lake (Atitlan) in a cabin with a little kitchenette. Santiago is an amazing little town where the indigenous culture is very strong, the lake surrounded by volcanoes is awesome to behold, and the Posada is a lovely inn with beautiful landscaping and a great restaurant. We then headed further west to Fuentes Georginas, where we stayed in some very rustic cabins at the hot springs. It was pretty cool there, so the springs were very steamy! I had an awesome time there for a little while under the moonlight at night which made up for the lack of sleep I experienced while Dahlia clung to me all night. We made a side trip to visit a coffee finca about half an hour downhill from there where it was much warmer. Our third stop was in Las Lisas on the Pacific coast. Although Guatemala's beach is pretty rough, it is still great to experience sun, sand, and the relaxation of lying in a hammock in front of a beach cabana. Lastly, we stayed in a couple of cabins at the Earth Lodge above Antigua, a backpacker hang-out with a great view of volcanoes Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango and pretty good food, too. In Antigua proper, we visited Finca Filadelfia, a high-end coffee farm and hotel and got to witness one of the Holy Week processions. The pics are from Good Friday, so there is a decidedly somber mood. We had meant to stay two nights at the Earth Lodge but detoured a bit before heading there to return to our home in Guatemala City for one night of regrouping. Overall, our trip went well, especially considering the time our children spent in car seats! The real test will be whether the Dreyfuss family ever goes on vacation with us again! I really hope so, since, among other things, Tony takes awesome pictures. Be sure to check out his at the link below!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutono/sets/72157604263590318/show/
Our family is preparing for our next big move, which is bringing us to Louisiana. Though we are saddened that we will not be returning to friends and family in Chicago, we are very excited to be starting a new chapter in New Orleans. Though I (Michael) am from Louisiana, I don't feel like I really know the city. I am really looking forward to exploring and contributing to rebuilding. Also, I am looking forward to being closer my family in Louisiana. A great job opportunity is what will bring us down there. As most of you know, Katrina devastated the New Orleans Parish school system, which was already in dire straits. This event, however, might turn out out to be a silver lining on the cloud that was Katrina. Now in New Orleans, reform-minded educators - led by Paul Vallas- are flocking to the city to undertake one of the most compelling transformations in the history of urban education. I will be in the awesome position of founding and leading a new charter school. It is a unique opportunity to directly affect the lives of children and families in New Orleans (and those hoping to return) while contributing to the larger reform experiment. Over the next year, New Schools for New Orleans (thanks to the Broads, Gates, and Fishers for the $17 Million) will be supporting and training me in an incubation period, where I will be planning my dream school. We will open in the fall of 2009. Needless to say, this was an opportunity I could not pass up. I look forward to discussing details and getting ideas from all of our friends and family. Reservations for Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest chez Richard will fill up fast, so make yours soon. We look forward to playing hosts down in the Big Easy!
