Sept 4 Tuesday The Trip to Zunil That Wasn't
Had a skimpy breakfast and walked to school. Today we have to find a "liberia" to buy new ball point pens since we are out of ink again. Patty begins with great gusto and then we left on a field trip that did not include the cemetery which was where Don/Juan were going. It was Spanish on foot or as the guys kept saying "Spanish para Mujers" (Spanish for women). We ended up at Hyper Paiz. We compared things and looked at shoes, clothes and all sorts of things speaking Spanish as much as I was able.
The afternoon activity was a trip to Zunil to visit a coop operation. We loaded up on a "Chicken Bus" with Palmenia our teach and guide. Everything was fine until we were about half way to Zunil at Almalonga. There we ran smack into a political parade that involved the whole town! The bus could not drive down the street. Everybody got off of the bus and had a partial refund. We thought that we could walk around the parade and get transportation on the other side to continue on to Zunil. The people were all very excited and friendly. The three of us made up a counter parade! Many people have here work in the USA and one man actually spoke to us in English! The parade had bands, dance groups, decorated cars and trucks and fireworks and decorated horses with riders in costume. Men on the horses were spectacular and put their horses through a parade routine. I got spooked at one point and jumped for the sidewalk! A Mayan women grabbed my arm and helped me up. We turned around and laughed when it turned out the horse did not come as close as it looked like he was going to. The Mayan women helped me back down to the street since the side walk was 2 feet or more off of the road.
We reached the center of the parade with the candidates and mongo rolls of fire works. I looked down as the roll of fireworks went by my feet and I realized they were going to light these things! We jumped and ran back with a large portion of the crowd standing around us. They also set a box of Roman candles in the street and lit those as well. It was supremely noisy!
We walked on and on and on and the parade had no end. Everybody in town and the surrounding area was IN the parade. No traffic was moving; No taxis, No buses --Nothing was going anywhere until the parade cleared. We were not able to continue to Zunil or return to Xela.
We took a side road to miss the parade going back the way we had come. We were hoping to find something moving on the other end to take us back to Xela. We walked through the outskirts of the village where we could see the fields and plots of land as far as the eye could see. We estimated that the side trip was at least 2 miles long. At the end of the road we attempted to get back to the main road through town and come out near the beginning of the parade. Not possible to do that-- we were back at the middle of the parade. Turning around we took another side street to by pass the parade and found that there was still no vehicle of any kind moving. By this time our little teacher, Palmenia, was beginning to mutter to herself. She was stuck in a town with two gringos with no idea how to get them home again! We came to a gas station and guess who needed to use the facilities there? While I was gone a microbus pulled in and both Palmenia and Don spoke to the driver about taking us back to Xela. The driver said he was not going to Xela until Don offered him 50 quetzales ($7.50) to make the trip. With relief Palmenia loaded us into the van and we headed back to be met with rain. We had our trusty umbrellas with us so we ran for McDonald's for something to eat because we were all starving. We finished at McDonald's and went home to dry off and rest. Our dinner was One chicken wing and a spoonful of carrots! Thank heavens we stopped and ate or it would have been a long night.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sept 3 Monday Beginning of Last Week in Xela
Sept 3 Monday Beginning of Last Week in Xela
The day started as usual, nothing special about it. I spent the morning working with Patty until mid-morning when we left on a short field trip to the Hyper Piaz. Patty wanted to check out stationary bikes because her father agreed to pay for one so she can get some exercise. Diabetes runs in her family and she has an uncle that is on his last leg from it.
On Friday we had spent time at the Ropa Tipica museum. It was so very interesting and I learned a lot about the garments the Mayans wear every day. If I had a better understanding of Spanish I would have learned a lot more. After we finished the museum we went to Mount Blanc and smaller shopping mall. Patty was holding my feet to the fire over the missed class hour. We got a cup chocolate-con-leche and had a Spanish lesson at the same time. This week we are still adding 30 minutes to lesson time to complete the make-up.
Monday afternoon was free. Ha! Ha! We set out on foot to buy bus tickets for our last week in Guatemala. We were successful in getting a ticket to Guatemala City right after class on Friday which means we will eat an early lunch. We will purchase tickets to Flores in GUA city. Hurricane Felix has played fast and loose with our travel plans. Susan has played the roll of 'weather person' sending us text messages about the movement of the storm. The little cell phone works really well. We were concerned that Felix would go in around Peten near the Tikal ruins which is where we were going. It fizzled out and became a lot of rain for us which could cause flooding in Xela.
I had a screw fall out of my glasses at the finca. We wrapped up the new glasses with the screw and I pulled out my older back up glasses to get through until today. We went to Mount Blanc to get it repair.
The day started as usual, nothing special about it. I spent the morning working with Patty until mid-morning when we left on a short field trip to the Hyper Piaz. Patty wanted to check out stationary bikes because her father agreed to pay for one so she can get some exercise. Diabetes runs in her family and she has an uncle that is on his last leg from it.
On Friday we had spent time at the Ropa Tipica museum. It was so very interesting and I learned a lot about the garments the Mayans wear every day. If I had a better understanding of Spanish I would have learned a lot more. After we finished the museum we went to Mount Blanc and smaller shopping mall. Patty was holding my feet to the fire over the missed class hour. We got a cup chocolate-con-leche and had a Spanish lesson at the same time. This week we are still adding 30 minutes to lesson time to complete the make-up.
Monday afternoon was free. Ha! Ha! We set out on foot to buy bus tickets for our last week in Guatemala. We were successful in getting a ticket to Guatemala City right after class on Friday which means we will eat an early lunch. We will purchase tickets to Flores in GUA city. Hurricane Felix has played fast and loose with our travel plans. Susan has played the roll of 'weather person' sending us text messages about the movement of the storm. The little cell phone works really well. We were concerned that Felix would go in around Peten near the Tikal ruins which is where we were going. It fizzled out and became a lot of rain for us which could cause flooding in Xela.
I had a screw fall out of my glasses at the finca. We wrapped up the new glasses with the screw and I pulled out my older back up glasses to get through until today. We went to Mount Blanc to get it repair.
Sept 2 Sunday at the Finca --Waterfall!
Sept 2 Sunday at the Finca --Waterfall!
Thanks to Don and his phone alarm we were up at 6 am. I had to hunt the phone down in the suitcase before it went off a second time! Breakfast was to be at 8 am so Don and I had some time to wait. We went out onto the veranda and enjoyed the view and to watch the sun light up the world. We could see mountains in the distance and fields and trees we did not recognize.
Breakfast was pancakes and oatmeal with bananas and fresco (fruit drink). After breakfast we took a shorter hike to swim in the waterfall. The trail was partly the same one we took on Saturday but branched off and headed straight down. It was hard on the knees but we took care and did okay. Part of the trail was blocked by a mud slide and the waterfall swim was nearly cancelled. The rest of the group was a good deal younger than Don and I so it was really up to us rather or not we thought we could make the climb over the mud slide and continue on. My response was-- let's give it a try -- and with a little help and the use of my knees (short legs are not a blessing) we climbed over the mud slide. It was so worth the work to get to the waterfall. This waterfall is in the jungle so there was no 'beach front' to shed your clothes and put your things down to stay dry. We all had to find a spot that was relatively safe and dry to change out of our clothes. The water coming down off of the mountain had not warmed up any--it was still really cold and the waterfall was forceful but I really liked the massage/shower. It was still a cold shower but with water pressure! The water was so cold it took your breath away. After struggling back into our long pants we started back to the hotel. The return trip was much harder as we had to climb the mountain. The group of young people were polite and waited for me even assisting on spots were my short legs were a problem.
Dirty but satisfied we returned to the hotel. The cold shower actually felt good and almost warm compared to the waterfall. We had lunch and a break during which we packed all of our wet and dirty clothes so we were ready to return to Xela.
We were later leaving than our tour guide would have liked. It was looking like we would not make it down the mountain before the afternoon rain and we would be changing to the covered van at the bottom of the mountain. The first part of the trip back was done in the back of the pick up with one added person. We all had to put on our ponchos and we put our luggage in plastic bags. It was still a rough trip down and this time we got a little wet. We made it to the van and transferred luggage and all before the heavens opened up! We drove through the monsoon with Don predicting that the rain would stop at a certain time. He was right because it did stop raining at 5 pm which was when we had driven to the other side of the Santa Maria mountain and the rain was blocked. We had dinner at McDonald's followed by church for the 7 pm Mass and then home to our host family.
Thanks to Don and his phone alarm we were up at 6 am. I had to hunt the phone down in the suitcase before it went off a second time! Breakfast was to be at 8 am so Don and I had some time to wait. We went out onto the veranda and enjoyed the view and to watch the sun light up the world. We could see mountains in the distance and fields and trees we did not recognize.
Breakfast was pancakes and oatmeal with bananas and fresco (fruit drink). After breakfast we took a shorter hike to swim in the waterfall. The trail was partly the same one we took on Saturday but branched off and headed straight down. It was hard on the knees but we took care and did okay. Part of the trail was blocked by a mud slide and the waterfall swim was nearly cancelled. The rest of the group was a good deal younger than Don and I so it was really up to us rather or not we thought we could make the climb over the mud slide and continue on. My response was-- let's give it a try -- and with a little help and the use of my knees (short legs are not a blessing) we climbed over the mud slide. It was so worth the work to get to the waterfall. This waterfall is in the jungle so there was no 'beach front' to shed your clothes and put your things down to stay dry. We all had to find a spot that was relatively safe and dry to change out of our clothes. The water coming down off of the mountain had not warmed up any--it was still really cold and the waterfall was forceful but I really liked the massage/shower. It was still a cold shower but with water pressure! The water was so cold it took your breath away. After struggling back into our long pants we started back to the hotel. The return trip was much harder as we had to climb the mountain. The group of young people were polite and waited for me even assisting on spots were my short legs were a problem.
Dirty but satisfied we returned to the hotel. The cold shower actually felt good and almost warm compared to the waterfall. We had lunch and a break during which we packed all of our wet and dirty clothes so we were ready to return to Xela.
We were later leaving than our tour guide would have liked. It was looking like we would not make it down the mountain before the afternoon rain and we would be changing to the covered van at the bottom of the mountain. The first part of the trip back was done in the back of the pick up with one added person. We all had to put on our ponchos and we put our luggage in plastic bags. It was still a rough trip down and this time we got a little wet. We made it to the van and transferred luggage and all before the heavens opened up! We drove through the monsoon with Don predicting that the rain would stop at a certain time. He was right because it did stop raining at 5 pm which was when we had driven to the other side of the Santa Maria mountain and the rain was blocked. We had dinner at McDonald's followed by church for the 7 pm Mass and then home to our host family.
Sept 1 Saturday Finca Trip and Waterfall
Sept 1 Saturday Finca Trip and Waterfall
We planned a weekend trip to a Finca as a break for us and for our host family. We were hoping for more hot water and a change in menus. After we had put down a deposit for this trip we discovered that Sandra was going to be installed as queen during a coronation ceremony on Saturday. We decided that we had put in our time at the selection and that we would go to the finca.
The Finca was the "Communidad Nueva Aliana" and it is a cooperative of about 40 families. These families live and work together. We woke at 5:30 am Saturday so we could eat a bit of breakfast before meeting with the rest of the group headed for the finca. We traveled in a mini bus most of the way. When we stopped for gas we picked up a police escort for the remainder of the trip up the mountain. They were concerned about our safety if local people became aware of steady trips by tourist (who might have money). The police escort did not allow their pictures to be taken. At the bottom of the mountain we changed vehicles. We climbed into the bed of a small Toyota pick up truck which had a frame attached on which a tarp could be stretched over to provide shelter from the rain. It was a rough ride but the view was splendid.
We moved into our room, a hostel style hotel with five bunks to a room. They operate it like a hotel and it is a source of income for the community. While we had lights from the small hydro-electric plant, we had NO hot water! I think I am getting used to cold showers!! Dropping our stuff on our selected bunks (on the bottom) we packed the light back packs for a 3 hour hike. It was cool to be in the rain forest.
The coffee plants are scatted allover the forest. Some varieties of coffee like a more shady growing environment. We had a young boy as a tour guide with a translator. Given half a chance the boy could become a very valuable member of that community. Our first stop on the hike was a coffee bean plant. We were able to taste the "fruit" around the coffee been. It is very sweet. The seed is embedded inside like a grape seed, it is larger than a grape seed of course. The seed is slimy with a coating call "miel" which has to be stripped off during processing. The boy was very informative and answered our questions though an interpreter, Nick.
Next we looked at macadamia sees which is another growing cash crop. The seeds are picked up from the ground unlike the coffee bean which is picked from the bush -- both are picked by hand. It takes a whole lot of either seed to make any money from them. Coffee prices are subject to change at any whim.
We continued the hike up and down and around on the mountain. Our young guide pointed out plants that the community have found useful, edible or medicinal. One such plant has gigantic leaves which are edible. We stood under one such leaf that was as big as a beach umbrella.
We reached a spot where, if you had your swimsuit ON you can play in the water coming down from the mountain. The water is extremely cold but we found it refreshing when we rolled up our pants and put on swim shoes and waded in. The outside temperature was warm but not hot. The hiking up and down was work and the water really felt good.
After the hike we ate lunch. It was typical food of the Mayan people but the beans were not re-fried. The meals here at the finca do not include meats because they have no refrigeration. The small hydro-electric plant if fed from water coming down the mountain and supplies a little light but not enough to run refrigerators. The hotel is the only building that has the capability of storing energy. We had a short break after lunch.
A tour of the coffee making operation was next on the agenda. The plant is about 70 years old and requires a lot of human labor to operate. This plant goes through 5 prep stages in coffee production. The tour guide took us step by step through the processes that are done here. The actual roasting of the coffee bean is done by the company who buys to beans. During the coffee tour it rained like I had expected it to rain in Guatemala. It was a monsoon. It lasted exactly 2 hours so that when we walked out we walked into sunshine. We went back to the hotel which was just a short walk and prepared for dinner. After we ate we had a lecture on the development of the finca. It was a sad tale of greed on the part of the plantation owner and the struggle of the people who were born on the land saving their history/homes. The day was warm but it cooled off nicely to allow for a good nights sleep.
We planned a weekend trip to a Finca as a break for us and for our host family. We were hoping for more hot water and a change in menus. After we had put down a deposit for this trip we discovered that Sandra was going to be installed as queen during a coronation ceremony on Saturday. We decided that we had put in our time at the selection and that we would go to the finca.
The Finca was the "Communidad Nueva Aliana" and it is a cooperative of about 40 families. These families live and work together. We woke at 5:30 am Saturday so we could eat a bit of breakfast before meeting with the rest of the group headed for the finca. We traveled in a mini bus most of the way. When we stopped for gas we picked up a police escort for the remainder of the trip up the mountain. They were concerned about our safety if local people became aware of steady trips by tourist (who might have money). The police escort did not allow their pictures to be taken. At the bottom of the mountain we changed vehicles. We climbed into the bed of a small Toyota pick up truck which had a frame attached on which a tarp could be stretched over to provide shelter from the rain. It was a rough ride but the view was splendid.
We moved into our room, a hostel style hotel with five bunks to a room. They operate it like a hotel and it is a source of income for the community. While we had lights from the small hydro-electric plant, we had NO hot water! I think I am getting used to cold showers!! Dropping our stuff on our selected bunks (on the bottom) we packed the light back packs for a 3 hour hike. It was cool to be in the rain forest.
The coffee plants are scatted allover the forest. Some varieties of coffee like a more shady growing environment. We had a young boy as a tour guide with a translator. Given half a chance the boy could become a very valuable member of that community. Our first stop on the hike was a coffee bean plant. We were able to taste the "fruit" around the coffee been. It is very sweet. The seed is embedded inside like a grape seed, it is larger than a grape seed of course. The seed is slimy with a coating call "miel" which has to be stripped off during processing. The boy was very informative and answered our questions though an interpreter, Nick.
Next we looked at macadamia sees which is another growing cash crop. The seeds are picked up from the ground unlike the coffee bean which is picked from the bush -- both are picked by hand. It takes a whole lot of either seed to make any money from them. Coffee prices are subject to change at any whim.
We continued the hike up and down and around on the mountain. Our young guide pointed out plants that the community have found useful, edible or medicinal. One such plant has gigantic leaves which are edible. We stood under one such leaf that was as big as a beach umbrella.
We reached a spot where, if you had your swimsuit ON you can play in the water coming down from the mountain. The water is extremely cold but we found it refreshing when we rolled up our pants and put on swim shoes and waded in. The outside temperature was warm but not hot. The hiking up and down was work and the water really felt good.
After the hike we ate lunch. It was typical food of the Mayan people but the beans were not re-fried. The meals here at the finca do not include meats because they have no refrigeration. The small hydro-electric plant if fed from water coming down the mountain and supplies a little light but not enough to run refrigerators. The hotel is the only building that has the capability of storing energy. We had a short break after lunch.
A tour of the coffee making operation was next on the agenda. The plant is about 70 years old and requires a lot of human labor to operate. This plant goes through 5 prep stages in coffee production. The tour guide took us step by step through the processes that are done here. The actual roasting of the coffee bean is done by the company who buys to beans. During the coffee tour it rained like I had expected it to rain in Guatemala. It was a monsoon. It lasted exactly 2 hours so that when we walked out we walked into sunshine. We went back to the hotel which was just a short walk and prepared for dinner. After we ate we had a lecture on the development of the finca. It was a sad tale of greed on the part of the plantation owner and the struggle of the people who were born on the land saving their history/homes. The day was warm but it cooled off nicely to allow for a good nights sleep.
Aug 31 Friday Copovic Glass Field Trip
Aug 31 Friday Copovic Glass Field Trip
Early this morning we were scheduled to go to a re-cycled glass factory. This factory is a cooperative. We took a chicken bus with both Patty and Juan. There was no glass being blown today. They had one melting oven cranked up and red hot inside. Several men were cleaning and testing some pitchers that were headed for Italy. One man was sorting and cleaning a mountain of white class. He was using a rake to sift through the class and later it was put into a fame with a screen on it to shake out small pieces of glass and dirt. There were huge piles of colored glass waiting for the same treatment. In the shop there was a large selection of items to buy. don and I wanted to bring Hortensia a gift and finally selected a frosted pitcher with moon and stars on it. Fo us we chose a heavy, solid blue rendering of the Virgin Mary. That was our choice because not only was it beautiful it was solid and therefore not fragile so that it would transport fairly safely. None of us were in a great hurry to get back to class. We went to a tienda and bought a snack and made our way to the bus stop for the return trip.
Since I had missed class on Friday Patty and I made plans to go to a museum of typical clothing. I wanted an easy as well as interesting day and Patty needed to make up the time so that she would be paid for the teaching time. The lecture that Don and I had attended on the Naulies came in handy and I was delighted. It was nice to be able to follow the Spanish lecture of the docent as we made our way through each room. We met Patty at her college, Landiver, at 4 pm and we spent 2 hours looking at "Ropa tipica" in the museum. All of the tops and the skirts have designs in them that tie in with the earth, sun, moon and the Mayan calendar. Patty and I will have to work in the rest of the hours that I missed. She will keep my feet to the fire till all hours have been made up.
Early this morning we were scheduled to go to a re-cycled glass factory. This factory is a cooperative. We took a chicken bus with both Patty and Juan. There was no glass being blown today. They had one melting oven cranked up and red hot inside. Several men were cleaning and testing some pitchers that were headed for Italy. One man was sorting and cleaning a mountain of white class. He was using a rake to sift through the class and later it was put into a fame with a screen on it to shake out small pieces of glass and dirt. There were huge piles of colored glass waiting for the same treatment. In the shop there was a large selection of items to buy. don and I wanted to bring Hortensia a gift and finally selected a frosted pitcher with moon and stars on it. Fo us we chose a heavy, solid blue rendering of the Virgin Mary. That was our choice because not only was it beautiful it was solid and therefore not fragile so that it would transport fairly safely. None of us were in a great hurry to get back to class. We went to a tienda and bought a snack and made our way to the bus stop for the return trip.
Since I had missed class on Friday Patty and I made plans to go to a museum of typical clothing. I wanted an easy as well as interesting day and Patty needed to make up the time so that she would be paid for the teaching time. The lecture that Don and I had attended on the Naulies came in handy and I was delighted. It was nice to be able to follow the Spanish lecture of the docent as we made our way through each room. We met Patty at her college, Landiver, at 4 pm and we spent 2 hours looking at "Ropa tipica" in the museum. All of the tops and the skirts have designs in them that tie in with the earth, sun, moon and the Mayan calendar. Patty and I will have to work in the rest of the hours that I missed. She will keep my feet to the fire till all hours have been made up.
Aug 30 Thurs Pot Luck at Kie-Balam (school)
Aug 30 Thurs Pot Luck at Kie-Balam (school)
Up and ready to roll the same as usual. After a terrific breakfast (Ha!) we walked to school. Today we will be preparing a pot luck lunch. Can I tell you how much I hate pot luck meals? Anyway all of the students who wish to participate will be in the kitchen around 11:30 am. Of course that means we have to go to the mercado during our Spanish lessons. I decided not to make a gumbo because I could not face buying the meat for it plus I did not want to be standing over a pot of roux forever. I bought some green beans and onions to stir fry. We bought way to much as usual, however the final results were good. The beans could have been a bit more tender but time ran out so we ate them aldente. Don & Juan made a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with vinegar, salt and pepper. Then Don remembered that he had a hankering for guacamole so the Don/Juan duo went after avocados. Much to my great surprise the guac tasted simply terrific and the surprise was because I had to 'wing it' on the spices and other ingredients.
Marlo, the school director, contributed a casserole with spinach, potato, red pepper, cilantro, parsley, salt & pepper. Patty made a drink "tipico" of pineapple. The meal and the company was great. I had been longing for greens for some time and this was just what I needed.
Our plans for the evening was to go to San Carlos University to watch a performance of typical Mayan folkloric dances. Marlo invited herself to go to the event with us. We picked her up (on foot) and then took a microbus part way. It was part way because we found ourselves on a bus that didn't so where we wanted it to and Marlo had been involved looking at the pictures on our camera. Don was the one who noticed we were going to leave the area of San Carlos. We got off the bus and walked to the campus which was alive with people!! There was a rock concert going on in the courtyard. Then we discovered that the folkloric program had been cancelled! Disappointed we headed home on foot in the dark! Marlo took my arm & walked on the outside so she would be the one at risk and not one of her students. When walking around in Xela you will often see a mother and daughter hooked arm and arm or two girl friends hooked arm and arm and if I had to guess why they do that it would be because of the fear of children being kidnapped which occurred in the recent past in Guatemala. Even here there is safety in numbers and never go out alone--find a buddy.
When we reached our "home" neighborhood we went to Cubatenango for a burrito. They were great! They are tortillas filled with rice, beans, tomato, avocado, lettuce and wrapped as a sandwich. We continued our trek home and then Marlo invited us to have a cup of chocolate-con-leche (hot chocolate) at Cafe Q at Kie-Balam. The chocolate was terrific but we headed home soon after finishing.
Up and ready to roll the same as usual. After a terrific breakfast (Ha!) we walked to school. Today we will be preparing a pot luck lunch. Can I tell you how much I hate pot luck meals? Anyway all of the students who wish to participate will be in the kitchen around 11:30 am. Of course that means we have to go to the mercado during our Spanish lessons. I decided not to make a gumbo because I could not face buying the meat for it plus I did not want to be standing over a pot of roux forever. I bought some green beans and onions to stir fry. We bought way to much as usual, however the final results were good. The beans could have been a bit more tender but time ran out so we ate them aldente. Don & Juan made a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with vinegar, salt and pepper. Then Don remembered that he had a hankering for guacamole so the Don/Juan duo went after avocados. Much to my great surprise the guac tasted simply terrific and the surprise was because I had to 'wing it' on the spices and other ingredients.
Marlo, the school director, contributed a casserole with spinach, potato, red pepper, cilantro, parsley, salt & pepper. Patty made a drink "tipico" of pineapple. The meal and the company was great. I had been longing for greens for some time and this was just what I needed.
Our plans for the evening was to go to San Carlos University to watch a performance of typical Mayan folkloric dances. Marlo invited herself to go to the event with us. We picked her up (on foot) and then took a microbus part way. It was part way because we found ourselves on a bus that didn't so where we wanted it to and Marlo had been involved looking at the pictures on our camera. Don was the one who noticed we were going to leave the area of San Carlos. We got off the bus and walked to the campus which was alive with people!! There was a rock concert going on in the courtyard. Then we discovered that the folkloric program had been cancelled! Disappointed we headed home on foot in the dark! Marlo took my arm & walked on the outside so she would be the one at risk and not one of her students. When walking around in Xela you will often see a mother and daughter hooked arm and arm or two girl friends hooked arm and arm and if I had to guess why they do that it would be because of the fear of children being kidnapped which occurred in the recent past in Guatemala. Even here there is safety in numbers and never go out alone--find a buddy.
When we reached our "home" neighborhood we went to Cubatenango for a burrito. They were great! They are tortillas filled with rice, beans, tomato, avocado, lettuce and wrapped as a sandwich. We continued our trek home and then Marlo invited us to have a cup of chocolate-con-leche (hot chocolate) at Cafe Q at Kie-Balam. The chocolate was terrific but we headed home soon after finishing.
Aug 28 _ La Democracia Mercado
Aug 28_Tuesday La Democracia Mercado
We got up, had breakfast, went to school, then went to bed. What more is there to say? Actually, we had scrambled eggs to begin our day with the starchy hot drink call atoll. I am not sure if it adds anything to the diet but it is hot and warms the tummy.
Patty kept me busy just as I had requested. We worked hard for most of the morning then joined Don and Juan on a field trip. Turned out that the museum they had planned to take us to we had already seen with Marlo one evening the week before. So we made new plans and took off for the Mercado near Parque Central. Don wanted some music CD’s and we had searched every place we thought would have the music with no success. The black market is alive and well in GUA. Don found music he wanted and then had the help of Juan to purchase them. When we were done with shopping we went to McDonalds for a coke. Both teachers broke out the Spanish lessons and we went back to work. We had Spanish-on-foot most of the morning.
After school we had enough time to have lunch and rest a bit before meeting Palmenia, another teacher, for our afternoon activity. We went to la democracia, a city block or more of little shops. They had small stalls set up with belts, hats, purses, back packs, fruits and vegetables, yard goods, shoes or just about anything you could think you might possibly need. I am not sure how you would find something specific but I bet it would be here. It was colorful and noisy which is pretty typical. We stopped at a Mennonite bakery where we bought some raisin bread, cheese, and a small apple loaf to share for mid-morning snack.
We are making plans to spend a weekend away from the family. It is about time we all had a break. There is an overnight trip to a finca. The finca is a plantation which is worker owned and operated cooperative in the mountains outside of Xela. There is a minivan that will hold 8 people necessary to make the trip a “go” and comes with an English speaking guide. We put down a deposit and then had to wait to see if they would pick up 4 more people by the weekend. Fingers and toes are crossed because I am ready for new scenery and a different menu and less noise. The Xicara family are nice people but all of them are addicted to sound. The house sounds hollow and sound travels and it is hard to study at the house.
No dinner at home. We worked upstairs until time to eat. I can last til 7:30pm but need to eat by then. There was only the older son at home when we went down and he was on his cell phone. He left just as we decided that we would have to go out and feed ourselves. We went to Cubatenago and shared a California style burrito. While we were there the owners put in a movie for his customers. It was about a revolution in San Salvador which from the little we watch while eating was not going to end well so we left after we were done eating. We returned to the house and the family was all seated around the table eating. They looked a little concerned when we said we did not need to eat. They are to provide three meals a day along with a room & hot water to be a host family. If I were to speculate I would have to thing that it is the end of the month and the Xela queen pageant turned out to be expensive. Food is getting rather simple and scarce.
We got up, had breakfast, went to school, then went to bed. What more is there to say?
Patty kept me busy just as I had requested. We worked hard for most of the morning then joined Don and Juan on a field trip. Turned out that the museum they had planned to take us to we had already seen with Marlo one evening the week before. So we made new plans and took off for the Mercado near Parque Central. Don wanted some music CD’s and we had searched every place we thought would have the music with no success. The black market is alive and well in GUA. Don found music he wanted and then had the help of Juan to purchase them. When we were done with shopping we went to McDonalds for a coke. Both teachers broke out the Spanish lessons and we went back to work. We had Spanish-on-foot most of the morning.
After school we had enough time to have lunch and rest a bit before meeting Palmenia, another teacher, for our afternoon activity. We went to la democracia, a city block or more of little shops. They had small stalls set up with belts, hats, purses, back packs, fruits and vegetables, yard goods, shoes or just about anything you could think you might possibly need. I am not sure how you would find something specific but I bet it would be here. It was colorful and noisy which is pretty typical. We stopped at a Mennonite bakery where we bought some raisin bread, cheese, and a small apple loaf to share for mid-morning snack.
We are making plans to spend a weekend away from the family. It is about time we all had a break. There is an overnight trip to a finca. The finca is a plantation which is worker owned and operated cooperative in the mountains outside of Xela. There is a minivan that will hold 8 people necessary to make the trip a “go” and comes with an English speaking guide. We put down a deposit and then had to wait to see if they would pick up 4 more people by the weekend. Fingers and toes are crossed because I am ready for new scenery and a different menu and less noise. The Xicara family are nice people but all of them are addicted to sound. The house sounds hollow and sound travels and it is hard to study at the house.
No dinner at home. We worked upstairs until time to eat. I can last til 7:30pm but need to eat by then. There was only the older son at home when we went down and he was on his cell phone. He left just as we decided that we would have to go out and feed ourselves. We went to Cubatenago and shared a California style burrito. While we were there the owners put in a movie for his customers. It was about a revolution in San Salvador which from the little we watch while eating was not going to end well so we left after we were done eating. We returned to the house and the family was all seated around the table eating. They looked a little concerned when we said we did not need to eat. They are to provide three meals a day along with a room & hot water to be a host family. If I were to speculate I would have to thing that it is the end of the month and the Xela queen pageant turned out to be expensive. Food is getting rather simple and scarce.
Aug 26_Sunday_Church
Aug 26_Sunday_Church
The Cathedral off of Parque Central (Central Park) is a magnificant building. It has a white facade and is especially beautiful when it is lit up at night. The inside is huge and very beautiful. There are many side altars with statues of saints in beautiful display cases. All of these side altars have a place in front to place candles which are well used. There are beautiful altar clothes and some of the statues also have on colorful robes or dresses.
We slept in this morning. We got up to dress for church about 8 am. I wore the ugly skirt I bought for $4 with long johns underneath. We went down for breakfast which was a no show. We packed our study stuff and our journals and headed for the church to check Mass schedules for Sunday then we went to McDonald’s for the big breakfast of eggs and sausage. The Mass was somewhat better this morning. There was no outside noise such as firecrackers or vehicles with PA systems on top blairing out more noise. We had some little Mass booklets that help us navigate the Spanish service better. After church we went to the little restaurant Don and Juan love because of the Chocolate con leche (hot chocolate).
Una pelicula y no estudiar --Time off from studying
Sunday afternoon we took the microbus to Hyper Piaz to go to a movie. We wanted to take Mariana (the 9 year old) to see the penquin movie but I am guessing that will never happen. Anyway the movie was a cheap date but not a great movie at all. It was however in English with Spanish subtitles!
Back home for our little bit of dinner and a good nights sleep.
The Cathedral off of Parque Central (Central Park) is a magnificant building. It has a white facade and is especially beautiful when it is lit up at night. The inside is huge and very beautiful. There are many side altars with statues of saints in beautiful display cases. All of these side altars have a place in front to place candles which are well used. There are beautiful altar clothes and some of the statues also have on colorful robes or dresses.
We slept in this morning. We got up to dress for church about 8 am. I wore the ugly skirt I bought for $4 with long johns underneath. We went down for breakfast which was a no show. We packed our study stuff and our journals and headed for the church to check Mass schedules for Sunday then we went to McDonald’s for the big breakfast of eggs and sausage. The Mass was somewhat better this morning. There was no outside noise such as firecrackers or vehicles with PA systems on top blairing out more noise. We had some little Mass booklets that help us navigate the Spanish service better. After church we went to the little restaurant Don and Juan love because of the Chocolate con leche (hot chocolate).
Una pelicula y no estudiar --Time off from studying
Sunday afternoon we took the microbus to Hyper Piaz to go to a movie. We wanted to take Mariana (the 9 year old) to see the penquin movie but I am guessing that will never happen. Anyway the movie was a cheap date but not a great movie at all. It was however in English with Spanish subtitles!
Back home for our little bit of dinner and a good nights sleep.
Aug 29_Wednesday Clinic Field Trip
Aug 29_Wednesday Clinic Field Trip
Breakfast was a big bowl of fresh fruit. Hortensia cut up a banana, pineapple, & papayas. It tasted great but will not hold up very long. If we walk during class we use up a lot of energy walking up and down on cobblestone and broken sideways avoiding chicken buses and microbuses.
Today was another field trip with Patty as a PT student. We met the other two girls who are grouped together for these traveling clinic/hospital visits at the Benito Juarez Park traveling by microbus. We boarded a chicken bus and nearly missed getting off at the right village outside of Xela. We walked down main street to the clinic site. There they saw one patient, a women with a shoulder problem. It was a poor clinic with a staff of at least 5 or 6 therapist. As far as I could see they were doing much of the same treatments used at the rehab center, at least the treatments that did not require a lot of equipment.
The PT students all have to wear a navy blue uniform when they go out to do a clinical visit. They look nice and neat and professional.
The return trip was typical. We waited for a microbus going back to Xela and found some seats that were not occupied (that is sorta tricky on these things). By the time we were headed back to Xela there were 25 people stuffed into the van that would hold only 15 people here in the states. The last five people were hunched over and standing! Yes they can see that no seats are available and they get on anyway.
Breakfast was a big bowl of fresh fruit. Hortensia cut up a banana, pineapple, & papayas. It tasted great but will not hold up very long. If we walk during class we use up a lot of energy walking up and down on cobblestone and broken sideways avoiding chicken buses and microbuses.
Today was another field trip with Patty as a PT student. We met the other two girls who are grouped together for these traveling clinic/hospital visits at the Benito Juarez Park traveling by microbus. We boarded a chicken bus and nearly missed getting off at the right village outside of Xela. We walked down main street to the clinic site. There they saw one patient, a women with a shoulder problem. It was a poor clinic with a staff of at least 5 or 6 therapist. As far as I could see they were doing much of the same treatments used at the rehab center, at least the treatments that did not require a lot of equipment.
The PT students all have to wear a navy blue uniform when they go out to do a clinical visit. They look nice and neat and professional.
The return trip was typical. We waited for a microbus going back to Xela and found some seats that were not occupied (that is sorta tricky on these things). By the time we were headed back to Xela there were 25 people stuffed into the van that would hold only 15 people here in the states. The last five people were hunched over and standing! Yes they can see that no seats are available and they get on anyway.
Aug 27_Monday The Third Week
Aug 27_Monday The Third Week
The day began as it usually does, with just enough breakfast to prevent starvation. We got to school and had to review the “extra” activities. This week we are being a bit more selective because they are running us to death.
We were also given the choice of keeping our teachers or trying new ones. It was recommended that we change teachers so we could ‘hear’ different voices. Don and Juan are making progress and work well together. Patty and I are doing okay. I don’t think Patty is as experienced as Juan but since I am a real beginner in Spanish she is doing okay and I think I will stick with her.
Patty is studying to be a physical therapist and is 24 years old. On Wednesday this week she is taking me with her to a training session at her hospital. She makes me think of Robyn and I have told her that often worked with Robyn as she learned to verbalize her exercise sessions for class.
Today I requested that we try to add some conversation sentences to my Spanish and cut back on conjugating verbs. Since Sandra was selected Queen we are mixing with a lot of people. I would like to be able to answer simple questions and to inform people that I am a student of Spanish and know “un poquito” (a little) Spanish. Marlo spoke with Patty about a course of action for my Spanish. By the time she was done Patty had a whole new set of instructions dealing with my Spanish progress. I have to give Patty credit for dealing with the new direction. We spent more time talking and by doing that I am better able to listen and hear the Spanish spoken to me. I will still need to do a lot of verb conjugating but I felt better able to meet with people at the house and even in the city. Don and I plan to continue our studies once we are done here and I foresee a lot of verb conjugating in my future --- yeah!
The day began as it usually does, with just enough breakfast to prevent starvation. We got to school and had to review the “extra” activities. This week we are being a bit more selective because they are running us to death.
We were also given the choice of keeping our teachers or trying new ones. It was recommended that we change teachers so we could ‘hear’ different voices. Don and Juan are making progress and work well together. Patty and I are doing okay. I don’t think Patty is as experienced as Juan but since I am a real beginner in Spanish she is doing okay and I think I will stick with her.
Patty is studying to be a physical therapist and is 24 years old. On Wednesday this week she is taking me with her to a training session at her hospital. She makes me think of Robyn and I have told her that often worked with Robyn as she learned to verbalize her exercise sessions for class.
Today I requested that we try to add some conversation sentences to my Spanish and cut back on conjugating verbs. Since Sandra was selected Queen we are mixing with a lot of people. I would like to be able to answer simple questions and to inform people that I am a student of Spanish and know “un poquito” (a little) Spanish. Marlo spoke with Patty about a course of action for my Spanish. By the time she was done Patty had a whole new set of instructions dealing with my Spanish progress. I have to give Patty credit for dealing with the new direction. We spent more time talking and by doing that I am better able to listen and hear the Spanish spoken to me. I will still need to do a lot of verb conjugating but I felt better able to meet with people at the house and even in the city. Don and I plan to continue our studies once we are done here and I foresee a lot of verb conjugating in my future --- yeah!
Aug 24 Friday Sick in Bed
Aug 24 Friday Sick in Bed
I woke up feeling terrible so I decided to stay in bed. We were going to a glass factory but Don & I were the only ones going so Don decided to stay at school and work on more verbs with Juan. Hortensia came up and inquired on my health and later brought up a bowl of fresh fruit. In felt bad enough to stay in bed all day today. Don came home on the school break around 10 am to check on me. By evening I felt a great deal better – or so I thought – at any rate I got up and dressed for the Friday event of the Indigenous Queen pageant, the Umial Tinimit re Xelajuj Noj; Mayan Queen. I was soon miserable waiting for the start of the event. We stood in line with the family waiting for the doors to be opened and when they did the family saw to it that we had good seats in the middle of the theater. We then proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait for the thing to start. I was feeling bad all over, was generally miserable and soon had a whiz-bang headache that had me flinching. Each of the 5 candidates had their own cheering squad in a place designed to carry Sound! The little man with the hammer that was beating on my head nearly beat me to a pulp by the time the event finished. The whistles took off my head! I did not carry anything that would have helped to reduce the headache---dumb.
We had flags and balloons for Sandra. The balloons were “popped” when she entered the runway to the stage! Noise, Noise and more Noise. Mayans seldom get into a hurry & the walk down the runway was at a snails pace. Whiz-bang! The little man was busy!!! Each girl gave a short talk. Sandra’s incorporated the music of the marimba behind her talk and it was very effective. All the candidates and last years queen did a dance on the stage in slow motion. The judges finally left to make their decision.
While the judges were out the crowed was entertained by the Xelephone Municipal Band and several dance skits about Mayan life. The costuming was great and I would have enjoyed the whole thing more if I had felt better. After Sandra won we headed out for home. It was cold outside! My teeth starting chattering along working with the little man with the hammer, to make me totally miserable.. By the time we were nearly home I was nearly in tears. The after party was at grandfathers so Don took me home, loaded me with drugs and I was in PJ’s and in bed pronto.
Fortunately we had canceled the Saturday school activity. I laid low most of the day. I trailed behind Don trying to keep my stomach happy. We helped our fellow student, Stephanie get on her way on the next leg of her trip. Stephanie finished her Spanish lessons on Friday. She loaded her stuff into a monster back pack and we went with her to catch a chicken bus to Antigua. Once she was off we went to the Hyper Piaz, the large mall and got some dinner to balance out the bowl of fruit served for lunch at Grandpas. We bought a bath mat to help the process of bathing which is always an adventure. My vote after this was to go home and back to bed until supper.
Hortensia did not wash dishes under our room last night. I am sure she was exhausted. That meant we all had a full night’s sleep.
I woke up feeling terrible so I decided to stay in bed. We were going to a glass factory but Don & I were the only ones going so Don decided to stay at school and work on more verbs with Juan. Hortensia came up and inquired on my health and later brought up a bowl of fresh fruit. In felt bad enough to stay in bed all day today. Don came home on the school break around 10 am to check on me. By evening I felt a great deal better – or so I thought – at any rate I got up and dressed for the Friday event of the Indigenous Queen pageant, the Umial Tinimit re Xelajuj Noj; Mayan Queen. I was soon miserable waiting for the start of the event. We stood in line with the family waiting for the doors to be opened and when they did the family saw to it that we had good seats in the middle of the theater. We then proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait for the thing to start. I was feeling bad all over, was generally miserable and soon had a whiz-bang headache that had me flinching. Each of the 5 candidates had their own cheering squad in a place designed to carry Sound! The little man with the hammer that was beating on my head nearly beat me to a pulp by the time the event finished. The whistles took off my head! I did not carry anything that would have helped to reduce the headache---dumb.
We had flags and balloons for Sandra. The balloons were “popped” when she entered the runway to the stage! Noise, Noise and more Noise. Mayans seldom get into a hurry & the walk down the runway was at a snails pace. Whiz-bang! The little man was busy!!! Each girl gave a short talk. Sandra’s incorporated the music of the marimba behind her talk and it was very effective. All the candidates and last years queen did a dance on the stage in slow motion. The judges finally left to make their decision.
While the judges were out the crowed was entertained by the Xelephone Municipal Band and several dance skits about Mayan life. The costuming was great and I would have enjoyed the whole thing more if I had felt better. After Sandra won we headed out for home. It was cold outside! My teeth starting chattering along working with the little man with the hammer, to make me totally miserable.. By the time we were nearly home I was nearly in tears. The after party was at grandfathers so Don took me home, loaded me with drugs and I was in PJ’s and in bed pronto.
Fortunately we had canceled the Saturday school activity. I laid low most of the day. I trailed behind Don trying to keep my stomach happy. We helped our fellow student, Stephanie get on her way on the next leg of her trip. Stephanie finished her Spanish lessons on Friday. She loaded her stuff into a monster back pack and we went with her to catch a chicken bus to Antigua. Once she was off we went to the Hyper Piaz, the large mall and got some dinner to balance out the bowl of fruit served for lunch at Grandpas. We bought a bath mat to help the process of bathing which is always an adventure. My vote after this was to go home and back to bed until supper.
Hortensia did not wash dishes under our room last night. I am sure she was exhausted. That meant we all had a full night’s sleep.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Aug 23 Happy Birthday Donna!
Happy Birthday Donna! When we spoke with Donna on Wednesday evening she had plans to have lunch at Chuck-E-Cheese with Nic. I hope she enjoyed her birthday. tee! hee! Patty actually wrote the words to happy birthday in Spanish but we didn't get to use it. It is hard to sing in Spanish by the way.
Breakfast was fast and easy. If you make a large batch of frijoles (refried beans) you can feed 'gringos' for a weak or more-- you just change the egg, boiled, scrambled etc.! After eating we walked the couple of blocks to school. The roads are narrow and cobblestone and therefore difficult to walk on. The sidewalks are unique! They are at all levels, made of a variety of materials, broken is spots and most have a hugh lamp post parked in the middle. I have to watch my feet as I walk and to 'see' the sights it is necessary to stop moving and look up. It is a challenge to either walk in the street or try the sidewalks.
The activity after class was a typical Guatemala lunch prepared at school. We had already had two versions of the chicken with sauce over rice with our host family who were Mayan. The food was tasty cooked by Marlo as she used more spices than our host family does. It was later that day that I began to feel bad. No one else who ate at the school got sick. Soon after lunch I began to have cold chills so bad my teeth chattered and all the muscles in my body were soon tired from the shivering. I did have some diarrhea but not like we had read was a reaction to food poisoning. I stayed home from school and stay upstairs in my room in bed. Hortensia came up later in the morning and brought me a bowl of freshly peeled fruit. I had no fever and no vomiting and at that point no headache.
Breakfast was fast and easy. If you make a large batch of frijoles (refried beans) you can feed 'gringos' for a weak or more-- you just change the egg, boiled, scrambled etc.! After eating we walked the couple of blocks to school. The roads are narrow and cobblestone and therefore difficult to walk on. The sidewalks are unique! They are at all levels, made of a variety of materials, broken is spots and most have a hugh lamp post parked in the middle. I have to watch my feet as I walk and to 'see' the sights it is necessary to stop moving and look up. It is a challenge to either walk in the street or try the sidewalks.
The activity after class was a typical Guatemala lunch prepared at school. We had already had two versions of the chicken with sauce over rice with our host family who were Mayan. The food was tasty cooked by Marlo as she used more spices than our host family does. It was later that day that I began to feel bad. No one else who ate at the school got sick. Soon after lunch I began to have cold chills so bad my teeth chattered and all the muscles in my body were soon tired from the shivering. I did have some diarrhea but not like we had read was a reaction to food poisoning. I stayed home from school and stay upstairs in my room in bed. Hortensia came up later in the morning and brought me a bowl of freshly peeled fruit. I had no fever and no vomiting and at that point no headache.
Aug 22 Running for trash pickup
Trash Day --- I had to laugh because nearly missing the trash truck is a mad dash here just like at home. Hortensia was carring a bag in each hand and making a run for the front door. She went one way around the car, which is parked next to the sofa, and I ran around the other way to throw open the door! Don dashed upstairs to collect our bit of trash and had to run down the street to pitch it into the truck! Some things are the same the world over.
After our class time our afternoon activity was to a hot spring a short distance away. It did mean we had to take a 'chicken bus' and when we arrived Juan, our guide and Don's teacher, arranged for transport up the mountain in a small pick up truck. I was given a choice of riding inside the cab of the truck or in the back. I selected the back because we would be able to see more. It was a good thing to get pictures while going up the mountain because the clouds dropped down and turned off the view.
The hot swim was wonderful! We have so little hot water to enjoy that this was pure heaven. The water is heated by volcano but was not as hot as one would expect because of a hydroelectric plant drawing off some of the water (so they said). Juan set outside and did not get into the water so he was freezing. It was just heaven to be able to soak in hot water. We met a young couple from Australia, Derek and Melissa, & gave them space in our truck to go back down the mountain. They were fun to talk do and had only be in GUA for a couple of days and were moving on the next day. Don gave them directions to a good bus for the trip they wanted to take. The trip down the mountain was very cold because my head was still wet. I was glad that I had my ugly hat to put on to help hold in some heat.
We managed to catch Donna Joy on the phone late in the day. We wished her a happy birthday just in case we would not be able to find her on her birthday August 23. She had plans to spend her birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese for lunch with Nic.
After our class time our afternoon activity was to a hot spring a short distance away. It did mean we had to take a 'chicken bus' and when we arrived Juan, our guide and Don's teacher, arranged for transport up the mountain in a small pick up truck. I was given a choice of riding inside the cab of the truck or in the back. I selected the back because we would be able to see more. It was a good thing to get pictures while going up the mountain because the clouds dropped down and turned off the view.
The hot swim was wonderful! We have so little hot water to enjoy that this was pure heaven. The water is heated by volcano but was not as hot as one would expect because of a hydroelectric plant drawing off some of the water (so they said). Juan set outside and did not get into the water so he was freezing. It was just heaven to be able to soak in hot water. We met a young couple from Australia, Derek and Melissa, & gave them space in our truck to go back down the mountain. They were fun to talk do and had only be in GUA for a couple of days and were moving on the next day. Don gave them directions to a good bus for the trip they wanted to take. The trip down the mountain was very cold because my head was still wet. I was glad that I had my ugly hat to put on to help hold in some heat.
We managed to catch Donna Joy on the phone late in the day. We wished her a happy birthday just in case we would not be able to find her on her birthday August 23. She had plans to spend her birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese for lunch with Nic.
The Shower
This is a side trip.
I have to tell you about the fancy shower facilities we had in our home stay. One of the requirements to be a host for a Spanish student from outside of Guatemala is that you have hot water for showers. Let me tell you that both Don and I are grateful for the really hot showers we can take at home in the good old USA!
First, the bathroom has all the usual stuff in it, sink, toilet, and a shower stall. There is nothing in the room to set your DRY clothes on and here is where the story starts. The shower stall is about 6 feet long with about a one foot 'lip' with a drain at the bottom. I guess we should not have been surprised at the amount of water that was always on the floor because the FLOOR had a drain set in it also! It is designed to be just a shower, no chance of a tub bath. The shower head is a large gizmo and out of the top of it are several wires that it is wise NOT to touch that are connected to a fuse box. When you are ready to shower you turn on the water and flip the switch on the fuse box. If the shower is working properly you should get a nice spray of warm to hot water. Our shower did not work properly! By the time we had turned the water down far enough to have warm/hot water we had a trickle of water to shower under.
Second, there is a window at ceiling level that cannot be closed! There is no window on the bottom half and the top was also open to the outdoors. Most of the time there was a nifty breeze coming in -- which is okay if you are dry-- but when wet all over and the temperature outside is 58 to 63 degrees dressing is a really chilly thing to be doing at the end of the day.
The 15 year old and the other English/Spanish student both were extremely talented in getting the floor wet all the way to the door (about 6 feet) and the toilet seat wet. Now I have to be honest and say that there was a lot of splash from the shower but not enough to reach the door!
So showers were done in not quite freezing water and there was no heater in the bathroom! There was no place to put your towel or anything else for that matter. We brushed our teeth with bottled water. We also had to supply our own toilet paper which could not be flushed because the pluming system in ALL of Guatemala cannot handle any paper. There are trash cans provided but not always toilet paper. We quickly learned to carry Kleenex with us always.
We did experience a similar shower head that did work. We got a hot shower in Antigua with the same type of shower head. We felt like we had been cheated for 4 weeks.
I have to tell you about the fancy shower facilities we had in our home stay. One of the requirements to be a host for a Spanish student from outside of Guatemala is that you have hot water for showers. Let me tell you that both Don and I are grateful for the really hot showers we can take at home in the good old USA!
First, the bathroom has all the usual stuff in it, sink, toilet, and a shower stall. There is nothing in the room to set your DRY clothes on and here is where the story starts. The shower stall is about 6 feet long with about a one foot 'lip' with a drain at the bottom. I guess we should not have been surprised at the amount of water that was always on the floor because the FLOOR had a drain set in it also! It is designed to be just a shower, no chance of a tub bath. The shower head is a large gizmo and out of the top of it are several wires that it is wise NOT to touch that are connected to a fuse box. When you are ready to shower you turn on the water and flip the switch on the fuse box. If the shower is working properly you should get a nice spray of warm to hot water. Our shower did not work properly! By the time we had turned the water down far enough to have warm/hot water we had a trickle of water to shower under.
Second, there is a window at ceiling level that cannot be closed! There is no window on the bottom half and the top was also open to the outdoors. Most of the time there was a nifty breeze coming in -- which is okay if you are dry-- but when wet all over and the temperature outside is 58 to 63 degrees dressing is a really chilly thing to be doing at the end of the day.
The 15 year old and the other English/Spanish student both were extremely talented in getting the floor wet all the way to the door (about 6 feet) and the toilet seat wet. Now I have to be honest and say that there was a lot of splash from the shower but not enough to reach the door!
So showers were done in not quite freezing water and there was no heater in the bathroom! There was no place to put your towel or anything else for that matter. We brushed our teeth with bottled water. We also had to supply our own toilet paper which could not be flushed because the pluming system in ALL of Guatemala cannot handle any paper. There are trash cans provided but not always toilet paper. We quickly learned to carry Kleenex with us always.
We did experience a similar shower head that did work. We got a hot shower in Antigua with the same type of shower head. We felt like we had been cheated for 4 weeks.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Aug 21 Tuesday Orphanage field trip
This day began with a choice for breakfast of fruit or eggs. I would have loved only the fruit but egg is protein so we were served scrambled eggs and sausage Xela style, with tortillas, and at the end, a cup of tea. We walk so much that fruit just does not last till our next meal which is served to the whole family around 2 or 2:30 pm. Then we headed for class. We began working on verbs in the present tense. I think Marlo stuck her head into the room today because Patty was making a bigger effort to stay with Spanish only in class. I think it is a fine idea; particularly if I had enough words (polabras) to use to say what I need to say. I will do my best not to get her into trouble since I know she needs the money from teaching. We took a small field trip to an Internet cage to print a report in color that Patty needed for school. On our field trips we converse in Spanish and identify objects, people, things, etc. as we walk. That is why the guys -- Don and Juan -- give us a hard time about our "Spanish for women." We had to extend our field trip because the first cafe could not print in color.
Don and Juan took a field trip to a Mennonite operated bread store. They are only open 2 days a week. They came back with raisin bread, yogurt for me, and cheese. It was a good snack. The afternoon activity scheduled by the school is a trip to a local orphanage.
It must be tough to live with 11 boys from age 9 to 12!!! They all looked healthy and a far as we could tell happy. Before we could take them to the park they all had to have a bath which was done with a great deal of gusto!! I was glad not to be the next in line for a bath.
In the kitchen there was a great long dinning table with benches which would be the easiest way to feed that many boys. The living room had a sofa & TV. The room in the front had a fireplace and a love seat. When all were clean we hiked to a pitiful park. It was full of trash & overgrown grass with way to many pieces of equipment and many in need of repair or trashed. The lost boys still enjoyed the outing. Don bought everybody a chocolate covered banana which is a sweet everyone seems to love here.
Back at the house we setteled in to do some homework. We ended up staying in for the night and not walking to the Internet cafe. It was nice to be still for a bit. I rested well and the nap did not disturb bed time.
Don and Juan took a field trip to a Mennonite operated bread store. They are only open 2 days a week. They came back with raisin bread, yogurt for me, and cheese. It was a good snack. The afternoon activity scheduled by the school is a trip to a local orphanage.
It must be tough to live with 11 boys from age 9 to 12!!! They all looked healthy and a far as we could tell happy. Before we could take them to the park they all had to have a bath which was done with a great deal of gusto!! I was glad not to be the next in line for a bath.
In the kitchen there was a great long dinning table with benches which would be the easiest way to feed that many boys. The living room had a sofa & TV. The room in the front had a fireplace and a love seat. When all were clean we hiked to a pitiful park. It was full of trash & overgrown grass with way to many pieces of equipment and many in need of repair or trashed. The lost boys still enjoyed the outing. Don bought everybody a chocolate covered banana which is a sweet everyone seems to love here.
Back at the house we setteled in to do some homework. We ended up staying in for the night and not walking to the Internet cafe. It was nice to be still for a bit. I rested well and the nap did not disturb bed time.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Aug 20 Monday The Closet
The weekend was not as quiet and restful as we had hoped it would be. We managed to use up all of Saturday and Sunday as hard as we used up the rest of the week. Since we were out of cloths we gathered everything we could to take a trip to the laundry. We even stripped the bed and washed them as well. I located a broom and dust pan and cleaned up our space as well as the hall and bathroom. It is the least I can do to help Hortensia. The floors are tile or marble depending on the room. The house itself is clean enough to be healthy but would not win any prizes.
We had no place to hang a wet towel or our sweaters/jacket so we contrived one from one or two of the shops here. We bought a bit of cord and Don tied loops down the cord and we hung that from the curtain rods. Now we have a place to hang a few things but we mainly live out of our suitcases. Hortensia was impressed when she saw it. The other room they rent has a wardrobe (a.k.a closet) in it. I would not change our room just for the closet. We have an ´L´shaped room so it works as well as you could expect in a camping situation.
Last night Hortensia stopped in our room for something and noticed our suitcases on the floor. She then scavenged a table and carried it into our room. We decided we need some place to sit and write so we turned it into a small double desk. It was a great idea but the house is just not quiet enough to allow any studying to be done. We have an additional touch lamp that provides a bit more light but let me tell you these people have a ´thing´about using enough light to see by----anywhere.
After class today, which Patty and I spent at the local Mercado, Don and I ate lunch of a really good potato salad, a thin red salsa and the inevitable tortillas. The we took a shuttle bus to the Hyper Paiz (large mall) to buy some snacks and clothes hangers for our ´closet´. We picked up laundry and re- made the bed. We stopped at McDonald´s for a snack of chicken nuggets to help fill in the cracks. Hortensia makes sure all of the people in the house have a cup of liquid to drink with every meal. She brought up a cup of tea and that is how she saw our nifty closet.
Dinner was a bowl of cut up fruit supplement in our room with peanut butter and crackers. We ended the day by working on this blog at Xelapages.
Now my day is done and I have run down. It is time to return to the house for a cold ´hot´shower and another night of sleep. Things are better now that the pageant is done. Yeah!
We had no place to hang a wet towel or our sweaters/jacket so we contrived one from one or two of the shops here. We bought a bit of cord and Don tied loops down the cord and we hung that from the curtain rods. Now we have a place to hang a few things but we mainly live out of our suitcases. Hortensia was impressed when she saw it. The other room they rent has a wardrobe (a.k.a closet) in it. I would not change our room just for the closet. We have an ´L´shaped room so it works as well as you could expect in a camping situation.
Last night Hortensia stopped in our room for something and noticed our suitcases on the floor. She then scavenged a table and carried it into our room. We decided we need some place to sit and write so we turned it into a small double desk. It was a great idea but the house is just not quiet enough to allow any studying to be done. We have an additional touch lamp that provides a bit more light but let me tell you these people have a ´thing´about using enough light to see by----anywhere.
After class today, which Patty and I spent at the local Mercado, Don and I ate lunch of a really good potato salad, a thin red salsa and the inevitable tortillas. The we took a shuttle bus to the Hyper Paiz (large mall) to buy some snacks and clothes hangers for our ´closet´. We picked up laundry and re- made the bed. We stopped at McDonald´s for a snack of chicken nuggets to help fill in the cracks. Hortensia makes sure all of the people in the house have a cup of liquid to drink with every meal. She brought up a cup of tea and that is how she saw our nifty closet.
Dinner was a bowl of cut up fruit supplement in our room with peanut butter and crackers. We ended the day by working on this blog at Xelapages.
Now my day is done and I have run down. It is time to return to the house for a cold ´hot´shower and another night of sleep. Things are better now that the pageant is done. Yeah!
August 19 Sunday - Domingo Mayan Ceremony
We were up at out usual 6 am and Don made us a cup of hot tea thanks to Susan and her heating element! It works like a charm Susan. The water really boils and quickly. We have a cup of tea in the evening and it is a bit of heaven. I just wish we could heat the shower water as quickly and as hot! Oh well, If wishes were horses beggars would ride.
This Sunday the family slept in really late so we took ourselves off to McDonalds for the big breakfast of square eggs, sausage, hash browns, and English muffin and water. Knowing the family would be up we headed back for the house and had second breakfast at the house of left over rice with a small piece of chicken. Everyone began to prepare for the Sunday morning Mayan event we were invited to attend in honor of daughter, Sandra.
When everyone was ready to leave we all piled into the car to be driven up part way to the ceremonial site on top of a mini-mountain. As people gathered we walked around just a bit and took in the antique building. When they were ready we started up the mountain. It is an honor to be invited.
The trip up was not as hard as the climb up to the volcano but it was no picnic either. I took it slow and made it up to the site still able to speak. Don inquired about taking pictures of the Mayan ceremony and was told it was not allowed so we can only give a verbal accounting of the ceremony. We did not understand the Spanish that was being spoken but the Mayan people are a very caring people and they made sure by signs and words that we understood what was expected of us. We participated the best we could and tried not to be intrusive or to stand out more than we already did by being Americans.
We had to sign in at the top and were given our Nahuales, which is like a horoscope, or sign and describes who you are by your birth date. The first 2 hours was an attempt to educate the young people on Mayan beliefs and customs. The Mayan people are trying hard to maintain their identity. The Mayans were forced to convert to Catholicism many years ago and like many cultures preserving itself many are Catholic in name only. Such is the case with our family. They have a Mayan altar in the house.
Today´s ceremony was to honor Sandra and three other girls the same age. It was a ceremony to remind everyone of their connection to the heavens, the winds, and the earth. All of us were seated under a couple of tents. Hortensia had said to bring our umbrellas and they did indeed come in handy as the sun was very strong out in the open. After the first two hours we concluded under the tent with everyone standing up and being grouped by their Nahuales. We had attended a lecture on Nahuales (with a translator) so we had some idea of the things that were being said.
We then moved to ceremony around a fire circle. Inside the circle a Mayan ´priest´had been saying prayers and had set the fire circle up with large candles on the outer edges. The candles and their colors have significance to the Mayan. We were given several in different colors to put into the fire as the ceremony continued. We were also given earth, incense, and something sweet to put into the fire. We could not ask questions about the significance of the ceremony and we were the only non0Mayans in attendance so we decided it was best not to ask questions.
When the ceremony was complete all of the people there were fed a marvelous beef vegetable soup. It had a most clear broth with carrots, potatoes, quisquilla, and cabbage and was really delicious. We were also offered more of their corn tortilla/tamales but I declined because my blood sugar was a bit high. Most of the foods we eat are starch so it is a good thing Hortensia limits my portions but that means I am often hungry way before Don is.
We walked back down the mountain with little Michelle and her parents. It was much easier going down the mountain let me tell you. It was extremely steep in places and worked the knees and ankles. My ankle is getting a lot of exercise so my personal PT will be happy about that. Hortensia stayed behind to help with the cleaning up. We actually took a nap when we got back to the house. It was some hike for a Sunday.
After our rest we headed out to hunt and gather more food for our dinner. We needed a place we could study till the 7 pm Mass at the Cathedral. We thought Hortensia need to be free of the duty of providing an evening meal for us so we found ´a hamburger of a different color´at a little place Don and Juan haunt for chocolate con leche. They were tasty and no funky stomach developed from eating there. We left the restaurant and discovered Parque Central absolutely alive with people and 3 marching bands. There were food stalls and other vendor stalls all over the place. It was an amazing sight to see so many people out at that time of day. We went to Mass and discovered that not knowing the language was not really a problem---we could´t hear a word over the fireworks!!!! There is a challenge to following the Mass because there are some subtle bits that we miss and therefore we loose track of where we are during the Mass. The sound system echos so badly that deciphering the language is nearly impossible.
This Sunday the family slept in really late so we took ourselves off to McDonalds for the big breakfast of square eggs, sausage, hash browns, and English muffin and water. Knowing the family would be up we headed back for the house and had second breakfast at the house of left over rice with a small piece of chicken. Everyone began to prepare for the Sunday morning Mayan event we were invited to attend in honor of daughter, Sandra.
When everyone was ready to leave we all piled into the car to be driven up part way to the ceremonial site on top of a mini-mountain. As people gathered we walked around just a bit and took in the antique building. When they were ready we started up the mountain. It is an honor to be invited.
The trip up was not as hard as the climb up to the volcano but it was no picnic either. I took it slow and made it up to the site still able to speak. Don inquired about taking pictures of the Mayan ceremony and was told it was not allowed so we can only give a verbal accounting of the ceremony. We did not understand the Spanish that was being spoken but the Mayan people are a very caring people and they made sure by signs and words that we understood what was expected of us. We participated the best we could and tried not to be intrusive or to stand out more than we already did by being Americans.
We had to sign in at the top and were given our Nahuales, which is like a horoscope, or sign and describes who you are by your birth date. The first 2 hours was an attempt to educate the young people on Mayan beliefs and customs. The Mayan people are trying hard to maintain their identity. The Mayans were forced to convert to Catholicism many years ago and like many cultures preserving itself many are Catholic in name only. Such is the case with our family. They have a Mayan altar in the house.
Today´s ceremony was to honor Sandra and three other girls the same age. It was a ceremony to remind everyone of their connection to the heavens, the winds, and the earth. All of us were seated under a couple of tents. Hortensia had said to bring our umbrellas and they did indeed come in handy as the sun was very strong out in the open. After the first two hours we concluded under the tent with everyone standing up and being grouped by their Nahuales. We had attended a lecture on Nahuales (with a translator) so we had some idea of the things that were being said.
We then moved to ceremony around a fire circle. Inside the circle a Mayan ´priest´had been saying prayers and had set the fire circle up with large candles on the outer edges. The candles and their colors have significance to the Mayan. We were given several in different colors to put into the fire as the ceremony continued. We were also given earth, incense, and something sweet to put into the fire. We could not ask questions about the significance of the ceremony and we were the only non0Mayans in attendance so we decided it was best not to ask questions.
When the ceremony was complete all of the people there were fed a marvelous beef vegetable soup. It had a most clear broth with carrots, potatoes, quisquilla, and cabbage and was really delicious. We were also offered more of their corn tortilla/tamales but I declined because my blood sugar was a bit high. Most of the foods we eat are starch so it is a good thing Hortensia limits my portions but that means I am often hungry way before Don is.
We walked back down the mountain with little Michelle and her parents. It was much easier going down the mountain let me tell you. It was extremely steep in places and worked the knees and ankles. My ankle is getting a lot of exercise so my personal PT will be happy about that. Hortensia stayed behind to help with the cleaning up. We actually took a nap when we got back to the house. It was some hike for a Sunday.
After our rest we headed out to hunt and gather more food for our dinner. We needed a place we could study till the 7 pm Mass at the Cathedral. We thought Hortensia need to be free of the duty of providing an evening meal for us so we found ´a hamburger of a different color´at a little place Don and Juan haunt for chocolate con leche. They were tasty and no funky stomach developed from eating there. We left the restaurant and discovered Parque Central absolutely alive with people and 3 marching bands. There were food stalls and other vendor stalls all over the place. It was an amazing sight to see so many people out at that time of day. We went to Mass and discovered that not knowing the language was not really a problem---we could´t hear a word over the fireworks!!!! There is a challenge to following the Mass because there are some subtle bits that we miss and therefore we loose track of where we are during the Mass. The sound system echos so badly that deciphering the language is nearly impossible.
Monday, August 27, 2007
August 18 Saturday An Easy Day -- Ha!
The plan for today was to do nothing and relax. If you are with Don ¨relax¨doesn´t come into play very well. We got up at our usual time so we would be on schedule for our meals. Doña Hortensia will prepare our meals as we sit at the table and wait for them. By Guatemala standards our host family is ´middle class´. We have had trouble getting the fathers name and he new Don´s name but had no clue what to call me so he didn´t address me personally. (That has been fixed). We are beginning to bond with the family and they with us. We are essentially ´camping´in our room and looked at that way it is not so bad. The bathroom situation is the worst. There is no place to put anything to keep it dry. They have no concept of the use of a shower curtain. In fact the floor has a drain in it!!! We share this bathroom with the kids upstairs and poor Stephanie was the worst for getting water all the way to the door a good 4 or 5 feet from the shower. Everyone in the family is patient with us and our poor Spanish and all are willing to help even Marianna who is studying English in school and while she won´t speak it she understands a good bit.
We left the house around 8 am for someplace with a table and light and a cup of tea to study. Of course nothing is open that early except -------- you guessed it ------ McDonald´s! We nursed a luke warm cup of tea for over an hour and worked on our Spanish. Since we needed cash we left McDee´s and went to the ATM machine across Parque Central.
Drum roll please................... no luck! no money the card was not accepted. The Visa card (or what Don thought was the Visa card was refused! We had several bad hours figuring out the problem until Don discovered he was trying to use the wrong card. With the correct card we were soon on our way and happy campers again.
Lunch at home turned into a big affair when the grandfather arrived. Don and I had been playing with the girls taking their pictures and laughing at what Michelle thought was a good face for a picture (a scrunched up munchkin look) so the camera once again broke the ice and we took pictures of grandfather and son (our host) and a social event began. They took pictures of us also. Marianna turned out to be pretty good with a camera. Lunch was chicken with a spiced white sauce with rice and vegetables, more of the native style tortilla-tamale which is made of corn and cooked on the wood stove in the kitchen.
When lunch was over we again left to go start this nifty Blog. Linda´s Excellent Adventure in Guatemala blog was started. We are kept so busy with classes and schedule daily activities followed by homework that getting here is proving to be a bit difficult. You will have noticed that Don´s blog is full of minute details and mine is a bit more fluffy. I hope you are enjoying the blogs.
Dinner was a California style burrito that the owner of this Internet cafe-Xelapages taught the owners to make. It is not quite a Freebirds or a Chipotile but it is not bad at all. One is big enough for us to split for lunch. The young couple who operate and I assume owns the Cubatenango lived and worked in the food industry in Chicago and food there is safe to eat.
The day will finish with a Classical Guitar concert. In case I forget ---- this concert started 50 minutes late! The guitarist was very talented and we don´t know the reason for the long delay.
We left the house around 8 am for someplace with a table and light and a cup of tea to study. Of course nothing is open that early except -------- you guessed it ------ McDonald´s! We nursed a luke warm cup of tea for over an hour and worked on our Spanish. Since we needed cash we left McDee´s and went to the ATM machine across Parque Central.
Drum roll please................... no luck! no money the card was not accepted. The Visa card (or what Don thought was the Visa card was refused! We had several bad hours figuring out the problem until Don discovered he was trying to use the wrong card. With the correct card we were soon on our way and happy campers again.
Lunch at home turned into a big affair when the grandfather arrived. Don and I had been playing with the girls taking their pictures and laughing at what Michelle thought was a good face for a picture (a scrunched up munchkin look) so the camera once again broke the ice and we took pictures of grandfather and son (our host) and a social event began. They took pictures of us also. Marianna turned out to be pretty good with a camera. Lunch was chicken with a spiced white sauce with rice and vegetables, more of the native style tortilla-tamale which is made of corn and cooked on the wood stove in the kitchen.
When lunch was over we again left to go start this nifty Blog. Linda´s Excellent Adventure in Guatemala blog was started. We are kept so busy with classes and schedule daily activities followed by homework that getting here is proving to be a bit difficult. You will have noticed that Don´s blog is full of minute details and mine is a bit more fluffy. I hope you are enjoying the blogs.
Dinner was a California style burrito that the owner of this Internet cafe-Xelapages taught the owners to make. It is not quite a Freebirds or a Chipotile but it is not bad at all. One is big enough for us to split for lunch. The young couple who operate and I assume owns the Cubatenango lived and worked in the food industry in Chicago and food there is safe to eat.
The day will finish with a Classical Guitar concert. In case I forget ---- this concert started 50 minutes late! The guitarist was very talented and we don´t know the reason for the long delay.
San Fransico Market by Chicken Bus
San Fransico el alto by Chicken bus -- was a whole other kind of experience. On the trip up once we were loaded onto the bus we sat close together so Don and his teacher Juan worked on verb conjugation. I took in the sights as we went up the mountain. Everything is up a mountain! We got off of the bus at the market and the first thing that jumps out at you is a ton of people and all kinds of colors. The native outfit here is worn by women and consists of a skirt usually in a particular pattern for her village or town and a huipil or blouse (which is fancy on top and sewn to the bottom is white fabric that serves as a slip) in all the colors of the rainbow. It matters not to them if the colors go together (skirt and blouse). Generally you will see a fancy and different color apron over the top of the whole outfit. The women and girls always look dressed up. The fabric is rather heavy which is great for a climate that matches California -- sorta warm during the day and by early evening cooling off to the point that a sweater or jacket is nice to have, then you top that off with rain every afternoon and the women are dressed just right.
I can hardly imagine something that I could not have bought at the market. If you need a new outfit, a belt, hat, dried skunk, a bunch of baby pigs, a scrawny cow you are able to buy them here. There were shoes and boots and food stalls (but gringos don´t eat here!), scarves, blouses, capes, ponchos, or backpacks, jeans,and quilts all are there for your shopping pleasure.
There were sections that did not smell so very great but you could buy fish if you wanted it. There was a man outside a church giving a talk about the snake he was giving a drink of water too! Remember it rains here? Well the venders just take that in stride and put up big umbrellas and plastic tarps and any purchase you make will be put into a plastic bags. There is no grass in most areas except the park, streets and pathways are rock and cobblestone. After a rain you will have some standing water but not a great deal of mud although parts are muddy. We did not purchase anything mainly because Don forgot to put on the money belt and we had just enough money to buy a coke and pay for our round trip on the chicken bus.
The return trip has a different tale. Juan located the correct bus to get us back and Don and I boarded. Juan ran across to a tienda (store) to buy a phone card so he ended up seated 4 or 5 seats behind us. I was seated next to the window so Don hands me the camera to take pictures of the country side. That soon had us interacting with the people around us. Two Mayan women behind us started asking questions and answering our questions. At one point I gave Don a quick kiss which must have tickled the women because they wanted to take out picture ´kissing´. It took three attempts to get the picture they wanted! By this time we are three to a seat with one large grandmother with grandson perched on the outside edge of the seat. I took pictures of the people around us stuffed into this bus like sardines. We always make sure to ask permission before taking pictures of people near us. We were very entertaining to those riding with us.
For any sane people our morning would have been enough. We stopped at the house to drop off stuff, took our umbrellas and sailed off to explore Xela on foot! We ate lunch at a restaurant called Cubatenago. The meal was a Guatemalan meal Tipico. It was barbecue chicken, rice, vegetables, two small potato patties & tortillas. They had to send an employee out to buy a coke light (a.k.a. diet coke) and Don had the sweetened lemonade. After lunch we set off on foot for the big mall that Patty and I had gone to--Hyper Piaz. We actually did it! We walked the whole way. I was pleased to have provided the general directions needed to catch a smaller chicken bus (Don calls them micro busses). We boarded one after checking out the mall and headed back to Parque Central. We spent $27.00 for water, 2 lap desks (an attempt to ease neck and shoulder pain and before the table was added to our room), a coloring book for Marianna, and a small pocket dictionary. We were truly tuckered out.
We were invited Friday to a Mayan ceremony with our host family through Marlo to be sure we understood the whole thing. We agreed to attend.
I can hardly imagine something that I could not have bought at the market. If you need a new outfit, a belt, hat, dried skunk, a bunch of baby pigs, a scrawny cow you are able to buy them here. There were shoes and boots and food stalls (but gringos don´t eat here!), scarves, blouses, capes, ponchos, or backpacks, jeans,and quilts all are there for your shopping pleasure.
There were sections that did not smell so very great but you could buy fish if you wanted it. There was a man outside a church giving a talk about the snake he was giving a drink of water too! Remember it rains here? Well the venders just take that in stride and put up big umbrellas and plastic tarps and any purchase you make will be put into a plastic bags. There is no grass in most areas except the park, streets and pathways are rock and cobblestone. After a rain you will have some standing water but not a great deal of mud although parts are muddy. We did not purchase anything mainly because Don forgot to put on the money belt and we had just enough money to buy a coke and pay for our round trip on the chicken bus.
The return trip has a different tale. Juan located the correct bus to get us back and Don and I boarded. Juan ran across to a tienda (store) to buy a phone card so he ended up seated 4 or 5 seats behind us. I was seated next to the window so Don hands me the camera to take pictures of the country side. That soon had us interacting with the people around us. Two Mayan women behind us started asking questions and answering our questions. At one point I gave Don a quick kiss which must have tickled the women because they wanted to take out picture ´kissing´. It took three attempts to get the picture they wanted! By this time we are three to a seat with one large grandmother with grandson perched on the outside edge of the seat. I took pictures of the people around us stuffed into this bus like sardines. We always make sure to ask permission before taking pictures of people near us. We were very entertaining to those riding with us.
For any sane people our morning would have been enough. We stopped at the house to drop off stuff, took our umbrellas and sailed off to explore Xela on foot! We ate lunch at a restaurant called Cubatenago. The meal was a Guatemalan meal Tipico. It was barbecue chicken, rice, vegetables, two small potato patties & tortillas. They had to send an employee out to buy a coke light (a.k.a. diet coke) and Don had the sweetened lemonade. After lunch we set off on foot for the big mall that Patty and I had gone to--Hyper Piaz. We actually did it! We walked the whole way. I was pleased to have provided the general directions needed to catch a smaller chicken bus (Don calls them micro busses). We boarded one after checking out the mall and headed back to Parque Central. We spent $27.00 for water, 2 lap desks (an attempt to ease neck and shoulder pain and before the table was added to our room), a coloring book for Marianna, and a small pocket dictionary. We were truly tuckered out.
We were invited Friday to a Mayan ceremony with our host family through Marlo to be sure we understood the whole thing. We agreed to attend.
August 17 Friday Chicken Bus - Field Trip
Our day began wit leftover chicken with a red sauce over rice tht is very good. There was also the native bread which fills yu up. My blood sugar was 127 this morning, but that could be from the bowl of lentils and rice we ate at Mart´s fiesta abut 10 pm last night. I will have to watch the effect of the corn tortillas on my BG.
We had no formal class today because we had another field trip, this time to the open air market, San Francisco el Alto. We left with Juan as our guide (Don´s teacher) and took a small bus to a bigger round-about to catch a ¨chicken bus¨for the trip. Let me tell you about the chicken bus. They are actually yellow school busses. These busses are painted very colorfully and many of them have been named. You may have guessed that they STUFF as many people and their stuff into these busses as they can. Large bundles are put on top of the bus. I actually saw a basket of chickens with a mesh cover over the top of them loaded onto the top of the bus. You sit at least 3 to a seat and the aisle are full as well. They give no quarter as they rumble down the street and they follow the same rules of the road as the rest of Guatemala--- absolutely anything goes!
Before leaving the market we were told to leave anything valuable at home since the large number of people invites pick-pockets and they are good. We followed this advice and there is a story to go with this one you will get later.
Don has run out of steam for today so I will tell you about the market next time we find ourselves here at Xelapages.
We had no formal class today because we had another field trip, this time to the open air market, San Francisco el Alto. We left with Juan as our guide (Don´s teacher) and took a small bus to a bigger round-about to catch a ¨chicken bus¨for the trip. Let me tell you about the chicken bus. They are actually yellow school busses. These busses are painted very colorfully and many of them have been named. You may have guessed that they STUFF as many people and their stuff into these busses as they can. Large bundles are put on top of the bus. I actually saw a basket of chickens with a mesh cover over the top of them loaded onto the top of the bus. You sit at least 3 to a seat and the aisle are full as well. They give no quarter as they rumble down the street and they follow the same rules of the road as the rest of Guatemala--- absolutely anything goes!
Before leaving the market we were told to leave anything valuable at home since the large number of people invites pick-pockets and they are good. We followed this advice and there is a story to go with this one you will get later.
Don has run out of steam for today so I will tell you about the market next time we find ourselves here at Xelapages.
August 16 Thursday AR verbs--Historical Tour
Up and dressed for desayuno (breakfast) which is prepared for us when we come down. We try to keep to a schedule so Hortensia can know when to expect us. We had scrambled eggs, Mayan corn tortillas, hot drinkable cereal (still tasteless) this morning. We walked to school with Stephanie, the other student at Kie-Balam.
Patty started me on AR verbs! We had 15 or so which we had to conjugate. The dry erase marker gave up the ghost so we had to switch gears. It was more difficult but we got the job done. I now have to spend some time learning the verbs and hunting for more.
Our afternoon activity was a walking tour of the historic district and the museums with Marlo, the director as our guide. It rained!! It rains most afternoons here because it is winter. Marlo is trying hard to whoo Don into promoting Spanish, Kie-Balam and Guatemala with Iowa State University. She is doing her best to fulfill her end of our education at her school. There are currently only three students. The summer vacation months June and July in the USA are her busiest times.
We ended the day wet and tired. Just when we thought we would finish for the day Marlo invited us to a fiesta her sister Marta (from Chicago) was throwing at the school. We felt obligated to attend at least for a little while. After the party we left and discovered no running water at the house! It turned out to be a major problem for that sector of the city for a couple of days and included the school. Fortunately it rains in Guatemala and they capture the rain water for just this reason. So wet, cold and no shower available--- was a great day indeed. We went to bed and called it done for the day.
We found a laundry just down the street. Here it is call a lavanderia. We drop off our dirty clothes and after class pick them up folded. The cost is about $4.00 each time. It is really kind of slick -- no dish washing, meal preparation, no laundry and for this I am learning to say hello in Spanish.
Patty started me on AR verbs! We had 15 or so which we had to conjugate. The dry erase marker gave up the ghost so we had to switch gears. It was more difficult but we got the job done. I now have to spend some time learning the verbs and hunting for more.
Our afternoon activity was a walking tour of the historic district and the museums with Marlo, the director as our guide. It rained!! It rains most afternoons here because it is winter. Marlo is trying hard to whoo Don into promoting Spanish, Kie-Balam and Guatemala with Iowa State University. She is doing her best to fulfill her end of our education at her school. There are currently only three students. The summer vacation months June and July in the USA are her busiest times.
We ended the day wet and tired. Just when we thought we would finish for the day Marlo invited us to a fiesta her sister Marta (from Chicago) was throwing at the school. We felt obligated to attend at least for a little while. After the party we left and discovered no running water at the house! It turned out to be a major problem for that sector of the city for a couple of days and included the school. Fortunately it rains in Guatemala and they capture the rain water for just this reason. So wet, cold and no shower available--- was a great day indeed. We went to bed and called it done for the day.
We found a laundry just down the street. Here it is call a lavanderia. We drop off our dirty clothes and after class pick them up folded. The cost is about $4.00 each time. It is really kind of slick -- no dish washing, meal preparation, no laundry and for this I am learning to say hello in Spanish.
Field Trip with Patty
This morning after breakfast of a boiled egg, beans, white bread, and liquid cereal we went to school. Patty covered ¨la familia¨before 10 a.m. then we headed out on a field trip. Today Patty has a ´practical´at the hospital for her training as a physical therapist. We found ourselves stuffed into a more or less 15 passenger van/bus for 1 quetzale (about 15 cents) and I had to pay her fair. I counted 22 people in that bus not including the driver and the ´town crier´who hangs out of the door drumming up passengers as it is his job to fill the bus. It was an experience! Remember that there are no stop signs and I believe only one red light signal that I know of and street markings are for show! Nobody dies!!!!
At the hospital I was able to see the ´hand and arm´portion of PT with pulley ropes with weights and hand massage from my perch in the hallway. I could not follow Patty in with the patient in small cubicles with curtains across the doors. They looked much the same as those from the Rehab center in Iowa. I sat next to a woman working on a blouse that she was crocheting while she waited from her husband. The hallways of the hospital were dark as are most places I have been in. There is a cost factor involved in using electricity here. Don struggles with the lack of light more than I do.
After PT we went to a huge shopping mall. While window shopping we studied Spanish by naming everything we saw. It was Chick Spanish¨for women or ¨español para mujers¨. While adding to my vocabulary we exchanged ideas on the clothes we like best, counted the number of stores from the USA (Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, to name some). We had a great day.
Once again we ran across the director, Marlo, and got ourselves invited to a poetry reading at Patty´s college in the evening. We we got as much out of the evening was we did a Mass on Sunday--lets be nice and say we understood about 10 words.
Day is done!
At the hospital I was able to see the ´hand and arm´portion of PT with pulley ropes with weights and hand massage from my perch in the hallway. I could not follow Patty in with the patient in small cubicles with curtains across the doors. They looked much the same as those from the Rehab center in Iowa. I sat next to a woman working on a blouse that she was crocheting while she waited from her husband. The hallways of the hospital were dark as are most places I have been in. There is a cost factor involved in using electricity here. Don struggles with the lack of light more than I do.
After PT we went to a huge shopping mall. While window shopping we studied Spanish by naming everything we saw. It was Chick Spanish¨for women or ¨español para mujers¨. While adding to my vocabulary we exchanged ideas on the clothes we like best, counted the number of stores from the USA (Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, to name some). We had a great day.
Once again we ran across the director, Marlo, and got ourselves invited to a poetry reading at Patty´s college in the evening. We we got as much out of the evening was we did a Mass on Sunday--lets be nice and say we understood about 10 words.
Day is done!
Tuesday Class with Patty
On Tuesday Patty kept me busy. We covered body parts and I learned way more body parts than Don did but go figure-- Patty is preparing to be a physical therapist! Five hours a day is a long to do do anything and it really pushes me to pay attention that long to something I do not understand well but I am hanging in there.
The afternoon activity was a Salsa dance lesson. It was an experience to say the least. They managed to teach Don the ´Salty Dog Rag´but will never teach him to count the steps in Salsa dancing. It was however an interesting afternoon. Stephanie was well into it by the time we arrived but she is 21 and blond so the instructor worked hard with her.
After our day was done at school we both had a load of homework to do. We may be hard pressed to get the homework done as the director of the school invited us to attend a lecture on Nauali (which are a lot like your horoscope or signs) for the Mayan people. There was an interpreter there so we were able to follow somewhat the gist of the lecture. The object of the exercise was to ´hear´the language so we can eventually communicate.
The afternoon activity was a Salsa dance lesson. It was an experience to say the least. They managed to teach Don the ´Salty Dog Rag´but will never teach him to count the steps in Salsa dancing. It was however an interesting afternoon. Stephanie was well into it by the time we arrived but she is 21 and blond so the instructor worked hard with her.
After our day was done at school we both had a load of homework to do. We may be hard pressed to get the homework done as the director of the school invited us to attend a lecture on Nauali (which are a lot like your horoscope or signs) for the Mayan people. There was an interpreter there so we were able to follow somewhat the gist of the lecture. The object of the exercise was to ´hear´the language so we can eventually communicate.
Our Host Family
To continue on from the first day of school.
We started right in with a trace of a grin and we studied for 5 hours before we were taken to the home of our host family. We had all of our luggage with us at the school so we picked it up and toted it down the street. Our family is an Indigenous Mayan Family and they only speak Spanish. I believe they may understand some English because English is taught in the school at least a little. They own and operate a ´tienda´(small store) which is next to the garage and the garage is IN the house. They park their car next to the sofa! They have an absolutely beat up and finished sofa and two chairs. They face an entertainment center with a TV and DVD/Radio player and that stands next to a class display case in the shape of a cross with a statue of Jesus. Senor Miseal and Senora Hortensia Xicara may claim to be Catholic but that is in name only. They are Mayan and hold Mayan ceremonies. They often have lighted candles set in front of the display.
The family consists of Mom and Dad, 3 teenage sons and 2 teenage daughters, one 9 year old daughter, one grandchild, Michelle age 2, and Michelle´s dad. All of these people are at the house everyday for the big meal at lunch time. The evening meal can be rather skimpy. For the most part the home is poor but Don said that they have a better computer than we do and a better digital camera.
When we arrived the host family already had one student from Kie-Balam (our school). Stephanie had been taking Spanish in school and this was an enhancement. She had been in school here 2 weeks when we arrived. Can I say she was a blond! A generally smart blond but blondism is not something you can wash away!!!
Our room is upstairs at the back of the house directly over the primitive kitchen/dishwashing area. The furnishings are a bed (comfortable enough), a 4 shelf book shelf, a small stool of some kind and for the first week and a half that was it. One day Hortensia came in and saw our luggage on the floor and carried in a small table to put it on. I changed it´s function to a small dual desk so Don and I could work in our room (so far not quiet enough to really make that functional) but it was a good idea. Two walls of our room are windows which provide more light than we would otherwise have for the room. We have a key to the house and a key to our room.
Hortensia, does all of the cooking and will do a better job managing my diet than I ever will. The director of the school is diabetic and had a heart to heart with Hortensia. My meals tend to be a bit skimpy (to be nice) considering the 5 hours of head work and the walking to and from every place we go. So far I have not starved. La Cena (dinner) has been a dollop of frijoles (beans) and her version of corn tortillas (tasteless) and one or two cups of tea. La desayuno (breakfast) could be one scrambled egg, a dollop of frijoles and a cup of a milky, drinkable cereal (no idea what this is yet but it has no taste either). El almuerzo (lunch) can be a small serving of spaghetti with a little tomato sauce, a tortilla and two squash like vegetables plus a glass of pure water. I think it would be safe to say that Mayan meals are rather bland. The best part about it is that I do not have to prepare them or wash up after meals.
We started right in with a trace of a grin and we studied for 5 hours before we were taken to the home of our host family. We had all of our luggage with us at the school so we picked it up and toted it down the street. Our family is an Indigenous Mayan Family and they only speak Spanish. I believe they may understand some English because English is taught in the school at least a little. They own and operate a ´tienda´(small store) which is next to the garage and the garage is IN the house. They park their car next to the sofa! They have an absolutely beat up and finished sofa and two chairs. They face an entertainment center with a TV and DVD/Radio player and that stands next to a class display case in the shape of a cross with a statue of Jesus. Senor Miseal and Senora Hortensia Xicara may claim to be Catholic but that is in name only. They are Mayan and hold Mayan ceremonies. They often have lighted candles set in front of the display.
The family consists of Mom and Dad, 3 teenage sons and 2 teenage daughters, one 9 year old daughter, one grandchild, Michelle age 2, and Michelle´s dad. All of these people are at the house everyday for the big meal at lunch time. The evening meal can be rather skimpy. For the most part the home is poor but Don said that they have a better computer than we do and a better digital camera.
When we arrived the host family already had one student from Kie-Balam (our school). Stephanie had been taking Spanish in school and this was an enhancement. She had been in school here 2 weeks when we arrived. Can I say she was a blond! A generally smart blond but blondism is not something you can wash away!!!
Our room is upstairs at the back of the house directly over the primitive kitchen/dishwashing area. The furnishings are a bed (comfortable enough), a 4 shelf book shelf, a small stool of some kind and for the first week and a half that was it. One day Hortensia came in and saw our luggage on the floor and carried in a small table to put it on. I changed it´s function to a small dual desk so Don and I could work in our room (so far not quiet enough to really make that functional) but it was a good idea. Two walls of our room are windows which provide more light than we would otherwise have for the room. We have a key to the house and a key to our room.
Hortensia, does all of the cooking and will do a better job managing my diet than I ever will. The director of the school is diabetic and had a heart to heart with Hortensia. My meals tend to be a bit skimpy (to be nice) considering the 5 hours of head work and the walking to and from every place we go. So far I have not starved. La Cena (dinner) has been a dollop of frijoles (beans) and her version of corn tortillas (tasteless) and one or two cups of tea. La desayuno (breakfast) could be one scrambled egg, a dollop of frijoles and a cup of a milky, drinkable cereal (no idea what this is yet but it has no taste either). El almuerzo (lunch) can be a small serving of spaghetti with a little tomato sauce, a tortilla and two squash like vegetables plus a glass of pure water. I think it would be safe to say that Mayan meals are rather bland. The best part about it is that I do not have to prepare them or wash up after meals.
Monday, August 20, 2007
La Escuela - Spanish School
August 12, 2007 Sunday
We arranged for a shuttle bus to pick us up at the hotel in Antigua and take us to Xela (short for Quetzeltenango). The highway is under construction so the generally 4 hour trip took 5 to 5 1-2 hours. The bus driver/tour guide was Lucas and he spoke no English. We developed a relationship with him and he was soon pointing out spots of interest and giving micro Spanish lessons. He would pull over so that Don could take pictures. We saw political posters attached to the mountain side because elections will take place here in September. When we reached the ´four corners´we changed buses. They have the drivers take off from both ends of the trip and they meet here and return to the city they started from. We exchanged a whole big group of people heading for a lake and ended up with just thee people on our bus. Several times we had to stop and wait for the construction and they were excellent times to practice Spanish. Once we followed a pick up truck with people loaded in the back. One mother and her young daughter were soon waving and blowing kisses at Don! Both of us were safely separated and mama did not feel threatened. Later we passed Mom and baby again when they had stopped and gotten out of the truck. The baby made a big to-do waving and blowing kisses as we passed. Everyone was grinning about the baby´s interacting with perfect strangers.
Since our school was closed on Sunday we stayed in a hotel called Dona Mercedes. It was a really nice place and our room had a private bath. All of the rooms have kitchen privileges so we were able to make ourselves a cup of tea. It was also mercifully quiet so we got a good nights sleep.
Breakfast at 7 am in Xela took place at-----wait for it-----McDonald´s. There are few places you can count on that the food will be the same. Eggs & sausage at McDonald´s is the same in Guatemala as it is in Iowa. There were no other places open that we new of at that time of day to get something to eat. Classes were to begin at 8 am and we had to be there fed and with our luggage to begin our Spanish lessons.
We arrived at Kie-Balam, our school or escuela and jumped right in with Spanish lessons. We were introduced to our teachers and classes began. My teacher is a young girl of 23 years who is studying to be a physical therapist. Her name is Patty and she is as cute as a bug. We are actually working well together. Towards the end of the first week Patty needed to be at her teaching hospital for a short clinical (I think) and I traveled with her. We took a shuttle bus that should hold about 15 people but actually had 22 people loaded into it to her hospital. I had to wait in the hall while they were in with a patient. I spoke to a women who was crocheting a lacy blouse.
After the hospital we went to a big shopping mall that was within walking distance. They say GUA is a third world country but you can buy anything you might think of. Don and his instructor teased us then and now about doing Spanish female style. We window shopped and named everything we saw and debated about wearing some of the dresses we saw in the window.
Time is up for the evening. This portion will be continued at another time.
We arranged for a shuttle bus to pick us up at the hotel in Antigua and take us to Xela (short for Quetzeltenango). The highway is under construction so the generally 4 hour trip took 5 to 5 1-2 hours. The bus driver/tour guide was Lucas and he spoke no English. We developed a relationship with him and he was soon pointing out spots of interest and giving micro Spanish lessons. He would pull over so that Don could take pictures. We saw political posters attached to the mountain side because elections will take place here in September. When we reached the ´four corners´we changed buses. They have the drivers take off from both ends of the trip and they meet here and return to the city they started from. We exchanged a whole big group of people heading for a lake and ended up with just thee people on our bus. Several times we had to stop and wait for the construction and they were excellent times to practice Spanish. Once we followed a pick up truck with people loaded in the back. One mother and her young daughter were soon waving and blowing kisses at Don! Both of us were safely separated and mama did not feel threatened. Later we passed Mom and baby again when they had stopped and gotten out of the truck. The baby made a big to-do waving and blowing kisses as we passed. Everyone was grinning about the baby´s interacting with perfect strangers.
Since our school was closed on Sunday we stayed in a hotel called Dona Mercedes. It was a really nice place and our room had a private bath. All of the rooms have kitchen privileges so we were able to make ourselves a cup of tea. It was also mercifully quiet so we got a good nights sleep.
Breakfast at 7 am in Xela took place at-----wait for it-----McDonald´s. There are few places you can count on that the food will be the same. Eggs & sausage at McDonald´s is the same in Guatemala as it is in Iowa. There were no other places open that we new of at that time of day to get something to eat. Classes were to begin at 8 am and we had to be there fed and with our luggage to begin our Spanish lessons.
We arrived at Kie-Balam, our school or escuela and jumped right in with Spanish lessons. We were introduced to our teachers and classes began. My teacher is a young girl of 23 years who is studying to be a physical therapist. Her name is Patty and she is as cute as a bug. We are actually working well together. Towards the end of the first week Patty needed to be at her teaching hospital for a short clinical (I think) and I traveled with her. We took a shuttle bus that should hold about 15 people but actually had 22 people loaded into it to her hospital. I had to wait in the hall while they were in with a patient. I spoke to a women who was crocheting a lacy blouse.
After the hospital we went to a big shopping mall that was within walking distance. They say GUA is a third world country but you can buy anything you might think of. Don and his instructor teased us then and now about doing Spanish female style. We window shopped and named everything we saw and debated about wearing some of the dresses we saw in the window.
Time is up for the evening. This portion will be continued at another time.
A trip up an active volcano- Pacaya
Today we took a trip out of Antigua to walk to the top of an active volcano! After a nearly sleepless night we were up bright and early so that we could eat and be downstairs to meet our transportation ( a micro bus- aka van). We picked up two young couples, one from Spain and one from Israel, then we started out to the volcano. It was a bone shaken, body beating trip out of Antigua! I am not sure why there are not car body parts lying around all over the place! Has anyone ever heard of suspension in a car? Well put that idea right our of your head! That must be the first thing to go! It was nice to hit the highway, sorta - there are few stop signs and little or no signal lights and drivers simple go where they want to go. If you can imagine riding with your fingers crossed you would be right on target. At any rate it was a drive of about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to reach Pacaya. The driver took us up as high as a vehicle can go. He parked at a small village where we bought walking sticks from small boys and started up the volcano on foot.
I made the attempt to climb Pacaya on foot. It was soon obvious that I would need to ride a horse to the top so I made a couple of new friends. Cinnamon was the name of my steady steed and his handler was Sevin (pronounced SeBin). Sevin was a nice young man of few words but he and the horse have an understand of the job to be done. Sevin gave advice when needed -- such as stand and lean forward so the horse could climb a portion of the mountain that was straight up. Sevin never appeared to be out of breath and I was working up a sweat staying on the horse. The only thing to hold on to was the rather large pomel or the back of the saddle. The stirrups were just barely short enough for me to get my feet into and only offered some protection from scraping on the mountain side.
Our tour guide was named Arturo. He did an excellent job with his small group. Since the other two couples were younger and more agile Arutro stayed with Don and I to be sure we stayed safe. Don had the stamina to make the whole trip on foot. When we reached a point at the top where we could see old lava flows and the ground was flat with green space for the horses we were ready to complete the trip on foot. The horses would rest and eat and for a price would return me to the bottom of the volcano. It had taken and hour and a half to climb this far.
Arturo was full of encouragement and determined that I would make it to the hot lava. From our vantage point we could see red places where the rock was super heated! Arturo took my hand and zig-zagged me up and down the lava valley. He guided my feet and kept reminding me to ´go slow´. He managed to get me where he wanted me to be. He took my stick and calved off some lava and took my picture with molten rock on the end of my walking stick. It set the stick on fire but was a great experience. A little further up was a place where the rock was flowing down to the crater and Arturo got us as close to it as we could stand (extreme heat) and took our picture.
We rested a little distance from the hot rock but still sitting on lava. We ate our snack and shared with Arturo. We decided that 1 liter of water was definately the minimum amount one should carry to climb a volcano.
Going down was faster but certainly not easier. It is hard on the knees to be in a steady down hill walk. Riding straight down was no picnic either. Holding on to the back of the saddle and praying that I would not fall off I made it down the volcano. We had to find a couple of ´lay overs¨ to allow another group going up to pass. Don gave Arturo a tip for his special care of us. Sevin was paid handsomely for both the trip up and down on his horse. It was an adventure but I am done climbing volcanos.
I made the attempt to climb Pacaya on foot. It was soon obvious that I would need to ride a horse to the top so I made a couple of new friends. Cinnamon was the name of my steady steed and his handler was Sevin (pronounced SeBin). Sevin was a nice young man of few words but he and the horse have an understand of the job to be done. Sevin gave advice when needed -- such as stand and lean forward so the horse could climb a portion of the mountain that was straight up. Sevin never appeared to be out of breath and I was working up a sweat staying on the horse. The only thing to hold on to was the rather large pomel or the back of the saddle. The stirrups were just barely short enough for me to get my feet into and only offered some protection from scraping on the mountain side.
Our tour guide was named Arturo. He did an excellent job with his small group. Since the other two couples were younger and more agile Arutro stayed with Don and I to be sure we stayed safe. Don had the stamina to make the whole trip on foot. When we reached a point at the top where we could see old lava flows and the ground was flat with green space for the horses we were ready to complete the trip on foot. The horses would rest and eat and for a price would return me to the bottom of the volcano. It had taken and hour and a half to climb this far.
Arturo was full of encouragement and determined that I would make it to the hot lava. From our vantage point we could see red places where the rock was super heated! Arturo took my hand and zig-zagged me up and down the lava valley. He guided my feet and kept reminding me to ´go slow´. He managed to get me where he wanted me to be. He took my stick and calved off some lava and took my picture with molten rock on the end of my walking stick. It set the stick on fire but was a great experience. A little further up was a place where the rock was flowing down to the crater and Arturo got us as close to it as we could stand (extreme heat) and took our picture.
We rested a little distance from the hot rock but still sitting on lava. We ate our snack and shared with Arturo. We decided that 1 liter of water was definately the minimum amount one should carry to climb a volcano.
Going down was faster but certainly not easier. It is hard on the knees to be in a steady down hill walk. Riding straight down was no picnic either. Holding on to the back of the saddle and praying that I would not fall off I made it down the volcano. We had to find a couple of ´lay overs¨ to allow another group going up to pass. Don gave Arturo a tip for his special care of us. Sevin was paid handsomely for both the trip up and down on his horse. It was an adventure but I am done climbing volcanos.
A trip up an active volcano
Okay here goes - a trip up to an active volcano. Pacaya is active and a favorite spot for tourist to visit so of course Dad had to give it a go. We were up bright and early (with no sleep the night before) ate the foods we could scrounge, packed a snack and at least 1 liter of water each and headed for the outdoors to wait for our transportation. It was a micro bus . We picked up two other couples, one from Spain and one from Israel. We started out on a body beating trip out of Antigua and were relieved when we hit the highway. It was at least not cobble stone but there are few stop signs or red lights and everybody just drives where they want to be. The vehicles horn has a language of it´s own! We are even beginning to know what the combination of honks mean. The trip up to Pacaya took one to one and a half hour with the driver taking us as high as it was possible for a vehicle to go and from there the trip was done on foot or in my case by horse.
I started up Pacaya on foot but it was not long before I realized that I would not make it up on my own with the altitude not helping and the way diabetes effects my heart, so I opted for the trip up on a horse. While that may sound like it was easy let be disabuse you of that idea. We are talking riding a horse ´straight up´ a volcano (which is pointy on top-sorta). I had the pommel of the horse and the saddle to hold on to and the stirrups were just barely short enough so they were not a great deal of help--except when I had to stand and lean forward so the horse could climb! The horses name was Cinnamon and his handler was Sevin (pronounced SeBin). He was a nice young man of few words and he never became breathless going up or down! Our guide for our small group was Arturo and he was excellent all the way. The other two couples were much younger than Don and I so he concentrated on taking care of us.
When we reached a point on the top of the mountain (like a mesa with a few trees and green grass for the horses) it was time to dismount and continue on foot. From here we could see a lava river, a place where the volcano had erupted before. We walked on pea size volcano bits which were very slippery and at this point Arturo took my hand and I climbed to the actual volcano. We could see from here read streaks where the rock was super heated!!! Arturo was bound and determine that I would make it to the hot lava. He would hold my hand and tell me where to put my feet. He stayed on me to ´go slow´. The lava rock was rough and had craters all over the place. With all the help and encouragement from Arturo we reached the hot rock. Don and I had walking sticks bought for a song from a young boy at the base of the volcano. Arturo took mine and calved off molten rock onto the end of my stick and I had my picture taken with hot molten lava. A little further up the rock was melting and pouring (slowly) down the mountain and Arturo had us back up as close as we could stand it and get a picture! Lave is extremely hot!!
There were others on the volcano and one person melted some marshmallows by volcano and I think someone made a grill cheese sandwich! We rested a little distance from the hot rock and ate out snack which we shared with Arturo. We were in agreement that 1 liter of water was the bare minimum of water one should climb a volcano with. Don fell twice on the crater but fortunately the damage was minimal. Arturo would not let me fall! The climb back up to the horses was tough for me but I struggled along and Arturo kept me zig-zaging until he had me back up to the top. Needless to say Don gave Arturo a tip for his care of us during the climb. Sevin was paid both for the trip up and the trip down and we decided the charge was sufficient to include a tip.
Going down -- should have been easier and it some ways it was. It was definitely quicker at only 1 hour down. But it was STRAIGHT down! I had muscles in my arms and legs that were complaining the next day!! I had bruises on the inside of my knee from rubbing against the saddle but I was not actually saddle. I have been so saddle sore that sitting was nearly impossible and I was not in that much trouble.
I started up Pacaya on foot but it was not long before I realized that I would not make it up on my own with the altitude not helping and the way diabetes effects my heart, so I opted for the trip up on a horse. While that may sound like it was easy let be disabuse you of that idea. We are talking riding a horse ´straight up´ a volcano (which is pointy on top-sorta). I had the pommel of the horse and the saddle to hold on to and the stirrups were just barely short enough so they were not a great deal of help--except when I had to stand and lean forward so the horse could climb! The horses name was Cinnamon and his handler was Sevin (pronounced SeBin). He was a nice young man of few words and he never became breathless going up or down! Our guide for our small group was Arturo and he was excellent all the way. The other two couples were much younger than Don and I so he concentrated on taking care of us.
When we reached a point on the top of the mountain (like a mesa with a few trees and green grass for the horses) it was time to dismount and continue on foot. From here we could see a lava river, a place where the volcano had erupted before. We walked on pea size volcano bits which were very slippery and at this point Arturo took my hand and I climbed to the actual volcano. We could see from here read streaks where the rock was super heated!!! Arturo was bound and determine that I would make it to the hot lava. He would hold my hand and tell me where to put my feet. He stayed on me to ´go slow´. The lava rock was rough and had craters all over the place. With all the help and encouragement from Arturo we reached the hot rock. Don and I had walking sticks bought for a song from a young boy at the base of the volcano. Arturo took mine and calved off molten rock onto the end of my stick and I had my picture taken with hot molten lava. A little further up the rock was melting and pouring (slowly) down the mountain and Arturo had us back up as close as we could stand it and get a picture! Lave is extremely hot!!
There were others on the volcano and one person melted some marshmallows by volcano and I think someone made a grill cheese sandwich! We rested a little distance from the hot rock and ate out snack which we shared with Arturo. We were in agreement that 1 liter of water was the bare minimum of water one should climb a volcano with. Don fell twice on the crater but fortunately the damage was minimal. Arturo would not let me fall! The climb back up to the horses was tough for me but I struggled along and Arturo kept me zig-zaging until he had me back up to the top. Needless to say Don gave Arturo a tip for his care of us during the climb. Sevin was paid both for the trip up and the trip down and we decided the charge was sufficient to include a tip.
Going down -- should have been easier and it some ways it was. It was definitely quicker at only 1 hour down. But it was STRAIGHT down! I had muscles in my arms and legs that were complaining the next day!! I had bruises on the inside of my knee from rubbing against the saddle but I was not actually saddle. I have been so saddle sore that sitting was nearly impossible and I was not in that much trouble.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pacaya, an active volcano
Today we were up by 5 am for our hike to the top (nearly) of an active volcano! But I am getting ahead of myself. We got very little sleep because it seems getting ready for Market Day is a good reason to party all night! It was like a disturbed ant hill in Antigua. The streets were much busier that usual. There were small pickup trucks loaded to the hilt with produce and people coming in all day. Finally at 3 am I asked the people laughing and making noise in our courtyard to please go to sleep.
Time to eat again so I will continue about the trip up the volcano another time. Stay tuned because you don´t want to miss this!
Time to eat again so I will continue about the trip up the volcano another time. Stay tuned because you don´t want to miss this!
Walking Tour of Antigua
August 10
We slept well in Antigua but the room is nothing to write about. We had the best room in the house to start with and it contained a double bed and a small single bed and a couple of benches and a table and a built in closet/wardrobe, with a private shower and toilet. The plumbing system in GUA is lacking somewhat and all paper must be disposed of in a trash can that is provided everywhere. There may not be toilet paper but you have a trash can for it.
Our walking tour started with a hunt for breakfast and once fed we met with a tour guide, Elizabeth Bell. She is a US citizen who has lived in Antigua and made it her home for a very long time now. The tour was a lot of fun and we had a brief introduction to Antigua and the people of Guatemala. It was a great way to begin to understand just a little about how the people live here. We saw the ¨hidden¨Antigua. Many of the places we visited had two doors. The outside door was generally heavy duty metal with great big locks but once opened you might see some extremely beautiful homes with grassy courtyards with flowers everywhere and trees. It was a surprise to see the life inside. Don took some great pictures and someday you may be lucky enough to see them.
On the second day in Antigua we did look for a different place to eat but finally decided to stay on the safe side and stayed with La Fuentes. We thought that we arrived at school we would be able to learn of more places safe for us to eat. The object being to stay healthy so we could study and learn Spanish. The toilet failed on our room on the second day. They moved us to a smaller room which was a real challenge. It had a bed and one bench and no place to put the luggage. It did have a newer bath with shower. We looked like squirrels trying to arrange things so we could function. We packed a day pack for our trip to Picaya Volcano -- an active volcano, which was planned for 6 am the next day. We packed some snack food and had to carry at least one liter of water a piece for the volcano.
My souvenirs from Antigua are a Jade pendant (no chain) from the Jade factory which we toured on our own before the Walking Tour. We were escorted by the owner of this factory so we had a most excellent tour. Then we found a pretty purple wrap around skirt in a GUA design and a white GUA style ¨peasant¨blouse. We bought a Spanish prayer book. We also buy a lot of water and cokes to drink. Water is very heavy to move around.
We stopped at an Internet cafe & checked our e-mail and sent a brief message to everyone on our list. By then it was dark and we bought a coke to take back to the hotel and drink on the roof so we could watch the craziness below. There are no stop lights in Antigua and very few stop signs and the road markings are mearly decorations. It is an adventure to get from one place to another. There are cars, trucks, motorcycles, and a motorcycle type taxi called a ¨Tuk-tuk¨all driving kamikaze style and people crossing streets in between. Life is an iffy thing on the streets of Antigua. We went back to our new rooms and showered and with luck hoped to sleep. There was a party/fiesta or some reason for people to gather all night. The door bell rang like crazy and finally at about 3 am I called out of our window ¨Por Favor, Buenes Noches. (Please, good night!) and the noise stopped. With two hours of sleep we were ready to start a new day (yeah right) climbing a volcano exhausted. All total however, it was a good day.
We slept well in Antigua but the room is nothing to write about. We had the best room in the house to start with and it contained a double bed and a small single bed and a couple of benches and a table and a built in closet/wardrobe, with a private shower and toilet. The plumbing system in GUA is lacking somewhat and all paper must be disposed of in a trash can that is provided everywhere. There may not be toilet paper but you have a trash can for it.
Our walking tour started with a hunt for breakfast and once fed we met with a tour guide, Elizabeth Bell. She is a US citizen who has lived in Antigua and made it her home for a very long time now. The tour was a lot of fun and we had a brief introduction to Antigua and the people of Guatemala. It was a great way to begin to understand just a little about how the people live here. We saw the ¨hidden¨Antigua. Many of the places we visited had two doors. The outside door was generally heavy duty metal with great big locks but once opened you might see some extremely beautiful homes with grassy courtyards with flowers everywhere and trees. It was a surprise to see the life inside. Don took some great pictures and someday you may be lucky enough to see them.
On the second day in Antigua we did look for a different place to eat but finally decided to stay on the safe side and stayed with La Fuentes. We thought that we arrived at school we would be able to learn of more places safe for us to eat. The object being to stay healthy so we could study and learn Spanish. The toilet failed on our room on the second day. They moved us to a smaller room which was a real challenge. It had a bed and one bench and no place to put the luggage. It did have a newer bath with shower. We looked like squirrels trying to arrange things so we could function. We packed a day pack for our trip to Picaya Volcano -- an active volcano, which was planned for 6 am the next day. We packed some snack food and had to carry at least one liter of water a piece for the volcano.
My souvenirs from Antigua are a Jade pendant (no chain) from the Jade factory which we toured on our own before the Walking Tour. We were escorted by the owner of this factory so we had a most excellent tour. Then we found a pretty purple wrap around skirt in a GUA design and a white GUA style ¨peasant¨blouse. We bought a Spanish prayer book. We also buy a lot of water and cokes to drink. Water is very heavy to move around.
We stopped at an Internet cafe & checked our e-mail and sent a brief message to everyone on our list. By then it was dark and we bought a coke to take back to the hotel and drink on the roof so we could watch the craziness below. There are no stop lights in Antigua and very few stop signs and the road markings are mearly decorations. It is an adventure to get from one place to another. There are cars, trucks, motorcycles, and a motorcycle type taxi called a ¨Tuk-tuk¨all driving kamikaze style and people crossing streets in between. Life is an iffy thing on the streets of Antigua. We went back to our new rooms and showered and with luck hoped to sleep. There was a party/fiesta or some reason for people to gather all night. The door bell rang like crazy and finally at about 3 am I called out of our window ¨Por Favor, Buenes Noches. (Please, good night!) and the noise stopped. With two hours of sleep we were ready to start a new day (yeah right) climbing a volcano exhausted. All total however, it was a good day.
Arrival in Guatemala
August 8 -- Day One
Our Most Excellent Adventure in Guatemala finally began. For the past several months we have planned and researched and prepared for our trip to study Spanish in Guatemala. We had to wait forever for the pass ports to come in and while we waited Don searched for good airline tickets (by good I mean cheap). One day a most excellent price was found so Don decided to buy-- but yet no pass ports. You can imagine that we were pleased when the pass ports did come in and we had tickets --- the adventure began.
The week before we left we started shopping for things we felt we had to have. Don had done a lot of research and was in contact with the gentleman who runs this Internet Cafe ¨Xelapages¨ who sent a lot of basic information to us. The shopping was interesting because whatever we bought we would have to hand carry as we would have no car in GUA. Our friends Al and Judy volunteered to drive us to the train station in Galesburg, IL so that we could leave our car in the garage. It was bright and early on Wednesday morning when we boarded Amtrak headed for Chicago. We had a room booked at a hotel near the airport so we could be on time for a 6:10 am flight for Miami. We changed planes with no problem in Miami and while sitting in the plane at the gate we were handed papers to fill out that we would need to enter GUA so the time was well spent. After that brief delay we were on our way. American airlines has televisions in the center of the planes so we watched a really dumb movie on the first leg and ignored what was on during the second leg.
We arrive in Guatemala and begin the process of passing through immigration, that is after a really long hike. Like most airports this one is under construction which adds a lot to your fun and pleasure. Getting checked through was a piece of cake. It happened so fast that we were out on the street before we had time to get money for GUA. We had arrived in GUA at 1:30 pm and went looking for our transportation. There was someone from the hotel in Antigua with a sign with our name on it waiting. We climbed into this rattletrap truck and took off for Antigua.
Antigua
In Antigua we found our room and dropped all of that stuff and took off for a walking tour of our area. The roads in Antigua are rough cobble stone. If you don´t need to visit the restroom before you get to Antigua you will shortly after getting a full body massage on their roads. Walking on them was also a trip. The roads are barely wide enough for the cars and the sidewalk is barely two people wide and has a lot of broken uneven places. You know me and the foot -- I had to watch where I put my foot and trust Don to do all of the navigating. I had to stop moving to take in the scenery.
Our dinner was at a restaurant that had been recommended as one that was friendly to the American tummy, ¨La Fuentes¨. The restaurant was a surprise like most of the places we have been into, the front door is nothing to look at but once you enter there is an entryway then you find yourself in a courtyard with a fountain in the middle and grass (very little grass shows in GUA because it rains a lot so all city streets are cement). Around the edge of the little courtyard were tables and chairs that were under a roof. Behind the tables were little shops and an Internet Cafe (which Don thought was too expensive). To make a long story short the restaurant was perfect for our tummys and we subsequently ate all of our meals there.
Our Most Excellent Adventure in Guatemala finally began. For the past several months we have planned and researched and prepared for our trip to study Spanish in Guatemala. We had to wait forever for the pass ports to come in and while we waited Don searched for good airline tickets (by good I mean cheap). One day a most excellent price was found so Don decided to buy-- but yet no pass ports. You can imagine that we were pleased when the pass ports did come in and we had tickets --- the adventure began.
The week before we left we started shopping for things we felt we had to have. Don had done a lot of research and was in contact with the gentleman who runs this Internet Cafe ¨Xelapages¨ who sent a lot of basic information to us. The shopping was interesting because whatever we bought we would have to hand carry as we would have no car in GUA. Our friends Al and Judy volunteered to drive us to the train station in Galesburg, IL so that we could leave our car in the garage. It was bright and early on Wednesday morning when we boarded Amtrak headed for Chicago. We had a room booked at a hotel near the airport so we could be on time for a 6:10 am flight for Miami. We changed planes with no problem in Miami and while sitting in the plane at the gate we were handed papers to fill out that we would need to enter GUA so the time was well spent. After that brief delay we were on our way. American airlines has televisions in the center of the planes so we watched a really dumb movie on the first leg and ignored what was on during the second leg.
We arrive in Guatemala and begin the process of passing through immigration, that is after a really long hike. Like most airports this one is under construction which adds a lot to your fun and pleasure. Getting checked through was a piece of cake. It happened so fast that we were out on the street before we had time to get money for GUA. We had arrived in GUA at 1:30 pm and went looking for our transportation. There was someone from the hotel in Antigua with a sign with our name on it waiting. We climbed into this rattletrap truck and took off for Antigua.
Antigua
In Antigua we found our room and dropped all of that stuff and took off for a walking tour of our area. The roads in Antigua are rough cobble stone. If you don´t need to visit the restroom before you get to Antigua you will shortly after getting a full body massage on their roads. Walking on them was also a trip. The roads are barely wide enough for the cars and the sidewalk is barely two people wide and has a lot of broken uneven places. You know me and the foot -- I had to watch where I put my foot and trust Don to do all of the navigating. I had to stop moving to take in the scenery.
Our dinner was at a restaurant that had been recommended as one that was friendly to the American tummy, ¨La Fuentes¨. The restaurant was a surprise like most of the places we have been into, the front door is nothing to look at but once you enter there is an entryway then you find yourself in a courtyard with a fountain in the middle and grass (very little grass shows in GUA because it rains a lot so all city streets are cement). Around the edge of the little courtyard were tables and chairs that were under a roof. Behind the tables were little shops and an Internet Cafe (which Don thought was too expensive). To make a long story short the restaurant was perfect for our tummys and we subsequently ate all of our meals there.
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