Monday, March 16, 2015

Back in Boston!

Just a quick update now to let you know that I had a very successful and fun trip to Guatemala and I am now back in town and working on a brand new Peace Wave Generating contraption. I've tested in out already once in the T and once in the Public Gardens and it is sure to be a whole lot of fun to play. I am looking forward to the coming spring!

I hear tell that I missed out on a lot of snow while I was away.  My friends sent me incredible photos and I'll have to say that it all looked very pretty from where I was sitting and soaking up the sun in Guatemala the whole time. I think it only rained once for less than an hour the whole time I was there. The day I arrived in Antigua though it did snow volcanic ash all over town from an eruption on nearby Fuego volcano. I had an excellent view of all the eruptions from the roof of my hotel there. It really was very impressive and inspiring. I wrote several songs while I was there which I hope to post soon in future blogs.

I had a lot of fun playing in the Central Plaza of Antigua.  My traveling version of the Professor World Band attracted lots of attention and created a lot of joy and laughter. I only really played a few times but it was worth to me all the trouble of bringing all my gear with me just to see all those curious and happy faces crowding around to see my show.

I didn't mention in my last update that one important reason for my trip was to get my teeth fixed at a fraction of the cost of what I would have had to pay here.  Although I was a bit nervous about trusting my teeth to an unknown dentist, she was highly recommended by a friend and she did an excellent job.
So not only did I have an excellent vacation and escape the Boston winter but I also saved about five thousand dollars by going there! Lucky me. I feel all charged up and ready to go as soon as the spring time finally hits here.

Here's one of the songs I wrote while sitting on the roof of Capitan Tom Hostel in Antigua while watching the Fuego volcano blow off steam.

I'll sing you a little song about an amazing trip I took,
Down to Guatemala just to have a little look.
My dentist had just quoted me 10,000 for a bridge
I didn't have that kind of dough a laying round the fridge.

My friend Ricardo says to me, Go down to Guaté town,
I know a real good dentist there, she makes amazing crowns.
It only costs a fraction of what it does right here
So I flew on down to Guaté town in the winter of the year.

It snowed and snowed in Boston almost every single day
But I was down in Guatemala so very far away
Sitting on my hotel roof and soaking up the sun
Meeting lots of travelers and having lots of fun

Surrounded by volcanoes spewing ash and steam
It was really amazing like in some crazy dream.
Delicious fruits and vegetables that grow the whole year long
And lots of friendly people who inspired this here song

I even brought along with me my crazy one man band
I played out in the central square and it was really grand.
Lots of people gathered round to cheer the loco gringo boy
The was a lot of laughter and the air was filled with joy!

The dentist did a real fine job I am happy for to say
My smile is so much brighter now in oh so many ways.
I saved a lot of do-re-mi and had a real great trip
So go down to Guatemala if you want a real hot tip!




From top to bottom.

Fuego volcano letting of steam as seen from the roof of my hostel in Antigua,
with a Swedish friend playing on the roof,
and the Professor World Band in Central Plaza in Antigua



This time the police never stopped me in Antigua. As a matter of fact, one friendly officer even wanted to play my guilelee!