Author Archives: Henry

Rocinante’s Repairs or Restoring the Timeline

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Henry

We seem to have gotten a little out of synch here. My description of Joe’s Mud Bath concerned events that actually preceded by a good week those described in Elizabeth’s comments on Christmas in Ciudád Guatemala. So in the interest … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Gear, Guatemala, Itinerary | 2 Comments

Further on down the road

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Henry

When we last left our heroes, they were coasting into Salamá, after a prolonged hot and dusty drive through the mountains. The next morning, we rose at our usual leisurely hour, and began an easy drive into Cobán, the stepping-off … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Family, Guatemala, Mayan, Nature, photos, Religion | 8 Comments

Rocinante Redux

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Henry

Our van has been a stalwart, faithful conveyance. For the most part. It’s taken us along highways, byways and barely-there-ways. It does have its share of quirks and idiosyncrasies: early on, the driver’s window stopped working and needed to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Gear, Guatemala, Preparation | 4 Comments

One of those moments

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Henry

In December 1972 I took a train trip from Windsor to Montreal. A couple friends were just finishing up their first semester at McGill University, and the whole gang was descending upon them for an end-of-the-year party. The train trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Family | 5 Comments

Getting around in Antigua

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Henry

And now for something completely different. Personal transport in Antigua is interesting, and pretty cool. A few people have cars, but not many. The streets are all paved with black volcanic rock, and are none too smooth (think of cobblestone), … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Gear, photos | 5 Comments

Back on the road

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Henry

When we talked to people in and around Tikal, they all agreed that it would take about seven hours to drive from there to Antigua, our next destination. We had arranged to spend a week in Antigua, attending one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, Itinerary | 4 Comments

A-Caving We Shall Go

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Henry

When I was fourteen, my family visited Mammoth Cave. We went on several tours, and saw many outstanding geological formations. It was thrilling, but quite safe. There were smooth paved trails, metal railings, and electric lights strung throughout. As an … Continue reading →

Posted in Belize, Culture | 2 Comments

A Zoo Story

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Henry

For most of my childhood, my family lived about a mile-and-a-half from the main entrance of the Detroit Zoological Park. I loved the zoo, and its proximity made me feel some sense of ownership. I learned its ins and outs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Belize, Nature, photos | 3 Comments

In and Out of the Jungle

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Henry

Yesterday we pulled into Chetumal in the early afternoon. All three of us were warm and sticky and more fragrant than we cared to be. As we approached, the map had indicated some Mayan ruins very near the road we … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Food, Mexico | 3 Comments

Cooling Our Heels – Updated

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Henry

The van is almost ready. The seller has been as thorough and frantic about putting it into the best possible condition as Elizabeth was about making our house nice and clean and tidy and fixed for our friends staying there … Continue reading →

Posted in Gear, photos, Preparation | 4 Comments