Searching for a Church in Chichicastenango (Day 50)

All I had to go on was a name:  Flavio Rodas.  My aunt in suburban Milwaukee told me her church has one of its sister churches by that name in Chichicastenango, so I decided to look it up.

It was easy to find. . .well, sort of easy, that is.  From the start, everyone told me there's no church by that name, only a school.  The first man I asked sent me in the general direction of the school, so I started walking.

But Chichi is built upon some incredibly steep hills, and when I perceived that after walking down one hill I'd have to begin climbing another--but not entirely sure of the correct direction I should go--I flagged down a three-wheeled mototaxi.

"Sabes Iglesia de Flavio Rodas?" I asked the driver.

"Sure, I know it."  And as he drove up the hill we passed a long wall with mural panels, one of which appeared to be painted by students of La Escuela Flavio Rodas.

"Is that the school?"

"The school is that way, " he pointed in one direction.

"How about the church?"

We reached a fork in the road.  "Left for the school, right for the church, " he said.

"Go right."  And soon we were in front of a church, but was it the right one?  Assembly of God, it said, written on a sign above the door.  Several women were seated in front with foods for sale.

The driver told me what everyone else had said:  there's no church by that name, only the school.

So I walked down to the school and snapped a couple photos.  On a Sunday there wasn't much to see.  Then I walked back to the murals and shot some photos there.  Then I walked back to the church and took a photo or two there.

Then I asked the women:  "Is this the Iglesia Flavio Rodas?"  Well, they said, there's no church by that name, only the school.  But if you're looking for the church in Flavio Rodas (neighborhood), this must be the one because it's the only one around.

Based upon my extensive walk around the neighborhood, this appeared to be true.

I asked them if they have "sister churches" in the United States.  "Oh yes," said one of the women, "I can think of one in California."

Any other states, I asked, perhaps Wisconsin?  "Probably," she said, "but I'm not sure where."

This was good enough for me!  Mission accomplished?  Well, sure. . .

Liking the Rainy Season for the Same Reasons I Once Hated It

I like traveling in the tropics during the rainy season which contrasts sharply with my attitude during the time I lived in Thailand in the early 1990s.

Contrary to popular belief, the rainy season doesn't mean it rains all day everyday.  But often it rains toward the end of a very hot, humid day which can cool things off considerably.  Even when it doesn't rain, there might be thick cloud cover which cuts the blinding glare of the tropical sun.

In Thailand I played fiddle in a Thai country music band.  We worked nights, often every night of the week.  In Thailand, the high season is known as the "cool" season because the weather is not too hot in the daytime, while at night it can be pleasantly cool (or "cold" as the Thais call it).  The high season (November thru Februrary) was very busy and lucrative for us musicians.

In March and April comes the brutal hot season.  It gets so hot that even the Thais complain about it.  Temps of 100 Farenheit are not uncommon.  Nighttime doesn't bring much relief.

The rainy season in Thailand is the longest season of all--May thru September or October, just as in Central America.  As musicians, we still had work every night, but it was definitely the "slow" season for us, and we had much less extra work gigging on private parties, for example.

While now I enjoy the late afternoon rains here in Nicaragua, in Thailand at the time these would hit just when I getting ready for work.  Since my principal mode of transport was by motorcycle, this often could be problematic for me if the timing of the rains was bad.  Once I had to skip a high paying gig because I was caught in a heavy downpour, ending up completely soaked and in no condition to join my colleagues for the gig, who mostly had real cars and pickup trucks.

Now that I'm not working nights in the tropics, I really like the feel and the sound of an all night thunderstorm.  It's very refreshing.  And on rainy days here, often the buses are a lot less crowded, so it's easier for me to get around with my gear.

At this time of year in Central America, as in Thailand, there are fewer tourists and fewer crowds in general.  Often this means that I can get discounted hotel room rates.  What costs me $20 now might cost double in December or during Easter week.

Perhaps the worst thing for me about the rainy season in Thailand was simply the long, dreary length of it.  Similar to the length of a Wisconsin winter, by the end of September, as I recall, I was very weary of the rains--even a little bit depressed by it.

That would make the imminent arrival of the cool season in October/November something to rejoice in and celebrate. . .

Grilled Meat--Made for Wisconsinites!

I tell people I´m from Wisconsin--often they know someone who lives in Milwaukee or someplace else in the dairy state. And so I tell them that Wisconsin people like to eat grilled meat, which they do very well here.

Last night I had an excellent meal of grilled beef & sausage with the usual staples: refried beans, tomatos, cheese, avocado & tortillas. The tortillas they make here are smaller but thicker than what you find in Mexico or Guatemala--just two of them were enough with all the other grub that came with it.

They love their fried breakfasts here, too--eggs many styles and all the extras that go with it. But maybe my favorite meal is the big lunch (the main meal in these parts), usually featuring soup and choice of meat with rice, beans, salad, juice or coffee (and sometimes dessert). Expect to pay $4 to $6 for a great feed in this part of the world! Yum. . .