HOME MADE FLOATIES

There is a saying I love: "No necesito tecomates para nadar" I don't need gourds to swim, meaning you are self sufficient or confident to do your own thing. The expression comes from using gourds as floaties to swim.

In this pic a boy en Santiago Atitlan swimming with modern gourds: two empty double liter bottles of soda tied with a string.

Chow Mein Tostadas

I have heard about them but never eaten one. Yesterday I ate two. They have become a staple to be found with street food vendors. They are cheap, filling and easy eat... no forks required. This one was prepared by Blanquita was gracious to feed us at the posada she received her house!

17 years old in Guatemala.

Yesterday I went to purchase my Christmas tree at a farm and met this boy in the picture.

The story: He is from Alta Verapaz works in Chimaltenango (about 9 hour travel going through the city). He has been working in the farm for 1 year (and seemed contet with it) They do about three 3-month engaments. He lives at the farm with 50-100 men, they plant, trim and cut trees.

He finished 7th grade and says he wants to study but with this type of work he can't and probably never will.
I talked to him about a high school program on the radio and he seemed interested, since in his dialect he yelled at his friend the frequency of the station. Will he be driven enough to find out? Will he be encouraged by his peers? At work will they let him go register?

It takes a personal commitment of everyone in Guatemala to raise the level of education of our Nation. We all know someone who is not schooled and some of us, if we have people working for us, do even more. Ourselves and our companies need to commit to setting the conditions to raise the education level of those who work with us.

Echando el Lustre

At corner in Zone 1..... Morning ritual. Some start the day with a Starbucks others with a shoe shine.

Breakfast at Central Market

Guatemala city is a very often skipped destination for most tourists, yet there are many places to enjoy and experience the local feel.

In the picture having breakfast with friends at the multilevel Mercado Central in Zone one Guatemala city. Women call in customers as they pass by people, lottery ticket vendors walking through the aisles and an athmosphere of commerce!

Great way to start the day then walk through produce vendors sorrounded by color, then move up one floor to the handcrafts level.