Volcán de Agua is right out our front door this month, and is really everywhere in Antigua. It’s a beautiful town everywhere you look even without the volcano, but having that as a backdrop just seals the deal. It has been nice to step out the door, turn right and walk towards this view each day.
“It is expected that women take care of children as if they did not work, and that they work as if they did not have children.” Walking around Guatemala it is amazing just how true this statement is. It goes on to say that women earn just .56 cents on the dollar of a man.
Cool looking Yamaha.
Little Caesar’s delivery to the job site. Some things about Antigua aren’t so different at all from the States.
Color.
You get a picture of the volcano even if you aren’t trying.
Sunrise on the patio.
13 Comments on “Volcán de Agua”
Love your photos. Antigua seems to be everything I have read about over the years! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful pictures, For the Guatemalan women that come to Texas they don’t have to work outside the home. Most of the mom’s who bring their kids to the school where I work all go back home, then come back to have lunch with the kids.
Hey Pat and Ali,
My wife and I fell completely in love with Guatemala and would have never made it there without reading and being inspired by your VW adventures.
When we were in Antigua we saw a short documentary about an NGO called Wings Guatemala. They give rural Guatemalan women access to reproductive medicine.
I’m cynical about do-gooders, but my wife and I are both extremely moved by this one. We think you’ll like it if you’re interested– and anyone else who might read this.
Here’s a really well produced short film (25 min.) about what they do. Despite the title they’re not affiliated with any religious group as far as I know.
https://www.summitfdn.org/equality-for-women-and-girls/resources/wings-blessed-fruit-of-the-womb/
For any other Bumfuzzle readers who are interested in learning more about Guatemala/Central America, this documentary, “Living on One Dollar” was incredible, powerful and also definitely worth watching.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/livingononedollar
Buen viaje amigos. As always, thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks, we will check them out.
“It is expected that women take care of children as if they did not work, and that they work as if they did not have children.” Walking around Guatemala it is amazing just how true this statement is. It goes on to say that women earn just .56 cents on the dollar of a man.
I wish life was fair and we all never die and could just sail around the world and do whatever we wanted to do in our life.
Struggling to understand if you are mocking me, or the women who posted that street art to draw attention to the issue. Mind clarifying?
Yes I’m mocking you. Life is an issue. It’s a struggle everyday but someone in your shoes is not the one who needs to bring attention to it. When I see someone like you who brings attention to struggles and doesn’t donate all he has and lives out the remainder of their life in poverty then yes they need to be mocked as a hypocrite.
Wow, does that comment ever say a lot about you. Really, you summed up your entire existence in that one.
Speaking of hypocrites, it came as absolutely no surprise whatsoever to find your Facebook full of racist memes, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and Thank you Lord (Because God loves Americans most of all, right? Says so in the Bible somewhere I’m sure.) comments. The absolute epitome of hypocrisy, the Christian without empathy.
Anybody else around here notice that only since we’ve been in Guatemala—and I’ve made a couple of comments about how hard life is here compared to ours in America—have people like Stewy gotten so worked up? Anyone surprised by this?
Stew, with his big suburban house, manicured lawn, brand new monster Ford truck, beach town vacations, and healthy happy kids all smiling for their selfies says, “Boo hoo to those Guatemalan ladies. Life is a struggle. Suck it up.”
Honestly, the most upsetting thing about this exchange is the fact that it took 15 years for me to get Stew worked up. I would have hoped that a guy like this would have hated me long ago.
Stewy, you’re damn lucky you were born who you were and where you were, because an idiot like you wouldn’t last five minutes anyplace else.
Calm down Pat. I couldn’t wait to read your war of words. Very well written.
I’ve followed your blog for 15 years and I’ve come to understand your heart. What I also noticed is that you are a very caring person and point out inequities yet you run around the world happy as a clam. That’s all well and good and it’s awesome you get to run around the world at your leisure. However pointing out inequities along the way as you lollypop around the world screams of hypocrisy.
Okay Stuart, I’ll bite.
Would you explain why not? Why are you gatekeeping this family’s lifestyle choices? It seems to me that experiencing other countries and other cultures is a decent way to go about one’s life. This blog provides an insight into worlds that I would not otherwise experience. In that sense, it’s just another type of media that we consume.
Real question: How is this blog different than a newspaper? It’s a person reporting on what he sees. In fact, I’d argue that the author of this blog practices some very real restraint in his reporting.
Most importantly, the Bums are keeping their minds open. They are constantly trying new things without being imperialist buffoons. Just be grateful that someone is gracious enough to share their adventures with you.
The mind is like a parachute, works best when it’s open! Seems the issue of haves vs have nots stirs up a lot of strong feelings….so in the interest of open mindedness, I’d like to share this fascinating read: Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World, by Helena Norberg-Hodge- 2009 edition. Briefly she spent time among the Ladakh and at first, she felt badly about what she perceived as their poverty & deprivation, they pitied her for her lack of family connections, the strong foundation of their own culture! Well worth a read lest we judge others by the consumeristic standards we expect for ourselves and the dire consequences of a culture subjected to global consumerism. Sad!
Hi
Some people have a set mind as they have never travelled and seen other ways of life
There are plenty more families that have travelled and their children are way better for it
Being able to converse with people from all walks of life instead of what the brown dog down the road is doing.
Apart from that garbage. How did the monkey in the cage fair.
Cheers