Guatemala Trip Photo Album and Videos

Below is a digital version of a photo book featuring a small selection of photos (from about 800 snapped) with minimal commentary from our trip to visit Megan April 17-27.

Click here to view this photo book larger

I also have divided the videos in four short segments, available below. My video camera was lost to a pickpocket on our first evening in Guatemala. That is the bad news. The good news was I therefore did not lose much of what I shot. It would have been much  more stressful if it had happened near the end of the trip. (Megan did warn us of pickpockets, but I thought I had it covered. I must compliment the perpetrator on his skill. On the other hand, any buyer of the hot camera will need to find a battery charger for it--not cheap. Perhaps the real value was the 16 gb SD card it used). Nonetheless, I did start off-loading the files from my remaining camera to Megan's tablet each night as a backup against any future mishaps. A word for the wise--or careless.

Samana Santa video:



A few days at Lake Atitlán:



On to Quetzaltenango (Xela)  and the Western Highlands:


The Mayan ruins at Tekal:

Christmas in Kansas City (and environs)

The Poehler sisters showing off the Guatemala aprons provided by their niece (or daughter). Does this reinforce any stereotypes?

This is the 24th year I've spent Christmas in the Kansas City area with Martha's family. (In years previous to 1990--i.e., before Megan-- I might go to Atchison with her, but leave by Christmas to be with my family in Philadelphia for a Hanukkah gathering).

Is that Santa greeting Megan at the airport?

For the first time in that period, however, we made this trip without Megan. However, Megan planned to fly to KC to join us a few days later. Very exciting. The bad news was that just about the worst possible weather was forecast for the hours before and after her scheduled flight from Guatemala, via Atlanta. I was monitoring Weather.com hourly, as the expectation was for freezing rain and sleet turning to heavy snow. Megan's flight was due at 4:45, with the changeover to snow predicted for about 5.  And Megan' s best buddy Laura was going to surprise her by jetting in from Chicago.

In the Xmas spirit at the airport.

Megan was surprised by Laura, who jetted in from Chicago

The good news was that, despite the miserable weather and scary driving conditions, Megan's flight was a bit early and Laura's only a little late. We arrived at Martha's sister Kathy's house in Platte City, MO, just north of the airport, as the snow picked up. Martha's thee other sisters were there as well, to celebrate Kathy's birthday. I was celebrating seeing Megan for the first time in over 10 months and not wrecking the rental car.

Kathy's xxth birthday

Chatting over tea after dinner at Kathy's and Stu's in Platte City.

During the week Martha and I spent in the KC area we celebrated Kathy Poehler's birthday at Kathy and Stu's in Platte City. We had a family Christmas Eve dinner, after which, dressed in a cheesy Santa Caus outfit, I spent about two hours handing on the stacks of gifts surrounding the tree at the Prairie Village, KS home of Carol and Ann and then a Christmas day dinner at MJ's and Scott's in Kansas City. We all had an enjoyable dinner at Trezo Mare on the outskirts of KC. The women-folk undertook multiple shopping excursions (hence the two hours of gift unwrapping).

See JFK and Jackie plate, second from right, at the Country Cookin Cafe.

One of the many highlights was Sunday breakfast at the Country Cookin Cafe in Platte City. This is as down home as still exists. The front room allows smoking-- and it was well populated. We were ushered to the back, decorated in 1960s military and John Kennedy. Our troupe was eyed suspiciously as we made our way through. Our waitress was all sass. Rather than ask if the milk on the menu was fat free I round-about inquired if they had any variety other than whole milk. Said she sweetly, "We have chocy milky." She did follow up that she could get some 2% from the cow out back. The glass I was delivered was about half a quart.

The breakfast club at Country Cookin Cafe, with unnamed but charismatic waitress.

Megan and Laura

Sunday afternoon at Francis "Pank" Sims and family, awaiting the Yankee Swap.

Greg Hall took home one of the special Yankee Swap finds.

Santa made an early entry in Prairie Village to help give out the gifts Christmas Eve.

 A top from Guatemala for Martha. Santa's helper Megan made the delivery.

Megan, wearing a just-opened sweater, looking over the book created from her Guatemala Peace Corps blog posts.

Kathy kept her presents close by, least any giver change their mind.

Though we didn't get around to any barbecue on this trip, I did get to Winstead's (in Overland Park) for a double cheeseburger and a butterscotch shake so thick that the straw was useless. We also made it to the Sonic drive-in before it shut down early on Christmas Eve.

I've said for years that Kansas City would be the ideal place to live--if it were close to the Atlantic Ocean. But I guess then it would be Philadelphia.

Thanks sisters-and brothers- in- law for a good week.

Keeping up with the Korins in Cambridge

Having been motivated by Joel Korin to start this blog, I might as well make the inaugural post about the recently concluded visit of Joel and Kallen here in Cambridge. As I would expect most readers here to know, Joel was one of the first classmates I met at Dickinson and we've been close friends ever since then. Kallen has been part of the Joel and Kallen show for almost as long, even though she is, sadly, not a Dickinson alum.

Martha and I were their last stop on a two month grand odyssey that skipped from Los Angeles, to Philadelphia and South Jersey, to Milford, PA, more South New Jersey, a few stops in Argentina, an excursion to the Galapagos Islands, and finally visits to friends and relatives in New England. I get tired just writing this. If you haven't yet, you must read Joel's blog. Scroll to the bottom to read in chronological order.

On the afternoon of Monday, Dec 2, Joel and Kallen pulled up to 5 Ellery SQ, fresh from a few days in Marion, MA bunking in with Dickinson classmates Gary and Sue Grosart. They had stopped earlier in the day at Plymouth Rock and in Mansfield for lunch.  Shortly after the Korins arrived the aforementioned Grosarts pulled in to share the Hanukkah dinner Martha and I had organized. Mellie, Gary and Sue's lovable rescue Labrador, came as well. Unfortunately, they had trained her so well not to climb the stairs at their house that no amount of coaxing could get her above our entry way. For a time we heard her wagging tail beating against the floor, but eventually she curled up and made herself at home down there while we talked, ate and laughed.

Hanukkah present for Kallen. It's perfect millinery for the streets of Eugene.

Dinner included a pear, walnut and Gorgonzola green salad, brisket, carrot souffle, roasted brussel sprouts, potato latkas and Martha's homemade monster challah. Above is Martha serving her cranberry-walnut-apple pie and Sue's pumpkin pie for dessert. A la mode, of course. (See Joel's blog for the foodie photos).

Joel and Kallen are secret computer geeks, spending hours with their MacBooks, downing strong coffee, blotting out distractions. Under (deep) NSA cover?

On Tuesday I had arranged a tour of the spectacular Moakley Federal Courthouse on the waterfront. No cameras allowed inside, but here's Joel getting his shot of the dramatic rear of the building.

We enjoyed some of the exhibits at the Intsitute of Contemporary Art (in the background). In some cases we agreed that the creators must be laughing at us for considering their work "art." I did particularly like the photography of LaToya Ruby Frazier. Martha joined us for a wonderful lunch at Salvatore's afterwards.

Tuesday night we headed into Harvard Square for dinner at Legal Seafoods (using the stroll into the Square as a partial walk-off of the afternoon's pasta). We shared a plate of Bang-Bang Cauliflower to start.  Joel had the lobster bake, Kallen the Cioppino. And they switched mid-way, as usual. We punted on dessert there--in favor of a stop at Finale for shared Lemon Tart and Carrot Cake with cappuccinos or tea.

 

On Wednesday morning we went across the street to our new library in Cambridge. A librarian who seemed about to intercede when we ventured into the closed "Teenagers' Room" instead treated  us to a mini-tour. Then it was back to Ellery Square to pack up for the last time. On the way to the airport in East Boston we stopped for lunch at a hole-in-the wall eatery in the Boston Harbor Shipyard, KO Catering, which is devoted to all-Australian food all the time. I discovered their South Boston place (even smaller) when Megan wanted to find comfort food after her return from studying in New Zealand.

This is my one foodie photo, of a "classic with cheese" meat pie. We shared a Lamington for dessert (a small coconut covered pastry).

Much to our great surprise, the Boston Shipyard--a rather hardscrabble-looking venue--was filled with large and unusual sculptures, like this "squid."

East Boston--separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and connected by a few tunnels--has the most spectacular views of the downtown, in much the same way that New York is best seen from Brooklyn or Hoboken.

Visiting, eating and sightseeing ended, Joel and Kallen headed to the car for the last mile to the terminal and on to Eugene.

We had a wonderful visit and I am in awe of the energy, inquisitiveness and general gusto with which Joel and Kallen engaged in this visit and, in reading their blog, the two months on the road. I was tired after barely 48 hours on the move with them.

What this is about

Inspired by Joel Korin's blog chronicling in humor and photos his travels with Kallen and sometimes their dogs, I have started this diary of visits from and with friends and relatives. I doubt if I can have the sharp edge that Joel has, but at least I can make this more organized. In any event, it is as much an opportunity to share photos without relying on Facebook or Flickr or any other site that never quite works seamlessly as it should.