Let´s Play Catch UP

Turns out finding an internet cafe that is both fast enouph to upload pictures and has a port for Molly´s camera is a serious challange. But I have found a spot so now you can enjoy a nice lenghty post to distract you from the  doldrum that is your lives.

Oh and because of the camera cards, let´s do this in reverse chrological order. Last night we had a bit of a treat. Molly has been voulenteering the last few weeks here in Xela (ofically Quetzaltenengo) at a women´s weaving cooperative. They sell Guatemala´s famous textilles from all around the region at fair trade prices. Moly works with three woman in their office and store on a number of projects. More importantly last night we stayed past offcie hours for dinner. Marta made a wonderful stewed chicken dish featuring a salsa of cilantro, parsley, mini tomatillos (called miltomates here) and something else. Tasty or Que Rico (how rich).

I finished or eneded my Spanish classes a week ago and have taken on a new interest. Comida Tipica de Guatemala, Typical Guatemalan cooking. Molly and I bought a Cook Book which in addition to hundreds of recipes also features a thank you letter to the author from the Biltmore Hotel in Guatemala city. The letter was written more than twenty years before the book, like many things I see here, I don´t really understand. But with the help of my dictionary and a bit of common sense I did make some spactacular Huevos a la Ranchera pictured above. Fried eggs, topped with a simple salsa of tomatoes and red peppers and possibly cooked in lard. It´s not in the recipe but I thought chorizo would be a nice touch as well.

You may also notice the OJ, that´s fesh squuzed. It pains me to my core to admit this, but the oranges here are simply the best I have ever had.

Well the computer stopped cooperating but stay tuned next time for exciting tales of Xela featuring Super Goats, a pig, and chickens (And none of them are cooked!)

You want it you got: a note on los judios en Guatemala

There are a fair number of Israelis that tour Guatemala and we saw plenty in Antigua and espically  around the lake. I have not seen a ton of Israelis in Xela. Interestingly I have met a fair number of Dutch and Scandanavian travellers.

As far as Jewsish Guatemalans go I have not met many or any; however, they do exist. I know there is a synagouge in Guatemala City. I had dinner with Aaron Schulman and he has met a couple including an eccentricly dressed guy on a flight who was the whitest person he had ever met, and were of European decent.

My former host family told me there are several Jewish families in Xela and I get the impression the Jewish community here is very ladino (European decent) and muy rico (very rich)

More interstingly there are many Jewish symbols in Xela, notably the star of David which I have seen in a park, as well as a decoration on vehicles and in fencs. I also have seen menorahs as well as many businesses with jerusmalem in the name. I have heard two explanations of this. One, the star is used by Jewish owned businesses. The other explination is that these symbols are widely used by evangelical groups (Guatemala has the largest non-Catholic population in Central America.)

My favorite example of this motif is Restaurante Shalom where Gringas ( quesedillas) are 3 x 20 quetzales.