Sunday was a great day which began with breakfast in the Philippi kitchen and dining area. John and I plus the Karlson trio were invited to join Paul and Ruth with the breaking of our collective fasts and, consequently, the breaking of bread. We were fed a blackberry juice made in the kitchen from fresh blackberries, coffee, tea, toast, scrambled eggs, fried plantines, papaya, guava jam, butter and some delicious homemade caramel rolls.
We then loaded into one of the Philippi SUVs and, joined by two additional friends of the family, headed for Guatemala City in the area of Plazuela España. It is a small park which is just a stone's throw from the Union Church were we all attended Sunday School as well as morning worship. In the first session, we joined a group of approximately fifty individuals and were led in a very interesting discussion. Afterward, we joined the balance of the flock in the main sanctuary where the morning service was about to begin. Since the Philippis usually sit in the front portion of the church and since I opted to be seated with them, I was unaware of the numbers behind me. Perhaps there were a couple hundred fellow worshipers.
Paul and Ruth have been residents and missionaries here in Guatemala for 53 years. Pictured below are a couple of snaps of them after Sunday services. On the second picture you can see a friend of theirs, Lida, originally from Guatemala but now a resident of New Zealand where she is an educator.
After services, we departed for Antigua on a divided highway which curves upward to about the middle point between Guatemala City and Antigua and then descends on a diabolically curvy ribbon of a highway leading into the colonial city we shall call home for six fortnights.
Paul had invited us to join him and some of their family members and other close friends to a commemorative dinner in Ruth's honor as the following day would be her seventy-eighth birthday. We celebrated around a large table reserved for us at one of the favorite eating establishments here named the Epicure. After the repast, we retired to the compound where we enjoyed a good time of fellowship and chatting around a birthday cake and a table spread with the makings for sandwiches. The day would not be complete before we had played a few rounds of games together. Oh, I neglected to tell you that on Monday Paul and Ruth will be the same age..at least for another ten or so months.
On Monday morning John stirred up some buttermilk pancakes and we both figured that they tasted pretty much like what we get at home. Thanks to the can of powered buttermilk that we take with us when we are here. There is no buttermilk available that we know of here in Antigua so we are prone to take the few items that are otherwise unavailable especially when we want specialty items. John has been very happy to have found during the last two visits here whole milk which is offered fresh instead of the shelf variety. He just has not been able to accept shelf milk and, since I am not a consumer of milk, I cannot confirm or deny his feelings.
For lunch, we took Paul and Ruth today to the restaurant Welten where we were seated adjacent to a fountain behind which were fresh orchids. On each side of our table were hammocks which, by the time we had consumed our vittles, might have been good targets for a good nap.Though the sunshine was abundant today, there was a tickling chill in the air which made a sweater very welcome indeed. Normally I do not inspect the plates of other diners so I cannot tell you what the others consumed for lunch but I believe Ruth had a chicken dish, John a pasta and I had beef. Since both Paul and Ruth took carry-away boxes, I suspect that there was adequate for each of us. And, we opted for no desserts.
An option for us at the Welten would have been to be seated about a pool of water that was covered with the petals of roses along with handfuls of yellow roses floating atop the water. It was around this pool about four years ago that we met some friends with whom we have still kept contact. Instead, we opted for the more intimate nook which backed up to the fountain and enjoyed the orchids, an example of which you can see to the left.
Speaking or orchids, one can easily acquire them from street vendors who offer them for sale at a give-away price. It is common to see sellers carry arms full of the gorgeous flowers.
Hammocks such as this one were hung along the entire wall space and were very tempting after we had consumed our lunch. Both because we had eaten and were beginning to be fatigued as the blood had rushed from our gray matter to our digestive area and because it had become a bit chilly. But, none of us opted for their comfort. This was a far fancier example of hammock than that I had ever seen except possibly for some in Cambodia where we encountered beauties that might have given these a run for their money.
On our return to the compound, we walked through the gardens of Casa Santo Domingo once again and I managed to catch one of the macaws asleep but yet perpendicular. On other occasions, I have been close enough to the lively birds to start them squawking quite loudly. This one could not be bothered. They securely sit on their respective perches throughout the day, perhaps two dozen lovely specimens, but mysteriously disappear each night before the light of day fades. I suspect they are carried to their retirement spots and are securely covered to ward off the light and any other uninvited intruder.
For those interested in birding, there are a myriad of different flying birdies in the heavens here that I have never before seen. John and I have yet to see the quetzal, the magnificent flying fowl and national bird of Guatemala. We hope to spot and record the quetzal when we travel later this month or next to Cobán.
For supper this evening, we invited the David Karlson family to join us at the Epicure. We walked the four or five blocks to the restaurant and seated ourselves in the far reaches or back forty of the garden. There was a bit of a chill to the wind that met us there but the tea and warmth of the food seemed to cause us to forget the discomfort, at least for a time. The Karlsons are down here with a group from Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta province, Canada. They are staying for a while here at the compound of Phillipis. David was born of missionary parents while his parents were serving in Germany. We had good times visiting and breaking bread together and their seven-month-old son was the prime center of attention. Can you determine why? He took a liking to our wait person and held out his hands quickly and eagerly for a change of venue.
Now night has visited us and we will soon be ready for bed. The stars are apparent and there is a cool breeze causing the curtains to bob gently as they respond to the wind. It will be a one-dog night I suspect though there are plenty of blankets available and even a quilt should I need more warmth. Very few of the homes or businesses here have heat and I can think of no homes in which I have been a guest where there are air conditioners. There are fans though which move the air when necessary. So, my door is no longer ajar but closed and the keepers of the night, Sandie and Chico are outside checking out the perimeters to ensure that no feline has suffered a misstep nor an invader intruded the property.
Until tomorrow, I wish you and yours well. Good night from the Philippi compound in Antigua!
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