Hi, or more appropriately, Hola!  I just arrived in Guatemala and will be spending some weeks here.  This blog is my way of staying in touch with friends and family (if any care to visit).

FYI, the web address of this blog, elanoides.blogspot.com, is named for the Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus, one of my favorite birds. It is an amazing aerialist.  They are found in Guatemala, but also in the southern US.

I flew from Boston to Panama City, had a 1.5 hour layover, changed planes, and arrive in Guatemala City about 2 hours later.  All went smooth as silk, although I could not get any money out of the cash machine.  Luckily, I found someone to call Howard Johnson's Hotel and they sent their shuttle driver to retrieve me from the airport, and it was free.

I have many goals this visit.  One of the main ones is to meet with village leaders at La Gloria, an outpost of around 475 residents, nestled near the cloud forest.  My plan is to implement a Macadamia-Conservation Exchange, with the purpose of creating sustainable income for the community while restoring native forest to previously-forested areas that were cleared for agriculture.

While here, I also hope to start a terrestrial wildlife survey using automatic trail cameras. This will mean hiking into the cloud forest wilderness with local guides.

Both these activities will occur in Quiche (pronounced "kichay") Department, about 75 miles as the crow flies from Guatemala City.  I will be traveling by bus--a six hour ride to the town of Uspantan.

I invite you to return every few or several days to see how my trip is going--if I can keep up with posts.

All the best!

Phil