I'm just curious, any Chapines here? If so, from where and who are ya?
Posted by Chupacabras (Member # 6840) on :
My friend Pancho Villa, he kill many members of la familia Chapine many years ago.
I think you lucky to be alive sonny.
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
I happen to be an honorary Chapin. I spent about a year in Departamento Quetzaltenango, and several more months in Mazatenango and near San Marcos.
Posted by CStroman (Member # 6872) on :
I was in the southeast in Chiquimula, Zacapa. Spent the rest of the time in the northern part of the Capital City.
El Cristo Negro, got to see that and the Vulcan de Agua.
[ October 06, 2004, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: CStroman ]
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
You went to Esquipulas? I knew a guy whose elderly mother dragged him there to see the Black Christ and attend some kind of related festival. She even bought him souvenirs, including some kind of silly hat that was apparently a part of the festivities. In the photos I saw, his mother and everyone else looks all solemn, and he can't help but make silly faces. She must have been furious with him, but he didn't mean any harm by it.
What a wonderful country that is.
Posted by CStroman (Member # 6872) on :
I would love to go back and visit as often as possible.
Pero soy pobre, que puedo dicir?
Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
No, but I'm a Chopine.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
My old boyfriend was a Guatemalophile, and had me quite talked into really wanting to visit. He turned out to be kind of a jerk, but I don't hold it against Guatemala. I still really want to go. I also want to go to Chiapas, Mexico. Sigh. If I were only rich!
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
I'm glad you didn't go to Chiapas by yourself, but I think it would be absolutely insane to do Guatemala alone. The crime rate was bad when I was there, and it has just gotten worse in the last eleven years. You would need to be with a decent-sized group, and even then there are no guarantees (remember the Book of Mormon tour group not long ago?)
I loved Guatemala, and would love to go back, but I would be very nervous about taking my family with me.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I like Chopin...does that count? Posted by CStroman (Member # 6872) on :
There are some scary parts of Guatemala.
Ever hear of "La Limonada"?
I didn't hear of anything particular happening there while I was there, but I heard other stories.
There were some kidnappings there just after I got back.
But while I was there, I never really had any problems except one time with the "Mara Salvatrucha" or "MS".
Did they exist while you were down there?
[ October 06, 2004, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: CStroman ]
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
I heard about the various maras all the time, but always in connection with the Capital. There were no maras, as such, in any of the cities I was in.
Crime most often took the form of highway robberies.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)