Puppy just made me start thinking about a trip I took to Guatemala two years ago. She has some sublime paintings posted over at Life With Schnauzers that look just like the courtyards of the oldest city in Central America, Antigua, Guatemala.
The company I work for has a partnership with a truly amazing non-profit organization called Aid To Artisans. Their website appears in my favorites list. Aid To Artisans sets up offices in countries that have been hit with natural or political disasters and strives to connect impoverished local artisans with a fair and favorable world market for their goods. If there are true angels in the world, these people are among them. This is no missionary bullshit. ATA helps equip real people in need with real skills to help them bring themselves into situations that allow them to feed and support themselves and their families.
I got to go with them to Central America to witness their efforts there in 2004. ATA was involved in several projects in various sites at the time that I got to visit.
In El Salvador, they were heading a re-training of farmers that had been growing coca for the cocaine trade, and teaching them how to profitably re-direct to grow and market indigo. San Salvador was spooky, but beautiful and very modern. Our guide went through the war there, and her stories of the bombings and disruptions of her schooling were bone chilling. All homes are gated and walled, and guards stood at every corner with rifles. This was a little disconcerting. In El Salvador, ATA was also assisting women from the remote mountains in marketing their amazing black pottery. The really sad thing about El Salvador to me was the fact that indigenous people were killed off by the thousands by the government in the 1920’s, and there are hardly any people left in the country with indigenous blood.
In Honduras, ATA was assisting in the training of ex-gang members, helping them connect with the elders in traditional wood, clay, and iron crafts. I stayed in a compound in the mountains of Tegucigalpa for 3 days when I was there. I can’t describe this place and do it any justice. In the jungle, with lush plant and animal life, and surrounded by the kindest and most genuine people in the world. None of the rooms in the compound had four walls…you were open to nature all the time. It was incredible and an amazing organic way to live.
I have to say my favorite country we visited was Guatemala, though. All I can say is this is as close to paradise as I can imagine. ATA’s concentration there was to help artisans that had been victims of earthquakes and landslides get back on their feet and connect with a fair world market again. Guatemala has a very large indigenous population and their art and crafts are in large influenced by their Mayan ancestry. Beautiful textiles and woodworks.
We spent a day’s side trip to Antigua, Guatemala…so I got to be just a tourist one day. Our guide, besides being as cute as shit, was funny and humble and hated Bush with a passion, so you can believe we hit it off big time. He loved his Guatemala and made the day one of the rewarding days I have ever had.
Antigua is the oldest city in Central America. It was founded in 1543. Situated at the foot of a massive volcano, this town just takes your breath away. Absolutely beautiful and haunting this place. The courtyard paintings on Puppy’s site look exactly like the ones in Antigua.
And hey…that beer they make down there, Gallo…well that is the best beer I have ever tasted. If you want to taste it here, they market it as “Rooster”, because of the trade conflicts, I suppose. I’ve been digging around in my old files and emails for the pics I took there and can’t find them, so here are some stock shots of Antigua….
