Returning home from Guatemala

I was able to sleep soundly until well after 5 am. I was very pleased to have had a good night’s sleep since it is impossible to tell how strenuous the day might be if our flight from Atlanta to Lexington is canceled or delayed. Delta’s website shows our flight is on time and we have seat assignments, but we are cautiously optimistic.

Mary and went to the cafeteria at 6 am for a cup of tea then returned to the lounge area to do our morning language lessons and finalize packing. To save money, we decided that we would check Mary’s bag but I would carry my bag onto the flight. Breakfast was two egg gringas with sausage and cheese in wheat tortillas. The usual black beans were on the side.

We boarded the bus at 9 am and Edgar put our bags on top of the bus. We teased him that we looked like one of Guatemala’s chicken buses. Of course, traffic was bad on the drive to the La Aurora International Airport taking an hour to go the short distance. We all thanked Edgar for his assistance during our stay and he wished us well in our travels.

At La Aurora International Airport we found all of the staff to be very friendly and helpful. Delta employees from Guatemala thanked us all for coming and volunteering in the country. We went through check-in and immigration lines very quickly. At security we had to take our shoes off and put everything from our pockets on the scanner. I got through with no issues, but Mary’s knitting was confiscated including her wooden knitting needles, crochet hook and even her yarn. It seemed like security overkill, but we were guests in a foreign country and unfamiliar with their laws or language. Because we had to pay $35 per checked bag when we boarded the flight in Lexington, I chose to carry my small but heavy duffle bag on. However, we learned that Delta Skymiles members get their checked bags free in Guatemala.

We walked around the small airport and went in a few of the shops. We had a little more Guatemalan currency than we expected since the fees at the volcano were less, and we got a partial refund. We picked up a few things for the boys at the shops and left us will a small amount of currency for the grandkids.

Our flight departed on time a little after 1 pm and appeared to be mostly full. We gathered that many of the passengers were mission groups like us. We hadn’t had lunch at the Guatemala airport so we opened the Southern Grove trail mix from Aldi that we packed. It made a good snack for the trip. Mary and I mostly read on the three-hour flight but most of the group watched an inflight movie.

Arrival in Atlanta was chaotic. There had been a moderate rain causing aircraft to be lined up for a spot at gates. Our flight sat on the tarmac for over 45 minutes before getting to a gate. As usual, deplaning was a protracted event. We were not concerned about time since we had a lengthy layover in Atlanta. We walked to the immigration area and got in the line for Global Entry. While we normally breeze through immigration and customs with the TSA Trusted Traveler program, our line took more time than the passengers who were not prescreened. We believe that Atlanta does “expedited” immigration of Global Entry and airline crew together. It took quite a while for everyone’s bags to come through the conveyor at the baggage carousel. After getting our bags we turned to the line for customs. The line snaked forever through the baggage area. After we got in the lengthy wait, the line suddenly started moving quickly. We knew that the staff at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport was not processing passengers quickly but saw they had set up a zigzagging line in another larger room. After navigating that ordeal, we rechecked our bag then had to go through security again. Once the bag was checked and we had cleared security, we quickly walked through the large airport to our posted departure gate on B-23. Once arrived at the gates, we had a notice that the gate had been changed to D-26. We had to backtrack to concourse D and get to our gate with little time to spare.

It seemed to us that the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta is inefficient, ineffective and disorganized. The La Aurora International Airport in what many would consider a third world county was infinitely better managed than Hartsfield-Jackson. In Guatemala, airport staff was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We found the opposite to be true in Atlanta.

Our uneventful flight from Atlanta to Lexington was only about 45 minutes. I read a couple of chapters in Craig Johnson’s “Hell and Back” during the flight. Once in Lexington, our bags were available soon after landing. Kent, Becky and Brian were riding from the airport with us, We dropped Brian off at the home of one of his relatives on Harrodsburg Road then we took the Snodgrass’s to their home in Georgetown’s Stonehedge neighborhood.

Once at home, we brought our bags in then headed straight to be since we were both very tired. We were in bed asleep a little after 1 am.

Thursday – July 25

We woke before 6 am and readied ourselves to drive to Huntington for a few errands. Mary has a checkup with her rheumatologist, Dr. Webb at 3 pm and we wanted to visit with Gran and take her to do her banking at Huntington Federal. We stopped at the garden on the way to pick a few tomatoes, peppers and squash for her. As we were driving to Huntington our chat notifications informed us that many in our group were testing positive for COVID. Since Mary hadn’t been feeling well, we suspected that she may be infected. After a dinner of refried black bean wraps and a shower, we took COVID tests and found Mary to be positive, but I tested negative. We notified family that we would avoid them for a few days then watched some television and went to bed.

Pacaya Volcano

As usual, I woke early and left the room around 5 am. When I was in the lounge area, I saw Becky dozing in a chair. She apparently had leg cramps in the night and left the bedroom so she wouldn’t awaken the other ladies. I sat on the porch and read for a while then made my way to the cafeteria to make sandwiches for our lunch. Not long after I got there, Jerry came to help, putting the sandwiches in brown bags with banana, chips and cookies. Mary arrived next and took over peanut butter while I spread grape jelly. It took less than 30 minutes to make the 17 sandwiches that we would need today.

Mary riding up the volcano

Breakfast was egg, potato and cheese casserole, black beans and fresh fruit.

We boarded the bus at 8:15 to travel to Volcán pacaya. There was a stop for Payton when he got carsick then another stop for fuel before arriving at the trailhead for the volcano rim walk. After the stops and a bottle of Sprite, Payton was feeling much better.

Edgar drove the bus up the cobblestone road to the visitor center for the volcano where we went to the bathroom and made our was to the horses. Each of us mounted our assigned horse and started up the mountain. My horse, Tequila, was eager to go and kept a good pace, sometimes even going into a trot. However, he was a little gassy which a am certain Cait’s horse, Whiskey, didn’t appreciate. Mary’s horse, Diamond, just didn’t want to go on a ride today and took a very slow pace up the mountain sometimes coming to a stop. Mary and Diamond were the last to arrive at the rest stop where we dismounted. When she arrived on her horse she called to me, “Get me off this thing now.” I guess not only was the horse slow but the ride was very uncomfortable for her.

Warming marshmallows in the volcanic heat

After leaving the horses, we walked another mile through lava fields up the mountain to a place where the ground was warm to the touch. In places steam emerged from the lava forming a cloud at ground level. Our guide provided skewers so we could warm marshmallows in the steaming lava. Looking across the area it was clear that multiple eruptions had occurred making flows of different shades of grey. The last eruption in 2021 filled a deep crater near the spot where we saw the steam vents. Most of us ate part of the lunch that we packed earlier as we sat. A group of dogs hung around us begging for food.

At that point our group split. Some of us walked up a steep path through an old lava flow to the crater rim. The others retraced the path back down the trail to a waypoint shack along the trail. There were several good overlooks where we could see a lake and multiple lava flows. After a few photos, we started down what the guides call the “ski slope” a steep area covered in fine volcanic ash. The goal is to run and slide down the mountain sinking deep into the ash. That worked well, most of the time except where the ash was thinner allowing our feet to sink to slick rock underneath. Most of us fell at least once but the ash was soft and no one was injured more than a small scrape. The other group was waiting at the bottom of the slide photographing our wild run down the slope.

After rejoining the other group, we dusted the ash off and emptied our shoes that were filled with the volcanic soot and continued down the trail that we had taken the horses up earlier. We made a couple of stops along the way then arrived at the visitor center where the bus was parked. There were a couple of tin shacks near the visitor center selling jewelry with pieces of lava as stones but few of our group was tempted to make a purchase.

The bus ride back to the CRI compound was uneventful although I slept part of the way. I had elected to sit near the front of the bus with Edgar the driver and Allison, Fontaine’s daughter and our interpreter. I knew that it would be quieter, and I could get a snooze.

Back at our rooms, most of us showered and packed in preparation for our Wednesday morning departure. Everyone was concerned about flight cancellations following last week’s global internet crash. We understand that a major web security company called Crowdstrike was updating software when a major flaw prevented many large corporations from doing business including most airlines. The issue is resolved now and we have reservations for all of our flights but there is still a backlog from the cancellations on Friday.

Since the kitchen staff have Tuesday off, a local vendor brought their meal offerings to us this evening. We saw Fontaine’s daughter, Ally, for a meal ticket giving her our choice of three cheese quesadillas, three tacos el pastor (pork soft tacos) or three gringos (soft tacos). Mary got el pastor and I got quesadillas so we could share choices. There were choices of sauces and drinks as well but we stayed with the fresh squeezed lemonade that we have had all week.

After dinner, Carlos from the market in Antigua had some of his more popular items from the market available for purchase. Mary brought each of the grandsons an item using the remaining Guatemalan currency that we purchased in Lexington. Back at the room we had a brief meeting to debrief from the day. Many of us went to bed soon after that but Pastor Andrew and some of the others played ping pong in the cafeteria. I was asleep before 9 pm and slept well throughout the night.

Dedication of the house in Santa Maria de Jesus

Since I was so tired last night, I was surprised to not have slept well. I woke around 2 am but dozed on and off in bed until 5 am. I don’t think that I’ve slept well since we arrived nearly a week ago. I will be happy to be back in my own bed by the weekend.

Mary and I went downstairs to the cafeteria area at 6 am to pack lunches for today. She and I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then Jerry put them in bags with a banana, corn chips and wafer cookies. We were back up at the room by 6:20 to do our daily language lessons and prepare to go to the house build for the dedication ceremony.

We went down to the cafeteria at 7 am for breakfast and tea. The meal is called “Chapin” which is also a term that Guatemalans call themselves. Chapin is scrambled eggs, black beans, sausage patty, homemade tortillas and sweet plantains topped with crema and cinnamon. It was a tasty and filling breakfast. While at breakfast, we chatted with a group from a church in Berea, Kentucky.

Mary preparing the interior of the house

After breakfast we loaded into the bus for the ride to Santa Maria de Jesus for the dedication ceremony of the house. We needed to make some stops before we arrived at the house. Most of us went to the Guatemala City Walmart where each of us had a list of things to buy that we didn’t already have for the family. Some bought groceries including beans, rice, flour, eggs, and oil. Others bought home furnishings like sheets and pillows for the beds or bins and tableware. Pastor Andrew and Edgar went to a music store to buy a guitar, two microphones and microphone stands for the church in Santa Maria de Jesus. Terry and his son, Peyton, bought two dozen doughnuts for a shared snack on the bus.

Wooden frame beds were assembled in each of the two bedrooms, a dining table and four chairs were set up in the living space, shelves were filled with food and a cross with the names of everyone in our crew was hung on the wall. The wood burning cook stove was set up outside under some extra roofing. The small stove is a very efficient design in which a small fire can heat three pans. The thermal mass of the stove will hold heat for a long time. The last things to be done was to give the house a good sweeping.  We were struck by a gift from the family as we were finishing.  They gave everyone on our team a cold bottle of Gatorade.  At prevailing wages in that community, the drinks cost the family over a week of wages. 

Presentation of the house keys

At noon, Pastor Andrew led everyone in singing “Dios hasado bueno”, God is Good. Andrew played the new guitar while everyone sang. Bible verses were read in English and Spanish and the keys to the house were presented to the family. The short ceremony was recorded and live streamed to Georgetown First United Methodist Church’s Facebook feed. After the presentation we gathered our things and walked down to the church where we ate our packed lunches and Pastor Andrew and Edgar attempted to hook up the guitar and microphones. After some time, all was working well and Andrew continued to play a while longer.

Outdoor cookstove

We finally boarded the bus and made our way back to the CRI compound. Traffic was a little lighter than usual, so we made good time driving the 25 miles in a little over 90 minutes. We opted to spend the afternoon relaxing in our room since everyone in the group was still very tired from the past few days. Some of us played cards, others napped or read. I worked on the journal and Mary knitted then played cards. Pastor Andrew and a few others played ping pong. Several of our team are fighting a bug or are dealing with the strange antigens triggering allergic reactions.

The bell for dinner rang at 5:30 so we went downstairs for a meal of heleche, tomato-based beef stew with beef and potatoes. We also had black beans, white rice and tortillas. Dessert was an exceptionally delicious chocolate flan cake. We had a few minutes in the room before our speaker, Fontaine, was coming to the room to give us a history of CRI.

Fontaine touched on his life growing up in difficult circumstances in Paintsville, Kentucky then entering the ministry traveling to Florida then coming to Guatemala on a mission. He and his wife, Paula, made the leap to move to Guatemala full time in 2007 and work at an orphanage. They eventually started their own orphanage, Mimi’s House, in honor of Paula’s grandmother. They have existed on donations since hosting missions from the US and other countries. Fontaine told us that over 80 churches have had missions with CRI so far this year. We enjoyed and appreciated his information.

Visiting Antigua, Guatemala

I awoke at 3 am but managed to stay in bed until 5 am when I dressed and went into the lounge to read. Darren got up and went out onto the porch shortly thereafter. At 6 I went to the cafeteria for coffee then came back to the lounge. The fair-trade Guatemalan coffee is less bitter than many US coffees but, at $13/pound, is very expensive. I have sipped some while we are here but have no desire to bring any back for us. We did purchase a bag to take back home for each of our sons in law.

View of Volcan Aqua from our room

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and pancakes with fresh fruits, cold cereal and toast available. It was nice visiting with our teammates over breakfast although many of us, including Mary and I as well as Kent, are feeling the effect of travel and being off schedule. We don’t think that we are ill just tired and perhaps adjusting to unfamiliar antigens.

Like most mornings here in Guatemala City, the morning was sunny and in the low 60s. Temperatures promised to warm into the upper 70s or low 80s but with a distinct possibility of rain over the next few days. We sat outside on the porch enjoying the view of the volcano until time for church.

The service at Access Church in the main hall of the CRI compound was very crowded. All of the people here for missions were at the church, as well as, expatriates living in the area and local Guatemalans. About a dozen young people were in and around the compound with welcoming signs. The first half hour of church was music in English and Spanish with a praise band. Two young women led the singing with lyrics projected on three large screens. Rev. Fontaine delivered a sermon nearly an hour long with scriptures displayed in both English and Spanish.

Markets in Antigua

After the service we went to our rooms and changed for our visit to Antigua. There was pizza on the bus for us as we made the nearly two-hour drive from Guatemala City although it was less than 25 miles. Fontaine’s adopted daughter, Allison, joined us to assist in guiding us through town and interpreting as necessary. Edgar let us off at the market where local weavers and other makers sell their goods. Jerry knew a woman, Teresa, who has quality items at good prices and our group purchased a number of blankets and other weavings from her. We went to another booth where Carlos sells T-shirts and mostly Chinese made items but at good prices. We laughed because Carlos was wearing a University of Kentucky T-shirt. The market was very typical of towns with a lot of tourist traffic. Countless small stores selling everything from bumper stickers to jade jewelry. We went out into the town square where a marimba festival was taking place. We watched for a while then took a quick walk around the town that had been Guatemala’s capital until a series of earthquakes in the mid-1700s prompted the country to move the capital to nearby Guatemala City. The Antigua Guatemala Cathedral still stands in the town that was constructed in 1541. Portions of the church were destroyed in the 1700s but much has been restored. Rain threatened a few times, but the weather was otherwise perfect. The air was cool and dry at the over 6000-foot elevation of Antigua making it perfect to walk through the town.

Markets in Antigua

We met up with the group at the town square and walked to El Adobe, a local Guatemalan restaurant. Mary ordered a bowl of tomatillo based stew with a chicken leg and thigh. I had an appetizer of two chili rellenos that were very different from Mexican chili rellenos. We split a pitcher of locally made lemonade. Several in our group has papian similar to the meal we had on Friday night for dinner. Matthew (16 years old) had chicken nuggets with fries. A lady in the corner of the restaurant was hand making tortillas from blue corn flour and everyone had tortillas with their meal as well as from baskets on the table. We all enjoyed the meal then boarded the bus for the ride back.

As usual, the bus ride was a punishing slow ride in heavy traffic. At one point we saw a sign indicating 8 kilometers to Guatemala City. We timed that it took us one hour to travel the 8 kilometer distance.

We had an abbreviated debriefing in the lounge area when we returned then we all turned in for the night.

Finishing the build and packing meals

I think that I slept as well last night as I have since we arrived in Guatemala. The CRI compound is on the side of a mountain in Guatemala City and large trucks are constantly using their engine brakes as they go down the hill. However, I didn’t notice as many, perhaps because I was so tired. I turned in at 10 pm and slept well until around 3 am. I stayed in the bunk until 4 am then dressed and went into the lounge area of our quarters. I started Craig Johnson’s book, Hell and Back, in the Walt Longmire mystery series. I’m still uncertain whether I like it.

At 6 am, Mary and I went to the cafeteria for hot tea then to prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the 21 lunches for us today. Jerry assembled the bags with the sandwiches, bananas, chips and cookies. There was a minor schedule adjustment for today. Edgar suggested that we work on the house in the morning then pack meals in the afternoon. By going to Santa Maria de Jesus in the morning we may be able to avoid a little traffic. The afternoon would be spent packing meals for distribution to needy families.

Breakfast was eggs and bacon on English muffins and fresh papaya and pineapple. There was also a cup of warm milk with a dusting of cinnamon. Then we went up to the room to prepare for the trip to the house build, do our language lessons and load into the bus for a prompt 8 am departure. Since we had a little time, we called the two families of grandsons. Everyone had a good week and shared some of their weekend plans. We look forward to seeing them when we return.

Pastor Andrew cutting purlins to length

As hoped, the drive was about 45 minutes shorter than previous days with far less traffic. At the church in the community near the house build, we left the bus and walked up the hill with water and the supplies we would need for the day. Unlike previous days, we distributed lunches before we walked up to the house so we could get to work quickly to finish the house.

The openings for the two windows were slightly small so we used a circular saw and a reciprocating saw to shave a little allowing the windows to fit snugly. Romero and I nailed purlins down for the corrugated steel roofing while Cait steadied the ladder and handed nails. Trim pieces around the windows were added and additional nails were driven where needed. A team went around the perimeter driving Tapcon screws through the bottom plate of each wall into the block foundation. Romero led the installation of the front door and lock. Mary helped with cutting boards to finish the trim as needed.

Kent & Cait at the nearly complete house

We had our lunch that we packed this morning then looked to see if we had missed anything. As we were finishing up a heavy rain started. We continued cleaning and putting things away until the rain slacked a little then we walked down to the bus in the rain.

The bus was underway by 1:30 and arrived back at CRI in Guatemala City before 3 pm. We took a little time to get a drink, clean up and do afternoon language lessons before meeting in the cafeteria to pack meals for needy Guatemalan families. Boris told us that 60% of Guatemalans live in poverty while 80% of the residents of Santa Maria de Jesus are in poverty. A packet consists of textured soy protein, white rice and a mix of vitamins and minerals. Each packet will feed up to four people a nutritionally complete meal for about 11 cents per meal. The meals can be cooked in water the same way that plain rice is cooked but has additional nutrients. Adding vegetables and spices can enhance the flavor. We had two assembly lines adding each component to the ecofriendly bag and passing it along to assure a weight between 9.1 and 9.3 ounces before heat sealing. Once sealed and labeled, 40 bags were stacked in a box for distribution. In about 90 minutes of teamwork, we prepared enough bags for 1920 meals.

Packing meals for free distribution

We took some snapshots then made a 20 second video to show in church before going to dinner. It was clear that several new groups had arrived since the dining hall was more full and we saw many faces that we hadn’t seen before. The meal was a garden salad, spaghetti with meat sauce and a roll followed by muffins for dessert. As with our other meals here, we enjoyed the dinner and the conversation at the table.

Becky, Cait, Mary & Pam

After dinner we went to the lounge are where we did our afternoon language lessons then had our evening debriefing from our work today. Everyone seemed to feel that the day went well and was pleased with the completion of the house. We would set the stove up as well as some furniture like beds, tables and chairs at the dedication on Monday.

Many people played board games or cards after the meeting. I wrote some in this journal and read a few news items online. Jerry, the trip organizer, sat down with me to chat for a long time. It was pleasant getting to know him better. After Jerry left, Pastor Andrew and I chatted until time for lights out. I read a little in the dark then went to sleep.

Tomorrow’s plans are for church at 10 am followed by a light lunch of carry out pizza then an outing to the town of Antigua, Guatemala for sightseeing and shopping.

In Santa Maria de Jesus

After sleeping better than the night before, I awoke around 3 am. Moving to the other room was a good idea since I didn’t have nearly as much noise and being in a bottom bunk let me read in bed and stow my things under the bed.

I came out of the room at 4 am and finished Lost Birds while on the sofa in the living room area of our suite. Mary came out before 5 am and chatted until 6 am when we walked down to the kitchen area where we had hot tea while we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and packed 20 lunches including a banana, cookies and corn chips for us while we worked on the house.

Breakfast at 7 am included a very good breakfast burrito with eggs, cheese and sausage. There was also fresh fruit, cold cereal and toast. Everyone commented that the meals have been very good.

The bus left for the build site a little after 8 am and struggled through traffic taking over two hours to travel the 23 miles from CRI in Guatemala City to Pueblo Santa Maria de Jesus. As we walked up the hill from the church toward the house we were struck by the number of dogs wandering the streets.  Most of them were skinny mixed breed dogs that may or may not have a regular owner.  We took turns carrying a water cooler and a five gallon carboy of filtered water to the site.  

Our team continued putting the batten board type siding on the house. Most of us changed jobs to allow people who hadn’t been involved in building to learn a different aspect of carpentry. Mary continued carrying boards to be sawn, but I moved from the saw to nailing siding on the exterior with Kent and Becky. Our local building supervisors were Romero and Carlos with Edgar joining us before lunch. There were a couple of light rains that didn’t cause much slowdown in the work. We took a brief lunch break and had enough lunches packed for our team, the local building supervisors and the family. We chuckled at the music being played by one of the neighbors which was “Bad Boys” playing over and over. By 3 pm we had all of the siding on purlins (rafters) for the roof and everything ready for installation of the doors, windows and corrugated steel for the roof.

Woman filling water jugs

Edgar took us down the hill from the church into the town of Santa Maria de Jesus. We walked through the town square and to the church across from the square. As we walked we went past a community well where women were filling plastic containers of with water.  There was also an area where women were washing clothes in basins with built-in washboards.  

Washing clothes in Santa Maria de Jesus

The town square was like a Latin American flea market with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I met a group of missionaries from Mountain Mission while I was walking in Antigua.  The market was dirty and noisy with a lot of stray dogs walking around looking for a handout.  Most of our group took a tuk tuk up the hill for the town square to the church but Cait and I opted to walk up since the afternoon was so pleasant.

Mary & Pam in a Tuk Tuk

After boarding the bus, we had a quick stop at a nearby tienda where many in our group had ice cream or another snack. The drive back to CRI took over two hours putting us back for a 6 pm dinner of Pepian which is a national dish of Guatemala. This stew contains chicken, potatoes, squash and green beans. It was served with pico de gallo, homemade tortillas and white rice. We all enjoyed it very much as well as the warm banana bread.

After dinner I made a dash for the shower and felt much better with clean clothes. I worked on the journal during the evening meeting. We will be packaging rice tomorrow morning for local distribution. we will return to the house build in the afternoon to complete the build. Everyone seems to have had a good day but is tired and will probably sleep well. The rain that started after 8 pm should help us to sleep.

Framing the house in Santa Maria de Jesus

Sleep was difficult last night. The sound of large trucks was deafening especially when they used their engine brakes. It seemed that nearby dogs barked constantly. When a small dog would bark, every other dog would add to the noise. Everyone slept with earplugs which helped some, but I don’t think anyone slept well.

I journaled and read more in Lost Birds after I got up at 4 am Guatemala time. That was 6 am back home and I normally get up at 5 am. Although Guatemala is positioned to be in the Central Time Zone, they do not use Daylight Saving Time making it two hours behind Eastern Time.

Breakfast at CRI was excellent. There were scrambled eggs, pancakes, fresh pineapple, papaya and berries. Although neither of us are coffee drinkers, I tried a cup of Guatemalan coffee which, as coffee goes, was good. We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and packed them with a banana, corn chips and a pack of cookies in lunch sacks. We made enough lunches for everyone on our team as well as the bus drivers, Rafael and Carlos, our local building consultants and extras for the family whose house we were building.

Guatemalan "chicken bus"

We boarded the small bus to drive the nearly 90 minutes to the site of the house we were to build. Traffic and congestion was even worse than on Wednesday. Cars were weaving in and out with scooters and motorcycles sliding between the cars and trucks. We also saw “chicken buses” which are wildly decorated and transport people from rural areas to Guatemala City to sell items throughout the city including live chickens.

Our bus made a quick stop at a convenience store for a bathroom break then arrived at Pueblo Santa Maria de la Jesus. We disembarked the bus at a concrete and steel building that is rented as a church operated by CRI in the rural community. We carried the lunches, a cooler and a 5-gallon carboy of water for our consumption during the day. The cobblestone road up to the build site was steep but not terribly long.

When we arrived, there was a 20 X 20 concrete pad with three courses of block where we would construct the house framing. We met the family who would live in the house before we started the build. They were living in a structure made of roughly laid block and woven corn stalks.

Where the family was living when we arrived

Rafael gave us sizes of boards to be cut. The framing lumber was mostly 2 X 2 pine that was rough sawn and not dried at all. Brian and I measured and cut while Mary carried the framing lumber to us. Others assembled the framing from the cut lumber by hand nailing the boards together. Once the frames were up, we started cutting the rough sawn siding boards to size. We were pleased that several volunteers offered to help cut boards to give us a break. It was especially good that Pam wanted to learn to use a circular saw and after a bit of instruction, she became competent quickly. It took a while to get in a rhythm but once we hit a stride we progressed quickly. We took a 20-minute lunch break for the meals that we packed this morning then got back to work. By 3:30 we had most of the exterior walls up and covered with siding as well as one of the interior walls. We would complete the remaining walls and the porch on Friday. We would not be permitted to install the corrugated steel on the roof so Rafael and Carlos will add that on Saturday. The house dedication is scheduled for Monday. We cleaned up and put tools away then walked back to the church where we met with a group from Winterhaven, Florida to learn about CRI’s ministry in that community from Edgar.

Darren with a mother & daughters carrying produce

The drive back to CRI was even worse than this morning. There was lots of traffic including the chicken buses and several ambulances going down the mountain.

After dropping our backpacks at our rooms, we went down for dinner of fried fish, hush puppies, corn on the cob, broccoli, homemade tortillas and rice. We were hungry and everything was very good. I visited with Darren Broyles for a good bit after dinner discussing travel then went up to the sleeping rooms for a shower. I had changed rooms to get a lower bunk because when I read in the top bunk I have no place to put a book and a flashlight. I also disturb others to get up early. There are only three of us in the other room and everyone had a lower bunk.

I was happy to get a shower and clean clothes since I felt like I was covered by sawdust. I did a couple of quick German lessons the went out to the lounge area.

Everyone met in the seating area of our lodging area to debrief from the day and discuss plans for tomorrow as well as the rest of our time here. There was a good bit of discussion regarding items that we should purchase for the family receiving the house as well as things needed by the church in the community. Becky planned to talk to Edgar to find out which items are most needed.

We finished up around 8:30, and many of us visited and other team members. I worked on this journal then turned in to read a couple more chapters in Lost Birds before going to sleep. I hoped to sleep better than Wednesday night.

Arriving in Guatemala

A storm woke us at 1 am but we were happy to get the rain. We slept a little until 3:30 when we got dressed and left to pick up Kent and Becky to drive to Bluegrass Airport. There was a light rain on the drive and while we parked in the long-term lot.

Boarding the airplane in Lexington

Because we were traveling as a group, we couldn’t check-in online so we went to the Delta desk. We were surprised to learn that we had to pay for our checked bags for the flight which was $70 for our two bags. Had we known, I could have carried my bag on. The agent at check-in initially didn’t designate us as Pre Check but they eventually checked and corrected our boarding passes. There was no issue going through security with our TSA PreCheck.

We didn’t have much of a wait at the gate since our 6 am flight started boarding around 5:30. We were concerned that Terry and Payton on our team were not at the airport when the flight started boarding. They were able to make the flight just before the aircraft door closed. The one-hour flight from Lexington to Atlanta was uneventful.

Once in the terminal at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, we got a breakfast wrap from Subway which was good although the young man working there was very slow. The line at McDonald’s and many other restaurants in the food court had a long line. After breakfast we took a long walk around concourse E then joined the group at our gate.

Fontaine meeting our group in Guatemala

On the three-hour flight from Atlanta to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City was very smooth and seemed to go by quickly. Mary watched HGTV and read her Kindle while I read the latest Anne Hillerman book, Lost Birds. There was a long line to enter the country but it went quickly. Most of us got our bags from the carousel quickly but Kent and Andrew’s bags came out last.

Lunch at Taco Fresh

There was no issue at customs since we had completed the online declaration form in advance. Fontaine met us outside the airport and helped us load our bags onto a truck. We gathered into a small bus and took the drive from the airport toward CRI in Mixco. Traffic in the city was wild, there are few traffic signals, so it was a free for all. The inner city of Guatemala City reminded us of inner cities in China, Egypt, Ecuador and other places we have visited. Small businesses crammed into tiny, dilapidated storefronts with bars on the windows and razor wire over the roof. We stopped at Taco Fresh, a local taco restaurant and had an excellent meal. Mary had flautas, I had a chipotle chicken burrito with an assortment of salsas. Mary had a glass of watermelon juice, and I had tamarind juice both of which are our favorites. Everything was excellent.

Mary with one of the orphans

The drive from the restaurant to CRI was still crazy but short. We were taken to our rooms where there are four of us to a room where I got a bunk bed above Kent.

Once we got our bags in the rooms we visited the Mimi’s House Orphanage. There were only seven children at the orphanage at this time, but each child came from dire circumstances. One boy was placed in a trash bag and dumped when he was one day old. Others were abandoned or given up by their parents. Each child at the orphanage is raised with love and care until they are placed with a forever family.

Dinner was hotdogs with chili, corn chips, beans and corn. Drinks options were tea, fresh squeezed lemonade and hibiscus juice. There was a brief planning meeting in the lounge between the men’s and women’s rooms then we turned in for the night.

 

Kentucky Moonshine Trail – Day 3

The temperature was forecast to be in the mid to upper 90s today and we knew it would be too hot to work in the garden or yard. It seemed like a perfect day to visit the last distillery and optional attraction on the Kentucky Moonshine Trail. Since we would be going to Williamson first, I called my friend, Greg, and arranged to meet him for the distillery tour.

Mary & Greg at Pauley Hollow Distillery

We left the house a little before 6:30 am to arrive at Pauley Hollow Distillery for our 10 am appointment. There wasn’t much traffic on the Mountain Parkway and we arrived in South Williamson a little after 9:30. Greg called as we neared our location to double check the directions to the distillery since it was in a residential neighborhood. The information on the Kentucky Moonshine Trail lists Pauley Hollow Distillery as being in Pikeville. Actually, the distillery is 30 miles away in South Williamson, Kentucky.  As we drove to Pauley Hollow from home, we traveled the Mountain Parkway as well as Rt. 23, called the Country Music HighwayCountry Music Highway because of all of the famous musicians with roots along Rt. 23.  Examples include Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Loretta Lynn, Dwight Yoakum, and Chris Stapleton to name a few.

Owner, Josh Martin at Pauley Hollow Distillery

We were greeted by the Pauley Hollow Distillery’s owner and operator, Josh Martin. Josh’s warm personality made us feel welcome at his small but efficient operation. He shared a great deal of information on how he ferments and distills his spirits. He is very picky about the source of the water and the grains that he uses to get the best quality of products. One of his moonshines even uses water from the well on the property of Randolph McCoy of Hatfield/McCoy fame. Like many on the Kentucky Moonshine Trail, Josh gets his yeasts and some of his enzymes from Wilderness Trail.

Because of recent festivals, Josh’s stock of distilled spirits were low but we were pleased that he had bottles of original recipe corn moonshine, Fuel of the Feud, rye based moonshine and his Robert’s Reserve four grain sour mash bourbon. We sampled each of these as we chatted with Josh and looked around the metal barn that he has converted into a distillery. We were unable to get any of the apple brandy or other products at this time. Greg and I each purchased a bottle of the corn based moonshine and promised to return in the fall when his stocks of spirits would be higher.

In chatting with Josh, he mentioned that Southside Wine and Spirits in Pikeville has a large selection of his products as well as bourbon from a new distillery in Eastern Kentucky aging their barrels in former underground coal mines. Josh also told us that Deb, the proprietor, keeps a stock of Buffalo Trace products including Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare.

We said our goodbyes to Josh and started down Kate Camp Branch when we were surprised by a young black bear crossing the road in front of us. I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised by seeing a bear in that area but it was a great way to leave the Forest Hills area of South Williamson. We wished that we could have taken a photo of the bear but it was moving too fast for us to get a snapshot.

Lunch was at Giovanni’s in South Williamson where we met Jenny, a contact for Mingo County when I worked there leading the Shewey Science Academy from 2007-2020. Jenny was instrumental in working with educators from around the county and even expanding into neighboring school districts. It was great catching up with Jenny on her son, Jordon, who was in the first group of middle school students in the Shewey Science Academy and has been with the program since. Jenny’s husband, Jerry, is now fully retired from dentistry but continues to work with sports teams in the area. I was happy that she and Greg could meet. We all enjoyed the pizza, pasta and salad buffet at Giovanni’s and the good conversation at the table.

Leaving the restaurant, we said goodbye to Jenny and Greg then drove 30 minutes into Pikeville to Southside Wine and Spirits where we met Deb and had a nice chat about our favorite spirits. We were amazed at her selection. We have been in larger wine and liquor stores in Cincinnati and Lexington but no one has the selection that I saw at Southside Wine and Spirits. She had seven bottle sets of Blanton’s with each letter on the stoppers. Every imaginable bottle release of Maker’s Mark and all of the Woodford Reserve releases. We were very pleased that she had plenty of Eagle Rare and a full display of store pick bottles of Buffalo Trace. We were very excited and bought two bottles each of Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace.

Loretta Lynn & Crystal Gayle's homeplace

After leaving Pikeville the drive to Van Lear was about an hour. Loretta Lynn’s homeplace was our last stop in the Kentucky Moonshine Trail. A network of backroads led us to Webb’s Grocery where we got the final stamps in our passports. The young man at the counter told us that we were the first visitors to come in with completed passports. He gave us directions to Butcher Holler and Loretta Lynn’s homeplace. We drove the short 1.6 miles on the narrow winding road to the small cabin and outbuildings perched on the side of a hill. We took a few snapshots then drove back home. We had time for a snack and change of clothes before our meetings at church.

The next time we are in Lexington or Winchester we will turn our passports in at one of the distillery stops for our awards for completing the Kentucky Moonshine Trail.

Kentucky Moonshine Trail – Day 2

On the first day of our trek for the Kentucky Moonshine Trail we visited five of the nine stops. We planned to visit two stops today and two next Monday. On our way to Kentucky Mountain Moonshine in Ravenna, we stopped at Sam’s Club in Lexington. We needed a few grocery items for us as well as some large cans of green beans for church to serve at The Gathering Place Mission. The morning was cool for June, and we had packed a cooler so our purchases would be cool throughout the day.

Howard Arvin with a column still

We drove south on I-75 to Richmond where we drove to Ravenna in Estill County. At the Kentucky Mountain Moonshine Distillery, we were met by Howard Arvin and his wife. After throwing a ball for his dog we came into the distillery to see where Howard works his magic. Their place is an old white frame house that has been repurposed to serve as a visitor center and distillery. Howard told us a lot about the area and the history of moonshine. As a retired dentist in the area, he has extensive knowledge of Estill County. Water for the distillery comes from a well on the property and feeds one of three column stills or a small pot still. Howard is very knowledgeable regarding the chemistry of distillation and is super caution to assure that only the best distillates from his stills are made available to visitors.

The Arvins at their tasting area

After spending time in the still room, Howard’s wife prepared several drinks for us including a pickle juice moonshine drink which wasn’t our favorite. However, the peach moonshine with fresh peaches was outstanding. I purchased the smokey vanilla bean corn moonshine. Howard ages the corn moonshine in a jar with charred oak blocks then transfers the moonshine to another jar with vanilla beans for a second aging. I thought it would be very good mixed with Ale 8-1. Mary bought a cranberry flavored moonshine that she found very tasty.

Column stills at Kentucky Mountain Distillery

Howard invited us back to hike some of the trails on his property behind the distillery. We left the distillery feeling like we had made friends of the Arvin family and respect their skill in producing distilled spirits.

After leaving Ravenna, we drove the short distance to the Menards home center in Richmond, Kentucky. Our home water heater failed on Tuesday morning and Menards has the best prices on water heaters as well as the plumbing parts we would need to install the new tank in our basement. Menards had everything we needed, and we were pleased with the price that we paid and look forward to the 11% rebate offered by Menards.

Leaving Menards, we drove to Barrel House Distilling in the old distillery district in Lexington. We had been to Barrel House many times since our first visit there in 2014. Like other moonshine distilleries, Barrel House is a small operation but has a nice bar connected. The bar seems to do a brisk business with visitors in the popular area. The staff at the Barrel House visitor center were very personable and pleasant. We chatted about our previous visits to the distillery as they stamped our passports. One of the tour guides was telling us about a planned expansion to a location near Cynthiana that would be a much larger facility that could produce more spirits and accommodate more visitor groups. I asked if they would be needed tour guides when another guide there said that her husband is the head distiller and would love to have me work there part time. I took his contact information and promised to contact him soon with my inquiry about working at the distillery.

Barrel House Distillery

After leaving Barrel House, we drove the short distance home and unloaded the pickup with the water heater and plumbing. I will do the water heater installation on Thursday afternoon when I get home from volunteering at McConnell Springs Park and attending the board meeting at the Scott County Cooperative Extension Office.

We plan to visit the final two stops in the Kentucky Moonshine Trail on Monday. Hopefully our friend Greg can meet us for the visit in South Williamson. We also hope to meet our friend, Jenny, for lunch after the visit to Pauley Hollow Distillery. We hope to stop at Butcher Holler in Van Lear, Kentucky on the way home for the final optional stop in the passport.