Dear friends and fellow travelers from around the world,
Anna, Mark and our tour guide, Juan
One of the highlights of my recent trek to Guatemala with my twenty-one-year-old granddaughter Anna was birdwatching for some of the 700 bird species at the Finca San Cayetano, at the foot of the Volcanoes of Fuego and Acatenango. We saw the colorful, green parrots as well as exotic birds with strange, long tails (our altitude was too low to see the elusive quetzal).
Volcanoes El Fuego and Acatenango
By far, the most exciting part of the trip was the 5.7 earthquake that occurred when we were shopping in Jocotenango, outside of Antigua. We were in the “La Torre” grocery store when the ground began moving and bottles came flying off the shelves.
Fortunately, we were in the soda/water aisle and did get wet, although the liquor/wine aisle was a real mess. Anna hung on to her grandmother Ligia, and some lady I had never seen before grabbed me. We knew better than to panic and run, but when the shaking stopped, we headed to the parking lot. Ligia and I were used to the tremors, which can number in the thousands after an earthquake, but many of the older couples were traumatized and hugged each other, weeping.
These were probably the people who experienced the violent 7.6 earthquake of 1976. The quake we experienced killed seven and injured 300, while the big one killed 23,000 with 76,000 wounded, 258,000 dwellings destroyed, and over a million people left homeless.
Earthquakes are impossible to predict, and they are game changers—altering all of one’s travel plans. The store management wouldn’t let us return to purchase any groceries. All government buildings, which included museums were closed, as were most shops and restaurants, as well as the road back to Guatemala City. So, we returned to our Airbnb in Antigua empty-handed. We did contact the owner of the home, who came to meet us and was kind enough to take a small grocery list, returning a few hours later with what we needed for the next day, when we’d come up with “Plan B” of our trip.
I’m grateful to have you on this journey. Together, we can continue building bridges across cultures and generations.
Now, I’m excited to announce that the “Million Mile Walker Dispatch” is moving to Substack — a platform that allows me to connect with you more directly and meaningfully. This isn’t just a format change; it’s a renewed commitment to the values that have guided my journey: celebrating international travel and literature, cross-cultural relationships, overseas development, philanthropy, and social justice.
You’ll continue receiving the” Dispatch” and occasional updates, including behind-the-scenes insights, reflections from the field, and materials aligned with my mission. But now, there’s also an opportunity to go deeper.
The Advantages of Being a Subscriber
If you’ve appreciated my work — from the Dispatch book reviews, essays, videos, and books, including The Guatemalan Reader, which was honored with nominations for the Eric Hoffer Award and the BookFest Award for Best Travel Writing — I invite you to consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Your support as a subscriber will help to underwrite:
- The ongoing Dispatch and related content
- My next book project: The Moritz Thomsen Reader, celebrating one of the most compelling voices in Peace Corps literature
- My broader work as a member of PEN America and board member of Peace Corps Worldwide, Arizona Authors Association, Seeds for a Future, and Advance Guatemala
What You’ll Get as a Paid Subscriber
- Exclusive essays and reflections from my travels and research
- Early access to excerpts from The Moritz Thomsen Reader
- Occasional Q&A sessions and curated recommendations
- The satisfaction of supporting independent, internationally oriented, purpose-driven writing
Whether you choose the free or paid tier, you’ll continue to see my social commentary on Culture Watch, “What We’re Reading and Why”, “What We’re Watching and Why”, “What Others are Saying”, the Scanning Project, and an Updated Calendar of activities.
If you want to share my Dispatch with a friend, they can subscribe here: Mark D Walker | Substack
Shalom,
Mark D. Walker
President of the Million Mile Walker LLC
www.MillionMileWalker.com