tijaxblog

Some things are predictable, thank God!! and the Weatherman!

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:31:00 +0000

I've found this site to be really good for predicting rainfall, not perfect but good enough to use for my planting and fertilizing needs on the farm. http://wxmaps.org/pix/ezla.wcar.html The Institute that produces the Weather maps is IGES/COLA, http://www.iges.org/ Check it out hope it is of use. We love it here!!

The 2012 Mayan Prophecy ( My take on it)

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:25:00 +0000

I'll never forget this event, the moments that preceded it and what came afterwards. We had been partying with Hilda a very nice and very good looking girlfriend I had at the time, after much kissing and stuff I got out of her orange Polo VW and walked up the steps to my Mom's apartment. It was the first one above the parking spaces in a small building in zone 9 of Guatemala city. It must have been way over 2:00 a.m. I was groggy from the booze , the long day and the partying, in a haze I got into my sofa-bed and read a few lines from a small book on Buddhism I had bought at La Plazuela bookstore.

The book entitled The Secrect Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects by Alexandra David-Neel and Lama Yongden with a foreword by Alan Watts is now a classic of that era and is one of over 30 titles by the author. It was one of my favorites and one from wherein I pretended to get some insights into my otherwise confused state of existence. I opened it to page 64 and read from a section dealing with the "cause and effect" view of Buddhist on how thoughts and forms arise from the mind and then the author jumps to this:

Page 64

"...This excludes the possibilty of any definite prophecy. Some people have thought that if one could know all the causes existing at the present moment, one could foresee their effect and thus behold the picture of the future. This idea is rejected in the Oral Teachings." And then this paragraph which seems inserted "apropos" to reinforce the point as a textual statement: "Based of the law of universal impermanence, while at the same time upholding the determinist doctrine of the concatenation of causes and effects, these caution the student against the idea that the absolute determinism is within his reach: the sphere of probabilities alone is accessible to him."

After reading this rather "heavy" thinking for someone nursing a hangover and with a foggy mind I thought: "wow heavy!" yeah, one the one hand one thing leads to another in an endless chain of causes and effects and on the other hand one can never tell!! I put the book down, turned around switched the lamp off and curled up in bed. As I was dozing off into never never land I thought I heard the train. Living in Zone nine at the time one was always subject to strange loud noises. The airport was withing a few blocks and the old Pamplona Trains Station and overpass were only a few kilometers away so it was normal to hear the train in the wee hours of the morning. Then the train got louder and I thought: "My god what did I smoke tonight that can increase my perception like that?" Then it seemed that the train had gone insane and was going down sixth avenue and was headed for my apartment, all of this in a few seconds and with and unearthly increase in volume. Nah definitely the Train would come blasting throught the wall at any minute!! And then it hit me!! Of course after the reading, one could never tell what would really happen next and besides in the Bible it said that the end would come when we least expected it and this was the least expected thing in my life at that precise moment! The End was Here!!

An insane howl like noise, a groan as if the earth itself was tearing in half preceded a loud explosion and then in the semi darkness I could see the wall closet in front of me explode and vomit out with force all its contents, plates, forks knives, blenders, radios, everything came at me. I got sober in a nanosecond and tried to seat myself on the bed which seemed airborne, flower pots flew by, chairs and tables were in mid air. I tried to get out of the bed but as I tried to step out on the floor it vanished from beneath me and I fell flat on my face with a massive thump as it came back up. Dust and apocalyptic screeching noises permeated the air. I crawled trough debris, moving furniture seemed to have come alive and would not quit re-arranging itself, got to the door of the apartment and was able to squeeze out. The stairs were like a live snake, more like a big carpet with a stair design being shaken out by a giant hand. A lot of the thoughts going through my head had to do with Oh! My God and what the F---- is going on..speechless massive surprise. I somehow made it downstairs I did get bumped a few time but not really hurt besides my adrenaline had me going full blast! I got outside and the Electrical posts were still swinging back and forth and the wires had all touched and grounded each other out, sparks flying in all directions and lights blinking on and off and then, well then, it was over. Dust and silence began to settle in the now pitch black night. I was naked in the middle of the street, 6th Ave. "A" Zone 9 or maybe in some new dimension. Nah, it was now clear it had been a massive earthquake.

I heard shouts and voices and then, shit! I had forgotten my parents back in the apartment! I ran back put my jeans on, and answered to my Mom's and Dad's appeals for help! their door was jammed. I knocked it down and got them out. The inevitable comments, "Madonna che terremoto" "e tutto distrutto" etc. We got outside looked around in the semidarkness. Our building was in one piece but the massive beams that went over the parking area were bent and the building would be condemned. We had to move. Made a few calls got a hold of Giovanni got some belongings in the car. Went to see my Mom's factory and my Dad's Biz, they were OK but devastation was everywhere.

I never went back. My life had changed for ever. I never lived with my parents again. Guatemala was never the same again. The next three days were like a race through Dante's Inferno on a bad day. At some point I went back and got my things which at the time consisted of the famous little book quoted above, 6 or 7 other books mostly Shambala publications on Bhuddism, The teachings of Don Juan, the Upanishad, one Bible, and a Whole Earth Catalogue, my back pack a sleeping bag, my Svea camping stove, my orange tent some clothes and off I went. Later we saw the clock on the Tower at the Cathedral and it had stopped at 3:04 a.m. it was February the 4th 1976.

So now we have the Mayan Calendar coming to the end of one of it's big cycles. Fist let me say that there is a long and interesting story of what happened after the Earthquaque to me and my buddies. In brief we got together a bunch of friends some with cars and we started first filming the destruction and then we started to carry food and medicine to Dr. Carroll Berhorst and his famous clinic in Chimaltenango. We went through many more adventures in just three days, one more earthquake many more shakes, meetings with VIP's in high places as we were the first to go out to the villages and report back. Giovanni had filmed everything he could around the city, developed it at Carey Productions Lab and then we sneaked into the airport and handed the film to the Pan Am skipper and asked him to send it to ABC news. the ABC did air it and it was the first news of the earthquake out of Guatemala to the world. CARE and World Neighbors and Oxfam would use our "Volunteer Caravan" for days in order to get food and Meds to the neediest villages. On Saturday Dr. Berhorst asked us to stop bringing him stuff and to please go to a very much forgotten out of the way village called San Jose Poaquil as it had many surrounding Aldeas and he was sure no one would have reached them yet.

Destruction was everywhere. Scenes of terror, grief and shock were commonplace, we reopened the road to Antigua through "los Aposentos", this entrance was not destroyed but as the government had been building the sewers in and adjacent (to Antigua) village where the road had to go through the road was all dug up. We got out of our caravan and borrowed shovels from the dumb struck neighbors and started filling in the ditches, soon people started helping and in a matter of an hour so, passage to Antigua was re-established. A Busload of Doctor had been stuck there all day. Every Village we went through was pretty much flattened out, San Lucas, Santiago Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango, Patzizia, Patzun...

San Jose Poaquil

Where once beautiful adobe houses with inner courtyards had flanked each other ordered in streets and avenues of Spanish style cities, now nothing stood, one could see clear across towns with just a few piles of rubble and the occasional remains of a big church or a "block" building. People wondered around aimlessly, some congregated at open areas for fear of continuing tremors and the occasional moronic preacher would be vociferating and predicating about the end of the world, inciting sinners to repent!

Ian Perrone, Don Oso and Marroquines

So off to Poaquil we went but this is where the new story starts. At any rate I lived and worked in Poaquil for the next five year within and interacting with a whole Mayan-Cackchiquel community, as a result of this I did learn a few things about their culture and society. Some more info I picked up from visiting numberless Maya ancient sites and currently used sacred ceremonial sites. I don't consider myself an expert in the field but I did learn some of their language and customs and met some of the most wonderful personalities y have ever known. Don Jesus Chacach Maxia, Calixta Gabriel, Benita Jutzuy, Cristobal Apen, Pedro Chacach, Inocente Sis, Agustin Chuta, Nicolas Lucas Tecun, and some non Mayans like Don "Toyo" Angel Custodio Rivera Montealegre.

I had also lived earlier in Todos Santos Cuchumatan but that's also another story worthy of a few chapters if not a book. Many years later and after much reading like The Mayan Factor by Jose Arguelles , The Forest of Kings and The Blood of the Kings by Linda Schele and again trying to make some sense of my own life I came to this conclusion: Unlike us (Judeo-Christian-Greco Roman descendants) the Mayans were not obsessed with mapping space but they were with mapping time!!

Boda Chente Sis en Poaquil

If you have lived here in Guatemala and with Mayans one soon realizes the importance of what day it is in terms of: at what point of this cycle (year, moon) are we in so that I may know whether to plant or not, harvest or not, collect or not, or just sit back and relax or maybe do a ceremony or get married or when will a child be born etc. The seasons are not obvious here but the geography is. It is always green in the Jungles of the North and it can rain almost any day of the year although it may not last and then may be followed by a long drought. On the other hand you can look out of your porch and see very far and see your Neighbors lands and valleys and their domains from any hilltop. you can walk to a neighboring village to sell your stuff and buy form them those things you cannot produce, they will have things for sale form the next village over and so on.. a Network of villages so that in almost any market you can get salt, corn, obsidian, avocados, cotton, beans, dyes and so on.

Our culture on the contrary came from shepherding tribes in the desert, wine growers, or from sailors in the Med or Atlantic They traveled far to get things, spices, food that did not grow all year round in their homelands. We had to search the heavens at night to determine where they we were in the daytime. We built cities an domains in grids so we could establish limits and sizes to our properties. We invented the grid (streets and avenues), private property and probably greed a la Wall Street. We built homes and domains with storage for grains, animals and preserves to make it through the winters and figured out routes to get more, the powerful figured out controls to hoard and transport. The Pharaohs, the Caesars, the Venetians the Spaniards, The UK, and now the USA... Well this is a long story too but the point here is: The Mayans figured out how to live according to an elaborate Calendar and going about their business at the right time. We figured out how to get what we needed/wanted through travel and commerce which was established through exploration, conquest and establishing boundaries through Cartesian Coordinates, our "Logic" our "Economics" our values and ethics...We had the bible in one hand but the compass and the chart on the other.

We may never fully understand the Classic Mayan values and ethics, their complete vision of their universe or their calendar. As noted before The Buddhists don't believe in the possibility of accurate Prophecy. Our Ancient Books are a sad collage of badly translated and politically edited materials covering several thousand years and are pretentious in that they claim to be "God's Word" (I bet He cringes at the thought). The Mayan Calendar on the other hand is pretty clear and has gotten down to us as it was used by the Mayans and it clearly notes that 2012 marks the end of an era.

What will happen in 2012? Who knows? The fact is that incredible changes are already underway and as humanity increases in numbers we also accelerate in pace. More and faster changes are underway than ever before in our history. Technology has revolutionized how we communicate. Societies are revolting against old regimes see Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, etc. Economies and Capital are critical and shifting from West to East along with employment. Soon there will be as many people on earth as have ever walked the face of our planet, mind-boggling for those that insist on a linear reincarnation or that only a few chosen (144,000) will be raptured up into the heavens. We are more dependent on technology and machines than ever, however we also have more poor and starving people than ever before. Our cities are turning into madhouses. Drug abuse, it's traffic and collateral violence seem unstoppable. The environment and the Earth will never be the same again and she seems to be belching on our toxic waste. We've had major earthquakes and tsunamis: Indonesia, Chile, Fukushima all strong enough to slightly shift the earth's axis. Our resources are being depleted at an alarming rate and at a inestimable cost to the Environment and well ourselves.

520 years ago, or 20 cycles of 26 years, 10 cycles of 52 which is a magical number resulting(13x4) four times the 13 numbers in the Sacred Calendar times 20 days (A recurring theme in Mayan numerology) would be 1492 our calendar. That year Columbus discovered America to the West, the Muslims were kicked out of Spain and hence mainland Europe, the Jews were kicked out of Spain as well and the Inquisition was set underway in a Europe already under the demand of Reform. Within a few years the world had changed, shipping lanes were established Magellan and Cabot circumnavigated the Globe, the Spanish conquered with a few men vast territories, the other empires followed suit. Technology and arts flourished in the west while the Mayan and their descendants were subjected to unspeakable misery.

Space People?

Now it is 2012. We are trying to understand the Mayan Calendar. some of us are trying to figure out "when" we are rather than where. I know where I am all I have to do is find my place on Google earth! Or use my phone's gps for that matter. But we as a whole society are quite blind to our position in time in this time space continuum. We may learn something from the Mayans yet. Who knows maybe we will be visited by creatures from outer space as some imply. Nothing would surprise me at this point! But then again expect the unexpected! One thing is sure we are moving towards a constantly higher degree of complexity and as the Buddhist point out the whole sum of causes and effects is impossible to "know" not even with modern day computers, I may add. So is there a prophecy? I think not but change is coming at unprecedented rates so fasten your seat-belts!! Finally has the internet crystallized the Noosphere? (Proposed by Teilhard de Chardin) could this be our 6th sun? See Wikipedia: Noosphere on Wikipedia

Here's some links from people that know more about this:
John Major Jenkins Article on Dec. 21 2012

2012: End of the 5th Sun by Will hart

Libelula

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Pink Dragonfly

One of the many mindblowing things I see here every day: Incredibly colored insects! Caught this dragonfly with my CannonEos. Good start!

Maps to Izabal and Tijax

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Rio Dulce Biz Map and Channel from Caribbean

Hacienda Tijax Map

Now that everyone is looking for the "lost treasure of Atlantis" in Izabal I suppose a few maps will come in handy so here's two more. These maps are produced and courtesy of mapasdeguatemala.com

We're on THE Map

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:38:00 +0000

National Geographic produced the Geotourism Map guide to Guatemala. The concept is Nat Geo's version of Eco-Tourism, here the enphasis is on Geography, the space that contains a people, their cultures, landscapes, arts, crafts, produce of the land and surprisingly little of the Ecology and Wildlife. Nevertheless we are proud to be included as a "destination" place to stay and visit. For years we have been promoting the production of tourist maps, road maps and cruising charts, the objective is to keep our visitors informed. see other posts on this blog. Nat Geo's map is the ultimate authority on mapping, since I was a child I looked forwards to receiving the Monthly magazine as my father was subscribed. I particularly like the large foldout Maps of regions, countries and continents but most of all the map of the solar system and stars were the ones that caused the most awe in me. Later National Geographic proposed the Ruta Maya project which practically created the trail of visitors to Northern Yucatan with he Post Classic sites, Belize with their Barrier Reef, Guatemala with Tikal, Rio Dulce, Quirgua Antigua and Atitlan, the Living Mayans.. and much More..
Thank you National Geographic!!

Unblogged!!

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:00:00 +0000

2010 started with promises and premonitions of change, Little did I know what was in store for me...I tried to write up posts about the usual stuff such as birds and bird migrations, the equinox and other neat stuff that happens around here all the time but somehow I was Unblogged. I was on the one hand really busy with the tree planting which became hectic and frenzied as the weather went bonkers and on the other had the usual load of work and worries. First 2009 was an "El Niño" Year with 150% less rain than normal and the just when I though things could not possibly get worse it turned out that the weather would shift from "El Niño" to "La Niña", so we got all the the rain during the dry season and all the dry in the rainy season, go figure, at least we didn´t have any earthquaques or hurricanes (knock on wood) but my personal life went slowly but steadily to pieces emotionally speaking.

I was under stress due to the above tree planting frenzy, then things got ugly witht he SAT-anic people (my nickname for the revenue service of Guatemala call Superintendencia de Admnistracion Tributaria [SAT], there is nothing "super" about them and they definitely are Satanic in that they enjoy tormenting the few taxpayers in this country. More about this later. So heavy stress and then on the day of my birth day, July 7th I got the news that my dear Uncle Imero had passed away. I can only now put these words in black and white without getting too emotional. Imero was a landmark, nay, a lighthouse in my existential landscape and a threshold into other worlds.. so he was gone fromt his plane. More about him later. That same day or the next day while in the city I saw my Mom turn Yellow, two days later she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She faced the dissease bravely and stoically like she lived and also passed away January 24th this year.

My only child to graduate fromt he University was to do so on june 16th and I absolutely had to be there, I thought great I can go to California and then go visit my Uncle in Maine.. went to the US embassy to renew my visa and bingo!! I was rejected (More on this later too, now I have a visa, thanks Uncle Sam) so somehow I was not meant to go to my daughter's grad nor see my Uncle before he died.. hmmm I'm not so sure about destiny or preordained things as I do believe in free choice, nevertheless there are times when it seems that the Higher Powers pushes the RESET button and all of a sudden you are like blank.. I know it is complicated

Despite my best intentions I became UNBLOGGED I just could not write anything about anything. In fact I hid into my world of work where things are simple and 1 + 1 = 2. Loosing my Mom was really cathartic, there may be more on this later.. by the way I really don't care anymore if anyone read this f------- blog. and so now it is personal. I kept it originally as a side kick to the Hotel website and did write a few good things about living and dying in Guatemala, the weater, the clouds the endless processions of colorful birds, but now there will be more than just pretty stuff I'm about to get ugly, or serious, or maybe not, maybe super light and just float away into Umbravana....

Amanecer en Hulera

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Ceremonia Maya and Omens

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:02:00 +0000

As Advertised we did have Mayan Ceremony and a workshop on the Mayan Calendar here at hacienda Tijax on the weekend of Dec. 16, 17 and 18th. I had rushed to the city to pick up my beloved estranged daughter Adriana who had spend the last eight years in Spain, mostly Barcelona and she flew back and landed right int the midst of this rather emotional and mystical event. There were premonitions such as this beatiful Great Hawk Eagle which came to visit us just a few days before the ceremony.

It turned out to be a Tzikin Day so the Great Hawk Eagle was perfect, the Ceremony was educational but mostly emotional for me and Adriana and Calixta to be toghether again after so many years and so much water under the bridge..

Calixta and her friends did more than just explain to us what the Ceremony is about as well as the Calendar and how it works, for me it was rediscovering a way of life than includes taking to the Gods and Spirits of the earth, heaven, our ancestors, the water, the fire the heart in the sky and all the manifest dualities without a middle man or woman. Having been raised a Catholic some onelse was always doing the praying for me or telling me what to say and do, how to behave and dress, and so on.. Here it is simple under the stars as a roof and with the sun just peeking over the trees and in front of the inmensity of the Izabal valley we greeted and spoke to the Nahuales and thanked for the blessings and asked for our needs; rain, health, the guidance from our ancestors, etc.

We basically inaugurated the fire at the Tijax Tower of the Shaman and was told in no uncertain terms by Nicolas and Calixta that now it was my job to keep the altar fed, hmmm. At any rate as we are a Democracy now with freedom of religion I have decided to come out of the closet as a Mayan whatever, believer, shaman, aj kiij, after all I am Belejeb Tijax. I have spent the last fifteen years of my life conversing with a God of my understanding but the offerings and the ceremony was more respectful of a Higher Being than what I usually do which is just chat. I will chat some more but now I do go and light candle, burn incense and be one with the elements...

Planting Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:23:00 +0000

This and the next few blog entries are in retrospect as there was so much stuff happening towards the end of the year that I had no time to sit here and share these events with you. So here we go. First I had presented a proposal to the National Reforestation Institute (INAB) to reforest with Rubber some 100 acres, now the way this works is that you present the project and then start planting and it's kind of a lottery, you may or may not get the subsidy, which is no big deal but sure helps: around Q. 5,000.00 per hectare, usually this money goes to buying a better variety of rubber. This year I decided to make my own nurseries using clones from my clonal garden:

The these little stumps which are trees with "little green patches" that are now fashionable in Facebook but in fact they are "grafts" from a tree that is a certified source of good vegetative material so that we repreduce "fenotype" (hybrid) clones rather than let mother nature take it's course and produce it's own variety of baby trees. The we stick these stumps with grafts into bags and pray it rains a lot so that they take root. The plan which has changed due to the several "Climate Change" Changes we've had here was orginally to stick these trees in the ground which is being prepped as we speak but with no Rain we had to search altenatives, let's hope for the best...Eu

Ceremonia Maya en La Hacienda Tijax

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:08:00 +0000

Nos Complace anunciar este evento que estamos realizando la "Familia" de amigos de Tijax. Se realizara en la hacienda del 11 al 13 de Diciembre con la presencia de Calixta Gabriel, amiga, guia espiritual, ex-compañera de trabajo y Aj Kiij. Para mayor informacion pueden visitar el sitio sitio web Ecorio y en Ingles el Chismevindicaror . Para informacion sobre trasporte y tours al area favor contactar a Nineth, Lorena o Rigo en info@tijax.com , para reservaciones de habitaciones entrar directo al sitio web de Hacienda Tijax

Calixta ha publicado recientemente un libro sobre la "Cosmovision Maya y la mujeres: aportes desde el punto de vista desde una Aj Kiij". Esperamos tener unas copias de este interesante llibro a la venta. Asimismo Don Nicolas estara explicando la mecanica del funcioamiento del Calendario Maya.

Para ver un articulo acerca del Libro de Calixta Gabriel les recomiendo este enlace en Articulo Calixta Gabriel

tijaxblog: Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:16:00 +0000

tijaxblog: Waterfall

Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Everytime a see a nice waterfall I remember the Hendrix song:

(Con su permiso Maestro)..

Waterfall
Nothing can harm me at all
My worries seem so very small
With my waterfall

I can see
My rainbow calling me
Through the misty breeze
Of my waterfall

Some people say
Daydreaming's for all the
Lazy minded fools
With nothin' else to do
So let them laugh, laugh at me
So just as long as I have you
To see me through
As long as I have you

Waterfall
Don't ever change your ways
Fall with me for a million days
Oh, my waterfall

Cerro San Gil Reserve Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +0000

If you are sitting around your boat in a Marina wondering what to do while the weather improves or likewise sitting around your Hotel wondering what to do in terms of sightseeing and light adventure my advise is: "Take a Hike" !!

After the Birdwatching event "Aves Coloridas del Caribe" held at Hacienda Tijax on the last weekend of October (23rd, 24th and 25th of October 2009) one of the "post tours" offered was the guided tour to the San Gil nature reserve organized by Social Tours (Esvin chacon) and the FUNDAECO NGO that is responsible for the management of this vast reserve along with he Government institution in charge of all reserves in Guatemala: CONAP.

I signed up for the tour along with wife Monica my son Andres and another couple from El Salvador Clemente and Florita that also own some land near the "Trifinio" reserve on the border with Honduras and El Salvador.
We started out early at the crack of dawn in order to be there by 07:00 hrs. We could have left even earlier for the birdwatching but we were mostly interested in the hike and for me personally to revisit the area after at least 7 or 8 years of absence. It is in this area of San Gil that the "bird banding" is carried out by ornithologists every year to monitor the passing of the migratory birds and the increase or decrease in populations, etc. However this is done in early October so we did not expect too many birds.

From the Rio Dulce one drives south towards Morales and turns off at the "San Marcos" turn to the left, then on to a dirt road which is well maintained as it serves several Fincas and villages, San Marcos, El Milagro, Los Angeles.. After endless rubber plantations and the villages one starts climbing the foothills of San Gil. with views like this to the south: Incredible!! really the only way to see the whole Izabal Basin! We kept on climbing as the feeling of remoteness sets in, fewer houses, more trees and the last few farms as we approached the end of the "Agricultural Frontier" After a few more turns and there it is: San Gil!! There is a small valley which runs north to south draining the "Carbonera" river to the north, into the Golfete. We had to leave the 4x4 at that point and keep on going by foot, fortunately our guides provided rubber boots of all sizes for the fording of said Carbonera River where once upon the time Coal used to be mined according to our guide Obdulio. The view of San Gil from the south is splendid just before the sun broke through the clouds..
Immediately after crossing the river one starts climbing a steep hill that equals climbing all of Tikals pyramids one after the other, really not for the faint of heart, right about the time when I was remembering my cardiologist's warnings about smoking, being over 50 and wearing my tongue as a Tye the hill flattens out and there in the middle of the Jungle is the "Estacion Cientifica" a combination of two buildings; one for lodging campers and another for various services including toilets, an eating area, a kitchen and some hammocks. The architecture of the stone "lodge" is kind of interesting and blend in well with the surrounding, the other strange yet charming in a way as it surprises one to see such a building there, too bad for the Institutional "green" but what else could one expect from and "environmental" NGO.

We were shown around by the friendly staff, drank water, heard the "Chicharras" had a nice breakfast of beans and tortillas but were eager to go on further into the Jungle. Off we went again thinking about the endless amounts energy a four year hold is capable of expending on the average day. At the same time we were surrounded by a myriad sounds including the kid chattering away like the "chicharras" asking what's this and why is that. I almost wished we had left him home but he was having a great time and what better way to get them acquainted with nature from a young age? The trails started to go up and down severely steep slopes but then again steep for me at 57, little Andy did not seem to mind getting a little help from Mom or Obdulio our guide who would perk his ears up and point well yes pretty much like a "Pointer" as we could not really see the birds in the high canopy of a truly "Primary Rain Forest". I confess my ignorance as an amateur birdwatcher as at one point we actually did see a small bird, gray brown with stripes and his female companion with simpler colorings, they did not seem afraid of us and hung around for a while. I got to use my binoculars and Obdulio was very exited about having sighted these two. Hummingbirds are common also. The trails are dotted with interesting things like mushrooms growing out of rotten logs and pretty flowers. Gorgeous views of the Rain forest everywhere, more ups and downs and then finally to our destination: the crystal clear pool and a well deserved dip in the chilly waters.

The water is soo cold we actually stopped sweating and got cold! Perfectly timed, this is also the point where the return starts. The Photo opportunities are excellent, the small cascade is paradisaical and the surround rock formations seem to have been designed and adorned by a Japanese gardener. We took time to recharge our batteries so to speak although little Andy did not seem to have his discharged at all. We chatted with Clemente and Florita who told us about their beautiful place in El Salvador and how it was on a higher elevation so they are in the "Cloud Forest". Got to know the guides better and they told us stories about a "detox" facility that operated there during the times of the Generals and how attendants were helicoptered in and out. I know this to be true as I met one of the inmates after a successful escape. they used to take their shoes away so they could not walk too far into the forest. Somehow he got a pair from a sleeping guard or something and was able to make it down the mountain and catch a cayuco ride to the Catamaran Hotel where he proceeded to get properly plastered on the delicious Margaritas sold there. A book was written inspired on these stories called "Carcel de Arboles" (Jail of Trees) by the well know Guatemalan novelist Rodrigo Rey Rosa.

We were also told about the trails that goes on for eleven hours more from our point and reaches the North side of San Gil where you can see the Caribbean and Puerto Barrios if anyone is so inclined to do so serious hiking I bet it would really be a nice trip.

The return was uneventful and still very interesting we gave rides to the guides to their villages and were told that only eight families live nearby and they take care of the facilities under the supervision of FUNDAECO.

I highly recommend the trip but it also is not the sort of thing you should do alone or without making the necessary arrangements with the Institutions in charge so that you can get food, water, a proper guide and a vehicle to get in and out in time. The best season is from October to May as later it probably gets too wet and rainy and the creeks will run fast and full. If anyone is interested they can contact Esvin at Social Travel in Puerto Barrios, phone (502) 51983654 www.izabalonline.com or me and I will most likely refer you to Esvin anyways. He did a great job at organizing our trip. Everything from rubber boots to transportation, guides, food was timely and adequate. We got home at a decent time for a Sunday lunch at home and a long nap. Little Andy slept soundly that night and just that was worth the effort we finally got him tired!! Ha.

Luna Llena....

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:17:00 +0000

,,,de expectativas, como se llamara, como sera su futuro en estos tiempos, su caracter, su fortuna en fin su vida. que Dios lo acompañe en todo momento. Les deseo a la Mama, Papa al bebe y su hermanita Naia, mucho amor....

La Luna esta en Tauro..Harrrumphh

Otra fotaza, ver las nubecillas como que se la quieren comer..

Y El Ganador es: Maynor Ovando...

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Aqui les van los tres fotos ganadoras, Esvin ayudeme porfa con los nombres de los autores y las aves....

Primer Lugar:

Segundo Lugar:

Tercer Lugar:

Aves Coloridas del Caribe 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000

El evento ya paso y la lista de personas que tendria que agradecer es casi tan larga como la lista de aves asi que Uds. ya saben quienes son mucha! Muchas Gracias!!! A mi juicio el evento, siendo el primero de su indole, fue todo un éxito y eso pues el merito le va a Esvin Chacon de Social Travel por su empeño en sacar esto adelante. Adjunto y abajo van unas fotos y el credito de ello va a Maynor Ovando que nos acompaño y asesoro durante el evento. Aqui la lista de Aves elaborada por Maynor y el equipo en general:

Localidad: Hacienda Tijax
Fecha de Observación: 24/10/09
Notas: Listado consolidado de las especies observadas durante el 1er. Encuentro Regional de Observación de aves en Hacienda Tijax.
Numero de las especies: 72

Plain Chachalaca - Ortalis vetula X
Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus X
Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens X
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis X
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus X
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura X
Ruddy Crake - Laterallus ruber X
Ruddy Ground-Dove - Columbina talpacoti X
Olive-throated Parakeet - Aratinga nana X
Red-lored Parrot - Amazona autumnalis X
Squirrel Cuckoo - Piaya cayana X
Groove-billed Ani - Crotophaga sulcirostris X
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl - Glaucidium brasilianum X
Common Pauraque - Nyctidromus albicollis X
White-collared Swift - Streptoprocne zonaris X
Stripe-throated Hermit - Phaethornis striigularis X
Violet Sabrewing - Campylopterus hemileucurus X
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird - Amazilia tzacatl X
Black-headed Trogon - Trogon melanocephalus X
Ringed Kingfisher - Megaceryle torquata X
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Melanerpes aurifrons X
Lineated Woodpecker - Dryocopus lineatus X
Ruddy Woodcreeper - Dendrocincla homochroa X
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper - Xiphorhynchus flavigaster X
Barred Antshrike - Thamnophilus doliatus X
Tropical Pewee - Contopus cinereus X
Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus X
Dusky-capped Flycatcher - Myiarchus tuberculifer X
Great Kiskadee - Pitangus sulphuratus X
Boat-billed Flycatcher - Megarynchus pitangua X
Social Flycatcher - Myiozetetes similis X
Tropical Kingbird - Tyrannus melancholicus X
Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis X
Masked Tityra - Tityra semifasciata X
Black-crowned Tityra - Tityra inquisitor X
Bell's Vireo - Vireo bellii X
Lesser Greenlet - Hylophilus decurtatus X
Brown Jay - Cyanocorax morio X
Mangrove Swallow - Tachycineta albilinea X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis X
Spot-breasted Wren - Thryothorus maculipectus X
House Wren (Southern) - Troglodytes aedon [musculus Group] X
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus X
Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina X
Clay-colored Thrush - Turdus grayi X
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis X
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia X
Magnolia Warbler - Dendroica magnolia X
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia X
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla X
Worm-eating Warbler - Helmitheros vermivorum X
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla X
Louisiana Waterthrush - Seiurus motacilla X
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat - Geothlypis poliocephala X
Hooded Warbler - Wilsonia citrina X
Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla X
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager - Habia rubica X
Summer Tanager - Piranga rubra X
Blue-gray Tanager - Thraupis episcopus X
Yellow-winged Tanager - Thraupis abbas X
Blue-black Grassquit - Volatinia jacarina X
Variable Seedeater - Sporophila corvina X
White-collared Seedeater - Sporophila torqueola X
Yellow-faced Grassquit - Tiaris olivaceus X
Black-headed Saltator - Saltator atriceps X
Melodious Blackbird - Dives dives X
Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus X
Black-cowled Oriole - Icterus prosthemelas X
Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius X
Altamira Oriole - Icterus gularis X
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula X
Yellow-throated Euphonia - Euphonia hirundinacea X

Este reporte fue generado automáticamente por eBird versión (http://www.ebird.org/pr)(http://ebird.org/content/guatemala)

Joana & Chiltepe

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:39:00 +0000

This upcoming December will be my 2oth anniversary of starting the Hacienda Tijax project. I may write something about this separately, however I must say that when I arrived I had dreams and expectations that were brewed some twenty years earlier to the tunes of Jimmy Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Moody Blues and books like Carlos Castañedas don Juan series, Whole Earth Catalog, Woods hole "Stewardship of the Earth" and more such pre-new age stuff.

I was also escaping a crumbling reality of too much of everything and city life and a totally unmanageable life so I wanted to get "back to the roots" or at least recover the thread of my earlier vision. Ive written some of this in the www.tijax.com "vision" dept.

The point here is that in this "Vision" I wanted to create a place or a space intrinsically different from the standard version of a western biz-hotel-farm. I wanted it to be eco-friendly, interactive, self sustaining and so on. Some of these goals have partially been achieved and some not. but this story is not about me nor Tijax but rather about Joana and Chiltepe. Somehow at times the "vision" becomes fuzzy and blured and I forget what exactly it is I'm doing here. during the twenty years I've been here I have seen some 200,000 visitors at tijax and to my dismay, the vast majority simply cruise on by looking for the next cheap beer or some other rather mundane amenity.

Joana and family was crew on "Migo" a 40+ fibergalss, well appointed sloop on what seemed to me an extended voyage, perhaps around the world.. who knows? At any rate Joana soon discovered that we had horses here at Tijax and with another girlfriend approached me about "working with the horses" request. I probably cringed as I have had good and bad experiences with volunteers but mostly because of the resposability of having two young good looking teen age girls prancing around the farm and forest, exposed to all kinds of risks like snakes, insects, local "macho" types and goofy tourists.

After a trip home Joana returned more determined, in the meantime I thought really I should give this girl the chance to live out her dream, being one of the "original" aspects of my "vision" to have an open place and allow people to learn and interact with nature. We have a nice young stallion called "Chiltepe" because of his fiery disposition that no one of my cowboys had dared nor succeeded in training much less mounting.

Joana was adamant and she brought some equipment and got some ropes from the stables. with the help of some oat concentrate she was able to befriend the beast and daily spent hours with Chiltepe in the pastures just getting acquainted. I would zip by on my Honda and get glimpses of her patiently cleaning and dressing the horse with the apparels.

After a month or so of this she had the Horse on a tether and was walking him to and from the stables and had cut off the sweet oats. A few weeks went by and one or two episodes where my cowboys reported the horse had acted up, well, in a beastly fashion rearing up and trying to throw off the saddle while nearly kicking Joana (I wonder if her parents know this) she was able to get on the horse and stay on!! She would report to me occasionally as I'm usually too busy but I did notice from her smile that there was progress being made.

Finally "Success"!! she was riding regularly with the other horses and therefore the mission had been accomplished. A day or two before she left I saw her riding along witht he rest of the Horses on one of our regular "tours" She looked extremely good and secure on Chiltepe, so congratulations!! Joana and Chiltepe and mostly a Big "thank you" for reminding me why I wanted to do this in the first place. Wherever you go next I wish you and your lovely family all the best and I'm sure someone with your character and personality will certainly succeed in Life.

Tijax 31st of Oct. 2009

Y Mas Aves...

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Aqui se ve la espiral de los "Azacuanes" muy bien..

A los que nos critican porque no somos "Ecologicos" aqui esta su respueta: traten de ver esto desde su hotelucho barato......

Mas Aves...

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:31:00 +0000

El avistamiento de aves para los que vivimos aqui es cuestion de todos los dias, esta foto es un nido de Colibries que se instalo un mangral al lado del muelle en la Hacienda Tijax.

Evento Aves del Caribe Verde..

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Estamos organizando un lindo evento para todos los interesados en aves, fotografia de aves, o solo aprender al respecto y caminar en los senderos, para mayor informacion visitar los sitios web www.riodulce.com o www.izabalonline.com

Paso de los Azacuanes Tijax 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Sali a darle comida al perro hoy las 8:00 a.m. y esto estaba pasando en el cielo arriba de la casa...
Siempre el paso de los Azacuanes es una Epifania, marca las estaciones, el Otoño en este caso y la aproximación del fin del año. Viene los cambios en el ciclo agrícola, terminan las tormentas tropicales e inician los nortes con su viento frío, cielos azules como solo en Guatemala los tenemos, Lunas de uña y lunas llenas que alumbran de noche encendiendo en toda cosa viva la luz interior.

Los niños salen con sus barriletes a la calle y el olor a leña donde cuecen tamales invade los barrios de los pueblos y aldeas.

Es una epoca linda..Hoy tambien es 13 Keme presagia la Muerte anuncia ambos el bien y el mal porque todo fin es nuevo principio.

Rainforest II

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Why it is called the "Rain Forest": 93mm in one 24 hr. period

Does It rain a lot here?

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:15:00 +0000

Yes, It's the "Rain Forest"

Angel del Amanecer se despide...

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Foto tomada desde la veranda de la Hacienda, me parecio ver en la nube una forma de "Angel" que me saludaba con la mano.. adios... La montaña al fondo es Cerro San Gil. Hacer click en imagen para ver tamaño completo.

Eu

"Cadejo", Roberto Ossaye (1927-1954)

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenio Gobbato) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Sin comentarios....

Ver nota biográfica por Lucrecia Méndez de Penedo en: http://www.literaturaguatemalteca.org/ossaye.htm