Happy 2012 -- From the Land of Mayan Myths

The Mayan ruins at Tikal.

Well, I guess it's time for the obligatory post acknowledging the beginning of a new year and reflecting on the end of another. Before I started writing, I went back and read my New Year's post from last year. It was filled with uncertainty, as I was still in limbo regarding job prospects. As it turned out, I ended up staying in Guatemala, signing a 2-year teaching contract. In that respect, I know that I will be teaching in Guatemala through June 2013, but the job search will begin mid-2012.

The international teaching community gets an early jump in hiring for the upcoming school year. It is a nerve-wracking and incredibly competitive job market, which now requires the creation of elaborate online portfolios, travel to international job fairs (many schools hire at job fairs), and a months-long process of applications and (hopefully) interviews. That's what I have to look forward to in 2012 -- the job search. I'll keep you posted on the search process as it begins mid-year. But let's talk a bit more about 2012.

Guatemala in 2012...let's think about that. I recently visited the elaborate Northern-Guatemala Mayan ruin site of Tikal. Tikal is thought by many to have been the epicenter of the Mayan civilization, a civilization that has come to be associated with a calendar and a story about the end of the world. According to some, the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 -- is it a sign that the world will end on that day? Or a sign that 2,000 years ago, someone finally got tired of chiseling a calendar that went hundreds of years into the future? While I happen to lean towards the coincidence of the latter, many people have bought into the end-of-the-world in 2012 theory, which ought to make this an interesting year in Guatemala.

The country is predicting a boom in doomsday-related tourism. I, for one, intend to steer clear of Guatemala next December. Although, I think a Mayan themed party may be in order on December 21st.

2011 Holiday Cookie - Peppermint Buttercream Whoopie Pies

Photo from Epicurious.com

As much as I love to cook, I love to bake even more. And like many, nothing inspires me to get baking quite like the holiday season. Every year I try to conjure up a new Christmas cookie. This year was no different, and I even had a cookie swap invite to boot. I got the idea for the cookie from this Epicurious recipe, but after reading some of the reviews, decided to search out better recipes for the individual elements. So while they ended up looking like the Epicurious cookies, it sounds like they tasted a bit better, in fact, I'm slightly obsessed with how delicious these are. So I present to you...2011's Peppermint Buttercream Whoopie Pies.

As soon as I saw the picture on Epicurious' site, I immediately thought "whoopie pie," which have recently come back into posh popularity in the States (or at least, so I'm told). So I searched out the perfect soft, cake-like cookie to encase the real star of the show -- the peppermint buttercream. This embarrassingly simple recipe was the winner. The only modification I made was to cut back the vegetable oil a bit and add some freshly brewed coffee. I'm a true believer that if it has chocolate, it should have a tinge of coffee to really make it pop.

For the buttercream, I actually started by trying the Epicurious recipe, and the filling was terrible. I felt like I was eating a stick of butter. Too much. So instead:

Peppermint Buttercream:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk (I just slowly added milk until it had a nice texture and the butter-ness was cut down a bit)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (OR...as I live in Guatemala, peppermint extract eludes me. So I threw some candy canes into a food processor and mixed into the buttercream. It gave a nice color and texture.)
Some crushed candy canes to roll the edges of the cookies in.

Of course, any good buttercream recipe will do. Just add the peppermint flavoring. This was, by far, my favorite holiday cookie to date. They are incredibly sweet, so I baked smaller cookies to create smaller whoopie pies. Happy Holiday Baking!

Indiana Jones, back in action

The main square of Tikal.

It's been a while since I've posted about one of my Central American adventures. I just realized that I never blogged about my trip to Nicaragua (which I should do this week, as I am returning to Nicaragua for Christmas). But let me start with my most recent adventure -- a journey into the Guatemalan jungle that would make Indiana proud.

Beautiful tree

I've been in Guatemala for the better part of 2 years now, and it's taken me until this past weekend to venture up to the northern part of the country, known for heat, humidity, jungle, wild animals and spectacular Mayan ruins. Of the latter, the most famous is undoubtedly Tikal. I booked my tour through a company in Flores (a charming little island that I will post more about later), and started my trek at 4:15am.

After an hour and a half shuttle ride, we finally arrived at our destination. As the sun was rising, we started on the trail that led us through a twisting and turning jungle, filled with foreign animal sounds (most notable the sounds of monkeys, jaguars and toucans). For me, I was still taking in the sights and sounds of being in the Guatemalan jungle when through the trees I spotted the first, towering, 2,000+ year old temple.

Just a sneak peek of what I was about to see.

{A little background for those unfamiliar -- Tikal, until recently, was believed to be the epicenter of the ancient Mayan civilization based on its size and complexity (scientists recently discovered a larger site north of Tikal near the Mexican border called El Mirador -- the boyfriend is on a 6-day trek there as I type). To give some perspective, some archaeologists have likened Tikal to the NYC of the era, with some of the temples rivaling modern-day high-rises in size. While it's hard to know for sure, some experts think that people inhabited the site as far back as 1000 B.C. The site is also famous for being home to the Mayan Winter Solstice celebration, held December 21 each year. Does that date ring a bell? That's right, Tikal is also the epicenter of the Mayan 2012 myth, which predicts the end of the world. Let's just say, I'm glad I went this year, and didn't put my trip off until next December.}

Me, standing on top of Temple IV.

The largest and most impressive temple at the site is Temple IV, which can be climbed via a very long and exhausting flight of stairs. The view from the top of that structure is in a word -- spectacular. Perched atop its ancient foundation, you can see an endless stretch of Guatemala jungle, untouched by modern development, with the occasional temple peaking up from the verdant sea of foliage. My 30 minutes up there were some of the most serene and awe-inspiring of my life. The sounds of toucans, monkeys, and possibly a jaguar or two (our guide seemed to think so), were such welcomed sounds for this anti-zoo gal. Looking out it was easy to imagine a Mayan King sitting up there looking over his empire, which is probably the same reaction George Lucas had and why he subsequently filmed scenes here for "Return of the Jedi."

For all you "Star Wars" fans, this is the shot featured in "Return of the Jedi."

I've explored a few different ruin sites while living in Central America, but none compare to Tikal. I imaging few ruins around the world could -- except Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Two sites that I've recently added to my must-see list. And I'm also now curious about this new site, El Mirador, which apparently features the largest pyramid (by mass) in the world. That's right Egypt -- the Ancient Mayans may have just schooled you. Look for a post about El Mirador after the holidays, when I convince Steve to share his 6-day journey through the (real) Guatemalan jungle.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Ok, so this is the story about how a once-loyal-blogger replaced blogging with cooking and baking. I've always loved to cook, but lately, I've become slightly obsessed with it. It may have something to do with the fact that I have a legit kitchen in Guatemala now, where before I had an apartment kitchen with just a stove top and a toaster oven. In any case, people started asking me for recipes, and then it hit me - I should just combine my travel blogging with some food blogging. The best of both worlds!

One of the things I really miss about the States is experiencing a true Fall season. We get cooler weather and stronger winds around this time in Guatemala, but it's just not quite the same. I have found myself searching for pumpkin-scented candles and pumpkin-infused baked goods to help replicate the season in our home. The best recipe I've made so far? Pumpkin Spice bread...a la Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade style (minus her ubiquitous cocktail hour...seriously, does she have a problem?)

I'm usually a from-scratch type of baker, but occasionally, a boxed mix will catch my attention. Enter my new favorite brand of boxed mixes - Krusteaz. I spied a box of their Pumpkin Spice Bread Mix at the store and had to try it, because pumpkin is fleeting in these parts. So I whipped up a batch, but added my own twist on the box recipe by adding Earth Lodge's Crumb Cake topping to the bread. It. was. amazing. We picked up 3 more boxes of the mix next time we were at the store. So easy, and well worth it. Here's how it goes:

Prepare the Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Bread Mix according to package directions. (Guatemala City is a mile high city, so I'm now that person that has to follow the "High Altitude" directions...ugh.)

Earth Lodge's Crumb cake topping:
4Tbsp margarine/butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar (I do half white, and half brown sugar)
1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Whisk all the above ingredients together, then stir in 1 cup of flour. (Mix in 1/3 at a time, only adding enough flour until the dough starts to get crumbly and turn into little balls of dough.)

Then add the crumb topping on top of the bread. Don't over do it, just an even layer on top. You will have to up the baking time from the box because of the topping. For me, it takes about hour and five minutes. Make sure you use a toothpick to make sure the batter has cooked all the way through. Enjoy!

Now, if only I could locate some Apple Cider to go with this...

Guatemalan Beaches - Monterrico

As an ode to summertime, I thought it was time to talk about the beach situation in Guatemala. I'm the first to admit that when I moved to Guatemala, my first thought wasn't, "Oh, they have great beaches there!" And there is a reason for that....they don't. Overall, the Pacific Coast of Guatemala is underdeveloped, boasts black, volcanic sand that is like walking on hot coals, and has rip tides that could swallow even a skilled swimmer. That aside, there are certain places along the beach that are simply - magical. I found one of those places in Monterrico.

The city of Monterrico sits on the Pacific Coast, about 2 1/2 hours south of Guatemala City. The town itself has very little to offer - one ATM that was out of money when I was there, no taxis, and a very limited restaurant scene. Needless to say, I was a little underwhelmed when we first arrived. But then the car turned, went outside of the center of town, and pulled up at our hotel, Dos Mundos. A full-blown resort of this variety would probably be about $400-$500/night AT LEAST in Florida. In Guatemala, try $80/night for a private bungalow with two queen-sized beds, air-conditioning, and private bath. Sold!


I could have lived in that infinity pool that spilled right onto the beach, especially when I ordered a pina colada and it came in a carved-out pineapple. The restaurant was incredible with Guatemalan-Italian fused fare, and at sunset, when the sand was cool enough to walk on, we happened upon a group of baby sea turtles, running into the ocean for the first time. There's no internet, no tv, and you don't need it.


This is the official open invitation to all my friends and family to come visit me in Guatemala! My best friend has been, my mom is coming this fall, and I'm anxious for more people to visit. I'll take you to Dos Mundos. And buy you a pina colada. Or three.

10 Thoughts on Being Back in the USA (for the summer)

I'm baa-aack! I've returned to the good ole U.S. of A. for a summer vacation, and I'm happy to be here. Between visiting friends and family and indulging myself in my favorite treats that can't be found abroad (Chick-fil-a!), I have kept pretty busy. But, without fail, I always get this question, "How does it feel to be home?" The truth is...I feel like a visitor. My home is in Guatemala. Maybe it's because I moved a lot as a kid, but I think of my "home" as being where I live. And my house (and the vast majority of my belongings) is in Guatemala. That semantic issue aside, I do have several thoughts on being back in Georgia.

1. The heat. It's hotter here than it is in Guatemala. That is a fact.
2. Air conditioning. Has it always been this cold?
3. Toilet paper. You can't flush toilet paper in Central America. That took some re-adjusting to.
4. Water. It sure is nice to drink tap water without getting a bacterial infection.
5. Driving. I've missed driving around because I'm too scared to attempt driving in Guatemala City.
6. TV. All the channels are in English! (Well, except for 2)
7. Crickets. My mom's house is outside of the city. I forgot what crickets sounded like. Although, they did keep me awake the first 2 nights.
8. Accents. Have southern accents always been so strong?
9. Dr. Pepper. Mmmmmmm.
10. Who is Casey Anthony?

The Good, the Bad, and the Goodbyes of Teaching Abroad

Two weeks ago, I marked my one-year anniversary with Guatemala. And as the end of my contract is rapidly approaching (last day of school is next Friday..woo!), it has set me in a reflective mood. This year has brought a lot of changes for me, both professionally and personally, but it has also brought a lot of changes for Guatemala and this part of the world.

I already announced here that I would be staying in Guatemala for two more years, but that decision was not made without a certain amount of trepidation in regards to the regional political situation. This is a topic that I have mainly refrained from addressing on my blog because I know my family and friends read this, and I don't want them to worry. But, I now feel that with some of Guatemala's troubles making big news back home, the time has come. These fragile democracies (which were built on the backs of CIA-backed coups) have created a volatile situation that has certainly impacted my stay here. I had originally planned a trip for next weekend to the Guatemalan Mayan mecca of Tikal, but had to cancel those plans after a Mexican drug cartel invaded and started conducting some rather horrifying business (I'll spare those details on my blog). And with the Presidential election right around the corner in September, many schools have planned closures for that week anticipating a wave of protests and turmoil.

That has served as a reminder to me that, although we have disagreements between political parties that run very deep in the USA, we would never have to close our school system for days or a week for fear of violence. I, for one, have become very aware and thankful for that fact. (If you are interested in reading more about the Guatemala-Mexico situation, I highly recommend a 3-part series that aired on NPR this past week. You can check that out online here.)

Guatemala is a strange and wonderful place. An odd juxtaposition of some of the world's most beautiful wonders and violent crimes. I love it. I really do. And although I am looking forward to spending a month back in the States this summer, I can't wait to come back to Guatemala in August for some new adventures.

Guatemala has brought me the good, the bad, and the sad. Tonight, I am heading to Antigua to say farewell to one of my dear friends that I have made while teaching here. This is the tough part of teaching abroad. You meet these amazing people and personalities, only to have them for a short time. And while I am sad to send my friend off back to The Netherlands, I am also stoked that I now have a good friend in The Netherlands. And Canada. And Ecuador. And Jordan. And Bangladesh....