This week in Guatemala City: reckless drivers, a rock star, and chicharron con pelos

This week I visited Guatemala City and Antigua with Lucia, a research assistant at Parque Hawaii and Vanessa, a fellow volunteer. Our trip began on Monday with a frightening shuttle trip from the park to Antigua. The driver took speed limits, turn signals, no passing signs, and any other expectation of safe driving as a mere suggestion. Halfway through the drive we entered a torrential downpour which was not unnexpected, considering it is still the rainy season. Upon entering the storm, we realized the van was not equipped with windshield wipers nor whatever that air vent is called that helps de-foggify windows. The driver was not bothered, but we gringos were about to hacer una grande mierda en nuestros pantelones (Lucia says this sentence doesn't make any sense but what I'm trying to say is we were so scared we nearly shat our pants). Finally, we arrived in Antigua where Lucia's father met us in a car equipped with parabrisas (windshield wipers) and we safely drove the rest of the way to Guatemala City. At least I learned how to say parabrisas. 

Once at Lucia's house, we ate a delicious homemade dinner with her family. Her mother had lived in Anchorage, Alaska for a bit and we had a lovely conversation about the joys of eating fresh salmon and halibut. It was nice to have a family dinner again but it made me a bit homesick for my goofy family. 

Vanessa, me, Alvao and Lucia in Portalito

The next day, Lucia brought Vanessa and I to meet her friend Alvaro at a pub downtown called Portalito for michelatas, an oddly delicious Guatemalan drink made of beer, tomato juice, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Portalito's claim to fame is that Ernesto Che Guevara hung out there when he passed through Guatemala. While we were sipping our michelatas, people kept coming up to Alvaro to say hi. I didn't understand how he could run into so many friends in the middle of Guatemala City so I asked Lucia how he knew so many people. Casually, she told me he's in a famous Guatemalan rock band called Bohemia Suburbania. The people coming up to him were just his fans, no big deal.

That afternoon, Lucia and Alvaro showed Vanessa a me the highlights of the city. We toured the Palacio Nacional and the Teatro Nacional, both impressive feats of architecture that cost the government millions of dollars. The whole time I couldn't stop thinking of the money and labor that went into those impressive buildings. Guatemala is a country that does not have potable tap water, yet the government does not seem to have a problem prioritizing luxuries for the minority while ignoring necessities for the majority. 

Hanging out in Guatemala City's Central Plaza in front of the Palacio Nacional

A 5,000 pound crystal chandelier in the National Palace

Wednesday was Lucia's birthday and she wanted to bring me to the central market to show me the inspiration for the Guatemalan hit song "Chicharron con Pelos". Chicharron is fried pork rind and it is a typical street food down here. "Con pelos" means with hair, because often times the chicharon still has the pig's hair on it. The market was very colorful and yes, I even ate some chicharron con pelos but suffered the consequences with a mild stomach ache later that night. 

I suggest you watch the music video for "Chicharron con Pelos" but I'm warning you that the chorus will be stuck in your head for the next week. 

Today Vanessa, Lucia, and I got a ride to Antigua where we ate pita bread with felafel and drank chocolate milk. Tomorrow morning the three of us will take a shuttle back to Parque Hawaii and return to our humble duty of saving the world, one turtle at a time.