eKaqchikel 2007 - Antigua Redux

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We packed our gear this morning and made ready to leave the Posada de Don Rodrigo de Panajachel. The hotel made an excellent base of operations and an even better production location.

We were able to shoot all of the dialogues under the (relatively) controlled conditions of the hotel grounds. And when the rain proved to be too much, we simply retreated to a convenient indoor location. Much credit to the hotel staff for their friendly dispositions and accommodating attitudes.

We met up with the teachers one last time to deliver their production honoraria and share photos we took during throughout the week. Before they let us leave, they assembled the Marie, Lee and I and offered a heartfelt thanks in Kaqchikel and Spanish. Marie translated but the meaning was clear regardless. It's a wonderful experience to be able to work with these people and share their Mayan culture and language.

At noon, we loaded up the shuttle van and departed for Antigua. We encountered an hour delay when we were held back by road construction. At two locations, we watched heavy machinery knock giant rocks from the tops of hills so that they would land on the road below. We were far closer to the action than would have been allowed back home. Fascinating (and frightening) to watch.

After we reached Antigua, we caught up with Ix'nal and her family – husband Carlos, oldest son Balam (Jaguar) and youngest son Yaxche' (Tree-of-Life). As our talent coordinator and language consultant, Ix'nal has been indispensable to the production.

And just to cap things off, there're fireworks going off outside the hotel to celebrate a local festival. The view from our windows is amazing. If only they weren't so loud...

We roll from the hotel at 4am to catch a 6:25am flight from Guatemala City into Houston. If all goes well, we should touch down in New Orleans around 12:30pm.