July 9, 2013

I got up at 6:40, although I had already been awake for a while. The earplugs are helping a lot with the birds in the morning. We had oatmeal with bananas for breakfast and lemongrass tea. We got ready and headed to Hermano Pedro. When we got there, they were cleaning up from breakfast. We helped clear the dishes and then we dried them with Gladis after Ana the nurse washed them. When the breakfast commotion had wound down, we asked if we could paint the ladies' nails and if they had nail polish or nail polish remover there. The answers were yes, no, and no., so we asked if we could leave to go get the supplies. We went to the supermarket because that is where Elvira had told us we could find nail polish. We did find it and bought two colors and nail polish remover. We decided to quickly look at the outdoor market for a new watch because my trusty orange and black watch that I bought in Hong Kong 7 years ago is not doing so well. The band ripped in two places on this trip and it sometimes does not keep the correct time. We have been carrying around my alarm clock so we can know what time it is. However, the only watches we could find in the market were children's watches with pictures from Card or with the Disney princesses. As Christiana pointed out, wearing one of those watches would be more embarrassing than having to discreetly check the time on our alarm clock! We decided to keep looking later. We did see nail polish for much cheaper than we had bought it for in the supermarket. We bought one more because it was a prettier color and super cheap.

We returned to HP and helped dry the pitchers. Then we asked Ana to give us some cotton to remove their old nail polish (which she had already said he would give us), but she never brought it to us and then it was time to take the ladies to escuelita. We went with them and walked around interacting with them. There was a group of about 8 people who came in with big fancy cameras and started taking big group pictures with some of the residents and everything else. It was a bit excessive. Some of the people were introducing others to the residents as if it was their first time there. It was very strange. After escuelita, we brought them back to their ward and helped serve lunch. I fed Lita who ate the regular lunch, she just needed it to be cut into small bites because she does not have many, if any, teeth. We helped clear the dishes and then it was time to go. We left at 12:40 so we had time to walk home for lunch.

We had chicken soup with vegetables (which I helped serve) and flautas which were like chicken tacos and quite delicious. We had juice made with pineapple, orange, and lemon. We got ready and headed to school. I felt like it was warmer in the garden today. There was a big lunch at the school and people were still eating. I was glad that Christiana had opted to eat with Elvira instead of at the school. The students were very loud which made it a bit difficult to start class. We began by chatting about what I had been up to since class the day before and then we learned some more idiomatic expressions with verbs. I read some children's stories that were not very good and a short biography of Rigoberta Menchu which I enjoyed. We also did some oral drills with verb conjugations. We finished class at 5:30 and I quickly checked my email. Then we headed back. It was cooler than earlier but I jumped in the shower so my hair would have time to dry before bed. Christiana let me use her hair dryer which also helped. I did my homework and started my blog post.

For dinner, we had black bean soup with feta cheese on top, scrambled eggs with tomato, and fried plantains. The tea was cinnamon. After dinner, I finished my blog entry and read for a while.

July 8, 2013

I have several blog posts written about our weekend, but they are typed on my iPad and I can´t get them to sync with the computer. I am going to try again tomorrow when we are at school and have wifi. The short story is that we had a good trip!

Today we got up at 6:40. I slept better because I wore earplugs so the birds wouldn´t wake me at 5. We had omelettes and papaya for breakfast. Afterward, we walked quickly to Obras Sociales Hermano Pedro where we are going to volunteer. We went to the volunteer office and got our badges with our pictures on them, and then we were escorted to the ward for the older women. We chatted with the women and helped dry the dishes and put them away. There was another English speaking volunteer there and we talked a lot with her. She moved here from the US and doesn´t speak much Spanish. Her name is Diane. We sat around a lot and talked to the women who live in the ward. I have two favorite friends so far. One of the women, named Florencia, reminds me a lot of Fung Tai from Hong Kong. She doesn´t talk but she makes noises sometimes. She has a baby doll that carries around like a real baby and wants people to hold it. My other friend is Gladis. She is only there because of her physical limitations. I feel sorry for her because she doesn´t have many people to talk with. She told me all about her life (she was an orphan) and about the other women in the unit (She´s crazy, she talks to herself all day, etc.). She likes to feed the birds pieces of bread that she saves from her meals. We helped take some of the women to the ¨school¨ that they have there. The people in the school do crafts and other activities to help them with their fine motor skills. Not all of the women go. Then I helped bring them back to their ward and folded laundry while we waited for lunch to arrive. I spoonfed a woman named Clara a bowl of soup. She didn´t really want to eat it and she kept spitting it out. Eventually, Juliana, the woman in charge of the unit, came over and took the bowl from me. She proceeded to quickly spoon the soup into her mouth and choked poor Clara three times so badly that Clara´s face turned red. When they had finished eating, we helped wash the dishes and then realized that it was one already. We said we had to go, and we walked quickly all the way home. My watch had broken this morning so we didn´t know what time it was. We had to speed walk home and we were still 20 minutes late for lunch, which they hadn´t served yet (I hope it was not because of us!). We had little meat patties with gravy, lettuce salad with radishes and tomatoes and lime juice, white rice, and apples with cinnamon. Christiana went to lie down for a few minutes before class. We left for class at 1:50.

Spanish School went fairly well. I spent some time chatting with my teacher whose name is Cesy (SAY see). Then I read some pretty easy stories about the sun. Then we had a half hour break. I was freezing and had not brought a jacket so I decided to walk home and get one. Christiana came with me. It is nice to go to school so close to the house. For the second part of the afternoon, I studied phrases using the verbs dar and haber. It was a good thing to study. I would like to get the book that she is using, but I don´t know if it is still in print. After class, Christiana and I walked to the internet cafe near our house and checked our email and I tried to upload the blog posts I had written on my iPad. No luck, but I will try again tomorrow.

July 7, 2013

Today we got up at 7:30 and got ready. We packed our stuff and checked out. We walked to Deli Jasmin for breakfast. The restaurant is surrounded by a garden. We ate outside under a lime tree. I had two grain pancakes with honey and fruit salad (including pitaya which is a juicy purple fruit with black seeds) and Christiana had a quesadilla. We then headed out to shop along Calle Santander which has tons of little shops and stalls selling souvenirs. I would have liked to go to Jenny's church, but it doesn't meet until 4 and we had to head back before then. We bought what we wanted and then went back to the restaurant from the morning for Christiana to buy bread for the dogs and to use the restroom. Then we set off on our chicken bus journey. Our four bus rides were fairly crowded but uneventful. We got back around 3. We had left Pana at 12:15 so we made good time. I bought a tank top at a stall on out way home. We dumped our stuff and unpacked a bit before heading to the grocery store (La Bodegona). I got my first ice cream cone here at McDonalds. It was delicious. We stopped at several tiendas on our way home so Christiana could buy a few more things. Then we came back home and organized ourselves before heading out to look for dinner. We went to La Merced to have pupusas, but all the vendors were touching both the money and the food so we opted for a taco restaurant instead. I had a quesadilla and Christiana had chicken soup and chips. Then we went back to La Merced to get atol de elote which is a hot corn drink. I needed Amber to share it with me because it is so rich that I could not finish it all. Christiana bought some sort of a roll with meat in it for a stray dog she saw. We walked home. I journaled while Christiana showered and then I did. We were super dirty after all of our traveling on buses and walking around in the hot sun. I got slightly sunburnt today when we were shopping this morning.

July 6, 2013

We got up and had breakfast with the family at 7:30. We had huevos rancheros (eggs with tomatoes and onions and more), refried black beans and bread. We left at 8:30 to catch a chicken bus to Chimaltenango for 5Q. As we drove out of Antigua, I saw a semi tailer that said "Lafayette" and "Columbus" and I wondered if it was from Indiana. then I noticed that at the bottom of the truck it had two phone numbers (a 765 area code and a The next bus, to Los Encuentros, cost 10Q, the bus to Solola cost 2.50, and the bus to Panajachel cost 3Q. We got there about 12 and the whole journey (4 buses) cost less than 3 dollars! One of the funniest moments was when people got on the bus to sell food right in front of a sign on the bus that said no food or drink. I really wanted to take a picture of the scene, but I had to satisfy myself with the memory. 

When we got to Pana, we went to find a hotel first before setting off to explore. we found a hotel from the book called Hospedaje Garcia. It was cheap and simple. We paid 50Q each for the night. The biggest frustration of the day was when we took a boat across Lake Atitlan to San Pedro. I talked to a man (who coincidentally was named Pedro) about taking a boat across. He tried to sell us a tour and then told us that it would cost $30 US to get across the lake even if we took a public boat. I knew this was not true and walked away. We found the public dock and unfortunately a boat for San Pedro was just pulling away. We had to wait 15 minutes for the next boat to come and then probably 15 more minutes for enough passengers to arrive. However, then about 6 of the guys in the boat and the driver left to go get beer and didn't return for another 15 minutes. We finally left and realized that our boat was taking an awfully long time to cross the lake. It ended up taking about 1.5 hours (and 25Q) to cross the lake. Our fellow travelers were loud and not so sober. 

When we finally got there, we jumped in a tuk tuk (which is like an enclosed three-wheeled golf cart) for 10 Q each to go to San Juan. I absolutely loved San Juan. It was so peaceful and there were very few other tourists. San Juan is known for its natural dyes. We visited several cooperatives that were selling textiles made with the natural dyes. I really loved the products and wish we would have had longer to look around. At one cooperative, we met a woman named Angela and her daughter Fatima. I asked the little girl how old she was and she held up fingers. It made me laugh because she kept changing the number of fingers each time I said a number. Another woman, Amalia, was dying scarves in the back using leaves called sacatintas that make a grey color. They graciously invited us to the back to watch. Angela explained that the cooperative provides work for 20 families. The women weave and dye and the men look for the plants that are used to make the dye. I took some pictures of the process and bought a scarf that was dyed purple using wood. We stopped by another cooperative and met a really old woman and two younger women. I saw that they were selling cortes (the traditional skirt that the Mayan women wear). They were only 100Q so I decided to buy one. I found one I liked and Berta and the other woman helped me learn how to wear it. It was close to 4 so we found a tuk tuk and went back to San Pedro. It only cost 5Q each on the way back and the trip seemed much shorter. There was a boat getting ready to leave so we decided to get on since it was 4:15 and the last boat was supposed to leave at 5. It was a fast (40 minute) pleasant trip. 

We looked for several restaurants from the guide book and none of them worked out. We found a typical restaurant with a mix of gringos and Guatemalans eating there. I ordered curry chicken and Christiana ordered carne asada. When I walked by the kitchen to get to the dirty bathroom, I became worried. As I left the bathroom, I ran into two boys who I think we're the owner's sons with a white mouse in an exercise wheel heading into the kitchen. I was really hoping that we wouldn't get sick from this experience! We also ordered licuados (watermelon for me and pineapple for Christiana). There were several dogs that wandered in and out of the restaurant. Christiana really has a heart for the dogs. She always wants to feed them. We threw pieces of tortilla to the dogs. Afterward I bought water and we walked back to our hotel. I was feeling really tired and Christiana is always ready to sleep. We got ready and I journaled and Christiana soon fell asleep. I turned off the light before 8pm! That must be some sort of record for me! The people in the room next to us were fairly noisy but I was still able to fall asleep in about a half hour.

July 5, 2013

Highlights of today so far:

• found and paid for our school which is close to our house and looks pleasant
• registered to volunteer at Obras Sociales Hermano Pedro (more on this later)
• explored the city by visiting multiple shops and the market
• had a delicious traditional stew for lunch
• went on a tour of a coffee plantation and musical instrument museum (Cafe Azotea)
• perfect weather

I tried to post pictures, but the computer I am using does not have an SD card slot. Someday soon!

Tomorrow´s plans:

We are leaving for Lake Atitlan after breakfast. We will be taking three chicken buses to get there. Pray for safety as we travel and for us to find a good place to stay. We will return Sunday afternoon.

July 4, 2013

Hola!

I just wanted to let you know that Christiana and I made it safely to Antigua. Our flights were both on time, we had no trouble with our airport pick up, and we have already gone to the bank and gotten money after catching up with Elvira and Enrique.  I will post more later when I can.

I got up at 4am after only 2 hours or so of sleep. Tammy and I stayed up too late and then I couldn't fall asleep because I was too excited. I got ready, ate a bowl of Cheerios, drank tea, and packed a sandwich and an apple. We left Tammy's at 5 and went to pick Laurel up at her apt. She was riding along with us to see us off and give Tammy someone to talk to on the way back. On our way to pick up Christiana, we saw a red fox running across the street in a neighborhood. We loaded Christiana's suitcase into the trunk and drove to the airport.

There was not a line to check in, so we got to go right to the kiosk. The man gave me a large plastic bag to put over the protective rain cover on my pack. Hopefully it makes it okay. We got through security super quickly as well. We went to the bathroom and filled our water bottles at a special water bottle filling station connected to the drinking fountain. We made it to our gate just 20 minutes or so after arriving at the airport! 

Christiana and I sent Elvira a message and wrote down her phone numbers. Then we talked about our plan for the first few days we are in Guatemala. At this point, I think we are going to visit Lake Atitlan Saturday to Sunday. We can scope out the bus situation on Friday and probably do some touristy stuff around Antigua. We are supposed to get to Guatemalaat 1:21 so we should have time to walk around later today.

Our plane took off on time. There was a crying baby in the row in front of us, but the minute we took off, she fell asleep. Hopefully she takes a long nap! The man next to us is going to visit his daughter in Flores, which is a town in northern Guatemala near Tikal. I hope to visit Tikal someday, but it is supposed to be pretty dangerous these days.  :(

I spent the flight journaling and reading. Christiana slept. When we got to Houston, we went to the bathroom and found our gate which was very close to where we had arrived. I made a few last minute phone calls and sent some text messages before it was time to get in line to have our passports verified. Christiana's boarding pass did not have a seat number and instead said "see agent." I was a little worried that they had overbooked the flight, but they just moved her to a different seat. I felt bad that she wasn't sitting with me as this is the first time she has had to fill out the immigration forms that are kind of confusing. I saw a girl getting on the plane with a big hiking backpack close to the size of mine. I can't believe she was able to take that as carry-on luggage! I think my goal for my next trip should be to pack light enough I could carry my backpack aboard as I think this would save a lot of wear and tear on it. 

As we boarded I started talking to a girl who was wearing a dress and white heels. She is going to Guatemala for the weekend to celebrate her host sister's quincinera. She had studied in Guatemala two years earlier and had promised to come back when her host sister turned 15. I made my way to the very back of the plane (last row) and found a man sitting in my seat. When I arrived, he said that he was supposed to sit in the next row, but he had just been talking with his wife. I asked him where his seat was supposed to be and offered to trade (middle seat for aisle, yes please!). I sat down in my new seat and a minute later a man showed up and said I was in his seat. I then had to go back and ask the man in MY seat which seat was really his. He told me the window start where his wife was sitting. This was getting super confusing. I asked where his wife was supposed to sit and he told me in the aisle seat in their row. I must have looked skeptical or he must have been unsure because he checked her boarding pass and found that her seat was the window seat one row up and across the plane. I happily agreed to still trade him and got a window seat (my favorite). I ate my peanut butter sandwich and Granny Smith apple while taking off. We had some turbulence, but it wasn't horrible. I spent most of the flight reading. I got a whole can of tomato juice. The little boy sitting behind me spent about one quarter of the 2.5 hour flight kicking the back of my seat and poking me with his feet under the back of my seat. It is not every economy flight that you get a vibrating, massaging seat! Haha! I could see cruise ships (I think) as we flew over the Gulf of Mexico. It looks pretty grey and rainy from up here and the captain told us it had been raining in Guatemala City. Hopefully it warms up there and the sun comes put!

When we got to the airport, we passed through customs and immigration just fine, and I was relieved to see that my new backpack made it without a scratch. We headed outside and found Eric holding a sign with our names on it. He went to fetch the car and we drove to Antigua. The sky was mostly cloudy, but it was not raining and felt decently warm. I spoke with Eric in Spanish and was glad to see that my Spanish was starting to come back. He dropped us off at Elvira and Enrique´s where Enrique let us in. We are staying in the room across from the birds so we will be waking up at 6am tomorrow! We talked wtih E & E and they gave us directions to a good bank. We went and changed money for Christiana and I got money from an ATM (kind of). We put our money back at the house and went to the internet cafe down the street for 15 minutes. We will be heading back for dinner in a minute.

We had dinner and met the other people living in out house. Steffi is from Texas and will be leaving on Monday. She is very talkative. Her husband is coming to Guatemala so they are going to stay in a hotel. Amanda is a speech therapist who will be here for almost a year.

Plans for tomorrow include finding our Spanish school and making sure everything is set up there, registering at Hermano Pedro hospital where we are going to volunteer, and maybe taking a tour of a coffee plantation. Saturday we will probably head to Lake Atitlan.

Getting Ready for Guatemala 2013

As part of my graduation gift for finishing my master's, my grandparents got me a big travel pack that I can wear on my back. This will make traveling much easier as I will not have to haul around a big suitcase, especially when walking on cobblestone streets or taking public transportation. I have a few pictures highlighting some of the wonderful features of my travel pack. However, the internet is not cooperating at the present moment, so I will add them to this post when I can. We leave tomorrow morning at 7:59am and arrive in Guatemala at 1:21pm. We will leave for the airport at 5am, and for once I am not going to have to stay up late packing!