We Interrupt Your Program...

Just had to break away for a post to announce the birth of a new grandchild. She was born in Denver on 9 - 9, weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce, 20 inches long and her name is Karli Renee.
We think she is just the berries!

Day Three of Twelve Days in Guatemala

Leaving the countryside on the return trip from Tikal yesterday, there were many "la tiendas" (little stores) or two about every 5 miles or so. A lot of photos were taken on this trip through the van windows.

And to my friends who teach in the USA, you don't know how lucky you are! These were a few of the better looking schools (escuelas) along our travels. Many have no windows glass look as though they are truly abandoned and in great disrepair. Kids in the area go to school from Feb. through Oct. Many Americans come to Guatemala and build and teach in schools.

Now on to Day Three, after another great breakfast and some sun worshipping along the poolside until it started to rain, we left Flores by noon. Returned to Guatemala City via plane. John said that we were going to stay in the little airport hotel they used, not much of a place. We arrived at dark, in the rain. We were greeted by the hotel staff with champagne glasses in hand. This place was amazing. Hotel Vista Real! Wow! I can't say enough about our accommodations. We were treated like royalty!

This photo gives you an idea of the 'flavor' of the place. And this one is of the inside of the room I stayed in.

On to the market at Comalapa tomorrow and to the Finca at Los Tarrales tomorrow evening. We haven't stopped long enough in one place to paint yet. That will be tomorrow!

Day Two of Twelve Days in Guatemala

This day we were up early - had an amazing breakfast and were on our way via van to Peten Tikal. The Mayan civilization of Tikal began about 300 B.C. and lasted more than 1,000 years. The ruins at Tikal require lots of hiking through the jungle. One person in our group was a little overcome by the heat and the humidity - no breeze. After resting and getting a cool rag for her head, we traveled on. My absolute destination was "Temple IV", after seeing Temples I, II and III, where I intended to climb to the top, above the rain forest canopy to look out on the world that the Mayan may have viewed so many thousands of years ago. It is the tallest of the four temples at this site. Our guide was Aquilino. He is a direct Mayan descendant and I learned so much from him. My photos are many, but here are a few of the best.

This alligator bread creation was a center piece on our buffet table at the hotel.

Here it was, Temple IV, coming up around the bend.

Yes! I made it. We had to climb a modern wooden stairway to get here, not up the stone steps as you would think. A lot easier!

The view of the canopy from above. We could hear "howler monkeys" and birds.
It was amazing!

A few of my friends also made it!

This is a coati, an animal similar to our raccoon in the USA. A clan of them were around us for a short time in the jungle and at our drink stop.

What I Am...

Got this off of Leslie's typepad post:

I AM a sagittarius, therefore Optimistic, Independent & Adventurous.
I WANT to just stay in my studio and paint all the time.
I HAVE a busy life, even though I am retired from the work-a-day world.
I KEEP wanting to do more than I should with my time.
I WISH I COULD afford to live in a lodge/cabin, in the mountains of Colorado, on some acreage or a ranch with horses.
I HATE eating coconut, although I ate a piece of homemade coconut pie prepared in Guatemala, so I could tell my husband and dad how good it was. LOL.
I FEAR the time when loved ones pass.
I HEAR sounds of nature and quiet sounds every day.
I DON'T THINK I will ever be "NOT BUSY".
I REGRET not getting a fine arts degree or my doctorate in education.
I LOVE to wrap my arms around the ones I love and forever hold on!
I AM NOT a very tidy person and don't have a very clean house.
I DANCE whenever I feel the mood!
I SING when I am by myself, or when the group sings.
I NEVER have enough time to do ALL that I want to do.
I REALLY enjoy my life and am happy I live in a place that I get to do whatever I want.
I CRY WHEN I WATCH animals who are in need of help.
I AM NOT ALWAYS relaxed.
I HATE THAT family members live so far away.
I AM CONFUSED ABOUT politics.
I NEED time to think and create.
I SHOULD use my time more wisely so that I can exercise more and plan better meals.

Goodness, I see a trend here. Ha!

Day One of Twelve Days in Guatemala

"Explore Guatemala" is a guided tour company which caters to artists (as well as others). This trip interested me (and I went for it) as it was with an artist that I have taken a few workshops with and have learned so much about oil painting from, Kaye Franklin of Graham, Texas. Kaye would be the artist/instructor on this whirlwind tour of a third world country. Those who went would spend time painting "plein air" in the outdoors environs of Guatemala.

My trip started by flying from Kansas City to Atlanta to Guatemala City on Sunday, August 23rd. I arrived in Guatemala City at about 11:30 AM. After finally connecting with John Korte, our guide of "Explore Guatemala", I waited with him for the rest of the group who were arriving from Texas and Oklahoma (via Dallas) and Kentucky (via Miami). There were 12 artists in all. At 5:30 PM we boarded a flight to Flores, in northern Guatemala. We arrived by dark and dinner time. Our hotel was the Hotel Esplendid in Peten Itza. Great food, great rooms, great company! Lots of traffic and night action. In Guatemala, pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. You must be careful, if you are in their way, they will not stop - we were told.

My parents made a little bon voyage sign that they hung over my doorway at their house.
Guatemala City has a new airport. They are in the final stages of completion. It was very clean and modern!

This is the view from the pool and outdoor dining room, towards the little island of Flores. We flew via TACA airlines to this place through the most incredible clouds I have ever seen! I will always remember how it was like a canyon of clouds of every size, shape and color as we flew over the mountains of Guatemala at sunset. Tomorrow we awaken early for breakfast, travel and a guided tour of the ruins at Tikal.
PS - my step son and his wife are at the hospital (2nd time in the 24 hours) for impending delivery of grandchild no. 2! Stay tuned!

Where I Stand Sunday (also, where I stood..)

Mail delivery is inevitable, whether you're home or out of town. Bills, junk mail, magazines, letters, newspapers, ads: it all has to be dealt with when you return,
including that which has been received on your computer.

Being away from my computer was one of life's little irritations the last 13 days. I would like to bring you up to date on where I have been and will be posting each day of my trip for the next 10 days hopefully, however just know that we are expecting our newest grandchild anytime, and may have to whisk away to welcome her!

This is two Sunday's ago...you can't see my feet in this one, however, I am standing at the railing at the Hotel Esplendid overlooking Lake Peten Itza, in Flores, Guatemala watching the turtles and the fish eat some bread that was being thrown into the water. The turtles were just too cute!
We are having issues with both of our computers and I cannot retrieve last Sunday's photo, hope this is not an issue that we can't fix. It irks me that I have so many photos and the computers aren't seeming to recognize them on about one half of one card. Crash? Oh, I hope not! So, I took measures, purchased a card recovery software online and voila! My precious photos have been recovered! Whew!

Last Sunday, I am standing at the marketplace in Chichicastenango. It was a wild time. The market was sooo crowded, we were literally almost carried down the stairway by a mass of humanity, all the intersections being that way too! It was a real experience! One of the gals on the trip was robbed of her credit card and license, right out of her bag in the crowd. Me? I wore a fanny pack, only in the front the whole time, with my hands on it at all times.

Back in the U.S.A.!

"The Great Plaza at Tikal"

As Dorothy Gale says it, " There's no place like home!" I am back! What an incredible adventure I had! I am still adjusting to being home again. If you have ever experienced a lengthy layover at an airport, you know where I am coming from. I am headed for the farmstead today. Been at mom and dad's in K.C. for the last day and a half. I will begin to write about the trip when I get home. Did lots of painting, saw lots of cool stuff with my camera. Stay tuned.