From Hand Woven Rags to Riches

Puerto Escondido, MX (one of many beaches)

I am an amazing seaman, I´ve always said that.

On top of my hostel with the Mission church in the background

Lake Atitlan in the morning.


Hello all, I try to post at least one blog for each country but I am falling a little behind as Guatemala and Mexico are kind of happening simaltaneously. Meaning, I arrived in Guatemala a little under 2 weeks ago but I have since flown up to Puerto Escondido, Mexico to shoot the photography for the wedding of one of my friends from high school. After about a week here in Mexico I will return to Guatemala for a couple of days before we make our way for Nicaragua. That being said these two experiences (Guatemala and Mexico) couldnt be much more different.
In Guatemala the girls and I are working at a Liberation Theology Catholic Mission that has been helping out in the area for over 60 years. Liberation Theology, in a nutshell, is basically taking all of the social action portions of the bible and making them real especially in developing countries. At this particular Mission we work on a number of projects from reforestation, to coffee and fair trade for the local farmers, to public health, to building woman´s centers, to education, to house construction and really so much more. The Mission really focuses on sustainability so all of the programs are run by local Guatemalans. It acts like just one of many different helping hands in the community as oppesed to a hand that simply gives a gift and turns a blind eye.

It is located in San Lucas Toliman which is a rather rural city on the shores of Lake Atitlan and at the foot of a number of majestic volcanos (one of which I climbed... bitchin´). While I was there I would wake up evey morning to the sound of roosters squaking to the heavens and the smell of freshly lit wood-stoves in preperation of another day. Perhaps its being in the mountain air again, or perhaps it´s the warm welcome and smiles we meet in the streets every day, but San Lucas eminates a real sense of purity and sincereity in everything that it stands for. Jeanne has been sponsering a child here since she first visited the Mission in high school. We were lucky enough to be invited to this 11 year old girl´s birthday party. And boy was it a party. There was food and traditional drink... and about 20 old ladys who prayed for the girl for about 45 minutes straight with chants and songs a plenty. I still prefer pin the tail on the donkey but seeing their warmth and being apart of it was truly amazing.

I wont lie and say that I have made some great difference for the people of San Lucas through my work. To be honest I wasn´t there nearly long enough to do so. But I can be certain that in my short time in Guatemala, it has made a truly great difference on me.
And then there is Mexico. My interruption, my detour on the path. Grandma, if you are reading this you will be happy to hear that while in Guatemala I woke up early and went to bed early. I went to mass on Ash Wednesday, and I played with childeren outside of the church in my free time. I wrote poetry and pondered the important things in life. That being said I am now in Mexico with some pretty well-off folks, who like to party a bit. I haven´t hit all of the 7 deadly sins since I have been here but I sure have made a dent! (sorry grandma) No, no I am behaving myself to some extent but with the ocean-side bungaloo (greed) and the 5 course meals (gluttony) and the long lazy days spent on crystyline beaches (sloth) and my ablility to photographize the hell out of a wedding (pride) the days of piety in Guatemala seem a ways away. And the best part of it all is I haven´t paid for a thing! My friend, Selina, and her new hubby Tom have been absolutely generous twoards me and for that I am incredibly grateful. As for Puerto Escondido... I thought I had seen my fair share of beaches through my travels down here... but wow, this tops them all! It is truly breathtaking. Tomorrow we are taking a boat tour to see dolphins, sea turtles, and possibly wahles. I might swim with friggin´dolphins! How cool is that!? So that has been my Mexico experience. A lot of beauty, a lot of indulgences, but all in all I long for the dusty dirt roads and scabby street dogs of Guatemala and all of Central America. It feels like home there. It is something that my words just cannot explain so I wont even try. I just can´t wait to go back home.