The pace of life in Antigua is refreshing and I can't help but compare it with the month I just finished or the one that awaits me when I get back home ... Maybe I'll just stay! I have no cell phone service and better yet my laptop stayed at home. When I want to check e-mail I slip into an internet cafe, pay $2 for an hour and leave it behind.
Life seems to be fairly simple, at least in the home of our host family. The accommodations are simple but sufficient. Their home has a small living area, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom and patio. The simple side of life was confirmed a few nights ago as we played lotteria (Guatemalan Bingo) together for Saturday nights entertainment!
The parks are crowded with people, people talking to each other, people laughing with one another, families eating ice cream, young and old together. I don't notice people talking on their cell phones in the park, or texting their friends. People are interacting with each other face to face, side by side on the park bench.
The churches are close to the life of the park and their doors are always open. Every time I've stepped inside people are present. Today there was a procession celebrating Maria, mid-week, mid-day 100 plus people gathered for the procession.
The entrepreneurial spirit seems to drift through the air here. Most people sell something in the front of their homes and since you share a wall with a neighbor on both sides the chances are high that you'll talk to your neighbor during the day. Our host family sells cheese, yogurt, and cream. Every so often the bell rings and something is sold.
The pace on the sidewalk is slow an you'll notice that locals walk on the shady side of the street. Before and after school large groups of kids in uniforms crowd the streets. Horns are discouraged in town and the cobblestone streets tend to slow down traffic. Buses use the perimeter roads. Walking is the most common form of transportation, although Scott stops often too look at motorcycles parked on the street!
A slower pace reminds me that life can get too busy! I hope as I return to Oregon the pace of Guatemala not only lingers in my mind but impacts my daily routine.
3 comments:
I hear you! So glad you've had this opportunity and it sounds like Scott has done well at language school. I enjoyed reading his post! Andrew and I leave on May 17 for Ireland. We've got farms lined up and ready to go! I'm also hoping to learn new patterns of life. We shall see!
Have you washed your clothes with all the ladies at the public sinks? Eaten at Pollo Campero? Hiked to the cross? Enjoy the rest of your time there!
Well said sister. I agree.
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