Preparation

Tomorrow - EARLY - we leave for Guatemala. So now I'm in my pre-trip ritual stage.

I'm cleaning my house like mad. I'm not sure why I do it, but I like to leave the house as clean as I can make it before a big trip.

The incredible heat wave of the last week has broken somwhat. It's only going to be 89 degrees instead of 106, which is a real blessing.

I'm currently watching the final time trial of the Tour de France, expecting Floyd Landis to take the yellow jersey, and then I'm off to cut the grass. Ugh. Definitely not my favorite activity.

After that, it's time to finish the laundry and start packing! The weather in Santiago Atitlan is expected to be between 60-75 degrees with occasional thunderstorms. Looks like I'll have to take a fleece afterall.

Early to bed tonight since we have a 6:30am flight.

Now that the important issues of who is going with me and getting the airfare squared away, my thoughts are turning toward what I should take with me.

I'm really not considering all the rules of the normal backpacker since we're only going to one place for a short time. So, the whole weight vs. reward considerations are really not too pertinent.

When I visit SA with students, I always take along a few easily prepared food items. It's nice to have a touch of the familiar for students who have never been out of the country and it helps to ease the issue of what to cook for 20+ people on every meal.

One thing I've learned about SA is that their version of the corn tortilla is the basic breadstuff eaten by the locals. It just doesn't do anything for me.

The local panaderia will provide what they call pan dulce - small rolls with sugar on top. Very nice, but the consistency of the bread is a little like sawdust. You can buy packaged sandwich bread in some of the shops, but it's as blah as anywhere else in the world.

So, I'm considering taking along a box of Bisquick. I know what you're thinking ... but sometimes a good biscuit or pancakes is just the ticket on a chilly morning with a cup of the local coffee.

And how can you go anywhere without a jar of peanut butter. I mean really... what is life without peanut butter when you're hungry?

ahhhh.....

Mark got final approval to go to SA with me, so the tickets stand as purchased.

I received an email from Juana Ixbalan, the administrator of Los Amigos de Oklahoma, saying that she'd be happy to make our transportation arrangements. She didn't explicitly say that we could camp out at the office, but she would have said so if it wasn't going to work out.

So, as with all things in translation, we just hope for the best. I've learned that making assumptions in dealing with the Tzutujil is dangerous, but it does make things exciting!

Now, I've got to plan some of our excursions so that we don't have to kill too much time.

July 25th is the Feast of St. James, which is the patronal feast of Santiago, so I'm sure there will be exciting things going on in the town then, followed shortly by the commemoration of Fr. Rother's death.

I'm excited about going to SA without having any other work, house building commitments, etc., to worry about. It will be a good time to just see and be a part of the culture of this very interesting town and people.

Time was running out on getting tickets. The prices had already gone up by about $200, so I took a chance and purchased them for Mark and me.

Mark is still waiting for final approval to go, so I may have to cancel them ultimately. There's a 24 hour window that Continental has for cancelling them. So the clock is ticking...

I've email Juana about staying at the Amigos de Oklahoma office and for her help in arranging transportation. So there's another clock ticking...

What will happen next? Stay tuned.

I have some mixed feeling about going back to Santiago Atitlan once again. This would be my 10th visit in 6 years.

I always enjoy my visits there, but the travelling is nerve wracking on the Guatemala highways, what with the ever present threat of bandits.

This trip though will be made more out of a sense of responsibility and, I suppose you would call it, patriotism.

This visit is to be a part of the commemoration of the murder of Fr. Stanley Rother, the Oklahoma priest killed by a paramilitary death squad on July 28, 1981. Fr. Rother is considered by many to be a martyr for the Catholic Church. He knew that his work on behalf of the poor among the Tzutujil people could be seen as "anti-government" and that his life would be in danger.

In fact, he had left Guatemala for some time earlier that year because of threats. But, once back in Oklahoma, he decided that he needed to return to his parish, because "A pastor does not run."

And so, he was killed, in his own rectory. And so, I go to be a part of a delegation of Oklahomans going to represent his home and his people among the people who adopted him and called him Padre Apla's.

I'm trying to work out the arrangements to take a young seminarian along with me. He has some details to take care of. I've decided not to go alone, so if he ultimately cannot make it, this trip will be off.