The Kennys Counquer Antigua

Picturesque of Volcan Agua under the arch

We had a great time seeing Antigua through our parents' eyes! Antigua was wonderful with Mom and Dad Kenny because 1) we visited some places we have never gone before 2) it was the week of Semana Santa, and we had the fortune of seeing 2 processionals and multiple alfombras being made 3) It is the dry season and the weather was perfect for their visit.

Mom Kenny and Beth under the Antigua arch

Arriving into the city was much easier than it was a few weeks ago when James and I went. In fact, there was no traffic at all, and we were able to find our hotel and a parking spot with no hold up at all.
We left Dad to a nap while the three of us wandered over to the main cathedral in the Parque Central and visited ruins of an old monastery that had been partially destroyed by an earthquake, and subsequently abandoned to build onto the new cathedral that stands today. We had a great time, and all of us were amazed at the beauty of it. They were also making some processionals on the grounds, and one that we saw was going to weigh over 4,000 pounds! WOW!

Old Monastery ruins destroyed in a 1773 earthquake

The San Francisco church was holding a vigil. Partly regal, partly celebratory

Once we picked Dad up after his beauty rest, we walked over to the San Francisco church to see a vigil taking place. Inside the church were alfombras, huertas (shrines with flowers, food, pictures, alfombras, and candles), and large religious displays. Outside the church was more of a subdued carnival atmosphere with vendors selling Guate goodies and families milling about.

An Alfombra preserved from one of last year's stencil designs

We then went to the Cafe Sky to see an alfombra art exhibit (some artists had figured out a way to preserve the alfombras), and catch an awesome glimpse of Volcan Fuego ("Fire Volcano") billowing with smoke on the horizon. Pretty cool! We think Mom and Dad were impressed with the beauty of the skyline -- surrounded by volcanos and steep hillsides.

Afterward, we went to Hotel Casa Santo Domingo for dinner. Santo Domingo is a hundreds of years old monestary-now renovated hotel. The grounds were spectacularly beautiful, candlelit, and serene.

A candlelit alfombra on the entrance to Casa Santo Domingo (above)

The dinner could not have been better tasting or better presented! We all enjoyed our meals immensely, and Mom and Dad claim it was one of the nicest places they've eaten.

After dinner we walked home in a bit of a daze after such a wonderful dinner and first day in Guate.

The Kennys Conquer Guatemala

For Spring Break (March 18-24), Mom and Dad Kenny visited us from their hometown, Neosho, Missouri. We had been beyond excited to have their company, as they are our parents, our first visitors, and relatives with BIRTHDAY PRESENTS! :)

We picked them up with all their luggage from the airport, and went home for a typical Guatemalan lunch (corn tortillas, guacamole, refried beans, and dorito-like chips) and opened presents. It was so nice to get some new clothing! Clothes that are not available in size / length here. Not only that, but James and I both gave up chocolate for Lent this year, and our parents brought us plenty to eat once the fasting is over. It was a major sacrifice this year!

After lunch and a bit of repacking, we headed off for a visit to my school, and then drove to Antigua for the next two days.

Beautiful flowering plant and tree from my school, CAG.
It's only March!

Beth's Birthday and Our 5-Year Anniversary

Back to the Beach

Before my parents' visit the upcoming week, James and I decided at the last minute to zip over to El Salvador for a Beach Birthday!

Enjoying a nice breakfast buffet at Roca "Reservations Not Honored" Sunzal

March 16: My 26th birthday, James' and my 5-year dating anniversary (a heads-up: May 28 is our 3-year wedding anniversary! :)

We spent the weekend at our new favorite travel-to location, Playa Sunzal. We stayed at Casa Miramar and Roca Sunzal. Miramar was definitely a winner. It had a quiet front deck/lounging area, several hammocks, a cold pool, and cheap yet tasty meals.

While the Roca does have cheap lodgings ($17/night), when we arrived to check in (with a reservation), we were told that our reservation was no longer valid even though we could see our name written down in the reservations book! Why? The guy who was in the room before us decided to stay another night. So yes, they said, "Okay, sure," and bumped us out of our room!

Naturally, we were irate (Beth especially) because they tried to say that they "don't run a small little nothing of a hotel" and they "try to please the customer," but how can this be so if you don't hold the reservations?! They offered to give us a different, more expensive room instead. We told them they were missing the point. We wanted the cheapest room, not a room with a bathroom. They weren't doing us a favor by charging us more money for their crappy customer service.

So, we asked why they didn't just charge the other guy the extra money they were about to stick to us? No good answer. We got them to say they would "try" to get the money, but obviously this wasn't going to happen. After scouting out some other places to stay, nothing at all was available (Semana Santa week and all of Central America is on vacation), so we had to take it. We got one free breakfast the next morning. Gee, thanks.

This reminded us of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry has a problem getting a car he had reserved. I'll type it verbatim-- for our conversation with Roca, inserting "hotel room" where Jerry says "car."

Lady: "I'm sorry, we have no [hotel room] available at the moment."

Jerry: "I don't understand. I made a reservation. Do you have my reservation?"

Lady: "Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we ran out of [hotel rooms]."

Jerry: "But the reservation keeps the [hotel room] here. That's why you have the reservation."

Lady: "I know why we have reservations."

Jerry: "I don't think you do....if you did, I'd have a [hotel room]. See, you know how to take the reservation. You just don't know how to hold the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation. The HOLDING. Anybody can just take 'em....."



So, consider this an addendum post to our earlier accolades Roca Sunzal. Beware of them actually holding your reservation! You may want to call and confirm--and double confirm--your "reservation" with them. I mean, we could SEE our name in the book and they still didn't have it!

But the weekend was still a blast!! We got to see a boogie boarding and suring competition, get plenty of sun and water play, read, play Scrabble, and relax before the big visit from Mom and Dad Kenny. Also, our friends the Carver Family and Borgit & Michael (and baby Oleen) family were there, too!

The alley pupusaria where we got my birthday dinner

We ate pupusas for our birthday/anniversary dinner, and 4 pupusas and 2 beers ran us about $4. Pupusas are thick, hand-made tortillas stuffed with whatever ingredients are around. In our case, we had different pupusas with combinations of cheese, refried beans, guacamole sauce, and meat in James' case.

KU UNC Final Four Showdown

This is what a Final Four logo looks like

WHEW!

In Guatemala, nothing was thought about or talked about yesterday afternoon except for one thing: NCAA Basketball and KU's chance at the Championship. After having the fortune (thank you CBS) of watching KU pummel its opponents up and through the Sweet Sixteen match against Villanova, we thought there would be no problem with small, unheard of, Cinderella story #10-seeded Davidson.

KU's coach Bill Self (James calls him "Bill Self-Conscious" when he's checking his hairdo status) will finally go to the Final Four, only to match up against KU's old coach, Roy Williams (pictured below)

Boy we were wrong. Davidson put up an incredible match, thanks mainly to their star, Stephen Curry, who is this year's NCAA 3-point leader. The boy was incredible, and KU looked crippled against their shooting and defense, not to mention the fact that Brandon Rush couldn't make a shot to save his life. But in the end, Sasha Kahn and a few other key KU players were consistently decent enough to pull out a heart-stopping 59-57 victory and we are headed to the Final Four!

Even if we can play like we have been all year (excluding the Davidson game), UNC will be quite a formidable opponent. They have ex-KU coach Roy Williams, Tyler Hansbrough (from Poplar Bluff, Missouri no less!), and a machine of a team overall.

KU will have to be on their toes, but we are expecting an excellent game no matter what--and a WIN, of course!

Go KU!

See you at the Championship Game!

Tikal Panormaic

We just wrapped up a full and fun spring break (semana santa/holy week) with Beth's parents, and we'll have a good recap later this week. But for now, you can enjoy looking at this amazing panoramic photo we took while in Tikal. Enjoy!

A Taste of What's to Come

On Sunday, James and I revved up the old Honda and drove to Antigua on a tip that the day's religious processionals would be worth the visit. There was so much going on it is hard to know where to start! We frankly still do not know what Holy Day we were there for.

A Brief History Lesson
you will be tested on the vocabulary in purple

Antigua's celebration of Semana Santa (Holy Week: from Palm Sunday - Easter Sunday) is partly derived from the Spanish missionaries that brought with them their own Andalusian celebration of Semana Santa, complete with religious orders carrying giant displays of Jesus carrying the cross, angels, holy displays and symbols, the Virgin Mother Mary, and eventually, Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Can I get an Amen?).

No joke -- purple clothing in Antigua was
inspired from these similar religious celebrations in Sevilla, Spain

Since I am really not very clear or knowledgeable about this, the description below is straight from this website. The pictures are ours from Sunday.

Carpets - Alfombras

A beautiful alfombra being made in the Parque Central

There are two type of carpets (alfombras) made during Semana Santa. The carpets along the processional route are made by residents along the route who invite friends and family to assist them. The carpets in the churches are made for the holy vigils (velaciones) and are made by the brotherhoods (hermandades).

Velaciones are held in the churches that have religious activities during the holiday. These carpets are made by members of the brotherhood responsible for the sculpture. The carpets are made in front of the religious figure on display and are surrounded by fruits, vegetables and candles brought as offerings to the church the day before.


The carpets along the processional route are made during the 24 hours prior to the procession. If more than one procession goes down a street a new carpet is made for each procession. Carpets express both religious as well as contemporary messages in the designs. Preparations for the carpets begin weeks, sometimes months, ahead.

Sand or sawdust is generally used to level the cobblestone roadway. Sawdust is then collected and dyed in different colors. Favorite colors are purple, green, blue, red, yellow and black. Flowers such as bougainvillea, chrysanthemums, carnations, roses and other native plants and pine needles are also used.

Creating the alfombra with dyed sawdust

Carpets are started the day before the procession and the construction is timed so that the carpets are finished just before the carriers of the float arrive so that carpet looks its best. The carriers of the main float are the first ones allowed to walk over the carpet. They are followed the rest of the procession.

A Boy Scouts alfombra of flowers, pine needles, and corozos

Holy Vigils - Velaciónes

In front of La Merced Church

There is a velacióne before each procession. The Holy Vigils generally take place at the church the day before that Church's procession. The vigils are organized by a brotherhood, and there are different brotherhoods for each sculpture that will appear in the processions.

The sculpture is moved near the church altar in front of a huge decorative paper backdrop. A carpet is constructed in front of the sculpture. Around the carpet is a garden scene or huerto that includes fruit and vegetables, bread, candles, flowers and the native seed pod - the corozo. In the evening a funeral march band plays and outside the church a carnival atmosphere develops. Traditional foods and drinks and even games are available.

A huerto in a church

Processions - Procesiones

This thing was as big as a bus!
It had 80+ men carrying it through the city

This was only half of the float

The religious processions are organized and carried out by the brotherhoods. The brotherhoods (los hermandades) were originally called cofradías and are religious organizations. The brotherhoods are either men or women, not both. It is thought that the carriers (cucuruchos) participated solely as a form of penance. Today there is some degree of social status involved but the principal motivation is still a show of devotion by the carriers.

Each procession leaves from its church and follows a route through the streets of Antigua before returning to the church several hours later. Purple is the color of the robes worn by the carriers up to Good Friday, then the robes are black to signify mourning.

Men waiting to line the streets as part of the procession

Thousands of processional carriers participate in the processions. They are all members of the brotherhood that cares for the particular sculpture. Some have participated in processions all their lives.

All ages are welcome to get involved!
(and look adorable doing it!)

Processions generally begin with incense carriers and the brotherhood's banner, followed by the carriers and the float (anda). Carriers will carry the float for a block and then a new group will take their turn. Each turn is determined by the carriers' shoulder height to ensure that the float is balanced. This is very important as the floats can weigh as much as 7,000 pounds (3,150 kilograms)!

Carry that Weight
7,000 lb. float

A block behind the main float, the women carry a smaller float (size is relative here) with the figure of the Virgin Mary. The women wear white in their procession before Good Friday. Following behind is a funeral march band and two additional floats carrying the sculptures of San Juan and Maria Magdelena.

You've got to get home somehow!

Carrera Avon: Solo para Mujeres!

(Title Translation: Avon Race: Only for Women!)

A group of teachers (and babies!) before the race...photo taken by the school director herself who participated in the race!

Last weekend many of us lady teachers participated in a run sponsored by Avon (pronounced Ah-BON) to raise money for women's health care. Only women were allowed to register, and the race was "sold out" at 4,000 women! I chose to run the 10K, which is 6.2 miles. Other than CAG teachers, our awesome Spanish tutor Patricia (pronounced Pah-TREE-see-uh) was there, also. She's the best!

Patricia is in the red jacket

The race was on a beautiful day of course, and it was on the main , flat street of Guatemala City, Reforma. In most aspects, the race was like American races; some people were decked out w/belts holding carb shots and water (for a 10K? I know....it was a little overboard), Nike gear, and New Balance shoes. There were fast sprinters who won and many people who walked. Lots of women were wearing the pink shirts they got for participating, and lots of women were out there with their kids. It was fun to see the men as only volunteers, or cheering their spouses on!

In other ways, the race was very different than American runs. For starters, the race didn't begin until 8:00 a.m. in a major city. In the U.S., most races seem to start at 6 or 7 at the latest. Also, there were many women racing in jeans, jean shorts, or shoes other than tennis shoes. Odd! But hey, whatever gets the job done! Also, instead of your typical water station where you run by and grab a cup, down the drink, and keep going, they had bags of water! You just had to tear into the baggies with your mouth and suck out what you could. I thought it was hilarious, but having a drink in a baggie is actually pretty common...you can get water, juices, and even beers by the baggie here sold at stores, so it must be a cheaper way to go. I also wonder where all of these women are training/running on their own time b/c there certainly aren't that many women at the gym when I'm there, and I can only assume they don't chance running on the street....

A classic Pre-Race Stretch Pose!

4,000 women!

It was a really great experience to be running outside (for once) in such a beautiful country, and enjoying the company of other women! Guatemala City never looked so good. Or pink.

Futeca

As many of you know, soccer (or fútbol) is very big in Latin American culture (and pretty much everywhere else in the world besides the U.S.). Driving through Guatemala City you will see numerous expansive soccer fields with games seemingly occurring throughout the entire day, every day of the week. A variant of the game often played in Guatemala is called futeca, and it's basically small-field soccer, much like indoor soccer. I think it's actually more popular in the city than regular soccer, probably because more people can play more games in a smaller space.


Soccer was really the only sport I played as a kid, and I hadn't played in a game since high school before coming here. A few months ago I helped out and played with some teachers against some parents in a friendly, but competitive game at an evening school event. I had a fun, but exhausting time with it.

Numerous teachers--men and women--play in city-wide futeca leagues. I had been asked on more than one occasion to join a team, but fearing the games would get in the way of our weekend traveling, I kept declining.

After Christmas break, a regular pick-up game between teachers has been held every Tuesday afternoon at school. I started playing since it there was no real commitment and it was at a good time during the week to play. I've gotten hooked on the sport! We have a lot of fun and don't get too competitive, although everyone plays pretty hard and by the end of it I'm thoroughly worn out.


The city-wide league filled up fast this spring and for some reason, none of the teachers could register a team. So, we've now split up our Tuesday pick-up game attendees, added a few more, and made three teams to rotate and play each other weekly. This afternoon is the last game of the first series and we're reorganizing teams after spring break (the teams are a little lopsided). It's been a little more serious and competitive than before, but still just as fun. I look forward to every game and am bummed that I can't play today as I've already agreed to tutor a boy during the time. : (


A nice goal made by my team

Top 6 Misses, Top 6 Joys

February 7 marked our 6-month anniversary of living in Guatemala. That, coupled with our realization that there was a sad shortage of blog postings in February, led us to create a Top 6 List of what we miss from the States, and a Top 6 List of where we find joy in Guatemala.

Top 6 Misses
in no particular order

1. Food & Beverage

Our closest friends and family know that we love feasting on our favorite foods and washing them down with a decent draft. Great food can certainly be found in Guatemala, especially fresh avocados, champurradas (cookies to eat w/coffee...like biscotti), handmade tortillas, and ceviche salad (shrimp, salsa, lime juice, avocado, cilantro). However, we have given up on finding (or affording) some comforts of home we knew going into Guate we would have to give up, like healthy cereal, delectable dark chocolate, tasty Free State beer, and eating out at some of our favorite restaurants!

2. Safety

To be clear, we live in the safest part of the city and we have never had our safety directly threatened. But hey, this is Guatemala where 98% of murders go unsolved. Not a place to take chances when it comes to "exploring the city" or trying to find a new place at night. It is sad that in a country that has the most perfect weather in the world, we cannot leave our apartment to go on an after-dinner walk! At best, driving can be described as chaotic. At all times, the road has on it: drivers on zippy mopeds that do not follow traffic rules, cars broken down in a lane (no shoulders), chicken buses careening around like death traps, streets (and highways for that matter) lacking actual painted lines, and passing is always an option regardless of American standards (such as curves, going uphill, or going uphill on a curve).

3. Friends and Family

While we have a great group of friends from school and our Bible Study here, it is hard to miss out on events going on at home in our other friends' lives or our familes' lives. For example, close friends are moving to Washington D.C. and California; our friends' son, Dorian, is growing up at an astonishingly adorable rate; Beth's sister Robin is getting married (the future Mrs. Tad Sutton); Beth's family pet passed away; Beth's parents are building a new house; some of James' relatives have or have had serious health problems; and James' cousin is getting married. This is in addition to the fun activities our friends are doing that we are missing, like going to K.U. games, attending our beloved Bible Study Splinter Cell, throwing school events with Beth's job, Christmas and birthday parties, etc. It is hard to hear about it without being a part of it, too! We miss everyone so much, and it is definitely the hardest part of living abroad. Of course, it goes without saying that we dearly miss our pet cat, Mia!

4. Jobs

We are incredibly lucky. We both have jobs in Lawrence that we love, love, LOVE! While it is refreshing for a change of pace and scenery here in Guatemala, Beth was passionate about her work at Oak Hill in Blue Valley, and every day of work was a blessing. James worked for Pennington and Co., an irreplaceable job and company. We both found our jobs to be a fulfilling part of our lives. While Beth's current position often challenges her and James' position as a graphic designer is a new creative outlet that he can do from home, both of us find ourselves missing our jobs in one aspect or another.

5. Convenience

Living in a foreign country and visiting it are two completely different things. When you visit a foreign country, you get to hit the highlights and may find some experiences quaint and novel. Well, for certain inconveniences, eventually the novelty wears off. It seems there are chronically inefficient systems (water purification, traffic, banking, government in general, etc.) that take away from the joys the country has to offer. Nothing is terribly inconvenient, it is just that we are so used to their efficiency in the U.S. we never had to think about it before!

6. Last but not Least: Lawrence

Man, do we miss our home! Although Beth will always have a special place in her heart for her hometown, Neosho, MO, we built our relationship and our life in Lawrence, KS. We hate to brag, but it really is a cool town! We miss the myriad of local restaurants and coffee shops, Free State Monday specials, Great Harvest bread, La Prima Tuesday 2-for-1, Liberty Hall's Wed. night dollar draws during movies, the summer sidewalk sale, Pizza Shuttle, 8th Street Tap Room late night dancing, local bands, and KU college culture.

As they say, one of the best cures for criticism is gratitude, which we have an incredible reserve of in Guatemala! We know that living here is one of the more unique things we'll do in life, so we want to give those favorite experiences a shout-out, too!

Top 6 Joys

1. Weather

If you ask yourself, "Is it possible to live somewhere that it always feels neither hot nor cold, where there is always a comfortable breeze, humidity is nonexistent, and bugs are a distant afterthought?" We have the answer. And we live there. Guatemala City! We never, EVER take the weather for granted. It is truly comfortable day and night. Sure, there is a rainy season, but it usually only rains during the afternoon, which you can plan for. The other 8 months of the year are soaked in sun and soft in the shade. As for those of you who would miss Old Man Winter, we bid him adieu with a hearty wave. We don't miss scraping ice from our windshield, forgoing outside strolls due to cold, longer commutes, fighting the urge to stay in bed when it's too cold out, and the inevitable depression of dark days. Reversely, we do not miss the humid, sweltering days of summer very much. We don't miss sweating through our clothes at art walks or shrinking away from eating dinner outside due to the heat. Although seasons have their fleeting moments of beauty and magic, there are far more perfect days that possess the same power where we currently live.

2. Travel opportunities

A common question in our household is, "Where do you want to go this weekend? The lake? The beach? Hiking? Antigua? Diving?" These are our favorite places in Guatemala because each of them offers such a diverse range of activities that are all within reasonable traveling distance for the weekend. We have been able to go to new places that have opened our hearts, eyes, and minds. This is clearly a topic that we could gush about at length, and it's no wonder that we find so much joy in these new experiences, which was a main reason for moving here in the first place!

3. Flexibility

We will be the first to admit that our life is simpler, easier here. Neither of us is in school (for once), so our time outside of Beth's job is more flexible than it ever has been. Not only that, but Beth does not have a commute to lengthen her days, so Free Time each day starts earlier...around 3:00! She also does not have too many school-related requirements outside of the regular school day, and each month has nestled in it somewhere the gem of a 3-day weekend. Our life is also simpler. Since we cannot find clothing that is tall enough for us, we don't need to go shopping. The school handles paying for our apartment. We have plenty of time to spend it as we please, which is refreshing! We are trying to find a way to volunteer through our church on a regular basis since we do seem to have more time.

4. Active Opportunities

We should mention that we tried to be active in the States. Beth taught aerobics at a local gym and we both loved to run outdoors and go on walks downtown or on KU campus. However, weather only permitted this to be a fun activity for a finite number of months a year. Now that we live here, there are so many opportunities to stay active, we cannot possibly do them all! James plays on a futeca (soccer on a smaller field) team and does Ultimate Frisbee twice a week, and Beth incorporates yoga and daily walks at school; we both still manage to hit the gym regularly and try to play tennis as often as possible. Not only that, but each place we travel to involves some degree of hiking, walking, or swimming. It is impossible to stay indoors or lead a sedentary lifestyle here! Also, other teachers are obviously a part of these activities as well, so we are never alone. This is a community of young, active, single and/or childless (it doesn't hurt), teachers who all have as much free time as we do, which makes it easy to get involved.

5. Learning Spanish

This one is obvious! We have only fallen more in love with the Spanish language since we've arrived, and we have to say, our use of Spanish is good and goal of becoming bilingual is still on the radar. It's fun for both of us to hear each other talking in a foreign language! We also have an amazing tutor, Patricia (from Spain) who motivates us to do more. Que bien!

6. Personal growth

It may sound cheesy, but we know that living outside of our comfort zone is a major growing experience--as individuals and within our marriage. Individually, we each have time to explore some of our own passions and develop new ones. We each have learned things about ourselves that we didn't know before....for example, we both want adventure, but we've found that too much (unsafe) adventure isn't fun for us. As a couple, we have both become more reliant on each other as companions, navigators, protectors, sounding boards, translators, and friends. Although the teachers here are part of our support system, when it comes down to it, living abroad with someone you love is the best way to go!