"Just a memento, por favor." Part 1 PRT (Parenthesis Reading Time) - 1:25

Do you collect and bring home shot glasses from different cities to where you have travelled? Shot glasses? Beer mugs? Ashtrays? Stuffed animals? Paintings? Sculptures?

Last day in Guatemala. All but four of the team of 27 went to climb the volcano. My friend Lynn and I decided we’d spend the day in Antigua; enjoying the remaining sights, sounds, side streets, architecture and maybe even find a few cool mementos to take home.

When I travel I prefer to avoid the tourist spots, choosing the local streets, hidden doorways and neighborhoods.

We started out; as we walked along the first street I noticed an open door. Inside I saw an elderly man hammering the ruby-hot tip of an iron bar on an anvil. He looked up, I nodded, he smiled and then he gestured for us to come in. We entered into the front room of what was obviously an ornamental ironworks shop. The older man, another man of similar age and a younger man in his 30s were busy working. Robed in the mists of ebony sweat, they were immersed in the toils of art. As we looked around the room I noticed on the table to my left, in front of the man at the anvil, what appeared to be some black metal figures about 9 inches high. Looking closer I could discern that they were angels. The figure I was most drawn to was a king. Amazing etchings and multiple pieces scattered around the errant shapes on the table. With Lynn doing the translating (remember my former post and admitting my limited five or six Spanish phrases?), I asked about the kingly figure, and through the course of discussion asked if it might be for sale. He rested the iron piece and hammer on the anvil, smiled one of those tender Guatemalan smiles and informed us that the piece was, in fact, a part of nativity collection of nine pieces and that they were not for sale individually.

God Sighting Clue #1: A year ago, Lynn had decided to collect unusual nativity scenes from her travels. THE #1 mission for our day was for her to find a nativity scene that would remind her of this amazing week of service, loving on people from another culture (a new Samaria) and gulping huge morsels of this remarkable country. It was the first door; first stop.

In the continued dialogue he shared that they had been working on this group for six months and it was only for sale as the collection. Asking the price, we thought he said it would cost $4,000 quetzala ($491 U.S.).

“Cool. I think that is well worth it,” Lynn replied. Then she paused, frowned and continued. “Wait a minute…no, I think it is $40,000 quetzala ($4910 U.S.). Another pause. “Wow, no way.”

We told him we would not be able to buy it. He smiled again, then gave us a tour of the shop and the many other wonderful pieces they had completed; the most proud for them being a striking weathervane. We spent another 20 minutes enjoying the exchange and left. As we were walking away and commenting on what a marvelous discovery this was, Lynn stopped and turned to me with the following revelation:

God Sighting Clue #2: “It just hit me; do you realize that for that sum of money I could pay for an entire new house to be built for Oscar’s family (the child that Lynn is sponsoring through Compassion International www.compassion.com), with money to spare?” I replied, “Wow, what an insight. Makes me rethink how I think about the mementos we buy and bring home from trips to new places. Fact is that we put these things on the wall or shelf, and then when we die or run out of room they get put in a box, given away or put out at a garage sale. Thank you for this reminder.”

So what? What kind of mementos do you bring home with you from the places you visit? Where do you keep them? Do they remind you of a special moment from your travels? What’s in your collection right now?

We walked on….

More to follow

For emphasis - (b)