Playing Tarzan and Running Kites
We had 2 amazing day trips this week. On Sunday, we went to a National Park near Volcan Pacaya to go "Canopying." This is where you ride a zip line through the trees and play Tarzan. Sarah agreed to the trip, but she's not too big on the whole adventure adrenaline thing, so she was a little apprehensive. Nonetheless, we got harnessed up before beginning a 30-minute uphill hike into the forest.
After reaching the top, the first tree had steps built up to a platform. Sarah nervously waited on the steps for her turn, while I was on the ground ready to take a picture of her taking off. As the guide started attaching her harness to the zip line, she grabbed the line.... and couldn't do it. Kristen (of the family that lives in our building) was there to just watch, so Sarah joined her. I think if she didn't have the option of staying behind, she would have been fine, but it was too easy for her to become a spectator, safely on the ground.
So I climbed up. I was a little worried about the hole in my glove. You wear gloves so that you can grab the zip line to slow down, which is much needed on a couple of the runs. I took off and gave my best tarzan scream.
The first run was about 50 meters, but moved pretty fast so I needed my "brakes." Somehow the hole didn't burn my hand up. The second run was the fastest of all. See a short video clip of me flying into the 3rd platform here. After the 3rd run, we had to wait on the platform to be lowered straight down to another platform, so that we could head a different direction. While we were waiting we realized that Sarah, Kristen, and her daughter were hiking through the thick brush below us! Someone told them there was a "path" underneath the zip line. This path didn't last long, and they had a pretty unpleasant hike, to say the least. The guide with us made the comment that it was actually safer for us on the zip line than it was for them hiking below!
The longest run was 180 meters, but you didn't have to use your brakes. I actually did a canopy tour during my last trip to Guatemala, but then it was deep in the jungle. (I will be doing this again when we go up there in a couple weeks. Get ready, Kati and Paul!). One of the funnest parts of this one was watching the Cade family's 7-year-old son coming flying in (he rode with the guide) with the combined look of terror and euphoria.
Sarah made it through the brush, and we met up after the last run, which ended on the ground. We then stopped at a huge swing. I attached my harness to a rope and jumped off the side of a small cliffl and swung across the road. Sarah was unsuccessful in capturing a picture of me, so I had to do it again.
On Wednesday, we didn't have school because of All Saint's Day. The school set up a bus to take us to us to an amazing, traditional Guatemalan celebration at a small town outside the city called Santiago Sacatepequez. This was their 107th annual "Day of the Dead" Kite Festival. 107th! What an experience. Thousands of people gather in the cemetery to pay their respects to their loved ones... and to watch kites. And these weren't your average kites. They were huge, intricate kites made of paper and bamboo.
It was hard to believe some of these were actually going to fly, but most did. It was obvious that one group of kites weren't leaving the ground, but they were still spectacular. Dozens of people feverishly worked on putting together kites that were about 60 feet in diameter. They attached them onto a thin, bare tree trunk with a pulley and pulled them up onto their side when it was their turn for the big moment of display. The first one kind of stole the thunder from the others, because it was the biggest and best. It depicted the different stages of Jesus's life. See below.
If Saint Marianne's had a Kite Festival, this would be the Gandara's. Absolutely incredible!
As the day went on, the graveyard became very crowded. It was quite an experience to look around and wrap our mind around where we were. In the middle of this cemetery, countless kites took flight (it reminded me of The Kite Runner if you've ever read that book). The big ones took 20 grown men working together to get it in the air. Long ropes snaked through the grounds. When the time was right, they took off running, hurdling graves in the process. Little kids did the same with "normal" kites, as the could only dream about the day when they could put a big one in the air. Meanwhile, ice-cream vendors steered their little carts over the mounds of dirt ringing their bell. Men walked through selling cashews and Domino's pizza, and little boys sold beer. You had to be on the constant look-out for crashing kites, as we didn't know whether to be more worried about being hurt or causing a tear in one of these sacred pieces of art as we defended ourselves.
We were supposed to head back down the main street through town and meet our group at 1:00. We left the cemetery at 12:15 and met this huge mob of people stuck in the street.
The walk out of town got a little dicey. We moved about 15 yards in 40 minutes, as the mob of people started pushing and grew by the minute. We were literally body-to-body. It reminded me of my second ever ND game in 1988. It started raining right before the half, and my dad and I headed for the concourse, as did thousands of others. We got stuck inside the tunnel and did not move the entire half. (Incidentally, a freshman named Rocket Ismail led the Irish past Rice 54-11, so all ended well). Eventually, by some miracle, a narrow lane along the right side of the road opened up and we shuttled past the thousands of people still going into town. We did not make it down the street to our meeting point until 1:20.
Then it got even crazier. We realized the leader of our field trip had no real plan for finding the bus. We were told to keep walking out of town until we reach a spot where the bus could turn around. We did that, only to be told to keep walking. We finally found the bus, but we drove about 2 blocks down the narrow street before we came to a screeching halt. Two SUVs were double parked and a regular car couldn't get through, let alone a bus. Given the line of cars behind us, we were stuck! We sat for about an hour, before somehow some local volunteers had helped us block off traffic for 5 blocks down and the bus starting backing down the street! We reached a corner where the experts decided we could get turned. I said there was no way he could do it, but he turned out to be the Barry Sanders of bus drivers. With some mind-blowing moves, he turned and backed us down another street. Finally, at the end he was able to turn again and head out of town. Our friend Steven was a long-time bus driver in Minnesota, and even he was quite impressed.
Three hours later than planned, we made it out of town after an epic ordeal. I guess it turned out to all be part of the experience. The day was another unforgettable experience. It was great to see a very real part of the Guatemalan customs and tradition. Sarah bought a kite to remember the day. Luckily, she picked one that needs much less than 20 men to lift.
We are headed back to 2 of our favorite spots this weekend. Antigua on Friday, and Lake Atitlan on Saturday and Sunday. We'll probably be watching the ND game on taped delay again. So no phone calls!
After reaching the top, the first tree had steps built up to a platform. Sarah nervously waited on the steps for her turn, while I was on the ground ready to take a picture of her taking off. As the guide started attaching her harness to the zip line, she grabbed the line.... and couldn't do it. Kristen (of the family that lives in our building) was there to just watch, so Sarah joined her. I think if she didn't have the option of staying behind, she would have been fine, but it was too easy for her to become a spectator, safely on the ground.
So I climbed up. I was a little worried about the hole in my glove. You wear gloves so that you can grab the zip line to slow down, which is much needed on a couple of the runs. I took off and gave my best tarzan scream.
The first run was about 50 meters, but moved pretty fast so I needed my "brakes." Somehow the hole didn't burn my hand up. The second run was the fastest of all. See a short video clip of me flying into the 3rd platform here. After the 3rd run, we had to wait on the platform to be lowered straight down to another platform, so that we could head a different direction. While we were waiting we realized that Sarah, Kristen, and her daughter were hiking through the thick brush below us! Someone told them there was a "path" underneath the zip line. This path didn't last long, and they had a pretty unpleasant hike, to say the least. The guide with us made the comment that it was actually safer for us on the zip line than it was for them hiking below!
The longest run was 180 meters, but you didn't have to use your brakes. I actually did a canopy tour during my last trip to Guatemala, but then it was deep in the jungle. (I will be doing this again when we go up there in a couple weeks. Get ready, Kati and Paul!). One of the funnest parts of this one was watching the Cade family's 7-year-old son coming flying in (he rode with the guide) with the combined look of terror and euphoria.
Sarah made it through the brush, and we met up after the last run, which ended on the ground. We then stopped at a huge swing. I attached my harness to a rope and jumped off the side of a small cliffl and swung across the road. Sarah was unsuccessful in capturing a picture of me, so I had to do it again.
On Wednesday, we didn't have school because of All Saint's Day. The school set up a bus to take us to us to an amazing, traditional Guatemalan celebration at a small town outside the city called Santiago Sacatepequez. This was their 107th annual "Day of the Dead" Kite Festival. 107th! What an experience. Thousands of people gather in the cemetery to pay their respects to their loved ones... and to watch kites. And these weren't your average kites. They were huge, intricate kites made of paper and bamboo.
It was hard to believe some of these were actually going to fly, but most did. It was obvious that one group of kites weren't leaving the ground, but they were still spectacular. Dozens of people feverishly worked on putting together kites that were about 60 feet in diameter. They attached them onto a thin, bare tree trunk with a pulley and pulled them up onto their side when it was their turn for the big moment of display. The first one kind of stole the thunder from the others, because it was the biggest and best. It depicted the different stages of Jesus's life. See below.
If Saint Marianne's had a Kite Festival, this would be the Gandara's. Absolutely incredible!
As the day went on, the graveyard became very crowded. It was quite an experience to look around and wrap our mind around where we were. In the middle of this cemetery, countless kites took flight (it reminded me of The Kite Runner if you've ever read that book). The big ones took 20 grown men working together to get it in the air. Long ropes snaked through the grounds. When the time was right, they took off running, hurdling graves in the process. Little kids did the same with "normal" kites, as the could only dream about the day when they could put a big one in the air. Meanwhile, ice-cream vendors steered their little carts over the mounds of dirt ringing their bell. Men walked through selling cashews and Domino's pizza, and little boys sold beer. You had to be on the constant look-out for crashing kites, as we didn't know whether to be more worried about being hurt or causing a tear in one of these sacred pieces of art as we defended ourselves.
We were supposed to head back down the main street through town and meet our group at 1:00. We left the cemetery at 12:15 and met this huge mob of people stuck in the street.
The walk out of town got a little dicey. We moved about 15 yards in 40 minutes, as the mob of people started pushing and grew by the minute. We were literally body-to-body. It reminded me of my second ever ND game in 1988. It started raining right before the half, and my dad and I headed for the concourse, as did thousands of others. We got stuck inside the tunnel and did not move the entire half. (Incidentally, a freshman named Rocket Ismail led the Irish past Rice 54-11, so all ended well). Eventually, by some miracle, a narrow lane along the right side of the road opened up and we shuttled past the thousands of people still going into town. We did not make it down the street to our meeting point until 1:20.
Then it got even crazier. We realized the leader of our field trip had no real plan for finding the bus. We were told to keep walking out of town until we reach a spot where the bus could turn around. We did that, only to be told to keep walking. We finally found the bus, but we drove about 2 blocks down the narrow street before we came to a screeching halt. Two SUVs were double parked and a regular car couldn't get through, let alone a bus. Given the line of cars behind us, we were stuck! We sat for about an hour, before somehow some local volunteers had helped us block off traffic for 5 blocks down and the bus starting backing down the street! We reached a corner where the experts decided we could get turned. I said there was no way he could do it, but he turned out to be the Barry Sanders of bus drivers. With some mind-blowing moves, he turned and backed us down another street. Finally, at the end he was able to turn again and head out of town. Our friend Steven was a long-time bus driver in Minnesota, and even he was quite impressed.
Three hours later than planned, we made it out of town after an epic ordeal. I guess it turned out to all be part of the experience. The day was another unforgettable experience. It was great to see a very real part of the Guatemalan customs and tradition. Sarah bought a kite to remember the day. Luckily, she picked one that needs much less than 20 men to lift.
We are headed back to 2 of our favorite spots this weekend. Antigua on Friday, and Lake Atitlan on Saturday and Sunday. We'll probably be watching the ND game on taped delay again. So no phone calls!
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