Like us
Bright Future Global Tours
  • Home
  • Semana Santa
  • 10 Day Kites & Culture
  • Custom Tours
  • Blog
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • Links
  • Registration

FIESTAS de DECIEMBRE

1/19/2014

1 Comment

 

Jacqueline's Birthday

PictureJacqueline's 4th Birthday Fiesta
Over a year ago now, December 2012, marked  the change of the Maya epoch.  I attended Maya ceremonies  and celebrated the new era by visiting my good friends at Hostel Akumal in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.  I was fortunate to witness the 10,000 Maya Zapatistas who marched into San Cristobal and stood in affirmation of a new age of indigenous visibility, participation and acknowledgement on Dec. 21, 2012.  And at hostel Akumal, I experienced the most beautiful guitar music I had ever heard, gracias a Ivan Renedez and John Masters.  I felt as if the angels themselves were singing in a new era and to celebrate gastronomically we created an international Christmas feast. 

This year, 2013, I traveled to Belize and Nicaragua but spent most of my time in Guatemala. Although there are wonderful aspects to both of these countries, I missed Guatemala when I was away and was happy to return.  It has been a year of deepening and expanding my connections with friends and feeling daily gratitude for the beauty of Lake Atitlan and for the Maya culture that surrounds me.   Every day I am so happy that I am here, in San Pedro, and that here I feel at home.  And so it was right that this year I stayed closer to home and celebrated the holidays of December with the families and communities who most deeply touch my life here in Guatemala.  

 December began with the 4th birthday of my friend, Jacqueline, who is the daughter of my dear friend, kitemaker Julio Asturias. Over the years I have had many meals at Julio's house in Sumpango and been honored to know the other members of his extended family who  live together with Julio's family in a traditional Guatemalan family compound. Still I hadn't met many of Wilma's family as they do not live in Sumpango.    "We would like you to come," Julio had written.  "Our whole family will be there."  "How many people is that?" inquired.   "Oh about 50," he said.  I tried to imagine that many people in their courtyard as they also have 5 duchsands, 2 large dogs and a variable number of rabbits.

When I got to Julio's house after  a scenic and comfortably seated 3 hours on the chicken bus, several family members were steadily  blowing up balloons.  Eventually there were over a hundred balloons surrounding us and which afterwards would provide the main toy for the kids.  Periodically a balloon would pop, but in  this land of intermittent firecrackers and bombas, the sudden explosions startled no one.  Personally I was delighted this birthday was being celebrated with popping balloons and not with the traditional exploding gun powder.


Read More
1 Comment
    Picture

    Louise "Luisa" Wisechild, PhD

    I first visited Guatemala in 1995  as a member of the Vashon Island sister city delgation to Santiago de Atitlan, Guatemala.
    I been living in Guatemala since 2011.   I didn't intend to stay  -- my idea was to develop tours in numerous countries.  But I fell in love with Guatemala --  where every day I learn something new or see something I have not seen before.  Guatemala is a land of diverse natural beauty.  Living in a Kachikel Maya pueblo, which is also a gathering spot for international budget travelers, makes this a rare and fascinating residence.    My  curiosity and my heart  are engaged here every day, in my relationships.   .  I enjoy  speaking spanish with friends, and learning more about the Maya culture, giving tarot readings in Spanish and also singing my growing  repertoire of  Spanish songs. 
    I am a  lifelong independent traveler and group leader.  As a graduate student in interpersonal communication and the creative arts, I  led tours to Oaxaca, Mexico for the Day of the Dead and co-facilitated a tour to the goddess sites of Mexico with Global Awareness through Experience.  I have  been fortunate to visit Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bali, Thailand, Australia, Europe, Canada and  the US.   Bit by bit, I will go global again, but Latin America is so enchanting. . . .

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    May 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Antigua
    Community Based Tourism
    Food
    Free Hugs
    Giant Kites
    Insects
    Jade
    Kite Making
    La Azotea Music And Coffee Museum
    Livingston
    Magnificent And Fragile Art
    Markets
    Maya Art
    Maya Healing
    Mayan Astronomy
    Maya Sites
    Medicinal Plants
    Monterrico
    Palenque
    Panajachel
    Petén
    Petén
    Photos San Pedro
    Ramón
    Rio Dulce
    San Cristóbal
    San Cristóbal De Las Casas
    Sea Turtles
    Sumpango
    Sumpango & Giant Kites
    Tikal
    Uaxactún

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.