Hurricane Dean, apparently the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in nearly 15 years, passed far to the north of Guatemala, wreaking havoc in the Yucatán peninsula of México. Peace Corps pulled us out of our towns and put us up in a hotel for a couple days, “just to be safe”. Less rain fell in those two days than normal…I was a little embarrassed when I returned, but most of my friends and colleagues here already know that Peace Corps has a million and one seemingly incomprehensible rules and regulations.

Last night I attended a rock concert in the big communal hall here in town. The first two bands didn’t excite me too much, but when Kab’awil came on the room was transformed. Kab’awil is our home town rock band here in Ixtahuacán. They sing in K’iche, use traditional instruments alongside electric guitar and bass, and send a powerful message to youth with their music: embrace traditional Mayan values, work hard for the future of our community and our country, and fight injustice wherever you see it. The show was a lot of fun. Imagine 150 teenagers, mostly guys, dancing like they would never get another opportunity in their lives. And while they favored a ´Mosh´ approach to the dancefloor, crashing into each other like bumpercars, when the marimba player started a traditional song they all lined up to perform the corresponding traditional dance. Wow!

The still unfinished Catholic Church at sunset on a clear afternoon.

I went for a really long bike ride in the mountains a couple of weeks ago. I went a good fifteen or twenty miles (20-30 km) away from the highway, farther than I had previously ventured. Judging from the looks I got from the villagers, they don´t see gringos on bikes out there to often...I´m guessing it was the first time. I dropped deep into a valley, and the climb back up to the peak was exhausting, but I was rewarded with this view of the volcanoes peeking up through the clouds.