During Andy’s meeting in Antigua there were three days of field trips.  Day 1 we visited a small diameter bed factory and a lumber yard.  Day 2 we started at the Biotopo del Quetzal “Mario Dary Rivera” where we were fortunate enough to observe a female Quetzal in one of the trees at the parking lot.  After a short presentation on the reserve and a 2 km walk through the forest dense in both vegetation and fog we headed back to the bus.  This time we witnessed a male Quetzal in one of the trees near the parking lot. Eventually both birds flew away disproving those who believed them to be stuffed.  We were truly lucky to observe this iconic and rare bird, something our Guatemalan guide remarked most Guatemalans had never witnessed.  After the biotopo we headed over to San Jeronimo were we all piled into the back of pickup trucks for a short drive up steep and muddy roads.  At the summit we were able to see some of the massive pine trees that we first sampled some 34 years earlier.  On the way back to the bus several of the pickup trucks got stuck which led to us having to find another longer route back down.

The third field trip took place in the highlands near Lake Atitlán.  We began the day with a visit to a high elevation (10,000 masl) Guatemalan Christmas Tree farm.  Even with the cold and fog we enjoyed our visit.   It was neat to see a tradition that feels endemic to the US being carried out in Central America.  After the Christmas Tree farm we visited Iximche.  These Pre-Colombian Mayan ruins from the 14th and 15th century provided a nice opportunity to learn more about the cultural history in this region.